my interview by Melissa Haren, of Ardea's Nest

Melissa Haren has told me to get ready for my close-up! Haha. Thank you, Melissa! Here are the questions she asked, and my answers. You, too, can be interviewed, and I would love to do it... Just follow the instructions at the end of the interview.



1. I LOVE your photos, but I have wondered, how does a "city girl" get such great nature shots?

If I'm out in the country, I try to get shots of nature, but here in the city, it is the sunset that brings me close to nature. I live on the 6th floor... mostly there are private houses in the area, or apartment buildings that are only 4-stories high, so I have a good view over everything. I'm a few blocks up from the New York Harbor/East River, and I get a view of the sunset right from my living room window.

2. I know you like photography, and creating dreamboards, and I know you are in an art doll group. Tell us about the crafts you like to do and which is your favorite.

Writing is my first love, and what I've been doing since I was an adolescent. I had some stuff published in small press magazines (poetry, short stories) when I was in my twenties, but I never kept up with submitting my writing for publication. Who knows, I may try again soon. I'm an avid journal writer, and often get my poetry from stuff that starts in the journal. I have a novel that I started some 25 years ago, and it is still at its beginning stages, but I work on it every now and again! Maybe someday I'll finish it.

I love photography, but I am an old school photographer, versed in film and f-stops... so this digital stuff is all pretty new to me, but I hope to fall in love with it, too.

I have been using polymer clay (for sculpture and decorative items/jewelry) for 9 years now, but it is only in the past couple of years that I've starting to get into a rhythm of making things. My art dolls usually have some element of polymer clay in them. I like to use natural objects (not easily found in the city!) for art dolls, also, and am starting to get into the whole mixed media genre. What I admire, and really wish I could learn, is costuming for a doll.

3. I remember you said that Morrison, your cat, was part feral. Tell us more about how he came to own you.

Morrison was a cat that lived behind the apartment that my mom lives in. He was a stray; some say for a couple of years. He was found one day in the air conditioner vents of the building, and more than half his tail was cut off, so he may have had some terrible accident in there. My mother would go back there and feed him every day, and he would even run up to her.... he didn't do this with anybody else in the building. The superintendent of the building claimed that he was going to call Animal Control to get rid of him, and it really upset my mom. Soooo, I agreed to take him. We used a humane trap, and managed to get him to my place. He tore through 2 window screens and sat on the ledge 6 stories up the first night he was here. He has now gotten to the point where I can pet and brush him (as long as he's in his favorite spot on the rug), and he doesn't try to escape any more. He's a good cat.

4. In your Blogger profile you didn't list any likes. What are you favorite movies, books, music?

Movies: Some that come right to mind are A Beautiful Mind, Slingblade, The Postman Always Rings Twice (with John Garfield), Resurrection (with Ellen Burstyn)

Books: The Secret Life of Bees, She's Come Undone, This Much I Know is True, Stones from the River, Castaneda's books, the writings of Thomas Merton, the monk

Music: Beatles, Neil Young, Jennifer Warnes, Keith Jarrett, Tom Waits, Andreas Boccelli

5. And one fun one - If you awoke tomorrow and you weren't you, who or what would you be and why?

I would be a crow, who flies high, and is close to the Great Spirit.


And Now "THE INTERVIEW RULES"


1. Leave me a comment with your email address saying: “interview me”. You can also email me.


2. I will e-mail you five questions of my choice


3. You can then answer the questions on your blog {with a link back to my blog}


4. You should also post these rules, along with an offer to interview anyone else who emails you, wanting to be interviewed


5. Anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog individualized for each blogger. Read their blog and their profile to come up with the questions!

whatever gets you through the night

In the dark of morning I wake again. I don't mind it much. I slept a few hours, and it's still what I consider late night, not early morning. Like it matters.
I need to do housekeeping, but that's not something you start doing at two in the morning.... of course, you could... but I'm not!

I go to my Blogger dashboard to check for updated blogs... always good to read what people are up to, and often, what they are making/photographing/drawing, etc.,.
It's funny how you end up moving into a community of bloggers, recognizing "followers" in many different places.
"My" community consists of lots of creative people; art-makers, craftspeople, photographers, writers. It's quite a bunch of creativity!

Dear Yoon See dedicated a post to me yesterday because I had recently reached my 100th post mark. A creative soul, with a heart as big as the sky. She expresses herself in a way that embodies life and great joy. How fine to be able to communicate with someone like this who is so far away (she is from Malaysia!)

Seems there is always someone awake somewhere.... someone writing, someone reading. I like it.

insomnia, love, and crystals

You can just tell when a night of insomnia is upon you. It's 2am an you've watched all the syndicated repeats you can possibly stand, and still sleep doesn't come.

I get out of bed, groggy from a nightime medicine I take, but not groggy enough... just enough to stumble over to the computer to see if there are any other life forms out there at this hour.
No, there are not.

I miss 2am notes from a lover who is no longer around. Miss the constant banter back and forth, the tones of "you've got mail" over and over again.
Now the mail is silent, except for one or two old beaus who still reach out, wanting to know if we can get together. And still, I don't have it in my heart to be with anyone else. It has been three years, and I can't bring myself to consider a new acquaintence, or even an old one. Makes me wonder how long it takes for this kind of love to go away... that something that continues to hold me back, as if it were still part of my life. Talk about lack of closure.
I wait for an email that says Forgive me, I know I was wrong, I should have never stayed away so long. The email doesn't come, but still I expect it; each day I expect it.

How does one close the heart, and move on?

I learned many years ago to wear a crystal around my neck, to cover my heart center, to keep it protected. It has been a long time since employing that knowledge, and I'm thinking it may well be time to do that again. These are simple actions, and they help me to remember.

Tomorrow I will look for the right crystal to protect my heart; surely there is one around here somewhere. Perhaps I'll look now.

Here's one that has been around for quite sometime. My father used to carry it with him. Time for it to be cleaned and programmed, and prepared for me.

DPS challenge.. 10 within 10

The Digital Photography School online, has a challenge today, to take 10 pics within 10 meters of where you are sitting. Here's a collage of my 10 .


(click to view larger images)


And here are the individual pictures...

wishcasting wednesday

It's Wish Casting Wednesday again. Today's question asks, "What's frivolous treat do you wish for?"


This one is easy! A giant bottle of Chanel No.5! When I wear it, it completes my sense of self. I love it!

"Promise her anything.... but give her Chanel."

tonight's sky

(from my living room window)

wednesday's wish

It's Wish Casting Wednesday again. Today's Wishcasting is asks, "What is your highest self wishing for? What is rumbling in your soul?
".

My higher self wishes for a fully conscious connection to the Earth, and all she has to offer us. My higher self wishes to perform the spiritual rituals and ceremonies that I have been taught over my lifetime. May my higher self always be present in all that I do.
Rumbling in my soul is a wish to connect with people on a soul level, and to understand that people live from their individual souls, which may not always be in keeping with my perspective, but I want to honor each soul's individual perspective.

vision board

 

(click pic for larger image)

I started making a vision board a while back. I am not a subscriber to any magazines, nor do I buy many, so it's hard to get a lot of good collage pictures.. so I'm using some real pictures, and some I printed out (but I ran out of black ink).

Anyway... a vision board is similar to a full moon dream board, except that you choose a time limit (in this case I chose a year) in which to fulfill your vision.

Here are some of the things on my Vision Board....

I started by doing the I Ching, in order to get an overall feel for the ensuing year
In this case, I got hexagram 59 (Reuniting/dispersion), with a 2nd line moving to hexagram 20 (Contemplating). The I Ching says about Reuniting:

"It is time to break up that which divides, for isolation brings discord and blocks creative energy. You must devote yourself to a cause or take of some real significance in the world, or perhaps participate in an event that brings together the members of the community....
Look for the symbols, rhythms, and patterns that have inspired people for all times, and incorporate them into your work. Make a sincere attempt to meet the social responsibility of the artist: REUNITING people with their reality."

I won't get into the rest of the reading, but that part seemed pretty significant.

There's a picture of a doll I made, signifying that I want to continue making dolls... She happens to be a Prosperity Doll. There's another doll picture from an online class in sculpting a Frida Kahlo doll... that's a class I'd like to take. There are picture of family and friends and animals because I want them to be part of my life throughout the year. There are the camera's (two of them... the big Nikon. and a small Canon to the bottom left of it.) I have already gotten the smaller camera, so part of my vision has unfolded, and I look forward to reconnecting with photography. Other pics show me writing, and doing Tai Chi... more stuff to reconnect with. There's a picture taken on the road, and one of a plane wing, showing that I want to travel. Scattered all over the board are words such as: Love, prosperity, family and friends, happy holidays, healthy living, safe travel. There is one quote by Dr. Phil: "If you need a miracle, Be a miracle."

There are other things that need to go into the vision board. I want to start teaching classes with my friend, evie... some type of crafts; pressed flower arrangements, or some such. We're going to make a proposal to a local Mental Health clinic to see if we can use their community space to run this. It would be a way of working with the community, and furthering the idea of Reuniting. I'm not sure how I will get it on the board...maybe just with written words.

But that's my vision board. You may want to make one, too, spanning over a year or two or even less or more. It's gets you to thinking about what you want to keep in your life, and what you want to attain.

blogs and a camera

I have about 35 blogs that I'm following at the moment. When I first started blogging, I'd never have thought it would be possible to follow so many, but it is. I am thankful to the people who don't blog every day... if there were that many updates in one day, I'd never get around to reading everything, and I do like to read each blog update. I am getting to know so many different people, and I see these familiar faces in my own comment section and in the sections of many other bloggers. There are groups of us who all follow each other, and it's very cool.

This seems to be the new way to meet people on the internet. I've had meetings in groups and forums over the years, but now I seem to meet most new people via this method. It's also been great to read the blogs of those people I've known for many more years, away from "bloglandia" (I'm not too fond of that title, but I know people use it). Its given me a chance to look more deeply into their lives, as well as their creative pursuits.



I miss reading people who have not updated in a while. I wonder where they are and what they are up to.... Update your blog, so I have something to read!

**********

Oh, my camera arrived. Yay! It comes with a 150 page user handbook, God help me. It will take some time before I learn how to use its many functions. I especially look forward to shooting in black and white. It's a bit overwhelming what these digital cameras can do. I am so old-school, versed in the simple functions of speed, f-stops and film. This is a whole nother smoke. You can bet I'll be keeping it on "auto" for a while.

I wanted to post a pic of the latest art doll I'm making, but I completely forgot that I'm making her for a challenge in one of my Yahoo groups, and we're not supposed to post any pics until after it's over. I don't even know if I'll have it done in time for that, or even if I'll be entering the challenge. But for now I won't post her, just in case.

blue water

Excerpt from The Store, a novel with "recipes".

***************************************************


There, in the linen closet, Michael found a bottle labeled "Blue Water", and he smiled, thinking of Octavia's penchant for such things. He opened it and sniffed, as if it would contain some exotic fragrance, but it was just water. He poured a little in his hand, wondering what on earth Blue Water was anyway. She must have told him a dozen times.


Making Blue Water

At the beginning of any ritual, one should first center themselves (using deep breathing, meditation, etc.), and cleanse themselves (this can include "smudging" with sage, using singing bowls or chimes/bells, bathing, etc.).

Take a bowl (or glass/bottle) of water and place it in a sunny spot. Lay your hands just above the bowl and imagine blue rays of light emanating from your palms. When your intent is strong and you can sense the clear blue energy flowing into the water, circle the bowl (clockwise) with your hands 3 times, and then give your hands a quick shake. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth and let it sit in the sun a bit longer.

You can use this water for drinking......... it provides a clear energized feeling, and washes away the cobwebs in your mind. Splashing your face with the water will have the same effect. You might want to carry it in a portable container, to use at those times when you especially need clarity of mind. A little splash on your 3rd eye works wonders.

To increase the effectiveness of Blue Water, put it in a blue glass bottle; cover/cork and let sit in the sun for an hour or so.

wednesday's wish

It's Wish Casting Wednesday again. Today's Wishcasting is asks, "what do you wish to connect to".

I wish to connect to the Earth. I am most at home in nature, and it feels like I haven't connected with her in too long. Whether it is upstate traisping through the woods, or just a walk through a local park, I wish to connect to her again.

I wish to connect to an old friend who has been estranged from me for a couple of years. Life is just too short.

I wish to connect to the camera I just bought (it should be delivered by tomorrow), so that it becomes a second pair of eyes. :)

full moon dreamboard

I made a simple Full Moon dreamboard, using Polyvore. I incorporated Love, Good foods, transformation, and lots of picture taking.

dream of the salmon maiden

I am working on a Salmon Maiden art-doll. (The idea of the Salmon Maiden comes from the music of Ruth MacKenzie - "Kalevala: Dream of the Salmon Maiden")

So far I finished her head (pics soon)... she looks regal to me, with salmon colored confetti trim for her hair, and her high cheekbones (but of course, all the faces I sculpt have high cheekbones). I've put some beadwork aound her neck, taken from a fancy pair of flip flop shoes that I never wore, but always knew I'd employ in some way.
Her body, now, is a different story.. it isn't a body, per se, but a box that will be filled with ocean type articles. So far I've got a couple of starfish in there. I need shells, and maybe a treasure chest. I am wondering how to embellish this box/body (a long rectangle) some more. The outside of it seems to need something... a lovely drape of material, if I had any. When I have pics of the doll-in-progress I'll post them, so maybe some of you mixed media folk out there (you know who you are) can help me out with some ideas.


I ordered my digital camera today! It's a simple one, but 10MP, so that's pretty nice. I can't wait to get it. No more relying on anyone else for photos, and no taking a walk and just wishing I could take a picture of something I see. This is one of the things I put on my vision board (this camera, and a DSLR, too). What do the Wiccan's say? So mote it be? So it is. .. and ain't it so, say I!

lé blog

My attention span is short. I realize this (again) when I am reading another person's blog. Some entries seem to go on forever, and they don't always take me along with them. We are all guilty of this, sooner or later, I would think. But I like blog entries that keep me hungry for a little bit more... The eloquent discriptions of people or place, the photographs of works in progress and works completed... The simple passings of the day.
My attention to my own writings is quite evident to me. Words and passages seem constricted, and often unable to flow. This happens. Sometimes there's lots of crap to get out before I really get into it. Sometimes I just don't.

............

I remember reading, some time ago, about the quandary of whether or not to make comments on one's blog, in response to a reader's comments. I'm not sure what is the right ettiquette here. I go through phases of responding to comments, and/or visiting the person on their blog, and commenting there. Do people return to see if I commented on their comment? Do you? I do sometimes, myself.
...................


I look at the statistics for my blog, and delight in seeing people visit from all over the globe. Sometimes I recognize the place, and have a good idea of just who may be visiting from there. Most times, it is a bunch of people from places unknown to me. Sometimes people find my blog through a link from someone else's blog, or from a link I leave after my name in online group emails. Sometimes people are doing a Google search for certain words, and they choose to check it. It's fun to see where people come from, and sometimes you get repeated visits from some unknown person.... like a visitor I have from Mountain View, California. This person has, every now and then, checked out my blog since I first started it. I always wonder about that person in Mountain View.

It amazes me how people live their everyday lives, and then manage to blog and create so many wonderful things. I wonder if one certain blogger that I frequent ever goes to sleep? How do people maintain more than one blog.... and not just 2, but 3, 4; even 7! Some people need mansions for their words/pictures, I suppose. For now, at least, I am satisfied with my one room, my one simple blog.

yer birthday - the beatles

Posting/playing this song (that I like to play for myself on my birthday) was about as exciting as the day got! Wooo-hooo!

nature

This month's Creative Everyday challenge is about Nature, so here is a collage of some of my favorite nature pics.

sunday morning ramble

The sky is a blank slate this morning, waiting for a plane, or a bird, or a stray balloon to fancy it up some.
There's a fog that hangs over the harbor, though it makes its way nearly clear by the time it travels up my way. Nevertheless, you would think the neighborhood stopped a few blocks away, and beyond that was the great (foggy-) divide.. between us and the other side.
The newly green trees stand out in their color, and I wish I had a camera (digital), or at least some film for the old Nikon. This would be a picture in shades of white, with a Spring-full reveal of green.
I think I'll be able to get myself a simple digital by month's end. Seems I have all but abandoned my NikonFM2, but that's just because film and developing (prints & cd) can be so expensive, and the camera itself, with its long lens, is so heavy that it gives me pause to thing of lugging it around even when there is film in it. But I do miss shooting in Tri-X film, and doing the developing and printing on my own, like I did in a class back in 1990. After doing that, getting film developing as these "instant" printer places has just lost its appeal almost completely. The inability to dodge and burn, with your own tools, is completely replaced by some machine that thinks it knows what my pictures should look like.
In truth, I felt like a die-hard film photographer, but these lightweight little digitals, with their ability to take so many pics at once, and the fun of editing in a program... well, I must have one! And until I can get a good digital SLR, I will get something that I can afford soon. I have picked out a very reasonable Canon Poweshot 10MP camera. It seems well worth its price, and I can't wait until I have it in my hands (and eyes).

But anyway... today is a monochromatic day, 'cept for the splash of green.

kreativ blogger award

This is my 100th post, and I'm happy to say that I have an award to show off. Tabitha, at knittingjourneymanredux has given me a "Kreativ Blogger Award". I'm supposed to tell about 7 of my favorite things, and then pass the award onto 7 other bloggers. Thank you so much, Tabitha!

So, let me think about my favorite things.... Hmmm.

1. Walking through the woods and picking up special little things.. flowers, pieces of wood and bark, stones and such. Its been a long time since doing that, but it ranks up there as a top favorite.

2. Cuddling with my cat, Little Guy. The other cat, Morrison, is still part feral, but just the other day he started letting me pet him, so that definitely deserves a place in my favorites.

3. Visiting, or being visited by my friend evie... just talking and sharing coffee, or creating things together, and always starting "new projects" for ourselves (we don't always complete them, but we love to start them!).

4. Visiting "Cups of Tea", a forum that's owned by a dear long-time online friend of mine who calls himself "Detes". It is always my pleasure to share with him, and the wonderful people who frequent his forum.

5. Being on the computer and reading so many varied blogs from so many creative people. I am often so inspired by the things I see and read!

6. Coffee!

7. Having something to write about in my blog!


The 7 people I want to send this award onto are:

Melissa

Carol

mommyleek

WonderfulWire/Living with Walls

Ruth

yoon see

Debi Minter

As I finish my 100th post, I want to thank everyone who reads along here. I appreciate the company of you fine folks!

to watch

I rested my head against dream pillows
stuffed fat with lavender and agrimony

I held dream crystals in my palms

I drank honeyed chamomile and kava kava

and still I could not sleep


Indeed
all these things wakened me

to a space between

welcome May

Happy May Day!

The day starts wet, with a thick fog. An English morning, as I'd imagine it. And one that is so Spring, too. Birds welcome the dawn.
This is my birthday month, and I will be 55 next wednesday. Sometimes I wonder how this happened, so seemingly suddenly an elder at last. I am wholey my own now. No basketfull of eggs within me; just the essence of my life and lifetimes.