Travel

"The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing."
—Daniel J. Boorstin
While it seems (to me) that I'm just returning from travel, I'm also preparing for more travel in the fall. Cortona in September and Portland Art & Soul in October. (Also the 3-Day in October . . . why do I schedule my activities in bursts??)

I made this journal from a composition notebook to document my fall journeys. I used color and texture techniques I learned from Michael deMeng and Leighanna Light, I used the repurposed composition book idea I [stole] from Kim Kwan and Sarah Whitmire.

Morpheus Box Completed

One of my favorite classes at Art & Soul in Hampton, Virginia, last month was Michael deMeng's Morpheus Box. You may remember that I posted the unfinished project here.
After the class, when Michael did his critique of everyone's work, people amazed me with their explanations of why they used the elements they did, the feelings behind their projects, and the way all of these things came together in the most beautiful pieces of art.

I felt like I had not done my homework. My fledgling box was adorned with elements I brought with me. I had not thought about a direction, had not even wrapped my mind around how the finished project might look. My box had a tin type of a man I didn't know on one of four sides and a vintage rabies tag on the frame. I used a piece of mica that I purchased the night before. I attached an old optical lens I had in my supplies. Michael suggested that he was sure I'd thought of putting an object behind this lens to be magnified . . . Ummmm, of course . . .
Well, I'm happy to say that I finished this project, and it has a direction . . . or two. It's about seeing, about growing, and about flying. I'm really happy with the finished box, and I can hardly wait until my week-long workshop with Michael in Cortona, Italy, in September.

Sigh. Yep, I'm hooked!

The perks of being MeeMaw . . .

I knew that eventually it would happen.
Kiran's mom would go back to work, and I'd get to step in as Meemaw/daycare provider. Today was my third day staying with the source of all sunlight(SOAS). I get to do it again tomorrow!I recently read a quote that makes me laugh: "The reason that grandparents and grandkids get along so well is that they share a common enemy."Okay, I know Kiran, that is not the case with your folks. Still, it is funny.

162 Good Days . . . in case anyone is counting . . .

Because you may have seen this. And if you didn't, well, it doesn't hurt to spread a message of hope, because you may be there or know someone who is. *That's 162 good days this year. C has 199 clean days under his belt.

I am so proud and so full of peace.

Takin' a Lickin'

First I left for Art & Soul Hampton, then for a cruise to Alaska, then we had company for my surprise birthday, and finally this last visit from Marissa and Jaycea, who went home this morning. During the past ten days we've been to the shore, to New York, to Washington, DC, and to the mall. We've gone out for dinner, out for ice cream, out for photographs . . .

And poor Atticus just didn't get it. Always a mama's boy, he was apparently pushed over the edge by all the activities of the past six weeks. He began licking . . . and licking . . . and licking his front leg. The vet told me it was likely the result of stress from separation anxiety. And while it may have started in his head, it has turned into a very real open sore on his leg -- a lick granuloma I've been told. He will be on antibiotics and wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt for the next fourteen days, and if he still won't leave it alone now that I'm home, we'll start him on prozac.

I kid you not.

Capturing Moments

My cousin's daughter (my second cousin?) has been staying with us for a week.She's here to see the east coast and so that I can take some photos for her graduation pictures.I've had fun shooting pictures of her this past week. She doesn't really take a bad picture.And she takes lots of good ones. How difficult was this? And this afternoon, my youngest son came in. Not so hard to photograph him either.