Creative Play

From this day forth, until the election is over, I have added a middle name: Hussein. I am sick to death of the racism, sexism, and religious bigotry, all of which is coming to the surface in this election. I think the fact that true feelings are being expressed is good. We don't change until we face what needs to be changed. But I must weigh in, along with the bigots. Barack Hussein Obama looks like my sons. That is the first reason I decided to vote for him. But being a thinking person, I knew I must read and look into who he is. There are plenty of bad people in the world that look like my sons! I read both his books. I searched the internet for articles about him from the right and the left points of view. I do not discount people from the right, even though I mostly view the world from the left.  I read about his mother, a woman who had her mixed son around the same time I had my mixed sons, when segregation was still the law of the land.  More than just a gut feeling that I a...

This evening is the Artist's Reception at the Arenas Gallery in Visalia. Kathy and Steve Diamant, Kay Gaston, Jeri Burzin and I will be showing our arts and crafts. We mailed postcards and fliers to friends and art patrons. And we each have been told by many there will be a good response this evening. The Arenas' usually provide a very good spread. Laurel and Jay Bergman from Redwood City are coming specifically for this event, staying over night in our home. We will have a brunch for friends tomorrow and they return to the Bay Area in the afternoon. So all indications this will be a "party." I cannot shake a negative cloud around my head. Only nine days ago my sister died. She was my younger sister so her going before me is out of turn. With she and our parents gone, too, I am the only person living who grew up in our small family. I do have an adopted brother and step sisters and a half sister, whom I love, but I didn't live with them growing up. Of course, I...

A friend spent time showing me a little about the Internet this morning. She has a website, and a bloggers site and is further along than I am in understanding how all the parts fit together. So here I am trying out what she taught me. Adding images, and journaling and playing. It is a puzzle to me how all of this will evolve but I am excited about following this path to see where it leads. March 29-30th we will host a Three Rivers Artists Studio Tour. It is the 8th in the last sixteen, held every other year. Last time I was invited as a writer. When we held the artist's pre-tour, and visited one another's studios, the artists filled my studio, and were less interested in my writing, and more in the Ink Quilts lining my walls. To my surprise they considered them art. I hadn't really thought about. I made collages that were inspired by a dream. I had written a story about my ex-husband's grandmother. When I went to meet her, the first things she said to me was, "...