Monday, April 28, 2008

I need your sweet inspiration...


I know I just posted a card with Rockabella on it last week, but please bear with me for a couple of minutes. While I was putting this card together, several people came to mind for different reasons. They all have brought inspiration to my life on one way or another. Let me tell you about a couple of them.

I worked with a wonderfully free spirited woman named Tessa. She was the receptionist for the school and was the first person anyone saw when they entered the building. She always dressed to the hilt, wore colorful scarves and tops and top of the line perfume. And she could dance! Man, did Tessa love to dance! Didn't matter if she had a partner or not, she'd just do it! She fought cancer once before and about two years ago, it returned. She went through chemo and lost her hair. She just put on some of the greatest wigs and scarves around her head and trucked right on. I made her a hat and it was one of the first things I'd made other than a scarf that I gave to someone. One day she'd put a pin in her hat, the next time it may be a flower. You never knew what it was going to be, but it was always a class act. A little over a year ago, Tessa had to go out on disability because cancer returned and she needed to be home to fight it. She would come to work not feeling well, never ask us to do anything for her, help her in any way. She has a spirit and determination that just will not be broken. I love her dearly and for the Christmas party this year I knitted a scarf and hat and who won it - Tessa! There's no one else I'd rather have won it than her. This outrageous card so suits Tessa and her quiet fighting spirit. She so rocks in life and my life is better for having her in it.

The other people who inspire me are the kids in the band - Branden, Ben, Justin and Ryan. These kids went all the way out to Vegas to participate in a Rock Wars. While they didn't get as far as they would have liked, they drew the crowd to them, had people cheering their music and voting for them, and a couple of the bands that were in the top cut couldn't believe that they were there and Black Bridge Band wasn't. These kids networked, made friends, met people, kept their dignity, used it as a learning process and even picked up a couple of extra gigs for the year. They are going after their dream and that's so inspiring for me to see it sets my creative juices in motion. They make me put my big butt down in a chair and write. Watching them pursue something they want so badly inspires me to go after my dreams of making and selling my cards and getting back into writing. Remember Black Bridge Band. You'll be hearing their names and music. If these guys ever needed a rocker chick, I think she'd be something like this rocker. Guys, you so rock!

So for those about to rock and give me all that sweet inspiration, I salute you!

3 comments:

Bev Gerard said...

Fabulous card ...
and such an inspirational story!!

~Bev Gerard

Chookarooni said...

Oh Susan - I love reading your blog - great great stories to go with your cards- love the animal print background - my family room is called out of Africa - need I say anymore? please keep up with the writing - the world needs your stories
M-J

Ami said...

I love your stories. I love your cards :) Please keep up the whole thing I enjoy it so much.