Sometimes you just gotta be quiet and tell yourself. . .  I believe.  I believe in the possibilities, and the miracles. 

I believe in the good, the old and the new, the enduring and endearing.  And this very moment just as it is, is enough. 

Three months old, and a sense of humor!

 I took this photo last year when we had been ensconced in winter and icicles far too long.  I whiled away last winter’s nights making these small structures, better known as fairies’ houses.  A very good friend of mine had brought me a bundle of twigs, she knows how I am about twigs and rocks, pieces of moss or beautiful perfect autumn leaves.  We share this passion for the natural world, and she is very generous in sharing her finds!  I had been thinking about building some small structures with her gift, and it wasn’t long before they turned into open air dwellings, perfect for a fairies’ abode.  I decorated the Christmas tree that year with them, searching out fairy dolls in the stores.  It turned out to be a spectacular tree, with elves, and toadstools, owls, fairies, small red foxes, acorns, crystals, little watercolored lady apples… I don’t have a photo of the Christmas tree, but I came across this photo of one of the houses standing in a window against a background of icicles, and thought I would share it with you.   Today the sun is shining; it’s only about 49 degrees outside, not even any snow on the ground – a perfect day to go off hunting for treasures!

Now that the holidays are over, (our Christmas having been postponed a week due to weather) and the children have gone home to their own lives again, I have been giving a lot of thought to my hopes for the coming year.  (My own New Year celebration has always been in September, even as a child I felt that the year should begin in September.)  This year I realized about halfway through December that I was really having a lot of fun finishing the various gifts for my family, and while in the midst of making one thing, an idea would arrive for another thing…sometimes it was difficult to focus on the current project because I was so anxious to begin this new inspiration!  Each item that I made was created with the generosity of spirit that knows no bounds for loving.   There were a few mistakes, but I forged ahead and tried to correct and finish as well as I could, and I learned quite a bit in the process.  So my hopes for this second beginning of a new year, are that I continue to forge ahead, despite any mistakes, doubts, or hesitant thoughts – I love fulfilling this need inside to create art, I have some new ideas, and some old ideas that I haven’t tried.  I wish a wonderful New Year to each of my newly made friends from other blogs.  Some of your well appreciated comments have confirmed my own desire for this artful direction I have chosen.  You are all so finely tuned to your own paths, and so generous in your comments, you inspire me daily to continue.   My warmest thanks to all of you!