Three torsos from the Sacred line drying, along with a test tile sectioned to try out new glazes.

Whew.  Getting accepted to the Philadelphia Buyer’s show  [Feb 15 – 18, 2008, Booth 4233] seems to have been just the beginning of my whirling life (this is not a complaint.  I haven’t been this excited and focused and, well, deliriously happy, all at once, in a bit.  And every day seems to get better).

Where to start.

First, Tinker:  if you’re reading this, I replied to your email and it bounced and I’ve lost the password for your blog….help!!!!! Anyone else who reads Tinker – can you help?

Ok. My last post:  the last lines for some strange reason were underlined (in the "thought for the day" thus:  I suggest that you believe without the physical evidence, holding onto the truth that the universe is perfect and will move into form whatever you desire if you just do the planting and take care of the seeds.  have faith.  John Assaraf…") It was late.  I wasn’t in the mood to go back and figure out why since usually that results in my erasing the whole thing and I wasn’t inclined to repost.  So I just whined a bit in a note and left it at that.  Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees!

Michelle of Artventuring commented: " The underlined part is the universe’s way of confirming that you did indeed hold onto the truth, that it is perfect, and that it moved into the form you desired and needed, to make the Philadelphia show happen!"  Do I need to tell you that comment brought a big smile to my face and a huge light bulb lit up in my head?  THANKS!, Michelle (who, among other things, makes awesome masks – click over, see and say "hi.")

Saturday I spend the day in the studio making the torsos you see above drying, glazing the torsos you see here, (right) and making 3 new necklaces (below).

Sunday, off to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, my shop, A Step Above, to pick up work.  Bill Outten, owner/operator, has just moved the store from its previous location (a very large space) over an antiques store to a smaller, but gorgeous corner street level location with tons of window space.  Bill said, when we arrived, that he wanted to buy some of my work because he felt it was integral to the way his space is set up and because he knows it’s going to sell during tourist season, if not before, since traffic to the store in its new location has been pretty phenomenal.  I said sure, what do you want?  We had talked about my going wholesale and not doing commission any more and he had said that he couldn’t buy my work at the time and I had said fine, because I want my shop owners to be happy.  When he found out I was in the Philadelphia Show, I guess it made a difference, because he decided to buy all 4 torsos and one mask that he had. [big smile, here].  Can I tell you I was pretty excited?!  And he wants me to keep in touch as I make new work. [Note:  am off to buy glass Thursday of this week, and glass artist/friend, Cindy Pond, and I will shortly thereafter be in the studio playing with making a glass torso.  She assures me mess ups can easily be recycled and used, except for a few colors, which I will avoid until I get this process nailed down).

I so very much feel like all of these occurrences, one right on the heels of the other, starting with Michelle’s "pay attention" comment, are the Universe saying "you go, Girl!"  Ever have things going so good it starts to make you nervous?  Me, too.  Ordinarily, right now.  But not right now, because I’ve changed the way I see things and know that all of this is my pathway, because it feels exactly right.  And I’m loving it.

Finally, Both Charleyana of casa de Charlotte della luna and Leah of Creative Every Day gave me "you make my day" awards on their blogs.  Thanks, Gals! 

In order, the necklaces are:  Madagascar Agate with river stone, chech crystal and SS clasp (20", $65.00);  Magnesite focal pendant with smoky quartz and river pearl and 20" strand of river stone, wood and swarovski crystals with SS clasp w/amethyst inset (this clasp was actually meant to go on the next necklace since that one has an amethyst in the pendant, but sometimes things don’t work as planned) $75.00; Prenite focal pendant with bawa pearl and amethyst and double 20" strand necklace of serpentine and swarovski crystal and river pearls, SS clasp (my favorite of the 3, $85.00).  Just in case you want to know, I sell from this website through PayPal – drop me a line if you’re interested.  I plan to make earrings for all but haven’t yet.  I think I need to spend an afternoon just making earrings, but I like necklaces better so I tend to pay attention to them more.

Today, I have to go load out of Deja Vu.    Which means I have to unload what I brought home yesterday, find some more containers (luckily I spent a lot of time Saturday evening unloading what I had in the car and reorganizing things in the studio so that everything is finding a place and I have a bunch of empty containers – all of which I’ll need for Deja Vu – there’s a lot of work there.), and find more storage space.  Always something next – sure does keep it from getting boring!

thought for the day:  [Susan Griffith says:] "How if the trees grew on that hillside there would be no flood.  And you cannot divert this river.  We say look how the water flows from this place and returns as rainfall, everything returns, we say, and one thing follows another, there are limits, we say, on what can be done and everything moves.  We are all a part of this motion, we say, and the way of the river is sacred, and this grove of trees is sacred, and we ourselves, we tell you, are sacred."  What is happening here is that the wilderness is answering.  This has never happened before.  We who live at this time are hearing news that has never been heard before.  A new thing is happening.

Daughters, the women are speaking.

They arrive

over the wise distances

on perfect feet.

The women are speaking: so says Linda Hogan of the Chickasaw people.  The women are speaking…for themselves and for the other people, the animals, the trees, the rivers, the rocks.  And what they say is:  We are sacred." Ursula K. LeGuin, Dancing at the Edge of the World:  Thoughts on Words, Women, Places.

in response to a Washington Post article in the Outlook section Sunday, Jan 13, 2008, "The Sixth Extinction:  It Happened to Him.  It’s Happening to You." by Michael Novacek.

And I say:  women:  what are we saying?  What is the first baby step toward healing our Earth?