I dressed up as Vincent Van Gogh for Halloween, just for my studio teaching days.

Most of the kids (not all!) diverted their eyes and seemed wary of me. Most thought I was a Hobo or creepy guy. Lot's of the grown-ups could guess, especially when I had paint brushes in my hand.

If you are interested in Vincent, you've GOT to read Van Gogh, The Life. It's the newest most thorough research on Vincent, his family, and his death. It's 860 pages, and written by the dynamic team of Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, who also wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning Jackson Pollock. It's a hard read, mostly because Vincent, from a very early age, had an extremely painful life. Physically it's challenging because the book is so big and heavy on your abdomen that you can only read so much in bed.

Dark Angel

Annie wanted to be Dead Pool for Halloween this year (a Marvel superhero) but we just couldn't get the costume to come together. So Annie chose a Dark Angel from a catalog this year. It JUST arrived a few minutes ago. Wow! She LOVES it.

(I think it's too tight and we should order the next size up. 

Wait until Papa gets home. He'll gets to decide.)

 She claims it's perfect.  

Gulp!

One size up and I think I'll be happy...

Day of the Dead Raven's

These three ravens have arrived just in time to act as the welcoming committee for this years Day of the Dead and All Saints Day! They are approximately 8.5" tall, made with Fimo, wool roving, lace, flowers, fabric, paint and love. 

A Beautiful Life

My darling daughter Annie does quite a bit of real work around our household and I have come to rely on it. This was yesterday's list for Annie and her good friend Johnny to accomplish while they spent the day here.  (There are a couple more items listed on the back of the paper; make lunch, clean up after lunch, counters, sink and floor, put dishes in dishwasher, etc.) All boxes were checked off and all jobs were completed to my satisfaction. Some chores they teamed up on and some chores they did on their own. I had to demonstrate a few things and offer a little supervision, but not much. I feel very proud of Annie, and Johnny for their willingness to work hard. I appreciate their amazing attitudes. I also appreciate that they don't question "why" or if there will be payment or reward for their time and effort. Of course I heartily exclaim my delight, pride and relief at the support they are offering, and how much it makes my life more beautiful, happy, easy and comfortable.

After all the jobs were done, they were clamoring for more!

What else could they do for me?

Pure ecstasy to my ears!

I cut a watermelon, popped some popcorn and pulled out some healthy treats I had squirreled away to make them a celebratory tray.

On the Loose

Quite the opposite of On the Loose, I have been experiencing my life as tightly wound. My sweet, spacious, stay-at-home, art teacher life, that balanced joyful go-with-the-flow life has had a strange, edgy fast lane feeling that I desperately want to transform.

A week of science camp with Annie deep in the primordial redwoods (no electricity or cell) re-calibrated and healed patterns of electronic pollution and over-work. 

Ahhhh! 

And just now, I'm sitting in a urban jugular point (downtown Oakland city center at 5:00 p.m. at a cafe while Annie is in chorus practice) and I am completely relieved of the notion that my life is scheduled and lacking in choice! I'm sipping tea with Jasper the Wonderdog at my feet as throngs of people race by me in uncomfortable looking work attire, expressions and intent. 

Oh! Thank you universe for this moment. My life is full of choice and freedom and joy and children and beauty and creativity. 

I choose MY LIFE!

Me on September 22, 2012

Hello Blog world!

My last blog post was April of this year. Almost entirely I have turned my back on this blog, MakingPeace. My day-to-day life; parenting, running a household, being in a partnership, and operating my business Alameda StudioTime, require all of my computer time. And my writing time, creative time, photography time, and all the time in between. I scanned through the past five years photo files from this blog and it left me feeling sad. Sad that I do not have the time I used to to reflect, share and celebrate my life in this particular way! Annie has grown so much! I have too. I'm busier than I want to be. I will myself to be still, prioritize my personal connection time, and record my life, my times, my thoughts once a week in this format at least for a month. Not that I want to add one more thing to my plate... I just suspect/wish/hope that time spent writing and connecting this way might bring me back to myself in a beautiful way.

So much for a quiet morning meeting with my advisors. Annie, as Nyan Cat, burst onto the scene with color and energy. Note the cozy new nighty that LaLa Pat made for Annie. Handmade with up-cycled tee shirts. Annie calls it her Chocolate Cherry Nighty.

Rainy Day Finger Knitting Marathon

  

We've been obsessed with finger knitting around here the last few weeks! Annie has gained skill and speed quickly and we are turning the fruit of our labors into bedside rugs for ourselves. We stayed in our pajamas ALL DAY yesterday, knitted on the couch and had a few good laugh attacks. Here are the beginnings of our rugs.

 Above-Annie's HUGE finger knitted ball!

Below-Using hula hoops as the frames of our round little rugs.

Circle of Friends

Today I took Annie and her 'zine group to the redwoods for a naturalist painting outing.

We picnicked, sketched, observed and water colored.

I was able to gather their attention for a good long while, then slowly, the world of imagination crept over the girls, and the royal fairy world fully appeared and stayed until it was time to pack up and head home.

What struck me most was the consideration, flexibility and care the girls all showed each other! So beautiful! It gives me great hope for humanity. 

practicing at the barre