Touching Art

Sacred Travel

Since I fired that last kiln, I have been to New Mexico and Arizona. Then I entered an 8 day fasting cleanse. I was home, but in a slightly altered state. I am back, making art and feeling wonderful. Real spring in Maine helps.

My trip out west was to attend Mystery School with Grandfather Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow. Three days of intense teaching. He really poured it on. He kept saying we still don't get it. He's right. I don't get it. I feel pretty sure that if I stop trying to get it, I'll have it. I am that close.

This was the last Mystery School. Joseph is now on silent retreat. He's setting us free. We have to get it now.

After mystery school I went to  Canyon de Chelly in Arizona and Navajo Nation. I visited with Spider Rock and hiked down into the canyon with Howard Smith, my host and guide, at Spider Rock Campground.

Some pictures from the road and Canyon de Chelly:

The Seven Peace Drums that are traveling around the world from Seven Circles in Australia. They were brought to Mystery School from the Peace Chamber in Brazil.

Shiprock, on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

Spider Rock early in the Morning

Sliding House ruins where Anazasi people lived.

Visiting Mama

After saying good bye to Flannery and family in Virginia (Flannery asked to go in the car seat with me :o)
I drove another five hours to visit my mother and brother in Crossville, Tennessee.

Mama and I spent one afternoon showing off what we make. You can see what I make by clicking any where on this blog, so I didn't take any pictures of my sculpture. But I had to get pictures of what Mother makes. She has done needlework: quilts, smocking, embroidery. I was always a beautifully dressed Baptist princess, being her only daughter and chief inspiration for her earliest handiwork. She made exquisite Easter dresses, and eventually made elegant coats and prom dresses for me.

After she and Daddy opened the restaurant, she relaxed by creating counted cross stitch pictures, which are part of the restaurant decor. A few years ago she went on what she calls a "doily jag", crocheting doilies of every size and pattern out of fine cotton thread. Some were bedspread and table cloth size and some were Christmas ornament size. All are extraordinary.

For the past several years she has single-handedly decorated the Garden Club Christmas Tree, first with doily snowflakes, then with crocheted santas and stockings. This year she crocheted picture frames and asked the members to bring photos of their grandchildren to display. She added crocheted balls and bells. Here she is with the box of goodies that will in a few weeks grace the tree.

All three of my brothers showed up: little brother Paul was visiting from Georgia when I arrived, Bill lives in  Crossville now, and Lee drove up from Nashville on Wednesday night. We were not all there at once though, and I forgot to take pictures. Bill, Lee, and I went to breakfast together to the greasy spoon where our Daddy had breakfast every day for 20 years. The waitress asked where we were from, and we answered that we all graduated High School in Crossville, but we lived different places now. I live in Maine, I said. She looked at me real funny, then said, I am from Maine. Bonnie the Waitress grew up in East Orland, a beautiful spot near the coast, where there is a salmon hatchery I have visited. She misses the ocean and the sea food, and I don't blame her a bit. I'll bring some mussels when I come back.

The reason for the Road Trip

My granddaughter, accompanied by her father (my son) and her mother were visiting the other grandparents in Virginia. I was invited to visit too. They killed a fatted pig for a community pig roast on October 13, which is also my son's Birthday.  Here is a picture of Flannery dressed pigtailed for church, wearing a pretty made by grandmama. (I am the Southern grandmama, and  her other Grandma is the yankee, even though our addresses are mixed up.)

Been itching for a road trip and this was my chance. Armed with bags of almonds and apricots, and audio books from the library, and mapquest directions for Floyd County, Virginia, I set out at dawn on Thursday, Oct. 11. 25 hours later, I was met at the door by daughterinlaw Sharon and Miss Flannery, who learned to her delight that there were two grandmothers in the room. By the way, don't use mapquest or google maps to get directions, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains. You'll wind up in a bear den in some holler somewhere!

Here are a couple more pictures, and I'll post the next leg of the trip later on.

Brendan roasting the pig on Saturday. The Tellings raised this pig, and it gave its life among prayer and thanksgiving on Thursday. Such succulent, sweet, clean meat I have not tasted better than this Christian pig.  If you could have tasted this blessed animal. . . which I did, right after I took this picture.

The family that colors together...

Home Safe

At 10 pm Monday night, last night, I drove up to my house in Maine,  home at last, after a  2600 mile journey. It was a wonderful road trip, visiting family, making new friends, and having new experiences. I could not blog my way across the country, cause I do not have portable hardware to stay connected, not yet, but it was nice to take a break too. It will take me several days to write about my trip, and post some of the pictures. First I have to get some sleep. I drove a lot and slept little while I was away. Good night!

Road Trippin

I am at the Public Library in Crossville, Tennessee, where my mother and one brother live. I graduated high school here a jillion years ago. Town sure has changed. I am having a good visit. Unexpectedly, I will see all three of my brothers-- the Georgia brother was here when I arrived, and the Nashville brother is coming this afternoon. We are still not all in one room at the same time for a photo op, however. Mother is slowing down, but feeling better with me around to aggravate her. We saw a movie last night, Michael Clayton. It's good, suspense and drama, but very low key, character and story driven. No car chases, and George Clooney. My kind of movie.

This past weekend I stopped in the Blue Ridge Mountains where my granddaughter was visiting her other grandparents. I spent three days with my son, daughter in law, and 20 month old Flannery, and the Tellings. All I can say now is that I am deeply grateful to have had these precious days with her. I see her seldom cause she lives in Idaho. She knew me! and she adores me! and we played and sang. I taught her the moon song. She taught me the joy of the moment, rising early, and taking a nap.

I'll select some pictures to share perhaps. I tend to be respectful of their privacy.

In a couple of days, I head home, stopping at 205 Lavinia Street, a gallery in Delaware. I'll have more about that when I return home and get back to daily blogging. Just felt a need and desire to connect, and shower you with Love and Greetings!

I can't wait to visit you all at your online houses. What have you all been up to?

Trees and Cats

The Kiln is still to hot to photograph, and I am heading down South in a few hours. Here are some pictures of the trees and cats that live with me.

By the way, I am meeting so many new blogging people, especially artists, and I love what you write, think, and make. When I get back I'll have something to show you, I thought I might get to it before I left, but it will have to wait a little while longer.

Do say Hi to me here, I'll be a little homesick, even though I am going "home".

The Chaco Guardian

This painting is inspired by my visit to Chaco Canyon two years ago. I was walking along the petroglyph trail and looked up. I saw her, a great stone mother being, guarding the ruin of Chetro Ketl.

I have studied other photographs of Chaco Canyon, and Chetro Ketl, but no one has ever published a photograph of this guardian. Have any of you seen her?

The galaxies and the pottery are also part of the Chaco experience. My teacher who is a descendant of the Chacoan ancestors tells that the Chaco architecture is very connected to other galaxies. I feel connected to the pottery. The earth and sky are one, the past and future are one. The medicine bag with eyes is me in this moment, aware of myself in this plane, and also able to move between the worlds.

Mystery School

This past weekend I attended Mystery School with Grandfather Joseph Rael, a visionary and mystic from the Southern Ute and Picuris Pueblo. Each morning I would rise early and walk along the Animas River to listen to the water, and wake myself with the breath of morning. Here is a picture I took on Sunday. The first morning a heron stalked crayfish and minnows. The second morning, the Heron spread its great wings and flew away. Ducks of all colors muttered about breakfast and practiced their flying. The water is liquid light, as you can see.