Robert and Mary - October 2015

So... it has been six months and just seemed fitting to give an update on the happy couple... but, you need the back story first.  Let's go back to October 2015.

I got to play wedding planner as we cleared out our living room, decorated the fireplace and brought in chairs.  As I worked with this 79 year old who had been a widow for over 25 years, I tried to find out what she wanted in this memorable occasion.  Q... Did she want flowers?  *no, keep it simple.  Q... what about just a couple flowers, something to hold so that your not just standing with fidgety hands?  *yes, that would be fine, but keep it small.   Q... what was the one thing not in your first wedding that you would like in this one?  *well, the church wasn't even finished, so ... well, can we have a cake?  I don't want no big fancy thing though.  Just something small.  I just want a simple wedding, everything simple.  Just our kids and their families.

My husband was to do the wedding, we knew the bride really well and the groom had become a friend really quick.  Several phone calls and messages made it clear that they both wanted to honor their prior spouse by using their same wedding rings as before.  Throughout all the planning, they wanted to be very respectful to their children and their feelings.

So... without further ado... let me share the ceremony and photos with you.

Robert Wakler (groom), Nelda Turner (bride's daughter)

 Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, friends and 

family to unite this couple Robert Ervin Walker and Mary Francis Proctor in 
the bonds of holy matrimony.

Robert and Mary, I do not believe that it was an accident that you met and 
fell in love. I sincerely believe that this is God’s plan and that you are 
honoring him in your commitment to each other. I believe you will be 
blessing to others and to each other. I pray that we who are here will love 
and support you the way you have unconditionally loved us.

Anyone who has been around Robert and Mary can recognize how deeply in love 
they are with each other. They are both secure enough in that love to talk 
and fondly remember their former spouses Janice and Bill to each other.

Robert and Mary have asked me to take a moment and recognize how God had 
blessed both of them with loving, godly spouses who have gone on to be with 
the Lord.
Robert was married to Janice for 56 years.
Mary was married to Bill for almost 34 years.

Both of these marriages were based on a love for each other and the Lord.

A marriage based on the Lord has a strong foundation.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (NIV)

Robert and Mary understand that the Lord is the strand, the common bond 
that will hold them together.


Their love for each other, and their life circumstances, reminds me of a 
love story found in the Bible in the Book of Ruth. It is a love story that 
Robert and Mary are both familiar with.

It is a story that starts with the loss of a spouse and ends with a wedding.

It begins with a focus on a mother in law named Naomi who has lost her 
husband, and her sons and longs to go home to the land of her birth. She 
advises her daughter in laws, who are also widowed, to stay behind.

It is the story of Ruth, her widowed daughter in law, who would not stay 
behind but who followed and remained devoted to her mother in law, Naomi, 
even after the death of her spouse.

It is also the story of a man named Boaz, an unmarried relative of 
Naomi's. Naomi, will in time play matchmaker and set a series of events in 
motion that with God’s help lead to the marriage of Ruth and Boaz.


Today, I am reminded of another mother in law and in this case a widowed 
man that is still devoted to her. That same mother in law was used by God 
to start a chain of events that have led us here today.


Robert, your commitment and love for your mother in law speaks volumes 
about you. Mary recognizes the kind of man you are and will be to her. And 
so do we.


Now Ruth could have stayed in her own land and remarried but she chose to 
go with Naomi. In doing this, Ruth choose to remain single.

When Ruth got settled in this new land she did not hurriedly seek out a 
mate but waited focusing on the needs of Naomi. Until Naomi intervened.


Mary, you have been a widow for 26 years. You could have chosen to seek out 
someone years ago but you waited. I believe you waited for the right man 
and the right season. Robert knows what kind of woman you are because you 
have waited and have lived your life in service to family and others.

Today both of you take a bold step into your new life together.

Robert and Mary, if you will turn and face each other and repeat your vows 
to each other at this time.

 Robert and Mary vows here.

I , (name), take you, (name), to be my wedded (wife/husband), to have and 
to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poor, 
in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. 
And here I pledge you my faithfulness.
Robert and Mary have chosen to use their same rings from their previous 
marriages. They are using them to as a reminder of what has come before, 
how God had blessed and how they again recognize that Lord is the constant 
unchanging center of this covenant to each other.
Rings

May we have the rings? Would you two join hands now?

Nelda Turner (bride's daughter), Mary Proctor (bride), Darrell Proctor (my hubby, oh, did I mention that the Bride is his Mother, yes... my Mother-in-Love!!!), Robert Walker (groom), Johnny Walker (groom's son)

Robert, please repeat after me – Mary, With this ring, I thee wed, and with 
it, I pledge my heart and my devotion. You may place the ring upon her finger.

Mary, please repeat after me – Robert, With this ring, I thee wed, and with 
it, I pledge my heart and my devotion. You may place the ring upon his finger.



The Kiss

In recognition of your commitment to each other, by the power vested in me 
by the state of Texas, and the Almighty God we love and serve, I now 
pronounce you man and wife. Robert, you may kiss your bride. Mary you may 
kiss your husband.



The Pronouncement

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time 
Robert and Mary Proctor Walker. And all God’s people said – Amen.

                                   

And... so now... these six months later?

They lived happily ever after.

The End.

Blending Colored Pencils

Lots of folks seem to have a problem with colored pencils.  I will tell ya right now, that as of this time, no company has sent me any freebies for which I speak for.  Whatever opinions I share are from product that I have purchased, tried, and gained my own opinion on.  So...

Right now, my favorite colored pencils are PrismaColor.  They are pricey!  But, you can use your JoAnn Fabric/Hobby Lobby/ or Michaels Coupon and get them at a significant discount.  I seldom get any of my art supplies at full price.  IF something is on sale for 30% off and I don't have to have it right then, I will wait til it goes off sale and use that 40% off coupon the next week.  Save money, purchase more!  lol

I am going to posts these pictures using the PrismaColor Premier Pencils....

In this first photo... take a look at all the Tuscan Red that I put in.  See how it deepens that back area to make it appear to be going down into the back... see how it goes to being really dark to much lighter touch with the pencil.  In the end... this will be the darkest part of the flower.  In the next picture, below, you are gonna see where I start to put in the highlights... the Orange.

Looks pretty bad right now... right?  Hang in there... I am going to add my base color, (Magenta) the color that you want the overall flower to be.  See below....

Here is where I added just a bit of the Magenta color... above.  Then, look below, I deepen the Magenta by just coloring more...  I do very light motions and a lot of time, I will do it in circular motions.  You don't wanna just scribble it in there.  No part of blending pencils will cover up all the scribbling that I have seen some folks do. 

In the above picture... You can already see how that Tuscan Red is starting to blend in with my base color of the Magenta.

Here is the flower after I put all the color in and started to blend...

These are the colors that I actually used on the flowers.

Here, you can see that I have started blending the flowers with the blender that PrismaColor sells.  Every now and then, you will need to sharpen off the color on the blender, or wipe it off on a different sheet of paper to keep from dragging the color from one area to another.

OK... Now that we have been through it once... I want to take you down the path again with something that doesn't have the same light and dark, but several different shades.  This one actually goes from White to Tuscan Red.

Can you see the part to the right and above my finger that looks kinda like scales?  That is actually where I colored with the White. (above photo) That is the build up of the wax in the pencil that you are seeing in the reflected area.

Here, I moved in just a bit and put in the Hot Pink.  Doesn't look so hot, but that is what is on the side of my Premier Prisma Colored Pencil.  Moving on....

Now, this one has the Process Red added....

Above... I added in the Scarlet Lake.  Below, has Tuscan Red added.  I also want to add that I do try to do all of one thing at a time.  I want to be sure that I am doing all of a particular flower with all the same colors with all the same pressure on the pencils in this case.

Each time I added color, I tried to do it in an overlapping fashion and in a light small circular motion.

This last photo shows after I went all over with the blending pencil and then added the little bits of Tuscan Red to the dot area.  

BIG TIP - practice on some paper first.  These Premier pencils have a soft core and wax added in the production of them.  That is what makes them so easy to blend.  Once they are blended, it is harder to go back and add more color, but it can be done.  All papers have some sort of "tooth" to them.  In the blending process, you are flattening out that "tooth".  So, the smoother your paper, the less tooth and the fewer layers you are going to be able to pile on.  I have seen pictures done with these pencils on very very find grit sandpaper that look like a photo!  These pencils are amazing.  Again, take the time to do some coloring from light to dark on a scrap of paper and blend it.  You want to get the feel for it before you go to your project.

Some of you may be asking... what if I don't have PrismaColors?  How do I get it to blend?  Ok.. still the same principles apply...  Start light and go darker.  Overlap the light areas so that they blend into one color.  There are little papery things called tortillion sticks.  This youtuber put it nicely....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-pzgAu9Fm0

So, when you use colored pencils, you can still blend.  No matter the brand.  Practice going from dark to light, and do it lightly.  Overlap those light areas, use the blenders.  

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have questions in the comments area and I will get back to you.

-Pam

Valley House Gallery

This month, I want to share some pictures from a free gallery right here in our area.  I think that it is one of the best kept secrets around.  Hubby took me one day for a "date day".  It is small, but there is also an outdoor sculpture garden that you can spend as long as you want to walking around.  They will even let you bring in a picnic and stuff, as long as you clean up after yourself.  Oh, also, bring some bug spray and know that the restroom is back up at the main building.   When you pull into the drive, you want to go to the first building on the left... you may not go into the other two buildings as they are both private areas.

6616 Spring Valley Road
Dallas, Texas 75254-8635

phone: 972-239-2441

hours:  Monday through Saturday  10am to 5pm  (call ahead on holidays)

Ok... Now for the pictures.

http://valleyhouse.com/main.asp?page=16

 Let's go on inside and see who was showing when we went.

 Now, we will head outside to the sculpture gardens.  There around the back of this main house, where the owner still resides and works from time to time.

 

As you can see, it is a very beautiful place to visit.  I hope that you can go and visit sometime, we had a lot of fun and I hope that you will too!

I hope to be back sooner than later.  We have had a lot happen in the past month, when it isn't so raw ... I hope to be able to share and do a tribute to my mom.