I need to go walk-about...

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~Wallace Stevens

Off to live in the truth for a while...

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones!

Works in progress...

Some works in progress...

Look at them while being serenaded by the lovely Norah Jones...

A rainy Friday in the studio kind of vibe...

Mother Nature's work in progress.

Magnolia blossoms in the rain...

"I'm Falling..."

My own work in process...

I drew the falling girl with my new toys on a beautiful painted background created a while ago.

Loving those Derwent Inktense pencils....

Ooo la la !

"Paper Heart"

(Paper clay on a canvas I created way back in Carmen Torbus's class)

I added some scribble of white paint, some writing...

and so far the progress has led me here...

Not perfection but good enough for a painter in progress, painting reveries...

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I am feeling much better today. David brought home some Sudafed and a half dose of one pill is doing the trick on the nasty sinus stuff ! Feels so good to have some relief !

Sonia is coming for pizza and a movie tonight so the rest of the day needs to be about tidying the house a bit.

Happy Friday, Beautiful Ones ! May your weekend be full of reveries...

Thankfulness Thursday - Tylenol

To tell you the truth, it was a little hard to come up with a post on the Thankfulness Thursday. Not because I don't have hundreds of things I am truly thankful for.

But because of a sucky sinus headache that makes it really hard to concentrate on anything for too long.

So today, I am most thankful for Tylenol and how it eases the head, eyes, teeth and face pain just enough to get by...

Also thankful for having won the "Crafter's Workshop" giveaway that Julie from Land of Lost Luggage had on her blog recently. Check out the luscious loot I won - a whole series of templates which I will be thrilled to use in my journaling as stencils etc... Such a juicy prize ! Thanks Craft Workshop and Thanks so much Julie !

I am also kind of thankful for Michale's 50% off coupon this week and a Michael's Store in Concord, NH that carries these magnificent Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils !

My pal Colleen and I hit the shop yesterday and I got the 24 pack for $25.00 instead of $50.00 !!!

Having these lovely tools makes me feel very very lucky. So beautiful...

You can also see my other little purchases - a package of origami paper and a roll of pack tape with a beautiful red scroll design.

Here is my latest journal page. A little all over the place, just like my head feels today !

But I did use my Intense pencils here and there, bits of my origami paper and I also reused some pieces from older journal pages -colored photocopies of the flowers which I like.

I am off to rest my eyes and head again.

Luckily my wonderful computer geek/man just loaded some fun audio books on the old IPod so I can "read" while I rest.

Thankful for him too.

Oh, and you ! ;)

Catch ya when the head aches eases...

It's Gonna Be a Good Day...

This morning's journal page is looking spring-y...

Here's a song to go with it...

Happy Tuesday, Lovely Ones...

Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday, April 5, 2010

Haven't done this is a long while...kind of fit today somehow...


(Visit here to find a list of a whole bunch of woman starting off the week in this same way...)

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... I see the bright green buds on the huge Maple just beside my deck.

I am thinking...that I want a cup of coffee and this herbal tea just ain't cutting it. Need to cut out the coffee as the morning jitters and anxiety stuff has to go !

I am thankful for... a sweet weekend spent with my husband. We really get along well, you know. We laugh, and get silly and compromise and just love being together. For that I am always thankful.

From the kitchen...spinach, asparagus, and artichokes are all visiting - Yay for the Green of Spring !

I am wearing... sweats, a long khaki green t-shirt and my very beat up, but I refuse to throw away Green El Naturalista clogs...really - they need to go but lime green leather shoes ? How do you let them go ???


I am creating...a couple of paintings on canvas, oh and a project to give new life to the Rock My World Project...more about this soon...

I am going... out to lunch with my friend Lois, who I haven't seen since before Christmas. Time sure can go fast it this crazy life. It will be nice to catch up...

I am reading...a crazy fun series of books that starts with Dead Until Dark : A Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris . These vampire/supernatural romance novels are so far from what I usually read but I am loving the amusing escapism ! Nathalie, my travel friend from Mexico got me hooked !

I am hoping... that I find the energy and the commitment to get moving and exercising, and eating better. Not feeling too great in this skin these days and I know that I need these things to get me to a better place. Why am I so lazy ???? Why don't I do what is good for me, when we know what is good for me ? Hoping this will change...

I am hearing... birdies going crazy with Springtime Bliss !

Around the house...all the dead leaves, branches, and grim from winter have been removed from our flower beds in the front of the house, not to mention, the Spring Poop Patrol was completed in the backyard as well (You da man, Mister David!).

One of my favorite things...new bright and pretty cushions for our two chairs on the front porch, ready for a summer of sitting out there in the evenings...

A few plans for the rest of the week: lunch with Lois, a haircut, walks, studio time on that canvas...I am liking where it is going...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...(you know I could not only do one !!! Here are five !)

Our front porch with our two wicker chairs with new cushions.

What we see from the porch, kinda...

Chica likes hanging with us there...

Little Boo aka Cosmo Kitty aka Little Sh*t in a rare still moment...

The beautiful Aslan, chillaxing on his throne in my studio...

And here in closing, is a little quote to start your day from one of my favorite funny people of all time:

"Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's Party !" - Robin Williams

Happy Monday, Beautiful Ones !

Thankfulness Thursday - Progress

So I woke up this morning thinking how life is so NOT a straight line.

It goes in cycles, right ?

You know how you can sometimes find yourself at the apex of something,

where things are flying, the energy is flowing, people around you are on board,

and you just know that you are where you need to be?

And then things change, the cycle turns downward, energy is harder to find,

people withdraw, and you need to come up with a whole new plan ?

Well, once you have done this cycle over and over again,

you would think that you would start to

have faith that the whole thing is going to move upwards again...

My faith needed some boosting this morning...

This journal page shows where I was :

Feeling like I was on the downward spiral...

But really that is okay...

It is part of the process...

Part of making progress...

Finding the faith and the strength and the energy to

create the movement

UPWARD

again....

I went on a wonderful walk to quiet my busy head.

I found a lovely tree that agreed to hold my tags for me until its leaves grow in...

I saw some evidence of how even things that you think are

really solid are impermanent and can

change in an instant...

These beautiful benches in my local park are make of bronze and copper.

The tree falling on it in our recent crazy wind storm created a whole different shape to that metal and wood...

I added my own little piece to the new sculpture...

I walked on and saw the some glorious color, these happy yellow daffodils,

whose winter dormant dreams have transformed into a spring time celebration.

I came home from the walk with some faith restored.

Faith that it is all part of the cycle...

And that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

I even had enough energy to

pick up a canvas I had started work on last fall, grab the paint

brushes and glorious Goldens and play for a while...

Still a ways to go to be at the apex,

(a detail of where I got to today - more to come as I go...)

but I am learning to have faith in my own movements...

Where are you on your own cycle, Beautiful One ?

Do you have faith that you are just where you should be ?

I wish that for you.

Big Love !

When You Were Two...

So spend some time with a two year old if you can.

It is so very helpful in learning how to live in the moment.

That's what "Baave" and I did this past weekend.

Of course the two year old who we got to be with is pretty damn special !

Brilliant, funny, cute as a button, and check out her fashion sense !

She is also a fantastic teacher.

She taught Uncle Dave that the sillier you are, the funner it is to get the job done,

like completing the plain old puzzle.

(The hilarious giggles from these two were amazing !)

WonderKate also reminds us that if we know what we need, we should make sure to ask for it, and also make sure we get it !

Like nap time for example.

For a perfect nap, make sure you have a doo-doo (a cozy blankie)

A ba-ba (bottle with warmed milk)

A tou-tou (a soft stuffed animal - little brown bear in Kate's case)

And of course a Dada ! (A Daddy, or a Mommy or a "Pimmy"(as Kate calls me) in a pinch)

Yup, that Katie-Girl is pretty great at reminding us

to be present and count our sweet blessings everyday...

Oh, and also how the perfect footwear can make an outfit...

(I want these rain boots in my size !)

"Baave" and "Pimmy" are so thankful for the sweet time

and the wonderful lessons we shared with you and your cozy family

on this spring weekend in 2010, Little Wise One.

We love you !

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems." -

Rainer Maria Rilke

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Things are feeling a little dry around the studio right now.

You know dry, like toast with no jam (love that line from the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") !

I am doing journal pages, and enjoying the process but they feel a little flat and uninspired.

I am thinking I need some time with other artists to inspire me or a class to learn something new to add to my usual bag of tricks...

Part of me knows that a dry spell is normal for me...but like any artist, I kind of worry about it lasting too long...

I am looking around and keeping my artist's mind open to the possibilities...

In the mean time...little bits of art to go and add to the branches until the real color arrives !

tree tags - fronts

quotes on the back (for the tag on far right)

( back quote for the middle flower tag)

(back quote on tag on the left)

The tags are covered with packing tape so will hopefully stand up to the damp out there.

It has finally stopped raining though it is still very grey.

At least it will be nice for a tree decorating, tag photographing and rock dropping walk...

Let's go, Cheeks...

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones.