Christmas

Two days until Christmas, typically this is a "down" time for me, my depression swings in and the long dreary days of rain and no sunshine don't help any. This year it has been good - until today. I got a disconnect notice from the gas company. If only they would have waited one more week, I could have paid it with my school money. Who sends out disconnect notices two days before Christmas anyway? sigh....And I have the kids for Christmas eve and Olivia was asking what we were going to have to our "special Christmas Eve" meal. I have 3 pork chops and some baked potatoes, and no money. I know God has come through before and the TV is full of Christmas miracles, you can really believe that they can happen if you try hard enough.

I can dwell on the questions -why can't I find a job? Why can't I find freelance work, why am I poor? What have I done wrong? But when I let my mind go to those questions, the darkness threatens to invade like a fog. I can NOT go there, I have to keep positive, I have to hand it over to God and let him take control. It doesn't mean I shouldn't do my part -like call the Gas company and ask for an extension, but I can't dwell on what I can not control. Not a good time to be alone, how will I do it with the kids gone all next week? I am not sure. The Lord has provided a way to get me down to St. Louis for a long weekend, that will help, but until then the weight of aloneness will be great.

I would really like to see a Christmas miracle right here in my home this weekend.

Finals are over!

Finals are over for this semester. Whooo hoooo! My evenings are my own again,as are the daytimes. Of course that time will be spent building my freelance work and picking up the house. House work as not been a priority in the last two weeks of classes. It is amazing how quickly the children and myself can let the house get messy! Uck! Can't wait to get it straightened up again.

I feel such a relief to be done with classes.

Whirlwind!

all photos are copyright protected ©2006 Lisa McKibben Schwaberow



Life seems to be a whirlwind of late. My artwork has taken on a life of its own, fellow artists and friends are encouraging me in my artwork and there is a lot of enthusiasm for it. The possibilities are endless. The one thing I like about my artwork is it combines my love of my city, photography, computer art, and architecture all into one whole unit. And the beauty of it is the architecture that I love so much can be appreciated in any city, and my love of Chicago can be rolled right into the picture!

Taxes....
Ug! I am not tax brained...my brain has an area - I am certain of this - that locks up, freezes and shuts down when the thought of taxes comes to mind. I want to run far away from this aspect of the whole business. I believe I might have found a way. If you display your work in a gallery then you don't have to pay sales tax, the gallery will take care of that. I must still pay income tax but that I can deal with! Any gallery owners call me!

So as I sit here postponing the 16 page paper I have to write with 16 primary sources and the two finals I must study for, I contemplate the excitement of conquering the biggest sales job of my life - my work, and I easily postpone that work a few minutes longer.....but really I must return to work on that paper. So adieu for now!