A Great Trip!

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We just got back a little while ago from a wonderful weekend trip. If any of you live in the northeast, a wonderful area to visit is the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Only 1.5 hours from us, it is a journey full of lyrical landscapes, farms, and tempting shops.

We stayed at The Village Inn in Lenox. Reasonably priced, fun people to meet, and comfy rooms with a pub downstairs, made it ideal for us. You can walk into town and eat at any number of restaurants and shop in the galleries and shops. Some I can't afford, but they are fun to look in and search for the bargin or unusual object d'art that you have to have!

We are book fiends, and with my addiction to paper, a stop at the Book Barn in Hillsdale was a must, along with Berkshire Books. I found some really cool ephemera for my art, as well as some things I am offering on Ebay.

Over the years I have become really select in what I buy. Not only for my work, but for sale, as it gets harder and harder to find things that I can afford. I have been collecting for years, and it is amazing how Ebay has changed everything. It is fine, as I spend more time on my art than on gathering things for resale. But I do love the hunt, and finding things that are very special to offer from time to time.

We toured Edith Wharton's estate, which though still being restored, is fascintating and inspiring, with beautiful Italian gardens, and rooms that have been decorated by living designers. I love learning about history, and walking though grounds which echo of another time and place. We were about to wander through the gardens, Larry with his cameras and I with my paints, but a strong wind blew up, the sky darkened with rushing clouds, and it poured. We had to walk the quarter of a mile back to the car in the rain, but we were prepared with umbrellas and armed with adventure, and laughter. Life is precious and we rejoiced in the warmth of the rain and the love and friendship we have nurtured this past 10+ years. It is all good.

This little print is from the 1800's and is titled Playmates. Our little cats were so happy to have us home...and this print was so cute that I had to buy it so that someone else could have it. It is on ebay soon, the link is to the right.

Tomorrow I will post a picture or two that Larry took on the trip. He has me laughing...he said "I whip his ass around and keep him going", and I replied, "and you keep me from flying off the handle".

It is all good.

xxx patti

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