The book for the Beneath The Surface exhibition is now available on Blurb. It measures 6.75" square and includes an interview with each artist and a full page image of their work in the exhibition. Kudos to Loris Bogue for putting the book together and to Iris Karp for designing the wrap-around cover!
Yesterday I finished a new series of small pieces of art. I am participating in an upcoming gallery exhibition that features only ACEOs (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals). These are small pieces of art that measure 3.5" x 2.5", and they allow collectors on small budgets to be able to afford original art. The piece above is the first in a series of six pieces from my new Visions series. Click here to see the entire series.
It appears that our baby robins have fledged this morning. This one has made itself at home on my new adirondack chairs. While I am glad to see them all healthy and starting out on their own, it also means I have a watchful few days ahead of me. Mya (our new puppy) is a terrier, and she loves nothing more than chasing birds in the backyard. Unfortunately, she is extremely adept at catching fledgling birds. So she will be on a leash for a few days until the fledglings are strong enough to fly away from her.
I am thoroughly enjoying watching the little robins in this nest as they grow more and more each day. Now their eyes are open, and they are starting to move around in the nest, jockeying for the best position. I have spent hours photographing them and the parents with them. When they finally fledge, I am going to be sad to see them go.
No, unfortunately I haven't won the lottery and booked a ticket around the world. Instead, this little guy, "Cute Potatoe", is going to travel the world, and he will be making a stop in the midwest. Artist Beate Knappe, in Dusseldorf Germany, created this guy, and she asked for volunteer hostesses for his travel around the world. Beate is a friend, so of course I volunteered to host him for a while. I plan to show him the sights in the midwest USA before sending him off to Australia for the next leg of his journey. I don't know how long he plans to travel, but I do know that I am envious of his itinerary.
This has really been the year for us when it comes to birds in the yard. We've had our first ever Baltimore oriole at the feeder; our first ever wrens nesting in the wren houses; our first ever pair of downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers at the suet feeder; and now, this is the first time we have had a robin nesting in the gutter crevice. I'm surprised that we haven't had more robins nesting in our yard before, but we seem to have finally reached the point where the birds consider our yard to be an attractive habitat this year. And we would have to agree with their assessment, as we just bought some adirondack chairs, solely so we could sit out under the trees in the yard.
Today we officially adopted little Mya and made her a permanent member of our family. We could not be more thrilled! We started fostering her on May 22nd, and it has taken this long for her to get healthy enough to be spayed, and thus available for adoption from the rescue. She is the little princess in our house, and Zeke is totally in love with her!
This evening I was in the backyard, trying to get a decent photograph of Mya, which is difficult to put it mildly. She is a non-stop ball of energy, and she doesn't stop long enough for me to focus and snap a photograph. So I started exploring other treasures to photograph and found this spider web on some of the garden fencing. Sometimes it's all about making the most of your opportunities, even if it means changing your original plans.
About a year ago, my husband and I started fostering dogs for some of the local rescues. Although it is heartbreaking to let them go to their adoptive homes, we always feel like we have made a difference in their lives and given them a better chance of succeeding in their new homes. 
Do you ever have those days when you know, without looking, that the stars have to be perfectly aligned? Today was one of those days for me. I had a follow-up appointment with my cardiologist, and it was good news all around to start my day. So I celebrated by buying a new pair of high tech walking shoes (on sale). Then I got the stepping stones put in two of my gardens, and they look great. So I went back out to do a little more shopping. I actually found sheers to match my living room drapes --- I have been looking for these for about 6 months, so this was a great find. Then I stopped at my favorite coffee shop for an iced mocha expresso. What a fabulous day!
Last night the temperatures here dropped into the 40's. This morning it was still a tad bit chilly when Zeke and I went for our morning walk. As you can see, Zeke has the perfect solution --- burrow under the covers for as long as possible!
I am home from my artist residency in Texas --- and busy unpacking my supplies and sorting my photographs. I have to say that I am thrilled with my new camera lens. My photos from Texas are fabulous and will provide years of artistic inspiration. 
Yesterday I finally had the opportunity to take my new camera out to the farm and try it out on some of the rural scenery. This little chickadee was perched in the trumpet vine and let me shoot numerous photos of him before he flew off.
And finally, the water pump. This is still used to pump water for the gardens and bushes.
Every year on New Year's Day I decide on one word to guide me through the coming year. This year's word is "stretch". It has suddenly dawned on me that I am 50 years old, and there are still a lot of things that I want to do. This year will be filled with seizing new opportunities, especially the ones that are out of my comfort zone. I plan to take classes to learn things that I've always wanted to learn; I plan to travel to see sights that I've always wanted to see; and I plan to be open to the world of possibilities that surrounds me every day. Most of all, I plan to cross a few things off my "bucket list". What is your word for 2010?
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