
THAT'S NOT STATIC, that's the fog clearing with psychedelic awareness.
I am lurking on my own blog, have been thinking about posting for a long while, hmm, actually since I stopped posting back in June.
Truthfully, I was just burnt out on all the activity. Most of it was about needing to rest. I had lost my sense of humor too . . . taking life way too seriously. I had run myself to my stopping point and while I've had lots of ideas and have been jotting them down . . . on any sheet of paper I can find when the ideas hit, putting them into actual hard, reality wasn't interesting enough to get me out of my dream world. My body needed REST! (so I have been sleeping in - yes I have - can you believe it? Since June!)
I have pages of lists here! I've been doing what needs to be done and thinking about the other truth that when I am excited about "it", whatever "it" is, nothing can stop me, not even my husband, my kids, and 3 dogs.
I have compiled a short recap because to go back would make me crazy - sorry about that. I was so tired after all the things I was into and I was done keeping all the plates spinning and dropped them all - well maybe not all.
* I went to Europe for 3 weeks with a 16 year old - "OY!"
* I took 4000 photos on that trip and became overwhelmed with them. There are now 24,624 photos in iPhoto on my laptop. OMG!
* I went to the Alameda Flea market 3 or 4 times and got some great loot and met up with some artsy friends - lots of friends. It is a must do place nowadays, well not when it's raining.
* I took the class from Dana Driver at the Mendocino Art Center and learned a ton and then I bought some more tools! Big surprise right?
a few of my carved rocks and the silver I imbedded into the channels I learned to carve.

* I went to a Bob Dylan concert and also saw Van Morrison. Great times!
* I went to 2 gem and mineral shows and a bead extravaganza and I now own rocks and slabs for making my own cabs and carved stones for setting. Now THAT is exciting! My favorite is variscite (looks like turquoise with brown lines and inclusions) and I will post some stones I cut and carve in the near future. Yes, near! I also got (l-r) moss agate, sugilite, chinese writing stone, sodalite, lapis, green aveturine, sleeping beauty turquoise and that last little chunk is larimar (Ooooooh!):

I found a particularly beautiful specimen (Don't I talk like a rock hound and gem specialist now? Yes, I am learning all the lingo.) of a stone I learned about online, and found on ebay of all places called "ajoite" and it is gorgeous. I will tell you more about it in another post. It is a stunner!
* I took a bookmaking/collage class from Kelly Kilmer and a PMC class from Christi Anderson. I also got to go to dinner with each one. BONUS! I AM SO LUCKY!
* I got through almost 24/7 of Thanksgiving week and the 2 weeks of Christmas with my family - and we are all still speaking to each other. I think it's possible we are becoming more patient people.
* Some of my best friendships have deepened and some I left behind.
* My husband and I are happy we are together and loving each other at 25 years. That's a milestone for me. There is absolutely nothing else in my life I have ever stuck with for that long, except maybe taking showers, brushing my teeth and driving a car. Think about that for a minute!
*I have been sleeping in until 8:30 am 80% of my days since summer began and I have no ailments - except teenagers.
*I've been processing, percolating, hibernating, thinking, drawing, reading, changing, evolving in my cocoon and I am almost ready to come out . . . almost. I guess this means I am out right?
I really don't feel like the same person I was before.

That's me at 28 years old in my wedding dress!
I have changed. Yes I have. Some of the things I was so sure I wanted I no longer care about. I can't remember things like I used to and my eyesight is changing quite a bit and that is a big inconvenience. Thank goodness for 1.5's and 3.0's and being able to afford a pair of each in each room and/or perched on my head.
My resolutions are:
1. Have as much fun as possible!
2. Forget the "shoulds".
My words for this year:
"Letting go" ❄。¨¯`*✲ ´*。. ❄¨¯`*✲。 ❄*´*
of the need to collect everything and keep everything (friends who are moving on as well), of the feeling of being overwhelmed when it comes and goes, and I am letting go of the heat of hot flashes that no one else feels but me (?), of needing to control the outcome for so many scenarios that I have imagined that maybe never even happened except in my own mind. I am letting go . . . the hurts, the betrayed feelings, the anger I remember and play over and over for myself that makes it hurt more. What use are these to me? I am letting go . . .
I am who I am. I am forgiving myself for mistakes I think I made and for the ones I really made. I am forgiving myself for the friendships I lost that I thought I cared about and the only person I could blame was me or them. I have been particularly hard on myself, judgmental of what I have done and not done and this is me saying that it's enough now and the future is open and I am still creating mine as I speak. It is a glorious feast and I am going to enjoy it.

I was pleasantly surprised to see this one day while driving home from San Francisco and smiled to remember the influence and pleasure the Beatles have had on my life. All the words! This image! I love the time I live in!
I'm not going back to cover my tracks. I'm hoping that by my silence everyone will know I am forgiving us everything and if I ever get the opportunity to loop back on something or someone, I will try to clean it up as best I can.
Here's what I'm going to do:
I am going to make things. Oh yeah!
That's how this all started in the first place. I am going to go where the fun and my imagination takes me. I think it might be hard to do sometimes because I am a creature who likes her comfort and her habits even if they aren't good for her and "it's easy to get lost in the drama in our head". (read this and then cross your eyes for a second) ( oh, and then stick your tongue out and look in the mirror) Ha, ha!

I am going to journal and cut and paste MORE than ever!
Oh gosh I saw this ad one day during the Christmas email shopping frenzy and I grabbed this because it made me laugh.

Like if I don't hurry up and do what I should be doing, I will lose my chance. Not just this chance . . . MY LAST CHANCE! That's when I laughed out loud and got the joke, the one that was making me so mad all along. I don't want to hurry. What is the use of that?

That's me at a friend's Christmas party. I was taking refuge in the bedroom when there were so many people and the heat was getting to me so I went and hid in there and spent some time greeting people when they put their coats in or picked them up. I took pictures of myself with my friendly iPhone. On the vanity tucked in the corner of the mirror was a little piece of paper with the quote:
"There is only one success . . . to be able to spend your life in your own creativity." -Christopher Morley
I am going to meet more people and make more friends.

little amigurumi critters I found on Etsy
I think the right things come to you when you are ready and sometimes you get all dazzled by all the shiny lights and your brain goes "tilt" and then you need a good shaking . . . my husband would say spanking, but that's a different story for another blog.
Here is my girl:

changing before my eyes into a young woman in charge of herself and yet,

still so young, 17
Here's my boy:

he'll be 16 soon enough. Help me teach him SOMETHING!

In November I didn't feel like working much and then in December it was cold and dark and rainy and I started making gifts. It spilled over into new ideas taking shape:



A new outlook cued by a calendar at the bookstore:

Altered for my journal in an iPhone app:

I am going to relax more and try not to get too worked up over things.

I have joined "Ring a Week" on Flickr and I am going to make at least 52 rings this year! And see, I still stay up late, that's just me!

That's exciting! Especially because I will get to virtually brush up against some very talented metalsmiths and metalclay artists and keep learning, one of my very favorite things to do. OH NO! I just went over there for the link and almost had a seizure. Someone made a ring . . . I may be in over my head but that's a good challenge to have. (goosebumps)
and I am going to have more fun with my family and doggies:

doggies in a pile - Terry, Cookie and Lucky

two in this pile - Terry and Cookie

Cookie is 1-1/2 now and she, of course, likes the sun.
Loving the ads I get in emails from places like "Free People" and "Urban Outfitters". I found this:

I think people know about me. Happy New 2011!