Can January really be coming to an end already?!

Boy, what the heck happened to this month?! I can't believe we are already through the first month of the new year! I feel a bit remiss for not having posted more this month. I have felt as if I am in a state of semi hibernation, and I am not even living where it is cold and I would be justified for withdrawing from life for a bit! Today as I sat on the patio eating my lunch, I thought, "Gee, this is a real treat! So many people are dealing with the hardship of bad weather right now and I feel like I am on retreat!" I relished sitting there and closing my eyes in the sun and listening to the little birds chirping all around me.
I have been in kind of a funky space the last month or so, I don't really want to bore myself or you with that, but I feel the need to address it as I have put myself out here with a blog and I feel an obligation to share I haven't been wanting to connect with anyone. Wanting to be isolated is not a normal state for me, so while I have been working through it, I haven't wanted to be working it through with anyone else. Suffice it to say, I am coming back around.
Yesterday in the art room I played with altering some tins and some paper clay elements. The most fun thing I did though was to play with a spoon I found last week while I was on my walk. I colored it with alcohol inks and rub-n-buff, some wire and beads and some wings I learned to make from Kelly Rae Robert's new book. It isn't quite done, but I will post it as soon I have added the finishing touches. There's something quite fun and whimsical about those darn spoons that makes them irresistible!
I am happy to be writing here today and wanting to leave you with this quote I read this morning: "If you want to meet someone who can fix any situation you don't like, who can bring you happiness in spite of what other people say or believe, look in a mirror and say this magic word: Hello!" - Richard Bach

OMG (Oh My Gosh!) . . .

I can't believe I have let a whole month go by with no postings to my beloved blog! I don't even have a good excuse/reason to give for not being here of late. So, to not beat a dead horse (an awful expression!), the good news I have returned in the New Year! Here are a few things I have been up to lately. I taught a class this past Sunday on altered tins. What a great group of students! I was a little nervous because I haven't taught this type of class before, but it was perfect! Thank you so much to the creative women who made it so fun! I will be teaching it again in March. I have been fortunate to schedule more classes in the upcoming year. On the calendar is a year's worth of PMC classes, glass slide soldering, a mixed media bird project, and if I can get my act together, a book class. I was going to slack off on teaching this year, but if the interest is still there, I will show up for sure! I have also been given the opportunity to join a very talented group of women artists for the purpose of playing, experimenting and doing shows together this year and I am very excited about that!
I have been taking a look at being kinder to my body these days. This means eating well, taking my walks and getting good sleep. I have found my days go much better when I start with my morning readings, my daily writing (a good idea from Julia Cameron, The Sound of Paper), followed by my walk, then a good healthy breakfast. What comes after that is always better balanced by that good start to my day.
I have been reading and just finished Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes last night. I have Sue Monk Kidd's When the Heart Waits and Susan Tuttle's Exhibition 36 on my reading table at the moment. Over the holidays I finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which I really enjoyed. I always feel rich with a stack of good books by my side. And I have been knitting, making socks and chemo caps. I love my hand knit socks! This is funny because I really resisted making them. I thought is was silly when you could go buy them so inexpensively and yet, I can't wait to replace all my store boughts with hand made ones now, they are just so much cuter!
So, it is good to be settling back into the blog seat again. Thank you to my blog friends who have continued to stop by and say hi, I am warmed by your presence in my little corner of the art room. I am very hopeful about the new year, excited for the adventures to come and feeling blessed by all that has been. It's good to be back.