Days of Forts and Roses

It has been a day of playing with things like rope, long tubes and building forts. Good old fashioned kind of wintry fun. I'd like to say I have some roses but the closest I came was buying a bunch of tulips. But it was a measly bunch and they were asking $15. And since I'm on an austerity program, I declined. I like the ones you get in earth, bulbs and all for around $8 or $9, then you can plant the bulbs for next year. It's spring break here, as I've mentioned, and with a lot of Riley's friends either away or sick, it was just the two of us, getting up to shenanigans today. Early morning bedhead and a shot of today's fort:


We scored well at the library this morning. I was hoping to find something in paperback to take on our upcoming vacation at the end of the month and lo and behold they had a Picoult softcover that I haven't read yet (Plain Truth) and it looks like splendid vacation reading. I also picked up Edeet Ravel's, "Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth", Sue Miller's, "The Senator's Wife" and Joan Barfoot's, "Exit Lines". Right now I'm well into Jan Wong's, "Beijing Confidential" and I also have in paperback, "Letters from the Dhamma Brothers". Lots of good stuff to read, I like having a fresh stack of books, I feel like I have a security blanket. Of course I also have the slightly stale stack of books, the ones that I know I should read or ones that have found their way to me via some route or other.

I managed to sneak in an hour and a half in my studio today, working away at Owl Owl (which is becoming less and less about the owls) and my second OWOH piece. Some minor disasters with the distress inks, but it was just nice to get my hands dirty. My earlier days this week at work left me so depleted of energy it was ridiculous. I had to fight to stay awake until 9:30 last night and only made it that late because I was languishing in a hot bath with my Jan Wong book and didn't want to put it down.

I'm hoping tomorrow will give me even more time in the studio, I'd love to start a tag or two, which I am now behind by three, and I have some high hopes for my OWOH piece. I might even be able to mail them out next week - yippee! I was reading a blog recently (I forget which one) where the artist was saying she was working on about 7 different pieces all at the same time. I also find myself working on a few concurrently. I've been experimenting with different techniques and papers sometimes I just need to let it dry before moving on. Or sometimes I hit a wall but am still churning with imagery that begs a new piece of paper or canvas. I find creating such a fascinating process.

I am also feeling quite grateful that a lot of awful weather to the south and the east of me seems to have just grazed my town. As hard as the middle of winter can be with short, dark and cold days, I find this time of year some of the hardest to bear up under during storms. You know it's not going to last with the warmth of the sun melting things even on days that don't go above the freezing mark, but it's just such a slap in the face to get dumped on NOW.

But something did rattle my cage this morning. I saw an article, and a photo, in the newspaper about someone I went to art school with, someone who I was very good friends with then and stayed friends with after we graduated, although we hadn't been in contact for a number of years. He had been arrested last fall (and is still in prison) for indecent exposure in a playground and possessing child pornography. His recent roommate had found the material and blew the whistle and she was quoted in the article about how important it is to not be passive in life, how we need to stand up and do the right thing. So true.