My Week in Pictures

See that wonderful face up top, that is Bella, she may be my new dog, we are having a test weekend. It was not planned. Yesterday a client told me about this wonderful dog at her vet's that needed a home, so I went to visit her and fell in love and took her home. She has been unadoptable because she is an escape artist.

She will either be with me or in the car or house. I am not one to leave my dog in the yard for long as here dogs often get poisoned. I named her Bella and she is a wonder, she already knows sit, and no and come, and does so about 95% of the time she is a year and a half old, Shepard/lab mix.

Very sweet and very smart and she loves the car. We took a long run/hike this morning and she can totally out run me :-). The only question is if she will be okay with my cats, she does like to chase them. Max is unafraid and Zoe is terrified. I am attempting to teach her that it is

unacceptable to chase them, we will see. I am hoping that it works out. I will keep you posted.

I took the photo of the tarantula last year, but saw one this morning without a camera to catch it.

This is what the mountain looks like this time of year.

My painting station in the kitchen, very little cooking gets done these days :-).

I will have paintings to show soon.

Happy Saturday! XOXO

My First Real Video (Where I Run)

This is a little video I took out where I go with my dog to run and walk. I am sorry that the color is so off, it is very hazy because of the fires in Santa Fe. I hope you enjoy, watch for a very special guest :-). Robin, and mom I know you will recognize this spot, having been there many times! Happy Monday. XOXO

Nature walk

Yesterday, I took a walk with my dog before I finished my friend J pack for his move. I took my camera along so I could share. Taos mountain is my view, a horn toad in the shade, wildflowers and last, a raven (much bigger then it looks here).

Today, is my only day off for another five, so I am going to ignore most of what I need to do and paint. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! XOXO

Sunday Wandering Randomness

This is the scene on Taos mountain yesterday. Yes, that is SNOW.

Last night I was in my kitchen (my studio) covered in Venetian plaster.

My newest painting is almost done and I should have photos for you tomorrow. I am thinking of all sorts of nifty things I can do with these new techniques Alexandra taught me. And it is great fun. So today will be spent PAINTING! I LOVE Sundays :-).

As for the money game I am playing, I had the inspired thought to have a sale for you on my ETSY site and many of you wonderful women bought my work! I want you to know the money I made so far will be spent taking my sweet Spike in to the vets for blood tests and x rays so we can see how he is doing thus far in his journey with Kidney failure and that nasty lump in his bladder. If you missed it, the sale is still going on through tomorrow, read post below to see details. I need to go put a few more items on my site today as it is looking lean thanks to Kj, Becky, Joss and M :-). Thank you ladies, I appreciate you so much. ♥

Must go now and get back to my painting...Have a Fabulous Sunday! XOXO

Taos Mountain

A few photos for you. I finally have some days off, I have been working hard all week. I am so grateful for the work, but I hate how my days blur together and how I have no time for art or my animal kids. There is something about it that is soul deadening, but right now I do it because it seems I must. However, I have the next three glorious days off and I think you all know what I will be doing :-). Today I have finally listed a few ornaments on my ETSY site. And now I am off to glaze. I have much to catch up on and I will be visiting you all a bit more too. Happy Saturday! XOXO

Taos Mountain

We got a little snow yesterday. Winter is on it's way. I am off to an art show of a friend of mine, who is a photographer from Berlin. No time to chat, but I wanted to say hi and share these photos. Have a wonderful Saturday. XOXO

Life

This is a partial view and a close up of my beloved Taos mountain.

Still no epiphany, but I do know some things I have to do: work less and or find a job that is not so hard on my body that I can do from home on the computer, if you have any ideas let me now :-). I still want to try my hand at being a life coach, but have not been able to swing the cost of the courses (yet). I wish I could make my bowls faster as I think I could sell them, but it is slow going and I have been in painting mode, so I have not touched clay for over a month! I do have an idea for Christmas and I need your advice. I plan on making clay star ornaments and selling them on the blog and or Etsy. I would do 6 in a package and sell them for 35-45 dollars. I will make one batch up and let you see and then I will take orders, would any of you be interested in these? Also I will do handmade cards and do the same. What do you think? I have to start soon though! Right now I am working and also getting ready for my mom's visit. She has turned in her wheelchair and is doing very well! She is coming for two weeks starting the first of September, then my brother p and his lovely wife C are coming for the last 4 days of mom's visit.

I have much house and yard work to do before they come! I am taking it slow though, being good to do a little and rest a little. That Epiphany will have to wait! :-). So, that is what is going on in the moment. Please give me any and all ideas you have. Love and XOXO

Spring

That is Taos mountain in the distance. This photo was taken out where I run, but the snow has melted this week and it is pretending to be Spring, but you can't fool me. I know we can still get snow here even in April. :-).

Writer's block

Photo of me taking a picture of Taos mountain.

No idea what to write about. What do you all do when that happens? Do you struggle to write something or forget about it? Hopefully this dry spell won't last long, but if it does I will just keep posting photos :-). Happy Friday. XOXO

Some Taos Beauty

You know how sometimes you just don't have anything to say?

Well, that is me today, so I will share a couple recent photos and

leave it at that. First photo, a scene at sunset and then a Taos mountain photo right after is snowed.

You could tell me what you did today, though, that would be fun.

XOXO

My interview with Starlene

Starlene from the wonderful blog, Return to Myself, interviewed me. She asked five terrific questions and here are the answers to the first two questions. I will answer the rest over the course of the week.
1.) At the beginning of the year, you posted a blog with Three Words for the New Year...Freedom, Kindness, and Joy. How have these three things become more incorporated into your life or what are your plans to embrace them (being it's only just now, the second month of the year)?

I had to really think about this as truth be told I have not been working very hard on the words, except for Joy. Perhaps that is where I really needed to focus. As I said in that post, I had let joy slip away somehow, probably due to some events that had happened during the past year. I have made some effort to bring it back into my life and I feel lighter everyday. I am spending more time with friends and I am blessed with the best friends in the world. I am working less and making more art(this one I had a little help from the Universe on :-). Slowing down and really enjoying every moment of my day. I have a joy list that I plan on ticking off as the year goes on.
My list:
1. Go to Paris, failing this I want to go visit my friends in my old city, San Francisco.
perhaps both! Miracles do happen after all.
2. Finish my book!
3. Run more
4. Keep spending time with friends, let my hermit self go a bit.
5. Open back up to romantic love.
6. Work more in clay! This gives me enormous joy.
7. Eat more healthy foods.
8. Read ( I do this a lot, but you can never read enough :-).
9. Watch great movies (same as above).
As for Kindness, I do pay attention to this on a daily basis, though it has not been a focus lately.
Freedom is really what my life is about and I do feel very free, there is always room for improvement though :-).
2.) I see you're from New Mexico AND you're an artist. I also see some pictures of Taos Mountains on your blog so I can only assume you're somewhere in the Taos area. I have always fantasized about moving there or at least visiting to see what it's like...the earthships, the art colonies, the beauty. What do you like best about the area? What are your favorite things to do and see?
Yes, I live in Taos.
Taos mountain is my very favorite thing about living here. I have lived around many mountains, like Mt. Hood(I actually climbed Mt. Hood when I was 20) and Mt. Shasta, but Taos mountain is by far the most powerful mountain I have ever seen or lived near. Hiking and running with my dog Zeus is a favorite activity. I love to visit a little town a couple miles from Taos called Arryo Seco and I always have great fun going to Santa Fe and visiting galleries on Canyon Road (this is a famous place for art lovers to go). Sad to say there are only a few galleries in Taos that have art I really like, landscapes just don't do it for me, nothing wrong with them, they are just not my thing.
Wow, this is harder than I thought :-). Stay tuned for the rest of the interview. XOXO
Photo is Taos Mountain getting snowed :-).

Worry post #2

Wow. Right after I got done saying that so far the financial crisis had not really touched anyone I knew yet, it started. One friend got laid off. Then I got my days cut from 4 to 3. Now today another friend got laid off from a job she has had a long, long time. I feel badly for my friends, but I KNOW they will be fine and as for me, well I have no idea how I can afford to work only 3 days with very little art selling, but you know what? I will. I am grateful I still have 3 days of work. I am also expecting to sell art, yes, I do indeed :-), so I will now have more time to make art and I must admit I am happy about that, it is what I live to do. I WILL NOT PANIC! This is my mantra. Life in this moment it very good. I want to send love to my friends and all the folks out there reading that have lost a job recently. I will leave you with this photo of magic Taos mountain. Be well.

Taos Mountain

This is what my beautiful mountain looks like right now, I will be taking more photos of it as the snow days pass. It is so lovely covered in snow, don't you think? The snow has stopped for a couple days, but due back on Monday and Tuesday, I am hoping that it does not interfere with my travel plans, the airport is 3 hours away, so the snow could be a problem, but I am attempting no to worry :-). Trying to be oh so Zen and detach from outcome, easier said than done :-). I received a lovely card from two friends in San Francisco, B and K. They just celebrated 40 years together! I just wanted to say, wow! If you are reading this, I am so happy for you both! You are my shiny example of a relationship that works. That's all for me tonight.

Much love.