This amazing creation is simply off the hook ~ check out Terry's shop
Old Salt Shaker Cuff Bracelet ~ Repurposed Vintage Jewelry
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Ode to a Serious Sunday NOT! ~ October 19, 2014
While exploring the world of Pinterest
I discovered the wonderful and whimsical pottery of Mitchell Grafton.
The creative mind is a wonderful thing.
Let your's out of the box to explore.
You may just find a new path to travel.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
There's a Five Dollar Fine for Whining ~ March 13, 2014
It's so easy to get caught up in your every days and start whining. Here we have a $5 fine for such nonsense. We choose to start each morning with irreverence, a good breakfast and a game of cribbage. Sets the tone for the day and reminds us to not take ourselves, or the world, too seriously.
We are all dealing with something, for us it's aging and health issues, but it's only part of who we are. The concept here is that you have options, so be sure to make good use of them and enjoy the ride. We find joy in giving time to favorite charities, the creative process, daily walks, getting dirty in the garden, blue highway road trips, and spontaneity. What is it that gets your motor running and takes you to a positive place?
It's our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
J.K. Rowling
Lovechild of the Wind
A photograph by Jinn about beauty and aging
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TranceMission
"All we know about aging is that we're learning as we go"
Rod Helvey
Rod Helvey
Monday, July 15, 2013
More Homework ~ July 15, 2013
The morning of the 11th dawned with one message "make it up as you go". A few errands out of the way and off we went. First stop was Salvation Army thrift store complex on Lytton Springs just north of Healdsburg. It's one of our favorite haunts.
We found a couple of giant woks that will translate well into great container gardens for our growing family of succulents. We also discovered 20 bins of books next to the checkout kiosk. At bin 18 I uncovered a paperback called "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Tips" by Kris Carr with a forward from Cheryl Crow. I read the first pages standing in the morning sun and started laughing out loud. This book definitely needed to be in my library.
Kris was diagnosed with a rare vascular cancer called epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma (EHE for short). Though our diagnoses were very different we both had the same reaction on being told we had cancer: Holy Shit!
She documented her journey with humor and a no nonsense approach of taking charge that rang true with me. She reinforced a lot of what I was already doing: writing, creating art, taking notes and questioning authority. The book is a great road map for all glorious Cancer Babes. It opened my eyes to what more I could be doing. After all we are warriors and it's time to start training.
We found a couple of giant woks that will translate well into great container gardens for our growing family of succulents. We also discovered 20 bins of books next to the checkout kiosk. At bin 18 I uncovered a paperback called "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Tips" by Kris Carr with a forward from Cheryl Crow. I read the first pages standing in the morning sun and started laughing out loud. This book definitely needed to be in my library.
Kris was diagnosed with a rare vascular cancer called epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma (EHE for short). Though our diagnoses were very different we both had the same reaction on being told we had cancer: Holy Shit!
She documented her journey with humor and a no nonsense approach of taking charge that rang true with me. She reinforced a lot of what I was already doing: writing, creating art, taking notes and questioning authority. The book is a great road map for all glorious Cancer Babes. It opened my eyes to what more I could be doing. After all we are warriors and it's time to start training.
- Shake my ass
- Create a cancer posse ~ more on this later
- Rethink my diet ~ can you spell China Study?
- Drink more water
- Stretch more ~ Yoga
- List of 10 things you've always wanted to do ~ no jumping out of a plane isn't one of them
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Emandal Farm Day 2 ~ Sept 29, 2012
We awaken in our little down filled nest at Ohana Cabin about dawn. It's quite chilly since we'd left the windows open all night, but flannel jammies and sheepskin boots are at the ready for the short walk down to the outhouse (some cabins have plumbing but the outhouses and showers are quite delightful). Reminds me of camping when I was a kid.
Breakfast isn't until 9am so once the sun is up we decide on a walk up to the lake. Up really means up ~ we haven't been to the gym in a couple of months and are huffing and puffing like a couple of old war horses, but our reward is this pretty little lake. Rumor has it there are some good sized bass hiding among the reeds. We walk down the road a bit and come to a place that overlooks the entire valley below. The view is absolutely stunning. There's a giant gong up there made from an old acetylene tank. We heard it a couple of times during our stay so my guess is that the hardy of heart let the world know they'd made it.
Breakfast is buffet style: eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits (to die for), Tam's jams, fresh fruit, and oatmeal with all the accouterments. We gather at the plank tables in the great room for coffee, conversation and a hearty meal. To settle our meal it's time for a walk through the gardens and down along the Eel before it gets too hot.
Breakfast isn't until 9am so once the sun is up we decide on a walk up to the lake. Up really means up ~ we haven't been to the gym in a couple of months and are huffing and puffing like a couple of old war horses, but our reward is this pretty little lake. Rumor has it there are some good sized bass hiding among the reeds. We walk down the road a bit and come to a place that overlooks the entire valley below. The view is absolutely stunning. There's a giant gong up there made from an old acetylene tank. We heard it a couple of times during our stay so my guess is that the hardy of heart let the world know they'd made it.
Breakfast is buffet style: eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits (to die for), Tam's jams, fresh fruit, and oatmeal with all the accouterments. We gather at the plank tables in the great room for coffee, conversation and a hearty meal. To settle our meal it's time for a walk through the gardens and down along the Eel before it gets too hot.
I was fascinated by this wonderful compass created from old machine parts from around the farm.
The river is only a short distance down the hill from the compound. It's calm and just sort of meanders this time of year, but there are some great little swimming holes and small rapids you can hear from certain spots along the trail.
We found out from Tam that they're going to remove the last of two old vineyards sometime in the near future. She knows Rod makes walking sticks and canes and told him to stop at the vineyard on the way out get a few samples. I have a feeling we'll be returning to Emandal with the truck for some prime raw materials.
Late morning we head out and stop at Buster's Burgers and Brews on Main Street in Willits for lunch. Great food and we got to watch the last quarter of the 49er game against the hapless Jets. I remember when Don Meredith used to sing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over" and that sure would have been appropriate here!
Once home Rod and the kids next door, Maya and Evan, made fresh lemonade and we sat on the porch with their mom Carol and shared tales. She'd just got back from a trip with her girlfriends.
So here's a toast to adventures down long dusty roads, surprises around every corner and finding common ground. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvJYzPO1tA8
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Just a Thought Series ~ October 8, 1976
Full moon cradled
In a pin cushion sky
Cradled Moon
Autumn's subtle ways
Warm the soul
Night air surrounds me
Like a hug
The crackle of a warm fire
Bakes my toes
The mystery of a season change
Forever intrigues me
Creative juices
Are once again nudging their way
out of the box
Creative juices
Are once again nudging their way
out of the box
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Random Musings April 5, 2012
I just had my annual physical. As I left his office my Doc said "You're the poster child for doing it right. I can't scold you about anything." Music to the ears of a certifiable member of the Silver Squadron. As you get older you realize no one's going to take of your body but you. It's the no excuses tour baby, time to get on board!
Sunrise Squadron
On that high note I headed over to the Apple Store to assess the cost of replacing my vintage Dell with an iMac (it's going to happen because I'm worth it and life is short). As I'm walking back to the car a literary bolt of lightning momentarily derails my train of thought.
"Keep a clear head and always carry a light bulb."
It's a line from D.A. Pennebaker's documentary of Dylan's 1965 English tour Don't Look Back. Why it should surface now I have no idea, except that I walked past two dumpsters on the way to my car. Say what?
My friend Kelly and I saw the film in 1967 while we were at UCLA. The theater was in downtown LA. We ended up getting there a little early and decided to take a walk.
Bob Dylan ~ Warfield 1979
As we strolled down the boulevard something caught his eye. I didn't give a second thought to following him into an alley behind a retail store (the Sixties were a different time). There he liberated a couple of fluorescent tubes from a dumpster. A new idea for a piece of conceptual art? Star Wars light sabers before there was Star Wars? No telling what sparked that moment, but when we heard Dylan say "Keep a clear head and always carry a light bulb" the meaning was obvious.
You never know what's important until it is!
Friday, March 30, 2012
What a Novel Idea II ~ March 30, 2012
I recently finished a trio of books called Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock. I found them at a used book store and was so intrigued by the premise and imagination of the writer I had to add them to my library.
It's an extraordinary story of intertwined romance, mystery, and art. Each page is a piece of correspondence between Griffin and Sabine. The letters must be pulled from their envelopes and unfolded to read, each postcard is a delightful artistic creation. You become part of the story as it unfolds.
Email, Facebook, and Ecards have a place in this day and age (like when you've forgotten someone's birthday or want to get some news out in a hurry), but there's nothing like receiving something home made or hand written in the mail ~ as in from the mailbox!
I've been scissoring photos, magazines and old cards for a couple of years because I've always wanted to explore collage as an artistic outlet. I now have a large collection of paper ephemera to draw from. Griffin and Sabine have gotten me off my duff and I'd say seeds have been planted.
Book I
It's an extraordinary story of intertwined romance, mystery, and art. Each page is a piece of correspondence between Griffin and Sabine. The letters must be pulled from their envelopes and unfolded to read, each postcard is a delightful artistic creation. You become part of the story as it unfolds.
Email, Facebook, and Ecards have a place in this day and age (like when you've forgotten someone's birthday or want to get some news out in a hurry), but there's nothing like receiving something home made or hand written in the mail ~ as in from the mailbox!
Fantasy Bird Post Card
Everything You Can Imagine Postcard
So here's what I'm proposing: Email your mailing address to me at machelvey@gmail.com and I will send you a hand made postcard with my return address. It would be really awesome if you'd respond with a card or note. Old fashioned correspondence is a dying art form, so it's time to save a little piece of history. What a treat it might be to find something besides bills and junk mail in the mailbox. Are you up for it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)