Making Transitions the Best Way I Can

I need to make some changes at work due to grant limitations and new projects.  In order to have time to do so I have to tell at least five people whom I have been counseling long term that they only have three more visits with me.  Not all of them know this yet and the ones that do are choosing to ration out those three visits in ways that mean I have no idea when we will actually be finished.  However, I hope to work with them in ways that help them know that they are strong women with plenty of support around them.
In order to make the transition a little easier for them I have spent the last few days making them each a painted rock that reminds them of something that came out of our visits together.  I had so much fun doing this that I plan to go to the river later today and find more rocks.

This first set of rocks was courtesy of my friend, Joyce, in Maine.  Years ago her children had gathered these rocks at the seashore and left them on a large boulder in the side yard of Joyce and Roland's mountain home.  Joyce graciously allowed me to pick as many as I wanted.  I thought it would be easy but thanks to a swarm of mosquitoes, I had to make a blood sacrifice in order to take these away.

After washing and drying them I covered them with Martha Stewart acrylic paint from Michaels.  I love the colors.  The red took two extra coats but the blue and green only required two.  This took me two days.

Yesterday morning I signed the bottom in order to have them ready for painting today.

I used Craft Smart paint pens, but mostly used Pigma brush pens.  The brush pens are perfect for fine lines and Sumi-E type strokes.  I think the bamboo one turned out quite well.  Next time I will use a darker background for the photos.  It was also hard not to get the glare from the camera.

You may not be able to tell but there is cabin at the bottom of the mountain and a dock and boat on the lake.  

Unfortunately, the Mod Podge coating did smear things up a little.  I may have been too eager.  But after a most excellent cello practice I found I could go back and touch them up with the paint pens and they look pretty good.  I have a couple of favorites and one that is not so much but I won't point them out.  I will let you decide which ones you like.  I hope the women I was thinking about while I made them like them, too.

Oh, and, of course, Boo helped by just being there.  She is my therapist.