stuff about artstuff.

So Lucky.

Sometimes the extra bonus goodness I get to experience from this crazy job I have is just too much, I really am constantly blessed in spite of myself! 

Art Licensing can create a very distant and removed lifestyle for artists.  Most of us who do this work alone in our studios, often quite isolated from the real world.  On one hand, that's something I enjoy about it - I tend to be happy with what may seem to most folks like an unnatural volume of peace, quiet, and privacy.  On the other hand, we are so far removed from the end consumer that it's difficult sometimes to grasp the big picture - departments and focus groups and agencies and committees, manufacturers and distributors and sales reps and retailers; the list of entities separating a licensing artist from the person who buys and lives with our products is pretty vast.  But that's just how the machine works; I could never make and sell my stuff like they do.

You don't go into this field expecting to make friends or share warm fuzzy moments.  But it happens.  The mentors, muses, and dear friends I've been blessed with make my life full and happy. 

One such unexpected friendship began a couple months ago.  A nice woman in Kentucky wanted to make a rag-quilt for a Christmas present for her grandson who loves camping.  She was searching the web for flannel with squirrels on it (!) and stumbled on my Etsy shop where I still had yardage from my At The Lake collection.  Who knew I was about to make a friend?   

We chatted online, one thing led to another, and when she had finished that one, made 2 others with more of my flannel - then offered to make me one for me.  I almost tear up just telling you about this (talk amongst yourselves) how sweet and generous is that?!

It arrived when I was in Atlanta attending AmericasMart last month.  I could hardly wait to open the package, but I didn't share it with you right away because as you can see, the blanket and I had some very important work to catch up with that first day home.

If you don't believe that this holds a prominent and beloved place in our household, take a closer look at all the pet hairs that have embedded, literally woven themselves into the fabric.  Curling up on the couch on chilly winter evenings here means there is at least one furry family member on top of you, usually two.

But in spite of the hairs, isn't that cool?  I love it, and it fits perfectly into our decor and lifestyle!

And finally, this amazing gift:

The happy recipient of the original quilt drew me a picture (look at that awesome tent and camp fire -  I love this!).

And like a true Southern Gentleman, charmed me to death with sweet compliments.

New friends, and physical, tangible reminders right here to treasure; I have so much to be thankful for, to fill my heart and make me smile - next time you catch me being a grouch or curmudgeon, you have my permission to just slap me.  I mean it.

There's No Place Like Home.

Welcome!

I'm starting the year with something new and different (for me, that is!). I've been invited to join an uber-talented group of artist friends in a fun blog hop.  We're touring everybody's studios, how fun is that?!  It's a virtual Open-Studio tour!

You get a fun peek inside the creative spaces of 11 (yes count 'em, 11) designing friends of mine (plus me, of course).  Just click on the names at the end of this post to tour each of their studios and visit their blogs, or simply use the forward/backward arrows (also after my post) to continue along the hop!

A special thank-you shout-out to our charming (and did I mention talented?) host, The Mr. Aaron Christensen of Aaron Christensen's Embellishments, for organizing this crazy party, and for creating the fabulous graphics you see at the beginning and end of this post.  Sooo . . . without further ad0, let the tour commence!

As they say on those celebrity home tours, "and this is where the magic happens."

In this case, the magic happens in a teeny tiny room in my teeny tiny house.  It's not glamorous, spacious, airy, or usually even tidy - but it's home.  It's where I spend my days, and often my nights.  It's where I create.

I paint.

I draw. 

I'm at the computer. 

It all happens right here.

Usually with a cat on my lap

(or inside my shirt)

and a dog at my feet.

If she's not on me, Flossie is in one of her many beds or perched on the printer, watching birds in the trees and the rest of the backyard.

One of my favorite quotations is the William Morris golden rule: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder and my other golden rule is my Granddad's credo:

...and like my Granddad and Granny were, I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by my treasures.  In a space this tiny, though, storage is at a premium.

If it's not organized, it may as well not exist.  As cluttered as it gets (and it does get cluttered) there is always order to this chaos.

Bolts of fabric, handmade items for Etsy, product samples, and a giant flat-file full of large originals and prints all live quietly and out of sight in in an ever so mysterious room at the bottom of the stairs. No one ever goes there but me (well, no one has ever lived to speak of it).

I used to dream of spreading my creative wings in a large, airy studio - the same as I longed for a large, airy kitchen.  But I've got to admit, there's something very comforting about having the things I need within my reach   
 

  

and the things I love within my sight.      

   
 
 

Because really, there's no place like home.

Ok, now I'll answer those burning questions I know you're asking yourself:

Q. Why the heck does she have a piece of carpet glued to her Wacom?

A. Because I'm one of those lefties who holds my hand all backwards and the left-side scrolly bars go bezerk when I draw if I don't keep them covered.

Q. Why would someone keep a framed photo of the Next Generation crew front-and-center in her workspace? Is she that huge of a geek?

A. Well, yes I probably am that huge of a geek, but that's actually a favorite photo of my dear old dad posing with cardboard cutouts at an air & space museum. He's the handsome one in the front, pointing and saying, "Make it so."

 

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to hop on over and visit my talented friends as they welcome in the New Year with their own Studio Tour:



Aaron Christensen

Barbara Johansen-Newman

Beth Logan (well, you're already here!)

Brenda Pinnick

J. Wecker-Frisch

Karen Embry

Paula Joerling

Phyllis Dobbs

Samantha Walker

Sharon Himes

Shelly Comiskey

Sue Zipkin

Magical.

When I was little, one of my favorite things was to draw under the Christmas tree.  I would lie on my belly for hours at a time all season long with a stack of paper, a pencil, and a sharpener, and just draw. Girls in fancy outfits with outrageously high platform heels, fairy tale characters, imaginary families who lived in extensive underground tunnels or inside trunks of giant trees.
I loved drawing by the warm glow of the tree lights, surrounded by the sparkle and the magic. I always loved to draw, but there was something extra special about this.

What is it that makes a Christmas tree so magical? It's illogical that such amazingly beautiful energy can come from a dead tree wrapped in electrical cords and covered in shiny stuff.  But there's no denying the magic.  I can even feel it taking our evening dog-walks through the neighborhood, soaking in the glow of others' trees from inside their homes.

Flossie, the ultimate love-sponge, will even forgo a comfortable lap to sit under it.

Part of it could be that rarely in life is there such a high concentration of things we love all in one small space - every single thing on there means something special.  It takes something pretty sturdy and powerful to carry that kind of energy on its branches.
Thanks, tree.

Wishing you all the best this holiday, with, of course, the highest concentration possible of things you love.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Things That Make Me Smile: Vacation Edition

Dog walks every morning and afternoon are an every-day attitude adjustment around here, but on the beach, forgetaboutit.  It turns into an ear-to-ear grinning until my cheeks hurt thing.

At the beach, little things become fun events.

Some birds.
A boat.
A pattern.

The perfect latte in the morning is enough to bring a smile to my famously-grouchy-morning-lips (yes, we actually pack up the Breville and take it to the cabin) but it's even more fun when I pull a random mug from the cupboard and realize it's designed by my talented friend BJ Lantz!
Her cute beach design made me smile every morning (those who know me well will attest, this is a tall order).

And finally, 2 weeks of perfect sunsets, how can that not make someone smile?

First Day Home from NY

...and all is well.
The show was fabulous for me but oh my, I was glad to be home and have that part of my year behind me.  The first day back home again was, wow ... probably in the running for my favorite day of the year so far.  Most of it spent right here, starting what follow-up work I could accomplish on my lap, but mostly just petting furry animals and watching the grass grow (and grow, and grow...).
I did, however, forget that day what sun actually does and ended up with a strange little sunburn, only on one leg + the other ankle.  I was just so beside myself with warmth and fresh air, it had been so long since I enjoyed either.

Although the clouds rolled back in and I have been more than busy here inside, I have since pulled the dusty old bottle of sunblock out of storage for next time. 

Here's to a summer that requires lots of sunscreen...

Good Things.

Taking a peek around this blog, one might get the impression that heads are planted firmly in the sand over here at The Artstuff's.  Although I can't deny being at least a little bit self-absorbed now and then (quite often more than I'd like) the empty yet peaceful grasshopper-chirping sound coming from this corner of The Interwebs on the subject of The Outside World (beyond my immediate studio and garden) has not been due to lack of concern, frustration, anger, even heartbreak over the tragedies and atrocitites going on in the world.

Partly because I'm still having difficulty wrapping my little brain around so many sad and terrible things; my heart feels heavy and sometimes my brain and stomach feel like they don't remember which parts of my body they should be sitting quietly in.  And partly because I would like this to be a place where maybe you and I both could escape those feelings and think, just for a minute, about things like pretty flowers, or nice drawings, even nice drawings of pretty flowers.
And speaking of a little much-needed positive energy, I just discovered this neato little news site that focuses on good stuff, thanks to one of my favorite blog-lurks ... just this morning I subscribed so they'll send "one good thing a day" to my email box, seems like that might be, well, good.

Waxing Nostalgic on a Waning November Moon

Just returned from a cold, crisp dog walk a little while ago; it was one of those walks where I'm lucky to have stayed upright the entire time as I couldn't seem to keep my eyes below moon-level.

Did you see it tonight?  Nice, right? 

Back on another dog-walk on the opposite side of winter, at the opposite time of day, there was one just like this - facing the opposite direction.  That particular morning I was so enchanted by the roundness and skinny-ness, the colors and gradation of the sky and the shadows of the trees, that I had to try and remember it somehow with a quick little drawing ... so out came the little sketchbook.  Well, there were animals to be fed and coffee to drink, but then, the little sketchbook.
And, well ... I guess I can just look at this one backwards when I want to remember tonight's moon.

...And Whiskers on Kittens

Just sharing a few of my favorite things.

I do hope that you have been enjoying this wonderful holiday season surrounded by loved ones and all of your own favorite things.  And just in case I'm not back here before ... Happy New Year to you all, and thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate each and every one of you who drop by here!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Day at the Beach.

Sometimes you just need a day at the beach.
Sometimes you need to stand and stare into the surf.
Just stand
in one place
while the waves
wash
over your feet.
Like this guy.
 

Sometimes you need to watch the birds

and search for treasures in the sand.
Like this guy.
Or have fun finding tracks in the sand
like this raccoon's
or this deer's
or even the little tracks left by grass in the breeze. 

Sometimes you need to fantasize that there's no one around and you could just live in a fort.
Sometimes you just need a day at the beach.

Almost Heaven.

Guess what I can smell?

Oh my gosh. 
No, really - get even closer.  That's it.  Now smell. 
My apologies if you haven't yet upgraded your Internet Options with the Smell-O-Vision add-on.  I suggest you do that right away.

I can't stop sniffing these so hard I am sure to suck this entire twig right up into my brain cartoon-style.  We're sorry to hear about Beth, apparently it was a tragic lilac-sniffing accident.

I know, they're not yet all-the-way open and will smell even more heavenly next week, even the week after (hence the "almost" in the post title) ... but returning from last night's evening dog-walk I saw the slightest hint of open-lilac-color among the darker buds and I just couldn't wait; it was almost  disturbing how desperate and junkie-like I moved, snapping the little branch and pulling it to my face to inhale as deeply as possible.  Time seemed to freeze momentarily while the scent-memory pumped through my veins with each heartbeat sending the heavenly aroma to the tips of my fingers and toes and back again.

A welcome fix after the week I've had (I'll spare you the drama and heartache, but it has been a week), this kind of attitude-adjustment could not have been more timely than it was last night.  I feel like those little buds were a small gift, a blessing, and I am grateful for that and will hold that thought close to my heart.  I can't remember the last time (if ever) they bloomed this early.  Spring here in the Northwest is a strange and fussy predictably-unpredictable thing ... if nothing else it does keep us on our toes, wondering what will happen next.

Now I guess this whole it's-really-spring thing is official.  As if the beautiful little sun-breaks between alternating rain, hail and snow storms, busy noisy birds, and the usual pre-Surtex flurry of panicky-excitement hadn't made that clear enough.

So once again, happy Spring everyone! 

The Ocean in February.

Anyone who knows me knows about my thing with the ocean. I'm all about the ocean.

But I have a special thing about the ocean in February.

Most folks wouldn't consider outdoor activities involving the beach this time of year, at least this far north ... but there's a special place in my heart for Pacific Northwest beaches during this particular month.

It all started in 1972. We were planning a little family outing, a long weekend at the cabin over Presidents' Day. Mom said, "we're going to have to make sure and pack lots of warm clothes. I am sure it will be cold and rainy the whole time we're there." but I had a pretty good feeling otherwise. Maybe this was just because I was a kid, and kids aren't very practical. But I felt strongly about it. I said, "I bet you it will be nice!" and then my kid brain went into bargaining mode: "I bet you a pair of clogs that it will be sunny and nice the whole time."

I had been longing for a pair of clogs for so long. Cool wedgie-heeled slip-ons - all the fashionable girls had them. Mom was not too keen on the style, and had been answering my pleas with a firm "No!" for quite some time. Looking back, I can't say I blame her. Allowing her clumsy and cross-eyed little child to leave the house in shoes with a heel (even a tiny one) and no secure straps or laces? It hadn't even been 2 full years since I had spontaneously tumbled down the driveway jamming my front tooth clean through my lower lip, and that was in flat Mary Janes strapped on tight. Heaven only knew what kind of damage could be done in floppy little clogs.

But she smiled, agreed to my "bet"...

The sun shone on the beach that Presidents' Day weekend, as it shone on my wishes for fabulous new shoes.

That next week I got my dream clogs: soft crinkly leather, cork wedgie-heels, and blue as the sun shining on the Pacific ocean in February.

Among other dumb things about 2009, it ended up being a particularly ocean-free year for me. That was totally lame, but instead of dwelling on the past, I'm happy to move forward and soak in all that this happier new year has to offer.

Off to a pretty good start, ocean-wise and fabulous-shoe-wise (really) and I haven't tumbled down one single driveway.

Home Again Soon.

Looking up from my last morning dog-walk with Molly before I leave for a little while (shot with funky little phone, but you get the idea)

In the mean time, go right now and thoroughly enjoy this little tidbit of complete and utter happy awesomeness. And soon enough, I'll be home.

Talk to you then.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

...you know the rest.

The song always reminds me of my dear old Daddy ... it was one of his standards. But he preferred singing it the rest of the year, because apparently nothing tortures little girls more than daddies who sing and whistle Christmas songs in the summertime. I'd roll my eyes over the top of my glasses and shout, "Daaaaddy! It's Juuuuuune!" and stomp away in exasperation. He'd bow his head and tuck in his chin to really croon those low notes Dean-o style. There was a cute little dance he'd do along with it, too. I thought I hated it, but I didn't; I cherish every charmingly corny detail of those memories now.

Although it took me a while to catch up with the rest of the world this year, it finally started looking a lot like Christmas around here this past week. I've had my head tucked away here in the office, scrambling toward multiple client deadlines. But I do realize my blog is way past due for something festive to look at, so I'll at least share a couple super quick peeks around the living room - not the greatest shots, but they'll have to do for now!

Now that it looks more like it, it's time for me to get going on cards and gifts. I know, it's less than a week away. I know.

For some reason I thought that by this little square on the calendar that I would have already sewn a couple dozen Sweatercats and pairs of At The Lake jammie-pants by now, had my way with those lumps of Paperclay that still sit sealed in their shipping box somewhere around here, and be spending my days baking goodies like this, or this, or this, or this, or at least one of these, making tags, embellishing packages. Yeah right, flitting about with my hair done, wearing a perky little apron.

Hey, lookie there, it's another thing I thought I'd have finished long ago! So in lieu of any additional self-abuse, I think I'll get up from the computer for the first time in several days and get to something more practical and hopefully more festive.

I do hope you're all enjoying the season! Merry Happy Everything, everyone!

September Garden Notebook

Nothing to say, really (I know, shocking, right?) but just sharing some things that make me happy...from yesterday afternoon in the backyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now You've Got Me Thinking About October Already.

We could all use something to look forward to about now.

This one worked for me today. Hits me deep down in my very middle, in that part that's really hard to get to. Even if you aren't usually a link-clicker when you read my posts, really, go click this one.

Then click Trailer 1 to watch it as big and HDish as your monitor and system allows. Go on, do it. If you're anything like me, it will at least make you smile.

It looks like they've got it right, and I'm very excited. These guys have been very dear friends of mine for a long, long time.    

Soaking It Up While I Can.

Christmas is over...a little sad for some, a huge relief for others. Little by little the world will start looking normal again. But here inside my own little world, the festive holiday goodness will lurk about for some time (like the slowly melting snow) before finally being packed up and put away for another year. 

Although the fresh boughs may start to crinkle some and things might start getting a little dusty, I'll still enjoy soaking up the last of the good holiday vibes while I can. 

The Santa collection will still make me smile every time I walk past. 

Each funny little guy...the hand-made styrafoam crafts-projects, cardboard cut-outs, dime-store ceramic mugs, the weird old rubber figures that were cut apart by my Granddad, wired and grounded and little motors placed inside (at one time their arms waved or they danced), the sweet, traditional folk-art carvings and the downright strange and borderline-creepy old things no one wanted but me...I love them all.  

There's plenty of kitcsh, some flat-out silliness, and then some are very, very old. 

This guy is extra special and probably one of the oldest...just a couple inches tall, his sweet little face is just so precious to me. 

What snow is left is a slushy mess now, mostly just a memory of our beautiful and festive White Christmas Season. I know you're probably sick of hearing me go on about it, but I can't help myself...here are a few parting shots of it as it started to melt.   

 

 

This lovely little tidbit of dirty, snowy goodness right in front of our house is sure to stick around longer than the rest of it, though.   

This isn't some camera-angle trick to make it look bigger. It's all the street-snow from our entire block, dumped here like some kind of personal gift, right in front of our house. Yup. Maybe they've been reading my blog? "So you like the snow, crazy-lady? Well here you go."

Here's wishing you a peaceful last-week-of-the-year, the happiest New Year, and may 2009 bring wonderful things for all of you!

Thanks.

Just having myself a little feelgood patriotic moment, and thought I'd share it with you.     I hope that whatever your feelings about political or other matters, whichever candidates and issues you supported and why, we can put that aside and you can share with me in feeling proud of ourselves, of our country...for record voting turnouts, for making history, for caring. Thanks, America. Thanks for caring.

Whether this past week has you feeling elated, disappointed, or just cautiously optimistic...it seems to me that the common thread for all of us, the thing we do agree upon, is that what we all really want is change, cooperation, and a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel we've found ourselves in financially, morally, and otherwise. Here's to all of us, as a country and a people, continuing to care and act, working together to get through that tunnel and arrive on the other side to bask in the light of our accomplishment, to continue to grow and become better people who live in a better world.

We're going to be okay after all.

More Halloween Goodies

You may remember me mentioning I come from a family that throws nothing away.

Ever.

Well, that's apparent when digging through the Halloween boxes.

Literally generations of little-kid-made construction paper cutouts, party favors, and inexpensive cardboard decorations: from cool vintage stuff to flat-out antiques. I don't like to admit that the ones from my own childhood are considered vintage now too, but I guess they are.

Sigh. 

If you buy special napkins for a party and use all but 2 or 3, what do you do with the extras? You don't use them (they're fancy printed party napkins for heaven's sake...why look at the coin we dropped on those plates alone!) and throwing away a couple unmatched plates or napkins...unheard of. So what's left to do? Well of course, you leave them in the bottom of the box of Halloween stuff. 
And these little gems (below)...love them! Each tops a cardboard box which must have contained candy or other party favors, and they're labeled with my grandparents' first names...clever little handmade place-cards for a spooky dinner party? Probably some creative friend from their Camera Club. I wish I could see the place settings and the rest of the party decorations...maybe pictures of the party exist in one of the hundreds of little yellow boxes of slides that my sister has now (have you run across those, Mary?).   

I love the old Halloween decorations because they were, well...sorta creepy and disturbing. No one seemed afraid they might scare the children with them back then...it was Halloween for crying out loud, stop sobbing and covering your eyes, cowboy up and enjoy the creepy toys and decorations!

This teeny tiny plaster skull is on a wire (maybe he had a body at one time, or was just meant for sticking in stuff) and along with his spooky little "bejeweled" eyes, has the faded remains of sparkles on the rest of him. Or, he might have just been stored next to something sparkly. It's hard to tell. 

Have yourself a spookilicious day tomorrow!

A Few of my Friends...

I'd like to introduce you to a few of my closest buddies. 

I believe you've already met some of the crow family, not sure if these were the ones. Don't tell them I said this but I can't tell all of them apart.

Then there's Flossie's pal, Mr. Bones.  

He does own some extra teeth in a little box in a drawer, but as he doesn't do a lot of chewing he hasn't really bugged us about replacing them, so in the drawer they remain. 

He's hanging out these days by the fireplace with Owlie. He likes the candles on the mantle because they look like him. 
And he's wondering why these guys are still in the candy bowl. They're supposed to be on a string of lights (their heads pop over the bulbs and they light up) but haven't made it that far yet (this is the table-runner that goes with the Halloween pillows Windham Weavers made a few years back). 

I'll confess, the Logans are a little bit addicted to buying cute Halloween stuff. We just can't help ourselves. So our weird little posse of friends tends to grow each October. This cute guy is a fairly new arrival.

I have to admit I'm tempted at this point to make up a cute (and very believable) story...telling you that what I'm about to show you is a treasured relic of my childhood: something I made all by myself with teeny tiny little-girl-hands, and you could not help thinking that was adorable. "Oh look how sweet is that? A little child thought she could sew like a big girl. Isn't that cute?"

I know that it's not nearly as acceptable for a grown woman who makes her living creatively to do weird little stuff like this and not care that it's funky and sloppy. But, well...I guess blogging can be a little true-confessions-ish at times, so I'll tell you the real story instead.

The other night, curled up on the couch with the whole family watching TV, I got this weird little urge...I rummaged through the mending basket and pulled out some scraps of navy-blue velvet leftover from making my old Surtex chair-covers. I cut out a sloppy but vaguely cat-ish shape (freehand) and started madly hand-stitching it together. I dumped out the old button jar (these are OLD buttons in this jar and dumping it was a bit horrifying, as apparently some old button had disintegrated into crumbly dust and for mysterious reasons the whole jar kind of stunk...but we won't think about that right now) and managed to find 2 eyes and a nose (they don't stink, but as you can see one eye is a little crusty).

Meet Underpants the Halloween Kitty, posing here with one of my Halloween pillows. 
He actually stands up on his own because there are pipe-cleaners in his feet and tail.

He is permanently covered with little white cat fuzz, inside and out, because Flossie was in my lap the whole time I worked on him. Alright, so everything in my house is covered inside and out with little white cat fuzz, including Underpants the Halloween Kitty.
Why is his name Underpants?

Well...not having the necessary quilty craftsy supplies at hand for this kind of thing, I dug through the rag-basket for the softest things I could find to stuff him with. Then named him after them.

Yes of course they were clean. Don't be gross.

Yeah, he could probably use whiskers (among other things). But I like him better without. I could have taken the time to dig through my studio for that box of old pillow stuffing I rescued from puppy-chewed pillows decades ago vowing to "make something with this someday". I could have drawn a pattern and cut him out more evenly, or stitched more carefully. I could have done a lot of things.

But I didn't. And Underpants is perfectly at home here with the rest of the menagerie.

So...that's just a few of the friends who come out to play this time of year. Thanks for indulging me!

Things That Make Me Smile IV

Alright, suddenly I feel sort of lame.

I've been blogging for 10 months now and, really? This is only the 4th edition of Things That Make Me Smile? Totally lame.

I mean, that's what this whole thing should be about, sharing a little positive stuff, right? I guess we all get caught up in day-to-day worries and stress...sometimes we need a little kick in the behind as a reminder to appreciate little, happy things. And sometimes even when we get those gentle little reminders, we still plod along in our own little worlds. Alright, maybe that doesn't describe you, but it certainly does me. Seemingly oblivious to the rest of the universe whirling around out there most of the time, plod plod plod.

About 2 months ago I received this sweet award from my ever-thoughtful and positive blogging friend, Diane Knott. It is the "Tree of Happiness".

"You have just received the tree of happiness...plant it on your heart, water it with smiles and kindness, feel the aroma of its flowers, savour the sweetness of its fruits and protection under its shade with whom you love." Pretty awesome, huh?  Now this is where I should probably (finally) just give in and throw a blanket apology out there to all my more considerate blogging friends for appearing to be a terrible humbug of a blog-game-ignorer, when in fact, when I see them I think, "oh that looks like fun, how nice of them to think of me...I'll get to that right after I finish (this one thing, whatever it is)..." Plod, plod, plod.

I admit, I am a serial procrastinator. And I suppose I have trouble following rules. But I'll give this a shot anyway: to play the Tree of Happiness game I'm supposed to name 6 things that make me happy, so here goes...totally random happy thoughts, in no particular order:

1. Fall. Yeah I know I've been whining and moaning about the changing of seasons this past month, but really, fall has always been my favorite month and just this week it's been knocking on my brain and reminding me of that fact. I love the colors, the smell of it, the crunch of dry leaves (really, sometimes we do have those here in soggy Seattle). It feels like a fresh start...even more so than spring for me.

2. Garden-fresh tomatoes.  My absolute favorite food. Wipe off the bugs and eat them right in the garden, warmed from the sun, on a summer day. Or, as is often the case around here, begin to harvest the early varieties in September, and ultimately pick the rest while still green to ripen indoors, before they crack from the heavy rains. Either way, there's nothing that compares, absolutely nothing.

3. Flossie's snore. Every now and then, here in the office, the only sounds are the low hum of the computer and the soft little whistle of her tiny pink nose pressed into her furry bed.

4. Crows. That one just popped into my head because I can hear one outside my window. They're hilarious, and I love them.

5. Bright green. Hmmm, I think I need to repaint this room...

6. Walking Molly. It doesn't matter how I feel before we walk, this one is always a mood-lifter. I just can't help it. I may be thinking, but I'm busy. But I need to finish this first. But it's raining. It's too cold. It's too hot. I'm grouchy, what if a neighbor says "hi" and wants to chat? I haven't showered, what if a neighbor says "hi" or looks at me? I'm tired. I don't feel like it. Why now? But only a few steps out the door, her happy little prancing just shifts the mood upward, no matter what. It doesn't matter if it's a squirrel-chasing romp at the park or a quick trot around the block. There's joy in her every step, her every sniff...she even stops and sniffs flowers. That one always gets me. How can you not think that's cute? Lifts a front paw in a graceful curl and sniffs a single blossom. It's greeting-card precious. I say "let's turn here and go down this street." She bounces as if to say, "hey that's a great idea! Why, I hadn't thought of that!" I say "let's cross the street here." and again, I've surprised her with the best idea she's ever imagined. It just always makes me a little happier.

So, there you go. 6 little happy thoughts. If you feel like playing along, share 6 happy little thoughts of your own with me, I'd love to hear them. Or simply think about them, and your smile and positive energy is sure to spread these little trees of happiness and eventually grow a vast forest...ahhh, can you imagine? A whole forest of happiness? Here's wishing you that.