good news x 2!

first the good news, then the good news... after much weeping & begging, my surgery has been moved up to friday - in 2 days! i am pinning all my hopes on this procedure to restore my hearing. yes, there are worse things. but this has been an incredibly frustrating and exhausting month and a half, and my body is just about done with this. my spirit has been in low places. i haven't been able to keep appointments with vendors and with customers - i simply have been too sick. my usual studio schedule has gone out the window, and i've been sleeping til 8 or 9am, and needing to nap for most of the afternoon. but enough whining. the other good news: I've added some collages to my website! go look, but come back. i've been researching some pretty cool insects, like Luna moths, and white lined Sphinx moths and beautiful, but scary-named Assassin beetles. they are gorgeous, and not at all creepy. That has been the silver lining to hearing loss - i can't hear the TV, so i've caught up on reading. okay - now to try to catch up on some special orders...i'll listen for you on friday!

Big Strange Family

from Brian Andreas StoryPeople: I don't think of it as working for world peace, he said. I think of it as just trying to get along in a really big strange family. wishing you a strange & peaceful day!

dashing through the - ummm- rain

just dashing in for a second...I will be updating the one-of-a-kind goodness available on my website later today! The sale continues! I have had enormous issues with the email link, and apologize for any delay in answering requests...if you haven't heard back from me within a few hours, Please try again, or let me know in a comment here. I sincerely want each & every one of you to get the exact talisman, Intention Word, soap charmer or original artwork that you want. (by the way - getting very low on soap charmers, so act quickly on those!) I did have an email with a question about the Talisman necklaces, and this is how they are created: Each one is handcrafted with your items and/or mine. Before I begin crafting it, we can have a conversation (via email or my call to you) about the trinkets & treasures you send me, or about what you want the necklace to speak. Oftentimes, those little bits you've saved have a powerful story they want to tell - a fond memory...a time in life that has it's essence wrapped around your heart...a reminder of a person who's love or lessons became a part of your very spirit...those stories are brought to life in your own unique wearable art piece. There is no formula for making them - the pieces have their story to tell, and my hands help them speak. If you need more information about them, or would like to purchase a gift certificate for someone else to have this beautiful memento made, please visit my website's contact page, and we can begin a conversation about it. Thank you to everyone who has placed orders so far!

found online

tired of earbuds poking in your ears? kick it old school Lovin me the number 3 hugging Diva and being thankful...helping other fluffers to be continued - the rain has started, and all windows open!

I am truly missing this little Diva! She's still at Camp Grandma's...with grams saying she'll keep her till i'm not sick anymore, but geez...i need some snuggles! so tomorrow i steal her back. walking the woods may do me some good, and now i'll have that little wet nose prodding me. a restful day...time in the studio proved productive - even after a fitful sleepless night last night. temps near 60 today made for a perfect BBQ night. a little more studio, and now to bed. wishing you good rest, good friends, a long hug, and sweet dreams.

"I AM" it's been a very introspective day...there is an expression of some sort starting to struggle out of it's chrysalis...i know the colors will be stark white and payne's grey, but other than that - no idea. hebrew text comes to mind, and i wonder if the payne's will be the color of the text. it strikes me coincidental on 2 fronts...the feeling of the chrysalis, when i've just completed an insect series, and also that paynes grey is the color of a tattoo - specifically the numbers tattooed on those sent to concentration camps. my feeling is that the next few pieces will be reflective and from a place much deeper than my other work. the word "atonement" comes forward. I miss the rituals of the High Holy days...the blessings over the sabbath candles and challah and wine...the prayers, half sung and half spoken, memorized from youth and fully appreciated as an adult...the depth of meaning & sanctity of those rituals and those special days...the depth of sorrow and thankfulness...i am of a generation that knew some who survived concentration camps, and was told of those who did not...i am also of a generation that is not satisfied to be quiet when we see injustice...i am of a generation that knows: to be quiet when it is others, opens the way for it to become you. i don't consider myself a strongly political person, or an activist or someone who will go out and hold protest signs. i am someone who will meet injustice on a one-to-one basis - i will stick up for and step up for someone denied their humanity as i see it. i'm not sure why all this has come up, or why i'm blogging about it. but i await the falling away of the chrysalis, and the hardening of the wings for flight.

ps

today is Small Business Saturday! buy small or buy local! it really makes a difference.

i believe in you - do you?

a quiet day today - well, everyday has been a quiet day for me in the past 3 weeks! it's amazing how different ordinary things are without hearing. driving makes me jumpy because i can't tell if there are sirens coming or what. diva is still at her grandma's. God bless grandma. i miss diva so much, but would not be able to take care of her right now. bulimia cat has become verrry comfortable being the only furbaby in the house - sleeping on the sacred woobie all day. i'll have to wash it before puppy gets a whiff of the boundary-jumper. kitten curls up with me at night, now...like diva, she has to have part of his/her body touching me, although kitten doesn't follow me at 2am if i get up for a glass of water, or to touch up my nyquil. i finally gave up on all the drugs, and found a fantastic home remedy for coughing - honey. it works better than the massive drugs i was taking. for real. a teaspoon stops my cough for hours. and what's not to love about honey? i did a collage called "Honey Tastes Like Sunshine" in it's honor. when i was little, my mom would buy me a honeycomb every so often when she grocery shopped. omg it was sooo good, and the wax was fun to play with after. the teaspoon i tried for coughing the other day transported me back to those days! All i needed was a handful of Richie Rich & Little Lulu comic books, and i would've just time traveled! i have a few art opportunities all at once, and am semi-scrambling to finish everything AND get jewelry out. i say "semi" because i am still not moving very fast. but wasn't it the turtle that won the race, anyway? I couldn't stand it anymore, and broke into my stash of handmade sandalwood soap. mmmm. just smelling it all day in the studio was more than i had willpower for! i'm working on 2 different series right now...one is a followup to the Blue Bottle Fly collage...3 more insects! also a piece about the holocaust...a bit different tone than the other. I have another piece starting to swirl inside too, but it's been too shy to show itself. very frustrating. perhaps i need to close my eyes, as well as my ears, in order to feel it. i'm getting stark white and payne's grey, but that's about it so far. i've been working with marble dust, plaster and adhesives...polish polish polish to a shine. stop by Szozda Gallery after 12/4 to see if i finished what i set out to do! tonight - carrot ginger bisque for dinner. and an early bedtime. last night i was a chapter away from finishing a book and ended up staying up til after 2am. I read the Sue Grafton series, and "V is For Vengeance" is now out...done and ready to ship out to a friend, along with Aleph by Paulo Coehlo. loved both for different reasons - Grafton demands little...just mindless entertainment. Coehlo quite the opposite. read both this week, as the boob tube was not an option, and netflix was not an option, and the studio was not an option. just rest rest rest. felt good - for a while. now i have cabin fever big time. so, off to lay down another layer of plaster, then to bed. i hope you all had a nice day with family yesterday...and plenty of leftover pie today!

today, the sun screaming through my window belies the frost on the grass...but the sun is enough to energize me...laundry cooking, primer down on a huge piece I'm working on...kitten folded up on my left foot, keeping it warm & cozy (i may need another cat for the other foot!)...pumpkin pancakes again, and a second cup of coffee...feeling the warmth of friends as I look around the studio at artwork and saved notes & cards...this is christmas and thanksgiving all rolled up in a special moment. sending out blessings to each and every one of you...may you feel connected and loved and have enough...

cat day

today i took a lesson from bulimia cat...nap often, eat when you're hungry...find the spot on the couch where the sun is shining and lay down in it...smile and purr...

bulimia cat is lovin her/him having the house to her/his self...diva is at Camp Grandma's for the week while I go into deep rest & creativity mode. i'm working on a series of collage paintings featuring insects. yes, insects. I did the one with the Bluebottle Fly (on website), and right after, had a little beetle friend come visit. i kept letting him out, but then i'd turn around and there he was again. when i looked him up on the world wide web, i came across some other really kinda cool bugs...like the assasin beetle, which has a bright green/gold covering over it's wings, and a hawkmoth which is similar to a clearwing moth, in that they both move like hummingbirds and are often seen hovering around flowers. sort of like chubby hummingbirds in fur coats. so, the series begins. i also have a show to prepare for at Szozda Gallery, a huge marble plaster piece to figure out how to make - it's been haunting my dreams lately, and 8 other pieces to bring to life...all under deadline. so a week off from mom duties is really needed right now. there's no distraction from the phone, since my hearing is gone in both ears now. surgery on 12/9 if it doesn't clear up with uber-drugs. have i ever mentioned how much i hate taking any prescriptions? i totally do, and usually won't fill the prescription if a Dr. insists i take the piece of paper. this time, though, it's war. and i have been fairly dutiful in my drug taking. prescription-wise. it should be an interesting thanksgiving dinner at my mother-in-law's...i won't be able to hear the clamor & chaos, so it's every man for themselves. ok - some chai oatmeal and some steamy chai tea for a snack, then back to it. Don't forget to check on friends that have a difficult time this time of year. sending big hugs and surprises out!

click

a year ago, I had the good fortune to meet Nicola Taylor ... she being a brave heart that stayed in a huge huge cabin alone for 2 nights, despite offers to come stay at my cabin with the 4 of us. I just peeked in at her website and am speechless - amazing photography! See if you agree....

popping in

from Brian Andreas, Storypeople: It's taken me a long time to get here, he said, so I don't really care if it's wrong. He told me one time he forgot himself & his heart opened up like a door with a loose latch & he tried for days to put it all back in proper order but finally he gave up & left it all jumbled up there in a pile & loved everything equally. By the way...there's a SALE(!) at my website! These are one-of-a-kind pieces ...when they're gone, they are just gone! (except the prints, of course, which are limited). wishing you a week filled with magic & surprises....

quick peek in... like cupcakes? try this one...

i'll be taking a few days off to snuggle with my pillow, eat lots of ginger, and recuperate from pneumonia. meanwhile, there's a lot going on, so when i get back, we'll talk, pop open some champagne and celebrate!

my bad

The other day, I received a call from a friend who had tried to order something from my website...bad news - when I upgraded to my own domain name, the "contact" link didn't follow...first, my apologies. and now the good news - from now through Christmas, I'm offering 10% off and free shipping, as way of making nice. As usual, if you have a specific word(s) you want hancrafted, there is no extra charge. Now is a good time to have your company name emblazoned shamelessly on a copper or sterling necklace - wear it as advertising, or give/offer it as an added-value item with your "product." Intuitive word consultations are still available, as well! wishing you a bold Tuesday!

i stand corrected

recently, I did a series about business "stuff" i had to share. One of the companies that I recommended was Vistaprint. I apologize, and withdraw that recommendation. (rest of long, rambling codeine-laced post has been deleted. I should know better than to post when my brain & fingers are not in sync!) now go look at the previous post for something even stranger...

a chihuly veggie?

i know, right? i saw this in the grocery store and said What The Hey?? I have no idea what it is, but had to buy it just for the oddness of it. now THIS will inspire some art! today's plan is to make some ornaments for the tree at Szozda Gallery. i have some definite ideas that involve some nicely patina-ed copper, some solder, and a wren. we'll see how that goes. i may get that renovation i've wanted after all, if the torch doesn't cooperate. planning to spend a busy studio day to try to catch up on everything i've let go while being a couch slacker these past few weeks. am STILL sick - in fact, it feels like i've gone backwards, but i can't lay around till january, right? or can i? this would be the perfect week to re-do the master bedroom, as husband dropped in briefly last night, then is gone again till friday, when he drops in, re-packs and goes away for the weekend. i have some plans, but no stamina. maybe hiring out is the key here. but for now, i wish you a great start to the week, and many wonderful coincidences!

taking (another) day to try to heal....go here and shop so I can buy more kleenex!

A-Mazing

what's not to love about an overnight on husband's company at a casino resort? Everything is top shelf... local art across an entire wall...(i think this is Margie Houghto, but didn't see a name)... and this, my friends, is where the story becomes magical. The casino is owned by the Oneida Nation tribe. and they have a shop called Oneida Sky onsite, with Native American art & collectibles. There were a thousand things I wanted to bring home, but a row of kachinas grabbed my attention - specifically this guy wrap 'em up! i knew i couldn't leave without it. It is a bear kachina, the salesclerk told me. hunh. So i wandered down the hallway looking in shops and there was a cigar shop. on the floor were some of The Coolest empty cigar boxes...wood, hinged, all different kinds. the guy sold them to me for 2 bucks (probably his lunch money!). so i wandered back down the hallway, intending to make a beeline for the room and change for dinner, when i passed Oneida Sky again, and this time noticed the window display. Another kachina just drew me in...he had to come with me. as she wrapped him up, the clerk said, "it's interesting that you picked 2 of the same:bear." i had no idea. she said that in the Oneida culture, Bear represents great power to cure the sick. well butter my butt and call me a biscuit - I'm sick! so i had a little meeting of the minds with my kachinas later, and darned if my cough stopped for the night & i got deep, restful sleep. dinner was fabulous...the casino was kind to me, letting me keep a bit of my cash...we ordered room service breakfast and eased into the morning. it was hard to leave. I took the long way home, down a county road, rather than the highway. Along the way, I passed a brightly colored victorian with "ART" written on a sign out front. screech. it turns out, there are 2 separate houses that feature over 48 local artists' work. i chatted with them for a while, and have opportunity to teach workshops in each. just past those places, and down the road a bit is a scrapbooking/altered art store i used to go to quite a bit, so i stopped in. by now, it's sleeting and raining at the same time. i popped in, and my 2 favorite people were working. Kathy stopped her class, and introduced me to them - felt like a rock star. then she asked me to tell them my story. wow. so i did, and along the way realized just how far I'd come in a few short years...and also how far I want to go. I've been standing still for a while, getting in my own way, as i tried to figure out where i wanted to head...how big i dared to dream, and how big i'd have the stamina for. i do believe i can reach for that star that i wished on, with God's help, and He knows I'm not getting any younger, so i expect big things to happen sooner rather than later. i was so energized by the time i got home, that i cleaned the house, did the laundry and walked the diva (in the sleet/rain/snow 35-degrees). husband ran in the door from his convention, shucked off his clothes, put on his jeans and GoreTex, and headed out to the woods for a weekend with the Men Who Wear Camo. a nice weekend in the studio awaits. ahhhhhhh.

wow - a 3-fer. Today was warm...a light jacket over a thin long-sleeved top, sitting on the back step with a new magazine...pup was hunting for a bone she'd left somewhere. As is her usual routine, she came up and snuggled in against my legs looking for a puppy massage. she hasn't gotten nearly enough attention lately, so i soothed her old bones and scratched in her favorite spots, not stopping til she was ready to go look for her bone again. i read a few sentences, and she was back for more. always when we do this, i end it by giving her a kiss on top of her head, saying "and there's where the extra love is, in case you run out." off she went to chew on her reclaimed bone. a few sentences later - the face of a little arctic fox was staring intently at me. more, please. i asked her "did your love run out already?" and then i realized what the lesson was: love isn't meant to be stored up for later...it's meant to be used up fully and recharged and refilled.

i will be honest with you (because i always am here)...I'm terrified. There has been no change in my hearing loss in 2 weeks. despite antibiotics, and changes of antibiotics and decongestants and warm water flushes and just about every thing else you can think of. I'm afraid there will be permanent damage. and I hate that I've been so focused on health in this space, but that's the way it is right now. Please send up your prayers, or let me know of something you've tried that works. Local ENT's are booking into December, and really don't seem to care if something is urgent...they refer to someone else, who refers you back to the original call you made, in a big circle. Thank you for your prayers.... I remain grateful that, as an artist, it is my hearing rather than my vision or my hands. I am able to make art. That would be a cruel test, I believe, to lose eyesight or use of my hands. I'm not sure if that's a test I would pass, either, and don't wish it on anyone. now, enough of that. I am totally enjoying Judy Wise's encaustic class! I highly recommend it...she holds back nothing. I can smell the wax through the computer :) another thing I'm chomping at the bit for is Christine's new book....am anxiously & not too patiently awaiting it's release and placement in my hands. Her other book, Ordinary Sparkling Moments, remains one of my favorites, and I've reread it numerous times. (which is totally unusual for me). I'm enjoying some cuddle time with diva, and even bulimia cat snuck up on my bed last night after diva went into her closet woobie. the nights are getting colder, and they are getting cozified. time to break out the hot chocolate! I'm looking for a chocolate chai to send me over the edge of reality. me+chai= nirvana. other beautiful things...the intense last colors of fall...the view from my studio window just blazing with golds, butterscotch and coppery reds...my japanese maple has turned from deep maroon to the most intense, clear red - seemingly electrified in the morning sun...chai oatmeal for breakfast...cozy slippers on my feet...a gift from a friend - a sketchbook and a tin of 1 billion pastel pencils...the smell of matte medium once again wafting from my worktable...textures being formed on gessobord and claybord, as stories appear...an ant walking across my wet collage, reminding me of his message to "trust that you will succeed in accomplishing your dreams..." Through the woods and to my pond, a Great Blue Heron has been hanging around - taking flight when I get too near, circling above my head, then disappearing in it's camouflage...mama cardinal feeding fearlessly at the window feeder, as kitten leaps high up and tags the window from the inside (the chipmunks don't fear him/her either, as they sit nose-to-nose separated by a glass pane by the sliding door in my livingroom...so many things to be grateful for...so many things to count as blessings...

from Paulo Coehlo

"...only mediocrity is sure of itself..." wishing you a day of scary/fun risk taking.........

i know, i know

was it a mere few hours ago that i was all about quiet self-care and walking slowly & all wabi sabi and fruit & nuts? was it? ok, well, it was. but... then i went into my newly cleaned-up studio to check on my sample board of Kroma Crackle. and that's when the adrenaline started pumping. yes. yes. yes. i am crushin on this stuff. go there now and look, but come right back. i'll wait. ok - see! was i telling the truth? yes. the possibilities are just endless. and not just in the traditional collage, painting, blah blah blah use...think assemblage and fabric and whatevah. i'm going to try it on some encaustic work soon. it won't stick to the wax, but if you gouge out a section or area, and fill it with the KC, then after it dries, apply a light light coat of wax medium to seal it, it will be there for eternity. the usual dry time is 1-3 days, but Michael DeMeng, ever the mad scientist, found a quick dry method that he shares on their website. (though i recommend a workshop with him anyway, because he's just so incredibly talented and funny, and does appreciate a good martini.) The bad thing: it's only sold wholesale to stores - not to individuals. so badger your local art supply store to get this in. they are liberal with the samples to the store, so they can try it out. ok...now i can rest again. no choice. i can't hear a thing, so TV is out of the question.

out my window today

yesterday's butterscotch colors gave way to today's brilliant golds... with a bit of blazing red.... and over at the pond, a lone lilypad drifts lazily ... the geese & ducks are queuing up, practicing formations for their migration south...such a commotion as they decide who will lead and who will co-pilot. we've been blessed with a few more warm days...the sun on my back as I visit the soon-barren trees through the woods path...chipmunks scurrying to fill their cheeks and nests to guard against hunger in the coming months...they know they'll find a good meal in my yard, though. today i began getting moulds ready for suet making - gathering sunflower heads and cranberries and nuts to help against the times when snow will bury the food supply. i love visiting the farmer's market & finding a huge sunflower head to hang from the Japanese Maple by twine...winter cardinals, brilliant red against the snow, feeding from it. my gift back to nature for all it's given me. spending a quiet day of self care & healing creativity...finding center and balance and core...listening to my body, as it shuts out the world in order to get my attention... diva snuggled on her woobie by my worktable...kitten snuggled in her cozy nest by the french doors, soaking up the afternoon's rays of sunlight...chalk and matte medium on my fingers...a trip later to the hills to visit the bison...breathing breathing breathing........ being filled with gratitude, and scruffing away those pointy parts that still say "if only..."

i am still sick sick sick. Another Dr. appointment later today, and hopefully some answers, because darn it...I have too much to do! traveling as fast in one direction as she can go before she has second thoughts & goes back to doing the same old stuff -Brian Andreas Here is a movie you really need to see, and if you live near me, it will be at the Auburn Theater Friday & Saturday: now back to bed for me.

what? hunh?

okay - day 3 of this ear thing...my left ear is completely useless for hearing, and good only for tucking my hair behind it. apparently there's fluid built up or some darn thing, but i've been taking all my medications like a good impatient patient, and still nothing. time for a second opinion i'd say. but not today, i'm afraid. today we celebrate husband's birthday. his mom and kids are coming in for what i hope is a harmonious convergence around the dinner table. he has requested a rib roast and turtle cheesecake. turtle cheesecake i can do (well, i can pick up) but the roast....let's just say I've been pretty much disrespecting every piece of meat, fish, and fowl that I've attempted to cook lately. I'm not known for cooking. well, i am, but not in a good way. but i had a streak of real culinary good luck for a while, which has left me. so hopefully the meal coach at Wegmans will be available to assist. he kinda ducks and runs when he sees me now, after my continued effusiveness and almost stalker-like adoration of him a few years ago. i was just so amazed that i could actually COOK after his instruction! it was a giant breakthrough. and apparently i did it so well that husband bought me a set of pots & pans for christmas that year. (safe place safe place). but i digress. rough night attempting to sleep...accidentally took sudafed before bedtime. yeah, my total bad. so at 2:30am, still tossing and turning, i rolled over on the tv remote (which had been left on the bed when husband slinked away to his friend's house for a birthday drink) and wow! the flurry of fur flying was amazing...diva dog jumped up and started running down her ramp at the foot of the bed (what?) and noticed bulimia cat sleeping by the closet, so had to percolate that situation a bit before heading for the safety of her woobie in husband's closet, but first stepping on a hanger which scared her and set her to yowling. so i watched a few minutes of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, and can i say: well, what can you say? People please. Please. that's all i have to say about that. so don't forget daylight savings time tonight....want me to call you at 2am to remind you?

by executive order, I am Amish today...I have an all-day conference with my pillow, some Augmentin & codeine, and lots of juice. see you on the other side!

last night i decided today would be a totally indulgent self-care day so i could finally whoop this bronchitis-y thing. having lost hearing in my left ear yesterday, i decided maybe a dr. appointment was in order, and set one up for 1:15. till then, i would lay about on the couch watching movies, dozing, and wishing i had my mommy to make me oatmeal. i took some nyquil before bed, to assure i'd sleep through my usual 2am wake-up. a good plan, right? it truly was. until someone started calling the house at 4am on my husband's business phone. the line that has no answering machine, but instead has a loud voice that says "PLEASE ENTER YOUR CODE" repeatedly while the glaring metallic hum of a dialtone spews from the speaker. i would expect a DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! submarine announcement to follow. but addled by nyquil, back to sleep i went. till 7am, when diva started fussing at me, tapping insistently on my eyes to open them. i got up, put on sweats and headed for the door to let her out, but she hadn't followed me...she was tucked into sleepy land. on my pillow. shazzbot. so i tapped on her, as is fair. coffee on, dog out, i am walking slowly with intention, so as to ease into the Day Of Indulgence And Rest. dog shrieking to come in. breathe deep. buddha breath. yes. calm-ish. i sit down on the floor to give her a puppy massage and EEEEEKKKK! a huge i mean HUGE monster tick is fattly gorging itself on her jawline. huge. and not pretty. ok, no panic. i heard something about olive oil and tweezers. grab them, grab her out from under the dining room table (no easy feat) and slather this nasty thing with olive oil, expecting, as i'd been told, that it would back right out and i would humiliate it and kill it dead. no luck, and diva was getting jiggy on the whole Stand Still thing. so i grasped it about the head area with tweezers and it flicked out. now i wondered if i got the head. furious texting to Perfect Stepdaughter who knows about these things, as she has a horse and 4 dogs. and checked the web. duh. rule #1 - don't use olive oil or baby oil. it's a myth and could cause infection. great. but it's out, and the forgotten flea & tick medicine properly dispensed along her shoulder blades. she's better, chasing bulimia cat, who has learned to upchuck on the fly. clean that up and realize i am a Big Dreamer if i think i can relax in this house at any time. maybe the Dr will run late, and I can nap in the exam room waiting in that chic paper gown thing.

In the past few weeks, I've had many conversations with some artists and small business owners that I know. They've expressed the same emotions (in varying degrees) about the coming holidays (have you heard the christmas music already in the stores??). the range goes from cautiously hopeful, to flop-sweat-scared. yes, it's a bad economy for nearly everyone, or so the papers & TV & radio tell us. yes, my household is getting by, but just that...no trips to St. Thomas & the P.Diddy mansion this year, for sure. Maybe a splurge on a weekend away nearby, but excess just feels vulgar to me right now. But in those conversations, a running theme appeared...the frustration that, although the General Speak is about sustainability and buying local and such, they, as artists & craftspeople, are not seeing it in their order histories. They are closing up shop, so to speak, and pulling up their tents from festivals, vendor opportunities and shops. Their work, regrettably will no longer be offered at the events we enjoy throughout the good weather days. This summer, I observed...being new to the art & craft festival scene, i paid particular attention to what people were buying - if anything - and which events drew the crowds. Many of the heavily attended events had fewer artisans showing their work this year than in any year past. Many fine craftspeople had already said that the hard work of getting to the event, setting up their booth and display, paying for their booth space, a hotel room and meals, and staffing the booth - all that - just wasn't worth it to them when the pluses and minuses were added up. "Maybe they aren't making things people want," you may say..."or maybe they haven't gotten the word out that they exist," is another thought. But the conversations I've had are with some of the most incredible writers and artists and small business owners...they have done everything they can think of to try to promote themselves, all-the-while making their craft or running their store, and running a household, and all that goes into being a small business owner/artist/writer/etc. They look at some of their fellow small biz friends who seem to be living the Vida Loca, and it makes them feel worse, and ashamed, and doubting of their incredible skill/talent/niche in this world. I don't know what the answers are, I really don't. I would say, on their behalf as well as my own, buy local or buy small biz. The website or small shop or small gallery you enjoy visiting may not be there for you, without your support. My dad always bought Girl Scout cookies or raffle tickets hawked by the kids who came to the door. He wanted to be sure he was supporting something that needed his help, and to be fair - he loved those cookies! Sometimes even a note to the craftsperson/small business/etc saying something like "i love your work, and hope to be able to purchase some someday" is enough to get people through. no, it won't pay the rent, but as small business people, knowing they are visible and appreciated can mean a big huge lot. Maybe it's the bronchitis making me all sentimental today, but i say this to my fellow artists: be true, be authentic, keep on. it isn't an easy life we've chosen, but it is the one we were born to do. As I write this, I'm wondering if i've done enough to help you get to know some of the amazing people i know. Maybe in the coming weeks, I'll introduce you to some of my friends...some, amazing successes, and some just dipping their toes into this crazy life. for today - i wish you Godwinks and good food. Linda

wise words

nothing. ever. fails.

Mick Fleetwood from pat solomon on Vimeo.

Finding your bliss

Chungliang Al Huang from pat solomon on Vimeo.

passionate?

Sir Ken Robinson from pat solomon on Vimeo.

you are exactly who you are supposed to be...

Reverend Rebecca Armstrong from pat solomon on Vimeo.

some truths I've learned during this year of Trust. As the year winds down, I spend quiet time discerning what the coming year's lesson for me will be. I'm getting an inkling, but it hasn't fully shown itself to me yet. It promises to be amazing in it's ability to let me give back as much (and more) as I've been given in this lifetime so far. and that excites me to no end. i feel the groundwork of the construction being laid right now...much like when you drive past a worksite wondering what the heck they're building - a hotel? a housing development? a restaurant? it isn't until the final stages are being prepared that it becomes clear what the building will be. wishing you truths today.

PS........

some sweet wonderful for you (ignore the commercials) and, from StoryPeople: He told me one time he forgot himself & his heart opened up like a door with a loose latch & he tried for days to put it all back in proper order but finally he gave up & left it all jumbled up there in a pile & loved everything equally.

let's see if i can entertain you with a few more pictures, while i hit the couch & continue to blow my nose... (they're here) And it's the countdown to Christine's new book!! That's all I have energy for right now...this Whatever Has Invaded My Body is kicking my behind. so a nap, then some cool creativity that I've been looking forward to for a few weeks!!