yet left or right?

It appears that Keira cannot decide if she is yet left or right handed.  She does a wonderful job with both, but usually her left hand grip looks much more natural...guess we'll have to wait and find out :)  I'm loving watcher her as she carries around a small rainbow of crayons and her notepad.  Surprisingly, she chose the purple one and I wonder if she is subconsciously being persuaded by the fact that she's dressed like an Easter egg (that's what a woman in the store told me anyway) .  Mostly, she likes to plop down almost right on Oliver and place her paper on top of his fluffy pillowy self and proceed to work there.  The funny thing is...he doesn't seem to mind too much most days.  It's all very sweet.  And then there's Savy, keeping his distance hiding in the blanket hutch because he knows when he's in there...she can only get so close.  What would I be without my Keira and my Cats for entertainment?

rainy day morning

It's wet and damp outside, but I kind of like it.  The recently raked-of-all-twigs yard is getting a nice, cool drink of all this water and is turning back to that summery green I look forward to all year.  Not that I need one, but this gray day is giving me a perfect excuse to light up the wood stove again and sip slowly from my toasty mug.  The sound of the tires on the wet road as the cars drive by is like a comforting fuzz in the background, so this is one day I'm not bothered that our house is a bit close to the road.  It's calm here and life seems to move more slowly today than others, which I love.  If I could I would prefer to add at least 3 more hours of light to the day.  Imagine what accomplishments could come from an extra three hours :)  More fun work, a tidier house, time for a nap, a better tended garden, a nice long run with my bouncy sneakers and music in my head, and more well-prepared dinners that savor of the heart and soul put into the making, possible only with more time.  If only...But in the meantime, I'll have to settle with staying up entirely too late, rarely sitting down during the day, and a mind full of over-anxious ideas waiting to come to fruition :)  That's okay too, it adds excitement to life when the goal is...how many fun things can I squeeze into one day? 

Just a couple pictures from adventures of a not-so-rainy day...a couple days ago.

simply sweet

Today it was mid 60's.  A little spring preview "they" say.  Keira and I spent the afternoon at Tyler Park with a good friend Lauren who is one half of the wonderful photography duo, morrisseyphoto.  What a nice day it was too.  So warm I wore a short sleeved T and didn't even bring a sweatshirt :)  We walked the long and windy path through the shadowy woods, mini dogs, speed-walking couples, and baby strollers.  Lauren wore her sweet Quinn in a little baby carrier on her person.  Keira just had the time of her life in her Kelty Kids Backpack slung over my shoulders.  Those of you with kids...this is the most awesome thing.  Throw your "baggage" (a.k.a. "sweet little one") in the pack on your back and take off....

Hooray for the warm weather.  Why, oh why, do I live on the northern East Coast when I adore the sun so much???

beads and a party

 Look at this.  I love how the crystal water beads stay behind after a rainy day.  So pretty and makes everything feel so fresh and alive.  Today is pretty quiet, thankfully.  After a whirlwind couple days of orders, I've shipped the last out into the world this morning.  I'm catching up on some much needed house-tidying.  The destruction I leave behind when I'm knee deep in projects is almost as bad as a tornado :)  I'll also be playing nurse today to my sister who just got some wisdom teeth extracted.  Not pleasant for her...but I'm happy to have her resting on the freshly "made up like a bed" couch and attending to her every need.  We decided she should get a little bell to ring me over whenever she's wanting :)  It's fun having her around for a couple long days after living in separate households for so many years.  It's like winter camp, or vacation, or a party or something.  Tonight, since I'm obviously obsessed with working...I'll be starting some new work that I've been pondering over all day.  And I'm looking forward to making mashed potatoes since swollen mouths cannot eat solid foods.  Today is lovely :)  How's yours going?

up to my ears

This week and today especially...I'm up to my ears in custom special orders, which is great!!!  Good thing I still have my eyes to see what I'm doing :)  Sometimes it feels like my mind runs rampant and I am consumed with too much thinking, if there is such a thing.  I find there's no better distraction than work.  It's calming and therapeutic to be swallowed up by new ideas, plans, and other perspectives.  A big crystal Mediterranean blue wave washes through me and swirls around my worries, getting rid of the old loose thoughts and replacing them with new, fresh, and clean ones.  It's kind of like what happens in the dishwasher.

These particular orders I'm working on involve paper and more paper.  And...that is also something I love.  Plain.  Simple.  Sometimes it's so pretty, I almost don't even want to use it up.  But then I remember...that would be such a waste for beautiful things to be held captive in the dark depths of a closet or a drawer.  Much like people, I think.  We might as well get out there and share our colors and make a footprint in the world.

 

 

Some photos of Howie B and I on our travels...I use these as samples for my Mini Albums, but these are some of my favorite pics from over the years:  

 Parc del Laberint d'Horta (Labyrinth Park) in Barcelona with perfectly trimmed maze hedges and swans floating under the weathered stone bridge, Allasio Italy with it's millions of steps down the footpath to the sea, and Sifting through the long stretch of a pebbly beach to find the smoothest stones and sea glass washed in by the Mediterranean.

wanting

Is there ever anything you want so bad, but just can't seem to get?  I feel that way today.  Most of the time, I don't expect much, but today...I was just hoping for more.  Maybe someday, with a lot of praying and hoping and wanting and working, I will get what I've been looking forward to for so long.  If you've ever felt this way, you know that the best option is just to...keep on truckin'.  I hope all the best for you too and I think we should all keep dreaming until that dream is a quite alive and real!

“May the love hidden deep inside your heart find the love waiting in your dreams. May the laughter that you find in your tomorrow wipe away the pain you find in your yesterdays.”

I can't figure who said this, but I like it.