Some Happy Things

It's time to push that last post down a few slots. I am feeling better about the whole situation, and am grateful for the support  that came to me. It means so much.

During the last few weeks, in spite of my deadline-driven days, there have been many small joys that I wanted to make sure to record here:

1. I was casually walking down the hall in the art building at HCC and this display case caught my eye and I realized that my work is in the wild!

There in the top middle is my Blue painting from
last semester! I had totally forgotten that
several of my pieces had been taken to be
used in the display!

My two here are the Black and White and
Yellow and Lavender versions of my
Variations on Drunkard's Path, a quilt block
that I used for inspiration for an abstract collage. 

2. I got to spend a day at the American Visionary Art Museum with my good pal. It was a stubbornly cold early spring day, as you can see by my actual clutching at Corinne for warmth, but it was plenty warm among the fascinating halls of this local gem of a gallery. I felt really inspired to do more to pay attention to my creativity, to make sure that it is bringing me joy and that it adds some light to my everyday life. Of course we visited a bookshop, and of course there was food involved. Good times.

The courtyard of the AVAM has a bird theme with a giant,
mirrored egg and a NEST balcony on another building. I
did take some photos of that, but with my film camera.
If I get some decent prints, I'll post them. 

Still trying to get warm here, but oh what fun was that
little bookshop. I can see myself going back all by my hermit
self and just sitting among the shelves and reading all day long.

3. I actually finished something on my list. Completed. Out the door. Sigh of Relief.

This lovely thing was designed by my friend
Jeanne Abel. It was fun to do, but fiddly.
I hope it does the job as a shop display at
shows all around the country. 

4. With my friend Nora, to get some inspiration for her book, we went for a walk in the woods near Savage Mill. These little local wild spots are just waking up now, and they don't seem to hold many signs of life, but if you look closely, you can see spring ephemerals like this flower--bloodroot--which is all over the place along a familiar path near Bollman Bridge. I was able to see buds, partially open blossoms and fully-blown specimens. There was also lesser celandine--a bright yellow flower--just starting to bloom, as well as Spring Beauty--a tiny white flower that looks like a star. It was a balm to be in the air and the trees.

5. The Wailin' Jennys. I got to see them live again. I had seen them for just a minute as part of Prairie Home Companion at Wolf Trap a couple of years ago, but this time it was all them in this wonderful small venue at Montpelier Arts Center. How I love these girls' singing and here is how close we were to the stage. It was another one of those things that almost loomed on my calendar because it would be pushing away things that I needed to be doing, and as it was I had to practically use a shoehorn to fit it into a ridiculously busy weekend, but as the music flowed over me and I sang along, I knew I was in the right place. I got to hold my husband's hand and breathe more deeply than I have in a while. The fact that I could share the evening with friends as well as Eric made it all the better. 

6. Last but not least, General Conference. Twice a year my church goes global and broadcasts 12 hours of inspirational learning over two weekends all around the earth. Anyone can watch and be able to know what we believe. For me it is a looked-forward-to opportunity to stop and listen and ponder and remember what is most important. Today we shared the day and the traditional breakfast with more of our adopted local family in lieu of being with blood relations. The Millars are beyond pals, and it was fun to see their kids and our kids all mixed up on the couch in one companionable pile. We ate good food, laughed, worked on the meals together between the speakers, and shared in the spirit of the day. It really lifted my spirits to have these people I love in my home.