Secrets

I have been so busy making jewelry that I just had to stop and so something else...just a minor detour....I worked feverishly on pages for a calendar round robin and then stopped. My soul yearned to be me, yearned to journal. So I took my art journal out and did a page. I felt so free once I was done.

Secrets...why secrets? Because we all have secrets. Secret desires, secret thoughts, just secrets that are only known to us. That is what makes us mysterious, interesting and very complicated. On the opposite page I have written, "Reality is, beneath it all, we are all really the same."

My Birthday

Today is my birthday! I am a whopping 45 years old and if you say it real fast, it doesn't sound to bad! The way I look at age is that Madonna will always be older than me, so I'm "safe!" Funny the mind games we play with ourselves!

I've had a great birthday. Contemplating my age made me think about all the things I have to be grateful for. Here are a few:

1) I am grateful to have lived to be 45.
2) I am grateful to be an American.
3) I am grateful for a wonderful and supporting husband.
4) I am grateful for my animals, even when they drag toilet paper throughout the house (okay, so at times I am ungrateful for a moment).
5) I am grateful for my Sisters who believe in me.
6) I am grateful for the gift of creativity.
7) I am grateful for friends.
8) I am grateful for the roof over my head and food to eat.
9) I am grateful for rainstorms and the smell that follows.
10) I am grateful for music and the ability to hear it.
11) I am grateful to have faith in God.
12) I am grateful for chocolate and the ability to taste it.
13) I am grateful for the sun and the ability to feel the warmth on my skin (I'll be really grateful when the temp. drops too!).
14) I am grateful for Starbucks mochas on Saturday mornings.
15) I am grateful I have a car to drive.
16) I am grateful I have clothes on my back and shoes to wear.
17) I am grateful for the education I received.
18) I am grateful that I am sensitive and emotional.
19) I am grateful for the ice cream cone I'm going to eat tonight (Ben & Jerry's).
20) I am grateful for the person God made me to be!

Jeff is home, so off to birthday dinner!

Feel Ok

I love the Internet...I have met some pretty remarkable people, and some wonderful artists. I received this canvas in the mail today from Ziggy Hill. We recently completed an art trade. I have always been drawn to outsider art, abstract paintings, and just "different". I love art that moves me emotionally. I really like Zig's art because it is simple, with a simple message, a little abstract and heart warming...Thank you so much Zig for parting with this piece as you have absolutely made my day! Now off to find the special place in my studio for this to hang....

Pink & Orange Swap

Whew! I'm almost done with these suckers!! For those who know me, I love color and couldn't resist when I read about this swap, hosted by
Joleen. Bright pink and orange...reminds me of bubble gum and being a kid! I have seen some of the other pages posted to blogs and this looks like it will be a really fun swap. Now to add fibers....

A Recent Drawing

One of the hazards of flying is getting delayed, and delayed, and delayed. When we left for the airport on Weds. afternoon, we had no idea that we would be there for over six (6) hours. At first it was a delay of 15 minutes and then before we knew it, it was 10:20 PM and we still had not borded the plane! So...I took advantage of the time and began to draw in my Moleskin journal. She just appeared as I contined to draw and she haunts me...she has a story...hopefully that will come to me soon.

Rotary Gardens

We spent the past 5 days visitng my Husband's family in Beloit, WI. While we were there, we went to the Rotary Gardens and I was able to capture some of the beauty surrounding us that day. I would love to have spent more time there but it was so hot, in fact, it was warmer in WI than it was in Texas! Pretty bad when you have to come back to Texas to cool off!! It was a great vacation and I had time to reflect on many things....