Thanksgiving...

I am thankful for:

My wonderful husband.

My beautiful son.

Most of my family. :-P

My new friends in my new home.

My long time friends around the globe.

President Elect Obama.

Pookie.

Enzo.

My new studio.

Fall!

Using My Brain...

I've had my studio set up for a week and I've been so productive! I made O's Halloween Costume, (Scuba man, for inquiring minds...), hemmed curtains, drawn, (or is it drew?) and tonight I worked for hours on my new bag. OK...granted, most of these items are technically not "art", but I'm in there...and doing something creative and fun! Tonight, I spent 3 hours in the studio...I had to quit because sewing leather by hand was taking it's toll...both on my eyes and in my fingers! Ahh...aging.

Leslie gave me a Moleskins notebook the other day when she stayed the night, as a belated birthday present, and I LOVE IT! I've been obsessively drawing in it whenever I have even a few minutes!

The bag I'm making is because I saw a backpack that I really liked, but it was $180, and I am not spending that kind of money on a backpack, which was mostly made out of canvas with a little leather...so I decided to make my own...I bought some cool tapestry fabric, and some outdoor canvas fabric and used the left over cow hide I had bought in 1993 to make "Butt Chair"...I'm so glad I've been lugging that thing around all these years...I knew I'd use it for something!!! Anyway...the backpack is looking awesome...and when I'm done, I'm going to fill it up with Moleskins!

What else...I'm really tired, but at the same time too excited to go to sleep...Maybe I'll watch a movie or go read my fun book...or maybe draw! So many options...I have all night!

Positive Post of the Day...

At least I don't look like this....this morning...

Brilliant...(It's 21 minutes long...)

Happy, Happy Anniversary....

Eight years. Yesterday Joe and I celebrated 8 years of marriage...years that were filled with a lot of happiness and at times, a lot of sadness. Years that at this moment, seem both eternal and fleeting...

Something momentous happened on this anniversary...Joe and I had our FIRST date in three years + or Owen's life. 3400 or so days.

A couple of our friends had offered to watch Owen so that Joe and I could celebrate...and we jumped at the chance.

What. To. Do.

We opted for a nice, long dinner at Mizuna...it was heavenly. We began with a lovely bottle of Columbia Winery 2004 Syrah and two appetizers. The first, grilled spicy prawns served over a chorizo and white bean mixture. The second, a scallop ceviche with heirloom tomatoes. We slowly devoured these, enjoying every mouthful...rinsing our palates with a swig of divine juice.

Then came the salad. A light, succulent mixture of roasted duck, chevre, and an onion ring or two, lightly fried and so sweet. Possibly my favorite dish of the night...although the ceviche was a close second.

These two courses took at least 1 hour to consume and were intertwined with lovely music and an actual adult conversation! Oh the pleasures...

By the time our entrees arrived, neither Joe nor I were hungry any more. We ordered the braised pork and the chicken with gnocchi, (one of my favorite things on this planet!). We ate slowly and ordered a second bottle of wine.

We abandoned the pork and the chicken for a sweet concoction...the dessert menu was varied and not too overwhelming...we decided to try the Pistachio Bread Pudding with "Creme Anglaise"...which caused me some maybe incorrectly assumed humor...regardless of my giddiness, we delighted in every bite, letting the sweet mixture fill our senses, which at this point of the evening were on overload...I felt like my senses where on the outside of my body...it was truly divine.

Rabbits!

So this friend of mine, when I was in my mid-teens, Joan, (whose family was from New Zealand), told me that on the first day of every month, the first words out of your mouth should be rabbits! Apparently, according to an old New Zealand custom, (or a 14 year old's imaginative mind), uttering this word first thing in the morning will bring you an abundant amount of good luck.

The story goes that on the morning of the first day, of a month I don't recall, as the California sun filled her room in which we both had been sleeping, our eyes open and as I look at her, I confidently say, "Rabbits!", to which she replies, "I know!!!", thus voiding her chance of good luck for the following 30 or so days. She glared at me over our cereal and didn't speak to me at all that morning as she feigned interest in Scooby Doo.

I mention this story because ever since she shared this odd tradition with me, I have at some point or another...on the first day of each month, whispered "Rabbits" in hopes of securing some of that luck that is looking for a place to land. I have shared this with my beloved husband, who, is suspicious of pretty much everything that looks like weird mumbo-jumbo, (especially when it calls for voicing out loud the name of a cute and innocent long eared, fuzzy tailed critter).

As I laid in bed tossing and turning a few moments ago, grumbling internally at what is obviously the beginnings of some sort of malaise, (sore throat, ear ache, stuffed sinus) which has me awake at 3 in the morning, my husband asks me a question. Now mind you, that this event took place just minutes ago, and I have already forgotten the question. It may have been, "Are you OK?", "Are you awake?", "Can't sleep?", "Do you really think Obama is going to win?"...to which, of course, I answered something...a word, maybe two...but definitely not "Rabbits!"...once again, slamming the door on that homeless luck...and, as apparent cosmic punishment, I sit here...in my studio, stuffed up and achy, awake at 3:56 in the morning, witnessing how bad my luck has gotten already on this the first day of October.

I Love Birthdays!

So the other night, a few of us got together for Beth's birthday at the Steelhead Bar and Grille for some food and a little beer...


A few of them had celebrated first by getting a pedicure together...


...(I didn't join them as I had gone on my own a few days before and Joe would have raised an eyebrow or two if he saw the bank statement...)

The birthday girl was lovely as usual and didn't look a day over 29...



and even picked up this guy at the bar, who seemed like a nice enough fellow...



There was even live music...and I have to say that it was really good...it was just one guy with a guitar...and he played Pink Floyd...The Eagles...The Beatles covers and did them well!



After spending 4 hours at the bar, a few of us headed over to the mall for a movie.

Mama Mia.


Honestly, it was the perfect movie to end the night with...and as an added bonus, we were the only FOUR people in the theater! It was GREAT...(except for some people that kept talking throughout the whole movie...but I won't name any names...)





The best part was Ms. Jody, dancing all over the aisles, steps, chairs to the blaring tunes of ABBA...





What a great night...Thanks Beth!!!

Serenity...

...

Light...

Haiku

Haiku on the spot
My mind has gone blank...Oh No.
Is that how it goes?

Dawn...

I've been up for 5 hours...I'm sitting here listening to Radiohead...the sun is beginning to peek on my left...the house is quiet.

I wasn't as productive as I thought when I first awoke at midnight...I didn't do any chores...but I emailed, updated O's blog, watched a History Channel movie about the pyramids on Netflix...made strong coffee...took an IQ test...took a survey...read and peed, (although not at the same time...) Now I'm tired, but you know who will be up in the next hour or two, so basically, I'm screwed.

Yesterday we had so much fun at Holly's place...it was right on the lake...her in laws built a beautiful cabin like house...and live there year round.



Vicki and I, (plus little ones) all rode up together...THAT was an adventure! Ha! (I now know Sheryl Crows lyrics from the title song in the movie CARS by heart!)...Vicki and I managed a conversation using sign language. We made it and immediately installed ourselves on the beach. We headed out on the boat to the little town of Harrison...and hung out there for a while...I can see the allure of a speed boat...it was really fun!

Here are a couple of lovely pics of Vicki and Holly!

Pandora, Pandora, Pandora...

I can't say enough about PANDORA...Check it out if you like music...

I've been sitting here for almost two hours, my eyes occasionally filled with tears due to the beautiful music that I'm listening too...I love being moved by other people's creative genius...

:-)

(I'm also playing a new game I found on my google home page that is good for my brain...I just know it!)

5 Years...

It was 5 years ago today that I gave birth to Livi...I can't help but miss her. I can't imagine what she'd be like...as much as I can't imagine my life without Owen.

Happy Birthday Livi...I love you.

Randy Pausch Died Today...

...and I'm so sad...I don't remember how I came across him, but it was late last year...and I was immediately drawn to him...I put his website up on my bar and would check his updates...such humor...such intelligence...I really got the feeling that he was a really, really special person.

In case you've never seen this, here is his LECTURE

Birthday Bash!!!

What a great party! We celebrated my 43rd year with a fun gathering at home! Everyone got dressed up and looked absolutely beautiful! O and J were the only males invited...(I think they were in heaven!)...and they both looked so "handsome" with their flowered ties! Ha!

As I sat at the table looking out at these wonderful women, I thought to myself how lucky I really am...having such good friends is the greatest gift...and it was so unexpected...I never dreamed that I would made such strong friendships at this time in my life...

So I want to thank all of you for helping me celebrate such a great moment in my life...It was really fun!