ahhhh.... december is finally here....

a most wonderful time of year.... magical.... i love december.... there are so many wonderful things that i love... family gatherings, parties with friends, playing in the snow, cutting of the christmas tree, decorating with the sweet smell of pine... and glitter, lots and lots of glitter...

and so it began... we took a carriage ride to see the lights around the lake and to visit with santa....as you see, my youngest is still not real comfortable with the knee sitting... he said he was trembling because he had never met someone that had lived forever before... and as you can see eli is a character in his own right...

by tradition, the first saturday of december is the day the 'men' set out to find the perfect christmas tree.... it is a time for me to spend in the kitchen drinking eggnog, calling my family and creating new foods for our tree decorating party later that night... it is a time where being outnumbered by men, i can carefully decorate the table, place the china and make a centerpiece... it is a time where i can use my heirlooms that were passed to me from many generations and think about the love i feel for those people now gone... a time to show the 'men' that there is another side of life, a time for beauty, manners and grace... a time that isn't a part of everyday, sadly, that it once was...

and while i'm lingering in the world of timeless beauty they are climbing the mountain looking for the perfect tree to bring home...

it's always fun to see what tree they drag home and to hear of the ordeal that they went through.... we are the christmas tree capital of the world so you can imagine the number of people that come up the mountain to begin their tradition of cutting their own tree....

a friend of ours has a tree farm on a mountain, the best tree farm, so off they went... and here are some pictures of their day.... and yes, there was a donkey walking around, along with too many goats to count up and down the mountain....

hayrides and dogs rolling on their backs beggin' for some lovin.... and finally the perfect tree....

so it ended to be a beautiful day and a beautiful night... the tree was trimmed, and of course, it took several more hours than anticipated.... the usual in this household, ran out of lights, dashing to the store... etc... just like thanksgiving, when the turkey was still frozen and ran 3 hours late... but we are in no hurry here, things are done when they are done....

oh, how can it be?

i cannot believe it has been nearly a month since my last update... time sure does fly, and goes so much quicker the older that i get!

just to give you a quick update of the past month... i went to the wonderful wilton, ct., art show. it was just amazing to see all the talented artists work that i had seen on sites, stores or in magazines... i met quite a few new artists, trading our goods... and sweet goodbye's promising to stay in touch.

it was a long long trip to ct., especially for sara and i. we were excited knowing that the husbands weren't going (we do love them so.... but)... we wanted to be able to stop along the way... it seems that when "our" men are driving they are racing with time... who made the best time! so as we left home, before we were even out of town, our first stop was to the coffee shop, mocha's and muffins to go... we giggled at how wonderful it is to be able to stop.... well, to give you a heads up... it took us at least an extra 4 hours just to get out of nc., (which it is not a long way to va. from here....), but we stopped at the places that our husbands always said 'next time' too, and gobbled it all up...

it was a beautiful drive, full of fall colors still changing in areas, our were long gone by now... and the farms, dairy farms, were the largest that i had ever seen... and being an iowa girl, i have seen some wonderful farms... i always just want to go and knock on the door and ask them if i can stay for the day and watch....

first stop was to mayberry.... perfect time for lunch and to head over to floyd's barber shop... we ate at the local diner that is famed for it's pork sandwich....hmmmm.... my stomach was beginning to hurt...then over to the infamous blue bird cafe for sundaes of homemade ice cream.... my stomach was really hurting... so after just leaving in two hours we had eaten and eaten and were both feeling not so great....

then we headed over to floyds barbership and found it was closed that day but we ran into him walking down the street and he was happy to unlock the door and take us in anyway.... and boy, what a flirt he is! he has over 150,000 photos in his shop and sara and i will now become part of the legacy... so i've added pictures of mayberry, the road trip, my booth, and the hershey factory... where for the first time with me, chocolate actually won and i swore it off forever.... forever lasted almost a week.... and then down to my wood cutters shop in va, valerie and john who have helped me for nearly 10 years now... off to pick up more wood for painting.... always on the job! so enjoy the pictures.... and now i can move on to this magical december... and home with my terrific family...

up up and away....

well i am so excited... my very first folk art show... i will be leaving with sara on thursday and driving up to wilton, ct... what an adventure we will have... what a lot of laughs too... we plan on loading up and heading out, van packed full of game boards. and then off to the madness of setting up our booth, making sure everything is in order (which it never is), and waiting for those doors to open saturday morning...

you will hear our shrill voices in the air....did you bring a map, do you have the address, i thought you said YOU were bringing the twinkies....when can we stop, are we there yet....so 2 insane woman heading up where they have never been eating twinkies, so wave if you see us. i'm one of those travelers that wants to stop at every little sign of interest, thinking that it will only take a little time..., and how i do love every fast food window where i can whip in and get a fresh coke.... or a dairy queen for a shake to take.... so a trip that should take 11 hours (i've heard 14 with traffic) will certainly turn into 20... but hey, if you can't live along the way what are you saving it for?

needless to say, i'm busy busy busy getting your boards shipped out to you all, and making boards for the show... i'm already busy painting game boards for your friends and families that you have ordered for christmas too... so they will be working the drying magic while i'm gone...

i will check in with you after my return from the show... and if you are in the wilton, ct., area, come by and see me! there will be plenty of top leading artists to choose from for you or yours!

it's the saturday music show....

now i do believe i was born in the wrong decade, or at least part of it anyway. i missed all the causes... all the protests, all the wonderful clothing styles, 20's and poodle skirts... and the wonderful dances...

i'm not much of a dancer... i like a plan, a plan of the music (no jazz i can't follow thank you) and a plan with the steps... no throwing myself around the dance floor like i've gone mad... i do dance in the morning though before i get to work... it would be a horrible video for all of you to see... it's some of this and that and then add a little ballet... nothing award winning... and certainly nothing for the public to see...

but here is your challenge.... i've added 2 videos here... one...to see what it should look like, and 2 -instructions on how to do it... so you can think of my doing the charleston now at work... and i'll think of you doing it at home...or in your office...

what is your favorite food?

i'm sitting here at the computer feeling oh so sorry for myself.... sick, somethings getting everyone from here to florida... my mind is thinking what do i have that would cheer me up... what little sweet something would help me have a pity party for myself... i will raid the freezer first, looking for ice cream, then the frig. to check if anything there, then onto the pantry, at this point i must be desperate... halloween has come and gone the children have gathered all of their sweets and left me with a bowl full of everything i'm allergic to.... it gives me even more grief for my pity party.... if you had a magical cook that would fix you anything in the world right now to eat, what would it be? me, i'd go for the mousse above....

eerie.....

i wanted to show these wonderful pictures that my friend and fellow artist sande elkins sent to me.... she's touching a new field and i just love these pieces.... perfect for the end of october on the spooky day...also, enjoy the old disney clips below....

my view... take a walk with me...

it always amazes me...

year after year, it happens... and i'm always amazed that yet again it's happening... i look at this time like a little kid, it makes me wonder about the process of nature, i slow down and ponder the different shades of yellow, orange and reds. the rustle of the drying leaves blowing down the hill and the sound of them crunching under my feet during my morning trump with my beagle, belle.

it has been a little unusual this year, however. i have been repeatedly attacked by falling acorns... where one would feel like sitting outside and enjoying the crisp weather and the every changing leaves...it isn't a peaceful or romantic thought at all right now... the fact is that on my deck i fill like a target waiting to be banged on by acorns that i'm sure are aiming for me..

my friends cringe and watch them plunging at us at rocket speed, banging on the roof, deck or pinging on the roof of my car... i have never seen an acorn act like this, for it must surely mean a bad winter is coming...

but for now, i will put that in the back of my head and try to enjoy this most nervous fall weather....

i'm off....

it's one of those weeks....well several weeks blended together.... finishing game boards and packing them up to arrive to your homes....

be back soon....

what a fun time

what a fun week it was...!

... jan karan who writes the wonderful series of books about a small town, characters of the town, the minister and his wife cynthia, came to town to celebrate mitford days...

the town was turned into a replica of mitford, which didn't take much doing since she wrote the books here and used the town as her imaginary mitford. over 15,000 people came up the mountain to attend, from as far away as california... everyone wants to live in mitford, don't they?

breakfast at the local diner, parades and an orange marmalade cake contest was held... and jan is just as sweet as her books.... (i DO have a little inside info. on that), she's delightful to listen to, funny as all get out, and very surprised and humble about the hoopla she has created with her wonderful imagination.... i heard through the grapevine that it will become a yearly event, so you might just want to check that out so you too can come and enjoy mitford. this month she will start a new series about father tim...and she mentioned that she sure did meet some characters at this event that she will be able to draw upon....

(the top picture is of my dear hubby....and little one in the back, ((they drive in every local parade, which the town believes in having parades for any old reason!)), with aka rodney underwood, the local police officer).

to the wanderers....mom and dad

whatever country you two are tromping through right now... we all wish you a happy birthday and we will eat some cake for you too...

it's the saturday music show...

"ZEMER ATIK" - PLAYED ON KING DAVID'S LYRE

limited edition...

i've been asked for years to create limited edition pieces of game boards... and the time has finally arrived... there are so many wonderful antique game board patterns that i would like to try my hand at making, but time is always the issue...

below is the mid way point of my new piece... still needing the waxes and finishes to age the piece, and the worn molding added, but i wanted to give you a peek at the process as i was going along...

this piece is yet titled... the name usually comes at the very beginning of a piece or in the final stages... so i'm sure it will come to me soon...

this edition is limited to 25 pieces and then it will be retired...reserve your piece today by email, or phone 828-265-0977...

and the angels cried....

i will never forget... the world changed on this day.... i remember i was in the safety of my mountains with my toddler at my knees... after days of pain and confusion i designed a game board called the prayer... i put my heart and spirit into this piece...to me it signified the things to be thankful for...i new i had to do something positive i was falling deep into a state of sadness....

this is the piece that i wrote...i chose not to mention God by His name, for the reason that i believe that all people around the world can share this one prayer...

let me see the beauty in the unnoticed

keep me nourished and sheltered

let me not be fearful of the

constant movement

of life

but be assured by the moon

and the stars for the tomorrows

let my heart be

loving and compassionate

my hands strong with

truth and faith

and my direction

wise

amen

davey's garden... happy birthday

working

his way

through the steps

sometimes having to sit still

to wait for his turn to move

forward

other times

jumping

ahead

s

l

i

d

i

n

g

by the obstacles

making his own special way

to the bloom of his center

dancing to not only a different drum

but to a whole marching band

of his creation of his

own life

this is my late summer son

with beautiful hands

how can it be?

my oldest sons 24th birthday arrived today. it will be the only time in our lives where we can double his age to reach mine... it is a time where you remember your youth, what it was for me to be 24 myself, where did i live, where did i work? who was i way back then...

and holding him for the first time, how little he was, wrapping my dreams around him like the soft blanket that kept him warm....stirring the lioness in me to keep him safe...knowing nothing would be able to hurt him if he were in my arms...

i'm very proud of who he is...i would chose him for a friend myself if i were to meet him as a stranger. he's highly intelligent, brave, makes me laugh, kind and has a loving heart. he works with the elderly in a home and says the best part of his day is talking with them...never have i heard him say he hasn't had a good day at work or that he is tired, he loves people and loves his job.

at heart, he is a musician...he composes music in his own code, never learning how to read music. he plays by ear, and i haven't heard an instrument that he couldn't play by just listening to somebody play it... it was just a few months ago when i spotted a piano on the side of the road with a "free" sign. i stopped by his place to let him know and he and a friend drug that piano home... i wasn't even aware that he played the piano, but he does. his music isn't at all what i would've guessed he would write, (not at all like the annoying music he listened to in his teenage years), it is more like movie scores with depth...intricate instruments woven throughout a piece...

after all the years of dreaming (what i find were my dreams) for my children...the peace that you find when you see your children happy with who they are, what they do and who they have as friends is really all a parent could wish for. it's not where they live, what they have, or how much money they make, sacrifices have to be made for those things to become who you want to be or to use the gifts that you have. my hopes and dreams for him were totally changed throughout our relationship, i finally realized, he does know what is best for him.

make a wish baby....

saturday music show....

i'm a girlie girl...

i've been doing some thinking lately on what it is to be an artist and what ones perception is of me while talking over the phone... i've been told countless times that my voice sounds like a child, perhaps it is a reflection of my heart...

i thought i'd take some space and give you an idea of how it all works in my studio... it is fun, it is a blast actually, and i wonder how i am able to get away with having so much fun at that four letter word, "work".

my home is set in the appalachian mountains and it is on the side of a mountain, i am up in the trees so it feels that i am living in a tree house....wonderful old maples, oaks and poplars surround my studio, and most often a breeze is blowing.

in the morning as i climb down to work i'm instantly picked up with all the colors, from game boards to purple, fuchsia and chartreuse walls... i browse for some fun music and dance around a bit, (my dancing "technique" is quite original i will admit) but it is my greeting to the day... my area is divided into 2 sides...and i dress accordingly... tomboy or girlie girl...

one being the fun side, painting, writing, phones, music, ideas after ideas... the other side is the dirty overall side, woodwork, sanding, stains, fumes, dirt and grime...the very serious side...

my fun side is the pretty side with girlie things surrounding me for after working on the dirty side it's nice to be reminded that i am a girl and like the frills of it all...and i get to dress up!

the dirty side has my stained and torn aprons, tools and boxes...and once a tomboy always a tomboy.

i am a big one for sparkle, so if there is glittery things, i must have them to hang all over the studio, or wear, tasteless is not in my vocabulary when it comes to glittery things...dinosaurs, birdcages, artwork by wonderful artists as well as my children are placed here and there, collages, books and a wedding cake topper, boxes of "things" that i will make something with someday....a mantle waiting for me to mosaic with all my odd things, old doors, antiques, baskets and lots and lots of black...and always flowers...

it is my happy place, an open book for those to see who i am inside and what i love... a peek into the many personalities that a woman carries inside of her, i'm conservative yet wild, peaceful yet high strung, love high fashion, as well as bohemian, love city shopping but get a kick out of big lots...mexican or fine dining...i'm not comfortable being in the middle, either extreme is just fine with me....

my loves are children, family and friends, seasons, birds and glitter...flowers with fragrance, and all people...chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, turkey pulled out of the oven, cheerwine floats... being a girl...

my love of people leads me to linger and talk knowing that each and every person has something wonderful to share with me, a permanent place in my heart or mind, that i will look back on.... i love teenage boys and their over sized bodies and undersized minds... loyalty, honesty and integrity...., my beagle jumping allover me in the bed, making me laugh in the morning light....driving the mountain roads just to see whats on the other side...music and old trucks.