the blue muse

::

with the sun as my brush

::

wishing you a friday filled with hearts and light and magic

The starlings have come, either late this year, or simply on their way through to somewhere else, or perhaps they are hanging out in my yard because the swamp is dried up and they are thirsty.

I put bird baths out with a cringe, knowing they may make it easier for my naughty kitten to hunt, and hope for the best.

As I sit in my studio, working away, the shadows of these starlings cross my window, one, two, and then dozens, hundreds.

I run outside to watch them swoop and fly in a great living cloud, my own private murmuration.

They land on a wire, evenly spaced, and chatter and wait, planning their next move.

Autumn creeps in on wings of fancy.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to see us at the Clothesline Festival, especially those of you who braved the super-scary weather on Saturday.

We knew that rain and wind were predicted for all day, and so we planned accordingly, lining our tent with plastic, wearing our wellies, adding extra weights to the tent, etc., but we weren’t at all prepared for being told to close down our tents and head for the museum building because hail and 35-60 mph winds were heading our way. Fortunately, the hail and super-high winds passed us by, because what we did get was scary enough. We’ve had bad weather at shows before, but never anything like this.

So, a big sigh of relief that it all turned out okay.

And yesterday was much better, mostly sunny and not too hot, really, perfect festival weather.

It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet new people.

Now it is time to start getting ready for the November shows, with a little break this week for relaxing and recuperating.

It is also time to add new things to the etsy shop, I will be working on this over the next few weeks.

..

Wishing you a Monday filled with great weather and gratitude.

All of that jewelry-making really wears a kitten out, you know?

At long last, I am ready to go.

Today is set-up day, and then the rest of the weekend,
I will be there (see below),
and he will be here (see above).
Ah, the life of a kitten…

. . . . . . . . .

If you are in the area, stop by and say hello…

Clothesline Art Festival
Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607

Booth 653
September 8th •  10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
September 9th • 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

. . . . . . . . .

This is what has been keeping me busy these past few weeks,
new pendants and baubles and bangles, all made with love.

I am almost there, a few finishing touches to take care of,
and then things will be ready for our show this weekend.

. . . . . . . . .

If you are in the area, stop by and say hello…

Clothesline Art Festival
Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607

Booth 653
September 8th •  10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
September 9th • 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

. . . . . . . . .

I haven’t had 4 o’clocks in my garden in years.

This year, I managed to remember to get them planted
in time for them to thrive.

And they are beautiful.

This has been a busy, busy jewelry-making weekend, getting ready for
our biggest show of the year next weekend.

I will be laboring on Labor Day, but that’s okay, there are worse ways
to spend a day than making jewelry with
pretty flowers to keep you company.

And perhaps, when 4 o’clock rolls around,
I will force myself to take a little break.

::

Wishing you a Labor Day filled with rest, relaxation,
and beautiful flowers.

xoxo

::

It took me 26 years to lure cedar waxwings into my yard. They have been here all summer, first when the mulberry tree offered its fruit, and now I see them on and off throughout the day in the elderberry bushes.

When I planted these bushes, it was not for pie or wine or myself, but simply for the birds.

I built this garden for myself, but as time has passed, it has become a haven for those same birds and butterflies. I moved mountains of earth to form soft beds. I mapped out paths and viewpoints and seating areas. I made lots of mistakes, planted lots of plants that don’t want to grow in this place, and learned as I went.

Our little microsystem has its own personality, its own foibles, its own perks. It requires constant care and maintenance, and much of the time, does exactly what it wants.

But when I sit in the back after a long day of work with my feet up and the sun going down and that perfect golden light filters through those purple berries, this is all the dessert that I need.

I wonder what she’s working on,

this lone spider

and if summer were

a longer season

would she cover this entire tree

in her gossamer fabric

or if

she’s simply

weaving magic

with the time

she’s been given.

always

watching

always waiting

for what,

i wonder

.

mostly silent

except for the song

that breaks my

heart a little

.

never being certain

if they mourn

something lost

or something

never found

.

It has been a crazy week filled with crazy amounts of work, and the next two weeks at least will be exactly the same.

But. I am grateful.

I’ve been trying to force myself to look up at the world every so often, no matter how busy I get. To find at least one beautiful thing every day.

I sat outside the other evening to relax for a few moments, and this bumblebee was nestled into the hollyhock right next to my head. Who knew the iphone could take such a lovely photo of a bee?

As a gardener bees are my friend, but bumblebees are my favorite.

I am behind on my jewelry production, behind on my life, busy, buzzy, bumbly.

Somehow it will all be okay.

Somehow, it is all okay.

Right?

::

Wishing you a weekend filled with bee-utiful things.