Worry

Okay, I understand that we are living in precarious times. I get that people are scared about the future. I have no safety net and I could be shaking in my boots right now, but when I think about it, I am not scared, I am not holding tightly to my cash, why? Because not spending money will make matters worse not better. I myself have always trusted that I would be okay no matter what happened, I still believe that and in 52 years through rough times and flush times I have been just fine and all the people who are having it rough right now will make it through, will it be easy, no, but they will. One thing I know for sure is that worry and panic never help a situation, NEVER. Giving into fear about the future will bring about the very future that I fear. One thing that gives me enormous hope is that we now have a President that I know will do his very best to get us up and running again. I also have a lot of faith in myself and in people to do what they have to do, without complaint and get on with the business of living, believing in their future to be bright and promising, despite appearances. Thanks, that felt so good to get that off my chest :-).
I have been reading many depressing blogs lately and enough already. I want to start talking about what I do want and take the focus off all the negative. Happy Friday! XOXO

Yay!

Eliezer received his painting today,(see post from a few days ago) and I wanted to share with you the lovely email he sent me:
It came today Annie...I LOVE IT! Even better in person! Maybe someday I'll even meet YOU in person! Anyway, it's beautiful and the proverbial check is in the mail...Love,Eliezer
It makes me feel good to know that someone I admire so much as Eliezer has one of my paintings and that he enjoys it. I was having a sort of down day (darn hormones) and his email cheered me a lot. That's it for now. XOXO

A day in my life...

This was my day yesterday, a Sunday, not a typical day, but my favorite. I felt a bit odd doing this as I am not sure anyone is interested, but I have seen other bloggers do it and it looked like fun to put my day in photos. I started the day with a homemade latte in my favorite mug. Actually I lied, I started my day with Max, Spike and Zeus all on top of me trying to get me up

(my other cat Mr.B is not pictured as he was not involved with this endeavor). After meditating

with my coffee :-), I plastered a new painting, then after it dried I started with the layers of thin paint, this photo are pieces I have just begun, they are far from finished, I also made veggie soup (isn't it cool that one of the potato pieces is in the shape of a heart?) laid around a bit and read and talked on the phone to my mom. Last but not least I blogged and emailed.

Not the most exciting day, but I like my Sunday's that way, calm and peaceful and non-exciting.

:-)

Hope you all have a great week.

Painting for Eliezer

Here is a not so great photo of the painting I did for blogging friend Eliezer Sobel. It will be winging it's way to his home on Monday.

Today I started three new small paintings and it feels so good to be working again. If there had been more hours in the day I would have also loved to work on my clay pieces. For me making three pieces at the same time is a big change, usually I can only doggedly work on one project at a time, but that limits me and I hate limits, so I am forcing a change.

Hope you all had a creative, happy Saturday. Tell me about it...

Random thoughts...

This morning I woke up with a migraine. I don't get them often but I really hate them. This one was the worst I have ever had. I have a few secrets to getting rid of them in about 4 hours, I wish it were faster, but some people I know have them for a couple days, so 4 hours is pretty good. It does not go completely away, but it is manageable. I had a bunch of errands to do, so set out a bit later than I expected to, due to the migraine, I was feeling a little sorry for myself when I saw a man walking on crutches in the snow(thank god it was not freezing today), he had only one leg. When I saw him I felt so grateful for my body and my life. It is so easy to moan about what I don't have, but today as most days I was reminded of how much I do have.
Here in Taos it warmed up a bit and all that snow is now melting and making MUD, lots and lots of mud. No use washing the car for a while :-).
I completed my commission piece and will show photos in the next couple days. I hope Eliezer will like it...
I need a new book to read and I would love some suggestions. Please help.
That is about all for now, I don't know about you, but I am still on an Obama high, it is making me think I may want Television again :-).
Happy Friday. XOXO

Obama Love

I could not let the day pass without expressing how happy I am. We in the United States have been blessed with a real leader today. Watching Obama give his speech and all the celebrations that followed, filled my heart to overflowing. I think for the first time in my lifetime we have a man in the White house that I respect and yes, even love. He has so much hard work ahead of him, but I know he will do his best and I believe he will change our world. Also I don't know about you, but I have never been so glad to see a man leave office as I was today! Yay!
Happy Obama day! XOXO

Cat kids

I thought it was time for some cat photos. Max and Spike, top,

Mr.B, Max and Spike, middle and Mr.B and Spike, last. Can you

tell they like my purple futon? Today is painting day, finishing

up my commission piece, I will share when it is done. Happy Sunday

everyone! What are you up to on this lovely day?

Sculptors

Today, I want to share with all of you my favorite Sculptors. One of my very top loves is Louise Nevelson. Collecting wood and junk, she arranged magical, stunning pieces and then painted them. She was also a strong, wonderful role model to other female artists.
Next up is Beatrice Wood. This woman knew how to live her life! She did pottery and ceramic sculptors. I am partial to her pottery and glazes. Beatrice had a wonderful sense of fun and she liked younger men :-). Then we have another strong, amazing woman Louise Bourgeois, she is 97 and still sculpting! All these women are so awesome in every way.
Yes, there is a male sculptor I love. For me there is only Henry Moore. I prefer his smaller more intimate works, some of which have brought tears to my eyes. I also love Alexander Calder for his wonderful mobiles, actually I loved everything he did from jewelery to paintings, but his mobiles are my favorite. He was such a wonderful, joyful man. There you have it, my top five sculptors. I hope you learned a bit and found pleasure here :-). I am off to relax and play. Happy Friday. XOXO

Freedom

Many bloggers that I visit have picked a word for the new year. I could not limit it to one, or even two, I have 3 words.
1.Freedom
2.Kindness
3.Joy
Freedom means everything to me, when I feel limited or stuck I wiggle like a fish on a hook. I need freedom like I need food and water. This is the year I intend to get free from the need to work for others. This is the year I get to be so free that I can do what I love to make my money, now that is total freedom.
Being kinder is always a goal and one that I feel is more and more important as I grow older.
How we treat others is really how we treat ourselves.
We all want more joy in our lives. Last year was a hard one for me and I have noticed I have let joy slip away. I want it back and I intend to do many more things that bring me joy than I have been doing. Things like spending more time with friends and family, Putting my art making first instead of always getting to it after I do everything else. Spending more quiet time just watching the birds or reading a good book. Making homemade veggie soup and watching a good movie.
Simple stuff.
What is your word, or words for the year?

Tagged!

This photo has nothing to do with anything, other than the fact that I took it a week ago and wanted to get it up before Spring :-). This was my yard last Monday, snow has melted a bit, but my yard is still a couple feet deep in it.

I was tagged by the wonderful and multi-talented Lorie! I am to list 5 things I love today.

Besides the obvious like family, friends and animal kids, here is my list:

1. My little point and shoot camera. I have received so much joy from taking photos and sharing them with all of you.

2. Running in the snow. Though this morning it was a bit cold,0 degrees, still, I enjoyed it.

3. Taos mountain, especially with snow covering it.

4. The little commission painting I am doing for my blogging friend Eliezer.

5. Tropic Thunder-the movie, I laughed a lot and I loved it, but it isn't for everyone.

I want to tag Annie H., just because I adore her!

Happy Monday! XOXO

Hopes, Dreams and Goals for 2009

I am very late with this, but have not had a moment to do it until now. I don't make resolutions, but I do have some dreams for the year.
1. Be a kinder, less judgemental person. There is always room for improvement.
2. Finish my book!
3. Get way better with the ceramics.
4. Do the large painting that has been lurking in my mind for months.
5. Challenge myself with my running, run faster and further.
6. Stay in the NOW.
7. Find a nicer, more friendly home, bigger would be better. Be it here or on the Oregon coast, I have not decided.
8. It would be nice to meet a man I could be with for the rest of my life. Or not :-).
9. Start really selling my art!
10. Make more time to do the things I really love to do.
11. Go to Paris.
That is the list for now, I am sure I will add things throughout the year. This weekend I get to
paint, or work in clay, or work on the book. I have so many choices I am not sure what to do :-).
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! XOXO

More Oregon photos and random thoughts...

Oregon coast photos and a
Photo taken out in my mom's yard.

I took lots of photos of my family, but I don't feel I can share them. Just because I am putting myself out there on the web, does not mean they have to do it too. I definitely have a sinus infection, colds don't last this long, do they? I have been working and playing catch up with my life. I am dreaming every night about making art, and I am sure it is because I have not done art for weeks. I need to and this weekend will be set aside for just that and nothing else. I can't wait :-).

It finally quit snowing and I was able to go on a much needed run with my dog. It has been 2 weeks since our last one. It was so beautiful out there, sun gleaming on the snow, so bright you could not look at it. The air was full of sparkly crystals of snow, seemed magical. For all the trouble is causes, snow is worth it.

I am off to bed with a good book...XOXO

Photos from Oregon

Oregon coast, the love of my life :-).

Taken from the air, I think it is Mt. Hood.

Another air photo, not sure where we were at this point.

Still sick, I think I have a sinus infection, or a cold, it is hard to tell...I don't feel like writing, but wanted to share some photos from my trip. I will share some more tomorrow. I am working on my 2009 list of things to do, will share soon...Happy Monday. XOXO

You ask why this post looks so goofy?

Your guess is as good as mine, thank you blogger.

Home

I made it home last night. My first day back has been eventful.

First I drove in the above blizzard to the store because I had nothing to eat. Then I discovered my oven is broken (just as I was about to heat up my dinner). Last but not least, as I was putting things away in my closet I discovered a very large dead mouse. I discovered this in my work room closet, a room only one cat (Mr. B) is allowed to come in. He also eats special food which I feed him in that room, so the other cats don't steal it from him. Only thing I can imagine happened is that B killed him and left him there, otherwise I have no idea how the mouse expired. Any ideas?

Before my Be Brave days I would have run and called on a neighbor to take the mouse away(yes I was a wimp), but now I am brave and even though it was no fun, I was able to dispose of the mouse myself. Of this I am most proud :-). I have much to catch up with and many blogs to visit.

I have a bunch of photos of my trip to share and I will start posting them this week. I am glad to be home, but I miss my family very much and I am very sad today. It is sometimes hard to move to the beat of your own drummer. XOXO