Finding Solace in Everday Beauty

Heart aching, feeling overwhelmed trying to make decisions for an ill and aging parent. Feeling so alone and missing the loving, capable mother, the artistic soul who took up quilting at age 80, still pushing herself to have something in her hands to work on even though it is so hard now. And then I recalled Jenny Doh's talk at Squam about making something from nothing and using creativity to help yourself through hard times. But, no time to start a project even if I had one in my heart. What to do?
I decided to give myself one hour to walk around my home and really look at the beauty in the everyday, what I was too busy to see as I rushed here and there. And what beauty I found!
I never noticed the extra - ordinary fungus growing on a tree stump just off my driveway.

And the fall leaves came in so many shades and variations of red and yellow. I decided to gather some glorious red ones and make a heart to send my love to my mom so far away right now.

One Hour, just looking around me, just being present.

The After Glow-Life after Squam

A week's gone by since I returned from Squam Art Workshops-September edition. My classes exceeded my expectations. Eventhough I've made lots of books the Book a Day class with Christine Mason Miller and Marisa Haedike gave me some new tricks (including the new "MM" -Mason Miller-way to easily bind multiple sections). My memory book about my grandmother is a new treasure. I felt her great love all the while I worked on it.

And Mary Beth Shaw's class was just the right activity for the last class when we were all a little tired- kind of like finger painting in kindergarten. Again, I've done lots of paste painting but her take on it was entirely new and I came home with a stack of paper to use for book covers and face pages.

Sarah Ahearn's class Text and Image was so good for me as she encouraged us to use a wide variety of materials and techniques. She had a terrific class activity that took us out of our comfort zones. My "P" piece was the class activity- chalk pastels are my new find! The One True Love piece uses another photo of my grandparents on their honeymoon in 1927-sigh....


And my cabin mates? The best! We laughed, shared our lives, drank wine well into the night, then met up in front of the fire for early morning coffee to gear up for the day. It was show-and-tell at night as the eleven of us took a wide variety of classes. Mary Beth was a fabulous roommate in Eldorado- the little sister I always wanted!
And can I just say that having Jenny Doh as a cabin-mate was a true pleasure and honor. She IS the person behind the welcoming letters in Somerset magazines, a champion for all of us trying to live more creative lives.

Here's me with little sis MB :)