My Kitchen Window

Earlier this year I decided to do all the dishes by hand.  Standing in front of the sink, feeling the warm water and suds on my hands and looking out the window as the seasons, one by one go by -- what a joy.

It has been a total delight to see the seasons present themselves in the woods behind our house.  I have to say that Autumn, which seems to have ended well before the deadline, was nothing less than a joy to observe.  Wanting to keep a 'record' of that beautiful season I filled a box lid with my two favorite leaves.  Happily I'll have them nearby to take me through these somewhat barren days of Winter.

It was as if overnight, the weather got cold and the trees shed their colorful leaves.  Each season brings its own beauty and these days my window frames bare branches, the 'bones of the trees are outlined against deep blue skies.  

"Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky." - Kahlil Gibran

November Notes

Here we are entering the month of November.  I'm glad to be turning this calendar page.  October was filled with me trying to do things I 'used' to do and giving up on them half completed.  Grrrr!  After my last 'stuff it in a box and forget about it doll' I realized that I still need/want the safety and joy of 'box lid art'.

At this point in my life I'm not pushing myself to continue working on something I don't enjoy anymore, just to say 'I can do it' *smile*. 

Over my creative life I have tried many, many things.  Some have been successful (to my eye), others not so much.  Some went the way of the weekly trash pick up and others I still have sitting here in my studio, cheering me on.  For now I'm ready to stay on my 'boxed' in path. 

As for the month of October, I so enjoyed being outside.  Crispy cool mornings, slightly warmer, sunny afternoons.  Heaven is: shuffling through the dried leaves while I walk the roads of our community; watching huge amounts of rain outside my studio window; standing in the sunshine knowing that soon I'll be wedded to our heater; and lastly letting myself start a project - stop it in mid stride - and not feel guilty. 

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."- Havelock Ellis

Slow and Steady

Here it is, October - one of my favorite months of the year. I am getting 'comfortable' in my new self.  

My box lid art is moving ahead -- slowly but steadily -- much like a snail moves.  But that's all right, that's just me these days.

I find I like these long, stay-at-home days.  Curled up with a good book, I savor small squares of dark chocolate and enjoy cups of hot tea.  I mustn't forget the most important thing -- a bit of art inspiration each day.

 "Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not." Tokugawa Leyasu

Coming Back

I've missed you!  My life has taken a bit of a side road over the past few months while I coped with health problems.  Oh how invincible we feel until we aren't!

I am definitely in the snail mode - moving slowly and hiding in my shell at times.  Thanks to all of you who have contacted me privately, I love your emails. 

Scattered in here you can see my 'rehabilitation' projects.  Once home from the hospital I knew I needed to create. I also knew that I couldn't/wouldn't take on any long and laborious tasks.  Thus came 'box lid art'!  I had a bunch of purchased boxes on hand and going through my stash (another good recovery project) I found all manner of fun things that I could use.  

Two mindsets have gotten me through all this 'upheaval' -- acceptance and gratitude.  I thank all of you for 'being' there - your kind words have given me the strength to get back to blogging.

" A calm mind brings inner strength and confidence that's very important for good health." - Dalai Lama

Summer Vacation

Its time for me to take a little vacation from my blog.

A series of events, both medical and clerical have bombarded me lately and I need some quiet time.  Time to move slowly and do what I have to do, time to recover from the vagaries of life, if you will.

I thank you in advance for your patience and for all the lovely friendships I've made through this blog.  I hope to be back at it this coming Fall.  Have a wonderfully creative Summer.

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it. - Robert Orben  

A Challenge

Recently our "Inspired Arts" group took on a challenge.  We were given a piece of this fabric (although it was white with black printing when it was passed out I quickly stuck it in a cup of tea) *smile*.

Our instructions were to use some or all of this fabric and to use it in some form that you usually work in.  Uh-0h!!  Because I was deeply involved in "The Owl Project" I didn't want to stop that, plus I had no idea how this fabric could be used with punch needle.

As I read the words on the fabric, an idea came to me.  And so I fashioned "A Box of Good Intentions" using the fabric attached to paper tags that I made.  

Voila!!!

"We shall act with good intentions, but at times we will be wrong.  When we are, let us admit it and try to right the situation." - Joe Peterno

Whoops!!!

This past week has not been such a good one for me -- no details but I just want all of you to know that I might not get back to your comments right away.  

I have another owl partly finished but its been sitting there untouched for a week now...  again my energy level isn't quite where it needs to be.

Please don't worry -- I have several postings already prepared to share over the coming weeks and I hope to be back to my regular 'peppy' self soon. 

Love you all!

"A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health." - Dalai Lamal 

A Wise Old Owl

Looking so thoughtful and somewhat solemn this creature joins me in the garden.

One loop at time he took shape and form.

I'm so happy to have him in my mini-menagerie.  He will sit on a shelf above my laptop and I suspect we will have many long discussions about life and patience.

"Observe and reflect, become a little wiser every day." - Anonymous

Getting Started

Beginning any project is always exciting.  There are all sorts of possibilities ahead.

And then reality sets in.  This owl is going to be stuffed so I'll need to make a front and back.  This owl is going to 'loosely represent' the "Great Horned Owl".  This owl needs to have thread colors blended.  This owl will require punching from front to back and back to front and constant attention.  At least he'll only be 5-1/2" tall when completed.

This owl  is proving to me that I can be happy while quietly (or not so quietly) driving myself crazy. *smile*

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napolean Hill

A Springtime of Roses

I want to share with you Mrs. Orr's roses.  Mr. and Mrs. Orr had this house built in 1985.  We took over in 2004.  

As my husband completely revamped the yard, making it a thing of beauty (it had been neglected after the Orr's left) I insisted that we keep Mr.s Orr's roses.

And so, each spring the two shades of pink fill their section of the yard and I say a quiet thank you to Mrs. Orr.

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

I've been thinking about...

...Owls!!

They are such fascinating creatures.  They are the 'thinkers' of the forest -- perhaps they serve as judges, mayors, psychiatrists and guru's in the animal world.

My  owl study has made a bit of a flurry in my studio. Rather than feathers, I'm dealing with floss.  I'm experimenting with this and that.  I'm having a great deal of fun with these serious creatures.

"The owl", he was saying, "is one of the most curious creatures.  A bird that stays awake when the rest of the world sleeps.  They can see in the dark.  I find that so interesting, to be mired in reality when the rest of the world is dreaming.  What does he see and what does he know that the rest of the world is missing?" - M. J. Rose

Hitch Hiking Dragonfly

There is always room for a dragonfly to hitch a ride, wouldn't you think?

I love these beautiful darters and love this time of the year when they are flitting here and there.  I hope this has been the most beautiful of all Springs for each of you.

"The Dragonfly brings dreams to reality and is the messenger of wisdom and enlightenment from other realms." - Unknown 

The Dragonfly Attack

What fun to be surrounded by dragonflies as they zip this way and that way capturing unsuspecting prey.

It is magical to watch all the flitting here and there. Did you know they can fly backward? They intercept their prey in midair?  Watching them I felt as if I were in the middle of a miniature World War I air fight.
  

Their aerial ambushes were a wonder to see but you have to look quickly. What a wonderful world we live in...

"Important lessons: look carefully, record what you see, find a way to make beauty necessity beautiful." - Anne Michaels

Hitch Hiking Lady Bug

What have we here - upon a kite - waiting for a strong wind?

Perhaps these little bugs became hitch hikers in order to save their strength.

Perhaps they will land in a brilliant green garden where they can munch their way through these lovely spring afternoons.

"The Ladybug wears no disguises.

She is just what she advertises.

A speckled spectacle of spring,

A miniature fashion on the wing...

A miniature orange kite".
- J. Patrick Lewis

Once again its spring!

I am called outside to take in all the newly blooming color.

Who can stay within four walls at this time of the year?

These days I don't have to look for beauty, it is all around me...

....if I choose to look.

"The sun just touched the morning; 

         the morning, happy thing, 

supposed that he had come to dwell,

 and life would be all spring."

 - Emily Dickinson

Ahhhh Spring!

I've spent some time translating Spring into punchneedle over the past couple of months. I think this one is my very favorite, so far.

Periwinkle blue and a green the shade of the newest leaves outside my window, bring this Spring kite to life.

"The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." Harriet Ann Jacobs

Evening Sky

Beauty at the end of the day.  Beauty as the sun hits the clouds through the barren tree branches and balances itself behind the hills.

This is truly the time to 'walk in beauty'.  

My heart beats a bit faster, standing here, looking out at all of this vast and wonderful glory.

"With every sunset a new hope is born, an old expectation dies." - Noor Unnahar

Uh Oh!

You can see that a bit of autumn has crept into my studio. Do you think it slipped in through a crack at the bottom of the door?

In truth -- I wanted to use these buttons and had trouble finding the right floss shades, so just went with what I had. 

At least I was pleased with the loop levels of and the design.

"So-so is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not, it is so-so." Anonymous

Morning Sky

Washing dishes can often be a great joy to me.  The window over the kitchen sink faces into the woods.  There is always something wonderful to look at but...

...this day I was greeted by the sun shining on puffs of clouds turning them all pink and gold and orange.  

To begin my day in this manner is a gift.

"What a wonderful day.  I've never seen this one before" - Maya Angelou