Saturday, August 31, 2013

Cinderelli

Yes, I've been checked out in a major way.

The studio is calling, faintly.  It's been drowned out by the screams of the dirty floors, dusty shelves, the yard that needs watering, the dogs who need walking and bathing in a big way, the bug encrusted truck and the friends and family to catch up with.

The friends and family are the good parts.  I've been laughing and hugging and spending sweet time with the people who sustain me, filling up my depleted well, setting my head on straight again, it's all good.  It's so true that you find out the depth and measure of people when you need them most, strengthening the bonds of trust in a big way.

My Uncle Warren passed away, leaving my Dad the last of the three Hupp boys alive, the name hanging onto his strong shoulders.  It's interested what memories surface at this time.  Warren was a mason who was involved in big construction projects in SoCal but I remember him laying the slate entryway in our home in Big Bear Lake.  His careful craftsmanship creating something beautiful and enduring.  His smile and ready laugh will always make me smile.

The gallery is keeping me busy, especially this busy holiday weekend, come on in and see me if you get the chance.

Here's a rather lengthy video of Bode and Jolie playing morning bitey face while Dandy does his thing.  If you really like dogs you'll appreciate the intricate give and take of this kind of play, the pauses and postures are significant in dog interaction.  Bode is a fully mature, intact male, Jolie is a mature alpha female.  It's fascinating.


Peace

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I will always love you...

This song, done by this guy, yes.


Peace

The Lion

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

He's still going strong at 87.

He teases and smiles and his eyes twinkle.

We're all so lucky to have him in our lives.

He was the strong male presence that led me out of hard times in my young life.

He gave me 100% of his confidence and I did everything I could to live up to that.

Early on I decided I had to make a choice, what kind of person do I want to be?  I wanted to be like him, strong, smart, friendly, helpful, supportive, funny, subtle, considering, thoughtful, loving.




Life is good.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Home!

4600 miles - how wonderful to be greeted by these sweet faces, doesn't get a whole lot better.

Of course, they've been sleeping on my bed.

We're surrounded by fires so it's smokey.  The trip over the Donner Summit was like driving through fog, the mountains are almost completely obscured. 

Peace

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Big Sky Country

Goodbye to Wyoming...
The most incredible sky all day long.
On to a Utah!
Almost done for the day.
Zip, zip, zip.....

Boulder

I miss this town.   We spent a lot of time here when my daughter was in school.

Now just a quick drive through to eat at my all time favorite restaurant, Lucile's.

The flatirons are still stunning.

Onward

Friday, August 16, 2013

Rearview mirror

In Amarillo, ready to say good bye to Texas, and my sweet babies.

We just say see you soon and hope the days until late October hurry along.

I'm heading up through Colorado, need some mountains.

Peace

Monday, August 12, 2013

Party Night

It was grand and glorious!

On stage, Little Radar.



Signing a CD for a fan.

The next day, playing with the great black beastie Kaiser down at the river.  Here's the view.


Grant and Kaiser looking for tennis balls.


Me and my boy, loving the time we get to spend together.


I'm so lucky to have time with him, he's doing what he loves and works really hard at it.

Joy!

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Austin Babe

We managed to slip away from the parents and go play in the backyard.  It was only 100 degrees so we stayed in the shade.  Even the chickens were hiding.


She's so incredibly photogenic and loves to pose and flirt with the camera.

I have to go out late at night if I want to see my Son, musicians tend to operate on a different time frame than the rest of the population.  So we hit 24 Diner at 10:30pm  last night and spent a couple of hours drinking, eating, talking and having some great Mom/Son time.  Only two more days until the big release party at Stubb's, we are very excited.

Smiles

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

The latest...

Just in case you think I've quit working.



These have just gone to the Gallery.  I also have some pretty ones traveling with me, you never know.  I love this design though it turned out to be a challenge.  My goal is to sell you a piece of jewelry that will last so I'm a bit hard on them in the design process.  These are all fine silver except for the ear wires and the jump rings.  The silver has been textured in my rolling mill, then the cups are shaped and enameled before they are joined together.  I'm still struggling with photographing the enamel but it's getting a little better.

Enjoy!

Silly Happy


Coffee and cuties.  She doesn't hold still much anymore but she likes the camera.

It was a good trip.  I don't know why I find these road trips so satisfying but I do.  I'm already planning my route back.  Where do I want to go?  What do I want to see?  And then home, of course, that wonderful place waiting for me with my two fur faces.

But until then we have a riot of fun, babies and projects, hanging out and talking, musical events, more hanging out, it's all good.

I'd like to live in the hill country here, northwest of here an hour or two.  Find me a Rancher, spend the rest of my days checking fences on horseback, who knows?  What am I gonna be when I grow up?  And who says I have to grow up?

Peace

Monday, August 05, 2013

Cadillac Ranch

This is great!  Thanks Susan for the suggestion.   Back on the road now, next stop Austin.

Sunday, August 04, 2013

This and that...

I'm in Amarillo tonight, sitting on a big king sized bed in a decent hotel, sipping a glass of good crispy white wine.

What a trip so far, 1450 miles in two days.

I LOVE road trips.  It's been so long and truthfully, I almost canceled the trip the night before.  I was afraid. I haven't done this type of driving for three years, alone and on my own, and I was doubting that I could still do it.

Fuck it, I can and I love it.  Sometimes I listen too much to people.  Yes, I know they have legitimate concerns, things can happen, but so what.  I love it when people say, "You'll have a blast, but be safe."  That's enough of a reminder.

I needed this trip to happen.  I needed to remind myself of my competence and independence.  I also needed the vast amount of time to work through some things in my head.

I was caught in an emotional whirlpool, going around and around, getting more angry and more filled with contempt and hatred.  My heart hurt.

It actually took 1350 miles before it all came together.  This song started to play and there was a huge thunderstorm complete with great flashes of lightning and driving rain.

The Zac Brown Band - Quiet Your Mind (Sorry the good Youtube was pulled.)

I hear the waves
Sun beatin' down on my shoulders
It's a near-perfect day
Wishin' I wouldn't get any older
They say that it's gone 'fore you know it now
Quiet your mind
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride
I feel the change
Goin' on all around me
It's strange
How I'm taken and guided
Where I end up right where I'm needed to be
Quiet your mind
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride
At the end of the water
A red sun is risin'
And the stars are all goin' away
And if you're too busy talkin'
You're not busy listenin'
To hear what the land has to say
Quiet your mind
I hear the waves
Sun beatin' down on my shoulders
It's a near-perfect day
Wishin' I wouldn't get any older
They say that it's gone 'fore you know it and
Soak it all in
It's a game you can't win
Enjoy the ride


And all of a sudden I got it, that nudge to quit obsessing and to realize how insignificant I was in the great drama of the earth.  And my mind opened up along with my heart.  We can't make someone do what we want.  Everyone has their own path, their own reality and they have to follow their story.  Our stories often intersect,sometimes for a short time, sometimes for much longer.  The danger is to forget to live our own story, to submerge it in another's.

Do I want my story to be filled with anger, contempt, hatred and regret?  No, I don't.  I knew those emotions would be damaging to me in the long run but I wasn't sure how to push them away.  I'm not entirely successful yet but I can take a deep breath and see the right path to follow.

I have to let go of a lot.  There are dreams and hopes and longings that I have to just let go, let them fly off on their own.  To hold on to them keeps me from opening up to new dreams and new hopes, they actually clog up the intake valves.

I can throw open the doors and invite new things to come in.

Peaceful mind, peaceful dreams and a grateful heart.













Petrified Forest


It's stunning, worth the 40 mile sidetrack.


Ok, now I can shape this post up just a little.  I can do a quick post from my cell phone but have to wait to load up the pics from my better camera.

I loved this little detour, the park is really nice.  You can drive way up and do some good hiking but my time was limited so I didn't go too far.



I think this whole trip is about the sky.  I find myself staring up at the clouds all day.  It's been just incredible to see the changing sky over Arizona and New Mexico.


Thursday, August 01, 2013

Easy There, Steady Now...


Trying so hard to hold on
onto self
onto reason
turn my face away
towards the sun
light
laughter
doubting the so-called truths
questioning
was it all
a game
a frolic
gone wrong
one more hour
one more day
breathe
easy there
steady now.