2016

this has been a doozie of a year.

so many losses.

so much sadness.

a terrible election process and a worse result.

more evidence of global warming.

and yet...

and yet...there remains 

the generosity of plants

the kindnesses of human beings

the love of our animal companions

brave people

art, and the joy of using tools. 

so.

recently my son ian went public 

asking for financial help via gofundme.

he is hoping to pay his counseling bills.

ian's campaign came online just after amanda degener started

one for bridget o'malley (these two are Cave Paper).

bridget has had a health crisis.

these two remind me of amanda palmer

who has made a case that asking 

is ok to do.

 yesterday i went out to my meadow

and harvested milkweed in the mild winter weather

sharpened by wind.

(i remember harvesting milkweed one year on skis
the snow was knee high or so.)

last night,

unfinished though i worked seven hours stripping the bast,

i had time to ponder asking

giving, receiving,

and realize i have to rethink all of this.

 on ian's gofundme one woman donated the cost of a pack of cigarettes. 

this strikes me as generous

and sacrificial.

some friends of mine have contributed, too.

abundance shared is beautiful.

here's a photo taken out the kitchen window at the new place

i call HOME.

 and our old barn at my old place,

so loved by my kids and me continues  
returning to earth.

 one stalk of milkweed,

waiting for me, perhaps,
or a songbird next spring might 
harvest the fibers for nest making.

the generosity of plants

continues.
and i ponder gratitude.

house portraits

classified:

my firstborn 

has a gift for portraiture

 his favorite subjects

are houses

 or hoosies as i've heard him say

 he has launched a business

and is drawing full time

so

if you've ever wanted a house portrait

of your place

contact ian stevens

my kid!

once all the leaves

flew south for winter

i found a treasure

 seen out the studio window

the same day 

sunset came on

with applause and fanfare

 to the west

and to the east

later i decided to

go to an opening

at the brush gallery at slu

i met the amazing andy and inga hamilton

and saw their installation

ELMENTALS, Bird

 a good artist's talk, like a conversation,

and wandered the gallery attentive to this 

positive thing going on.

and then i saw these: 

what you can't quite see is the tan paper i knew it was slippery elm

and the wings are pure aimee lee

yes, these are her birds

flown west and maybe north to visit

wow

the paper she made here

so i met inga and andy,

 excitedly asked them about how they found aimee.

turns out they met in belfast when she was there

doing a residency last year.

we had a chat later on, and it also turns out

that the brush folks and melissa know ian,

that "kid from north russell" 
who does amazing drawings

my firstborn