I know it's really spring when.....

[yes, it's my annual turtle blog! where i get all excited about finding a turtle on the side of the road and then pretend to be, like, a herpetologist or David Attenborough or somebody and tell you all about turtles! You ready? Good!]

Driving the kids to school yesterday I spied this Grande Dame on the side of the road:

An ancient snapper, this old gal had a carapace the size of a large dinner plate and bore healed-over war wounds from who knows what...snappers are naturally very curious and often get close to boats to investigate, thus sustaining injuries from boat propellers. Others survive attacks by other wild animals, and those that aren't killed when crossing the road are often injured. Whatever caused the big scar on this turtle's back wasn't enough to do her in.

When you see a turtle in New England this time of year you can be nearly sure it is a female, looking for a place to lay her eggs. The males travel to mate, but rarely leave their home body of water, whereas the females may travel up to several miles to find an acceptable nest site. They will often return to the same nest site year after year, using some homing ability that we mere humans have yet to understand. Judging by the size of this gal, she could have been anywhere from 10 to 30 years old.

When you find a snapper - or any turtle for that matter -- trying to cross the road, stop the traffic and then "herd" the animal toward the side of the road in the direction in which it was headed. If you return the animal to the side it came from, it will only try again to cross, so this won't help.

After I'd pulled off the side of the road I walked around a bit trying to figure out which way this turtle was headed. I checked out the tracks and found that she had come from the other side of the road, so she only needed a little encouragement to get off the shoulder of the busy road and down into the safety of the marsh where, hopefully, she will find a great nesting spot.

Turtles are an amazing species that deserves protection, and it truly felt like an honor to meet this one.

For more information on snappers, please click through here.

Bamboo & Pinwheels

Inspired by all my crafty friends (like Brooke!) who make the most amazing quilts, I decided it was time to get out all of the fabric I’ve been collecting over the past few years and start making something with it. I found this pattern online and fell in love with it:

Doesn’t it look fun? The pattern is amazing because the way it is pieced and cut, you end up with blocks for two different quilts, one is Bamboo and the other is Pinwheels. Here is a link to a pattern you can buy. I myself was too impatient to wait for a pattern and started experimenting on my own to figure out the technique. If you work with a cutting mat and rotary cutter (and who doesn’t these days?) piecing it is a breeze.

Here’s another gorgeous sample from Betty at Shadywood Quilts.


Here is my quilt in progress:

strips folded and ready to sew together with sashing.

pressing the seams.

zipping right along.

This project has been a great counterpoint to my schoolwork. I worked on a big paper yesterday the entire time the kids were in school, and then after supper I was really ready to get out of my left brain and into my right hemisphere! I was able to work on the quilt right up until it was time for stories and putting the kids to bed, and that time working with my hands and watching something tangible and lovely come together gave me a good refueling. Today, I’m ready to get back to the paper; and working on the quilt later will be my “carrot on a stick.”

Cinco Ways to Cinco Your Mayo!

1. Wow! Today's the day that Mexico defeated the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Many people mistakenly think that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's "Independence Day" (which is really September 16th). Of course, this isn't true. Mexico's journey to independence was a long and rocky one, and while Mexico attained true "independence" as a country around 1821 they had to continue fighting for their independence for years to come. I'm too lazy to paraphrase the better explanation that you can easily reference here, but the bottom line is that Mexico finally kicked France's arse in 1862 and that's why a perfect way to celebrate this holiday is to go to Taco Bell in an area with a predominantly French population. Biddeford or Lewiston would be perfect. If that's not feasible, eat some nachos while watching Amelie and pretending not to like it.(1)

2. Run out immediately and buy a chihuahua.
You know damned well you've been wanting to accessorize with a canine that fits in a sequined totebag, and what's cuter than a dog that sells tacos? Impulse-buying a chihuahua today allows you to be fashionable while simultaneously feigning an interest in multiculturalism.

You don't want to support the cruel and greedy puppy mills, however, so do NOT run to your local mall to buy the chihuahua. Contact a reputable breeder, or better yet, go online (oh, you're already online! how HANDY!) and google up your local CHiHuAHua ReSCuE GrOUp  and ADOPT ONE! If all else fails, steal one out of someone's truck. I am tired of seeing all these old farts driving around town with tiny dogs on their shoulders, as if they are trying to prove they are confident enough in their masculinity to wear a girly dog on their person. If you are man enough to drive a pickup truck then grow some nads for gods' sake and get a rottweiler or at very least a beagle, which you can pass off as a "hunting dog."  I am just kidding. I actually love seeing these big tough guys with the froufy dogs. The love they have for their beloved furballs transcends gender role expectations, and what could be cooler than that? For reals. Oh, and incidentally, if you want to celebrate by buying the chihuahua but really can't take care of it (I was going to say "but don't have the room..." hhahaha because they're so SMALL, see, that anybody has room,(2) so that would've been a really funny joke), uh, then buy one and give it to me.

3. I'd be remiss not to include this suggestion, even though it's so obvious it's more like a default: drink something brewed in Mexico (I know: duh.)

4. Find Mexico on a map!
This one should be fun and educational for the whole family. We keep hearing about Mexico and illegal immigrants and how we need to "secure our borders" and "protect our jobs." But let's be honest, how many of us really know where Mexico actually is? How many of us know where our actual borders are, unless we're talking about the bookstore chain? I'll bet there're a whole bunch of us still confusing Mexico with Canada, which is indeed a neighbor but to our NORTH, not to our SOUTH. You can tell the difference because that's where we get:

(oh look! there's a clever immigrant
sneaking into our country now!)

Point. Well. Taken.

But seriously. Don't we have more important things to worry about than securing our borders? How to afford the gas, for example, to drive to Biddeford to eat at Taco Bell? or what color of tote bag to carry our chihuahuas in? Let's get our priorities straight. That's what Cinco de Mayo is all about. And if it's not, it should be.

5. Learn some Spanish! Not to brag, but I am practically fluent(3) myself, and I have Dora the Explorer to thank for that. To my daughter, Dora is right up there with such important historical icons as Barbie, Sleeping Beauty, and the lady that gives her free lollipops at the bank drive thru. Why, just last night, I was forced to read this to Halle at storytime:

 

and would have refused(4) but decided I could pass it off as our Cinco de Mayo "celebration" due to all the Spanish words in it. After all, I probably won't be going to the Biddeford Taco Bell to celebrate with the gusto the holiday deserves. But I may possibly go to WalMart for Q-tips. In which case I will buy some Corona. And some limes.

Vamanos!

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(1) my maiden name was "Dusseault" so i get a lifetime free pass on all Frenchie jokes [so simmah down now, memere.]

(2) if you can tell me with a straight face you don't "have room for a chihuahua" i will assume you live in a farking Altoids tin.

(3) And by "fluent" I mean "being able to count to ten and say 'Let's Go!' in appropriate context."

(4) I try to discourage Christmas propaganda outside the month of December otherwise I'd be subjected to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Wiggly Christmas" All. Year. Round.  Which has been been proven in laboratory tests to induce seizures in otherwise healthy and sane adults.

Free Piece of Mind

Lisa Tenzin-Dolma's new book is a distillation of her explorations into the paths to purpose and fulfilment, and how our perception shapes our reality. These are topics near and dear to me, so I was very excited to make Lisa's acquaintance recently and learn that she is generously sharing a free chapter of her new book Mind and Motivation on her website. If you'd like to read Chapter 1 of Mind & Motivation, entitled 'A Sense of Purpose', check it out at http://www.lulu.com/lisatenzin



It is sure to inspire and, possibly, give you a bit of insight into what you yourself might be unconsciously drawing into your life with your thoughts. If you want to do a fun exercise, follow her instructions for the Life Collage exercise on page 4 of the free chapter. Don't peek ahead at the interpretation until you are all done! It is very interesting to see what the images and their placement can tell you about yourself.

If you have read my blogs at all you already know that I love collage; it is a form adaptable to virtually any size or range of materials, and its potential for use in self-discovery or healing is unlimited. I have run "collage groups" at work wherein I encourage patients to make collages as a cognitive behavior therapy exercise. We talk about how we create our reality with our thoughts and how much of what we experience comes to us through the metaphysical law of abundance: "What you focus on increases." If you are focusing on what is wrong, life will seem overwhelming. If you are focusing on what is right - things will seem much more manageable. Groovy, even. In CBT as well as in Buddhism, a goal is to become mindful of what your thoughts are doing at any given time thereby enabling yourself to more actively choose what you want to focus on. And choosing your focus means choosing your outcome. And that my friends is how collage will save the world. Ta Da! (1)

Here's my (gulp!) collage:

Just as in dream interpretation, the interpretation of collage can tell you what is on your mind, what your hopes and aspirations are, and what "foundations" or past influences are driving your actions at present. Go ahead and try it!
( I showed you mine. Now you show me yours!)

In addition to Mind and Motivation, Lisa has published many other articles and books, including some really luscious-looking books on creating mandalas (another interest of mine!) So stop by and say hello to Lisa!

NAMASTÉ

______________________________________
(1)There, that's my dissertation in a nutshell. That done, think I'll go have a tea and celebrate.

The Three Jewels

Like a lot of folks, I seem to be having trouble taking close-up photos of my work. My collages and ACEO's are all small and flat, and I'm able to get really good high-res images by scanning them. I've even put my meditation stones face-down on the scanner and gotten some nice clear images of them, but the scans aren't all that visually compelling. I'd like to take photos that will show what they'd look like in the home - on a windowsill, on a meditation altar, or like this, with the other goodies that I send when someone orders the Three Jewels set. But look how fuzzy it is!

Several of my friends are very talented quilt artists and looking at all their beautiful things has gotten me itching to sew! I finally got out my sewing machine and managed to whip up this lovely drawstring bag from a crane print I had on hand from a fabric swap a while back. Fun and easy to make! My machine was decidedly sluggish though, and I couldn't get the tension right no matter what I did to it. I realized that I couldn't even remember when I'd brought it in last for a tune-up. So in it went to the repair place for an over-haul. She's back now and ready to roar!

Here is a great little pattern for a simple drawstring bag from happythings.
and here is her dee-luxe version, which is still simple enough for the beginner (that's me, yo!) but has a lining. What a great little trick for painlessly putting in a lining! Can't wait to make a bunch. In the meantime, if anyone has any tips for taking great macro shots, please pass them along!

show me your wild self!

Well, I was supposed to go in to work today and do a short shift while me kiddies were in school. But before I'd dropped the little ones off I rec'd a call from work saying I was not needed on that unit today after all. Wooot! Boy, sometimes you just don't know how much you didn't want to do something until you feel the relief of not having to do it. Am I right?

So, I'm taking today as a "bonus" day. Now that I'm over that horrible "Death Flu" that's been going around and managed to finish a paper for school, I want to clear a bit of clutter, get caught up on the laundry, collage a cover for my 2008 "financials" notebook, and prep some new canvases. I have some paintings that have existed in my mind for weeks and now want to come out in a physical manifestation. I have been (mostly!) sticking to my "daily devotions," creating a piece of art (1) every day -- even when I was recently in Vermont for my winter residency I managed to do some ACEOs(2) in my hotel room on pre-cut 2.5"x3.5" cardstock pieces I brought with me. Now I am itching to start making larger pieces.

Before I head down to the basement workshop, I wanted to share with you this fun little something I found on this gal's blog: a really cool generator that lets you Build Your Wild Self.

Here's me as a Lun-Fly-Lion:

What does YOUR wild self look like?

______________________________________
(1) oh hush. I'm using the term "art" loosely here.
(2) What the heck is an ACEO? Click here to find out. Then click here if you want to see some of mine.

******************************************************
MARCH SPECIAL for my Blogger readers:
Pick any 1 ACEO from my Etsy shop for only $6! (usually $8.50)
or Pick any 3 ACEOs from my Etsy shop for $15! (that's a $10 savings!)
Just type "blogger" in the comments section when you order
and then and I will invoice you at discounted price.
******************************************************

One World One Heart Winner!

Congratulations to Robyn of Happy House of Haas!
Robyn is the winner of my One World One Heart Valentine give-away!
Click here to see what she won.

I used the Random Number Generator to choose my winner (and was very careful not to count my own comments as posts!). The winner has been notified by email and will, I hope, send me her snailmail addy soon so I can get her bag of goodies right out to her!

Thanks everyone for stopping by and participating in this very fun event, and thanks to Lisa Oceandreamer for hosting OWOH!

my daughter on her way out the door this morning, all ready for the big classroom Valentine Party!

Remember, the man who sent the first Valentine was writing a note to his beloved from jail, asking her simply not to forget him. He wrote not only to her but to his family as well. With the retail shopping machine that Valentine's Day has (de)volved into, we sometimes get caught up in feeling like we have to have an "Object of Desire" or be someone else's "Object of Desire." But people aren't objects, and anyway, you can be "in love" without actually having or being an object. Be in love with the world. Be yourself. Give of yourself. Tell the ones you care about that you do. They say that love is verb. So if you feel somehow "less than" on Valentine's Day that you don't have someone to whom to say those three little words, then just cut to the chase and say two:

I LOVE.

Doesn't much matter what you love, it matters that you do.

Namaste!

Maine-Made Treasury!

Wow! Last night for the heck of it I clicked on "Treasury" on Etsy and was amazed that there was room for me to put one up! If you have an Etsy shop, putting together a treasury is a great way to show your support for fellow artists and, if you can get enough people clicking on it to check it out, bring some attention to not only their shops but yours too, as the "curator." I have tried to snag a treasury before, to no avail, as there are only so many slots available and the chance to enter a new one only occurs when the list is down below 333. Apparently, thousands of eager crafters stand (probably sit) ready to jump at the chance to enter a new treasury, because the number will be 333 and then you hit "refresh" and it will say "sorry, treasury is full" and the list will have 571 or some ridiculous number of treasuries. In other words, it's like trying to dial in to win a radio station prize, or hitting the lotto! But that's exactly what happened last night and since I've had my treasury list put together & ready to go for weeks, I input it PRONTO.

My list features all Maine artists; my nod to all my fellow crafters keeping their creative juices flowing in spite of this cold, snow-laden Maine winter! I think we have a reputation for making lighthouse coasters and kitschy Moose items (you can go to Google and do a search and find sources for authentic moose poop earrings, I kid you not), but as Dirtgirl Pottery (see her groovy Tan and Turquoise Retro Circles Ceramic Pendant at the top upper right) said, "No moose poop, blueberries, lobsters, potatoes or lighthouses here!"

Anyhow, please click the photo and visit us on Etsy. The more hits we get the higher on the list we land, which means more visibility and more possible sales. Woooot!

Now that I know that getting a treasury list is possible, I'm putting together another list, this time as a nod to my fellow EtsyMoms. So if I "hit the lotto" again, I'll be ready!

Happy Thursday!

Wow! One World One Heart participants are popping up all over the place and I'm having a BLAST visiting everyone's blogs! Check out the above give-away - Catherine Matthews-Scanlon is giving away TWO copies of her book and I WANT ONE! Okay, well, there are 2 copies so go ahead and enter. As long as I get one, I'll be happy. :-)

"Love Potion #9" ACEO
c. 2008 by Annie Farnsworth

In other news, I've been busily uploading and organizing a backlog of my work onto Flickr. What an awesome site! I was using Picasa for a while, because I am a die-hard GOOGLE Girl, but folks, Flickr has really got it going on. The sorting features are killer. Take for example my latest ACEO, the latest in a series of "Love Potions." I'm posting it to my Etsy shop and also including it in the Etsy Love Challenge. So with but a few clicks of the mouse I can include it in my "Daily Devotions for January" set, plus my "Love Potion Series" set, as well as the "Etsy Love Challenge" set. Meanwhile, other friends on Flickr can visit your collection and leave comments, and you can comment on theirs. I have an OCD streak a mile wide, so these organizational features make Flickr more than a little addictive. Don't say you weren't warned. (and thanks again, Chantie, for your tip-off!)

Happy One World One Heart blog-hopping, my lovelies, now I am off to hit the books! My February residency is coming right up and I have papers to write!

Valentine's Day Give-Away!

This is my first year participating in the

One World One Heart Valentine giveaway!

Please click on the badge, above, to learn more about the project and how it was started. How do you enter? Just leave me a comment. That’s IT! I will be tracking all comments and assigning visitors numbers. To choose my winner, I’ll use the Random Number Generator to choose among the numbered participants.

Here’s what’s on offer:

The Gif-Tea Bag.

Earth-friendly craft paper gift bag, stuffed with red hologram-dot tissue and full of goodies.

The Goodies: one gold tin of spicy Chai blend Infini Tea – my own blend. This tea is so yummy on these cold winter nights and I taste-tested lots of blends before settling on this one. It’s only slightly peppery, heavy on the cinnamon, and absolutely delicious and warming with milk and a dash of honey. Serve it up in this monster Valentine cup screenprinted with hearts. Now, while you’re sipping that hot cuppa, put your feet up and read something good. I have just the thing! A copy of Infini Tea ~ a divine brew. This is a lovely collection of poems – each poem inspired somehow by tea.

Oh but that’s not all… (do I sound like a game show announcer yet?)
Tied to the bag with a pretty metallic gold threaded ribbon is an original collaged bookmark, signed and dated by the artist (me!). I made it especially for this give-away. It measures 3"x8.5" and can double as a gift tag if you give this item as a gift!


I’m so excited to see who wins!

[pssssst: Listen. I can make more. If you are interested in ordering one of these for a special someone and don’t want to wait until February 14th to see if you’ve won, I’ll be offering Gif-Tea Bags in my Etsy shop ~ only $15.00 and shipping is free. ]

GAWD I love this holiday.

Guerrilla Kindness (x post)

It's my "birthday season!" [addendum of 1/23/08: my birthday's not till 1/29, but I don't like to limit my celebrations to just one day. A few years back i decided to institute a birthday "season." This is also known as "milking it."]

For my birthday, I would love it if you kept in mind the following, which I often share with others on their birthdays:

"Celebrating a birthday is exalting life and being glad for it. On a birthday we do not say: Thanks for what you did, or said, or accomplished. No, we say: Thank you for being born and being among us. ... Celebrating a birthday reminds us of the goodness of life, and in this spirit we really need to celebrate people's birthdays every day, by showing gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, and affection. These are ways of saying: It's good that you are alive; it's good that you are walking with me on this earth. Let's be glad and rejoice."

~ Henry J. M. Nouwen ~ (1)

Last year I wrote a pre-birthday blog full of gift hints (if you can call full-color photos with ordering info "hints") but this year I have a rather different request. Instead of a gift or act of kindness to me, I am requesting that my lovely friends & family do one of the following:

1. Commit a random act of kindness. You know what I'm talking about. Pay the toll for the guy behind you, put quarters in someone's parking meter. Help an old lady carry her groceries, shovel the neighbor's walk. Call someone you haven't talked to for a while and just tell them how much they mean to you. I could go on but I'm hopped up on enough Sudafed to immobilize a rhino, so if you want more ideas, please go here. Or here. The caveat is that you then have to tell ME what you did. Write it down, take pictures, record it somehow, and then send it to me at Miz Annie, P.O. Box 1344, Kennebunk, ME 04043. That would be the MOST AWESOME BIRTHDAY CARD EVER!
   
2. Dog food. Cat food. Kitty Litter. Paper towels. Monetary donations – not to me, but to your local animal shelter. Local peeps, Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk. is one of the local shelters that worked extra hard to find the room and resources to take care of the hundreds of animals rescued in that heinous Buxton puppy mill seizure. (the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland is another – they can use supplies and money too!). OR just show a little love to YOUR local shelter. OR offer to take the neighbor's dog for a long walk, or a run on the beach. You all know how much joy the animals bring to my life, so knowing you were sending some extra love back out to the animals would be the MOST AWESOME BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!

You know, every year I thank my Mom for not stopping at five kids (I'm the youngest of six). Because if she had, I wouldn't be here to enjoy this big, messy, sad and beautiful world(2) that we're all sharing and calling home this time around. And I would never have known all of you. So, happy birthday to me, the luckiest girl in the world! Now send some love out to the world I dig so much.

here i am shortly after my arrival here from the home planet. my mom
wrote the caption, which refers to the camp we rented at Square Pond
every summer but as it turns out,"here" means HERE.

______________________________________________________

(1) Who the heck is this Henry J.M. Nouwen guy, and why does she keep quoting him, yo? Well, he was a great guy and you would really like him. He was super-duper religious and "organized religion" is not something that turns me on, but Nouwen was so great at teaching a "theology of the heart" and being a synthesizer of diverse theologies and incorporating metaphysics into the teachings of the church that I can overlook that .... no, actually, i can admire him because he had the guts to inject the old gal with a good dose of mysticism.

(2.) Yes, I stole that from "Down by Law." So sue me. I thought it would be nice for Tom Waits and Henry J. M. Nouwen to share space in the same blog. ;-)

The Tuesday Report: Hoagland, SKIRT, and National Treasure (xpost from my myspace blog...)

One of my very favorite poets, Tony Hoagland, is the featured poet on Writer's Almanac this morning. Go check out "A Color of the Sky" from his book What Narcissism Means to Me (which also wins my vote for most awesome poetry book title of the decade). 

In other poetry news, I just received my comp copy of the January 2008 issue of SKIRT magazine. They contacted me last summer, requesting permission to reprint one of the poems from my chapbook Bodies of Water, Bodies of Light. I had nearly forgotten they were going to print it!

 
January 2008 issue of SKIRT
(cover art by Mayumi Oda)

I'm thrilled with what they did with it – gave it a whole page and lots of fancy squiggles for decoration. I am all about the fancy squiggles. I like it so much, I'm going to bribe the Chairman to bring it to SexyCopy & make a big color copy for me and laminate it so I can hang it on a wall as decoration. Okay, fine, decoration and a little bit of horn-tooting as well. But hey, that's what narcissism means to me.  I'm going to drop a note to SKIRT and let them know how happy I am with their treatment of my poem, and ask permission to print up a few broadsides. If you are interested in a nice big blue squiggly poem about Buddha's mom and what I imagine her parenting concerns might be, you let me know.

Have an amazing day, all. I'll be here at the magic cottage studying and making art and tweaking the Sheltering Pines website and taking care of my still sorta-sick little boy, who is currently on the couch with his friend the Puffs Plus Kleenex box and watching "National Treasure"(1) (again).

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(1) Have you seen that movie? If not, you must put it on your list. In brief, here's why: Nick Cage, Harvey Keitel, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, a conspiracy theory, lots of cool historical details, smart cute boys solving mysteries and hacking into security, the Masons, the Knights Templar, and treasure hunting! Stuff gets blown up and there's kissing. What more can you ask for?!!

Days 10 ~ 14

Friday's offering is not shown here, as i spent my "daily devotions" engrossed in working on a book design for a new book my small press will be releasing in about a month ("Lords willing and the creek don't rise.") I love how it is turning out but don't want to post it anywhere until the book is about to be released. I'll keep you posted! So here are the rest, in reverse order since I last posted:

"Recycling the Mermaid"
c. 2008 Annie Farnsworth
Daily Devotions 13/265
(this started out as a meditation on the Enso - or Japanese
symbol for infinity, or in Zen circles (ha ha) the dharma wheel ...

but what ended up happening is that i couldn't stop grabbing at all those pretty colored Berols and then i somehow had my hands on some recycled bits and pieces. The bits you see here were culled from a Barbie Mermaidia box. Not the minimalist look i had in mind when i started out, but if recycling isn't a perfect circle, what is?

"Driveshaft Groupie"
c. 2008 Annie Farnsworth

Daily Devotions ~ 14/365

this one is likely only funny if you are a fan of the TV show LOST. And even then, it might not be funny. Ah. Well. When you crank one of these out every day you stop worrying whether you're hitting them out of the ballpark or not.

"B & W Lotus Doodle"
c.. 2008 Miz Annie
Daily Devotions ~ 12 /365

This was done on the exact sort of day that I had in mind when i decided to prepare a stack of 4x4" cardboard "bases" for collages ahead of time. I did this propped up in bed with my sore back on a heating pad after a crappy night's sleep and a long shift at the hospital. I didn't even have the energy to color it!

"Serenity Snowmen"
c. 2008 Annie Farnsworth
Daily Devotions ~ 10/365
(This is the last of this year's Pandenominational Holiday
ornaments. Any that I make from this point onward will
be considered part of the 2008 collection.)

I gave the kids "breakfast for supper" tonight (that means pancakes, with yummy boysenberry syrup! woot!) and turning in early again tonight to try to get rid of this naggy headache. My son was home sick from school today with an awful cold (poor kid! he's been catching everything this winter) and i didn't get a heck of a lot done in the home office. But tomorrow's a new day.

And as a HUGE FAN of all things valentine-y and heart-y and lovelovelove I'm pretty excited about this:
Now I am off. I promised my daughter a turn at the computer and I'm off to do today's DD and study a bit before we call it a night.

love and light, all
Miz A

Day Nine

Day Eight

today's daily devotions

It was unseasonably warm today, and after we dropped my son off at school my daughter and I headed to one of our favorite pebble beaches. It was also low tide, so we had lots and lots of beach to roam [read: pillage]. We both found lots more lovely rocks of the appropriate size and shape for use as place cards, paperweights, meditation stones, or just to sit and look pretty lined up on a windowsill. They are nice and flat on the bottom so they don't roll around.

Today's daily devotions were cooked up from three of the stones
you see here, after having their seasalt washed off
and air-drying atop the stove.

I also made what I believe is the last Pandenominational Holiday Ornament of this holiday season. I ran out of ornaments to swap and still owed one! I mailed one today and this one will be given to its intended recipient in person. Hopefully, tomorrow! :-)

Day Three

Today was brutally cold and after bringing my daughter to school (my son was home with a nasty little stomach flu, poor guy!) I then spent the day cozied up at home with my son, making art, and taking care of some long-neglected household chores such as vacuuming under the beds (ew!), taking down a summer window screen and cleaning up all the cobwebs behind it, and cleaning out the cupboard under the kitchen sink. A new year, and I'm inspired to start off with some space-clearing.

I have some great ideas for Daily Devotions and found myself starting three different things today. I'm hoping to have more items to list on my Etsy site soon. I can't wait to show you what I've been working on!

Day Two

"Seafoam Mandala" c. 2008 Miz Annie
Daily Devotions / 365 project

This is day two of the 2008 Daily Devotions series which for me is simply another installment in an ongoing project. I thought I'd take a moment to go over the general idea of the project for those who haven't heard of it. Not sure I remember where it originated, but there was a group of artists who took a pledge to make one piece of artwork every day for a year. The idea was simply to make something, it didn't have to be large and it didn't have to be good. The minimum size was 4" x 4" and you were allowed to use any medium.

I think part of the appeal of this project is that because you commit to making something every day, you don't keep putting it off. Creative people tend to do that; making art is something so luscious that you tend to sabotage yourself by bargaining and saying things like, "You can make art if you have done all your housework first" or "You don't deserve to play with your art supplies until all your _______ <(fill in some other unpleasant task here) is done first." That sort of thing. If you know you have committed to doing one per day, you are essentially putting the artwork on the same par as any of your other tasks, thereby giving yourself permission to create. Not that you need permission, but this is one trap I have repeatedly fallen into myself. This project has helped me to climb out.

Another great benefit of Daily Devotions is that it completely takes the pressure off you to make something "good" every time you approach the paper (or canvas, or whatever). Even the most zealous self-hater can't expect themselves to be brilliant, clever, or otherwise artistically "good" for 365 days. You might start out thinking that you can be, but after a few weeks you are bound to say "Okay, tomorrow's another day. Today I'll just do something quick and not worry about it." Once you give yourself permission to "wing it" you're likely to try new techniques and let go of old habitual approaches. So I'm sure you can guess that sometimes, those haphazard thrown-together devotions turn out to be the best ones!

Here's to a shiny new year full of creative possibility and permission to wing it!

Notes to My Self

Daily Devotions / 365 Project Day 1



I made no resolutions but have simply been chatting with my Self, reminding my Self to keep doing what works for me and makes my soul sing. I would also note the things that don't work but my plan is to be so busy singing I won't have time for those anyway.

Get healthy. Stay healthy. Study hard. Laugh Lots. Love much. Play often. Read. Walk. Create. Write. Yoga. Hugs. Kisses.

Be present. Be in nature. Be honest. Be who you are. Be in touch.

Just be.

last blog of '07

Well as 2007 wraps up, here's what it looks like here at the Magic Cottage:

We woke up this morning to the sound of the "plow guy," who is very loyal and has never once, in the 7 years I've lived here, left me snowed in. We were, however without power. So much snow fell during the night that all over town, tree branches are breaking under the weight of the snow, and apparently some are dropping on and snapping the power lines.

We got our power back late this morning, I had time to make coffee & get the kids up and dressed and fed before the power went out again. Came back on before I started pulling my hair out hearing "I'm bored," and "What can I do?" too many billion times.

Those of you celebrating in exciting and far-off locales, my best to you! Don't feel sorry for us back-woods New England folk, however, as we have our own celebrations that are every bit as shiny and meaningful as a ball dropping in Times Square.

I won't be whooping it up too much tonight since I have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn (not that 4:15am even qualifies as dawn), to go in to work. Us per diem employees will be covering for all those employees who actually get holidays off, so think of me fondly as you pop your Tylenol and nurse your hangovers.

For me, personally, 2007 was full of challenges, changes, and delightful surprises. I started out the year with a permanent part time job at the hospital and attending nursing classes at SMCC. By spring I had changed gears and decided that I wanted to change my focus from nursing to counseling and started taking courses at USM as an unmatriculated student in the master's in counseling program. A mid-year custody change found me having to quit my permanent part-time job to go per diem, take care of the children full time, and drop back and punt with the plans for school. Having to take a semester off when I felt I'd finally decided "what I want to do when I grow up" – was a frustrating time punctuated with lots of financial question marks. But like so many things that on the surface seem to suck donkey balls, this challenging time actually forced me to take stock and really decide what was important to me. I am very happy to say that as I type this I have just been accepted into a low-residency Master's in Counseling and Psychology program and couldn't be more thrilled about it. My credits from the other school even transferred. I just received a bunch of my textbooks today (save money by ordering used on Alibris.com!) and I can't wait to get started.

Just as I did during 2006, I made a piece of art nearly every day during 2007. I call these my "Daily Devotions." This has become such a habit that I don't think I'll even bother making a formal resolution of it for 2008. It has simply become part of what I do and who I am. The difference for 2008, I think, is that I will make more of an effort to share my work, whether that's having cards printed up, setting up a new website for my artwork, or simply listing more items in my Etsy shop.

I want to wish everyone Peace and Prosperity in the New Year! We have three hundred and sixty five shiny brand new days heading our way. Let's enjoy them, use them for the good, and not take a single one of them for granted.

with love and light from your adoring friend,
Miz Annie

Snow Day Meme!

I've been meaning to start blogging on this site rather than posting on the Myspace blog. Not exclusively, of course, cuz I heart my Myspace friends, but as a more personal space. I originally opened this blog as a sort of "back-up" to the Myspace blog, because 1. Myspace occasionally crashes and you "lose" everything, and 2. there is a definite "feel" to myspace that isn't always conducive to stuff I want to talk about. Eblogger seems to be a "kinder, gentler" community and that's where I'd like to start spending more time. I also plan to start documenting more of my creative adventures, and this seems to be a more appropriate place for that as well. That said, what better way to start off than by responding to a tag! She Who Flies tagged me for a meme, so here it is:

8 Things I Am Passionate About

• creating & maintaining a comfortable home for my family
• pickles, olives, bread, and cheese.
• living mindfully, thoughtfully, and on-purpose
• honoring life as creation by doing something creative (no matter how seemingly small) every day (hence, my "Daily Devotions")
• helping others, particularly as regards mental health
• Animals. Pets, domesticated, wild…doesn’t matter. I’m passionate about all aspects of sharing the planet with our animal brethren.
• Continuing to learn and grow as a person. (what a dumb expression: "as a person!" As opposed to what? learning and growing as a wheelbarrow? a helicopter? I mean duh. My new year’s resolution is going to be to not say that again. Ever.)
• BOOKS. That overlaps and intertwines with all the other stuff.

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

• Travel more.
• Be completely free of debt.
• Learn how to do at least one decent dance that you can do at a function like a wedding or company party or something. The "Lawn Sprinkler" doesn’t count. I mean, I can’t even do the electric slide! How lame!
• Make a living from my creativity.
• Publish a book that inspires and/or helps people.
• Create a home that is a haven (I stole that one from Chantie) I love my magic cottage but it is not quite a haven yet for all occupants.
• Let all the people I love know that I do.
• Clean out the basement. Literally and metaphorically.

8 Things I Say Often

• "I love you."
• "I’m so proud of you." (to my kids. I don’t feel proprietary enough to say it to anyone else)
• "Get off the counter."
• "Go lay down." (I know that’s grammatically incorrect. It should be "Go LIE down," but my dog doesn’t recognize that as a legitimate command.)
• "Here are your choices."
• "Everything happens for a reason."
• "It is what it is."
• Three way tie between: "goddamn it," "shit!" and "crap!"

8 Books I Have Recently Read

• The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (much different than I expected, charming but surprisingly gritty).
• The Raw Shark Texts, Steven Hall (FREAKY!!)
• Life of Pi, Yann Martel (poignant, haunting)
• Tears of the Giraffe, Alexander McCall Smith (lovely and entertaining, sequel to below)
• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith (lovely and entertaining)
• The Mistress of Spices, Chitra Divakaruni (in that same vein of literary magic as Marquez or Allende, charming!)
• To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis (possibly one of my all-time favorite reads. Right up there with The Time Traveler’s Wife, which was a favorite from last year…hmmm, I see a theme…..).
• The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (I read it, I SWEAR, before I even KNEW the movie was coming out. The book is completely magical.)

8 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over Again

• Big Log, by Robert Plant
• Wordless Chorus, by My Morning Jacket
• Chocolate Lovely, by Amon Tobin
• Pick Up by Bonobo
• Who Am I? by Peace Orchestra
• Destiny by Zero 7
• Butterflies by Sia
• Bright Eyes - The Swell by Kunek
• honorable mentions go to:
  Superfreak, by Rick James
  and anything by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. LOL!!! I am only half kidding.
  {wow. this is hard! I felt like I was leaving so many good ones out!}

8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends

• Open-mindedness, particularly as regards matters of spirituality/metaphysics, human rights
• Kindness
• Sense of humor and ability to laugh at life
• Creativity – doesn’t matter what kind!
• Some sense of purpose to life
• Lack of Eeyore mentality
• Ability to put up with me and my quirks
• Willingness to agree with everything I say and give me lots of presents. (kidding, people! I kid!)

8 People Who Should Totally Do This Meme

• The Empress Befuddlement
• Heather
• Princess Nancy (her other name is too long)
• The Chairman (like he has time, plus "books are for fags")
• White Bird
• Norma
• Brenda
• Kitty