it was a very good year...

as 2010 dissolves and the new year approaches i reflect on the many joyful moments that have occurred, i am happy to be alive.

january 2010..... took nate to see cloudgate dancers for his 23rd bday( we last went 10 years ago for his 13th bday!)

set intention for business dream combining travel, and gathering treasures to sell.

returned to the splendor of st marteen ( as beautiful as i remembered in 1983!)

spent spring moments in the northwoods

lovely bday at japonais

helped nate to get his condo in the west loop.

maya graduates hphs

summer at yuendumu art center

sydney family

mom/daughter bonding(tattoo's all around)

monthly foodie opportunities

yo yo ma concert

counting crows/ augustana

poi dog pondering

maya starts uw madison (go badgers)

my hours alone on burnham lake

grand canyon and sedona trip

laughing with my mom

new york trip( no more takashimaya!)

hearing poet naomi shihab nye

brings us back to winter in the northwoods

i look forward to the possibilities in 2011!

time to begin (again)

waiting to thaw

today, thankfully , the sun is out. it does lift my spirits, and lifting is what they needed. i'm unsure why i am feeling so frozen- so many dreams recently and i'm just seeming to get charged up- then comes the stall.... so with some deep breaths, i'll focus on what's going right and all that i'm grateful for- i'm tired of thinking i'm not enough and having a "what's the use?" attitude. i do realize that i haven't taken the time to simply look around and behold the amazing reality of life and the creative expression that time in the studio gives me is missing. yesterday was the first time in awhile that i swung by the beach (maybe there's reason to feel frozen) and got in touch with joy. sometime is can be so easy.
ps. life really is like a roller coaster- up, down, up, down, up........(i am glad the ride is still going)

last sunset of 2009

i enjoyed the time spent gathering the highlights of the past year. i got to re-live the experiences in a way, colored by time and enhanced by memory. also helps in looking forward to 2010, and focus in on what it is i'd like to do more  of....

peak moments included:

trips to-

*cabo

*india- i can never be the same

*florida

*montreal

*thailand

*new york(tickertape parade for the yankees and nogucci museum)

concerts-

*pink martini

*jojn legend

*elvis costello

*leonard cohen

nate's graduation from iu

contact lenses-

i now can see without glasses again!

time spent up north at burnham lake-

time in the woods and caneoing refreshes my spirit

30th anniversary-

where did the time go?

add some great restaurants, plays, women's group, goji bars, and new love- salted carmel cupcakes and my life is pretty damn good!

john legend is soul full

when i'm taken-i can't get enough.....

Grammy-Winning Soul Musician John Legend at UPenn Commencement: "A Commitment to Truth Requires a Commitment to Social Justice"

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the blessing of music

john legend and india arie last night at ravinia... i feel moved to tears as i recall the beautiful visions and the sound of the music of these two talents. both write songs that are from the heart and put them out in their personal styles. 

india reminded me "i am not my hair"and john that we are "ordinary people."

summer... finally

had a wonderful evening simply sitting outside and just be-ing....spent some long overdue time weeding and cleaning the yard during the day , and it was a fine reward. 

it's been a wonderful spring....

watching the many college commencement stories on the news lately has made me especially optimistic and light hearted......at IU for nate's recent graduation(woooooohooo!!!) we got to hear the honorable michael kirby, a retired australian judge of the highest court -who began his affiliation with the school when he became aware of dr. kinseys research years ago. his talk was inspirational and courageous.

it really has been a long four years- i'm sure i learned as much as nathan. so, one down and two to go.

it doesn't matter

                                             india, march 2009

whatever the reasons or stories that i tell myself about why it takes so long to get back here...it doesn't matter, i got back. the dr. suess message ""Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." just seems to fit.

looking back at 2008....

though i often get blue at this point in winter- if i look back over the year, there were some wonderful experiences

*last new year's cruise with family

*time spent in northern wisconsin on burnham lake

*trip to magical morocco

*seeing the dali lama at indiana university

*showing my work at artroplis in chicago and the molloy gallery in california

*riding the maid of the mist again in niagra falls

*wonderous skies, full moons and shooting stars

*workshop at anderson ranch in coloradao

*great concerts -eddie vedder,rem,david byrne, the wailers

*and maybe the best of all, barack obama being elected as president!

i am grateful to be alive.

ready to face the future

when i realized that barack obama was elected to be the next president- i said , "this is one of the happiest days of my life." i then gave deep thought to that statement- and yes, i am sure that it is true! i look forward to travel outside the country and will be proud to say i am from america.

hear my voice....

i have long felt that barack is exactly the leader our country needs...

thank you david byrne...

for the inspiration and evening full of sensory delight. a simply fantastic show and one that had me up and moving.

fall glory and self

the chicago botanic garden is 5 minutes away- and i go through cycles of getting there 3 times a week to once in three months...this is happily a time of frequent visits. the light, color, and texture of this balloon cottonbrush plant held me captive for some time.

working with the "block"

accepting that what's going on could simply be a form of "writer's block" - it has been painful lately feeling something is "wrong " with me.... feels better and i remember the miracle of possibilities when i realize i can simply do my best to continue to "just do it". sure isn't the first time and may not be the last. approaching my work table has been overwhelming- just today, i will try and stay with the 'block" and be ok with it! will even continue the creative exercises suggested.

happiness

"the word happiness would lose it's meaning if it were not balanced by sadness..."

carl jung

this past week has been full with both... from the joy of a sox game( i love a baseball game with my family- especially when the sox are in first place!) to the sadness i felt saying goodbye to nick when i left carbondale's southern illinois university and took that long drive home. alone.

clay workshop in the mountains(wow)

i just spent the last two weeks in the snowmass area of colorado at the anderson ranch taking a clay workshop and it was really just what i needed to re-inspire my spirit and get the juices flowing.....

the area is beautiful, the weather fantastic (no humidity), warm days-cool nights. view from my room

enjoying the mountains

and clay, clay, clay

now i'm trying to hold on to the feeling.....

phot friday- religion

saw matisyahu ( with opening act-my fav- the wailers) who is an orthodox jew that performs reggae/hip hop/beatbox music- and couldn't help but contemplate the many ways one can express their religious feelings. very interesting. so many young men in this particular community seemed to use the music as a connection with culture and religion and identify with the broader popular culture.