Winter Solstice

Just for the sake of posting I found a poem that kind of speaks to the matter at hand, winter...cold, dark winter. Today is the Winter Solstice, the first day of Winter. I have done some very interesting reading today on the subject as it happens to be my favorite season so I thought I would herald it in with a little research.


Winter: A Dirge



Robert Burns said that Winter was his favourite season - "partly owing to my misfortunes giving my mind a melancholy cast." Indeed, it was after such a period of misfortune that he composed this melancholy song. It was written to the tune "MacPherson's Rant".

Winter: A Dirge
The wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blaw;
Or the stormy north sends driving forth
The blinding sleet and snaw:
Wild-tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
And roars frae bank to brae:
And bird and beast in covert rest,
And pass the heartless day.

The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Pow'r Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil.
Here, firm I rest, they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want (O do Thou grant
This one request of mine!):
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

Meaning of unusual words:
brae=slope

And for those of you who would rather listen to it, just hit the link.




I am knitting feverishly and have much to get done.I finished the Fuzzy Feet Slippers yesterday, working on some gloves now. There is some weaving to finish...Never really got to the decorating because over a month ago, my husband decided to do some work in the kitchen and it just has made a mess of everything, so if I have to try to figure out where one more thing goes...well, you know. Oh yes, bless him, he chose the holidays to do this stuff...



Anyway, Happy Solstice...be warm and cozy and watch for the light to return with each passing day. Be encouraged. Thanks for reading.
Peace.

Snow Days

We had our first snow storm of the season today and I am enjoying the aftermath...reminds me why I love New England. I love the changing of the seasons as well as the weather in any given day. I like weather, interesting, stormy weather...I think it is cleansing as well as invigorating. There is something so beautiful about night, after the snow has stopped. For as long as I can remember I always ran outside as soon as the storm ended. Usually it was evening. I would look around with the same wonder that I feel tonight. Check on everything, throw myself down and just lay in the soft wetness and sometimes make "angels". Good memories...far too few of them. Tonight,the yard is awash with reflected light from the snow, which makes everything beautiful. A different world. The trees first caught my eye as I looked out my window into the darkness and realized that it was not dark at all...I was by now out the door with a beagle and a camera. Just walking around the yard and enjoying the moment, the cold, and the silence. Then the night sky and its many shades were next to wonder at, where was all the color coming from... I could see color variations in the night sky...breath taking. I tried to capture it with my little point and shoot camera but was unsuccessful.
The quiet, the silence of snow...it is like everything has stopped, and for a short time it has.
Thanks for reading
Peace

Few Words...

I have not felt like writing, or maybe I just didn't feel I had anything to say. Maybe a little of both. My house is quiet, a blessing...All I can hear is the rain, pouring, hard hitting rain. I really like the sound.

As I sit and think about it a little I do have something to write about. The charcoal below was done by my grandson. He is applying to colleges at present as he graduates high school this spring. Now that, in and of itself, is hard to believe. The other day he applied to art school ... We have some great schools here in New England. He has a portfolio to finish by February 1. I am very excited and happy for him. I love that he and I can talk art and that he believes I may know something...A year ago he did not know what charcoal was. I showed him some of mine, gave him charcoal and paper for his birthday last summer. His teacher (he is in honors art in school) got him started with them and now it is his favorite medium.



Have a great day and thanks for reading.

We Are The Ones Song by will.i.am - Obama

Please vote tomorrow. And yes , please consider voting for Barack Obama.

Weary Days

Maggie is getting around better now that she is finished the Lyme medication. Begging, running to the door hoping who ever is there will have a cookie or anything...but all is not well. She had another seizure, that is two since February. But in both cases she was very anxious or upset? In February she was afraid of my daughters baby (60 lbs) English Bulldog, took a seizure. Then, other night I ran out to bring her in before a rather large skunk decided to lift it's tail. I scared her I guess but telling her loudly to stop and come. So I guess I have to give my commands in my gentle voice. Who knew...

I have been weaving but my heart is not in it. This has been a hard summer. I can't even believe it is over and it is the middle of October. My daughter's illness was a blow to the system I'll tell you. Then my dog became ill. That hurt emotionally and financially. Then one of my sons moved back home for a while. I can barely find the time or muster the energy to write in this blog. But I am going to try to pick it back up again, even if I post a photo. So I am trying to challenge myself.

The only thing that I seem to turn to are my paints and camera. I have been picking up here and there water soluble oils. They are a little different. Still figuring out how they work. The mixing with water or other mediums kind of confuse me, but I am working on it. This was kind of fun, a use up whats on the palette painting. I did it on 6"x6"gessoed board. Thanks to some great tutorials I bought Masonite and had it cut and gessoed away. I call it Harvest Moon.

Plus still doing watercolor studies. I am thinking if I post things, I will be motivated to continue to paint or draw, both of which I have always loved to do but for various reasons always got put on the back of the proverbial burner. I never let myself take it seriously. Someone told me that at the end of ones life, one doesn't really think about all one has accomplished, but rather what has not been accomplished. I joined a small group of friends, who are artists, to do The Artist Way together over the next 12 weeks or so. I read the book on my own a couple of years ago, now it's time to be accountable and do it with others. It has been encouraging and affirming time together. We are painters, stain glass artist, photographer...I hope it morphs into a support group. We will see.



This past week end had been a busy one, WaterFires, Art Festivals, Enjoying the beautiful fall leaves, apple picking and pie making. But I'll leave that for another day. But here is a shot of our wonderful WaterFires in the middle of downtown Providence.


Thank you for still reading and have a great day.

Sunflowers and A Sick Pup...

My Grand-daughter found and joined a Photography Meet-Up. She does not drive so I guess she joined hoping I would be interested as I have the wheels...The first meet-up was a trip to Sawmill Farm to visit their field of sunflowers at 5:00, as well as other things. It was great fun and I got some great photos of sunflowers. They are so graceful. They gave us full run of the farm in regards to our photo taking. Our next Meet-Up will be to take photos of the barns of Glocester, a rural area in our state. The organizer of the group does the advance work so that we have permission to visit the various places. It is planned that we will meet at a specified spot at which point we will either car pool or caravan to the various barns. It is a great time of year for this excursion.


This is Maggie's chair. I gave up a long time ago. She lets us sit with her, she actually likes when someone visits her in "her" chair. Anyway I was walking by her and there was this poor pathetic pup just watching every move I made. She had to return to the vet the other day as she still was having trouble getting around. She was unable to get on her chair or off the deck to check out the yard and what ever else she does out there. She usually was in and out annoyingly all day, but she no longer had the energy or the legs for it. She was still limping and her back legs were weak. She was wobbling. Pretty upsetting. So of course I had been doing research and I was very concerned. I should not research...The vet was also concerned and somewhat mystified. In any case, Maggie is now being treated for Lyme disease on the off shot that her original Lyme test was a false negative. She is on the three week regimen of antibiotics and anti- inflammatory medicine. While on the anti-inflammatory she can move with ease, but she stays pretty quiet which is what the vet wants, no walks, no playing, just "chair rest".

Two days later my next door neighbor came to tell me her Beagle had been diagnosed with Lyme disease and he too is pretty sick. His appears to have settled in his neck and he can barely move. So they are both down. The vets have told us it, the deer tic, is also carried by squirrels and mice...That's nice, I have a full community of squirrels outside and probably mice as well.

In Maggie's case, I hope it is Lyme, in fact, what she has, otherwise I don't know what to think. But for now I am going to be positive and just love on her and give her her little peanut butter cocktails twice a day with meds hidden inside. Poor 12 year old Amy gets all excited when the peanut butter gets broken out. She comes running and now we give her a little peanut butter as well, hers straight up. Oh well, if a little peanut butter is going to make her happy.
Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Maggie Takes To Her Bed...

Maggie hasn't felt well for a few days or longer. My daughter had her Gamma Knife surgery this week. So I was noticing things, but not really seeing them as I was focused on Cheryl and the procedure coming up. What I did see was my dog was limping and having a hard time moving in general. Not all the time, it seemed to come and go. But when she wasn't racing me down the hall wall in the morning as I got out of bed I grew concerned. It is of Maggie's opinion that she should be fed before anything else occurs in the morning. I of course disagree. It is coffee for me and then food for her and Amy. But she didn't seem to care. She just stayed put. Anyway fast forward.

Gamma knife procedure is now 5 days old and she is doing well other than swelling that was expected. But yesterday my dog was having a hard time getting around and appeared to be in pain if I pet her face or touched her in anyway. She was lethargic, limping, and off her food. In the back of my mind was lyme disease. So off to the vet we went. Emergency visit, blood tests, thorough exam later, no to lyme(vet thought it was also)so more blood work, Oh God, do they have dishes here I can wash...The pain was a pretty bad ear infection. So now I wrestle with her to use an ear wash daily for two weeks followed with an antibiotic squeezed into both ears...she is not amused. As for the lameness, well all her blood work came back pretty good. But she is on medication for the pain and muscle relaxers. Who knew. So she is feeling good and looks happier but still favoring her leg but we will watch and see now and continue on the meds if need be.

I am getting nothing accomplished this summer. My looms remain untouched and I barely wet my brushes or draw. My gardens always look raggy from weeds. So much to do and just not getting anything done...Frustrating to be sure. Also not having an easy time uploading photos tonight. Trying to figure out how to get them directly from Picasa to blog rather than Picasa to My Pictures to blog.

The other day butterfly after butterfly arrived at my butterfly bush. This was just one of them.




Have a great day and thanks for reading.

Sails

My entry for Illustration Friday, my first actually. This is from a photo I took while visiting Galilee, RI. Then using watercolor I painted this. It is one of my favorite places here in RI where I can sit and have some clam cakes and chowder and watch the various types of boats, like kayaks, sailboats, pleasure boats , fishing boats and Block Island Ferry, all come and go.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

Grateful Days

Happy Birthday Cheryl!


Today is my daughter's birthday. I remember the first moment I held her. She would not be happy if I said how long ago, but as I did earlier this year, she too has had a major decade change...I still feel that same deep love today as then, when I hug her. But these days I hold her, and do not want to let go... June 13 she passed out while driving, her car flipped over and crashed in to a parked car( no one was in the other vehicle)...I was called to the hospital and was told she had had a brain bleed, which caused her pass out. I feared for her life. After further tests she was diagnosed with AVM.
We are still in the thick of it, and will be for a while. There is no such thing as a quick fix in this situation. But what is important is my daughter celebrated her life today! She is here with us. Her life and my grandsons life is upside down, she can not be alone, her car is gone, life is changed, her routine is upset, which she finds confusing. Her memory has gaps in it, sometimes words are hard to grab...But she is here...She has some treatments that are less than appealing for her to think about that will be coming up and still recouping, but she blew out her candles tonight.
I tell anyone who will listen to me, life is short. It can change in an instant. We are quite cognizant that this could have turned out very differently. But today, her birthday, we spent the afternoon together, on my deck, alone, just quietly talking or me listening, thankfully listening to this wonderful young woman. Thankful for her very life, thankful I could hold her in my heart and listen to her fears, her hopes and her thoughts about this new fork in her road.


I took her to one of her favorite spots to walk and just be, Meshanticut Lake, the other day. We took our time and we sat. She told me she thought this was the best view. So I took it, enlarged it and framed it. Now she has it to look at whenever.

There is allot more to say but for now this will do. I can write about her, the range of our emotions, fear, and the incredible kindness of everyone we know and some we don't know. Yes, I should like to say more about all of that. The funny thing is, and there is always a funny thing with me, it keeps me going. But when I began this blog she would ask me, when are you going to put me in your blog...Well, here she is, meet Cheryl.

Thanks for reading and have a great day. Prayer and good thoughts are welcome

All About Me...

Cindy tagged me for a meme. New one on me but I am game , I think...The rules: Posted here at the beginning. The player answers all questions. The player then chooses six people you want to know more about and tags those people by listing their names at the end of the post and going to their blog and leaving a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Also, you let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer. Not sure about the last part, the six people...it appears many have been tagged all ready. In any case let me begin:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

We had just bought our home and moved into it the end of April of 1998. So ten years ago I was putting my house together and putting in a garden. At the same time my husband had gotten injured at work which ended up requiring surgery...Also it was life with a twelve year old girl...twelve going on 42. And I was knitting, spinning, and sewing( quilts and clothing) for my sanity.

2. What were 5 things on my to do list today?

For this whole week the focus has been on getting my vegetable garden going and cleaning and organizing my basement as well as finish the front walk way project. I also have a week long watercolor workshop coming up so I am readying my supplies. Not bad, I only needed three tubes of paint. I have everything else. I am also trying to work out a profile /name draft using the name of the weaving guild I belong to. A learning curve for me. Not something I know allot about but something I do want to learn. My to do list kind of runs along in my head. All of my projects are pretty big deals requiring allot of heavy work right now. So little weaving or drawing is going on, too tired at the end of the day.

3. What snacks do I enjoy?

Pop corn, watermelon, peanuts, peanut butter, toast and grape jam, and more fruit...

4. Where are some places I have lived?

Rhode Island

5. What things would I do if I were a billionaire?

I would pay off my home and give it to one of my daughters. I would pay off my other daughters home. Then buy the other three homes as well. In other words make sure each of my children had home security. Then I would decide where I would like to live...just as long as it was big enough to have a studio for art and weaving. A place for vegetable , flower and herb gardens. Sheep, goats, oh hell a few cows too... A place I could bring home what I want, dogs, chickens, or whatever. Then I would secure my children's and my grand children's education goals. It is all about security. Then I would really think about how I could help and make a difference. It would be nice to know that if I found a pressing need that I could do something. Not something I have given great thought to, however. Too practical I guess.

Ok, now here is the hard part for me, tagging someone, too shy I suppose for this sort of thing. The few I thought of have been tagged already. The others, well feel like I am intruding or something. Does one just e-mail someone and say you have been tagged? Well, consider yourself tagged. I am serious, take the burden from me...please!

Here is my Maggie doing one of her favorite activities, stretching on her back on the grass in the sun. She remained in this position long enough for me to run in the house , grab my camera and run back outside. She stayed like that as I shot a few photos of her, she was oblivious. Usually she follows me in the house. You know, I might be getting something to eat, wouldn't want to miss that...Anyway, pretty funny girl that Maggie. Don't you just wish you could do that? Anyway, have a great day and thanks for reading.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is here. The gateway to summer, gardens, and cookouts. I have started in on my yard this week in between the rain, wind, and cool temps. I have been wanting to make a bed in my front yard along my imaginary walkway. I saw some indentations along the walkway and with shovel in hand , I began to uncover a real walkway of sorts. I found flagstone, bluestone I am told by my mason neighbor. So bluestone it is. But as you can see I have to make some decisions as to how to proceed with the probable mud. After much research I decided on raising the stone with sand, cover with yard fabric and the mulch in between the stone. The whole point of this was the flower bed but got a walkway out of it.
Then on to the vegetable garden. I began it a couple of years ago as a Lasagna Garden. It was amazing. Great yield, less watering was needed, and virtually no weeds. Last year my husband felt like doing the garden. He did it his way, turn over everything, planted and hope for the best. He had to water all the time, weeds took over and the yield was poor. Guess which way we are going this year? So I am ready with my mulching supplies, great homemade compost, and my seedlings and seeds. I began the other day the layering process. Today, after I return from a bridal shower, I will begin planting. The weather is perfect and forecast to stay this way for the weekend. Oh yes it should be noted that my husband put up a small fence around my vegetable garden. My dogs thought it was their job to hunt the earth worm population and anything else that caught their interest in there. So they have been blocked.

So this weekend is a busy one full of garden plans, planting, filling window boxes and cookout with my family. Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.

Full Days

For the record, I posted Monday but I lost it. I was not finished, was uploading photos, and it was gone. Oh well, guess what I wrote was not meant to be posted.

So I am back with something entirely different. It is hard to get into the grove of writing, at least for me. It is a very busy time with graduation parties, wedding showers, weddings,yard work,art and fiber pursuits, friends and family. So busy in fact, I forgot the San Marzano seedlings outside last week...So I am ordering more seeds on principle, I don't know who's ( is that a word?)I guess so, spell check says so, so it is official. I hunted for the seeds as my neighbor gave me the first batch of seeds. But Cook's Garden catalog has them. Yea! The lettuce had to also be replanted as the squirrels up ended the first batch.

I joined the Summer of Socks 2008. I don't know how many socks I'll get done but it sounded like fun. I love to wear my hand knit socks and I could use the motivation for making more.
So I have picked up my knitting. I have missed it, the desire just was not there for a while. I don't get to my favorite shop to knit in, RI Handspun, enough anymore. Great knitters, friends , yarns. Oh yes, and without one of my pet peeves, Sue doesn't charge you a fee for coming weekly to sit in her shop to knit and gather. We help one another and usually there is shopping going on as well. Makes me crazy when I see a yarn shop advertise for a weekly knitting thing, 10 dollars, 12 dollars, whatever, I don't even entertain going. Well there's my rant for the day, been wanting to moan about that for a while.

Tomorrow is The Second Annual Rhode Island Sheep and Wool Festival.
I am weaving in the sheep to shawl demonstration with the rest of the RI Spinners Guild. Is my loom warped? Am I packed up? Do I know what I want to take or even wear? No on all counts. So I am off to answer these questions as today is just as full. I have a fun dinner get together to attend tonight with dear friends and I need to have my car packed and ready to leave early tomorrow. I thrive on pressure...

I have warped my Macomber loom for another shawl using Brown Sheep sport weight yarn. I have it threaded and tied up for a straight twill but that might change, at least the treadling. We will see...



I was browsing around and found this clip. I am always hunting for a laugh or two and Jon Stewart usually does it for me. Be warned it, is political but it is my blog...

Have a great day and thanks for reading.
Peace

Ah, Spring...

Here is my red poppy plant. First up.



Gosh, I have gone and done it again. I've let 2 months go by with out a post. Nothing to say? Hardly...maybe just a change in focus and not sure I wanted to write about it. This has been a very long, dark, dreary winter and I, for one am glad to be done with it. So on to spring and I am grateful. I need light. The woodstove has a new purpose holding the San Marzano seedlings.



I started a drawing class in a private studio in January and the second semester began March 31 and goes through to May12. It has been a great experience, one I look forward to weekly. I have been drawing and sketching all my life and even took a number of classes in college but this class is being taught in the classical way. There is always more to be learned and understood. I have been introduced to some interesting music as well, which has been a bonus and will write about at another time. We are a small group of 5 women being taught by artist, Sally Caswell, in her studio. It has been wonderful experience for me. I feel like a sponge every week, just soaking it all up.



My daughter is planning landscape changes. A need for some privacy is pressing. So we visited a nursery and she was told some of her options. I have been pressed into using my drafting degree from years ago to plot her yard rather than having the nursery staff do it which will save some cash and she took her own photos which helps as well. It will be fun to see what the designer comes up with because it is a challenging yard. She feels like she is in a fish bowl...



Well this was a start. I hope to be more faithful to posting. Have a great day and thanks for reading...

Good boy, Cosmo, good boy...

Cosmo
1998-2008

This morning we said good bye to a dear, gentle soul...

And The Cow Jumped Over The Moon...

One of my favorite animals after the dog of course, are cows. Love the cows. Love all animals actually, but love those cows. But unfortunately someone designated them as dinner...So watching the news and seeing the cows in feed lots, stumbling, unable to walk to their demise just undoes me. I cry, say horrible things to the man on TV news who was prodding the cows to move. There is a little blurb on the front page our my local paper today that directs the reader to the story on page 2, that states "The U.S. Department of Agriculture recalls 143 million pounds of frozen beef-the largest on record-produced at a California slaughterhouse..."-The Providence Journal, February 18, 2008. Now there's a nice thought, getting your dinner from a slaughter house, nice gourmet touch...I can't go to a farm, pet the animals, then eat them. Can't do it. Don't want to do it. I get my protein from other sources. Some don't like to think about where their food comes from, others just don't care one way or the other. I personally don't care what others eat, none of my business. I have my feelings about it, but they are my feelings. But I do speak up when animals or humans are being mistreated, not that it does any good. But why would I expect animals to be treated in a humane manner when we are unable to even treat each other as such...Middle East, Africa, United States, here in our own neighborhoods...

Bon Appitite

Have a good day. And hey, just consider some alternatives...a non violent way of eating.

Thanks for reading.

Birthday Thoughts

Well, today is my birthday...One I was not happy about, a big one, a decade changing one...one I have been watching creep up on me ever so quietly. Stomping my feet, no this can't be. Where ever has the time gone. Just last week a program aired on TV about the Blizzard of '78, thirty years ago. That bit of information caught me up short! Thirty years...

But as this week began and it was now imminent, just hours away, I slipped into grateful acceptance. I was reading a blog I enjoy, Pomegranates and Paper yesterday, another birthday girl. Loretta said she was grateful for having arrived at her birthday intact. That statement caused me to think. Yes, I too have "arrived intact" and very grateful, also grateful for my family, husband, children, grandchildren, cousin,dear friends who are like family and all the animals in my life...and very grateful for my health and general wellbeing. My life is full...

I started my day at 4 AM because my daughter needed to be at the hospital for an out patient
surgery and she just needed her Mom. I could not find any coffee ( Dunkin Donuts) open at that awful hour not to mention the stinken snow and ice on the roads...So I was my usual grumpy self before coffee. But my very grown up daughter with three children of her own just smiled and humored me and told everyone in ear shot that it was her Mom's birthday. How can you stay grumpy...impossible with everyone wishing you happy birthday. I started to think about the little ones who were entering the world while I was waiting for her to come out of surgery and recovery as we were in a ob/gyn hospital. Yes, I was getting quite philosophic. Ended that train real quick. Did some drawing, some more thinking, news watching and settled gently into this new number while I waited. I am still me, don't feel any different but maybe a little wiser, realizing time is not to be wasted on what ifs or squandered on meaningless things. I still look forward to each morning with anticipation and I have a twisted sense of humor that serves me well, gets me through allot. So I look forward to the rest of my day wherever it takes me. I am content with wherever or whatever, I am OK.

Now if we could just fast forward to spring...no, that is kind of a what if...so I will enjoy this time to be in and dry and warm and settle down to doing something I enjoy or maybe just a nap with the girls...they have started without me.


Found this beautiful quote which I thought I would share with my animal loving readers. Which by the way guess who won at The Westminster Kennel Club dog show the other night. It would be a very proud Beagle by the name of Uno. My "girls" were quite excited, not...Only food has that power.



Dogs are our link to paradise.
They don't know evil or
jealousy or discontent. To sit
with a dog on a hillside on a
glorious afternoon is to be
back in Eden, where doing
nothing was not boring ---
it was peace.

Milan Kundera (1929- )
Franco-Czech writer; author
of 'The Unbearable Lightness
of Being."



Finished some chenille scarves.

Sorry if this was alittle disjointed, just where I am today. Have a great day and thanks for reading.
Peace...

What Is Art?...

I stumbled upon this video made by a group called Creature Comforts. It made me laugh so much that I had to watch it a few more times in order to hear the comments. So I have decided it should be shared... what with all the blues and funk we all seem to be suffering from. My favorite is the dog. Gee, no surprise there.

Another thought is to get your hands on a book by one of my favorite authors, Ann Lamott, called Traveling Mercies. Read the book of course but fast forward to the chapter called "The Aunties". Funny stuff, guys, funny, funny stuff...

Have a great day and I really hope this has made you smile and thanks for reading or viewing.

Inspiring Days

I was out looking for some enamel ware in the local antique and used shops. The enamel was just the excuse I needed to go on a hunt. I like hunts. A chance to go out alone and clear my head, no rushing, no agenda, just be...I thought some enamel bowls would make good water containers on my drafting table. I tire of looking at the cool whip containers...I was successful in that not only did I find two the same but they had covers. The covers are a good thing as my cat enjoys watercolor water and walking across the palette and leaving her paw prints on anything that might be on the table. This, of course, is without my encouragement, as with most of what Abby does. She is a cat after all. My beagles wouldn't dream of such behavior.

But sometimes one comes across something that they are not even looking for and at first glance, not even remotely interested in. But ah, your brain knows different. I purchased my containers and left the store but thought about the item I was not interested in. Strange...browsed through the next shop, right next door, and the whole time browsing I thought about the item in the shop I had just left. I thought how I had never seen one like it before. I have a small collection of them, very small. Not something I actively pursue. Thought I would love to draw it, maybe use it in a painting. The reason I was not interested in it in the first place was, I saw it had no use in it's present condition, I had put it and my thoughts in a box. I realized I loved the object and practically ran out of the shop, back to the first shop and walked, speed walked, straight to the shelf and picked that old enamel tea pot up and cradled it as I walked to the desk to pay for it. I brought it home and gently washed it and found it made me smile. It's shape is wonderful, the "short and stout" of the children's song I sang all the time as a little one ( I had it on a 33 and a third...Oh boy, there are people who don't even know what that is). The spout has a wonderful curve and the body of the pot is so smooth. I have sketched it twice already and I think of things to put with it in a composition. I am inspired by of all things, an old enamel teapot...One never knows when and where that spark will come from. I have learned to be open and ready to act on it. I have been given a gift today, in a few forms.
I leave with a sunset I stopped for on my way home.

Thanks for reading and have a great day being inspired and acting on it.

Hopeful Days

Just who are you? Maggie would be interested in knowing...


Then Amy comes up along side to investigate this new thing...do you have cookies?





Oh, whatever...I have things to do. Welcome.

The story about the penguin is kind of funny, I guess. Maybe you had to be there. I was having a conversation with a couple of my friends a few weeks back where I was recommending some movies, Eight Below
and the March of the Penguins
In the course of our talk we were talking about the penguins and the size of them. I thought they were my size. When you look at them, they are always against snow...I just always thought of them as people size. Well, our talk was being listened in on with some chuckles and we just looked at them like what is wrong with you all? Well we were educated although I still had my doubts that they knew what they were talking about. Little penguins, really. Sunday I was given a gift bag after church by my friend, Sue's husband. It was with great expectancy that he told me I had to open it there , on the spot, in the parking lot. So I reached in and what did I pull out, a "normal "size penguin I am told. Sue saw it in a store and decided I needed it for size reference. Paul and family enjoyed this so.

Thanks, Sue. He lives in my studio. I still think they are larger. It just doesn't seem right.I will leave you with this image I took tonight. As I was beginning to cook dinner this evening, I passed the window on my way to get something, when I saw this, dropped everything and ran outside with my camera. I just stayed outside and admired this beautiful sky. The weather has been unseasonably mild for the past few days. It was so nice to just stand outside and take in the sunset. Seed catalogs have started to arrive. Trying to not get ahead of myself but it is hard. I am in a funk, and can't get out of my own way. I need warmer weather, windows opened, and longer days. Tired of the dark short days, but I do see the difference as small as it is. They are getting slowly longer, minutely so, but longer none the less. Cause for hope. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Caucus Days

Well, tonight has been an interesting evening politically. The results are encouraging on allot of levels. Especially the numbers of people who decided show up and make a difference. People are showing the obvious, enough is enough. That's it. All I have to say. Have a great night and thanks for reading.

New Days 0f 2008

Happy New Year!

I feel like I am coming up for air. Things are going back to normal.
The tree is down and none to soon either, decorations neatly packed away. In putting boxes away I wondered how did the basement get like this...So as I was sweeping and beginning to rearrange I was thinking about the year ahead as well as the year that had just ended. I have spent this first day of 2008 in pajamas and making soup and trying to make some order in my house and in thoughts. At midnight I had a brush in my hand, so on all counts, a good beginning.

It has been a good year with its share of joy, good times, trying new things, going back to things I have always wanted to do...because of these things I was able to go through the not so joyful things, the sadnesses, the losses. I am grateful, grateful for the balance I suppose.
I am also looking at the things that were not working for me and how to change them or change me. So for 2008 I am going to continue my quest to paint, for me... , to paint like I just don't care(but you really do), and to let go of the outcome. I also enjoyed taking pictures this year. Going somewhere on purpose to take photos. I did that a few times and just got lost , in a zone as they say. I want to continue to expand my weaving as well, learn new things. Use up the fiber I have accumulated. But in order to do these things and do them well, I need to be peaceful and focused. I have not worked this all out yet, but small steps. Sometimes peace comes in the seeking. So seek on.
Speaking of weaving. I entered "my" room and who do I find relaxing? Miss Abigale looking quite pleased with herself
The weaving group was just discussing this problem a few weeks ago. What is she reading e-mail lately? Figuring the other cats are doing it, why not me. Well she, Abby, woke up pretty quick, quite abruptly actually. But she has been back and also visiting another loom in the kitchen. Yes, looms just sprout in here.

Well so much for getting this posted on January 1, it is now January 2. Have a great year, filled with joy, health and peace. And thanks for reading.