Trip to Iowa family

Toward the end of October my brother, David, and I flew to Iowa to visit Mom, Steve and Linda. The first night I was greeted...and somewhat overwhelmed... by a gigantic deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwich with home-fried potato chips....you'll be happy to know that although I DO love fried food, I did NOT eat the whole thing.

David, who was born in Iowa and lived there more than three times longer than I did, DID eat his whole tenderloin...and ice cream for dessert!

What could be better than being with Loved Ones and sharing food!






We didn't spend quite every moment eating. Here are Mom, David, and me at the Iowa Pike's Peak, overlooking the Mississippi River. The foliage was at peak (made me miss Vermont). The day was Beautiful, and we ate Bratwurst.




Here I am with brother, Steve, in front of some rolling Iowa hills. Where my family lives is dead flat....wide open skies for sure, but I do miss elevations.









Here's another great love: The wierd things people build, as monuments to themselves or their home places. A giant strawberry to designate Strawberry Point, Iowa.


I can't remember the story of this big guy, not too far away. Jumbo the Elephant was the mascot of my college. David remembers this one from his childhood car trips.




When I lived by the pond in Upstate NY, we almost bought a life-sized fiberglass camel for the yard...I've always wanted to live in a Roadside Attraction and search them out where ever I go. Why stick exclusively to Reality, when Fantasy is so much more fun!

Speaking of Fantasy and Reality, we are facing some very Real and very Tough times here in the U.S. and probably all around the world. Please do vote and participate in any ways you can locally and nationally in elections and in being part of the many small and large solutions we will need in the next months and years.

Because of the economic downturn and the priority of my Regular Job (i.e. regular paycheck), I've reluctantly decided not to teach in France next year...I would LOVE to do it some day, and am going to continue to work on a week-long class that would work Anywhere as a way to play with a variety of techniques and media in exploring new or familiar landscapes.

I will be teaching 3-D Doll design in Tucson in January (if the class fills), but it's only $125 for 2 days, so What A Great Deal! I've been talking with people in Corvalis, OR, and somewhere near Victoria, BC, and of course more classes here on the Olympic Peninsula.

I'm thinking more ON LINE CLASSES will be a way to continue to teach and interact with all you folks with whom it's so much FUN to play dolls! I'm working out the best way to do this and will let you know soon.

I'm Very close to finishing the new edition of PAMELA'S DESIGNING A DOLL AND MAKING FACES INSPIRATION BOOK, with more color, more pages, more patterns, and the entire 3-D doll desgin class. I hoping one more month will see it at the printer.

I'm running a special on my newest book, A MOMENT OF PURE JOY ON AN ORDINARY DAY, for $20 when ordered with one of my other books. If you order and pay for the new edition of the DOLL BOOK, I'll ship for free, just as soon as I get it back from the printer.



Look for CHILL in Linda and Opie O'Brien's newest book, WHO's YOUR DADA, coming out in December