Keeping the Magic Alive

For my blogger friends and family.

We wish you the merriest Christmas, holiday, celebrations.

Hoping your homes are filled with laughter, hugs, silliness, dances, 

smells of cookies and pine needles and magic.

Every year the boys dress up and I take photos of their silliness.

 I always love it.

Always.

What will you be concentrating on in the new year?

 I have my resolutions set.

Glaze and slip exploration. 

My friend Mary has become my kiln expert fixer and my confidence in working and experimenting has gone up! I am moving toward low fired work while keeping a little space open to work in cone ^6.

Feeling excited and giddy about all of this... oh and she is also putting plugs in for me and a sink for water! Really. (She's my friend, you can't have her) ;o) hee hee.

ornaments made from the thousands of clementines we are eating.

lid for a box I made for somebody for Christmas ;o)

earthenware experimenting begins ;o) (a max design with Mommy additions)

Wishing you all joy and peace and love and magic and delicious things to eat and drink and taking time.

 Time to let it all soak in, just how fortunate we all are and how fleeting life can be.

 Carpe Diem , carpe diem.

L.O.V.E.

noggy and unnoggy

Rohan is on a creative drawing kick.

We are (rohan and I) 

struggling with so many issues right now 

around attitude and 

taking responsibility for our actions...

 when Rohan is 

creative he inspires me 

and helps me celebrate him.

He needs to be celebrated.

This is his newest creation about Egg Nog.

"let your egg boggy dreams come true"

a very small book rohan made for me ;o)

these guys have had WAY too much egg nog!

Egg nog clouds... its a "cristmas mirical"

"Buda" contemplating milk egg nog or soy nog

Buda deciding which egg nog to take to Zeus Party~ Hermes is delivering the "evetation"

I hope I never go to jail for wanting too much egg nog.

rohan's first egg nog drawing

my absolute favorite of all the drawings... it might just become our Christmas card.




I have been in an out of the blogging world.

Still reading others but not taking time or creative energy to share.

Kiln just went kaputz again.... mid firing (poo and tears)

Working with a friend to make money so I can keep the kids magic alive on Christmas.

Planning to check off a big one in May. Running a marathon. Have wanted to since I was 17.
Just one. Nothing heroic but a goal that seems achievable.

Hope everyone is enjoying a glass of egg nog. I prefer rum in mine but am not too picky.

Love.

It's always the little things, a moment. Always.

I had a moment this week.

One of those slap you in the face,

 make you feel sad, happy, distressed, awe inspired,

appreciative, relieved, full of it: that life thing, moments.

A small person brought me to this moment. 

Not one of mine, although they do a lot.

This was a small person whom I recently met, on a walk downtown.

Our moment:

We were walking, beautiful day, a group, single file.

We walked a long way and saw many different buildings, people, smelled wonderful things and well, not so wonderful things. 

We waved to people, talked about things we like to do and be and think.

A friendly man waited for us to pass as the large group swarmed the sidewalk. This man had a beautiful smile, a bag and a drink. My little friend said, "Hey" and waved excitedly. The Man smiled and waved back. My little friend looked at me with bright eyes and said, "That man lives in the same house as me!" 

We walk a few block further. There are several people sitting on the sidewalk with their bags, talking, smoking and waiting. They were waiting for the Salvation Army to open.

As we walk passed my little friend says, with the most joyful voice, "My family eats there all the time!" 

My heart dropped. I am a mom. I was only imagining what this meant to his mom, to his family. But in the same split second I felt my heart warm and melt at the innocence and pure happiness that radiated from my little friends voice.

He was content with this life, his reality.

He has joy and felt joy about it.

It was me having the "feelings".

As we continued walking I asked him what his favorite meals were there. He rattled of a huge list. The other kids oohed and ahed at the list. They too wanted to try this restaurant.

A single moment can change everything. 

The way you look at everything and everyone.

It is the little things in life. 

These are the most meaningful and the most remembered.

I may not remember my little friends name in 20 years but I will always remember this moment.

I will always remember that reality is what you make of it, of what YOU choose to feel about it. 

Little friends are the most powerful teachers.

A new kind of fall, at least for me.

This behavior is perplexing.

This is not how I look in fall.

I turn inward, spend more time at home,

less time running, or swimming or exercising at all, except maybe walking,

which I usually do a lot of in the fall.

This fall I have an obligation. A contract. A commitment.

I have been training for a run. 

A 10 mile run.

It is October 9th in Washington D.C.

My friend Barbara (Barbie) Burger, my close friend from Nepal. ( I was twelve when we were buddies.

We have stayed in touch since then. She is in the Army.... a big wig). She talked me into signing up for the race as a team! We are Helter Skelter! Another friend from Nepal will be running it with us. I have not seen her since we were in 6th grade together at Lincoln School in Kathmandu.

I am so excited, and a little nervous.

I am excited about this mini reunion of friends.

I am also excited about this fall transformation.

Fall is usually a time I move into a mini seasonal depression. Not a deep sadness but a time

of introverted heaven. Spending time with me. Too much time ;o). A home body to the fullest.

This year I have broken that mold and it feels awesome.

I have many friends I can say thanks to, but mostly, something that is really hard for me to do,

I want to say:

 I am proud of myself!!!!, 

for moving outside of my comfort zone and pushing myself to 

"do more and be more" ~ dead poet society quote

So here is to surprising yourself. To seeing a change that was unexpected yet purposeful at the same time.

Here is believing and surrounding yourself with those who also believe.

I have new running shoes. So Watch Out World.

thirty moments and long time no see

Sometimes we just need to regroup.

We need a moment.

or thirty.

or in my case, at least today, I could have used 

102 or so.

The do not disturb sign has been taken down for the day, 

the boys are playing together and no one is getting hurt.

A new goal of ours.

 No one should get hurt.

I am not a boy. 

I do not understand.

But I do know... hurt does not feel good.

Sometimes I just want them to go outside to hurt each other though. 

So I don't have to hear it.

my prepreteen. 

Sometimes he says things that make my head spin and my heart swoon.

I wish he was not right sometimes.

Our play is action-pact .... full of movement and "accidents"

So this has been an amazing Month! 

My little sister April, part friend, part sister, part soul-mate, got married

to her long time companion Chris.

It was beautiful, gorgeous, simple, pure and full of love.

I felt blessed to be a part of it all,

To be a witness,

To remember why it is we do this thing, marriage.

I love her so much and wish her years of

burrito trucks and tree swings.

april and my mom, fran

the joy of life

September was also the month Logan Anthony Myers was born!

We have had so much fun getting to know this cute little man.

He was born right before my other sister (in-law)

 Karen was married to her long time

companion, Peter.

(I don't have any pics :(  ) sorry. It was also beautiful, full of spirit, promise,

family and friends.

What a special month. 

I am Still recovering from all the goodness.

Max and Logan

I miss blogging but have not felt the inspiration.

I hope this weather will change that for me.

I have been running (training for the Army 10 miler), painting walls, trim and ceilings (work),

hanging out with Axel, my little buddy, making some pots and traveling a lot to witness all these promises of love.

Blankets are back. 

Morning sweaters are snuggling 

and soups are being made.

Hello fall, my introspective friend.

things happen for a reason, right? and makin' it.

Sometimes I feel like I never grew up. I make seriously ridiculous mistakes or over-sites and not sure exactly why. Well, I did that recently and it made me sad but also inspired to make. things.

The ECU art department is having an Alumni show. I was really excited about having a goal to work toward.... something I often need. Well, I have been making this summer... not as much as I would have liked but more then I have in a long time. I was working on two tall pedestal stools for the show (2 to 2 1/2 feet tall). Well, they blew up.... I guess I raised the kiln's temperature too fast... big, explosive, lesson learned.

So I busted a move to work on some other things I have been enjoying... the Max dinnerware sets and a series of hand built pieces inspired by architecture and sacred spaces.

I signed up for the show... waited for the second reply and it never came... oh, well, I thought, I told them I was going to do the show so they must have my info... well, no. June 8th a email went out that I failed to read or something.... the week the kids got out of school and my busiest week working of the summer. (all excuses here to make myself feel better ;o)).

I did not make it into the show because I failed to respond to the email. I found out this week after I became more curious why I did not have more details..... I was very sad, mad and almost in tears. But..... it was all me and it is about life lessons and moving forward with grace.

I fired some work yesterday... I love some of the ideas, a lot. Here are a few.

each architectural sculpture has an eye hole at the top for looking down into the piece

The Max series makes me smile.

There will always be other opportunities to share my work.... 

life is beautiful that way.

for my sister Annie, Ann Mary, Ann: i love her so

I am sitting here listening to Simon and Garfunkel pandora station, thinking of you, Ann Mary.

Thinking of our growing together. 

Our moments of sisterhood.

My first memory is of 38th street, Washington D.C. summer on the front steps, drums in hand,

singing our song, we still know. Our audience having to listen over and over and paying to do so.

Then Cullowhee, N.C., blackberry picking for the day. Camping on the ridge, walking to town with Tom, our first real night staying up all night, even if unwillingly.

An airplane ride, a long airplane ride, collecting hard liquor bottles up and down the isles.

Then landing in, what has to be the hottest place I ever been at night. 2 a.m. and 103 degrees, 

Dehli, India~ before flying through the clouds or mountains, not knowing which is which, into our new home for the next year for me, two years for you: Kathmandu, Nepal.

Our year together in our bedroom with views of the tallest mountains in the world. 

Rickshaw riding, with you. (do you know that Bodeans song)

I loved Rickshaw riding with you. 

And our three day trek, just you and me, a Shirpa and porters. I was 11 and you were 8. Holy Cow. 

I loved being your big sister. 

I loved being there for you. 

You were so brave.

I have always thought so.

Back to D.C. with porches, books, jolly ranchers, pools and long walks, continuing our journey of sisters who do not always live together, and always excited to see each other again.

We grew up a lot... we are so different, yet have always been able to find ways to bring comfort to one another with our ways.

I miss hanging out with you Ann Mary.

You will always be Ann Mary to me ;o).

We missed you at the beach and this long viewing session is for you

so you might feel a little bit of what it was like. 

I found the magic this time thanks for encouraging me:

My big ass beautiful family:

my amazing dad

rick and gracie

my family

my sister Kathy, Big Tim, Little Tim and Matt

Mike, Angie, Zach, Ben and Claire

Tom, Maria, Rachel and John

The Crandalls Elizabeth, Steve, Emily, Charlotte, Margaret, Paul, Caroline, Mark,
Jon Michael, Andrew, Harriet and Audrey

April, Chris, Max and Dash

the siblings minus Ann Mary

our big ass beautiful family (37 in all)

the two Max's snuggling: buddies for life

max and Jay

Mom/Fran and I

sisters

sisters

the first of a new tradition: parents night out!!!

wasabi fun

my boys

Ann Mary, I can't wait to hang out with you at the wedding in September!!!

Then we will plan another sister get together. 

I need more Annie time.

I love you to the moon.