OREGON Carved Pumpkin

October

October is my favorite month ~ the beginning of my favorite season ~ FALL. Here in Virginia, we have been experiencing some cooler temperatures for about a week now. I have loved every minute of it ~ the dark clouds slowly walking across the sky, spaced perfectly to allow the sun to shine through the cracks giving us the best of both sun and clouds; the trees just beginning their change in color ~ soon to shower us with glorious beauty; the piles of pumpkins in storefronts and the sight and smell of cider and donuts in the grocery store; harvest festivals and craft shows; ghosts and goblins hanging from trees and orange lights glowing on post lights; I eagerly await the crunching sound of dry leaves that have fallen silently from their summer home; the sight and sound of cool crisp breezes blowing the tree branches every which way. I love to stand out in the yard in the dark when the wind is blowing, enjoying the wind against my face, smelling the lingering smoke of burned leaves, and listening to the night sounds.
All these wonderful Autumn gifts make me happy and bring the realization that the Holiday Season will soon be upon us with all its craziness and joy. But for now, I thank God for this glorious beautiful season of FALL and all the wonders that come with it.
I wish each of you, my friends, a beautiful and happy Fall.
♥

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"Just before the death of flowers, And before they are buried in snow, There comes a festival season When nature is all aglow." ~Author Unknown

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Carol !!

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma ~ which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

~Steve Jobs

~Photo by Audrey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Debbie !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sweet Sandy !!

One Year

Patrick

June 6, 1943 ~ September 29, 2010

I am not gone

I remain here beside you

Just in a different form

Look for me in your heart

And there you will find me

in our love which forever lives on

In those moments when you feel alone

Look for me in your thoughts

And there you will find me

in sweet memories that burn strong

Every time a tear

Forms in your beautiful eyes

Look up to the heavens

And there you will see me

Smiling down from God's glorious skies

~Injete Chesoni

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Carol !!

Morning Visitor

Isn't she beautiful? When I came upon her, she was either too terrified to move, or she just didn't care. Standing only about 20 feet away, she stood there long enough to let me take several photos. The deer usually run fast whenever I approach them. She must have known I've been trying to get a good closeup for a LONG time. Once she heard me say "thank you", she took off into the woods.

Beauty in the Sky

Thursday evening we had a beautiful rain shower ~ it was quite overcast with dark clouds moving swiftly across the sky. As it often does, the sun decided to peek through during the latter part of the shower. It was quite nice - the soft rain coming down, the dark clouds above and the bright sun shining through them. I wondered ... and then suddenly it appeared.

It was GLORIOUS!!! I ran to grab my camera. One can never get the full effect of a rainbow in a photo, but I had to capture a little of it. It was huge, deep in color, and full across the sky from one end to the other. Then ... there was another. It was a DOUBLE rainbow! I had never seen a double before. Unfortunately, those dark clouds were on the outer rim of the first rainbow and pretty much hid the second one. If you look closely, you can see it.

All that beauty overtook my senses and I was pretty much dancing around the yard snapping pictures and yelling about the beauty of the rainbow. I was trying to capture it from all angles before it faded away. And as it always does ~ it did fade away ~ leaving me standing in the rain, in the middle of the yard, camera in hand, with only its memory.

God must do that intentionally ~ give us surprise moments of beauty to remind us of His power. The rainbow was a simple thing, but I thank Him for it. For those few minutes my heart was filled with happiness and my eyes were filled with the color and beauty of nature.

Rainbows don't come often, but I'm thankful when they do.

Paper Stacks

Seth Apter, of The Altered Page, is the host for PAPER STACKS. Those bloggers wishing to post photos of their "paper stacks" are to do that today. We are sending a link to Seth and if you to go to his blog
http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com
you will find the links to the 70+ bloggers who are participating in this collaboration.

Because I have no more room in any of my bookcases, this STACK of Ideals Magazines are stacked in my studio. I use photos from these beautiful old magazines on my blog.

This is my STACK of journals. Can anyone have enough journals? I have spiral journals, boxed journals, leather journals, homemade journals, small journals and large journals. These are just the writing journals ~ my art journals are in another room.

Now this is a mess. This is my "to go through" STACK. I'm surprised it's still standing. It wobbles when I add anything to the top. It is definitely time to start weeding through it because as much as I hate to admit this ~ there are more "to go through" piles elsewhere. I sure hope I'm not the only one who has these.

This is my drawing paper and texture making STACK. I use these papers, napkins, net bags, bubble wrap pieces, etc., when I'm making a mixed media painting.

Not a very tall STACK, but a stack of recently purchased old prints. Not sure what I'll use them for at the moment, but they were the right price and irresistible!

How about STACKED canvas ~ works in progress??

Not paper, but STACKED paint!!

How about STACKS of beads?

Because of this collaboration, I found stacks I didn't know I had. Thanks, Seth. I need to start working my way through these stacks before I can't get in the door to my studio.

A Beautiful Poppy Painting

I purchased another beauty the other day ~ couldn't help myself. This beautiful 5" x 5" poppy, painted in acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, was painted by my friend, Silke Powers, of Metamorphosis.

Silke doesn't usually paint flowers, but one day last week she was inspired to paint this and I'm so glad she did. I love poppies and this single poppy says it all. It was loved by so many, Silke painted another similar poppy. It is available in her etsy shop. You can find Silke's etsy link on her Blog, Metamorphosis. http://silkepowers.blogspot.com

Make a visit to Silke's blog to see other works of art that Silke has made. She has her hand in many aspects of art ~ painting, drawing, sketching, etching, crocheting, knitting, and sewing. She is a beautiful gal who makes beautiful art.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sweet Amanda !!


Over the years you have become so much more than Casey's girlfriend. You've become the perfect daughter-in-law. All these things rolled into one beautiful girl ~ Wife, friend, hard working BWW employee, gardener, artist, blogger, decorator, runner, Halloween lover, shopping pal, and my occasional personal masseuse.
Have a wonderful Birthday!!

A Grandpa

A Grandpa

There was a man;
A kind man;
A gentle man.

He came from another time and place.
Sweeping his hardships to the side of his new life,

He gave more than he took.

Sweet Face, Welcoming Smile, Genteel Manner.

This man will never come again.

We will never see the likes of this man.

Where does a man like this go? Where does he fit when his work is done?

He lives in hearts and memories and words.

Hearts are bigger, Memories are vivid, Words are spoken with love,

Just because he was here.

~Susie Spear Bruhn

A dear friend of mine wrote this poem. She said the photograph of my Grandpa inspired her to write it. She is the sweetest person and writes about many things. The things she has written that I've had the good fortune to read have all been written with love and her good heart shines through all the words. I have a few writings of hers that I've intended to post and will do so one day. I've known her for many years ~ since I was a young child living at my Grandpa's house ~ but I haven't seen her since high school. Through email, she contacted me about 4 years ago. I'm so glad she did. We've been corresponding ever since and getting to know her again has been a blessing to me. We live in different areas of the country, but plan to meet one day.
Thank you, my friend, for sharing this poem. It is beautiful and speaks lovingly about all the Grandfathers who worked hard to make a good life for their families. I hope you won't mind that I've shared it. I believe anything that stirs emotions of love should be shared.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa

Andrew J. Kopka and Audrey

Thinking of you today, Grandpa, on your birthday. Although you left this earth many years ago, I have such fond memories of being your granddaughter. I remember your laugh and I will always remember that you were the one who introduced me to the world of art when you took me on that long walk to the Art Museum. Thank you for that. Art is, and always has been, a very important part of my life.

You were a good man who took good care of his children. You brought my mother up with a strong faith in God and she passed that on to her children. I like to believe that you were there to welcome Patrick when he left this earth. He thought so much of you, too, Grandpa, and I know how happy he must have been to see you again. We lost Uncle Steve shortly after losing Patrick. I keep that picture in my mind ~ you, together with your son and grandson ~ it makes the loss a little less painful.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa. Thank you for being the man you were.

Suzun Hughes

This is my latest purchase. It is an 18" x 18" painting done by Suzun Hughes. Suzun, a Philadelphia born painter and photographer, having been based in San Francisco since 1975, moved to Virginia in 2007. Suzun and her husband ~ sculptor John Wilson ~ own and operate WILSON HUGHES, a contemporary art gallery located in the historic downtown ARTS District of Roanoke.

I've been to their gallery on several occasions and found it to be a fun and interesting gallery where they not only show their own works of art, but have their studios and residence there as well. They also have showings of other artists work from time to time.

This particular piece is an abstract from Suzun's CONTEMPLATION SERIES. I love the smooth surface, the many layers of paint, and the colors she used. I was drawn to it immediately and it looks like it was made for the wall I've hung it on.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sue !!

We Will Never Forget

On the 11th day of September, 2001, the world stood still as our country was attacked. Ten years have passed since that awful day in New York City when the Twin Towers fell. "We Will Never Forget" are the words that ring in our ears ever since. Ten years later, the horror is still fresh in our minds as we remember the events of that day. Ten years later, and we still fight the war on terror.
I have chosen to post a photo of the Twin Towers as they were before September 11th ~ tall, proud, and beautiful buildings that will be remembered for all time.
I send out a prayer today to all those lost on 9-11-01 and to their families and friends who will mourn their loss until the day they are united with their loved ones again.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dan !!

Hi Friends.
I have been having computer problems for over a week. I had several days of internet service on and off literally every few minutes, and then it went to NONE!! I had Comcast here yesterday, as well as a computer tech. Things were looking good for a short while, and then NO SERVICE again last night! After the help of a friend tech a while ago, I have internet service right now. I am holding my breath that it lasts. I may have to look into this further as things just don't seem to be running properly.
I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been posting anything. I have photos from last week's nasty storm, and hopefully I can get them posted this weekend. I hope to visit your blogs in the next few days, as well.
Unfortunately, my "Grrrrr Face" arrived when the internet service went out ~ It's time for smiles to return! I hope everyone is well.
♥ Audrey

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Georgia !!

"WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER,
THE WORLD WILL KNOW PEACE."
~Jimi Hendrix
~photo by Audrey

Feathers and Remembrance

I've decided to get involved in two projects this Fall that both involve a little art. The first one is THE MAGIC FEATHER PROJECT. The Magic Feather Project is a collective stitching project focused on creative sharing and giving. Jude Hill of spirit cloth, is hosting this project. I will stitch a feather on a piece of cloth and send it to Jude. Once she receives 1000 stitched feathers, she is going to sew the cloths together and donate one large or several small blankets to a charity that is associated with children. She will be posting the feathers on her blog as she receives them. For more information on this project, click on the feather on my sidebar. I thank my friend Constanza, of por amor al arte, for posting about this project on her blog and getting me interested in the project.

The second project is THE ART OF REMEMBERING. It centers around November 1st, All Souls Day (the Day of the Dead). It will be an honoring of loved ones now gone and a deep joy filled awareness to live life fully straight from the heart. We will share photographs, art, tutorials, dia de los muertos inspired art, and anything to fan the flames of enthusiasm for this soulful celebration. This project is being hosted by Stephanie Hilvitz of Mango Studio and Rebecca Brooks of Recuerda mi corazon. For more information, click on the dia de bloglandia heart on my sidebar. I thank my friend Pam, of Yoborobo, for posting about this project on her blog. I love what Pam had to say about it. "El Dia de Los Muertos gives us a chance to join together in our remembrances of loved ones and, at the same time, to celebrate life. Perhaps, at this special time, the veil between our worlds is lifted, and our souls visit." I plan to make a piece of art in remembrance of my brother, Patrick. I would love to think that our souls will visit on November 1st.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Soke !!

Recent Purchase

Not Quite Flying, But Soon

Talisman

This summer, I purchased two original works of art by Adrienne Trafford. They are both from her Journey Oracle Deck. The tree with eggs is the work of art that is on the back of each of the cards in the deck. The Talisman is card #3o in the deck. These paintings are 4" x 6" and they are encased in glass, ready to hang.

On the back of the tree painting, Adrienne has written: "I think a bird's nest with eggs is such a hopeful thing. It is so filled with promise and potential." I chose this painting because of my strong love for trees and birds.

On the back of the Talisman painting, Adrienne has written: "It wasn't HER heart, but she suddenly felt quite powerful with it around..." I chose this painting because I like the idea of a talisman. A talisman is an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune ~ sometimes magical. I love the heart and everything about the girl ~ her hair, her tattoos, the look on her face.

Both of these works of art are signed and dated on the back. I am very happy to add them to my collection of art.

Adrienne is a wonderful artist. You will love what you see on her blog and in her etsy shop.

http://adriennetrafford.blogspot.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dwight !!

Earthquakes and Hurricanes

There is still a lot of talk going on about the recent earthquake that took place here in Virginia on Tuesday. The news today reported that aftershocks could possibly take place for up to two weeks after the earthquake. No thanks! One good shakeup was enough for me.

We only live about 1-1/2 hours from where the epicenter of the earthquake was. I was in my studio ~ I had just sat down at my desk when I started hearing little noises like things shaking in a jar. Suddenly, the room was moving and everything in my studio was rattling ~ the jars of paint, the beads in containers, the buttons in jars, everything ~ it sounded like a giant windchime. And then it stopped. I had never experienced that sensation before. I knew it was an earthquake and after the shaking stopped, I found myself holding tightly onto my desk with both hands. It was an experience I don't want repeated. Truth be told ~ it was frightening.

It amazes me that it was felt so far away. I immediately got on Facebook and the comments started popping up ~ earthquake in Canada ~ earthquake in North Carolina ~ earthquake in Pennsylvania, etc. News reports today stated that this earthquake was felt by 1/3 of the country.

Thankfully, we had no damage of any kind. I do now have a more realistic sympathy for those who experience severe earthquakes around the world. Not only is an earthquake frightening, the devastation of property and life can be catastrophic.

Now, we have this large hurricane ~ Irene ~ bearing down on our Eastern Coastline. Of course, my first thoughts were of Casey and Amanda in Charleston, SC. Thank God, it sounds like Charleston will be safe, but I fear for those in North Carolina all the way up the coast to Maine. I have many Blog friends living in those areas and I hope you will all be taking the necessary precautions. I will be thinking of you and praying for your safety.

♥♥♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jan !!

The Boy Who Needed Alex

When I read a good uplifting story, I always want to share. There are too many depressing stories to read these days. This article is from The Power of Prayer Newsletter ~ it's an excerpt from Their Mysterious Ways Too. The Yellow Lab photo is not Alex ~ it is from the internet ~ I thought it would be nice to have a picture to relate to.


The Boy Who Needed Alex
by Lori Shaw

My yellow lab, Alex, a certified therapy dog, tugged at her leash and trotted down the elementary school hallway, eager to get to the kids we'd been visiting the past couple of months. She stopped at our usual classroom. I straightened her red scarf and opened the door. But there were no kids. Just the teacher. That's odd, I thought.

For years, I'd prayed for the chance to raise a therapy dog, and Alex was a natural. A whip-smart, energetic pup, she breezed through obedience training and became certified at just a year old. Deep in my heart, I knew Alex was meant to do good in the world. When one of her instructors told me about Dog Tales, a volunteer group that visits schools and libraries with therapy dogs, encouraging folks to read, it sounded perfect. Alex loved kids so I signed her up. Our assignment was the local elementary school. From our first visit, the kids bonded to Alex. Every time we came back, the students couldn't wait to sit and read with Alex.

But that day, with our regular class missing, I wondered if we could help at all. I worried about Alex. She needed to do her therapy work. "I'm so sorry," the teacher said. "I forgot to call you. The kids are out working on a project today." Alex sat next to me and whined. "Could we visit another class?" I asked. The teacher thought for a moment. "There is a class that would enjoy seeing..."

"Perfect!" I said. She led the way down the hall, and Alex and I followed. Then Alex stopped short in front of another door. "C'mon girl," I said, tugging on her leash. But my normally obedient dog wouldn't budge. She wanted to, no, had to, enter this classroom. The teacher asked the class if they'd like to meet Alex. Then she waved us in. It was a small class, maybe ten kids. "Hi, everyone," I said. "This is Alex..."

Before I could finish, Alex made a beeline for a boy who was sitting on the carpet, his head down. She snuggled up to him and put her chin on his shoulder. The boy quietly put his arm around her.

I read a story to the kids. With each turn of the page, I caught a glimpse of the boy stroking Alex's coat. She never left his side. That's funny, I thought. Usually Alex makes her rounds and visits with all the kids. After we said our goodbyes, the teacher walked over. "May I please speak to you in the hallway?"

"Of course," I said, following her.

"I know you have a schedule, but could Alex visit us each week too?"

"We'd love to," I said. Then I saw tears in her eyes. "Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head and pointed to the little boy. "He's been depressed for months. We've tried everything, and we just can't break through to him. But it looks like Alex has."

Alex and I kept going back to that classroom. Each week that little boy brightened a bit more. Today he's a happy fifth grader, who still gets visits from Alex and me. Who could've known Alex would make such a big difference in a child's life? But that's what happens sometimes, isn't it? We ask God to give us opportunities to help, and He leads us to where we're needed. Or rather, He led my dog.


Special thanks to my sister, Patty, who sent me this story in an email this morning.

"Love yourself ~ accept yourself ~ forgive yourself ~ and be good to yourself, because without you, the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things."

~Leo F. Buscaglia

~Photo by Audrey