Another winter arrives here in Ohio, and my mantra warms me: "at least I'm not in Maine!" As much as I loved the ocean and walking the beach and my sweet little cottage and all the wondrous friends there - as the wind howled last night I was grateful for my garage, fireplace and bathtub. And being within easy visiting range of most of my family, which warms my heart from the inside out!

I've finally taken the jump and opened an online shop at Etsy, the home of the handmade. And had my first sale almost immediately! I've posted about half a dozen of my clocks, and I'm posting some assemblages over the next several days. Along the same line of getting my art out there, I also have my photos on display throughout the Day Spa where I work. I've come out of the doldrums that enveloped me for the last several months, and am creating again.

I've set for myself of earning at least 50% of my living from my art work by next fall. Step by step. One step towards that goal happened last May when I had a show downtown. I actually made some money and some great connections. It's always a joy to have folks see my pieces and watch their interactions with the art. This show was particularly delightful because it was the first time my family had really seen my work in a gallery-type setting.

While I'm at it, I'd like to thank a couple of other bloggers for inspiring me to get back to the studiio and the computer. Their posts bring me delight everyday:

* ceramicist extraordinaire Diana Fayt at oneblackbird.blogspot.com/
* tastemaker Grace Bonney at designspongeonline.com/
* the amazing lover-of-life/chef-ette and cookbook authorShauna Ahern James of glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
* jeweler of words and adornments Nina Bagley over at ornamental.typepad.com/
* and hometown gal Linda Apple who captures moments in paint, see them
at lindaapple.blogspot.com/

Reading their pieces and seeing their creative works gives me inspiration and motivation. Thank you gals.

photo friday: amber

photo friday: country

Ode to a pair socks

Socks are the only creative dressing outlet I have, being in a profession where I have to wear a uniform. Currently, I can wear only black. Before that it was khaki, and prior to that it was white. What's a gal of high aesthetic and adventuresome sensibilities to do?! And so I rely on socks to add spice to my attire.

My friends have come to think of me when they see quirky foot garb. And so the Suesocks came to be - a birthday present for my feet. Spheres of purple and periwinkle and lavender and black spheres sitting in squares, my favorite colors in a geometric, bold pattern! They just made me happy!

And they became special - emblematic of a unique, brief time when 3 friends all lived within a fairly short geographical distance of each other. It was a moment of life holding shared Sunday dinners, the Boston Globe crossword puzzle over coffee, beach walks, evenings of jazz and wine, endless conversation under starlit skies, going to movies and walking downtown for Saturday breakfast.

All those memories became woven into the purple and grey and black threads of those socks, especially after I moved half way across the country. The suesocks were special, the ones I pulled out when I needed a little extra 'oomph' to propel me through a day, or when I was particularly missing the ocean or my girlfriends and the joy of those days and our proximity to each other.

I've worn them for a long time. My mother noticed a toe bursting through its purple polka dotted confines at Thanksgiving, called me by name in that certain tone of voice and admonished me to relegate the suesocks to the trash immediately. I gazed down at the somewhat chilly, yet stylishly clad toe and shuddered at the realization that yes, the suesocks were indeed on their last leg.Even then I couldn't let go of them. Although thread bare, they still warmed my heart and soul with all the memories and her-story they contained.

So, for several months I have babied them along, and soaked up the memories woven within them, knowing that imminently they really were going to have to go in the trash. So, when I slid them on last week and not one but 3 toes escaped, and there was a long run across the sole of my foot, the inevitable had arrived. Ironically, along with the New Year. Hmmm, the end of an era. And so, I hold the memories closely within me, knowing what a special time they came from, and sadly drop them in the waste basket.

There's now an empty space in the sock drawer. Space for a new pair; room in my life everyday for creating new memories. The old joys and rememberings never wear out, they just become specialer. And, I'm learning to knit so that I can make my own funky foot wear. It's a whole NEW universe of socks. Soon, I'll be giving socks away, knit by me, for the wearer to fill them with happy toes and good memories that will warm heart and soul! Purple circles for Sue, pink striped ones for Jordan, musical notes for Mary...

Connections

Via one of my favorite design blogs (Diana Fayt @ One Black Bird - one of Katie’s shops, Doe, is right around the corner from Diana’s.) I learned early on about Jim and Katie Kim and their two daughters, ages 4 and 7 months, being missing. Diane had posted a request for information, energy and prayers in regards to the Kim family.

The Kims were in Oregon, driving back to San Fran after a vacation, and through a series of wrong turns ended up snowbound on a closed road high in the mountains. After spending a week stranded in their car Jim decided to walk out in search of help. Kim and the girls were found by a helicopter and rescued 2 days after Jim left. Jim’s body was found two days after that about a mile from their car, although search & rescue workers believe he’d actually walked about 8 miles.

Even though I did not know the Kims, the plight struck a deep emotional chord within me and I was surprised at the level of grief I felt upon learning that Jim had been found dead. I read the headline expecting/hoping/anticipating it to say he’d been found alive and the family had been reunited - what a glorious holiday miracle. I had to read the words several times before I accepted the real fact of the tragedy.

Our lives can change on a dime. Tomorrow we could be anywhere. My GrandMa Mary Mae always said that time is our most precious commodity (although I’d argue that it ranks right up there with our health) and that we should be careful how we spend it. How are you spending yours?

Be with those you love, today - now, always. Not just on special ocassions or at the holidays. Love really is the reason we are here.