12-1-14

Hard to believe it's December already.
I've been swamped for far too long.

This weekend; we had a wonderful show at our local Potter County Artisan Center that featured the photography of local artisan and student at Mansfield University... Jenna June Elliott. Lots of preparation went into getting the show ready; including cleaning out and painting an adjunct room at the center... but we got it done. The show was a big success; and we had probably 60-75 people in to see it. We are so honored to be part of a movement that supports up and coming artisans, as well as those more experienced ones.

On Sunday, a few of us went and decorated a tree in the Courthouse Square on behalf of the Artisan Center. It's been a tradition for several years now; for businesses and groups to "sponsor" a tree and decorate it for the holidays. We are very happy to be able to participate in these kind of local traditions/ community events... and think the tree turned out pretty cool.
We went on a "bird friendly" theme... with all-natural elements, combined with birdseed and peanut butter, fruit slices, needle felted eggs in old nests, rose hips, pine  cones, grasses and more... so that the birds can enjoy the tree as well. Plus... it is all eco-friendly and perfectly compost-able after the season... which makes me happy.

And I've been doing a sort of "Holiday Give-Away" on facebook. Every day I post an item for FREE (most are my handmade envelopes, photos and jewelry)... today is day #14. Just my way of giving back to the community. So very many people here have so little funds for the extras of life... and this way, I hope to offer some items that would be good for gift giving or as a treat to whomever "wins"  it. Each day, I post a photo; and whomever comments on it; I put their name in a bowl... and the next day I draw a name out of the bowl as the winner. Simple.

But alas... Sorry for not posting this weekend.
Hope you are all safe and happy... and I'll see you tomorrow.

11-28-14

This is the view from my kitchen sink... a jar of autumn thistle... and the snowy woods beyond.

It's cold, I am tired, and I've managed to really hurt my back.... but life is good.
This weekend has some great potential .... craft shows in the area, a SOLO EXHIBIT at our local PCAC by a young college student, and decorating a tree on behalf of the artisan center in the town square on Sunday.

But for tonight; I am sensing lots of tea and some motrin in my near future.
See you all tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving

Watch the full episode HERE
... and I hope you all have a wonderful day with friends, family, loved ones, furry friends... or beloved book.
See you all tomorrow.

11-26-14

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
I've spent too may days this past month or so; feeling frustrated because I feel like I don't get enough done. When in reality... it's not that I am not getting things done. In fact, I am getting a TON of things done... it just isn't the stuff that I would necessarily prefer to be doing... or stuff that I am really wanting to get doing.

Time is a funny thing. You twirl and spin... and work and work... and before you know it... the sun is going down on another day; and that age-old question "what did you accomplish today" blasts in the back of your head like a neon sign that will not be turned off.
I know. I feel it. It burns.

But as a good person recently told me; I need to "cut myself some slack"... and realize that maybe it's not the right time to be doing some things... and the perfect time to be doing what I am doing.
Perhaps, in the whole scheme of things.... I will look back and KNOW that I was doing the right things at the right time... and that patience and steadfastness will win out... and I will be able to accomplish all my goals... in the RIGHT time.

So. As another friend told me yesterday.... BREATHE.
Relax... it will all work out.

11-25-14

Today was sporadically sunny and bright... and I was able to get a couple of shots of the goldenrod... in my yard... in some sunshine.... which is cool. I love the way the light shines on it.

As an artist, this time of year is always especially busy.
If you've been diligent about making multiples of  your work throughout the year... it's usually from the onset of fall.... to this time that craft & art shows are popping up all over for you to sell your work.
If you haven't been keeping up... it can be a madhouse.
This year for me; I have been so very busy doing volunteer work, et al; I really haven't kept up with my own art business as much as I would have liked. I haven't done near as many shows as I had hoped... and things have snowballed.

Next year will be better.
Next year I will concentrate much more on the studio space and getting it ready to be an open studio space... and hopefully, things will have settled down enough that I have more time to devote to my craft.
I know it. I have faith.
It's been a year where the "lessons of life" have beat me over the head... and that is good.

---see you all tomorrow

11-24-14

eeeps. What a very busy day... coupled by the fact that I am still exhausted and not sleeping well... and getting over some sort of flu virus.
But hey... I did an awful lot of errand-running today... and even though it's late...
I am (finally) home and drinking coffee and eating my first meal of the day (at 10pm).

In the good news department... one of my errands was a quick stop at the post office.
As I was about to head out... I was told to wait a minute as there were a couple packages for me...
and one of them turns out to be a book I did.
Yes, it is self-published; and it's just a compilation of the first year of my blog (I've been writing on this blog since 2008... almost every day).... but still. The folks at the post office were quite impressed (although I disagree)... and gave me a small round of applause.... to which I am grateful.

It's always very exciting to see your work in print. It somehow validates it.
Eventually, I hope to get a copy for each year that I've had my blog; so that if the internet suddenly has a snafu.... I still have a copy.
Each book costs about $100. Which is a whole lot of money... but I'm still glad I did it; as it represents just over a year of daily posts.

for the weekend

And here it is the weekend already!
Hard to believe... and yet, there it is.
I wish you all a safe, happy, warm, and restful weekend... and I'll see you all back here on Monday.

In the meantime, here are some interesting links I've gathered up for this weekend's post:

*awesome vintage shoe store... just as it was
*Fox photos!
*great photos of Pennsylvania
*gravity hill ( here in PA )
*cute puppy photos
*about being 50
*holy freakin storm batman! This is what happened in Buffalo this week (only 2hrs away)... and another video of it.
*a very interesting article.
*eco-friendly ways to stay warm this winter ... from MotherEarth News.
*more gorgeous photos.... and here too...
*nature is awesome
*one of the world's rarest cats
*DANG, this girl can SING
*for your Thanksgiving dinner 
... and last, but  certainly not the least... * the trailer for the new PEANUTS! movie.

11-21-14

some days... all I can muster is a somewhat "ethereal" (also known as blurry) shot out the kitchen window and towards the 5am twilight.... waiting the dawn of a new day.

And now I am off for more coffee.

Trust that I am thinking of you all... and wishing you a great day...
and I will see you all tomorrow for my weekend post.

11-20-14

What an odd day.... to an even odder week.
But hey... I'm finally getting a little more sleep... and am gradually feeling a bit better.
I'm sorry to all of you for not posting as much/ or what I usually do...
and I'm sorry to all those that I am working on things for... that I have not gotten things done in a more timely fashion.
I am working on it.... and it will get done.

And ... if nothing else... this year has taught me (once again) that I need to not overdo--- not take on everything for everyone... and how important it can be to take time off to do the things that you LOVE to do.
Not necessarily the things you feel you HAVE to do.... or even INTEND to do...
but LOVE to do because it makes your heart sing.
I for one; know that if I don't make art fairly consistently, my soul shrivels up and dies a bit.
I know... sounds dramatic... but it does.

Life is far too short.
So... you know that thing that you really want to do?
DO IT.

11-19-14

It's been super cold here; and we've had a dusting of snow on a couple of days...
but it's certainly not anywhere near as bad as other parts of the Northeast; and I am grateful.
With last night's low temp being around 8 degrees, there is a decided crispness to the air...
(or some would say... downright "freezing balls" weather!) ... and winter is definitely here.
It's always amazing to me how quickly things change... but then; perhaps I am just longing for more time.
There are always so very many things to do... to read... to watch.... to listen to.... to create... to enjoy... to taste... to catch up on.

Today is filled to the brim with work at my local Potter County Artisan Center; and so I am off.
See you all tomorrow.

11-18-14

Like railroad tracks, I am also inspired by power lines.
Not something the "average" person probably thinks about... but I am a bit fascinated by all the different structures out there.
Traveling back and forth across the country for so many years; I have an entire file folder of different designs I've come across.
They are beautiful in their own right; if you think about it.

It occurred to me that we artists; are sometimes inspired by things most people don't even glance twice at. The way a random piece of paper is blown by the wind down the street... the colors of flags as they wave in the sunshine... the way the light shines through the leaves... and so on.
Every day can offer up something inspirational... if we only take the time to notice.

And so... I will leave you with that thought for today... and I'll see you all tomorrow.

11-17-14

The photo for today's post is of some old train tracks towards the border to New York State.

(which is closer than it sounds).

Just a few days ago, the hubby and I were in the area; and we stopped so I could take a couple of photos. 

I have a great fondness for trains.

There used to be a train that went through this town; and my husband's grandfather used to occasionally ride the caboose.
He would often wave to the kids in our neighborhood as the train came rolling down the tracks.

And so it was with great delight that we saw this set of tracks and decided to look closer.

Some of the markers dated back to posts put in in 1938 and 1943.

And... I think I have the flu.

Or maybe I am just inordinately tired... but ... 

I feel as though I am a steam train who has run out of steam.

And I am not sleeping well... which sort of explains why I was up last night in time to see this:

Hope this post finds you all well... take care; and I'll see you tomorrow.

for the weekend

So many projects to do... so many places to go.... so many things to read, write.. create... and so very little time.
But hey... it's the weekend... and if you are looking for some inspiring things to look at; I've got a selection for you:


*Etsy founder has big plans for Albuquerque!
*amazing artifacts from Rathfarnham Castle  ... and here too
*unbelievable treasures from the catacombs
*this looks like a good read...
*artist Robert Glenn
*ranchers are amazing.
*new Stonehenge discovery!
*I always look at the new HONY picture for the day. The other day, he featured this couple... and I was inspired to look up more about them; and found this as well.
*nature reclaiming these buildings in Detroit
*some stunning wildlife photography
*I have a friend who has her heart in Africa, and goes back as often as she can. This reminded me of her; and this is the site of the photographer featured in that article.
*some pretty amazing sculpture (I was thinking of my daughter when I found this site).

and last, but not least...
*some fabulous art on pinterest

---Blessings to you all; and I'll see you on Monday.


(the photo for this weekend's post, is one I took just a couple days ago.
It's amazing how quickly the weather can change...)

11-14-14

Just 4 days ago... I took this photo.
I edited it last night; with the intention of using if for today's post... and woke to find snow on the ground ... all around.
Not a bad thing per se... but a reality check... that time, indeed, goes by... whether we notice or not. Whether we are "ready or not."
Things change. We deal (or not).
Snow falls. >>grin<<

Today... I feel as though I am "behind" on everything... unprepared for the inevitability of winter...
and desperately in need of some sense of restructure and re-organization of... well... my whole life.... or so it seems.
Sometimes life necessitates an overhaul... and I think the next few days might just have to have me concentrating on that.

11-13-14

This is a slightly different shot than the one for yesterday's post... and different even from the ones on my photo blog *here*
It's amazing how you can stand in essentially the same place; and with just a simple change of direction, or change of light...
the subject can look so very different. Ah... we photographers and our love of light. >>grin<<

Most of the time, it's simply a matter of changing your perspective... and knowing what you want your photograph to portray.
What you want the light to shine upon.
The same can be said of life, I suppose... we can focus on the bad stuff... or we can focus on that which is full of light and life.

Some days.... seem to need to be put in perspective as well.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you work to make things happen.... it just won't.
Sometimes; even with the best if intentions --- things go wrong.
And sometimes.... it's still ok.

11-12-14

I recently saw this quote,
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what  the world needs is people who have come alive." -- Howard Thurman

In other words... the world needs YOU ... and your passion.

When you passionately pursue what it is that you love, you create this stream of like minded fish who want to swim in your stream. It's like you are waving this bright red flag. Some folks will see it. They will spontaneously show up. They become involved, interested... heck, some are even supportive and buy your stuff. It's awesome when it happens; and I've had it happen to me.
It's this (almost) freakish phenomenon... but it's true.

I was reviewing my finances the other day (yah, I know)... and I was noticing a trend.
When I made something I was really passionate about... it seemed to sell right away.
It's like the wonderful, happy energy I had creating it.... was somehow transferred to those who saw it... and folks responded in a positive way. I'm sure you've seen it as well.... you do something with no real joy or initiative... and it shows. Same thing.

These past few weeks, I have felt in a rut of sorts. I can't seem to get motivated.
I am behind on work. I have orders to complete. I can't get anything done; because I can't get motivated to start. I am worn out. Used up.
But this weekend; the tide turned.
Yes, I am still exhausted... but I am working on it.
Yes, I still have my moments... but they are waning.

Time to swim with some happy, passionate fish :)

(like the photo above? Did you know I take photos most every.single.day?
This is one I took near Portville, NY... in a swampy area... in the middle of nowhere. It was awesome.)

11-10-14

Sometimes it's really hard to motivate yourself.
You want to do things... but it's the getting started... or keeping going... that is the bugger.

I've been an active part of several projects and I know from experience that it's easy to lose sight of the goal...
become worn down... and not do as much as you would like too.
It's often complicated by feeling like you are the one doing a lot of the work... or feeling unappreciated...
or making time... but it's actually more than that.
After all, if you didn't believe in something; you wouldn't participate... so it's really more about getting yourself in gear...
and not worrying about what anyone else does or doesn't do.

So. How do you motivate yourself?
Well, you could hire a personal life coach (yah.)... or you could do a google search...
which is what I did... Here are the top 5 results:

*11 ways to Motivate yourself Right NOW.
*13 tricks to motivate yourself (from the folks at LifeHack)
*5 ways to motivate yourself to work harder
*17 ways to motivate yourself to do great things
*How to motivate yourself (tricks backed by science!)

11-10-14

With my studio space (ie: the basement) being in a state of chaos... it's been almost impossible to work on anything...
so collage, jewelry making, sewing, crafting, any up-cycling type projects... they've all been on hold.
And it's been frustrating, to say the least.
In fact, it's been downright depressing.

For so long now; I've felt like I've been in a holding pattern of sorts.
And now winter is almost upon us... and I've been afraid that the studio space was going to be stuck
in some sort of  limbo until the spring...
hopefully not... but I'm sure you can feel the twangs of the familiar..

the wanting to do... the feelings of being unable to do... for whatever the reason...
which leads to negativity... feelings of worthlessness... the "why bothers"...
the "what does it all matter anyways..."

But I'm here to tell you... you just never know.
Something will trigger it back up to wonderful if you keep at it.
If you keep putting yourself out there... it will get better.
If  you keep doing the work... something will give. Something will open up.
Something will revive you. But you have to keep working, keep looking.

I had such an "aha" moment this weekend.
I always take photos. Every. single. day.
It has been my constant outlet and relief for so much of my life.
But even my photographs had begun to feel a bit ... well... stale.
( or at least to me)
I'm sure it had to do with feeling overworked and underpaid... so to speak...
and I'm sure you can all relate.

The point being...  I feel as if I've had a breakthrough of sorts...
and have begun to feel a bit better about it all.
And I just wanted to say... keep at it.
That thing you are passionate about.
That thing that makes you smile when you wake up.
That thing that makes all the work worthwhile... stay at it.
It'll come.

for the weekend

For the most part, all the fall leaves are gone with the wind already... save for a few random trees here in town.
I came across one such tree yesterday while I was running some errands;
and because I most always have my camera with me... had to stop.
These are probably some of the biggest yellow  maple leaves I have ever seen.


And hey... it's the weekend.
And so I have lots of links for you to look at:

*Pyragraph: Illustration is Storytelling
* was Van Gogh killed? new thoughts.
*a car, a camera, and the open road (NYT article)
*7 things you should never apologize for
*top 5 regrets
*50 ways to put the light back in your heart
*beauty in the strangest places
*Bob Dylan's "Basement tapes" found
*a cool blog
*photos from this year's Marigold Parade (DDLM in Albuquerque) ... and what GOOGLE did for DDML
*coolness in West Virginia
*photos from the Museum of Natural History
*dang, this would be cool to live at/photograph... can you say art colony?!

*and... on an aside. I've decided to sign up for this year's NanoWrimo writing challenge. Are you in?

11-7-14

winter is here.... sorta.
Off and on today; we have had snow flurries and a general crispness in the air.

And so in my running of errands today... I picked up a new bird feeder, and a block of suet for the birds. I have so much to do around the house; that I am really unprepared for winter... and yet... it will come regardless.

The photo for today's post is right near a great location here known as "Dutch Hill."
Not sure how it got that name; but what I do know... is that some very important people in my life (Ruth and Ken Barrie) used to live at the top of this hill. They had a Secret Garden type of property... tons of fabulous rose bushes, ferns, trees from all over the world... it was just a majikal kind of place for me. I loved going up there to visit with Ruth, help her in her gardens, listen to Ken recite poetry... and occasionally play his bagpipes. I can't go by their property without thinking of a random wonderful memory of them.
And today was no different.

It was on a soon to be winter day (like today), many years ago... and I had taken some flowers up to my friend Ruth.
Ken had passed away; and I knew that she might appreciate a visit.
I drove up the long driveway that leads to the house; and as I got out of my car; snow crunching slightly underfoot, I noticed a smell of gunpowder in the air. A few seconds later... I was madly ducking to the ground as another shot flew just over my head towards the back of the garage. Glancing wildly in the direction of the bullet... I noticed a smoking barrel that was being eased back into the enclosed porch.
I hollered "It's just me Ruth! Put the gun down!"... and then I heard the door spring open as she trotted out... a huge smile on her face. She went on to explain that she had been having frequent visits from a rather large bear who was raiding her garbage can. And that had I been able to see on the other side of the garage; I would have noticed him running back off into the woods... having been scared off by her crack shots! Needless to say, it was not only the bear who probably dumped a load in the woods that day... but me as well; as my knees shook from the shock.
She was probably close to 80yrs old at the time; and she still had such a vibrancy and joy of life...
and I adored her.