Nightentangles

I get up most nights, for an hour or two.  Rick, too.  

Is it a good thing?

Is it a bad thing?

Who's to say?

That's the sentiment from one of our favorite stories in a children's books called "Zen Shorts." I actually found a YouTube of someone reading that story from this book!

Anyway, Rick and I say this to each other all the time when something creeps into our life that may not be what is the "norm" or expected.

"Oh, we forgot to buy wine!"
"Is it a good thing or a bad thing"
"Who's to say?"

"We missed our flight!!!!!"    
"Is it a . . . ."

You get the picture.

So we started worrying less about our night time adventures and began doing some of our best work then. After a while when it felt right, we'd go back to bed, sometimes together, sometimes not, but eventually we always went back.

We'd also get to feed the wood stove and find it toasty warm in the morning.

I'd sometimes get ready for breakfast, set the table, etc., so maybe sleep a bit later.

Rick would read his books uninterrupted (we live in a busy house, lots of wonderful people with our business being here!!)

So whenever I hear someone worried about waking up at night . . . by the time I was done talking to them, they were looking forward to the next time they woke up at night. (Well, most of them . . . .)

I've read some really great books, and watched a few good movies, too, that daytime doesn't let me fit in.

But, tangling . . . this is when I do my best work. I am super focused, no distractions, no time constraints (again that time thingy) and in my comfy clothes!

-----+-----

So last night, I decided I would do an illuminated letter (if you're not familiar with this art, check out these samples.)

But if I wanted to give this away to one of you, what letter would everyone want?

Such a conundrum. . . . . . 

So I decided on this:

And, I didn't think anyone would "question" it!

So, dear Tanglers, what might be one of your "Is it a good thing, is it a bad thing" stories?

We're having so much fun with our "Time" blog post give-away, that we're going to try it again. Please share and you might get the "question." We'll use a random number generator to find a questionable one of you next week!

-- maria

Materials used include:

• Zentangle tile
• Sakura® Pigma® black and brown pens
• Pencil
• Dip pen 
• Peat ink
• Gold leaf

Rick adds:
 
Wow! Did you notice how many Zentangle-inspired letters show up in that Google image search?

Before your tile is done, and when you have no preconception of how it "must" look, how could anyone know if any particular stroke is a "good stroke" or a "bad stroke?" And, there's always bronx cheer!

Click image for the bigger question.