Checking In

First, I cannot believe how long it has been since I have talked with you. Poor little handmaiden has suffered from neglect.....but I have been incerdibly busy. I know that is no excuse but it is my story and I am sticking to it. I spent a wonderful 6 days is the heart of northern California...visiting Redding and Chico. The Redding guild shown above and a wonderful quilt from Carol in Chico, that was bravely sacrificed for a design study.

Carol was deighted and I can't thank her enough for trusting me with a rotary cutter and her quilt...a brave soul.

I arrive home from CA with the sun setting over DFW.....thinking I had two weeks home before going to Williamsburg for Elly's Applique Academy. Au contraire, I am leaving again the following Monday. Go in to high gear, calling program chairs, sending boxes to Williamsburg, filling a large order for AQS, and washing and packing for variable weather in Virginia.

I think I got everything done....slides to East Bay Heritage, quilt to AQATS: Re-View exhibition and order shipped to AQS.What I ran out of time and product was sending the dvd's to my students in CA that placed orders.My apologies; I promise they will be in the mail as soon as I get home.

Also, I had to catch up with my terrific students in the Creative Spark class. These students are so dedicated and insightful. It is truly my pleasure to share this journey with them. We have completed a series of design principle exercises and are working toward our first original design for a finished quilt.

On the home front, Thom found an apartment and has returned my office and studio to me. Now if only had time to work in either of them.Unfortunately, my class did not make at the Hudson Valley workshops so I will be home in March catching up and cleaning up. I will miss teaching but have so much work to get done that it is probably a good thing.

Since Thom's departure, sweet Ronnie and I have enjoyed staying up late watching old movies and sleeping in late in the mornings.....having dinner at any hour we want....and returning to the glorious state of an empty nest. A month home might even get the second dvd I have to edit done....some quiltmaking....ah, the possibilities.

Promise to check in again with pictures from the Academy....until then...go make some art.

Finally Feeling Better

Got home walking on my knees. Spent an entire day sleeping in bed,but finally coming back to semi-normal. Still have a cold but no fever and not coughing every five minutes. My fingers are crossed that I don't relapse on my next trip. Leaving Monday for California, returning on the 8th. Planning on taking very good care while on the road.

However, being laid up is not such a bad thing. Kept my sketch book close at hand, along with a good book and my computer close so I could listen to old radio shows on live365.com. Something about radio and music sparks the imagination that television often robs us of.....so in my feverish state ended up with some new possibilities for quilts.

You can tell they are still in the working stages but it felt so good to have new ideas.The well had been a dribble for so long...now I feel there is plenty of fresh water.

Also with the help of Eric Maisel, we have a major work/exhibition in the planning stages.Can't talk too much about it at the moment since it is still gestating...but will post more later.

It is just good to be moving off the plateau and climbing the rocks again. Thank you all for your email and comments....always brightens your spirits when you are feeling like you can't put one foot in front of the other.