Downtown Austin

Me and my son after his set, which was taped for the Good Music Club.
A Happy Mom

The Best Thing

For him...

Peace

Packing again

And here's the dilemma,

Vintage Tony Lama

Or new Dingo

Of course, there is also the black Vintage TL to consider.

I'd like to do some stomping around in the muck with the Dingos so they have a bit of street cred, or would you call that corral cred?  But they are sooooo comfortable it's hard to leave them.

We shall see.

I'm thrilled to be heading back to Texas to see my kids and to continue my determined efforts to suck up as much tequila, beer and fire roasted animal parts as possible.

However, that means leaving part of my heart behind (this time).  I can't wait to take him with me, he's a worthy partner in the tequila and animal parts contest.

Here we are on the Northern Coast, always happy, always laughing, always in the midst of mischief.

Peace

As far as the eye can see...

Thousands of grape vines, loaded with dense clusters of purple grapes.  This is Lake County, close to Clear Lake.  It's exquisitely beautiful country filled with kind and beautiful people, a huge loving family gathered to celebrate a wedding.
Life is good, everything I could wish for.
Peace

Train Station

Which is sort of what my house has become, a place to swing in, unpack bags, wash laundry, pack bags and go again.

Two shots of the high desert sky at sunset.

Off again today for an adventure with my man, rendezvous to drop off my truck, meet his family (!) and then back again for a get together with a best friend.

AND then, home for a day and off to Texas next week.  Where I will play tourist for a couple of days while I wait for my loved ones to either return from trips to NY or finish big work projects.

THEN, home with three days to prepare for the Open Studios Tour, after which it will be the middle of October, what?

Peace

Home and away...

11 days, that's how many days I'm actually home this month.

I'm grateful every day to have my sweet house mate here but more so this month, she takes such great care of the boys and the house while I'm gone.

In between I'm working furiously in the studio.  Here's a little taste of what's happening there.

This earring does have a mate but it wasn't finished yet.  Fine silver with freshwater pearls.

The coast, the high desert, the interior and then to Texas.  Whew!  Busy but fun.

I'm happy to say I'm in a relationship with a great guy who satisfies my soul in so many ways. If he gives his permission I will post photos of us.  Until then you have to use your imagination to see our smiling faces.

I'm a lucky women, his woman.

Peace

Breaking up is hard to do...

A close member of my family is experiencing the breakdown and end of a four year relationship.  It's so hard to sit and watch this kind of thing happen and yet it reminds me of the post on grief that I wrote on August 24th, 2010.

What's important here is that he has a chance to grieve and is able to do it with the people he loves.  I'm grieving too, it's a painful loss of a relationship that I cherished.  But now I see how it's so much better to wade into his grief and give him permission to be sad.

I'm so proud that he's approaching this whole process with grace and maturity, not burning bridges, not allowing his anger to take over and even now he's starting to look ahead, if only one day at a time.

I'm so incredibly gratified that he's come to me to talk things out.  I feel like it's been a long two year journey of losing that connection and that we've come full circle back to each other in an adult and enlightened way.

His grief has reminded me of the journey I've taken, of how far I've come and how wide is the horizon before me.

Perhaps the greatest gift is his knowing that he must first take care of himself before he can take care of another.

This is possibly the most valuable lesson I've learned in the last couple of years.  Once I learned to love me and to take the time to really discover who and what I am then the people and experiences that I really need and want have made themselves evident. That honesty with myself has been hard and I know that what's ahead will be hard too but the feeling of wholeness is there.

Honesty with myself, honesty with others, asking for what I want, knowing that satisfaction only comes from being truly what I am.

And now he sees just a little what I'm talking about and knows that it's important for him too.

I'm a very lucky woman.

Peace

Home

It was a great trip, full of fabulous experiences and first time wonders.

When I look at my feet in the sand, washed by the ocean, I'm happy and a little wistful that the week is over.

But there are more adventures to come, my heart is content.

Peace

Visiting Giants

Seven miles up the canyon, unlock the gate and bump down six more miles of gravel road, almost chicken out at the strenuous trail warning, go anyway.

Hike over a mile, drop 600 feet, hard to walk with mouth open in awe.  They just kept getting bigger and taller, more craggy, all the olds ones with burned bark skirts, crowns so far up we couldn't see them.

It's the Tall Trees Grove and I cannot describe how magnificent they are, to be in their presence is enough.

We made it too and rewarded ourselves with grilled oysters and some tylenol.

The fog is thick, tonight the harbor seals are quiet, heading East towards home tomorrow.

Peace

Little Slice of Heaven

Trinidad, coastal California-

Here's the view from our campsite.  Tonight we walked through the woods to see the ocean and later grilled steak on our little patio.

Tomorrow we have all of Patricks Point State Park to explore.

After such a long, hot and smoky summer it's incredibly wonderful to feel the fresh ocean air.

Peaceful dreams to you.

Old Growth

Hiking in the Headwaters Forest Reserve was a breathtaking experience.  The forest is mostly new growth with the remains of giants scattered around.  It was deep and dark with ferns everywhere.

We didn't make it ask the way to the old growth forest but enjoyed our little hike.

Today we head up the coast looking for someplace new.

Peace

To the ocean pics

These got lost someplace.

Peace

Blues

Hanging out at a bay side park in Eureka, the scenery is beautiful and the music is superb.
This is Eric Bibb performing and last was the great blues harmonica player James Cotton.
Now sunburned and tired we are eating pizza and planning our adventure tomorrow.  First thing is a short hike at the Headwaters Forest Reserve.
Peace