Hectic Life

Gerry and I celebrated our thirty-first anniversary in July. My love for Ger has grown stronger over the years despite the many challenges we have faced and continue to face.

My advice to anyone who, by chance, happens upon this note is to never settle for someone who does not cherish you, and you, in turn, cannot imagine living without that special someone. Mutual respect, honesty, caring and having fun together makes it easy to remain in love.

Have a wonderful love filled day.

Gordon Lightfoot

in concert at The Strand in York last night. His voice still sounds good and the band was perfect. The crowd was enthusiastic.... "If you could read my mind" you would know "The legend lives on...

Getting better every day.

It's been nearly three weeks since the surgery and I feel great.

Flying

For many years, I dreamt that I could fly. First, I was circling over a river but soon learned to swoop down and fly under the bridge. Years later, I began to fly inside buildings. Was it freedom to captivity? I have not had any flying dreams for several years, and rarely dream at all.

Not the best of days

Still recovering from surgery on the 15th of April and under stress. Completely at loss from not knowing what to do.

The Angels Game

Finished reading THE ANGEL'S GAME by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Just as SHADOW OF THE WIND the novel is beautifully written but differs in content and style. The author takes you through the dark streets of Barcelona and the dark side of David Martin's mind as he struggles with his obsessions. Zafon managed to depict human nature in its rawest form.

Dark and mystical, gothic style novels are not my usual choice for reading....but loved every page and its many memorable lines including the exquisitely written eulogy.

30th Anniversary

Gerry and I recently celebrated our 30 wedding anniversary in DC. The weather has been simply wonderful (even the rain) this summer and July 21st was no exception. We had lunch at long-time favorite restaurant, The Old Ebbitt Grill. Luscious oysters on the half shell, shrimp, and a crab cake entree.

Then, we visited the Renwick. Although there wasn't a new exhibit, it’s always nice to visit old art 'friends.'

From the Renwick we went to The American Art Museum to see "1934: A New Deal for Artists" and Jean Shinn's exhibit. Neither disappointed us. Shepard Fairey's 'HOPE' poster is on display and it is outstanding. I didn't realize the depth to the collage until seeing it in person.



After that, we were tired so walked to Resika for an early dinner. Without a reservation, we were lucky to score a small table near the bar. The reviews we had previously read were right on target. Ger described it, "Like having dinner in heaven." The food was that good.

Lenna's Art Blog Giveaway

Isn't it lovely?


Dear sweet Lenna had a blog giveaway and, as one of her lucky winners, she gifted me with this beautiful fiber art collage. Knowing how talented Lenna is, I should not have been so stunned by the beauty of this art piece, but I am. And, I am thrilled to have been given such a treasure. Thank you Lenna.

Please click on the scan to enlarge it.

Blog Giveaway Winners

Lenna and Andrea are each going to receive a handmade item from my Blog giveaway. With only two to make, they will be extra special. Hopefully, I will finish their gifts before September 8th.

Speaking of extra special, Gerry and I are going to see The Philadelphia Dance Company tonight. They are performing in Gettysburg and it looks like it will be a great show.

This is the second year for the Gettysburg Festival (June 18-28) and if you live nearby or are visiting the area, it is worth the trip to see the gallery art shows and to follow the outdoor sculpture walk. Along with others, Dan Essig has two of his amazing book sculptures book on display in the Gettysburg College Library and the glasswork exhibit at the Sewing Factory is outstanding.

Blog Giveaway

It has been months since I have posted but today I saw an inspiring note on Lenna's blog and, following her lead, I am going to select five individuals who leave a comment to this message by June 15th to receive a gift form me. I will e-mail each one whose number I draw. The gift will be created and mailed to you by September 8th.

The idea came to Lenna from her friend Frieda, who reviewed a book by Patti Digh. For more information about Patti and Frieda see Lenna's blog post here: http://creativelenna.blogspot.com/ The idea Lenna presented from Patti is a generosity meme (an idea that can replicate and evolve), in which you make/give something to five other people. So I am borrowing the idea from Lenna and ask that you leave a comment on my blog on or before July 4th. I will assign everyone a number and then randomly choose (5) people that will get something from me- a gift from me to you!

From Lenna: There are no guarantees that you will like what I make or select. No refunds… and no exchanges!!!! What I create will be just for you, and handmade or selected with love from me. It will be created/gathered sometime by September 8th and sent to you. When you receive it, you will need to let me know it has arrived.

I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world that I'll decorate and send to you through the US postal system. It will not be something cyber. It may be strange or it may be beautiful. ! It will be handmade, it could be any size, and it will be created from my heart in any medium I choose. I may take my time or I may make it quickly. I reserve the right to do whatever comes to my mind when I go forth to make/select something for you!

I will follow Lenna's ideas on participating: The original meme requires you to post this text (or similar) into a note/blog post of your own and then make 5 things for 5 people who to respond your post. I’m not going to require that of you. If you would like to do this generosity meme too, that would be great. I encourage you to participate and generously create, but it is not a requirement in order to enter and win. Remember as Patti pointed out, this isn't just for artists--it's for everyone. She says we are all artists, and we're all able to create something precious for another human being. Patti wrote, "One of the most gorgeous things I've ever received was a small box of precious stones from a child I met once--she made it for me, assembling it, cherishing it, giving it. You can do the same."

If you would like to be included in the drawing, please leave a comment below. I'll draw five names from those submitted. I hope you will comment and play and share the gift of giving by posting this meme on your own blog - tweaking it as you like.

Donations for Australia

I know many of my friends are wondering what to do to help the victims of the devastating fires in Australia. A donation can be made on-line to the Australia Red Cross. Here is the link:

https://www.redcross.org.au/howyoucanhelp_donationopt.htm

Who's Watching

I finally was able to take a decent photo of I piece I started in Keith LoBue's class at The Queen's Ink last October. Lots of old and rusty pieces were used. The high fiber vintage paper on the back and beneath the transparnecy is over 100 years old. I am not sure I could ever agan find all the pieces that would fit together so well.

I had a long talk with Dr. Erki yesterday. She is a cardiologist and I see her each year. I believe we all need to look a little deeper into our hearts. So, why not do it with a heart expert?

One of the issues I discussed with her was finding happiness through realizing that life is tough and that the hopes and dreams I have had over the years may never be reached. Once I acknowledged this, I was able to look at the moments I cherish and appreciate them for the joy they have brought into my life. Some, like marriage or the birth of children, were life changing events, while others were fleeting moments. Both play over and over again in my mind. A special moment that I often recall happened on a first, or perhaps second, date with my husband. We were playing tennis and, as he handed the tennis ball to me over the net for my serve, his fingertips touched my palm. I remember that touch and my heart still does a little dance.

Inauguration

What a day - January 20Th, 2009! I have been to many marches and demonstrations in DC but never one of so many gathering at one time, in one place, and with one purpose. The happiness which brought us together could not be daunted by the difficulty in getting around DC or the cold weather. The cheering of millions as Obama was sworn into office was heart warming.

It was a joyous day. We met many people from across the nation who traveled thousands of miles to be a part of history. There was a sense of pride not only among Black Americans but exhibited by each and everyone present. We did it! We can be a better America.

One of the highlights was seeing Bush being whisked off to Texas. He was abusive for eight years but he can no longer hurt us. we have scars to from his time in the White House but there is now hope and we will overcome the wounds he inflicted. It is going to take a long time to get over the damage he and his administration caused.

Heading to DC

We're leaving this morning for DC. We have had hotel reservations since the summer-thanks Hilton for the free night! The AE points add up quickly. I don't expect to see much of tomorrow's inauguration other than on the strategically placed big screens but it should be pretty powerful nonetheless.

Change is nearly here.

New Art

My friend Jean - see her work at Charmed I'm Sure by clicking on the link to her etsy site - spent today teaching me to enamel on copper. Her talent, generosity, patience, supplies, and wonderful, fully equipped studio helped me to create the charms pictured.

New Year's Greetings

Wishing you happiness in the New Year.

I am looking forward to the change in the US administration and hoping to see more kindness. Eight years of suffering has been too long. I am tired of the pockets of the big corporations being lined with gold. I am saddened by the war in Iraq and the fact that anyone could have believed it was OK then and still believes it is OK now. I am sick about the money that contractors received to rebuild New Orleans and yet the homes of the poor are not rebuilt. I am in disbelief that we do not have single payer national health insurance. I am astounded that educators have not moved education into the 21st century - it is criminal and they need to be held accountable for not only the failing school systems but also for the students they failed to reach and teach.

I know it is going to take a long time to fix what has happened to our country and change will be slow. I have hope that we will be moving in the right direction toward a kinder, gentler nation.

Jeremy Graduated Today

We are very proud of Jeremy's achievements. He graduated today from PSU with a BA in sociology. Here are a few photos to share.

Link to Paper Place Giveaway

The Paper Place is sponsoring a holiday giveaway: The Great Chiyogama Givaway. Here is the link. http://www.thepaperplace.ca/samplegiveaway.html

I have been a customer of theirs at Heirloom Shows for years and have never been disappointed.

Back to Basics-Image Transfer

Today, I finally managed to create a piece of artwork for Collage Cat's Art Party. You can see the piece to the left. It's a simple collage composed of ledger paper stained with Golden Fluid Acrylics mixed with glazing medium, a piece of a paper napkin for the floral effect, and an image transfer using Great White Imaging and Photo Paper (http://collagecloset.com) and Golden Regular Gel Medium. Great White is still the best for transfers. It is getting harder and harder to find!

Tomorrow we are off to DC. After brunch at Acadiana, we are going to the Smithsonian Folk Art Festival featuring Texas and Buthan this year. I'll take some photos to share. I was also there last weekend to see the Adornments Exhibit at the Renwick Gallery - second time I saw it and enjoyed it even more.