Happy Easter Continued

After eating lunch and seeing David's studio and Doug's show, of course we had to stop for coffee.If I lived in Seattle, I'd be much fatter...and much poorer, with so many opportunities to stop and eat. The macaroons were Fabulous! David at left (another potential painting). Doug below.

Doug's daughter, Serene, was back at the house making a carrot cake to
decorate as an Easter
basket.

Hugh putting home made mayonnaise into steamed artichokes. For more pictures of the food see David's Facebook page.
















Since I have to drive and lecture tomorrow, I'll save the Read 'em and Eat trip to Hobuck Beach and doll making event to post later. You can see pictures on my Facebook page...Am I getting smarter, or just more tired in my old age??? better able to manage my tasks with the available energy, I think.

Happy Spring Events!

So much to show and tell, now that spring seems to be fairly certain of staying on the Olympic Peninsula, it's difficult to know where to begin. After a week of sun and rain today, the willow down the hill is shouting in yellow-green. Everything that could possibly flower, is doing it with a vengence. I love the gray winter for the indoor creativity it encourages, but SpRiNG is Downright Exciting!! I go through buying Toooo many plants, then remember that what I Still like best is being in the studio or in front of the computer. I'm going to donate the pink flamingo New Zealand flax to David and Brian's new home in Shoreline....just as soon as the new and Improved Hood Canal Bridge opens up and I can see them again. I'm thankful that it's challenging to get out here, so fewer people want to come. I can still find a parking place anywhere I go, and meet people I know whenever I go downtown.

Even the view from the Safeway parking lot is beautiful, with snow-capped Olympic Mountains and flowering trees. It's wonderful having most of the family only seventy-some miles away, but we are all so busy, I hadn't seen them since snowy Christmas.






I went to Seattle early on the day before Easter and David came to join me at Doug's where the Boys, Serene, and I decorated eggs. Artistic, slightly competitive egg decorating with wax resist, last year's dyes, and acrylic paint and brushes donated by Doug...who is currently having a show of his paintings at the Wallingford Center in Seattle.









I can't think of anyone I'd rather hang out with than my brothers. We left Serene to make the carrot cake and went to see Doug's show and David's new and larger studio...and of course, LUNCH!!! A family of Foodies at play--Lunch Box Laboratory in Ballard--Very special burgers and sides, funky ambience. I want to make paintings from photographs like these:















Doug in David's new studio--twice the size of his old one! Lest you think I've been an art piker while my brothers are productive, here are phase 1, 2, 3 of a 4' x 4' portrait I've been working on:


















4/4, 4/7, and today. It's starting to look a little like her. See updates as they happen on my Facebook page.



For my Northeast fans, I'll have art dolls in a show in Wayne, PA, and I understand that some of the doll club members from CT are going to the opening on May 31st...more on that later.

As I get older, I appreciate my choices more, and the preciousness of Time, and doing what I want to do the most. Painting, writing, designing. Being outdoors and with friends...I'll never run out of things to do!

More later, on Easter and Read 'em and Eat's weekend at Hobuck Beach. Must sleep now so I can be ready for the job that pays the bills tomorrow.

The most precious commodity is Time!

Clouds over the Olympics on one of my recent walks. The last three days have been Glorious!!! with snow only on the mountains--where it belongs--and flowering trees and perennials down below at 500 feet above sea level, where I live. Temperatures in the high 60's and SUNNY!!! after Such a long and gray winter.

I am more aware than ever how my exciting projects stretch out in Every Direction, and how quickly time flies by. Breakfast this morning with my happily newly-retired friend, Katie. They decided that Mike should retire this year, too...life is TOO SHORT to work for a few more years for a few more hundred dollars in retirement. Somehow they've managed to travel and be together no matter what.

The AARP newsletter has an article about people
who are living on little money in order to be free
to do what they want with their time. I've decided
that I need to work another 5-10 more years at my "regular" job in order to enjoy the freedom of
a roof over my head in retirement. One of my brothers has told me it's a good time to buy a new car because the rates are low...but I'm almost finished paying for the 2004 Honda Civic I have! When I was working a lot of hours for a good salary, but didn't have the energy to create as much as I would have liked, I think I bought myself things to compensate...and I must confess that I did get myself a Chrome Cuisanart food processor on sale today...but it should last me forever...and the events of today, my thinking about what to do to be able to afford retirement, or vacations, or new cars...brings me back to the realization that the most Precious Commodity is TIME!

My heart goes out to those who have too much time because of the Recession and loss of jobs...it's Very Difficult to be creative, when you're worried about keeping a roof over your family's head. I spent enough years in that pickle to sympathize. Finding proper balance is a tricky business. This USA is going through a challenging period of trying to portion out our
great resources perhaps a bit more fairly...since I
have worked in health care for many years, I'm
especially interested in how we can make sure
that all are served as well as possible and that
people no longer have to choose between their
medication and food or lose their homes because
of hospital costs.

I am happy to see that Dr. Howard Dean from
my home state, Vermont, is going to put his brain
and energy to work on this problem...check it out:
http://www.moveon.org/