Thank you one and all

I always feel uplifted and a deep sense of gratitude when I share the personal side of my life and you respond with such heartfelt support and love. It has been a difficult week coming to terms in my own way with my Mum's health. Grief takes many forms and what I feel is difficult to explain even to myself.

What I do is retreat to the studio because in the silence of making I find the space in my mind to come to terms with the things I have no control over. I can let go. This week I made boxes out of sheet brass. Each was created with a specific person in mind. Each are reflections of what I feel for them. All people I love. Each a person that has made a difference in my life. Little acts of making ground me to the here and now, and pull me out of the conflict of emotions I feel around my mother's last days.

Mum is doing well. She is comfortable. She has said that she is at peace, that she is ready. We have no idea how long she has. But that she is ready is something that gives me great comfort.

Once again, thank you all for your very kind support and well wishes. It's not all sadness here. While I look at closing one door, I look at the future too. We've got wonderful plans for the holiday, welcoming our newest members into the family and building new traditions on the foundation of our old ones.

Favors & A Mystery

My job, and a happy one at that, is to make wedding favors for the guests attending my son and dauter-in-laws wedding.  Goodness, did  I really just write that. Yes, indeed, I am getting another daughter and even a grand daughter. So I'm making little porcelain birds to put on the goody box. I think they are quite sweet looking. I hope they like them.

The mystery is this. How can it be that I can wire wrap tiny little beads reasonably well but not tie a bow? This bow tying business is tough. I think it took me longer to tie that bow than it did to make the bird. I'm not even going to tell you how many pieces of ribbon I went through. Is there some kind of bow tying school out there that I missed out on?  Is nice bow tying skill something you only get if you belong to a secret society?

A perfect day!

Every once in a while I have a day that is just extraordinary. Not because of any particular thing. Just everything works well, everything is harmonious, gentle, and quiet. Today was such a day. I woke up and headed straight for the studio. I worked on lots of things and felt no pressure to work. That is bliss in and of itself.

Then the post came and even my postie must of recognized how special today is. He came back to my house to make sure I had found my package. To my very great suprise, my friend Darby sent me this beautiful white vase. Darby is a ceramicist whose work I greatly admire. I made her some buttons for her favourite coat that was missing a few. It was just a small gesture. And in return she sent me this wonderful vase.

Darby works and teaches in Southern Illinois. Her work is influenced by nature, specifically by the beauty of things growing in her garden. Most of her forms start on the wheel and then are gently altered into organic forms. My vase reminds me of the form of a rose hip. I love the scalloped edge at the top. For now it has joined my little collection of white things, waiting to filled with my own garden flowers.

Thank you, Darby. I must say I was moved to tears by this unexpected gift.

And speaking of gifts. I really do treasure all the wonderful inspiration all of you have given me on names and colours for my most recent work. I hardly know where to start. But thank you! You've possibly given me more ideas and directions to go than you imagine.

So check in tomorrow to see who the winner of the drawing for an assortment of Sea Things, soon to be named something much more elegant. Or whimsical, or.....

Cheers, LeAnn