We should talk...

Hi friend. It's a quiet Monday around here. It's actually the first quiet Monday in quite a few weeks. If we lived near each other I'd invite you over for coffee or tea and we'd sit and talk about curve balls, perspective and optimism. But what we have is this connection across airwaves, miles and oceans. So here's the skinny on my sporadic and reserved posts over the past few weeks. My husband unexpectedly lost his job during the 1st week of 2011 and although there is a more complicated version than that let's just say it was a life altering event. As we struggled through weeks of uncertainty we talked for hours about where we've been, decisions we've made, what we truly value and what we need and don't need. I'm so happy to say that after many, many weeks and hours of interviewing he started a new job today. A really good job that should fit him like a glove. But with that said I have to tell you our gorgeous old house by the lake is on the market and there are some changes still to come for our family. Now that I've gotten all of this out there I feel like I will be more free here with my words. Images have been speaking for me since 2011 began but you know how much I love words. A few weeks ago when I commented about making lemonade out of lemons a dear friend said that she would lend me some sugar to sweeten it. I love that. Thanks to you for listening, commenting and sharing bits of yourself ...you are all kinds of awesome : )

grey skies and tumbling houses....

element of change

a line of houses

(like a trail of bread crumbs leading me to my story)

My daughter commented that my latest work seems sad. I like to see it more as "winter work". I see it as reflective, emotional and quiet work that speaks truths. I like Winter. I like the inwardness of the season and find that regardless of what else is going on in life it is a restorative time. It is the big in breath to Spring and Summer's out breath. And while many people enjoyed the unseasonably warm few days last week I was not one of them. I'm not

ready yet. I need a bit more time to mull things over. To be still.

How about you?

Hey you...

How the heck are you? I know I've been away from the studio and computer for a wee bit but the ideas have been flowing. It seems as though most of my work is a variation on a theme but I'm ok with that. It feels real. Anyways, today I just wanted to stop in and share a piece coming to life from my sketchbook. The wax is cooling right now so I can't finish it up but I hope to get back to it (and a smaller piece) later this evening. So, what are you up to on this-way-too-warm-Wednesday?

Crash...

Photoshop crashed and so the images of the french onion soup I eeked out of the stale remnants of my Tartine Bread loaf can't be shared here. But it was good. Really good (in a soul-satisfying-and-oh-so-beautiful-kind-of-way). But there have been a lot of crashes around here lately (leading to lots of uncertainty). Much too much to talk about here until things are sorted out. Let's just say I'm trying to make lemonade out of lemons and I'll let you know how it turns out. I need to get back into the studio where things seem to make sense. I hope all is well with you....is it?

keepin' it real...

her song washed over me

she dreamt of all the places she had lived (and a few still took her breath away)

Have a lovely weekend : )

too much of a good thing (but i love it)

The 20+ inches of snow that fell overnight led to lots of baking, cooking, shoveling, playing, fighting, making up, laughing and painting . School has already been cancelled tomorrow as well because of impassable roads and single digit temps so it promises to be another day of family fun . We're off to skate on the neighbors ice rink under the stars to wrap up this day. For tomorrow I'm thinking about knitting and board games (if we can get a certain someone to play something other than bananagrams). Any snow day suggestions?