shining egg

lately

i've been painting.  and painting. 

and painting.  and organizing and choosing and titling and preparing.

for a show.  at a local gallery.  details soon.

the sugar house

it would be impossible for me to tell you everything i learned yesterday about the making of maple syrup. besides, you probably already know all about it.  

and it would be impossible for me to share the beauty of the day - the perfectly crisp air, the bright - so bright! - sunshine, the energy and excitement of being together with almost-family.   

so even though i'd love to capture the whole thing and put it in my pocket to revisit again and again, i'm not even going to try to find the words.  these pictures will have to do.

march 16

my dad collected fountain pens.  he collected them and he restored them and he knew exactly which silent monk in which monastery on the other side of the country was able to restore which pieces for which pens, and he sent little packages back and forth with that monk for years. 

my dad also collected old clocks.  and watches.  rocking chairs.  elephants figurines, too - though he used to say that he never set out to collect those and only had so many because people kept giving them to him.  (i wonder what that says about someone, that people give them elephants as gifts?  something about wisdom, i'll bet.  or fortitude, maybe.)   

 

i've been thinking about photographing the fountain pens for a long time, loving collections as i do.  but today seemed like a good day, since today my dad would have been 62.  

 

we're having filet mignon tonight in his honor.  and penuche cake.  he would have liked that.

noticing

have you visited the noticing project lately?  alicia and heather have invited us to notice along with them this month.  you can read the details here.  and even if you don't want to play, go visit.  it's a feast for the eyes.

this jar (it holds my water when i paint) is something i've been noticing lately.  i love the way the paint pools and runs together to form these lovely little drippy colors.

happy weekend, friends.  i'm hoping to have some good time to finish this.  and (fingers crossed) cross something else off my list.

overdue, 1

i'm trying to cross some things off of my list.  the kind of things - you know them, don't you? - that feel heavy in your brain?  

item #1.  

way (way, way) back last summer when sarah announced the second gocco swap, i knew.  i knew that i couldn't not play along.  i also knew that i probably couldn't make the late-august deadline.  i knew i'd be late, but i had NO idea just how late i'd be.  

 

so here i am.  confessing.  publicly.   

i took the packages to the post office this morning.  (you can do the math.)  and now i'm posting pictures and ruining the surprise for my swapmates who read my blog.  (double boo.  so if you don't want to see what's in the package, don't scroll down to the end of this post!) 

in addition to my own delays and life's curve-balls, a piece of my gocco printer was damaged (user error, of course) and had to be replaced (thank you, leslie) - which delayed me even further.

so along with the intended set of note cards, i sent a small token of apology for being so (SO!) late.

and there you go.  gocco swap, check.  next up, pay it forward.

everyone needs a rock

you might remember that i like to play with rocks.  i've been collecting seashells and rocks for as long as i can remember - in fact, i have vivid memories of negotiating with my parents at the end of every beach vacation about how many rocks and shells i was allowed to bring home.  invariably, i had piles and buckets full of treasures and my parents wanted me to pare down to a single bucket.  i can't imagine how i managed to leave so many lovely rocks behind, but invariably, i did.

in my house today, i have rocks in almost every room - in piles, in jars, in bowls.  they're in the bathroom in a glass cylinder on top of the cabinet.  they're in the living room sitting on the piano.  they're scattered on the desk in my studio, and stacked on the windowsill there, too.  there's a favorite smooth (egg shaped) beach stone on my bedside table.  and a large round rock atop a stack of books on the desk in my bedroom.  i could go on, but i suspect that you get the picture.

one of the things i love about our blog-erhood (that's short for "blog neighborhood."  what do you think?  does that work?) is finding people who love rocks (and roasted broccoli and letterpress and springtime and photographs of kitchen sinks) as much as i do.  my friend shari has created an online exhibit of artists and bloggers and their favorite rocks.  perfect, really.  i'm honored to be included.  go visit.  because everyone needs a rock.

the weekend

man, oh man.  i'm not sure i can really say anything coherent about the weekend.  i mean, i feel like i'm still basking in the thrill of the meeting and talking (and talking and talking and talking) and eating and sharing and being together that was this weekend.  and really, i don't think there are any words to do it justice. 

so i'll just say this.  there was lunch at a bakery and a there were errands, there was cooking and waiting and talking (did i mention talking?).  there was a pretend soup restaurant and jumping rope and there was dinner with the mollycoddles and lots of playing dress up, and there was playing the piano and more talking and there were presents (for which i was unprepared - i fear this is becoming a pattern) and lots of taking pictures.  there was staying up late and there were morning walks and french press coffee, and there was oatmeal and there were pancakes, and the drive to thomas run.  there was meeting the urchins and a day at the farm with the guineas and the chickens and the dog and the cats and the doves and the stream and some muddy, muddy children and lots more talking, and drawing of horses and more presents and eggsalad and cookies.  and there were naps in the car and a little girl who only wanted to "go out with the women" (but went to dinner with her dad instead, and lots of fun while she was at it) and there were adorable shops and there was mexican food and more talking and more taking pictures, and taking pictures in bathrooms and there were more presents.  there was more staying up late and some sleeping late and lots of sitting on the porch and enjoying the spring-like weather.  there was a visit with an artist friend and talk about quilts and paintings, and there was wine and more sitting and more talking and more enjoying of the weather and taking of pictures and and then it was time to go to the airport.

and really, since i couldn't possibly give you a taste of the feelings of connection and friendship that were palpable all weekend long, this will have to do.

and now.  now, there are grandparents arriving and a holiday to celebrate and cookies to bake and a bit more sunshine to soak in.  that, and a whirlwind weekend to hold on tight to. 

green, weekend

when i rushed out of here on friday, i promised green over the weekend.  and though it was a weekend full of green - sweaters and salad and veggies and jackets and a teapot and some shoes that i didn't get to photograph before they went back into a suitcase - i have very little to show for it.  i'm pretty sure i was too busy enjoying the company.

 

and now, green week has come to a close.  although i said, originally, that i felt this week was a sort of welcoming of the prelude to spring, i now realize that it was also a beckoning.  as though, in searching for and photographing and sharing and appreciating the green, we were not only welcoming, but inviting the springtime.  i love the notion that we were doing that together.

don't forget to visit the flickr pool to see all of the green - and let it carry you through these last cold weeks.  because spring is coming.  really, she is.

green week, 5

i was going to say all sorts of lovey things about green today.  but i'm running late to meet someone at the airport.  so i'm leaving you with my green arrangement; a request that you please, please, please go see this arrangement right now (really.  go.  now.); and a promise that green week is not over for me yet.  i'm pretty sure it's going to be a green weekend.

wishing you a glorious one.

green week, 4

1. the fixins, 2. Alpine Mignonette Strawberries, 3. home, 4. rock wall, 5. grass::green week, 6. green 02. , 7. coffee for green week, 8. green- thursday, 9. green week :: day 2, 10. green day 3, 11. green week, 12. one green book, 13. Green.1, 14. California Academy of Sciences, 15. green, 16. avocado

this morning when i woke, the sky was fully light.  and i could hear birds singing outside my window.  that (not to mention all this green!) has me feeling quite cheery right now.

have a lovely day, friends.