Autumnal bliss

I can't believe tomorrow is the first day of October!! I love Autumn. It is definitely my favourite season; it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside - those pumpkins and brightly coloured leaves, smells of fireplaces and crisp air, bumpy gourds and squashes and scary Halloween things. Yes yes yes, I love it very much ^_^

As I rode the tandem home after dropping Isabella at school this morning, I took my time and went more slowly than I usually do, taking in the colours and sights and smells...It is such a wondrous and healing thing to do, being present...

I am thinking that I will maybe perhaps dress up as a big doll for Halloween (-:

^_^

So I am selling Halloween greeting cards at my etsy store (-: http://www.pipodoll.etsy.com/

This past weekend was a bit of a wild ride, starting out with Jason feeling violently ill with a migraine Saturday morning and afternoon so in an attempt to give him some peace and quiet, Isabella and I locked ourselves in her bedroom, put make-up on one another, ate raisins and banana bread and this is what happened:

Jason was feeling a bit better by the evening, so we walked Isabella to the park so she could expend some of her childhood energy there ^-^ We went to Tilden park on Sunday after buying some much-needed bunny food at the pet store first. Poor Mabel has quite the appetite and was all out of pellets in the morning! We brought celery with us and fed the animals at the petting zoo and then hiked down a trail leading to a little lake. We heard mewing coming from a patch of brambles and discovered a kitten all alone. The poor thing was wild though, and although we were there over an hour trying to lure her out, she wasn't having it. We may return tonight with some 'kitten catching' props and hopefully we'll be able to help her. She was so small. Just a baby..

The day is sunny, as usual, but there is a cool breeze that hints of the crisp autumns I experienced in Ontario. I even smelled snow when I woke up yesterday which I know will never fall here in this part of California but nonetheless...My connection to the seasons runs deep and I feel each change as if it were my own self, not the earth, but then as humans we are part of nature, aren't we? So it makes perfect sense.

Yay! Halloween is coming!

Made another one! I do love Halloween (-:

(0:

I just finished this sweet little trick-or-treater today! I'm not sure what her purpose is yet. We shall see (-:

happy day (-:

Clotheslines and their laws

It seems quite rediculous to me that certain places actually have 'clothesline bans' because the appearance of such an unsightly thing can lower property value. OH MY GOD!!! That is too funny. Seriously, if someone is so concerned with the way things appear around them and the way they and their lifestyle appear to others, they should be forced to become better educated on the dire circumstances concerning the health of this planet. It is a simple fact that if you dry your clothes in the sun, it saves loads of electricity, which helps to prolong the dwindling natural resources that we share this planet with. Silliness. With the state of things as they are today, can we really afford to be so petty and ignornant? Hmm.
Taken from an article at www.treehugger.com:

"Just over a month ago, reader James noted that "in a growing number of residential developments in the USA, the local government or community covenants legally prevent residents from doing 'unsightly' things," including hanging wet laundry out to dry. Columnist Alex Beam of the International Herald Tribune came across similar findings while attempting to emulate Al and Tipper Gore's efforts to live a carbon neutral lifestyle:
I am seriously considering line-drying my washed clothes, which would further erode my standing in my very proper neighborhood.
Did you know that clothes dryers account for as much as 10 percent of home-energy use? "If ... New Englanders would use the clothesline or wooden drying racks, the savings would be enough to close several power plants," reports the pro-line- drying Web site Project Laundry List.
Alas, we do not live in a "right-to- dry" state, like Florida, where the legislature has granted homeowners broad rights to hang out their clothes.
Richard Monson, the president of the California Association of Homeowners Associations, told Legal Affairs magazine that a clothesline in a neighborhood can lower property values by 15 percent: "Modern homeowners don't like people's underwear in public. It's just unsightly."

Honestly, I think clotheslines are beautiful.

I go out of my way to find them (-:

More on clotheslines:

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/14/10339/

http://laundrylist.org/

A wee bit tired I am

Cream earl grey it is this morning, with a bit o' soy milk and honey (-: I am loving this tea this week. It helps to wake me up...I am pleased that my legs are becoming stronger from riding the tandem bikerides I share with Isabella but they are also begging for a rest. Thank goodness for the weekend then (-:



Yay! I sold these two prints on the weekend! The lady who bought them found me through a 'clothesline' search on the internet. I cannot tell you just how much I love clotheslines. Unfortunately I don't have one right now, but do not fear! I can draw them! Such is the solace of an artist..It's a funny thing though..I have done the 'clothesline' search myself, many times in the past and recent past. I love synchronicity. It reminds you that things are not so haphazard and uncoordinated here on this place called earth; That there is more. I knew that of course, but it's sooo nice to be reminded here and there.

Grapes!

On Saturday we made good use of the perfect weather and took a drive down to our favourite vineyard in the Napa/Sonoma wine region (-: We were hoping to catch a peek at the grapes on the vine, as we always seem to come a month too early or a month too late! We love this particular winery because it is much smaller than the others and consequently has a warm, welcoming feeling.

The lady facilitating the wine tasting this weekend was a delight; She gave us a complete lesson on wine making and a tour of the machines and tanks! The other times we've visited, the employees were equally as friendly and jovial, making for a really pleasant experience (-:
If you are ever in the area, definitely go in for a visit! The wine room is small and really friendly and wine tasting is free!

http://www.christophercreek.com/

do you see the face?

"We only come to dream, we only come to sleep;

It is not true that we come to live on Earth."

~from an ancient race that dwelt in Mexico~

On a more earthly note, I am packing a lovely after-school snack of freshly baked banana bread, raisins and hot chocolate for an impromptu picnic Isabella and I have planned. There is a dear little park on the way home from school and so we shall sit there to enjoy our goodies. (-:

Wild Desert sage

I love foraging for wild Sage. Unfortunately you must brave the scorching heat of the desert in order to collect it. Luckily I had my giant gardening hat with me as we traveled across the country this summer. It was growing everywhere, from New Mexico to California, covering vast fields and hills! Wonderful! I think my harvest bundles are nearly dry so I can start wrapping them into smudge sticks. When I lived in Ontario we had to buy our white sage. This is so much more satisfying.

These pictures were taken in Utah, right before a huge thunderstorm in which the sky became dark and ominous and we could hear the thunder approaching us from miles away while we hurriedly finished our desert-roaming and returned to the safe haven of our car.

While I harvest sage, my husband Jason hunts for interesting rocks and gems, which are also located in the desert. The only people out there for miles and miles, the peace and silence is astounding. There are no birds save maybe one, wisely on it's way to somewhere else.

When I first went to the desert I was not looking forward to it at all. I thought it would be horrid, that I would abhor the dryness and lack of foliage and life. What I encountered was a feeling of great peace and calm, where the very land itself seemed to breathe of stories from times long ago, and the earth welcomed our footsteps upon her as a wise old friend, ready for a kindly visit. It was shocking to me that a place so devoid of the usual indications of nature and life could be so alive.

I love this one of Isabella wandering in the desert. She loves rockhounding as much as Jason and is a really good sport about the intense heat, braving the sun to look for her treasures.

(-:

This is what I feel like today. No other explanations necessary.

Beauty is life

I am drinking green tea with Jasmine and literally controlling the great urge to weep because of the beauty that is inherent here, in my life, on this planet. We are so lucky to be alive!

I want to run down the street letting everyone know, and it brings me a certain degree of sadness to know that many, many people would rather dwell in misery and ugliness of spirit. What a waste.

This painting sort of reminds me of me.

Long dress, sewing, peaceful and quiet.

Sitting by the flowers and the sunlight.

When Isabella was little I made almost all her sweet little clothes out of vintage hankerchiefs and tablecloths. She wore blowy apron dresses and loved them. She just asked me to make her a new one the other day! She's so much bigger now but it warms my heart to know she loves aprons, dresses, skirts and pinafores as much as a do.

It seems that I have run out of tea, and also have a passionate desire to create something beautiful (-:

A lovely day spent with my favourite girl

Isabella and I have the day to ourselves! We spent the morning goofing around, eventually had showers, ate some toast and apples and then ventured downtown to buy strawberries and beautiful salad with flowers at the Farmers Market - my favourite place. Two freshly-made organic cookies later, we strolled to the library and chose a mighty pile of new books to devour (-: More strolling in the flaming hot sun led us to the playground where seven-year old Isabella tackled the monkey bars with great gusto and then, we finally headed home.Isabella has since braided Pipo's hair, drawn a picture of Squidward, and enjoyed a homemade lunch consisting of quesadillas, strawberries and soy milk.Motherhood is the best gift a woman can give herself, truly. I love it.

Tasha Tudor

Tasha Tudor is my hero.

I'm so sad that she has passed away (she was 92) but she will continue to inspire me, forever. I wish I could live my life in such a way that it inspires others to live truly and follow their dreams while I am following my truest life path as well. Until that time I will revel in the wisdom of great, beautiful souls like Tasha.

Here is an excerpt from her website, written by her grandson, Wislow Tudor:

~Here are a few things we learned from Granny: Never use the word “can” when you should use “may.” Always take your hat off in the house. Pay less attention to what people say, and more to what they do. “It is a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.” Life is short, do what’s important to you. Never use tea bags, use real tea instead. Feed yourself properly. She could always tell when you weren’t eating well. “I’ll make you a real supper.” Have a wood stove in your house. Cats make the best hot water bottles. Don’t dwell excessively on the past. Be positive. Plant a garden. ~

I love it. But I am happy and sad at the same time.

More Mabel musings

I think I will print some owl greeting cards today. I have three feathery fellows just waiting for a more significant purpose in life...

(-:

Mabel is housetrained now, which means she may hop freely around our home from morning until night causing mischief and looking really, really adorable. Did I mention she loves raisins? She's a wild woman if a raisin enters the vicinity. Truly.

Sunny day

It is sunny indeed.

I'm inside, looking on etsy, looking at blogs and dawanda, artwork, artwork, everyone else's artwork. I am a bit overwhelmed; I've been at it for too long. This is a good thing to do but usually at night, and only for a time.

On a happier note, I sold a print last night:

Yay!!! And on one more happy note, I should say that Mabel-bunny is getting quite comfortable in her new home. She has been here for only two weeks but already she is busy bumping the cats with her nose, running wildly through the living room and hopping over to visit me each time I sit down. Sweet little thing. I think rabbits are such brilliant creatures.

The love of my life...

Mabel

This little lady is truly the love of my life, (along with a few others..) and I must say, she is an inspiration to me. A rabbit hopping around one's living quarters profoundly warms the heart.