Rhodochrosite

One of my most favorite stones of Mother Natures. I created this pendant with some accents yesterday and love the pink hues! Available now on Etsy.

It is early, the dew is still wet beneath my feet and I can hear the flowers raising their heads to the sun filled sky. The day is bright already and full of hope and my mind turns to all that is ahead of me in terms of the near and the far.

The near brings with it lots to do and the far brings with it visions of snow and cold and it leaves me a bit melancholy for the Summer that has not yet passed.

One more Winter, one more cold Winter and one more change in landscape and one more Season that passes us by. One more step in life, one more chance to make another persons day brighter, one more chance to make this day all that it can be and be grateful for a day well lived.

Family

Emily with her new dog "Cookie"

Cookie and Harmony

Jayden and Aubrey on Dunny

The Past, The Present and the Connections we must observe

Sometimes we are often reminded in many ways of times past and poor decisions we have made right alongside some of the best decisions of our lives.

On this day, I am reminded of many choices and today is an odd day. At 2:30 am we were awakened by the alarms going off in the house and Bob and I jumped out of bed thinking it was the weather radio and it was screaming "severe weather alert" and in our sleep induced haze we ran out the bedroom door and were greeted by two crying little girls. We quickly realized that the words ringing out were all the alarms in the house saying "Warning - Carbon Monoxide"......

We flung open the doors and and we all waited outside for the alarms to go off and then turned off what we thought was the source and headed back to bed to only be woken again in 10 minutes by the same blaring alarms.

This prompted a call to 911 and then the familiar vision of fire trucks ablaze coming down the driveway - dejavu......

They sourced the leak to the gas fireplace in our bedroom....It was a good decision to put alarms in when the house was rebuilt, a very good decision. Our children could be orphans this morning had we not made that decision. It scared me to think of the lives that would be forever changed if something happened to Bob and I.

I then open my email this morning to a friend request on Facebook from my Brother, whom I have not heard from in 10 years. Amazingly enough, he is an artist and a pretty good one. The day that I said goodbye to him was the first day of missing him and I searched for him since and then wonders of Social Networking Sites come to play. We even share the same favorite movie - not surprised... I have alot to tell him. Our Step Dad has died, I have had two children and 3 Grandchildren, I have lived through a tornado and I am living my life's dream and I am happy. What is he doing now, what has he painted on his life's canvas but most importantly, is he happy?

There is more to the story that I don't think I can capture in words but will do my best. I had a dear friend that died from alcoholism and one of her favorite terms was "Soul Garden". She referred to hers often as well as others and I always loved the term. Well, a much admired Jewelry artist had developed a series called "Soul Garden" and they were necklaces of such beauty that I wanted to get one to commemorate Carol's memory. I tried and tried for a long time to obtain one and they flew from her store before I could ever get one. Well, I finally got one (thank you Jillian) and here is a pic of it:

There is a huge connection here, a piece to commemorate my friend (that arrived in my mailbox yesterday) that dated my Brother, that contacts me after 10 years the day after it arrives and a close call with Death myself. What is the message....? Should I read this even further or chalk it up to coincidence? I think not....

We are all attached in so many ways - 3 degrees of separation. A fine silver cord, a memory, an incident that brings us back. Connections on so many levels and so many degrees, we all get what we need when we need it and not a moment sooner.

Daphne - Cherish

I just finished charting a new design from the beautiful commission that was done of myself and Daphne by Nadia Tate. Dear friends came together and hired Nadia to do this painting and I was very moved by the words that went with it:

Cherish

I named this painting “Cherish” since it was the name that inspired it.

I painted Michele Fae and Daphne, her beloved foal on a serene green pasture setting…

Green to me, represents life…

In the bible God Said “..consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:

They neither toil nor spin; yet I say to you that even Solomon was not arrayed like one of these.

Now if God so clothes the grass of the fields,

Will He not much more clothe you?”

(Matthew 7:25-34)

This scripture talks about not worrying,

That if God were to take care of the lilies and fields,

Will He even more so take care of us?

God knows all our needs and He provides them.

Green pastures represent rest and refreshing in this painting.

“…He (God) makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside still water.

He restores my soul…”

(Psalm 23)

The Moon represents balance and calm, a positive thought…in contrast

with the fierceness and unrest of the tornado which they experienced.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;

Not as the world gives do I give to you…” (John 14;27)

The cool colors of the background and bright beams represent healing and restoration.

In essence this painting is really about cherishing an unending bond of love and friendship through thick and thin. Knowing that our Creator is

Watching over and caring about all.

As Michele cherishes her foal, I am sure Daphne is very fond of

The one how helped bring about her birth and new life…

Artist:

Nadia Tate

It has taken me awhile to work on this piece and we always get what we need when we need it and I surely needed to do this now. My baby horse is almost grown up now and a year has passed and I have grown in so many ways.....

Officially R&R'd

We had a fabulous time at the Sioux Falls JazzFest and will certainly go again next year. We went with our dear friends and couldn't have been in better company.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

The days were absolutely perfect with a high of around 75 and then we plummeted into the low 50's at night which made for pretty cold evenings. Fortunately, we brought a blanket and warm outwear so we were prepared.

We celebrated my Birthday with a fabulous Italian dinner and then attended the show and Saturday was spent at the Butterfly House and then the concert in the evening to the wee hours of the morn.

In Flight

Longwing

Blue Morpho Variant

Unusual Flower (No idea what it is called)

Now to get back to work everyone and I think we are going to start with Klimt!

Birthday's, Concerts and some time off

We have been absolutely burying ourselves in work the past month or so and will be taking the weekend to visit Sioux Falls where we will attend the Jazz Festival. I am so looking forward to some R&R, celebrating my 46th birthday and spending some luscious time with my soul mate in the sun and sunsets.

I will miss these two....