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June 03, 2011

I love the Sandia mountains. They have been a constant source of wonderment and artistic inspiration for me.

According to Wiki:

The Sandia Mountains (Tiwa (Pueblo) name posu gai hoo-oo, "where water slides down arroyo"[1]) are a mountain range located in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties, immediately to the east of the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The range is largely within the Cibola National Forest, and part of the range is protected as the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. It is home to the Sandia Peak Ski Area. Its highest point is Sandia Crest, 10,678 feet (3,255 m).

Sandía means watermelon in Spanish,[2] and is popularly believed to be a reference to the reddish color of the mountains at sunset.[3] Also, when viewed from the west, the profile of the mountains is a long ridge, with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, suggesting the "rind" of the watermelon. However, as Robert Julyan notes,[4] "the most likely explanation is the one believed by the Sandia Indians: the Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo." He also notes that the Sandia Pueblo Indians call the mountain Bien Mur, "big mountain".

With all the smoke coming from Arizona fires this week... the mountains have been obscured most all the time from haze and ash...and it makes me appreciate the view all the more...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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June 02, 2011

flowers

fresh garden herbs

fried chicken

the movie : Desk Set

camphor oil on sore muscles

local honey

puppies snoring

soft breezes

overcast skies

~~~> things I am thankful for today...

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June 01, 2011

overcast grey skies

flowers in the open window

dreaming of Paris

photo and haiku by Elaine A. Russell

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May 31, 2011

New Mexico is a colorful blend... cowboy, Native American, and Hispanic cultures combine for an interesting mix.

One of the things I love about New Mexico is this element of intertwining... of taking the best of predominant cultures and making it your own. According to Wiki:

"Among U.S. states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics, including descendants of Spanish colonists and recent immigrants from Latin America. It also has the third-highest percentage of Native Americans, after Alaska and Oklahoma, and the fifth-highest total number of Native Americans after California, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Texas.^[5] The tribes in the state consist of mostly Navajo and Pueblo peoples. As a result, the demographics and culture of the state are unique for their strong Hispanic and Native American influences."

The photos for today's post are from a year ago today...

I took these photos on my way home from PA, and they are from the flight into New Mexico...

and at the airport.

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May 30, 2011

It's Memorial Day weekend... a sure sign of the entrance to summer... and it's bloody hot here in Albuquerque.
And yet, I am reminded of memories of Memorial Days past...

Traditionally, there was always the Memorial Day parade and such in our small town. Dad would dress up in his Army uniform, and join ranks with other veterans and march down Main Street. During my school years... I was in the band.. and we would follow behind... and then play selections in the Courthouse Park following speeches and such from war heroes past.

We usually had a picnic... sometimes in the woods of the Susquehanna National Forest... sometimes simply in the backyard... corn... burgers... fresh watermelon... the usual fair. Bad jokes would be told. Stories most of us would rather forget... but it was our story... our times.

My father's family have been active in the military clear back to the Civil War... perhaps longer.
We have a long history of service... of pride... of a deep respect for peace.

Today I thank them... and all our country's veterans... THANK YOU.

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May 28, 2011

I love trains

(photo taken on the way home from our Arizona trip back in February... re-done with a vintage layer... )

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May 26, 2011

the birds are singing... and the yard is looking a little bit better

life is good

((photos for today's post are from BAJ's and my trip to Tuscon back in February

...these were taken on 4th Ave... at a small cafe where we stopped for coffee...))

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May 26, 2011

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting

--Buddhist quote

And so... I am continuing work on the garage/ studio/ hell-hole... and the daughter and I are working on the front yard. We hope to make it "better"... and I think it will be.

~~~~~

(the photo for today's post... is from BAJ's and my trip to Tuscon back in February. There are a bunch of cool little shops on 4th Ave... and we saw this Buddhist statue in front of the rose poster... and it just screamed "photograph me!")

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May 25, 2011

I am not sure what my next "steps" are... but I know that I am on the right track.

Signs keep affirming this... and I must trust them to be true.

The photos for today's post are from the San Xavier del Bac Mission; just outside of Tuscon, AZ.
I took these photos back in February, when BAJ and I did a road trip.

The Mission is just stunning. I wish you all could see it... and if you have the opportunity to go...
I encourage you to go.
The artwork is just amazing... and the grounds are beautiful; as well as peaceful.

(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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May 24, 2011

There are a lot of things I love about New Mexico.

I love the vastness of the sky... the mild winters... the deep spirituality of the land...

And yet... I am finding that I am having a severe itch to move.

I am not sure what will become of this... if anything...

and perhaps it is just that I need a vacation.

However... I am keeping myself "open" to the idea...

(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

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May 22, 2011

I have been making jewelry since 1995 (well... technically, I made some in high school "advanced art" classes... but I don't think that counts). I am essentially self taught... having only taken a couple classes from a friend who has been making jewelry for over 30yrs. I love it. Most of my jewelry is made from recycled materials... and I often use items such as wire, hardware bits, broken pottery, re-claimed plastic pieces and old toys.

These past couple of days... I have been clearing out some stuff in the garage (again... still... )... and am actually making some head-way. I have given away some stuff on Freecylce.org, gathered a bunch of stuff for donations... and it feels good.

~~~

The pic for this weekend's post is out of my journals. I keep several journals... some of which are dedicated strictly to jewelry designs. It feels great to be working on stuff again... and I finally got brave enough to share some of my doodles with you...

(photo by Elaine A. Russell)

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May 20, 2011

And the winners are:

"Anyes"

"Aines"

and "WendyW"

I will be notifying each of you to ask you what your preference for a prize is... and to get your mailing info.

Choices for a gift are: one of my photos, one of my handmade pair of earrings... or a mystery box!

On an aside... I really, really want to THANK ALL of my readers! This week alone, I recieved over 500 page views... which is just astounding. As always... I appreciate your comments... and your encouragement.

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May 20, 2011

... enjoying my 21st wedding anniversary with my honey... catch ya tomorrow :)

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May 18, 2011

"For it was not into my ear that you whispered, but into my heart.

It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul" --- Judy Garland

Tomorrow is my 21st Wedding Anniversary... I love you honey.

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May 17, 2011

It's a Full Flower Moon!

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May 17, 2011

It has been a great time of reflection ... these past few days.

I have been going thru a couple of decades worth of patterns, graphs, kits and supplies for needlework projects. In the process, I have discovered several projects that I never finished... and a larger stash of projects I had intended to do... and somehow never got around to. Add to that... a small ton of magazine patterns, booklets, books, and more...

The puzzle became... do I keep the stuff to finish them? Or do I give up and pass them on?

Oh... the shame.

Having a very strong creative drive... I feel compelled to keep and finish... but to what end?

And so.. I am giving myself a deadline for the projects I can't seem to let go of.

I will allow myself 24hrs per project... to either finish it... or to pass it on.

Or perhaps even... to remake it into something new altogether.

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May 15, 2011

*photo by Elaine A. Russell

I started doing needlework at a very early age... probably around 2nd grade. Most all the women in my family do/ did needlework of one variety or another... and most of them did more than one.

My paternal grandmother did many. She tatted, weaved, crocheted, knit, quilted, sewed, made bobbin lace, did beadwork... you name it. In fact, she had a room in her house affectionately known as the "sewing room." Originally, it was a bedroom... but over the years ... anything even remotely craft related got chucked in there. It was a mess. It was piled to the ceiling. It was wonderful.

These past few days I have been trying to clean out my own "wonderland of junk"... ( also known as the garage )... and I have been reminded of my grandmother.

I also share with her... several boxes of "shame"... that is... unfinished projects from god-knows-when. It's frustrating... and frankly, it was very intimidating. It was just something I didn't want to have to go thru. It made me feel like a slacker... like a failure... And so... I am trying to come up with alternative emotions... and solutions...