Hello to you. It's been a while hasn't it? I've been away spending time with family and celebrating the life of my grandmother who passed two weeks ago. We shared memories and stories and saw family we hadn't seen in a long time. I enjoyed staying in my grandparents' house where they lived for over 60 years and where my sister and I spent many childhood summers. I took lots of film photos during this visit and the one above shows some of her costume jewelry. Today I'm wearing a bracelet of hers that has a bit of pizazz. When I put it on I instantly feel a little more cheerful, and want to be a little sweeter, like she was.
It's been quite a time lately and without dwelling on it further here I just wanted to let you know what's been going on.

In other news, I have some pieces in a show that opened last Friday and new watercolors and some pinhole work in two different shows opening up next week. I'll share images and details really soon.  Yay!

Thanks for all the kind emails, thoughts and prayers you friends have been sending our way. I really do appreciate it.

H

ps. Check out the REDscarf project, a collab between Jenifer Altman and Martha of UNIFORM natural. Good people doing good things.

M. and I just returned from a stroll downtown with no particular destination in mind when we set out. But we decided to walk all the way down to the river to see the masses of ice sheets on the water. We bumped into a few friends along the way. I took my film camera and spotted a few opportunities. We didn't talk about work, nor the sadnesses and stresses of the past week. And in a way it felt like a small vacation because everything just felt normal for a little while. The bit of simplicity was a relief. When we got back to the door of the house I exclaimed "You know what would be good? Homemade brownies. That would be tasty after our spaghetti squash supper." So I think I may try to round out our little day with that. A little day that was so needed.

I hope you have been well and have a nice start to your week.

H

I don't know about you but life seems to be about arranging lately; arranging priorities, arranging time, and simply arranging thoughts.  I have alot of family and career stuff going on so I'm spending less time online doing fun stuff. I'm choosing to blog twice weekly now since I can only contain or share a certain amount until it gets lost in the wires and is no longer fruitful. It is important to make thoughtful use of what I am absorbing or sharing and I think it's really about appreciating. Appreciating people as individuals instead of one of the masses of inspiring people out there doing something wonderful.  Because honestly so many people are.  I'm trying to appreciate less information by giving it more thought. Does that make sense?

That being said, here are some spaces/posts to give careful thought: Martha, Rachel, and Shanna.

This is a film image of a corner of my studio, above the press. I'm not exactly sure what prompted me to take this photo but I like how taking film images causes me to be a little more patient. Patient to compose and patient to see what happens.  Film feels like a pause, a held moment.

The other night we moved my computer up to my studio and I'm enjoying the light and sitting here eye level with the birds. A plump batch of young blackbirds visited me this morning right by the front door. They hovered in the ash branches trying to catch a little warmth from the sun, which thankfully is bright today.

I hope you're warm. Our temps are hardly a positive integer. Today I'm happy to be wearing my new blue wool sweater my mom knitted.

Thanks for stopping by,
H

One good thing

Well hello there,

It seems like I was just posting here but I see my last post was Christmas Eve. Time doesn't slow down just because it is a new year apparently.  So moving on.

It's incredibly cold here, is it where you are? It was -2 degrees this morning when my alarm went off, and as I was trudging around shivering I was trying really, really hard to think of something positive about winter. And I thought of something. Mowing your yard is unnecessary in winter. There's no getting all sticky and sweaty pushing the mower around, getting sweat in your eyes, or fighting off mosquitoes and horse flies. So I figured that's a plus right? Well. I tried.

It seems the new year is producing some new and revamped blogs.

Oh Joy is looking pretty. Susan has a new food blog called weekday food. Lisa will posting collections daily. And Abby has a new place. What others do you know of?

And finally a good bye.  Alicia and I have posted our final farewell here today.  Sniff.

Stay warm out there,

H