Thankful Thursday(Early) and Animal Wednesday

I received two wonderful packages this week, the top from Lo, she sent me some beautiful papers that she uses in her wonderful paintings and I also got a lovely card with one of her images. A bit earlier I received a book on the handmade marketplace from Kj along with a card that I think she made. These are both heartfelt and beautiful gifts and I wanted to thank them both here. I am also so thankful for Fall, it is still very warm during the day, which is odd for Taos at this time of year, but the Fall colors are starting to explode. I threw in a photo of my two very bad cats, they are lolling about on the counter that hangs over the kitchen counter, they love it there because they can see out the window and the door. The last photo is of the darling L, newborn daughter of my friend B. These are just a few of the things I am thankful for today.

How about you? Happy Wednesday! XOXO

Love Your Life

Since B passed on I have been very introspective. Thinking a lot about life and loss, sadness and joy. For a long while now I have known that for my spiritual practice I wanted to learn to love my life, no matter what. Most times I succeed. When times are tough, like when a beloved pet dies, or I don't have money or time to do the things I love, that practice gets tested. To me, this means that is is even more important to find a way to love my life. If you are only happy when things are going smooth, that limits you. As we all know life is not smooth most of the time.

I try not to depend on others for my joy, that is also very limiting. Most of us have so much, even those like me, who have very little, still has more than 75% of the world. We are so blessed, yet we pick at the things that are not perfect in our lives. The past two weeks were hard. I cried a lot, but tears are a blessing and I did not try to stop the flow. It is important to grieve. I picked up B's ashes on Friday and that was very emotional, but also a release.

You can't go through life without loss. I have been reflecting on all the wonderful things I have going for me. Family, friends, bloggy friends, great clients, talent, 3 beautiful animal boys, a roof over my head, food on the table ( I made a yummy squash soup yesterday!) new ceramics drying on my shelves, sunshine and mountains outside. It does not matter who you are, you have something to be thankful for. I make myself remember this, daily. No matter what.

Feast on life, love your life. Happy Sunday!!! XOXO

For my Raven Sisters (Animal Wednesday)

These ravens were all together, but I could not get a good photo of them all at once, so I took two photos. The first one is a bit blurry because I am always shaking with excitement when I see a wonderful raven shot :-). Happy Wednesday! XOXO

Thankful Monday

This has been a hard two weeks, with losing Mr.B and dealing with loss. I am much better at it now than I used to be and for that I am thankful. I have a had a few nice things happen lately too and one of those things is that my dear older brother J bought me 4 brand new tires for my car!
This is a big blessing as with all the extra expenses with going to see my mom and the Vet bills I did not see how I was going to be able to buy the much needed tires before Winter, but my brother came to the rescue. Thank you!!! The other nice thing is that I have had a few lovely sales in my Etsy shop and I am most thankful for that. Thank you ladies and you know who you are! Not much going on, but work and art, the usual. I hope you all have a wonderful week.
I will leave you with these quotes to ponder:
"Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible"- Frank Gaines
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle"-Albert Einstein
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail"-Muriel Strode
Love.xoxo

The Winner is...And more Ceramics

The winner of the give~away is the wonderful, talented Robyn! Robyn, email me your address, I think I know what I am giving you, but it won't be finished for a couple weeks...These are more of my new items I will begin to list on my ETSY site, let me know if you can't live without something here :-). Happy Friday! XOXO

New Ceramics and a Sneak Peek and a Give Away

It has been a hard weekend, missing B so much, but carrying on and focusing on play/work.

I got some ceramics out of the kiln and while they are not perfect (about half made it) and a few will be sold as seconds on discount due to glaze flaws, I do have a few to sell. I am about to put them on my ETSY site, but thought I would offer them here first. The pendants and wall hangings are $20 and the pig ornament is $8 due to a glaze flaw, they are all porcelain. All will be 3.50 to send in the US. Buy two or more you still pay just 3.50 in shipping.

If you want something let me know and I will put it on my ETSY site reserved in your name.

I am giving 10% of all sales to Kj's kids. Read about that here. I am also having a give away. I will let that be a surprise, but it is going to be ceramic and it may be something I have not made yet, depends on who wins as I want it to be a little personal. So if you want to be entered please leave a comment, deadline is Friday, I pull a name from a hat. I have more to show, but will do another post with them later. Let me know if you need sizes on anything.

The last photo at bottom here is my first box. I am trying some new, wonderful porcelain and this is my first project with it. Newly formed not fired yet.

Thank you all again for your sweet and wonderful comments, emails and phone calls. I appreciate you all very much.

XOXO

Mr.B

He is at peace.

I took him this evening

and he went peacefully.

I sang, row, row row your boat.

I gave him an hour outside,

and lots of cheese and treats,

before we went. I miss him

so much, but I am happy

he is in the joyful place he is, instead of here, in pain.

Thank you all for your kind words and advice, it helps a lot.

It also helps to have my 3 boys here with me.

I love you B.

xoxo

Animal Wednesday

This is my Mr.B when he was healthy. For a long time he has been losing weight and the vet can't figure out why. He eats and he is doing all the things he should, but I fear he is not gaining any weight. He is now a skeleton and it is painful for me to look at him, but I do look, and I hug him though there is not much to hug anymore. I am to take him to the vet next Monday to be weighed. I know the next step is that they want to cut him open and see if he has cancer. I have decided not to put him through that, why do that to him when he is so weak and obviously knowing he has it is not going to change anything for him at this point. I fear I am going to have to him put to sleep. I have never done this and it feels so wrong, but at the same time I don't want him to suffer. I am not quiet ready to give up on him, so I will see what the vet says and then probably just see what B tells me. He is not talking right now, so I am a bit in the dark.

If any of you have gone through this and have any advice, please share. B is why I am sad, but I am doing okay, working it all through my heart and head and loving him the best I can.

Thanks for your concern. Love you. XOXO

Sneak peek

Sorry for the less than perfect photos. These are newly formed, but not fired yet. I have been inspired to make spoons. Also Salt and Pepper holders and many other things that I have yet to make. These characters will be painted like canvases after they are fired, I can't wait. Making these saved me today, from so much sadness. More about that tomorrow. XOXO

Bright Sun Shiny Day

After my last sad post I felt I had to lighten up a bit :-). This has been a hard week for various reasons and I know that without my "Process" and my "Book" (Busting Loose from the Money Game) I would have sunk into depression, but I did not. For those of you doing the book, there will likely be rough patches, it is not all fun, but push on through when it happens and you will be rewarded.

I took these photos this week. In Taos Every September there are sunflowers along the roads, and in huge fields, they are everywhere! The top photo is a hearty little guy in my yard that came back after the plumber killed all my sunflowers. I tend to him and say sweet words to him daily. So glad he made it, he is small, but he is alive!

I have a lovely day ahead, I am in my jammies, about to go stick my hands in clay (someday soon I hope to have some stuff to show!) and I have my first Disc of the last season of "Lost", YAY! It does not get any better.

Happy Saturday! XOXO

Animal Wednesday (Dolphins need your help!!!)

You know me, I like to be positive, I like to see the silver lining, but sometimes there is just pain.

I got a message today from the group that made the movie "The Cove". The killing of the Dolphins in Japan begins again TODAY! In the next six months over a 100,000 Dolphins will be slaughtered, including babies and to make it worse they use the Dolphins for meat that they sell as whale meat or mix with other meat and it is full of Mercury. I watched the movie and believe me seeing it is way more powerful than just hearing about it, which is why, when I got the message I burst into tears. If you have any spare money at all, please go here and donate.

If I had the means and the way I would be with the group of 70 who have gone to Japan to try and stop this. They are risking their lives. The least we can do, if we love these special and wonderful animals is to send money. Please, go and give. Thank you. xoxo