Almost here

Hope to see you there,

folks are doing some amazing things
and it's gonna be fun,
I tell ya,
FUN!!

Brand new second hand thoughts

“One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”

—Maya Angelou
(b. 1928); poet

Grace in small things:

1. The generosity of friends

2. A new old sewing machine courtesy of a generous friend!!

3. The smell of chili roasting and knowing fall is coming

4. Gloomy, rainy mornings and evenings

5. A pink morning walk with moisture

6. The perfect sliver of a moon through the clouds

7. Another finished piece for the show

8. 6 whole weeks at the job

9. Thinking of things to celebrate at the end of the month

10. People keep coming back to read my blog!

The Universe and randomness

Dawn is married to my nephew Andy and here she is with 2 of her 3 guys on a recent trip down here. My first boy friend's mother called herself my "mother-in-love" since we were so close and so I call Dawn my "niece-in-love" for the same reason. So much better than that whole in-law thing, right? She is also my random number generator 'cause I like talking to her way better than doing that online thingy. I called Dawn tonight to have her do her thing and she picked the numbers and we chatted and hung up.

I counted down the comments and found that Gwen was the lucky winner. I popped over to her blog to let her know and the title of it is Helen Louise Thompson. Which kinda gave me a start...since my mother's name was Helen Louise. Nothing random here folks, the Universe knows what it is doing...eh? And what a great picture of her mother! Gwen, you can send me any photo and your address at leau_phillips at yahoo dot com

The next winner of a stencil is Paula Snyder, my new friend and glass grave yard buddy who works down the street from my new job...randomness? You decide and check out the links she has posted for some really great inspiration from some New Mexican artists and a couple of guys from other places that are pretty amazing as well. So send me a picture sugar, and then you can come by to pick up your stencil!

And finally my darling Dawn picked Allegra's comment. My colorful, thoughtful friend who makes violet cocktails! How perfect is that! I know!! We must be related. My "friend-in-love"?...well, maybe not since the law has nothing to do with why Allegra and I are friends! Allegra, send me the photo you want me to make a stencil of and your address I'll get it off to you.

Keep watching here for glances into the upcoming Number 9, Number 9, Number 9 show!

PS: when I called Dawn back to tell her the whole Helen Louise connection, she told me that the "volunteer" okra plant is back in her yard this year. It popped up last year...it was my sister's favorite veggie...my sister died in April of last year. Random? I think not!

I'm the luckiest girl in the whole USA

That's me, wanky hair and all and let me tell you I think I am the luckest girl in the whole USA!! That might be a song and I would go look for it but I think it is sung by one of those twangy girls and I really couldn't stand that so I'll just keep saying it...I'm a lucky girl!!
First I won a raffle at the PowWow Days in April.
Then, I won a play pretty over at Tara's and
got a job and
insurance (how's that for luck!!).
Next came an offer to teach,
root beer floats for supper and
today I found out I won a prize on Nina's blog!!
I know!!
See I told you, luckiest girl in the whole USA!
So it's time I do that whole pay it forward thingy.
Right?
Gotta keep this going. So, here's the deal, leave a comment and I'll use my human random number generator (Hi Dawn!!) and have her pick 3 numbers.
Then, those lucky three will get to send me a picture of anyone they want.
For the first picked person, I'll make a piece of art, similar to the one above (only finished!!), with the stencil made from your picture...and I'll send you the stencil as well so you can use it in any art any way you want.
For the other lucky "pickees", I'll make stencils of the pictures for your spraying pleasure!
So are you in?
I'll leave it open until next Thursday 'cause Dawn is off cruising somewhere in the Caribbean and can't pick numbers 'till she gets back...
Jump on in, you too could be the luckiest girl (or boy) in the whole USA! I'm off to see if that knocking at my door is a man in a shiny suit with a big white horse...it could happen!

Summer nights

and the summer of eating beautifully ends in a sizzle...of hot oil. Yes, those are battered fried green beans...and sweet potato fries, but they are still vegetables!!

I believe I've mentioned before that I ride the bus. And the bus stop conversations crack me up. Tonight's went like this: " Move lady (me) I am really drunk and I need to sit down." I didn't move. "Lady either move or give me the $4 I need to get another 4 pack (I didn't even know they made 4 packs) of beer and I'll leave you alone." since I don't respond well to blackmail, threats or any conversations along these lines, I sat there, reading my book. He moved to the person sitting next to me and said the VERY same thing!

Grace in small things:
1. Leonard Cohen, Live in London
2. Levon Helms, Ramble at the Reiman Auditorium
3. Books by Elizabeth Berg
4. Iced coffee, even if it is decaf
5. Root beer floats and peanuts for supper

Getting Ready

Number 9, Number 9, Number 9
is coming
and
I am almost ready...

Why I had to buy a crappy fast food breakfast on my way to work...

I could not quit taking pictures of this...

Robert wrote about it here...

And Elizabeth here...

The moon is round as round can be
I see the moon and moon sees me

I once put a lace tablecloth over my head and said to my friend's father, "Look I'm a luna moth." And he said: "no, you're a lunatic"
Still true...

Decryption #1

'member this?

You didn't read it?

Well, go now...... I'll wait.....
...... ....... ....... ....... ........ (finger drumming)

Wanna know what that was all about?

Go here!

Or here!

Or even here!




And you'll need to know about this too...it's the RailRunner station in Santa Fe. You can get on the train at the airport in the Duke City and off in the City Different. Hope to see you there!! And just because I love those exclamation points!!!!!! I'm excited, can ya tell?

My new reality...

for 2 whole weeks now...

this where I get off the bus ...

and this is the front of the building I work in now...

every day I get to see beauty like this...

this is what is next door...

Can you see how happy I am?

And as of yesterday, I am now a fully insured person again...yep health, dental and vision. I feel like a grown up again...http://www.vsartsnm.org/