I forgot this one

Finished this today too.

Did the harebell loose her girdle
To the lover bee,
Would the bee the harebell hallow
Much as formerly?
Emily Dickinson


9x12 canvas

What I did today

I'm trying to paint on Mondays for my mental health, but it is not very calm and peaceful when you feel frustrated. I finally painted these 3 birds. I'm not crazy about them. I might paint over, but thinking about them for awhile. Right now they frustrate me.I also traced the pattern for Alicia Paulson's embroidery sampler, which you can download for $6.
Another thing I did today which is kind of scary as far as my mind goes, is I worked for about 2 hours to mail a package. I had all sorts of problems, the bubble wrap smelled like gas, so I had to start over after I got it all packaged and then I couldn't get the label to print for awhile. Anyway, finally got it outside, heard what I thought was the mailman, Zoe barked as usual, and after an hour or so, I decided to check the mail and I see this package outside, and I think, "wow, somebody sent me a package!..Yippee!" I ripped it open.

IT. WAS. MY. PACKAGE. I MAILED. The mailman had not come yet, my package had just fallen off the chair. Losing it. Totally losing it.
In less stupid news, I lowered the price on that green bough painting I did last week. When I first do something, I love it so much, I don't want it to sell, so sometimes I price things too high. :) I'm over it.

Asher video

Had a great weekend with Asher. Here is video for my mom and any other Asher lovers out there.
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If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come

I've wanted to do a painting featuring this Chinese proverb for a long time. Thanks to positive words from Jone Hallmark, I painted this today.

Lamb Chops Dinner and Liar's Dice

Aishi cooked us dinner the other night and had some friends over. Not pictured is the coconut lime cake. They played liar's dice, and it was funny, but my video did not turn out very well.

Is that my son, jumping off a bridge in China?

Yikes. He says it was not as high as it looks. They have been gone 3 months and will be back June 16. Our lives are going to change again.

A Thank you and a SORRY

I've been totally lame about replying to comments on my blog -for some time- and I'm sorry. I have no excuses, I just should do it and I don't. It reminds me that a few dear people besides my mother and mother in law read this  little thing and I appreciate you all, very,very much.  :) Especially with this long dry spell of not painting, that's what this is supposed to be about and it's rarely been. I feel hopeful that I will paint more....
Please know that I read and think about every comment.

Thank you, dear readers!

Julie

A Dream Pang

A Dream Pang

I had withdrawn in forest, and my song
Was swallowed up in leaves that blew alway;
And to the forest edge you came one day
*This was my dream) and looked and pondered long,
But did not enter, though the wish was strong:
you shook your pensive head as who should say,
'I dare not--to far in his footsteps stray-
He must seek me would he undo the wrong.'

Not far, but near, I stood and saw it all
behind low boughs the trees let down outside;
And the sweet pang it cost me not to call
And tell you that I saw does still abide.
But 'tis not true that thus I dwelt aloof,
For the wood wakes, and you are here for proof.

ROBERT FROST

Flower Gathering

Flower-Gathering
I left you in the morning,
And in the morning glow,
You walked a way beside me
To make me sad to go.
Do you know me in the gloaming,
Gaunt and dusty gray with roaming?
Are you dumb because you know me not,
Or dumb because you know?

All for me And not a question
For the faded flowers gay
That could take me from beside you
For the ages of a day?
They are yours, and be the measure
Of their worth for you to treasure,
The measure of the little while
That I've been long away.

ROBERT FROST A Boy's Will

I woke up to:

The new coldplay song

My Lady Head

I think the little fuchsias coming out of the back of my lady head this year are so cute.

Dinner and a movie in the Rain Forest

Mass Moss

Some camping was had this week, by the Fillos. Dave got to go fishing. I took about a million pictures of moss and ferns and things in the rain forest, where we camped by the Hoh River. We had fun. Then we went to Sekiu, and Dave fished with Micah and Sean. Micah caught halibut, but Dave did not. But fun was still had. The weather was fairly crappy, but surprisingly doable. I made a strawberry summer cake and burned the top of my wrist and played several million games of Mahjong.

 Rialto Beach

 The view of Hoh River from our trailer

Now I've bored you with photos of the Rain forest. But I'm thinking there might be some desert dwelling reader who has never seen or misses the wetness of the forest and mossy padded trees and delightful lichen. How I adore it.
We also drove up to Neah Bay and Dave talked about his favorite chidhood memory ever, which was camping in his parents new 16 foot trailer with the Greens. We think we found the spot. I said, "Why don't you ask your parents?" But I think it is the quest and the memory he likes. The beaches by Neah Bay are incredible. I wish I had taken some pictures. But they are world class. I like thinking about him with his family and me with my family camping up there. Maybe little girl Julie saw little boy Dave all those years ago on some rainy beach and we smiled at each other.
I also heard this song this weekend and it describes exactly how I feel about that man.

Lyrics | Sara Bareilles lyrics - Basket Case lyrics

Music I'm Thinking About Today

My Daddy

This was my dad about the time my mom met him. He died when I was 24. I still miss him. He was awesome.

Some Whales

I painted 7 whales the other day, because I promised one to my friend Trixy months ago and while I did one, I might as well do more. I will list them on etsy, for $40 each. If you are interested let me know here and I will ship it for free.

Tea Party at Sharon's

My friend Sharon gave a tea party yesterday and invited Verna and I to help with it. We had so much fun over two days, making the food together. She invited 8 ladies we know who have all lost their husbands, including my mom. It was a delightful afternoon.

My adorable mom
My dear friends, Sharon and Verna talk to the ladies:
Verna made these amaretto cream cups and a cheese terrine with nut sauce and her famous shortbreadI made a strawberry and pistachio pavlova (foreground, below)and lemon curd tart. Sharon made the chocolate raspberry cakes, a stacked sandwich loaf, quiche and more things than I can remember.
My mom's place setting
Pre-party champs with my friends:

A video of my mom talking about how she first met my dad.

I Love this commercial

So Simple, So True

Shanna Murray's Decals

Some Music Videos I Like

I remember staying up past midnight with my kids to watch videos on friday night on WTBS, this was around 1987, and in the days of Peter Gabriel, his video Sledgehammer which is an awesome example of stop motion animation, which I am fascinated by.



I adore these children in costume, singing with Ryan Gosling:










Also, this is hilarious

Most of the above links I got from this blog, http://therebeccaartemisa.blogspot.com/

and her friend is http://grahamkahler.blogspot.com where I found the Key Video