I received this lovely award from Teri, thank you, Teri! The wonderful, and talented Studio lolo made this award, and I am very flattered to receive it. I will pass this award to six blogs that uplift me when ever I go there, I love all of you.

M.Kate

Mermaid

Suzanne

Jan

Annie

Patry

Good News!

I had a busy day, today. I was accepted into another gallery, and they want all my small paintings and a couple big ones, none of which were ready to hang, so I spent the rest of the day
getting 14 paintings ready. Now my shoulder hurts. Serves me right for not having them ready :-).
Please, everyone, put your good thoughts and prayers my way, to sell something soon. It would help so much.
As you know I have been finishing my book and I have several titles, it would be so great if you all would vote on your favorite, or tell me they all stink, if you think so. I have thick skin. I am so close to it, I can't tell if they are good or not :-). Or if there is already a book by that title! Any one know how I find that out, please share.
1. How to Live a Blissful Life.
2 The Happiness Book
3. Trust where you are.
That is all I have so far. The title is proving to me harder than the book :-).
Thanks for your help. Happy Monday. XOXO

Obsession

I thought I would post a list of things I am in love with now, for lack of anything better to post about :-).

1.Making ceramic vessels for others to eat out of.

2.I have a plan, when I get some funds, to buy some oil paint(oil paint is very expensive!), I can already see the paintings in my mind. I have not painted with oils for years and years.

3. Norman Mailer

4.San Francisco, my old home. I am missing her and wish to visit soon.

5."Curb your Enthusiasm ", I don't have TV, but I rent these on DVD. I love Larry David.

6. The color blue, or green blue to be exact, in all it's many shades. It makes me smile whenever I see it.

7.The fact that I have this lovely Sunday, to do ANYTHING I want, and today that means, working on cleaning up the book and glazing 2 new bowls.

What are you in love with?
Happy Sunday. XOXO

I was thinking...

My mind has been spinning for days. I have been waking up in the middle of the night. I think I am doing a good job not worrying, about money, a job, life coaching and how I will come up with the money to do that, my mom, things like that. However, I know how a little worry can trickle in, anyway.
I cut myself a break as it is only human. I am mainly excited about the possibilities. Uncertainty is a funny thing, it stresses us out, but it also makes life very exciting. Think about it, if we had everything sorted out and knew what was going to happen, everyday, no surprises (good or bad), how boring that would be. So, I am making uncertainty my friend. I am attempting to fall in love with uncertainty :-). There is so much to do and so many options that I am a bit overwhelmed, but I take each day and just do what I can with what I have and where I am.
Getting some jobs and finishing the book are my first goals. The book is close, I only have to clean up the format and edit one more time. I have a small job next week, so that is something.
Mom is getting better every day, but it is slow going, so she still needs all your prayers and good thoughts. Life is so beautiful and wonderful, I am happy to be here, today, no matter what.
Okay, I am rambling, I will shut up now :-). What are your thoughts on uncertainty? How do you cope with it? Happy weekend. XOXO

New Bowl

As you can see, I worked out my photo problem :-). This is my new bowl, and like me she looks better in person than she does in photos, the true color is the photo in the middle. I am very happy with my green, hand built bowl :-). What do you think? XOXO

5 Questions

The wonderful writer and blogger KJ asked me 5 great questions, so here are the answers
and if you want me to ask you 5 questions, please let me know in the comments.

1. if you could fly, where would be the first place you would land and why?
PARIS!!!!It is my dream to go, and if I could fly it would be a lot cheaper :-).

2. what is the nicest thing that happened to you on the blogs?
Meeting so many wonderful bloggers, from around the world, that I would never had been able to connect to any other way.

3. how do you spend an average day?
I start with coffee :-), then meditate, go for a run with my dog Zeus and if I have a job, I go, come home and do chores (with 4 animals there are a lot of chores :-), work on art or the book or read and make phone calls, blog and update my ETSY site. If I don't work sometimes I run and then come home and do art all day, which is bliss. A couple nights a week, I see friends or rent a movie.

4. what is your favorite quality in other people?
I have to pick two as they are tied and if a person has both I really love em.
Kindness and a sense of humor.

5. what is in your refrigerator?
What a scary question :-). I am only naming the healthy things: baby carrots, asparagus, green beans (mostly for Max, my cat), lettuce, Greek yogurt, low fat milk, tofu wieners, okay I think that is most of it.
Thanks, KJ! XOXO

More Snow...

I had a photo of lots of snow coming down here, today, I have tried to upload the photo since 10 this morning and it is now 4:30, and when I say this is what I have been doing all day, that is exactly what I mean. I now have high speed Internet and it is costing me more money and making my computer SLOWER than it ever was. Every time I go to upload that photo, my computer freezes and I have to start over. I cannot explain to you how frustrated I am at the moment.
So I am venting and I apologize. As you know I never vent, but it has been a very rough 2 weeks and I won't bore you with the details as my blog is all about feeling good and bliss, but as I am a real human being, I do sometimes have an off day, and this is it :-).
XOXO

Art Love

I love this quote, though I don't agree with the first line, I do agree with the rest:
Though a living cannot be made at art, art makes life worth living. It makes starving, living. It makes worry, it makes trouble, it makes a life that would be barren of everything, living.
It brings life to life. -John Sloan
For me art is my bliss and I cannot imagine a life without it.
I am off to do some right now.
What are your thoughts on art?

Happy Easter!

No hunting Easter eggs in Taos today, it is snowing. I took this photo yesterday and there is a bit more on the ground today and it is still coming down. I told you it snowed in April :-).

I am comfy in bed reading a wonderful book called "The Painter from Shanghai" by Jennifer Cody Epstein. Very rich and textured. I have plans for a yummy breakfast and working on my book. I also have a beautiful bowl to glaze today. What are you up to? XOXO

Now on my Etsy site

I know you have already seen this, but I had to show you the professional photo :-).

Mom went home yesterday! YAY. It makes me more than happy. Time is flying and I will get back here with a real post soon. Happy Saturday. XOXO

Vote on your favorite...

I finally have some finished mugs to show you. Some of you may remember I showed pictures of these just after I made them, now they are done! The top two are gifts for friends and I am thinking of putting the bottom, green one on my Etsy site. I Will make another of the black and white ones for my site, but I want to know which of the two Black and white is your favorite, or if you prefer the green one? Just curious.

I am very happy this evening! I heard a rumor my mom will get to go home Friday, but it has not been confirmed. NOTHING would make me happier than that :-).

P.S. I keep forgetting to tell you that all my ceramic pieces are hand built, from the bottom up :-). No wheel was used in making them.

Potters will know this, but some of you may not.

All Consuming

I have been a bad blogger lately, but I have a good excuse: I have been working on my book and I have to say I may actually finish it :-). I also completed the best bowl I have made yet, I will share photos soon. Spring has inspired in me a need to do. I have a list a mile long of things I want to do this month:
1.Paint my bedroom sea blue.
2.Clean my yard.
3.Finish the book.
4.De clutter my house.
5. Do collage, learn how to use my scanner and make more ceramics.
6. Cut my hair.
That is my list so far, it grows everyday :-).
How has Spring inspired you?
P.S. Mom is still in hospital, but she continues to improve.
Thank you for your good thoughts and prayers.

Random thoughts...

First, thank you for all your prayers and good thoughts for my mom. They have moved her out of ICU and while she is still a bit loopy from the pain medication, she is doing better everyday.
Lately I have been thinking about life and bliss and art. You all know my days have been cut from my job and I am seriously thinking about NOT looking for more work. I am not getting any younger and I want to do my art, I need to do it and the reason I am so far behind in my career as an artist is because I have always worked a full time job as well. Something has to change or I will still be working at 70 and no where near where I want to be. I was saying to the Universe yesterday, "Well if I sold some art I would feel more trusting of doing art full time" My little voice (yes, I have a little voice and it is always right :-) said back "You have to trust, first".
So, here I go into the void :-). What are your thoughts on this? Your experiences? I am off to do ceramics :-). Happy weekend. XOXO

More on mom

They are keeping her in ICU as her blood pressure is a bit low. She is fine and reacting to the pain meds by NOT sleeping! Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming. Thanks!
P.S. My mom lives many miles away in Portland Oregon and due to lack of money I cannot be with her right now, which is terribly hard, however I have two brothers there and her boyfriend, who are taking good care of her.