What Have I Been Up To?

It seems like forever since I have added to my blog...I guess in blog time it has been. I have sort of kept up with what is going on with other people and am just amazed at the work coming out of Sonji, Melody's stuff she is doing for herself which is really good, Gerrie's new work, Claire's new work, etc. It is so inspiring.

I have been busy for the past two months doing a lot of art. However, I am just getting nine pieces quilted and have two finished which I will show you now. I realized that I have really been dwelling on the fate of children in our world and have started a series about Where Have our Children Gone? I haven't wanted to use graphic photos so I have been using old photos to represent the innocence that is missing from so many children. The children who have gone through the hurricanes and have been uprooted, the children who have lost everything, including parents in the tsunami last year, the children turned in to soldiers and sex slaves in Uganda and other parts of Africa, the children who are living in constant warfare in Iraq and Afganistan. I can make myself silly over the politics of it all but have just decided that I can only point to the children.

And then on a positive side, my grandchild, loved, protected, happy, exploring, funny, silly, serious, everything one could want in a child. And, oh so innocent. I have not posted photos of him before but now much add them to share. Gerrie and I can argue about who has the cutest,ect. but I think all of our grandchildren are so very fortunate.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this during the Thanksgiving week. We had turkey day at our house and then went up to our cabin in the Sierra mtns on Friday and on Saturday we had a left over Thanksgiving turkey. The kids all left on Sunday and my husband and I stayed until Tuesday. I stayed up until 3am reading a mystery, worked on a jigsaw puzzle, and just watched the rain and played some computer games. I have not had that much relaxing in a long time. I knew it was time to return when I kept having dreams about new work.

I have come to realize that my work goes in stages...I will get an idea and let it percolate in my brain for some time. Then I am ready to do what I have been thinking about. Then the physical process starts...the fabric, surface design, fusing, whatever I need to do and the piece starts to come together. At that point I always feel a little disappointed until I remind myself that I still have all the sewing to do which finishes the piece. And then, the paperwork...photographs, labels, data entry, website and all that junk. Here, on my blog, I just take a snapshot and put it up! Instant gratification.

Now, when you look at the pictures of my grandson you have to be properly appreciative and say "Oh, he's so cute!" I'll know if you don't!

First taste of cranberry sauce! But he kept on eating it and each bite he would pucker up, stick out his tongue, eat it and go for more. The last picture is a very satisfied Jacob after eating his third Thanksgiving dinner!