I am reminded.....

Clouds over the Isle of Man

.....of a comment while traveling with my daughters, both lots younger than today, Lily probably 5, Olive 8. Lily said after watching the video on board the plane,
specifically the slide to safety, "we'll just land in the clouds, right?"

Such delightful naivete.

A day at home with all 4 of us roosting together, a large chicken to roast.

May all of your thanksgivings be thankful.

One week from today I start on my big adventure. I leave for Miami in order to teach for the South Florida Jewelry Arts Guild, 3 classes, one in Copper Clay, one in a Felted Brooch and one in Coloring Metals. I fly home, have a day to repack and then head to Japan where I will spend 10 days, 6 of which will be teaching and demoing. 2 days in Kyoto where I will look for the monkeys in the mountains, visit some temples, and just take it where it leads. My time in Tokyo calls for a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market. The excitement is strenuous. I am home for 2 days and then have my surgery on Dec. 22. Who knows what then? At least I will have technicolor memories of days passed that were action packed!

I am looking forward to so many things.

oh my........

Bronze and Copper Clay Pendants
Fine Silver Pendants

Needing to trust the bigger 'timeline'.....I am finally at a stage to switch activities from production to tagging and packing......after a trip up to Putney to watch my girl, Lily, play a soccer game this afternoon.

I have been hard at it for many days, ever since the porcupine siting actually.

From morning till night......make, make, make, occasionally wondering if this or that might be the last 'one' that I will make. I am reminded by my wise friend that I had full trust in the chosen Doctors abilities when I booked the surgery......keep remembering that.

The 3 ring circus is down to 2 rings.

Plenty of time to think while in solitary 'lockup', accompanied by Pandora radio, set to stream 'Bob Dylan radio'.....they make excellent choices.

Amorous Porcupine....

I'll fight my repressive tendencies to share a true story. In the course of flitting back and forth yesterday between house and studio I encountered 2 porcupines. The large, logey, prehistoric looking one hot on the trail of the smaller, demure and childlike version of same. He starts to mount her...a few times. I , wondering how this all works with quills and tails in the way, was surprised to see the male, up in prairie dog fashion, turn to me with his claws crossed over his upper chest while sporting an enormous erection. We had a stare down, I laughing, and he went back on all fours...after the 'sweet young thing'!

Country living at its best, HA!

Thanks Boston......

Yesterday the show was fun, thanks all!

Back to the drawing table.

I'll come up for air soon.

Trips Completion....

My long trip has concluded.

It had me on the outskirts of my organizational abilities, amazingly enough I didn't forget anything......some things were more challenging than others to put my hands on....but they all made the trip. The challenge was packing for 6 different classes in two different cities.

So much for my challenges.....my time with family, friends and students, both new and repeat, were heartwarming.

Art and Soul was funfilled and eye opening with the myriad of cool material manipulation that is going on. I think people enjoyed their introduction to felting as a viable addition to their cache of materials to call upon. Many thanks to you folks that stuck with me for all 3 days, I enjoyed that continuity so much.


This pumpkin patch picture, taken with my iphone, so beautifully captures a hauntingly beautiful afternoon with my sweet and always fun friend Meesh, known to some of you as Michele Goldstein. We not only went to this great place but we took a drive to the Oregon coast and had a climb up an old lighthouse and had lunch next to a whole flock, pod, gathering of sea lions, so cool. Thanks Meesh and family for tolerating me for this extended time!

Southern California and time spent at the home and store of Carole Tripp at Creative Castle was just great. She and her workmates, friends and customers did so much to make me feel welcome, a hearty thanks go out to each and every one of you!

Now, I have a brief window to try and gather materials, have a beadmaking day and repack in order to head into Boston for the Bead Designer International show in Watertown this coming Saturday, from 10-5, please come on by!

things I love.....

In preparation for painting I took these photos, plan to use parts of them for an abstraction.

At the edges of my ability to organize...I leave on Thursday and need to be prepared to teach 6 different classes..

Art and Soul Retreat and Creative Castle, anyone going to be in Portland, OR or Newbury Park, CA?

There will be a sale night at the Embassy Suites at the Portland airport on this coming Saturday night, lots of good stuff for sale!

My teaching at Creative Castle will have an ongoing trunk show while I am teaching...October 9-11.

Hope to see some of you out there.

Animated carrots.........

What will they do next? They came to visit in our CSA package.

surgery is scheduled....

originally I had thought that I would schedule surgery for earlier in December when I got a most incredible invitation to go to Japan to demo and teach both felting and glass! I feel like the luckiest gal alive!

This gets me home from Japan on Dec. 19 and into the O.R. December 22, leaving me 5 weeks to gather my wits, indoctrinate the physical therapy and see what my limitations are before heading to Tucson.......

all I can do is take it as it comes, and invite whatever that is instead of hiding behind a wall of fear...i say to myself...and you.

this life is so full and rich....and short.

i am going to paint today, giving myself that luxury as I then need to choreograph the next two weeks....pack for two different gigs in two different cities.

i have finally found the person that i trust to give me a 'thumb replacement'. yay.

with thanks.....

...To you out there in 'blogland' for noticing and commenting so encouragingly on my painting results! There is so much going on in my mind and world. This past week is a blur....from my lovely time at Squam, spending two days with the incomparable Mary Beth Shaw and finding Kathy Dorfer and Stephanie there at registration, how cool is that????.... Bunking with a new found friend, Coco.....only to scurry off.....feeling like I had given birth .......to meet up with my sister and dad in Portland, ME where we spent the night, got up and headed up into the Rangely Lakes area of Maine to meet up with Tom and Sean where we spent our day aside the beautiful Dodge Pond and captured the stories of my dads life on film (of course it is no longer film....) and had such a special time. I can't thank all of you enough....for showing up just when you were needed, and doing your 'jobs' flawlessly!

Squam Lake........

Where I gained the courage to push paint around. uh oh......am loving it, wondering how I might proceed, wanting to head directly to an arts supply store....tomorrow, heading into Portland,Maine. Perhaps I will get lucky there?