Milo Packs For Home

As with all good things, an end comes and I must admit that as Milo began packing, I was very sad to see the little bug putting his possessions back into the SMTU. He was holding up better than me, I think......although, those antennae looked a little droopy.......

"Got to have all my bath things so I can keep clean and smell good," he said as he finished packing the towel. "If I ever get a girlbugfriend, I don't want to stink." (oh Milo! you'll make me cry!)

"Mom will think this is funny...hee, hee, hee! I didn't tell Pastor Steve about the copier......" And I sigh; well, part of it sunk in but he still has that mischievous streak. I guess I did too at his age.....

"Yes," I said, "You can take Rawwwwr home; he seems to like you very much Milo."

"I can't forget THIS! But I want to keep it nice and white....."

So he took the little bible and carefully wrapped it in his afghan so it would be well padded.

Then he tucked it into the corner of the SMTU where it wouldn't get jostled about.

"Milo, how about some iced tea and I would like to propose a toast. To the best Millennium Bug ever---Milo M. Bug!"

But the reality of goodbye was sinking in, and he wasn't the only one needing a tissue. I had a large lump in my throat.

"It's okay Milo. Just blow. Have a little cry and get it out of your system. This is normal with goodbyes. But you'll be at Deb's soon, and all happy again." And I thought to myself, I'll be here in a large quiet house, missing your little pitter patter of bug feet......

Then there was a knock at the door, which I had been expecting from an earlier phone call. Milo was all antennae to see what was going on.

"Milo," I said, "I had a friend call who has a little girlbug who needs a ride to Arizona, and wondered if you'd mind sharing your SMTU? She doesn't like traveling alone."

I'm not too sure he heard a word I said--he seemed pretty transfixed...

"Milo.....this is Lyla Ladybug."

"Milo???"

Well, obviously they were getting along quite well....he zipped her out of the house and wasted no time getting a bouquet together.......maybe they just needed some alone time.....

Much later, I crept out and found two happy bugs, watching the day pass in the green farmland of Indiana; a last look before returning to the exotic Arizona landscape and home; to Deb and the blue pool and many, many more delightful adventures.

So Milo seemed to have found himself a nice girlbugfriend and they do look rather cute, don't they?

Good bye Milo!!! Good bye Lyla!!!

Until we all meet again.......... Bon Voyage! ♥♥♥

My Shining Lights......

First off, I am so grossly overdue on new WELCOMES to the blog, I am quite mortified! Normally I have that up after one or two new faces join......and I do apologize with all my heart. It has been extremely hectic here, and yes, Blogger still is throwing me curveballs whenever it is most inconvenient!!! Please make yourselves at home....we sometimes lose our marbles, but eventually they are found through a lot of laughter!

As I have been too lax of late with my blog and visiting others, this post is dedicated to my blog friends. The ones who, without any cajoling, visit and comment even when I am in a blur of too much to do. The hearty souls who have been with me since day one and still continue on this wondrous and delightful ride called BLOGGING! The people who may wonder if I will ever post art again, but come back anyway for the brain dribblings in between. Those who know my taciturn moments and send me a silly e-mail to make me laugh until my sides split. Those who really know me, deeper than the words on this blog page because they can see past the words on the blog page. Those who respect my silence and know that there is something going on either in real life or in my studio that demands my full attention (which, by the way, seems to be getting shorter as I age!). Those who have respect for me as I have for them; that indeed, it is a two way street. Those who hold me up when I need it most, even if I don't really know I need it!

Friends are treasures more valuable than any precious metal, warmer than the crackle of a winter fireplace, more delightful than a summer's night with the moon illuminating the landscape and fireflies dancing in the velvet darkness.

Friends are my compass, my plumb line, my sounding board.

And above all, they are the bright lights in my life.

I am blessed.

And perhaps I do not say *thank you* enough, because everything else gets in the way......which is no excuse.

So for you all, thank you for being my true, honest friends here at El Milagro. And in e-mail. And on the phone. And through art we share. And letters. And Facebook. And just being there!

You are blessings.

Mille Grazie!

Pax....

A Gift Of Great Meaning

First, let me provide a little background. On Mother's side of the family, whenever someone married, there were always gifts that had an acorn involved in some manner. I still have grandmother's carved bone acorn sewing kit and pictured below is great grandmother's silver acorn jewelry box. (which, as I was polishing it, I managed to break the acorn free from the base....good silversmith, here I come!)

It was heritage, lineage, tradition. It represented long life and prosperity. It was a link with long gone family members....some of whom I have no idea where they were laid to rest.

By the time Gary and I married, acorns were decidedly out of fashion, and mom could find nothing for us. I had some of her serving plates with acorns and that was fine, but we never really received *the gift* of the acorn.

Then, unexpectedly a while back (I am so behind I have been meaning to post this FOR EVER but was having Blogger troubles...) I received a large envelope in the mail from Ces and wondered what on earth it was, and how quickly I could get it ripped open. :-)

I was delighted and surprised and completely touched when I saw below:

An ACORN!!! THE acorn! Gary's and MY acorn! I just sat and stared a while, and then tried to get photos and wanted to write Ces and put the post up and do everything at once......I did get the thank you out quickly as the internet was being cranky.

At any rate, we finally got to talk and I explained to her how much this meant due to not having received the traditional gift, and that the drawing now fulfilled that spot in our life! Of course, when she sent it, she had no idea. Serendipity at work!

Even the signature is delightful! (Ces! I need to put it between two pieces of glass so I can see both sides!)
So thank you C.P. Adorio........sisterfriend, oaken nymph, creator of the Quercus Society of Blogworld, Mental Ninja and slayer of Voldemort! Who makes me laugh until I fall out of my chair and am in need of kleenex from spewing at jokes! Who better to send something like this?
Thank you.
Thank you.
From the bottom of my nutty little heart! ♥♥♥

Pax....

Good Monday Morning......

A quick and late check in to Blogland; sorry this is a short one, and again I am behind visiting all y'alls blogs.....but this was too humorous not to pass along.

The other day in the throes of the worst of the IP problems, my friend Vicki posts the following photo on her blog.........just for ME! In fact, the caption below said photo was "Hi Anne!"

(copyright Vicki Miles, 2010. used with permission.)

I encourage you to take a quick click over......we both had a good laugh off it! I mean, at some point there has to be humor even in the worst of fit-throwing and connectivity issues!

I am off for another day of heavy studio work...If I don't check back in for a few days, well, they either tied me in a knot at PT or I have been swallowed by the carnivorous sewing machine, wrapped like a tasty Spring Roll in banner fabric and deep fried....sigh.....

I'd rather be blogging!

Have a good week, do something you love, laugh, enjoy Spring moments if you have them, and above all else.....

Pax.

New Blogger To Visit......

......Let me be the first to publicly mortify my dear friend Jan Brattain, and introduce you to her reasonably new blog, Laughing Dog Arts. No, I did not tell her I was doing this post, so I am sliding on the ice with no drawers on!!! LOL!!!

(this IS the Laughing Dog!!! it's not just a studio or blog name!)

There's substance here, folks.

A little backstory; Jan and I have known each other through the internet for years. I believe we met via the Fabric Forum at eQuilter and casually struck up conversation after conversation. (a disclaimer: with my *anesthetic-head* of late, we could have met on Mars and I would not know the difference! yes, it could have been extra-terrestrial contact....but I don't think so....) A friendship built, we quit commenting on the Forum, as we gradually moved our fiber posts to Yahoo Groups, as both of us became Fiber Pirates, and we still kept in contact via e-mail.
During this communication, Jan would describe where she lived in the deep and old woods of Oregon, and occasionally send pictures. I was smitten. Not only did we share a love of fiber art and art in general (and music) but of the outdoors and I have to admit that more than once I was envious of the exceptional area that she called home.
Old growth forests are pretty much a thing of the past in my neck of the woods---pun intended!---and the gentle and sometimes frantic pace of her life tied in with the seasons made me remember halcyon days spent on my grandfather's farm; where life was dictated by the rising and setting of the sun, and the time of year. I miss that......so much.
I often commented in letters how the way of life she led daily was something that was disappearing at a rapid rate, and for me, how incredible it was to peer into it. Things that were routine for her were triggering all types of wonderful memories for me, and an urge to find a way to pare down this life of mine that was running out of control. Jan's letters put everything into perspective.
I still have a file folder in the computer of photos she had sent; birds, dogs, flowers, Mr. Mel the Peacock, etc. My little glimpse of Oregon.
I once casually suggested a blog but hey, you have to feel that in your bones and know the time is right to start one. I did it on a whim (my normal status for important, time consuming life decisions!) and was happy with how it turned out. But it's work......at least for obsessive/compulsive ME. LOL!!! If I don't post frequently, I am sure my head will explode....
Seriously, it's okay. Laugh!
At any rate, I was feeling in the dumps the other day and get a letter from Jan saying to check a link to cheer me up.
She had started a blog!!! And not told me!!!
I found, illustrated, some of the things we shared in conversations; beautiful nature pictures, fiber art, her group she meets with weekly for art and sewing related items.....it was all there!
So, at the risk of having my friendship skewered onto a lightening rod, I would like to request all who read this to go visit Jan's blog by clicking the link at the top of this post, and it would be very nice if you chose to follow too, because we all have been through that first part of blogdom where each day you're peeking to see if there is a new follower.
Heck, I still do and am still as excited as the first day when someone new signs up to follow!
You will find a gentle and delightful read, exquisite photos of wildlife and the hawk pictures alone are worth the trip over.
And now that she officially has a blog, it is with great delight that I can present her with an award made specifically for a friend like her, a sister friend, a long time, long-suffering being my friend award:

"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest,

but who came and never left your side."

Because Jan came, and has never left my side. And I am grateful. So please post this to your sidebar proudly!

You are an exceptional friend Jan......and I hope your internet is back up to read this!!! (or maybe not.....LOL!!!)

Now, gentle readers, go make a new friend, and enjoy a wonderful pastoral blog that will calm you from the bedlam of the everyday ruckus we call life.

Jan, are we still friends????   :-D   We are....right? RIGHT???

Pax.

"Friendship Isn't About Who You Have Known The Longest, But Those Who Came And Never Left Your Side"

Received with great honor and humility from:

"Ces And Her Dishes"

Quercus shumardii or Shumard Oak

Dear readers, as you most have figured out by this point, there is little that leaves me speechless. I always have something to say---right, wrong, amusing, stupid, moments when the mouth goes far faster than the brain and the result ends up here. Therefore, the other evening when I received a comment from Ces to go to her blog to pick up an award, I was more than a little stunned. Ces is a phenomenal artist and extremely prolific and I have been blessed with meeting her here in the blogosphere. She is so prolific in her work, both as a nurse and artist, I'm not sure she sleeps........ ;-)

To learn the real significance of the award I highly encourage you to read her whole post; just click on her beautiful drawing and it will take you there. And you also need to read about Deborah, for whom the award is named, as she is a pillar of strength. I still need to comment on her blog, but being married to the military, my heart ached so when I saw photos of her sending her son, in the Army (where I grew up), off to war. I can't touch that right now. My husband has done media escort on med-evacs out of Baghdad, and I know what the risk is for our soldiers, and the strength it requires to be family here at home.

The award is about true friendship, of not leaving when the going gets rough. To quote Ces:

"Loyal friends regardless of race, creed, political affiliations and geography. Here, I honor womanhood and friendship and there is nothing more wondrous a blessing for anyone than for a friend who came and never left your side."

And I have discovered that more than once this year, when days were long after surgery, when I was not doing well, when cards and letters and gifts and e-mails and comments came from my blog-friends. I know what friends are.....I am blessed.

So now I have to pass this on, to truly loyal friends who have stood by me despite how long we have or have not known each other.

However, I have two male friends that have done the same on my blog and in my life, and I am hoping Ces will forgive me for being the *sturdy unbending oak* that I am and include them also in my list, as they have been as honest and faithful and as humorous as my girlfriends. (guys, that's the highest compliment you could get!)

And so.............I start..........in no particular order.

Mary Helen

Lynn

Audrey

Pam

Jean

Teri

Georgina

Linda

Gayle

Vicki

Tammy

Leslie

And my two male friends without whom I could not function, who support me like the grand oak pictured in the award:

Tristan

who very much helped me start this blog

made me laugh way too much,

encouraging me all along the way,

and to

Tallboy

who is my spiritual guide & center,

my common sense when I have none,

and like my family I

grew up with.

To all of you; thank you, bless you, know that you are being recognized for what you freely give of your hearts to others and may you feel that joy in return.

You are truly FRIENDS.

Now pass this on to your friends, those who fit the bill, who are there for you no matter what and know they always will be.

I bid you all, most sincerely......

In spiritu humilitatis, Pax.

Sunrise Through A Lazy Fog........

In Indiana, morning fogs like this are a sure sign that Autumn will soon be peeking around the corner. DH was leaving for work early the other day and as I was opening the garage door for him, I was greeted with this amazing sight; fog so very thick, hanging in an elevated blanket and the sun reflecting through it and off it!
I promptly ran into the studio, nightclothes flying, house shoes flopping, grabbed the camera and burned off several shots. In the moments I was out there, the sun was slowly rising, making each picture distinctly different. Some had lens flare, some didn't, but all were beautiful in their own way. It was tough to pick ONE for the blog......and I figured posting all of them would insure you that I am OCD. (ahem) I prefer to think that I was just trying to preserve each moment of a spectacular event, a gift from the universe. Sounds better that way, yes?
With the fungus popping up in the yard and leaves falling from trees, I am wondering if we will have a colorful Fall or if the rains will move in and end this dry Summer with wet and dreary days. No matter; I have work piled up to do. Yesterday my banner sewing turned into a surprise visit from a friend, and thus my day was spent not working but talking, reminiscing and e-mailing.
That's okay.
The thing I need to teach myself is there are only so many hours in a day, and so many times I get the chance to laugh with lifelong friends. The work will be done, the house can wait, dinner is always fixed for hubby.............everything moves on.
And every morning that I can, I check for sights like this one, to remind myself what a marvel this great globe is and what a small and infinitesimal part I play. Yes, I record events, make art, decorate sanctuaries with banners, but ultimately, a sunrise like this one puts it all in perspective.
I am content with being *small*.
And pleased that I get to share something this *big*.
I hope your day is brilliant!

Pax.

Surviving the drought.....

Eventhough we desperately need rain, I took a stroll around the yard while DH had pity on me and watered the small trees we planted back when the soil was soft. (seems like years.......)
I found some hardy survivors, happily showing off their colors and selves!

This salmon daylily is a favorite, given to me by one of my friends. The clump needs digging but my leg says no way--not this year!

My surprise sunflower, surprising me again with a multitude of smaller blossoms coming out at the points where the leaves meet the stalk. The close up on this one is fantastic! How incredible this simple plant is!

And this busy bee doesn't seem to mind the dryness; nor does the decorative thyme it is searching for pollen. I was treated to several shots---the bee must be like me and enjoy the click of the camera!

A pink phlox, slowly opening and still bright with color. These must be the first buds open; they tend to fade as they are exposed to the sun.

And yes, my favorite, an old fashioned double orange daylily. I have dragged starts of these from all over creation. I am pretty sure the first came from Grandmother's or Great-grandmother's. When I move, everything goes!!! There is history and family and friendships in these flowerbeds and it makes the blossoms even sweeter. I walk and see people long gone, people who still actively garden, folks who have had to give it up and in the process shared their precious plants to keep the genus going.

In passing the roots along, they pass love and happiness and joy.

May your garden be full........always.

Pax.

Letting Go

This was from the last meeting I lead for the Co-Op. One of my friends from Logan snapped the shot; there is a serenity to it that I did not feel at the time but now I see as a foreshadowing of things coming.
While I enjoyed my time (and there was a tremendous amount of it) spent planning and working for the group, it has been through a lot of life-related issues and counsel with friends that I realized I need some downtime for myself, for other work, and to grow in an artistic manner.
Letting go of anything you love is the dearest and hardest gift you can give; it is a portion of your life and heart that are lost forever but it is necessary to make the separation. I have no doubt that I did the best I could, I've made mistakes, I've had good times and hopefully others have too.
Other opportunities have presented themselves of late, and it was with a great deal of introspection that I made the decision I did.
And I was ready.
Often our guidance in life, in our jobs, in our spirituality comes in quirky ways, in little things sent at the right time, in painful separations and in the realization that we are on a finite path and must make the best use of it.
After church service today, I will be in my much neglected studio again and be working on something special......and I have missed that freedom. In fact, it is rather hard to feel at home here again, with the very small amounts of time I've spent within these walls of late.
Art, in whatever form you make, requires sacrifices---and it mimics life in that respect. That is why I always sign my correspondence with the tag line "Life creates Art. Art creates Life." Both need nurturing. Regularly. Continually.
Treat yourselves to a day of artistic nurturing, with no sad looking back but only joyful looking forward and the realization of how wonderful each and every persons life-path has been and how blessed you were of the other paths that have crossed yours!
Pax.

My New Toy.......

Okay, I admit right up front, this looks more like a *guy thing* than something I would be posting on a blog that only occasionally, of late, has some art involved! BUT! Bear with me gentle readers, there is a good story that follows.
Years ago, as I disposed of items from my parents house after they passed, I had taken some of the massive amount of my father's tools but when we moved to our present location, I had to pare down to the barest of yard implements (motorized and *Anne powered*) and basically electric hand tools. I had gotten rid of his bench grinder and have spent 16 years regretting it, both for practical and emotional reasons. At home, I used it a lot, ripped my hands up on it frequently and listened to him fuss that I shouldn't be near it (the lathe too) but then he would brag to his friends when he thought I was out of ear shot about how I could use all the stuff.
And guys....a woman is NEVER out of ear shot....... ;-)
So for the last 16 years, I have had to sharpen all the yard implements by hand with a file, and the hardest was Dad's scythe, simply because the blade is so long and curved--it is a very old one. Yes, I still cut high weeds with it. If you know what you're doing you can pick one out and not touch the others around it. Plus it is meditative work, and it makes you appreciate the way farm work was done before machinery. AND---it's a good work out.
But I digress. Yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the minister's family Moving Sale, mainly because books were listed and we both own far too many. I turned the corner of the drive and there it stood, not quite gleaming in the early morning sun. Three leg support, so no bench required, good condition, a good stone and good wire brush. I was in love..........sigh........ But I walked past and pilfered the books, yet it was still calling my name. My friend said, after I had stood and dithered far too long, these simple words; "If you don't buy that, you're going to regret it." So I hunted Steve down and we stood there doing the guy-thing of discussing the merits of the machine; could I put a new plug on it, how about a ground, etc, etc. So off the price tag went and I paid for my purchases. As he was carrying it to the car for me, he said he was glad it was getting a good home, as it had belonged to his father. Karma, yes? My father's replaced with that of a friend's father's.
I brought it home, scrubbed it down, hit all the main parts with Liquid Wrench, polished it up a bit and then the moment of truth; turned it on. It purred! And I grabbed the scythe and put an edge on it---a REAL edge that would cut a thread. I went and cut thistles and ragweed and it sliced through all like it was cutting warm butter. Ooooooooo............wonderful!
So in the Fall, when it is not so humid, I'm going to get some paint for metal and repaint the legs, then mount the feet on a good heavy wood block, and maybe add some locking casters. Yeeeeeaaaaaah!
I am in "Tool Heaven"!
I just hope the guys allow a girl in there.
Now go be creative and don't hurt yourself.....!!!

Yesterday's Delightful Surprise!

Yesterday, in between studio time, I came up for a snack and drink and thought I would go check the mail, which occasionally runs a little early on Saturday. I open the box and what do I see inside but this delightful package, and before I look at the return address, I know it has had to come from Bernadette, because--well--because! It looks like a stamp she would own and she is one of the few people who would take the time to do this to a wrapper.

The wrapping was too good to tear, so when I got it inside, I carefully opened the back and then proceeded to open the little silver box inside, and again......attention to detail and presentation!

I turned the card over before unwrapping the tissue and found this note:

"Anne, this is a gift to you from Jan Brattain. (can we clone her?) Love, B."

At that point I was pretty excited, because I was *hoping* it would be one of the monkey pins Bernadette has on her Etsy site, and sure enough, there it was! This wonderful little shrine that has the most minute detail one can imaging and Mr. Monkey, with the heart swinging from his tail!!!!

Jan---

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! XXXXOOOO!!!!!!

Bernadette---

It never ceases to amaze me how you do the work you do--the infinitesimal pieces, all smooth and lovely and no glue showing, like the creation sprang into being from the half-shell that Venus stands upon!

To both of you---you don't have any idea how wonderful the gift is and how much I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!

The generosity of friends is worth more than anything else in the universe. The thoughtfulness, the consideration......I could ramble a while, but you both know how I love this piece.

Mr. Monkey is mine!!!!

It was a VERY GOOD DAY!!!!!! ;)

P.S. These pins are worth every single solitary CENT. I cannot photograph the detail good enough for you to really see how much work this was.

Cigar box shrine: Or while others smoke, you create!

First off I am putting this together before I have had enough coffee to really be responsible for the words that are typed. In fact, the backspace key has been put to liberal use already, and I am, what, two sentences into the post? :)
I definitely am NOT like those people in the Grape Nuts commercials; sometimes morning is NOT my time of day!
Moving on, this is a piece I love, made from a cigar box. Cigar boxes are amazing items to work with, either as they come or, like in this piece, with a little alteration.
I took the lid off, split it down the middle, then shifted the pieces 90 degrees. That left a little space at the top where I was able to insert a piece of decorative metal I had painted and aged. Gesso, and lots of it, was the secret to covering the paper and wood on the box and then applying liberal coats of color to build up depth. The pieces of the top were hinged back on with paper and medium, then all the collaging and painting was done. Tiny bottle caps with images in them, an alter at the bottom similar to Day of the Dead, the ferns that grow everywhere in New Orleans.
I am hoping the photos are able to enlarge; been having *issues * with getting them where they are supposed to be so I would guess that they will not! (just checked. I am wrong...)
I did this after the gallery I used to have work in down in NOLA closed, one year before Katrina. The photo inside is of myself---looking horrible---I believe I was

ill that year, and my friend, Taina Mechling, who ran the

shop.

I wanted a small memento to have of the lovely times spent in the warm, balmy, carefree days of the beautiful city, and a reminder of the most unique gallery that she ran. Since their move back to California, Taina opened another gallery, but I am not sure with the economic climate if she chose to keep it open or to close it and make her own lovely and unique art. (I hope she is making art so she has some time to enjoy herself!)

The cigar box shrine seemed for me a fitting and appropriate way to remember a very dear friend and times spent together on wonderful vacations.

Usually store that sell cigars will part with the boxes for a small fee, and there are an amazing variety of styles to choose from. They make perfect shrines or with the addition of a piece of glass or plexiglass across the front, a safely enclosed shadow box for all sorts of quirky items.

It is well worth your time to search some of these out and see what you can create with them.

Plus, they are just plain FUN!!!!!

So give it a try; you might be surprised at how much you can put into a small area!

And Taina, I hope you or your friends find this, and know you and Kelly are in my heart still, every day.

The Value of Friends

I had a hard time when thinking about what to post today. Due to yesterday being Good Friday and DH home all day, going to church service mid day and then coming home to a late lunch, I never made it to the studio. I have to keep reminding myself that a day off is OKAY. While I spent a good portion of the afternoon fatigued (okay, we have an elevator at church to get to the chapel, but I chose the stairs, and it's an old church so, maybe in reality, two and a half flights to walk up....?) I was also hurting pretty bad from cold wet weather.

And I was thinking of Spring. And that made me think of my friends. Spring is that breath of freshness after a long cold Winter of dark days and bone chilling nights. All around me, I have cards and goodies my friends (both here and afar thanks to the internet, groups, and this blog!) have sent wishing me a speedy recovery. They check in on me via e-mail. I have to account for my time due to the fact they KNOW ME and KNOW that I might be doing something I shouldn't...... :) That might annoy some, but for me it is a sign of concern and love.

And they need me around a while yet either for entertainment purposes or other nefarious deeds! ;)

So I, right now, feel like the plants that fill my yard, trying hard to burst into bloom again and my friends are the elements that bring Spring.

The sunny days to lift you up, the warm rains to make you bloom, the longer days to strengthen you.

I feel like all those little green buds I see on the trees and the shrubs, just waiting to pop out and be fresh and whole. Flower blossoms almost ready to bloom........that waiting game. And all the time, my dear friends tend me---they leave comments here, we chat on facebook, I correspond through my Pirate-group and e-mail. There is a lot of love.

I encourage you to let your friends and loved ones know what they mean to you. Be it a casual acquaintance on a blog you like, comment and tell them they make your day. A coffee shop you go to where you feel at home--tell them. Someone closer, let them know that they mean much to you.

Say the things that this current world would like to harden and chill out of us; that we care for each other, that we are thankful for friends far and near, that we appreciate a service rendered, that we are indeed still feeling human beings and that LOVE above all else is our priority.

Let that little hope of Spring fill your heart and let all of us as friends support each other into full bloom.

Creatively.

Emotionally.

Every day.

Stepping into new artistic territory or exploring the old.

Each creation we undertake as artists, as friends.

My friends are the Spring in my world after this long dark Winter. My friends give life.

And I thank you all for that.

Nothing more........XXXOOO!!!!