Weekend Work

My husband and I are using the weekend to clean out one of our upstairs rooms...

it used to be my studio but has turned into a messy junk room.

It' s a Huge Job to go through so much stuff and we spent all of yesterday doing just that.

I found some really cool art supplies (including a small bag of unidentified bones),

two of my grandmother's old dolls (with leather bodies)

and a sketchbook that I had as a young artist.

It was amusing, to see those old drawings that I did.

I loved drawing as much back then as I do now.

I spent a lot of time with my sketchbook, drawing the world around me.

Copying other artists, learning from them...

teaching myself.

My family was fairly poor, no money for something as frivolous as art lessons.

So everything I learned was a result of putting pencil to paper.

I have to get back to work on that upstairs room now -

I'll leave you with a peek of new work that I started Friday night

(when I was supposed to be cleaning up in the downstairs studio...).

A Stellar Day

I am a winner!

Deryn Mentock, of the awesome blog "Something Sublime", posted a giveaway there a few days ago.

I left a comment on her blog and my number was one of the winners.

How awesome is that?!

I can't wait to get the goody bag that she will be mailing out.

What a great day this has been!

I completed the paper work for the retreat classes that I am teaching in Colorado Springs (Textile Evolution) next year, completed another hand bound book and wrote up class notes for both.

My son (away at art school) called to just say "hello".

My handsome husband fixed a wonderful dinner for the both of us.

Top that off with winning the cool goodies from Deryn and my day has be Stellar.

Hearts

While drawing an image, a laceration that I accidentally obtained yesterday,

opened back up and began bleeding again.

I didn't even realize it until I stopped to check the accuracy of my marks...

and look at what I saw!?



A perfect little blood heart next to the

stem of leaves that I had drawn.

It looks like I stamped a red heart on the page!

How perfect could it be?!

I started to toss the entire page

but decided to keep it instead.

I'll dedicate that little heart, made with my blood,

to my much missed mom-in-law, Sandra.

This will go to represent my love, admiration and respect for this petite lady that had such a big heart.

She accepted me, without question, into her family based on my husbands (obvious) (:-)love of me.

I just have to say (again)...

What an awesome woman...

What a loss...

And what a blessing that she isn't suffering today.



Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement.

I cherish them and truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Our little family is continuing to grieve

but we are standing strong.

Accepting the blessing of loving memories, the help of friends

and the bond of working together.



Thanks again for all your sweet words!

Loved Ones

I haven't done a blog post in a while.

My wonderful mother in law passed away last Sunday, August 8.
It was a sudden thing, unexpected.
I have been so busy with helping at their home, serving, cleaning...
but most of all, grieving.

If you're read my blog for long, you will know that my own mom passed away last year.
Also unexpectedly.
My mother in law had stepped in and filled that void in my life.
Now I find myself floundering.

All I can say is that she was such a wonderful, giving person.
She passed away with dignity, surrounded by her loved ones.

You just never know when those that you love will be taken away.
Be sure and show them, tell them how much you love them.
Spend time with them.

So, again my readers -
Let's raise a toast.
This time to my mom in law -

RIP Sandra Sloan.

RIP.