Patti Gibbons Art

The sun rises early this far north. I was wide awake at 4:30-5 when the sun rose, and I did not sleep well due to Kathryn’s fabulous brownies with homemade goat milk ice cream eaten too late in the evening -- too much sugar and caffeine before bed, plus overcharged hormones. Breakfast was a combination of Catskill Mountain granola which I bought with me, combined with fresh ground flax seed, nuts, raisins, and other strange crunchy things which I was sure were healthy for me. The goat milk was a bit odd tasting added to the mixture, and it took some getting used to. I have to admit that I added a bit of heavy cream to it to make it a bit more palatable. The last time I drank goat milk was in 1978 on a plane in Switzerland. That time I added Amaretto to the mix. The day was foggy, but at times the sun broke through and it became humid and HOT. Later on it got really dark, and we had a thunderstorm (which there are not many of) and some rain. Most of the day was spent wandering aroun...

I am too tired to find my camera cord to post pictures, but I have some fabulous pics from Halifax, and the 200 acre farm of friends Kathryn and Ed in the country about an hour or so north of Halifax that I am staying at tonight. I feel like such a kid, and am amazed that in my 50 years of life I have never experienced the workings of a farm. I walked among the huge Percheron horses, watched Ed milk the goats while I pet them. We had a fabulous dinner of ham from their pigs, drank home made grape juice, and for desert Kathryn made goat milk maple ice cream. We spent a lot of time talking politics....and how we desperately hope for change in America, and have to pray for hope with Obama. I also see the hard work that it takes to run a farm, but sense the joy of living off the land. AND they have wireless, lol. I will post more tomorrow when I have more energy and find the cord. The pictures will tell all. patti o farmer

After a quick breakfast, we left Calais and headed over the border. While on line for customs, we saw a huge gathering of motorcyclists heading back into the US. I think they were Harley riders coming back from a huge convention that we encountered in a city further up into New Brunswick. They were very friendly, waving to us, and this couple agreed to having their photo taken. The line coming back into the US was two hours long I heard, as it is the big Canadian holiday this weekend. I was glad to be leaving the US and heading into Canada. We got through Canadian customs easily, laughing with the young customs guy. I can only hope that it will be as pleasant coming back as I heard that the US customs can be real ball busters. We had lunch in Sussex, at the Broadway Cafe, and met Becky, a spunky native girl who was our waitress, pictured here, who told us her customs story. She was going to visit her rich brother in Massachusetts with another family member, and was not allowed t...

This will be quick as we are heading for breakfast, then through customs to the Canadian side. We are in Calais, one of the larger towns we have seen in Maine, especially alone Scenic Route 1 and 1A. Most of yesterday was traveling, stopping only to refuel our car and body. In Brewer we had our first lobster roll at Jimmies, and a nice lobster dinner at the Chandler House in Calais. I knew we were in Maine when I saw Moose crossing signs, SUV's atop with green canoes, lots of inlets, lakes, and I was amazed at the lack of dead animals on the road. I found that rather odd, and wondered what the highway carrion birds did for food! I only saw 2 dead animals the whole journey, and they were porcupines! How do you a eat a porcupine??!! I actually have decided that the highway department must clean up the animals right away, as well as any garbage because the roads are very clean. Nothing exciting...which is good, thought I am extremely hormonal and I had a few melt downs when I ...

Before I took off this afternoon, I happened to gaze at my main garden. HORRORS. The zuccini flowers were gone, the tomatos were eaten, along with the hot peppers. I am guessing that the F-in woodchuck got pissed at us and climbed the fence and ate the veggies after getting a mouthful of hot pepper. DAMN. But now I am on on the road and there is nothing I can do about it. Pamela has a taxi yellow Chevy something of a rental car. It is such a kid color, and we got many strange looks on the road. I was beginning to wonder if the license plate had something obscene on it...... Pamela had not slept in nearly 24 hours, so we kept her awake telling her our most outrageous sex stories, coupled with a rest stop at the state liquor store. (to go to the bathroom of course...) I mean, what else are the girls to do? I am not sure if I will have any connections or availability in Nova Scotia, so if I disappear off the radar for a while, you will know why. Till the next time, Patti O Adventurer...

I will be back later this morning once I reach school to tell the tale. Just wanted to upload the photo before I pack my photo equipment before the trip! Ok, back in between paperwork for the last day of school. Every year Larry plants tons of sunflowers. We love to watch the goldfinches and other seed-eating birds take up residence in the yard when the sunflowers are just about done and the seeds are ready for the eating. We leave the spent sunflowers up all winter long, their drooping brown heads a reminder of summer, and they store a hidden seed or two for birds during the winter who hang and peck at them feverishly in the cold. This year the sunflowers were being eaten, piece by piece. We put netting over it as the deer population in our city keeps growing, and they systematically destroy various plants in our garden that years ago had been left alone. Yet in spite of the netting, the young 6"-18" high plants were being eaten, leaf by leaf. Larry is cursing out the deer. ...

My entire day has been centered around poop. OK, I am getting really personal here, but as I was about to leave for work, I put down my purse and books, and decided to make a pit stop in the bathroom. Ah....good thing. Then out the door. While I was at work, I was barraged by emails from my brother and sister regarding my mother's poop habits in the nursing home, and the fact that she is refusing a colonoscopy. Several phone calls later with two MALE nurses, I had spent a few hours of the day discussing whether or not they had hard (or soft) evidence about how many times my mother is indeed pooping, and whether or not she has the right to refuse examination of her pooper. Somewhere along the line, all of this talk about poop made me want to make another pit stop to the bathroom. When I got home my daughter calls me and tells me to look at my text message on my cell phone. There, big and bold, is a photo of Alanna's poop on the toilet. Now this is a big deal as she has had ...

Part of the into to my blog discusses living life sensuously, but when things get really busy, I sometimes forget to take the time out to do that. With the ushering in of summer yesterday, I was reminded to slow down and enjoy life. I got up late, had a slow morning, and before the heavens opened up and the thunderstorms hit, I wandered outside to pick flowers from my garden. This morning I had on a nightgown, which could masquerade as a dress in a pinch, and decided that even though I live in a city, I was going to go out and pick flowers in my sexy long flowing gown. I wandered through my yard, carefully picking flowers from my beds, taking care to not take too many from this bed, or too many from that. Wild roses, rudbeckia, coreopsis, hydrangea, day lilies, yarrow, and larkspur. Many of the flowers in my garden grow wildly. Some have self-sown, some have appeared out of nowhere. Some thrive, while others battle for survival from their predators..deer and woodchucks. After ga...

I was DETERMINED to make the summer solstice a fabulous day. Even though I had gone to two parties last night, I made sure that I did not let my Irish/Lithuanian party self get out of hand. After all, I had big plans for today. I was not quite sure what they were or how they would turn out, but I knew that I wanted to be clear headed, and not suffering with a headache, or lack of sleep. I started the day off with a yoga class called YOGA FOR BONES, based upon ancient yoga techniques combined with Feldenkrais to help one build strong healthy bones, essential for us peri and post menopausal women. It was fabulous as always. I especially loved working with a partner, and doing activities like skipping and rolling--things which I have not done since I was a child. At one point Donna told me that I was having problems being in my body....which I had suspected all along, which gave me understanding as to why I also have problems balancing in yoga. At the end of class, she played some e...

My day started off terribly. I won't get into the history of it all, as I will remain professional, but there are certain injustices that I can no longer keep me mouth shut about. I am still sick, and after a long, aggravating day at work, I came home for a nap, and then to later sit at my computer to pay bills, write some letters, make some donations, and thought WAIT A MINUTE--I still have several letters to write about situations that need to be rectified, and tonight was the PERFECT day to resolve some issues. Now I am not a difficult person to please, but when I pay a lot of money for things and get poor customer service, I must speak out. Besides, if no one tells them about it, how can they make right the wrongs? I started with a letter to the Woodstock School of Art about a terrible class I took there last month, then to WDST about the gift certificate I had won from them that the store owner told us was never authorized by them, insinuating it was fraudulent. I have yet t...

-19th century, author unknown. From an old Victorian Card "by the grace of God, I am what I am". I worked a solid 7 hours today, mounting art work, and then working on a report. I had intended to come home half a day and rest, but too much to do. Then when I got home I had to develop an mock web site for part of my end of year report, and it took me a bit since I had not used Dreamweaver in a while and left all my notes in school. I managed to finish the project, and will have all ready for my boss by noon tomorrow. I am glad that school is almost over. It has sapped both my energy and time. I have not written well, nor made any meaningful art. It has taken my health, and I need the two months off to recharge from having given so much for so long. Though I am sad having to say goodbye to kids for the summer, and some for a much longer time, I am relieved. I have done my job, done it well, and I am sending them off into the world with love. This year has been made even m...

I seem to be getting worse. After four days this crud has settled fully into my head. I can't breathe..from my lungs or my nose, and I am totally miserable. I came directly home after my last day of teaching. No top down, no side trips, except to the bathroom to stick a Zicam swab up my nose, to the fridge to down some horrendous tasting homeopathic medicine and then to the bed. I slept some, but the weather alarm kept going off, and I had kept on the Weather Channel in case some tornado was going to pass this way. I got up and went into the studio for a bit as my client needed more cards, and I need money. I am fortunate as I live in a valley...where the mountains often divert the storms to the north and south of me. I dread storms, especially since I don't think that the "fix" that the city provided me with is going to work to divert the water from my studio. But that is for another blog, along with a possible promotional radio scam as well as a few other lette...

It has been a joke these days about my having my top down all the time. The top on my car of course. Oh only if we lived in a society where I could drive with BOTH of my tops down..now that would be TRUE freedom. But in a country where sex sells everything but God forbid you show some flesh, I would be whisked away in a police car and make front page headlines about an immoral, immodest teacher. So I keep one top up and the one that won't get me into trouble down. On the way back home driving over the Hudson River at sunset, some seventy something degrees, Larry said it was like being a kid again, driving in your go-cart, the wind rushing past you, zooming on four wheels. I have to agree, and this spring (it is still spring!)has been lovely for adventures with the top down. I am sick....so it was difficult to maintain my positive happy mode all day when it felt like my lungs were going to be coughed up and my head was being seared with hot pokers, but I managed to make the day as...

I fear that my blogs have been rather boring these days. I guess I have not had much time or energy to write, though I have much to say and there is plenty to tell about. But at the end of the day, it all stays stuck in my head (sometimes that is better for all concerned) or I run out of steam. After two days of a splitting headache and the crud settling into my chest, I decided that it is not allergies-I am sick. I am coughing to the point of gagging which disgusts me. I am doing Zicam, health food store remedies, and rest, but damn, this is kicking my ass! I made it through giving my art final yesterday, and then had to go to the senior dinner. I invited some of my friends and co-workers over to my house for a little "pre-party". Just some light snacks/drinks, and some time to chill out together before we had to be "on" for another 4 hours with our seniors and their friends and families. Photo is of Ruben, the lead singer and conga player from the Latin Band ...

Sometimes I put myself in a position where I book my week solid, then burn myself out doing 10,000 things. Today, my therapy appointment got canceled and I immediately filled the slot with a date to sail on the Hudson for a few hours. Who could resist? While in the beer store (buying Lambic as a treat for the sail) I was multi-tasking, talking to my mother's surgeon and staff who have been trying to track me down for a few days. I explained to them that I have not been home, and that I was not sure if I could get reception in the middle of the Hudson River if they needed to reach me. The beer salespeople must have wondered what I was up to, discussing bowel movements, and colonoscopies. I ended up booking a surgery for her en route to the boat and giving consent while I had reception. I met Ed in time, but, as the fates would have it, there was a problem with the boat, and we could not go out. Ed and I ended up sitting for an hour or so doing nothing, but enjoying each other...

I just drove home from the lower Hudson Valley in my car with the top down, 74 degrees, the sun setting red against the cool blue purple of the Catskill Mountains which were silhouetted against the blackness of the New York State Thruway. I am kicking myself for not having bought my camera with me. I have Sirius Satellite Radio on trial for three months, and I have to say, I am loving it. So far my fave channel is Coffeehouse, Spa, and a Classical Station, but there is so much more to explore. Tonight I play whatever is most soothing and magical. I have just spent the evening with one of my dearest friends from my art college days. We are so close...and comfortable with one another. I wish I could share such comforts and intimate stories, but this is a public blog, and I am a teacher, and I can't RISK someone taking something the wrong way and accusing me of something that I am not guilty of. I mean, if a teacher can lose a job because they showed a nude photo of a 25,000 year...

when I pulled out of the parking lot at school, it was 104 degrees. Schools had been dismissed early, and rumor has it that many will be closing 1/2 day tomorrow. Here in the great northeast, many schools do not have air conditioning. In my 16 years of teaching, this is a first (global warming??) Our school does, but because we have many schools that come to ours, if they close, their students get sent home from our school due to transportation. I came home to a non-air conditioned house. Central air is not the norm in many houses here, especially if you live in an older home like mine. I have A/C in the bedroom, which is a MUST, otherwise I would NEVER sleep, and in my studio. I opted for going to work in the studio after teaching, as it was the only sane option. Besides, I had work to do. Karen called me and told me to come over for a dip in the pool. No thought process here....I put on my bikini, not caring whether or not I had cellulite on my stomach, and whether or not a majori...

I just got back from my overnight trip to Norwalk CT to attend Jonathan Talbot's opening. It was a fun trip, an adventure, and I think Annie and Karen conspired to break me of my driving-in-strange-place phobias with a trial by fire. Though we took Annie's ever trusted Garmon Street Pilot, it still has its flaws, and I took several wrong turns. Sometimes I think I would do better with a map and a print out from Google Maps, but it was comforting that I would not get lost as it would re-calculate to get me to where I needed to go in spite of my errors. Annie tells me it takes some getting used to, all this programming, watching the screen, following directions and listening---all while driving. BUT we got there and back, no major problems, and I know that I need to put that on my list of "must haves" if I am to be adventurous in my life. Ah how technology can put a mind at ease. A piece of "old technology" that I had never used in my life and that my fri...

The past two days have been very intense. One of our coworkers is dying of cancer if she indeed is still in her body as of my writing this. We have worked together for 14 years; my son dated her daughter. I think they went out for a phone call or two, but he also got to know her as he attended my school for a year. We are all devastated. She was with us through Memorial Day weekend, then she did not come back to work. We never got to say goodbye or tell her how much we loved her, although we all did so in so many other ways. I guess I just yearn for that closure, that goodbye. She had breast cancer for many years, but this year it came back with a vengeance, settling into her bones. Yet she came to work every day, caring for the kids AND adults as the school nurse. At times like these I realize how like family my co-workers are. They kept me sane when Megan was diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment. I went to work nearly every single day because their love and streng...

Only 9 teaching days left, YEE HA. The poor kids were horrid however today. Four fights, and lots of unrest in the air. I think it must be that the one thing that they have that is solid in their lives is school, and they will have to struggle on their own for a few months. Some have great lives, but some have parents who are sick in many ways. Yet I need the summer to rejuvenate myself as I give so much to them during the school year. I have an overnight trip planned for friday night, and then at the end of June, the day school gets out, I have a road trip with girlfriends to Nova Scotia. A few weeks later I head to Kentucky. Somewhere along the line I will travel to Boston and the Cape, with perhaps another trip or two thrown in. Of course there is work on the house, and work in the studio to be done, but I will allocate my time wisely and get it all done! Today I had a great walk with two of my closest friends, Bardet and Karen. Later on I made dinner for Bardet who is working so ha...

My mentor and friend, Jonathan Talbot, is having an opening this Friday in Norwalk, CT at The Flow of Art Gallery on 16 River Street. The workshops I took with him, along with doing the Artist's Way, changed my life forever. I have much to be thankful for - his kindness, friendship, and the wisdom that he has given me over the past 8 years. In honor of his first show in 4 years in the U.S., my friend Loel Barr and I will probably travel to the opening, arrive there after 6, and then stay the night somewhere as it is 2 hours away and I am not fond of traveling at night, especially in places I am not familiar with. Plus, I am ready for a night away with a friend. The next day we will explore the Connecticut shoreline a bit before we head back north for some late afternoon openings in the Hudson Valley. Please let me know if you are going to attend, as I would LOVE to meet you! My blog last night received an interesting commentary from a Rev who basically slammed my comment on abort...

I delivered a few of my We Do cards Friday to the store I put my work in downtown Kingston called Beckon. For you Kingston readers, is it is by Next Boutique down on the Strand, and features work by local artists and artisans. Support your local artists by making a trip there instead of the mall for your present needs! Yesterday Mary Ann called me to tell me "your cards just flew out the door, bring more!" The problem is, that the design for the woman's WE DO card is on the computer which is fried, and I have not gotten my files off it yet. So, I had to redesign another card, pictured here. I hand color the roses and add a few tiny rhinestones to the card to make it sing. Although New York doesn't perform same sex marriages, it currently recognizes same sex marriage status done in another state or country that allows it. Out of the countries and states that do allow it, only two, California and Canada, will perform the marriage if you are not a resident. My frien...