I spent most of December and the first two weeks of January mentally deep diving. I received emotional whip lash when one of my oldest friends died unexpectedly. I’ve known her since I was twelve. Her death followed a week or so after another friend’s husband died after a year long battle with liver cancer. He was a good man; a true hero! It was very sad. I bought some songs that reminded me of my friend and listened to them on repeat while I sewed frogs. I’ve no idea where the obsession came from, but late November I decided I had to have frogs on my Christmas tree. Using old sweaters and old bedpillow stuffing I covered the tree with frogs and most other flat surfaces in the living room. It felt soothing.
Some of my Christmas frogs...
All the mental deep diving has had a strange positive side effect on my creative side. It’s as if all these different sides of my artist are waking up all at the same time. Whether it’s feeling mortality’s chill breath or the fact my brain is starting to heal; I’ve had numerous projects and stories churning in my brain at all hours. For the last year I haven’t been able to write (as the doctors sorted out my over active thyroid medication), but the story teller is finally brushing off the fallen leaves and sitting up. I’ve done some tentative editing of a few unfinished romance stories, but I haven’t yet jumped in the deep end. I want to jump in, but it feels scary. I don’t know what I’m afraid of; its not as if my characters are going to gang up on me and pummel me for taking a year off. I suppose I’m just afraid they’ll all give me the silent treatment. To wade in I started a short Science fiction story (just as something completely different).
My big Christmas present was a new little pink camera for my purse. I’m looking forward to experimenting more. Christmas afternoon was sunny so after lunch I went for a walk in the cold and found a few shots.
Ghost leaves frozen in a mud puddle...these were taking with my bigger camera.
Hazy leaves...I just love how the leaves look like they've been cut out of brown paper and arranged in layers of some sort of glass...
More frozen leaves...I could have crouched there for hours staring at the, but I probably would have been run over by one of the lunatics driving 60 miles and hour down the goat track. Sometimes it's wise to just get a few shots and move on.
Through the chicken wire fence...this one and the next are with my new camera.
A self portrait! Me looking dyspeptic. The sunshine felt really good. We've had lots of rain.
I hope you all had a lovely Holiday…and are having a Happy New Year!
