rain in the sunshine...

i'm hanging around my studio this afternoon for the first time in a while, looking for something to do.  there's plenty to do really.  i'm way behind on lots of things.  but, it's just one of those days.  where i'm thinking, "what do i feel like doing?"  the sun outside is shining brightly.  beckoning me.  but no.  it's way too hot to be outside.  and now it has started to rain.  rain in the sunshine.  and it's just so beautiful.  i wish you could be here and we could enjoy it together.

i'll make us a tall iced coffee.  with lots of cream and sugar.  we can chat for a while and i'll show you some of my recent junk shop finds.

like this pile of tattered white lace...

or this crusty old book, with its' worn, scuffed cover and crispy brown pages...

and this faded old quilt, made of the softest cottons and silks and carefully tufted by hand, so obviously loved  by someone once...

perhaps, we'll feel like scribbling away in our journals.  or perhaps not.

yes, we'll just while away the afternoon.  doing not much of anything really.  just enjoying the rain in the sunshine...

the long way home...

i have been away for nearly two weeks.  a little respite from my ordinary life.  i think it's important to step away from our lives once in a while.  to experience new things.  and make family memories.  and become inspired.  this vacation offered up a stark contrast of venues.  first, a trip to New York City.  where we walked for miles and miles.  and miles.  and took in all of the sights and sounds and people.    

it's totally amazing how everything is packed together so tightly.  our kids have never been to the city, so we tried to experience lots of different things.  we took the subway.  we had our meals off of the trucks they have on every corner.  made some purchases from street vendors.  we saw everything we could in two days.  we took our daughter to visit NYU.  her first college visit.  a little tear here. 

immediately after the city, we headed to a more pastoral setting.  we stayed at this beautiful horse farm in upstate New York.  so different from the city.  the sounds - of horses and frogs and bugs.  and the colors - the lush green of the fields, the deep blue of the sky and the pinks and purples of the fluffy clouds.  it truly was beautiful and peaceful.

wildflowers everywhere. 

i made a new friend.  i had a previous fear of horses.  they're so big up close, you know.  but this horse...such a gentle soul, this one.

we spent some time at this country lake.  the kids went fishing and swimming and took the canoe all around the lake.  but, here is where i really rested and recharged.  so calming, the soft lapping of the waves.

my daughter plucked me this water lily.

later in the week we headed to a more suburban setting.  but not too suburban...this sandy beach was only minutes from where we stayed. 

we visited with all of our family. aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpa and cousins - lots of cousins.  the kids need their Aunt Diane and Uncle Bob fix.  there were lots of movies in the home theater, bottle rockets in the backyard and fireworks.  there was more fishing for the boys and some antique shopping for the girls.  and another college visit for my daughter.  

the time flew by.  it was so much fun, but after a time i start to miss my own bed and my little corgi dog.  so we packed up our minivan one last time and took the long way home.

nice to see you again...

a journey...

it's time for a little travel, a search for new adventure...  my favorite green luggage is all packed and ready to go...

i've brought along some inspiring books for the journey...  books that will feed my soul...

including a brand new journal with wrinkly brown leather and a coppery glass button that shimmers, finished just this morning...

fresh white watercolor paper, mixed with crispy, wrinkly brown paper bag pages, all torn just so...

a freshly sharpened set of bold watercolor pencils and a little paintbrush...for recording moments to be...

i'll see you in a few weeks...

i missed you...

i've missed you lately...  that's because i've been without electricity for the past week.  some kind of odd experiment or something you ask.  nope.  our area of Virginia was hit by a devastating storm last Friday.  the kind that comes swiftly in the dark of night.  powerful bands of wind that tore through neighborhoods and knocked down huge old trees and branches, crushing cars and houses.  it was terrifying and in the end most of our city was left without power.  and feeling a bit powerless.

our family was without electricity for five days and i realize now, it's something we've always taken granted.  suddenly we had no refrigerator for our food, no stove to cook on, no washer and dryer for our clothes.  and the night was just so, so dark.  hubby and i were ok without our computer for a few days.  and no TV, that was fine too.  but our kids, they seemed really lost without their facebook and internet and TV.  they cannot remember a time when they didn't have that.  and it made them really cranky.  but the one thing we all missed was our central air conditioning.  if i could of had just one thing, it would have been that or even just a little fan to sit in front of.  we are in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures that have been reaching 105 during the day and such humidity.  a thick, suffocating humidity.  


of course, i am so very thankful that our family made it through with no injuries and only a smashed windshield on our car.  i pray for all of those who were not so lucky.  driving around and seeing all of the devastation...it took my breath away and sent shock waves to my heart.  i did not take any pictures.  somehow, it just felt wrong to me.  in fact, the only picture that i took during that time was the above picture of a tree in front of our house.  that first day without power i sat under that tree and tried to get cool and to regain my sense of calm.  i tilted my head back and snapped the picture.  it seemed hopeful that it was intact, short a few branches only.  with the blue sky above me and sun shining brightly.  how could you not have hope on such a beautiful day?  the next few days were difficult - no break in the temperatures and no ice to be found anywhere.  i had several migraines, i think maybe caused by dehydration and/or stress, and all i could do was just to lay very still. and when the lights flicked on suddenly, late Wednesday night, we all let out a whoop and a holler.  and we cranked up our air conditioning with such gratitude.  and said a quick prayer for the others, who were still waiting.  and slowly, slowly life returns to normal...