A Surreal Day and Some New Work

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems a little unreal and dreamlike? As if you were watching strange events unfold from afar, feeling a little disoriented, and not quite a part of things? That was my Yesterday...

First, this beautiful and intelligent young woman celebrated her twenty ninth birthday.


TWENTY NINE.

How is that possible? Wasn't it just moments ago I was twenty nine myself, and she was seven?? Wasn't it just moments ago I was reading her stories and taking her to the park to feed the ducks?

I don't feel old enough to have twenty nine year old. But the grey hair and the aches and creaks in my bones tell me it's so, even if memory and sense of time are distorted.

The very same day, I discovered someone from my distant past - teacher, mentor and at one time something far more complicated, had passed away. And I was surprised to feel not only profound sadness, but forgiveness, and a wish that he find peace. I think one of the blessings of aging is the realization that most people do the best they can in life, and that most hurts aren't intentional. It becomes easier to let go. So I wish him God speed, and remember him for the gift of art, and of loving art. That's a lot.

Today, feeling much more myself, I threw myself into new work - and lots of it...

Eight new pieces, destined for eBay and Etsy just as soon as they're completed.

In the meantime, there's a belated birthday lunch tomorrow, another piece to begin for the upcoming PFATT Marketplace update, and commissions to complete.

Back very soon ;)
♥ Carolee

A Birthday Party?

Okay, so here's the thing....

I'm rapidly approaching the half century mark (just about three more months!) and it occurs to me that I have never in my adult life had a party. Seriously - no wedding shower, no baby shower, no birthday parties, no anniversary parties....nada.

I've thrown plenty of them for others - showers, surprise birthday parties, Halloween parties, Day of the Dead parties, Christmas parties, Fourth of July parties, graduation parties, etc....Like almost any wife and Mom, celebrations have become my domain. ;)

And I really do enjoy them from beginning to end - the menu planning, the cooking, the decorating, the entertaining - all of it. Well, OK, almost all of it. I could do without the cleaning up. ;)

So I have to admit I'm crossing my fingers that this year - milestone birthday that it IS - someone else around here will step up to the plate...

But I'm not holding my breath. ;)

To that end, I'm thinking about throwing myself (and everyone here in bloglandia) a fabulous fifty celebration - a fiesta of sorts here on the blog, honoring all of us who, whether already past that 50th milestone, or still approaching it, hope to age fabulously.

I'm not talking about looks here, but about spirit; about never letting go of wonder and magic, about following your bliss, about keeping an open mind.....about the aging process being an awakening!

I've blogged about this subject before, and was delighted recently to read the very same sentiment on the truly fabulous Vanessa Valencia's blog. How she never wanted to lose sight of her five year old self....I was reading along, thinking "YES! That's it!"...and it started me thinking there must be soooooooo many of us who feel that way...

And I think we need a party, don't you?

This has been so much on my mind lately I painted a whimsical little birthday canvas (the one shown above) with a birthday mouse putting the cherry at the top of her own off-kilter cake (LOVE all those off kilter cakes the bakeries are doing now - so perfect, haha!). Anyway, this one is my little present to myself, at least until it sells (in this economy, I have to sell everything I've taken time to paint!) Not sure if it will end up on eBay or Etsy, but stay tuned. :)

In the meantime, tell me what you think of this Birthday Blog Party idea! I've never hosted a blog party before, and don't exactly know how to go about it - a banner and list of participants to start with I guess? Maybe a month or so before the big day? Or a couple of weeks? Feel free to jump in here, I need all the help I can get....

That's about it for now - I have to get back to work! Sooooooooo many new projects in the works, and a road trip tomorrow to visit the most wonderful woodworker for new goodies!

Wishing everyone a magical and *creative* weekend!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ~ Carolee