Blossoming

The apple blossoms are just lovely right now and I wish you could smell them. Lately we have been having these dramatic skyscapes that remind me of when I used to live in Portland, Oregon. Puffy white clouds in some areas, other clouds are dark gray---the perfect background for the bright yellow-green of new leaves.

We have a chicken, previously mentioned in this post, called Sharon. She is a very tiny chicken, we don't know what breed, but in subtle browns and golds. She is a free-spirited chicken, often not roosting inside the henhouse with the others. Her partner, the small rooster George, seems OK with it. He has other lady-friends like Alice, who he keeps company with when Sharon is away. Yesterday Sylvan discovered (almost two weeks after seeing Sharon the last time) that she has a nest full of eggs underneath our front porch! We don't know if she has had enough conjugal encounters with George to make the eggs viable, but we will keep you posted. Here is a picture:

Last night I was having a moment of overwhelm, the usual things like money and healthcare, and I decided to stop feeling lonely and sad and just sit down and make some cards. It turned out to be a great way to manage my thinking. Soon I was relaxed and calm again, enjoying the perfect moment that I had to myself, in a quiet house, at my art table.

"Not Just for Laundry," picturing some ServiceWomen reading Martha Stewart in Iraq:

"There is a Way to Fly for Joy," below. Did you notice that I actually used some of the beautiful origami paper, finally?Remember, leave a comment on the blog and your name will be added to the pile I will draw 4 names from on June 1st! You still have some time. Last night I fell in love with something Ravenhill made and pictured on this post, using a sweet bluebird fabric. It might take a moment to download the picture, but it's worth it! Go take a peep!