This is the boy who woke up early on Thanksgiving morning and began VOLUNTARILY cleaning his room! He said he just felt like it. We thought maybe he needed to see a doctor. Since when do 13 year old boys, who are all about messes, want to clean their rooms? On a holiday? When lots of food is involved? It certainly looks nice in there though. we just sort of shook our bemused heads and went with the flow.






These beautifully arranged shelves are on one side of Jacob's room. He is so pleased with himself!





This is a bookcase that I vanquished from the yarn shop in favor of another spin rack so Jacob inherited it ( at his request ) for his room. See how nice his shelves look? Phil teased him by asking if the DVD's were alphabetized.

These are four sterling cuff bracelets I made while hanging out in Andrea's studio. She has an amazing place to work and we had such fun working together. We both agreed we like having company once in a while when working. Anyhow, my silver cuffs are stamped inside with words and phrases. One says peace, another life is a journey, another love and joy and the last bracelet just has peace signs stamped the length of the bracelet. I have some other ideas to explore with these cuffs but I like where this journey is leading!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have been thinking of thanks giving all week. Not the consuming of vast quantities of food, but the very act of thanksgiving. I am blessed in my life at this moment as deer walk through my darkened back yard and blessed at every moment that I have been granted another day.I am truly grateful, thankful and blessed to have so much and so many in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Dear Mr. President,
Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan"

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes.

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!
You know this idea almost sounds like it would work! HAHAHA!

I promise I will never be unimpressed by the beauty around me!

While gathering a stack of newly finished drawings and paintings to stash in my portfolio; I looked and realized that the pile itself was an art creation, a painting in action!


My birthday has come and gone and along with it, a great evening at the local Italian restaurant with wonderful friends. It was such an enjoyable evening that I think it was mutually decided by all that we should do this more often. I get so wrapped up in accomplishing things for the shop or working at the shops; that I forget to nurture myself as a person! I think it shall become my new goal to remember me. To take care of me as I would a friend or family member. We will see how that journey goes....

The wind is fiercely howling tonight, shaking the house, making strange creaking noises and causing me unnamed anxieties. I do not know what it is about wind and blinking electricity but it puts me on the edge of a near panic state. It must date from the many years I lived on the beach here when I was always worried that the water would come over the bulkhead and try to wash the cabin away ( wait - that did happen - more than once ) or that trees would fall everywhere and block the road and start electrical fires ( wait - that also happened ) or that the wind would blow in a window or push the walls in ( wait - that happened too ).. no wonder the wind causes me anxiety! I have lived it!