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I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and weekend with friends, one of the best I can remember in recent history, but in the mist of all that joy there was a bit of sadness. The bloggy world lost a shining brave angel by the name of Vicki or Nolly as I and others called her. If you did not know her, I am sorry for you. Nolly, you will be sorely missed. Fly high darling. XOXO

Gratitude

I am so thankful for my life. Here is a small list of what I am thankful for today:

My health

My family

My friends (including my bloggy friends)

My sweet furbabies

I am ever so thankful that I am an artist

My talent

My passion for the things that spark me

ART

BOOKS

MOVIES

NATURE in my back yard and all around me in Taos

Taos mountain (my guiding light)

Having plenty of food and shelter and heat in the Winter (I am reminded that many people have much less than I do).

The knowledge that my life is perfect just as it is.

There is so much to be grateful for and most days we forget how much we have, look around there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for no matter what. Love and joy to you all.

Happy Thanksgiving! XOXO

Time

Dandelion ceiling by Regine Ramseier

To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. It seems almost paradoxical, yet when your inner dependency on form is gone, the general conditions of your life, the outer forms, tend to improve greatly. Things, people, or conditions that you thought you needed for your happiness now come to you with no struggle or effort on your part, and you are free to enjoy and appreciate them - while they last. All those things, of course, will still pass away, cycles will come and go, but with dependency gone there is no fear of loss anymore. Life flows with ease. -Eckhart Tolle

I love Sundays and today has been one of relaxing, hiking, varnishing and attempting to get photos of two new paintings, but I was unable to get the good photo, so will have to wait for another sunny day, as they are now they bare no resemblance to the paintings :-).

I have also been figuring out what to make for Thanksgiving as I am cooking for a friend or two, I can not believe that Thanksgiving is already next week, does anyone else feel that time is speeding by at an alarming rate?

And I have been thinking about life and death. A neighbor/friend passed away this Thursday, suddenly. We never know when our days are up and it is important for us to live our lives from our hearts and to be true until the end. I want to live each day as if it were my last, I fail miserably, but I do try :-).

I thought I would share a couple things from my Tumblr blog (see side bar) that have moved me in the last few days. Have a wonderful Sunday!XOXO

P.S. My ETSY sale is still going, 15% off all items.

SALE!

I thought I would have an early before Thanksgiving sale on my ETSY site, it has been a while.

I re listed some of my pendants and ornaments and will be doing so all week, I also have many non Christmas items for sale. I am giving 15% off all items. To get the discount just type in christmassale in the coupon window when it comes up at check out. Happy shopping :-). XOXO

Happiness is...

I have been thinking about doing this post for a while when Artpropelled did one and it inspired me to finally do this, I also borrowed this wonderful poem from her post (Thank you Robyn!).

From the tip top on down: Happiness is:

Creating, this is my newest painting, side view and close up, 5"x 5" mixed media on board "This is Why". I fixed it so you can enlarge if you so choose.
The Oregon coast, I miss it so...

Ravens!

Coyotes, this photo was taken a few Summers ago, but in the last 3 weeks I have seen 3 coyotes and as some of you know this always means major change is afoot for me.

My Bella, I have done some research and she is a Dutch Shepherd and has no lab in her like we once guessed.

My sweet Zoe.

My bad and wonderful Max.

Taos mountain with snow aboard.

The wonderful Fall colors that are short lived, but much loved.

I hope your weekend is full of happiness, make it so. Happy Saturday! XOXO

SO MUCH HAPPINESS by Naomi Shihab Nye
It is difficult to know what to do
with so
much happiness.
With sadness there is something
to rub
against,
A wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you,
you
have pieces to pick up,
Something to hold in your hands,
like
ticket stubs or change.
But happiness floats.
It doesn't need you to hold it down.
It doesn't need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof
of the next
house,
singing,
And disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived
in a
peaceful
tree
house
And now live over a quarry of noise
and
dust
Cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
It too could wake up filled with possibilities
Of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
And love even the floor
which needs to
be swept,
The soiled linens and scratched records…..
Since there is no place large enough
To contain so much happiness,
You shrug, you raise your hands,
and it
flows out of
you
Into everything you touch.
You are not
responsible.
You take no credit,
as the night sky
takes no credit
For the moon, but continues to hold it,
and to share it,
And in that way, be known.- Naomi Shihab Nye

Animal Wednesday

This is Max and Bella on the sofa together, friends and pals. I wish I could say that Zoe is accepting of Bella, but she is not and I am out of ideas, so maybe time will change it, I hope so. Happy Animal Wednesday! XOXO

More New Work

This is the painting I finished today. 14"x 11", venetian plaster and mixed mediums on board "Red Calls Out Orange". The paintings are still in flux and some of them may get painted or plastered over. The thing is, is that I am changing and my work is changing and I am still finding my new voice with these pieces. Working with different mediums and trying out different things, I imagine that I will be changing things with each new painting until I hit it :-).

I am having fun and for the first time in years I am painting daily and it feels really good.

As always I love to know what you are thinking. Happy Monday. XOXO

Another New Painting

Close ups and side view as blogger will no longer let you enlarge (BAD BLOGGER!!)

12"x 12" "The Edge of Intent" mixed media on venetian plaster and board. I just finished another painting, but still have to varnish and I have 3 more in the works. I really must stop and make my Christmas list and start making cards. Perhaps I can just ignore Christmas, but probably not :-). I really am not a very got photographer, but I did the best with these photos I could. I always love to hear your thoughts on my work. Back to painting... Happy Sunday!!! XOXO