Live simply. Live well. I have been thinking of this notion a lot lately and mostly in response to aging. Not that I am old but I am on that part of the  journey in life that looks for a difference or a change. Do I stay the same? In the same place? Do I like this life that is mine?  I forget that in all the searching for solutions to problems and situations that I have created is to just SIMPLIFY. Breathe. Live simply. Live well. 

Be good, my friends. Be kind. 

This is the journey of my finger and its surgery. I was scared witless of course, all medical procedures scare me and make me imagine the worse. Anyhow, the surgeon, Dr. Olch, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Lamb and the nurses were amazing! Knowledgeable, friendly, kind even allowing Phil to stay with me right up to the operating room. I spent most of yesterday sleeping and today, I alternated between sleeping and being bored. I have never had time when I could not draw, bead, knit, silversmith. I am idle. I can barely type, which is not surprising since I could not type before but of the three fingers I could use, now I can only use two. Life's little lessons come quietly in small doses and I am lucky I feel better, there is a chipmunk in the tree outside my bedroom window, Daisy and Jesse were content to lay about with me and there is plenty of nonsense to watch on the idiot box. Here, then are a few pics of my journey.....

Outside the hand clinic are the leftover remains of the old growth forest
that used to be Silverdale.

Owie - IV in.

Dr. Olch and his artwork on my finger.

Dr. Lamb who sent me off to lala land. 

Afterwards. Animal crackers and loopy Lois.

On October 1st, we can remove the bandages. I wonder if I will have the finger of a 25 year old again. ...

Friday on the way to work, I stopped at our quaint and wonderful Jefferson County Fairgrounds to see the annual Cabin Fever Quilters show. I am so inspired by the colors and intricate piecing of the designs. Just being around all the cloth, colors and sewing techniques, encourages me to continue on in my latest fiber explorations using wool, felt, raw canvas, paint, and various embellishing stitches and objects. I left the fairgrounds with a smile in my heart and colors dancing in my head.

I have worked exceptionally hard this summer. Long days in the shop and when not there; working in the studio creating much of the inventory that I sell in the shop. I have enjoyed nearly every moment of this time. I love talking to people, greeting customers, displaying merchandise and creating an atmosphere that I would want to invite people into all day. Today, finally, almost a whole day off! I stayed out of the shop until after closing and then went to work making new displays with some of the most exciting beads and jewelry of the season! Wait, I am not writing here to talk of shop work! I am writing to be able to post the pictures I took today of our drive around Sequim. What a gorgeous day to be out and about. Heavy fog this morning giving way to wonderfully clear, warm afternoon skies. Here then are some pictures of my brief, ever so brief holiday!

A large weird flower growing in the lavender plant.

Sequim Bay.

The remains of an old dock.

The dock had lots of bird visitors.

Looking down the road from the Old Three Crabs restaurant.

Do you see the large Heron on the log in this wetlands shot?

Estuary.

A tributary feeding into the estuary.

A driftwood still life.

I am embarrassed to say that I have not changed my display windows since mid summer. I liked the things on display in there. The beach glass, rocks, shells, and wooden boats were all so summer in Port Townsend. Each week I would think, I should change that window but then I would look at it, all the work involved and cleaning and say, " well, the beach scene is right for this time of year " or
" all the jewelry is perfectly colored for summer " but at long last - it had to be changed. Little wooden boats were prominently featured in the window and since the wooden boat festival was this past weekend... well, you get my drift. Things had to go. Beach season had to go. The tiny adirondack chairs with their lazily draped, sun hatted wooden men, had to go. Now we are in a transitional window shoulder season kind of display. It is not summer and not yet fall. I present to you -"  the mid September - summer is pretty much gone and I am not ready to display fallen leaves " display windows.

This past Saturday night was gallery walk at my new exhibition space, The 940 Gallery. I have a partner in the gallery, Dale Klein who is a photographer. He does both old school black and white pictures which he tints and digital photography. His work is humorous, well composed and sensitively tinted. I especially like his Guadalupe shrine photographs. He was also interviewed for KPTZ, our local radio station for a segment on local photographers they are doing on air.

This gallery walk opening was the first time I had all three of my felt collages on display. I also featured  some of my paintings on canvas paper that are matted in a soft yellow so that the gallery had an air of summer in it.

Marlene and her husband, Larry brought Dale and me each a rose .

Some of Dale's work. 

Two of my pieces.

Some Flower, a favorite of mine.

This piece received lots of comments from visitors.

A grouping of both of our works.

Dale during his interview.

One of Dale's cards and a funny, favorite picture of his I adore.

This month's walk was so well attended! We are a little bit hidden in town, a tucked away atelier and gallery but hopefully, more and more people will find us. I have new pieces I hope to get framed for next month and a feature of this new work is the moon.