Patti Gibbons Art

2010 is almost on our doorstep. It seems only yesterday that I was worried about Y2K. What happened to the past 10 years? How did they slide through my fingers so fast? I become frantic and think, what were the most memorable moments of that time? What have I done in the last 10 years? Have I made the world a better place to live, or have I added to the chaos, negativity, and environmental destruction of the planet? This year I am making a resolution that goes beyond me and my hedonistic behaviors; it is a resolution to help heal the world, or at the very least, do my best to recognize and stop irresponsible and wasteful behaviors. This year, I can't afford to break this resolution. I have vowed to take responsibility for how I affect the earth. I will educate myself about responsible consumerism, and do my best to purchase goods from companies which are organic, who recycle, and give something back to the world. I will do my very very best to use a minimum of chemicals in my ...

So....want to hear how busy I have been? By now you must think I have given up writing as I only post a few times a week if I am lucky. Well....I have been SO busy that I totally spaced out on paying some bills, and it has cost me my phone, possibly for the holidays. I have NEVER had my electric, phone, or any other utility (not counting cable once) shut off in all the years I have been living away from home as I am a responsible bill payer. Sometimes I will forget a month, and then send two payments in (however this does not work for car, house or credit card payments) and all is well. I abashedly called the company, admitted to my great sin, and told them I had made a payment online. They guy was very kind, but then hit me with the news. It will take 2 or 3 days to be turned back on. I was mortified, for a moment angry, then I realized I caused my own problem, and to buck up accept the consequences of disorganization and over stimulation. It isn't the worst thing in the wor...

I have reached the age where I no longer care what I look like. Though I always make it a point to have some panache in my style, I strive for comfort, and in the winter - WARMTH. I don't care if I am wearing boots that look like I am ready to hike the Yukon with my black velvet skirt, or that my coat has no shape and I could be 50 lbs heavier or thinner and you could not tell. This year I decided that if I had to live in the great northeast, it was time that I had the gear for it. And, it's a good thing, as the temperatures have plummeted this week, giving me a slap upside the head to remind me that winter HAS ARRIVED. At the end of last winter I bought a pair of tall, insulated, waterproof boots on sale in Great Barrington. They aren't sexy, but so far they have proven warm and waterproof during the last two storms I had to help clean up after. This is my second pair of Canadian boots...if our northern neighbors can't make a winter boot, then no one can. A few ...

I don't know if it is age/wisdom, or facing the fact that life is so precious, but as of late, Step 4 and 5 of the 12 steps to "sobriety, strength, and serenity" have been haunting me. I am fortunate that I have a low addiction risk considering the pretty serious issues that permeate my lineage, and I have spent many hours in the halls of Al Anon, ACOA, and in AA itself as support for those whom I love. I am grateful that I have only been brushed with some of these issues, and have had the wisdom and strength to stay relatively clean and sane. Out of those hours I have come to see the wisdom of the 12 steps, and believe them to be a really good basis of living life. And, let's face it, most of us have some kind of problem in our families and lives, and can use some good guidance. #4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves # Step 5 - Admitted to our higher being (if we have one), to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wr...

After reading about DOONCARDS in an article on Facebook sent to me by a friend, I realized that I need to redesign my business card to include the urls of my blog/website/twitter. My old card is for Catskillpaper, (shown here) which has a fun design that I use in my Etsy shop and on my website), but focuses on my antique papers and my collage cards. I may keep that for now (have to change email addy however as the one on the card is the one I use for my websites for all the junk that comes through them, and I sometimes miss emails that are important) but I need something more serious. As my art shifts into a different direction I realize that it is now time for me to present myself mainly as a landscape painter and collage artist, with the cards and ephemera as an off shoot/side business. Which leads to the question...how do I depict this on one card? I want to show my paintings, but I also want to show my collages as I also work in that medium too. I could do a few things. 1) D...

I need a day off. I worked hard last week, working 12 hours days. There were some days I did not even have the energy to go out and have dinner. Collapsing on the bed was more gratifying. But the show is over. Considering the economy, I did well. The studio will be heated for a few more months thanks for the patronage of my faithful buyers and friends. I am done with production work and have a period of rest, even though my mind starts jumping ahead to Valentines Day..... I showed both my fine art and craft items, and sold a few smaller pieces of art. I got some good feedback on my paintings, and met and enjoyed the best people, both vendors and buyers alike. It is a show I love to do once a year, as we all have a good time, no matter the weather or crowd. And now, as the dust from my whirlwind two weeks clears, I find that there are just 2 weeks until Christmas. I have not shopped much, and need to get my ass in gear. That is what tomorrow will be for. I am PRAYING that we have a ...

I have been in the studio working away. It is the week that I finish what I can, package, label, and price. Each year I wonder if I should have made more of this, or more of that, but in the end I end up taking a deep breath, and muttering "it is what it is". I made a few collages which have some 3-D attachments, and am framing them in vintage frames, but not putting them under glass. I love them this way, and the art seems more accessible if it isn't hidden under a layer of glass and framing spacers. The problem was how to attach the items. Glue? Wire? Glue is a tricky thing. Its composition and color can change over time, discoloring the art, or becoming brittle and no longer holding. Other than the Acid Free Bookbinding glue that I use with most of my collage work, I usually don't like to use glue. (save for the hot glue gun that was a necessity gluing vintage tinsel rope onto antique cards ) I decided that glue was not an option. I bought out my trusty Dre...

Tuesday I took off as a personal day to go to the Metropolitan Museum of art to see the Vermeer show. I am in love with the movie Girl with the Pearl Earring, and show it in some of my high school studio art classes as and I looked forward to seeing the actual painting. The trip down was fun. A stop at Smiths Pub for a grill cheese and Bloody Mary. A stroll down 5th Avenue for a bit. A stop into St. Patrick and Rockefeller Plaza, where the skaters grinned widely as it was over 50 degrees and the sun was shining. The tree and sculpture peered out from the scaffolding teasing us with what is to come.The 5th Avenue shops were decorated for the holiday and the windows sparkled and beckoned like German glass glitter. The MET was crowded. But since it IS so huge, only the special exhibits showed any signs of over crowding. After wandering through Ancient Egypt, Greece, Roman, and Oceanic art, we arrived at the Vermeer Exhibit. Very crowded, (and a bit stinky I have to say--too many wei...

I gave up Lois's party today to work all day in the studio. I hope she forgives me. I have three shows to get ready for next weekend; paintings for Donskoj's Fire and Ice winter show, the ASK show, and the Unison show on Saturday and Sunday. If I don't make money next weekend, I going to have to do some creative selling to pay the heating bill-or bring the paints inside. For the most part, I am using what materials I have, including frames, and not spending money, making art with the detritus of my studio and my mind. I did not make the ornaments, jewelry and magnets that I usually have, mainly because I have tired of doing small labor intensive little things. If I have to do little, I will stick to my cards. BUT I did design up a lovely group of ornaments with antique paper, garnished with authentic vintage rope tinsel from the 40's or so. And those are lovely, glittery, and hopefully seductive.... Here are a few photos of a calendar I am going to list on eBay tomo...

My sewing machine was getting quirky, so I had to finally bring it to the shop. It is from the early 70's, and has never been serviced, and has sewn many things over the years. Its primary focus the last 10 sewing years has been sewing together paper. I was forced to paint this weekend, as I could not make any cards. I wish I could keep each version of the paintings I make, as at times I look back on a particular stage and think "maybe I should have stopped right there". But then there are times IF I stop "right there" I am not learning, so I push ahead into unknown territory and make the mistakes, and most of the time, learn from them. I like the spontaneity of the acrylic painting that I posted a while back of this painting. It was my blocking in coat, and I was very loose with it, knowing that I was going back into it with the oils. Yet I could not leave it as I am anal, and there were parts that did not work for me, and I had a decision to make. Go bac...

Two days in a row that I had not set foot in the studio. I have not been home in time to do much more than eat and fall into bed. I went to bed at 8:30 last night to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas with Larry, but I could not stay awake and missed a good 20 minutes of the DVD. I bought it for Larry for his birthday (he was Jack at Halloween and he LOVES the movie) so I will have to go back and see what I missed. Tonight's art - Leah gave me an old print in a frame. The print is worth Nada, but the frame is a cool vintage mock Rococo style in off white/gold. Flash forward-I had an idea for a collage using a few pieces I loved, but it never materialized because I never found the right last piece to make it work. Then I pulled out an old linen book I bought a few weeks ago, and voila, there it was. The collage looks FAB in the frame, and will be beautiful in some child's room, or if you love fairy tales and fantasy like I do, you might just like it on YOUR wall. Find this...

The world is eating my time up in large chunks. Over time at work, studio work when I can grab it, personal and family legal and health matters. Good thing my estrogen is on an even keel this week, otherwise I fear I might not have made it through. How do I find a way to keep sane, to laugh, and to play? Those moments between my work and family responsibilities, I make things like this out of papers and images rescued from old ripped books and antique papers. I play with words. I play with images, I play like a child. Sometimes I laugh at my own stupid jokes, and interact with my supplies like a child does with his blocks and soldiers. This uses very old block printed wall paper, and images and text from an old antique linen book. It is stained and imperfect, but that is what I love about it. As I age I have an affinity for the imperfect and for the rejected, and give it a new life. I still have not finished my painting. I am not ready. I need the light and a few hours, neither...

I passed up entering any work into WAAM this afternoon because I could not stand the thought of driving my work up to Woodstock after a very busy day at school, when I could more wisely spend that time in the studio making art. I have three landscapes at the Varga Gallery, I have to finish two paintings for the Donskoj Holiday Show, and I am planning on entering a piece or two at the ASK Gallery. I also have the art/craft show at Unison in early December, and I need work for that. How many places can I show??? This year I am creating a body of whimsical and decorative art for the fair. I will show both paintings any my collage/mixed media work. As always there will be everything from auto-biographical art, to humor from my Nursery Crimes Series, and some small landscapes. I will have handmade cards, and a few ornaments and other smalls, though I am not making as many smalls as usual. Part of the art journey for me has been not making myself crazy about what I bring to the fair. Eac...

I have not been writing much because I have not been in the mood, had time, and would rather not bore you, my readers, with constant whining; all it does is make people not want to be around me. And honestly, I have not wanted to be around myself. I have too much estrogen flowing through my body, which is feeding a rather large fibroid. When I was a teenager I used to PRAY that I would get my period like every other girl I knew, and now I pray that it will go AWAY like other women my age. But no, the hormones keep pumping. Between them and the fibroid, I am experiencing nausea, pain, and things you don't even want to know about. My options? A surgical procedure that I am not thrilled with (very painful) or a hysterectomy. Or do nothing and be monitored for a few more months.....I am on a mission to find a natural path who will fix my hormones, which in turn will make my body a much nicer place to live. I have a few names, and once I clear the financial part of it, (you KNOW th...

I have been helping my aunt with this huge mess by calling around to find out info on storage facilities. Her sister, my other aunt, left no will, and the estate is being disbursed according to NYS law. There are a lot of problems, and we have no choice but to help her empty out a house in Queens- a house that has been in the family for 100 years. Now we have the Collyer gene deeply imbedded in us, so you can imagine..no actually, YOU CAN'T imagine how they have three houses FILLED UP with stuff. Antique stuff and recyclable stuff, and I fear - garbage stuff. I have memories of the Queens house 40 years ago, when it was still fairly neat - except for the two bedrooms of my aunts - which were always filled with bags of "stuff". To a child, it looked like such fabulous stuff. After my grandmother and great aunt died, the bags of "stuff" filled up every room over nearly every inch of the floor in 2 apartments. And now, it has to be cleaned. (there is much more...

A lot has been going on in my life that I have not talked about. My own health problems that are causing mass havoc. My daughter's health - or lack thereof. The estate and family issues which have shaken up our entire family into needing therapy. Yesterday it was my birthday, and I was very depressed. I assured those close to me that 75% of it was hormonal, and my withdrawing from the world was merely self-preservation. I had today off, and I spent time sorting out and dealing with some of the issues, went to lunch with the girls and subsequently got sick while out. The rest of my plans got nixed because of it, so I spent the rest of the day in my studio at home, working on some cards and the under painting, shown here, for the Donskoj show "Fire and Ice". The story of this painting is apropo for today as my 25 year old daughter is a veteran of this Iraq war, and two years after coming home, she was diagnosed with a very rare and deadly form of cancer. The fall/winte...

Next week the big 52 is coming to visit. I told the kids in school that we would have a breakfast to celebrate it since I was going to work this year instead of taking off, and one of them said "if you don't mind, can I ask you how old you are going to be"? Now normally they are shocked by my age and think I am much younger, but this one said "is that all?" "Is that all?" I shrieked. "Heck, I know I am old enough to be your grandmother, but not your great great grandmother!!!" Somewhere in the conversation, I became animated and in throwing my hands up in the air, I put my back out. It almost took my breath away and I had to hold onto a chair to keep from falling down. I suspect that this has been building---stacking wood, raking leaves, dancing like a young thing, and going a step too far in yoga may have inflamed some underused muscles. The rest of the afternoon I was in pain, and had great difficulty getting in and out of Leah'...

I ventured back to the "sunless room" as I now call it, with WKZE blaring in the background. The refrain "I'm coming home" from some folk singer is playing on the station on all four speakers that Larry has hooked up - easing out into my space, influencing my thoughts, whether I like it or not. The blog I was intending (and still intend) to write was going to be "And If I Die", became influenced by what is going on around me, and merged into "and if I die, I'm coming home"- with a little devil in my head conducting a background trio singing "to torture you, to torture you". But I digress, and go back to the original blog AND IF I DIE. AND IF I DIE is directed to my dear husband whom I love and adore, but who needs direction, like any man. AND IF I DIE Please remember to clean the tub the cat litter and the toilet. And to pay the bills for the heat, electric, insuranceS-house and car/s (especially now since you now have my ...

A quick blurb, because I want to get the reminder out in case you did not go out to vote today yet.You have one hour left. I think the best line on Facebook courtesy Gloria was "if you don't vote you have nothing to say". I say, you can only complain if you voted. Otherwise, zip it. I am bit concerned however about how accurate our polling people are. I just received a phone call from our alderman, and he asked for Larry. I asked him what was this concerning and he replied: "we checked our records and they indicate that he has not voted". "Oh yes he HAS" I replied, still fuming about the last conversation we had about my flooded studio. I wanted to tell him that if he weren't running unopposed, I would have voted his ass out the door. "How long ago did you check them?" I inquired. "A half hour ago" he replied. "WELL, I AM A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR RECORDS" I snorted. In hindsight I should have made him go back...

Here is more evidence that we got Swanked in Swankland. Photo by our darling devilish friend, the divine Ms.Judi Esmond. Larry and I make quite the surreal couple...... I looked up the definition of Swank..which boils down to : Swing Sway Showy Display Oh yes indeed. We fit the part quite well. Can you blame me for falling off the club wagon? Still feeling rather Halloweenie tonight with the clear sky, full moon, and planets and stars fixed and bright. Patti O Twinkle (look up the definition of swank, an intransitive verb...)

Last night was a hoot, going to the club with Larry-both of us decked out in costume. I ran into a work buddy there, who was not in costume, and while I strutted my stuff in a sexy 20's glam girl outfit I looked at him from across the dance floor, and put my finger to my lips - as in "YOUR LIPS ARE SEALED". I danced with friends, and even a few times with my husband, to wild crazy techno music that you free style dance to whatever way you see fit. There is something about being in costume that enables me to be freer and really not care either. Or perhaps it was the blood punch. This club had mist, an elaborate strobe/light system, and was complete with a very drunk pole dancer that was trying to wrap herself around anything that moved or otherwise. I have not been to a club in years. Back in the 70-80's, for about a 1o year period, I was a club girl. First it was the Joyous Lake in Woodstock, when it was the original Lake and you danced to the best rock bands li...

I must hurry and put my dinner in the oven, which is left over pizza, then scramble to decide what tonight's costume will end up being...and then guests here at 8 for a drink/snack, and then off to a party that our friends are hosting/DJ-ing at a local club. I promise some photos, as at the very least, Larry will photo us here before we go out. Here is a tribute photo to Lilo Raymond. Larry took the photo of the orchid and photos that were on display for the memorial last weekend. Have a splendid evening, all you Halloweenies! Patti O Batty Photo copyright Lawrence P. Lewis 2009

Today was mischief day, but in school you might have been fooled...as it sure looked like Halloween instead. Halloween is a time where we all get to play, and a high percentage of the staff dress up in one way or another....or the ones who remember what it is like to play, and some of the students also dress up too - even the toughest of them. I had fun being in costume, letting the girls help me glue on my fake eyelashes. Lots of kids wanted to know about my costume, and I explained that some of it was authentic clothing and jewelry from the 1930-50's such as a rhinestone piece found at a flea market 25 years ago, my grandmother's opalescent glass beads, and a heavy old strand of costume pearls. I sported A sequin embroidered top with fringe on the bottom -- another article of clothing much older than I. They had a mini art and fashion lesson about the 1920's and I explained that I was one of the artsy ladies from that period....a vaudevillian type-of gal. I had also bou...

I always do this. I have a year to prepare art and craft for my one and only local show, and I end up doing everything the last month and then feeling the weight of the "crush" of that, the holidays, and the fine art shows that I am in. (and the art has yet to be made) I don't know how the month of October just slid right out from under me heading into November, and before I know it the first weekend in December will be here and I have to be READY.....I try and still centered, but by now any mellowness from the summer has faded into a distant memory. WHEN IT ISN'T RAINING the sun still has some strength and I have been known to ditch an afternoon plan to drive for an hour with the top down, shooting a few desperate last photos from the open top of my silver bullet. (I bet Barbarella would have loved this car). But lately it has been cold, or seems to rain a lot. (I am trying to love my new rubber rain boots) I don't like that I have to heat/preheat the studio...

This afternoon was the memorial service for photographer Lilo Raymond , at the Center for Photography in Woodstock, NY. I knew Lilo and George before I knew Larry. They had moved into my strange little neighborhood in Eddyville, which I had nicknamed Freddy Kruger-ville. I was excited that another artist had taken up residence. Shortly after meeting Lilo in 1987, I was shopping in a high end department store that was going out of business, and came across a lovely book titled Spa Food: Menues and Recipes from the Sonoma Mission Inn, photographed by none other than Lilo. I didn't have much money in those days raising 2 babies on my own, but I bought the book, and to this day, still have it and cherish it. The photos are delectable as are the recipes... I met Lilo around the time that my marriage to No. 1 fell apart. Eventually there was a No 2, but that too fell apart after 5 years. And it was during that slow relationship demise that I went to a neighborhood party where Lilo a...

6:00 pm Judi, Colette, and I hit Columbia Costume in uptown Kingston, NY for a costume for Halloween. Colette already had her costume, and it was evident after spending a few hours with her in there, that she knew the store well. It was a fun time, trying on masks that looked like something out of a Fellini film, or the film "Eyes Wide Shut". We took photos of one another, which promptly ended when we saw the sign that said NO PHOTOGRAPHY. Uh oh. I tried on an Egyptian costume, but it was one of the less expensive ones, and it looked like it. Thin clingy nylon (and not in the right places either) the slits way too high for school. I felt like a frumpy Cleopatra, and that idea went right out the window. The head dress was just about the same price, and oh-so-much-more glamorous. I ended up buying a fabulous Ziegfeld Folly girl feather headdress in royal blue with silver sequins. It fit well, did not slide, nor was it hot or smelled of rubber. And, if I DO go out t...

There is a book called Voluntary Simplicity. I think I may have owned it, or perhaps I just imagined that I owned it due to it's popularity over the years. If I didn't read it, it was because I was just not ready for it yet. But now I have reached my saturation point and things need to change. I am tired of work work work; for what what what I ask myself? To balance numbers that exist in registers and on computers? To give everyone else but myself the money? To spend most of my life working and not enjoy the little things in life more than I do? To prove something to myself or to others? I know that I have some time left on this earth where I will have to be in the workforce, and am totally willing to give it my all and do my job mindfully. And, I am not giving up my Eos or my sweet house to go live in a cabin. I like my things and I know and accept that to some degree I am owned by them. But it is time to make decisions on what IS priority, what is fluff, and what is ...

Harvest is one of my all time favorite Neil Young albums. I remember kids playing "Needle and the Damage Done" in the art room while I saw experimenting sticking my hands and arms in vats of melted casting wax, sculpting dragons, and enameling pennies. One of those kids was Cindy Cashdollar , who is a renowned Dobro player, the Kane brothers who went on to form the Kane Brothers Blues Band . But I digress... Harvest is also one of my favorite times of the year as I like getting ready to nest. Winter forces me to slow down and live a simpler life, which I know my body and psyche need. We have ordered the fire wood, I am freezing my herbs and veggies and even went as far as buying a Food Saver vacuum sealer. I am making hearty soups and anticipate roasted chickens, potatoes and veggies scenting the house. I don't mind dressing in layers, and have learned not to fight winter, but be prepared for it, which will include getting the garage cleaned out enough for the VW!!...

Something has happened to me. I think it is the fading light. It is hard to be motivated to make art after work It is hard to write at night I want to go to bed at 8:00 pm and even if I do It is hard to get up in the morning. I want to stay under the covers all day long. And it hasn't even snowed yet. Full spectrum bulbs? Move south? Go to the tanning booth for some light? Invest in a fur to wear when there is no heat in the studio?? At least I have the boots. Patti O Brain Freeze

The past few weekends have been gifts of some beautiful days, though I am not happy that I am easing out of sandals and into socks, that bare legs will have to don tights save for a day or two of Indian Summer, by which time I will be pale and not bare much skin anyway. I know it's over - the summer and the heat, as today I heard the sqabbling in my dogwood tree. Looking out, I saw various species of birds flying in and out of the tree in pairs, including Titmice, Robins, Flickers, and Blue Jays. Each time they left the tree, they left with the berry from the dogwood. This berry is a favorite among migrating birds as it is higher in lipids providing them with lots of energy for the journey home. Today was the annual Dogwood Berry Dive. I wish I had a video camera. I stood for a long time amazed at the birds aggression at ravishing my tree. From time to time there were some bully birds, though it seemed that at one point each species was taking turns screaming at each other....

I have been eating like a queen these days, tasting the harvest from my gardens, from the local farmer's gardens, and from Leah who has been harvesting chicken and hen of the wood mushrooms the past few weeks. I have a steady supply of mesclun, arugula, I just picked the last batch of beans the other day, and am still harvesting peppers and Swiss chard. The basil is done, but the other herbs are still green and lush, and there are some greens in my garden that will survive beyond the first frost. I am sad that soon there will be no more tomatoes, one of my favorite summer fruits. And soon I no longer be sinking my teeth into fabulous freshly picked corn. My freezer does have some frozen tomatoes, peppers and beans to pull out in the dead of winter to remind me of the season to come. I have been looking for farm stands selling baskets of tomatoes for far less than the 2.00 a pound that they sell for. Since I lost most of mine, I did not get to make any sauce, as I ate the ones th...

After a few emotionally intense days, I needed some down time this weekend, and rebuilding time for the funeral and to go back to another intense week at work. On Saturday we took another ride west into the Catskills. The mist hung heavily on the mountains, with breaks of sunshine peeping though the mist and clouds. We went to the farmers market at the Round Barn, where I bought some lovely spices, and soup mixes, which I can pop into the crock pot for an easy dinner, some home made raw milk cheese made locally in caves beneath the farmers land. Grey Mouse Farm was there, so I restocked on some dilly beans and snacks. The find of the day at Loving Earth Studio where I bought some garlic dipping bowls for myself and for presents. The bowls are rough and sharp on the bottom so that you can scrape your garlic along the bottom, then add the olive oil and whatever other spices you might add for a dipping sauce. Ingenious, and practical. Put together with some lovely olive oil and orga...

Megan is awaiting a MRI, so we wait. This waiting is difficult. I try and stay in the present, and not project a thousand different scenarios. I want the outcome to be good but also realize that there is the possibility that it isn't, and how do you deal with that? I constantly force myself to not get caught up in the vortex of fear, worry, and sadness. I need the energy for other things...like for today. The death of a co-worker and a student shook up the entire staff and student population, a building full of grief, disbelief, tears, and stories. Kids wandered about the school seeking the solace of friends and teachers, trying to come to terms with their own relationships to these people. We are a small school, and an intimate school. Tragedy like this sends a tsunami through our microcosm. My heart ached for all..the families, the kids, my peers. The next week is going to be rough. I have to take care of myself so that I have the strength to do this, and thank GOD tomorro...

Tonight's blog is a paste from what I wrote on the blog I keep for my daughter, who is hopefully STILL in remission from LMS. I repeat it here as cancer touches so many of our lives. When someone you love dearly has cancer, each time they get sick or experience an ache, it wrenches your heart. You never rest easy as you know how insidious cancer is, and it becomes an ever present shadow that quite never goes away. Each time Megan has a test I get worried, though the doctors think that as long as she keeps her lupus at bay, they can keep the likelihood of metastasis at bay. Lately she has been having severe neck pain, tunnel vision, and had knocked herself out cold from hitting her head on things as her vision is skewed. The doctors were giving her muscle relaxers etc., but not giving her the necessary tests to show what is wrong. With her history, I see that as gross negligence on the part of the medical doctors. Finally, after crying and telling them that she can't do this an...

Seems this week is destined to be a walk down memory lane. I never expected the stroll to be so intense-in mostly good ways. Summer of 1969. Little catholic school girl gets moved from Long Island to a remote town in the Catskills. She leaves behind her first boyfriend of any significance, (though not her first crush), who is good at marketing and selling her handmade things door to door in the neighborhood. She leaves behind a handful of "approved" friends, and a whole neighborhood of constant entertainment in her micro managed world. 1969. The summer I left behind my innocence, as a new world slowly yet steadily unfolded itself to me from that point forth. It was a summer of change. I was a clean slate. Innocent. Sheltered. Controlled. Monitored. Again, so innocent and unworldly. What my father couldn't control was that we had moved below a large commune called The Children of God. The people walking down the road and the music which played into all hours of the ...

I have been too busy to blog. Work, Union stuff, house and garden things to do. Bills. Laundry. Allergies which bring on lethargy. Lethargy which brings on naps. I have done nothing in the studio which is making me very sad, but I am hoping that I will get some time once the weather turns colder and I won't be gardening or tooling around the Hudson Valley enjoying some last ray of sun. On my trekking around the countryside last weekend, I had Larry drive up to my old house, the one that I grew up in as a teenager, when in 1969 my parents moved us from Long Island to a little town in the middle of nowhere. The house is bounded on three sides by state land, and the other side has an acre or so that my father bought and attached to the deed of the house. It is a small house, some 1300 sq. feet, smaller than the house I live in now. It sits at the base of a mountain, and has a view of another mountain from its wrap-around deck. It is a simple house in a lovely setting, 30 minute...