Mr. Valentine has come to the Moline house

Another Christmas Day

...is unbelievably almost over. All day I have meant to mosey on over to this keyboard to wish all who enter in a joyous and memorable day. Pesky things kept me from completing this adventurous goal; you know, opening up lovely presents from husband, family, and friends. And having a fine and traditional breakfast including bacon crisped up to its perfect spot, AND walking the neighborhood (we have the best street in Tehaleh and a view of the mountain, so there), AND getting into some new books, AND having another fine and festive dinner meal so, you know, things like that.

Mt. Rainer looms over the neighborhood

..our street twinkles,  yes it does. 

That's one red chair in there!

But here in the perfectly wintry but not icy cold Puget Sound, it has not yet reached midnight, so I can still qualify this as a holiday wish, for whatever holiday you celebrate. I hope this finds you well and content and filled with joy on this day that comes around so fast and goes away faster still.

Bob and I are blessed and we are so thankful to have health, family, and friends, 

and a country we love, despite its potholes, pranks, and pitfalls. 

More than ever we all will need to work extra hard in the year ahead to

speak in friendly tones, practice our values, be an informed reader and listener

of events and news from trusted sources, 

and hold on tight to optimism and hope but

stay ever aware and thoughtful and assertive. Let us not take
anything for granted and let the past serve up wisdom 

for a challenging future and

a test of our strength for a country we all hold dear. 

Ever since I was five...

It's been five years since my last Last Day of School, but, ever the teacher, I think of those special days in this way:

Ever since I was five
(a long time already to be alive),
the happiest importantest day of all
was not the colorful first day of fall
as awesome and glorious as that can be.
Nor was the day of gifts under the tree,
though certainly pleasant...
the red green mood, the brightly wrapped present...
And Fourth of July would line up for sure
in a list of favorite events to occur,
one would think, its redbluewhitelong
warm firecracker day, a contender strong.
Not birthday day with birthday balloon.
No, the winner was always day in June:
But the Junemoonswoon means nothing to me.
and I never intended a June bride to be.
June, instead, whether grown-up or five
has the very best day to be alive.
Because, whether the day be warm or cool,
It's the playful day AFTER the last day of school!

To all my teacher friends, far and near,
May upcoming summer days be your best of the year!

Tapping the Inner Child

I am having fun in Carla Sonheim's Y is for Yellow online class. Our assignment this week was childlike relief prints. It happens that the school I sub in had a recent art fair; I replicated some artwork by mostly 6- and 7-year olds, trying to capture the essence to start. Then we worked some magic. Carla's got the Secret Sauce. Love love the imagination that get stirred. 

Duckaroo

I know what giraffe-tee. 

Which way was I going now? 

Eye on the prize.


 And, a confession for Valentines Day.

I couldn't resist. So I bought one for each of us. Is there anything more decadent than a sugar cookie?  I mean, at least chocolate is a food group.

Spring Teaser

We had a lovely break from gray and rain today. Almost 60! Felt like spring, except the buds are still hiding. Took a break from my Mega-Zine building and took a walk in the neighborhood. We are surrounded by mountains.

View a few steps from our house. 

The mountains wrap around the neighborhood view. 

We need to walk a block to be able to view the Lake. And more mountains. 

Methinks the iPad cover slipped down but I'll say I did it on purpose for effect.

15 years ago and coulda been yesterday....

I have posted a video of one of my past visual journals in my quest to get them all up on the Red Chair website. To encourage you to visit there, I'm sending you over with the link instead of posting the video here.

Preview.....

I struggle a little with the whole idea of posting these anywhere. Art journals are the rage and they are all over the internet. I enjoy looking at what others have done and being inspired by them. I kept visual journals for a long time before they took off. Mine were never meant to be public, although I hope they will be passed on after I meet with the angels. I love revisiting them, and often do, filling some pages left undone before. Some of them are less about "art" than being"visual" in journal form, though I use the terms interchangeably. I use these journals occasionally for celebrating and for some venting about little frustrations - nothing too deep and diary-personal here -but mostly for making art, experimenting with ideas, and recording the times in which I live. I let the bits of news I save and the quotes I use reflect my opinions. (It probably wouldn't take long for someone to figure me out.)

Creating videos of these journals is a ridiculously long process, and I am wavering whether worth the time it takes. Then again, it feels a little like the book you write but never publish, the journeys you take but never record, and the shared histories you never share.

Too pretty to eat

...don't you think? Autumn squash sitting in my Italian bowl.

Catching up...

Now that the longer subbing gig is over, it's back to art and catching up. Three months behind in the monthly postcard exchange.  August....check!

A couple of versions of the carved pansies I just finally finished (although I started them in August!)

Note added a month later:  I pretty much decided that ain't no pansy.  Later versions are morning glories. As they should be! 

It's That Time Of Year...

...so I painted a pumpkin.  

Ode to the Powerless

Between studio clean-up, out-of-town guests, and a last-minute commitment to sub for an indeterminate length, I've not been able to draw, paint, mix my media, create, ponder, read, save the world or blog. So I've pulled out a poem I wrote and included in our 2007 Christmas cards to explain why we sent no cards the previous and infamous December 2006. I was reminded of this because our area still has  several hundred homes without power from serious winds last weekend. We here at 624 were gratefully not one of those affected this time. But we have already paid our dues. Our days of Powerlessness numbered TEN. as explained here:

On fourteen Dec two thousand six
We 3 Molines got in a fix                                         *Bob, Wrigley the Cat, Diane
From winds and rain so fierce and strong
That Northwest WAh had to get along
For days that numbered two...three...four...
The Northwest day, (eight hours, no more),
No heat, no phone, no "You've got mail."
For most, after 4 days, ended the tale.                      Power returned for all but 100 customers.
Not for THIS cold house at six two four.
Day five...day six...the patience wore
As neighbors lit their homes again
Day seven...day eight...still dark and when
We finally left for Illinois white
On 22 Dec in the dead of night                                 Actually, 4:00 pm but may as well have been
We were one of a hundred
Without heat and light
So that's the story behind the fact
And why your mailbox last year lacked
Our greetings and wishes for holiday cheer
A Merry Christmas and Happy New  Year.
But here's our wish for peace, felicity,
Love, and joy, and electricity.                                  
                                                                                             
Power returned to the last 100 homes on Dec. 23 as we discovered when we "called Wrigley" from Illinois and, well, he didn't answer, probably under covers deep, but our answering machine had the juice to answer!

Wrigley spent much of the time  under the blankets

The chair to sit in...

while contemplating the end of summer...

carved images and alphabet i created for an exchange a few years back

...and I think it was the Fourth of July...

....cuz, you know,  there's flags....

I carved the flag for an exchange several years ago.

  ... fireworks...

bigfoto.com

....the hydrangeas are in full bloom...

  ...racing with the daisies, who are holding their own.

...and I'm almost sure I spotted some corn-on-the-cob, hot dogs, watermelon, and cole slaw. And a pickle. I'm pretty sure.

Hope your fireworks were amazing,  your picnics ant-free, and your team won.


(This year's Boys in the Boat,  all you rowing fans....)


 God Bless America. Happy to be  here.

a backyard surprise

A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up,
whether or no the sun be shining outside. 

~ A.A. Milne

Even the daffodils think it's spring here in the Pacific Northwest. 

Sharing my Friday Find here, too. 

Blue sky...

Check. 

Green all around.

(But  this was my favorite cute green thing.)

Check.

Outdoor seating. 

Check.

Seattle skyline.

It's there!  Straight ahead. 

Check.

The only thing missing from my feels-like-spring walk to the gym today are the buds and blossoms of April. Otherwise, in the mid 60s, you'd be fooled today... and there is no snow anywhere except on mountaintops.

So, Phoenix, LA, San Diego?  ....I'll meet yours and raise,  this lovely January day.

idea grab

inspiration, part many-many

I have been enamored by several lusciously richly photographed magazines, non glossy Anthropologie-catalog-like pages...so have treated myself to some paper or digital new and
back issues. I know you can find current issues of Sweet Paul and Kinfolk at Anthropologie and a few other similar stores. They are pricey, although digital issues and back issues are less so. But they are well over 100 pages loaded with good ideas and gorgeous photography as any similar book so, actually, they are bargains! she said to justify her obsession.  Oh, and also, far fewer ads than most magazines.

Sweet Paul   instagram.com/sweetpaulmagazine

More later,,,,
Chick Pea
The Simple Things

Uppercase