Finally

You have been elusive, temper mental,

frustrating and completely ungrateful,

But I forgive you.

My Room

Yesterday was a nice, warm, beautiful spring day. I spent the day catching up on yard work, pulled out some bushes, weeding and mowing. Today is quite different. It is rainy, windy and cold. A good day to do a project in here, my sewing room. I'm supposed to be working on a something for an art auction on Friday, but inspiration just hasn't struck yet. It will....I think.

If I don't get inspired, it will not be for lack of creative space. I love this room. It was a guest room once upon a time, but when I started working with the theatre company something had to give. I was constantly taking over the dining room for weeks at a time and with little kid hands always present, it just wasn't safe. One cannot endanger the lives of little people with pins, scissors and hot glue guns and irons. So I did what any respectable mother would do, take over a whole bedroom all for me. The safety, you understand. The kids like sharing a room, they really do. And they do have a double loft bed, just like Mary and Laura, how many kids would love that, huh? This room, even though small, just 11x10 I think, is really functional. It houses all my craft supplies, fabrics, magazines and my clothes and jewelry. There is a closet to the right of the little dress form that deerslayer outfitted for me. It looks like a little boutique, with purses and shoes and a mirror inside it. It is very small mind you, but I don't have that many clothes, I would not be considered a hoarder by any means, unless you are talking about magazines, then...... maybe. The interior wall has this great Ikea storage unit. As you can see it is the workhorse of the room.

But beyond the practicality of this space, it also has healing properties. You see, my older brother was tragically killed in an apartment fire 5 years ago. His picture is below, inside a large antique shadow box in the room. The picture behind my head is a self portrait he did of himself many years ago. We used it as the invitation to a gallery showing of his life and work. He was a great artist and a great person. The correlation you ask, well he always had great spaces to work in, sometimes they were abandoned buildings, sometimes cool city lofts, where ever he happened to be at the time. But the spaces were always undeniably him. Filled with the creative things he loved. I guess after he died, I just started filling this room with me. Things I love, things that are important to my creative process. He would have liked this room, it would have made him proud, he would have poured over every little thing, asking me questions and making me feel like somebody special. He had a great way of doing that for everyone, not just his little sister.

So there you have it, life and art hand in hand. You can see some of my other favorite things in these pictures. If you study them you will see a dream house, a charm bracelet, an antique pin cushion, a fawn (you may have guessed already I heart fawns, a post for another day), special photos, jewelry. Under all of these things is a purple tea towel, a towel my brother had in his art studio when he died. It was the inspiration for this room. He was and is my inspiration for this room. What things inspire you? Where do you do your best work, your life work? I'd love to know.

New Shoes

Friday Morning Muffins

Taryn and I had a craving. So we took care of it.

These are Chocolate chip muffins, recipe here, I used a mixture of whole wheat and white flour. This is my Shenango China, from New Castle P.A. I have a complete set for six, my lovely mother-in-law bought them for my birthday a few years back, she then searched ebay for months to add some pieces to the set. Yes, I know how lucky I am. Have a great Friday everyone, mine's starting out pretty good.

Contest Winner

Hi, and welcome to Two Donut Thursday. I have picked the winner of the Donut photo contest, I know you all have been anxiously waiting the results, so here is the winning photo.

This photo was entered by Stephen Baldwin and entitled 'Earth, Wind and Donut'.

I have to admit It was the title that got me. Leave it to a Writer to come up with that one. Well done Mr. Baldwin. I will hand deliver your Dunkin Donut gift card. But I will have to prompt you to share it with your associate and second place winner....Jeff Querin.

Those donuts look good enough to eat, I know, I know what your thinkin...but not good enough to win. Well it was close..... and there were hundreds of submissions, and somebody has to win right? So there you have it, thanks everyone for participating, I wish I could have given something to everyone, but you know how it is. (she says, dripping with sarcasm)

So in other non-donut related news, we haven't sold the house yet. We have had one offer, low offer. And not much action since. No worries, we don't actually have anywhere to go yet anyways. We are all still missing the World Help girls, we found one of their books they left behind, sad. I watched some video footage today, sad again. I'm trying to figure out how to buy a well and give a village somewhere clean drinking water for the next 20 years. Anybody got an extra 15,000 laying around, yeah, me neither, but we'll think of something. Read the last post if you don't know what I'm talking about. It's all I can think about these days. I'm even considering buying a 5th wheel, R.V. type of think to live in after the house sells, or if the house sells. Or maybe a yurt, then we could buy a well and still have a roof over our heads till we found land to put the yurt or R.V. on. Then we could gradually build a small dwelling in the country. Sound crazy? I'm not thinkin' so. We just might do it people, so prepare yourselves.

The Day After

I know you aren't supposed to connect food to emotion, but I just went through the Dunkin drive-thru to console an inconsolable 6 year old. You see today we said good-bye to our two little World Help choir girls. I'm not allowed to post pictures, but I don't really need to to tell you what a wonderful, experience this was. Not only did they perform like real pros, they gave us a challenge and an opportunity to feel compassion, not just pity, but real gut wrenching compassion, the kind Jesus has. They tour and perform to raise awareness and funds for plain old everyday water. The kind that won't kill your family members one by one, the kind that makes it possibly for you to go to school, not spend your day walking hours to retrieve something that looks like mud, the kind we go directly to one of the many faucets in our homes any time we want to. The children leave whatever is left of their families, or orphanages or schools to tour our land of plenty for one year. They keep a grueling show schedule, sleep in a hundred or more beds, meet many, many, clueless little american kids and they do it all gladly, smiling, and grateful for the opportunity. Their chaperones and directors love them. They first have to teach some of them about unconditional love, because some have no concept to begin with, can you imagine having to teach someone about love, so they can feel it for the first time at 8, 9, or 10 years old? Yes, this was an eye-opening experience for many people. I'm so proud of my girls and all the host families who entered in to this experience with zero trepidation. Most had no idea what to expect, all had life changing experiences. We will never know the impact a few days made here in our town, we won't see the money given, the prayers offered, the tears shed, we won't even see these beautiful children again this side of heaven but we know that God sees it all, feels it all, and loves our compassionate souls because He is the maker of the most compassionate soul. And incase you were wandering, this is what it looks like, when God breaks your heart, you'll know it when it happens, it changes your perspective, makes you feel, compels you to love like He loves. May this happen to us all, amen?

Shows and After Shows

This weekend we've been at one of our out of town venues. I love coming here. The country air, slower pace, antiques, and donuts might have something to do with it. Antiques and donuts sound strange in the same sentence, don't they? True we work when we are here (some of us work a little harder that others:), but we do have our fair share of fun. I'll start with 34 West after show hang out in the country.

Yes, this is where the cool kids hang out, unfortunately the cool kids are about 20 years younger than us. This is a safe place where the youth of the surrounding communities can come and have a great time, they have a huge TV, games, pool tables and everything else you could ever want in a great youth center. Why do they let us in you ask? Well fortunately for us they don't discriminate. I think during the week they probably offer lots of things just for kids, but their weekend nights draw a few 'older patrons'. And we eat, a lot, so we are effectively supporting the ministry.

This makes us very happy after a long day of loading up, driving, setting up, and of course doing the show. The food here is beyond fantastic and this guy......

well what else do I need to say, this is Jason. He always welcomes us warmly and based on this picture, enthusiastically. He lets us stay way past our welcome and never kicks us out. He is passionate about this ministry and he is perfect for the job. So thanks for everything Jason, your place is truly one our happiest places.

See how happy this guy is?