JANUARY 10TH
January in New Mexico is generally cold and even though we have a great gas heater in the studio, the glass generally doesn't want to come out of their cubbies and put into a flame. So, this year I am using January to sort and clear out every corner of the house. The kitchen is finished, the storage room is almost finished and I am packing up a lot of things that will be stored up in the clear story [the studio].
I was given a small ukelele this week that will not be used with flowers but will be turned into art. I am searching Pinterest for ideas and if you have never gone on Pinterest, you should. What a great platform for art that you would normally never see. It is wonderful to know that there are really so many artists in the world. I am still working on my desire to make dolls. I own my grandmother's doll and my mother's Shirley Temple doll as well as other dolls I have collected and some I have made. I want to take it a little further than before but it seems to be a slow process with my brain because I am a researcher in everything I do or buy. It drives my mother crazy because I do so much research that I generally scratch getting something.
The other change in ABQ is that a law went into effect to ban all plastic bags and styrofoam carry out boxes. Fortunately, I have reusuable grocery bags and having lived in South Florida, I hated paper bags because they were infested with roaches that you then brought home. I know, gross. I am looking for the little bags to put my vegetables in as well as the metal cones for baking cannoilies which I am going to try this week. I made lemon curd for the first time and my heavens if it wasn't a hundred times better than anything I have tasted. I love citrus especially Grapefruit juice but I prefer all of my citrus with heavy pulp and that is hard to find.
I started reading a new author this week at the recommendation of a friend. "Unsheltered" by Barbara Kingsolver. I had just finished a series that was borderline sexually off the charts and would probably bother a lot of readers but I found her writing style interesting. As a writer, I feel that reading is essential. I think I have a dozen books on teaching you how to write but honestly I haven't really read any of them and I should. The soul of a story is actually the heart of the author and in every story you will find the author's history and dreams. Writing is an escape vehicle for an author. I am stalled at the moment on a book that is "finished" but it is missing something and I will find it. I told Lewis that I find writing easier when I am dealing with emotional pain and he has killed all of my sadness. Our story so late in life is a wonderful story and should encourage everyone that life should always be what you need to be happy. Between my very long marriage and ending up with Lewis, I found that I now have patience for things that really don't matter. Life is all you have so make the most of what you want in your short time on earth.
So, no art this month but I can assure everyone that I am easily distracted while going through closets. Enjoy your month and if you are on the torch take it where you want it to go.
Barb
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