You Are What You Eat

What a wonderful Spring Break this has been! Wonderful and busy!

First, I was fortunate to spend three full days over at the Rift Gallery, learning Japanese packaging and basket making techniques from Nancy Moore Bess. I purchased her book, Bamboo in Japan, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Real eye candy. If you get the opportunity to take one (or more!) of her workshops, go for it. I can't say that I got a *whole* lot of stuff made during the workshops, but I did make one really cool thing--a snake basket--which I filled with black rocks (courtesy of Rift). I'll post photos from the workshops in the near future.

Now, this next thing won't sound very exciting, but here goes: I also pounded out about 14-15 pages (single spaced) of notes for my research paper! If you want to know anything at all about OCD, I'm your woman!! I could probably even diagnose you at this point. One of the reference books that I checked out, Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive was so good that, after cracking it open to search for a few good quotes, I ended up reading it cover to cover; spending much of that time laughing out loud (and wondering if I was perhaps a little OCD, myself). The author is Emily Colas. Do yourself a favor: go to the nearest library and check out this book. It's a real page-turner!

More on the book front: I also received Wide Open: Inspiration & Techniques for Art Journaling on the Edge by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts. So cool! It's a very nice, slick little box with a book and cards inside--full of ideas and inspiration. I think I might just have to buy another boxed set and send it to Erica.

Getting down to the nitty gritty--meaning dirt and sand--I spent 2 1/2 days out in the front yard, trying to make it look less neglected. It's getting there, though it still has a long way to go. Miss Frida helped, of course. She's always the first one to lend a paw when there's work to be done.

Finally, in honor of my last day of Spring Break, I whipped out a small piece of Mail Art for an artist in Chicago. She's requesting "fish pictures on food labels." Well, it just so happens that I made a cherry pie recently, and still had the can in the recycling bin. By the way, I don't recommend "Great Value" brand "no sugar added cherry pie filling." To say it tasted yucky would be an understatement. We ended up tossing about 1/4 of the pie. Of course, that means that we ate 75% of it, but when you're craving cherry pie, you'll choke down even the worst.

And what good would it do to create a piece of Mail Art unless you're going to decorate the envelope, too?

673 Days until George W. Bush leaves office!
674 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!