Through The Keyhole

An American Hero

<p>Utah Phillips, a poet, folksinger, activist, labor organizer, and so much more, passed away on May 23.  He was an amazing man.  Read more about him here.  See him on youtube here.</p>

p.s. Sorry about the html coding.  Typepad has changed it's formatting somehow and I can't figure it out.  That's the only way I can move the type away from the picture.

Victory in California

This exciting news brings me hope. It's not the last word but it's a step in the right direction. You can read more here. When our 5 year old son asks me why his mama and I aren't married, I don't know how to explain to him that it's not legal. My biggest wish is that at some point in the life of our family, he is able to see us married. I'm holding out for the real thing.

A Glorious Day

It was a scorcher in Seattle today. I think it reached 94 degrees. Something that just doesn't happen all that often here and certainly not in May. We tried to go to the beach but couldn't even get close. Ended up taking care of some errands just to be in the air conditioned stores.

I picked up Lynda Barry's new book, What It Is, at my favorite independent book store last night.

It's unlike anything I've ever seen and I highly recommend it for artists of any type. It's a workbook of sorts. Filled with questions and images that are truly inspiring. It's dense and will take ages to get through. Read the New York Times profile of her here. You can find the publisher, Drawn and Quarterly here. Be sure to check out their blog while you're there. Great stuff there.

I made it to Bridgette's (of Contemplating the Moon) garage sale today and picked up a Daylab she had for sale. I was also able to get some of her book cloth and other goodies. Artists garage sales are always the best! It was great to finally meet her and I wish we'd had more time. Hopefully we'll have an opportunity to get together before she leaves town. Talking encaustics with her made me want to come right home and paint. It was too hot to turn on the pallete though.

I watched the moon rise tonight while I was putting Tanner down to sleep. It was a glorious end to a fabulous day.

A bit blurry (I need a tripod) but too magical not to share. Sleep well.

Happy Mother's Day Wishes

We started our day with this, our Mother's Day card from Tanner. Our first since he's begun to write. He's growing up faster than I can face and I treasure each of the gifts he brings us. Last year I began giving him books for Mother's Day. This year was The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers. He's intrigued by the Spiderwick Chronicles but the story is a bit old for him. This was a nice compromise.

What follows was what I made for my mother. It started out as a simple card but quickly grew. I thought it might become a small book but it ended up being a boxed set. I enjoyed the making so much that I know I'll do more of this sort of project again. This first set of photos are me and my siblings at various ages.

Here's a photo of Debbie as a fearless 5 year old.

Here's Tanner after his first strike in bowling.

The final "page" was this pocket with a tag for the baby me, my brother, and sister.

I was in a hurry to get these recorded before they left the house so I took my photos quickly. The flash washed the very pale colors out more than I'd realized.

We joined my family for an amazing Japanese dinner. The chef cooked the meal at the table. Entertaining and delicious!

I hope your day was as filled with joy and love as mine was.

The Gift of a Friend

I'm home with a bit of a back injury today. Not my idea of a good time but it's provided the opportunity to post.

I haven't yet shared one amazing piece from Artfest. Last year, I mentioned to my friend Lelainia that I very much liked a tool kit she was going to make in one of her Artfest classes. She said if it went well, she'd be happy to make me one as well. Well, what she created was amazing. Unfortunately, I don't have photos. She had admired an etching I'd done, suggesting it would make a beautiful necklace. Ultimately, we agreed to trade. I've been struggling with successfully etching the image she admired and am still trying to problem solve that one. She however, finished what she'd made for me. I am so fortunate to have this piece from her and haven't been able to do more with it than take it apart and look at it. It's something I play with in my mind as I'm dropping off to sleep. It will be great fun to play with when I get over my awe.

Here's the inside of the little book. Each envelope page is filled with paper goodies.

And inside the box was this goodness. Really, it's filled to the brim with metal bits, paper bits, glitter, ribbon, and general yumminess.

I'm grateful for such a friend!

As in years past, we traded a mixed music cd as well of our recent favorites. It was uncanny how similar they were, even having duplicated songs. I'm enjoying listening to her mix and looking forward to next year. When I've sorted out the problems with the etching for her necklace I'll post pics.

You Lift Me Up

This is the world I want to live in.