You can tell by these pictures just how much snow we got today. I think it's around 24"!! The pile on our deck measures 32". Poor Zelda - when she goes out she has a little path with a wall of snow surrounding her. Amazing! The road in front of the house is clear and our driveway has been plowed. It'll be back to normal tomorrow. It was fun having a snow day today. I love the way it looks when we're surrounded in a sea of snow.
Before Christmas, I passed by this pink tree every time I went to Borders. It was in the lobby across from a purple one. I would stop, look at it and I took pictures of it. (Obviously, here is one of them) We talked about it. My daughter Valerie and I discussed it. "Mom, did you see that pink tree at Borders?" Me:"Yes, isn't it awesome?" We agreed that we loved it. Loved it. Yes I can honestly say that. I loved it. That thought/feeling went out into the universe. Imagine my shock when I received that tree as a present on Christmas Eve. Wow! I was speechless. We all were!
Every year I make Christmas cards. I have a love/hate relationship with the process. It would be so easy to buy some cards but there is something inside me that holds me back, won't let me do it. Sometimes I'll make an exception and buy religious cards. The museum kind. I need them because my cards aren't the usual variety. One year I had an alien on the card. It was standing next to a Christmas tree and the message was Peace. I've also done pink flamingoes. Last year I made 50 one of a kind cards. I was possessed. The process goes like this: cut and fold the scrapbook paper; look through the boxes of old Christmas "stuff" and find just the right picture and/or message; glitter it up etc. Sometimes I'll make all the same card. I call them my "limited editions". So far I've made 13 cards and I'm designing the 2010 limited edition. It's almost done!! It's a great feeling of relief when I mail them.... and then I start thinking that maybe next year I'll just buy some cards!!!!!
I hate to admit that I called the exterminator. The mice were having a party in the basement. Frank assures me that the mice will not suffer, but I still feel bad about the whole thing. We had an appointment at noon. While he was busy in the garage I was sitting at my newly beautified table in the living room. Frank enters the room and I start to explain "It's kind of messy in here". Frank says "You're an artist and this looks exactly like every other artists' space. Do you think that Robert Motherwell and Peter Max had neat spaces?" Wow! I have the exterminator to the stars!! Frank actually knew Robert Motherwell and Peter Max. Unbelievable!! He was their exterminator. We had a nice conversation about Robert Motherwell's art and then he finished the job and left. I went back to work with a spring in my step! Frank made my day! But not the mice....
Last Wednesday night disaster struck. I have my studio space in my living room and I was consolidating it in preparation for Thanksgiving. I love my space - and the room. While moving my table, the leg fell off and all my stuff (pens, markers, rulers, glue etc.) fell on the floor. Yikes! After the shock wore off we put all my stuff in boxes and hid them under the table. Thanksgiving was wonderful and unless you looked behind and/or under the table there was no indication of the mess that was on the floor. Then I had a thought - this might be a good time to paint the table. I did, and then I had another thought, why not decorate it? Right now I am in the process applying a "damask" style design. The metal legs are next and I'm going to really jazz them up. Painting the table has brought me back to myself - I'm doing something that I love to do. Paint furniture! Now when I think about this whole experience it makes me smile. If the table hadn't collapsed I never would have thought about painting it again. There was too much stuff on it. My disaster was an opportunity in disguise!
Yesterday my friend and I went out for our usual Saturday adventure - Tag Sales! We were really excited because the town of Bridgewater was having a town wide sale. It started at the firehouse where we picked up a list and a map. There were over 20! It was freezing but we didn't care. I am the navigator and have to plan the route. We used to travel with a bag of maps, but since I have my iphone I use it to find the sales. Alas, there was no service in Bridgewater! Back to the maps! Even though we were cold, the morning was beautiful and I was thankful for the opportunity of traveling around and just soaking up the atmosphere. I found some neat stuff: a couple of bracelets, a pair of earrings and the lamps in the picture. I got them for a song and love the way they look in my dining room. It was a lovely way to spend the morning!
