Creative Space

I am usually the last to catch up on reading a new good book and this is one of them. In her book, Where Women Create, Jo Packum interviews and photographs the creative spaces of 26 different women. The creative spaces in the book are sure to imspire and vary from small nooks to large rooms. After reading the book I have informed my family that henceforth my creative space would be called the studio...... instead of the study... now I need to commence creating !

Here are a couple of shots of my STUDIO


You can see in the first shot the studio houses my piano from childhood and my books and momentos. The second photo is shot to show the opposite side of my room ... the desk was my moms. Bad lighting today... the walls are much lighter .... all in all it is a work in progress, but a great place for this woman to create.

WEIRD

I have been tagged to list 6 weird things about me... only 6 ???

1. I am left-handed and my 3 teens and DH are also lefties.

2. I am an excessive worrier... not the big things, but the little things. I spend way too much time worrying and then solve the problem quickly BUT.... then I reach into my worry databank and add another one to the neverending worry list.

3. I have a strong dental phobia and have to be sedated when I go to the dentist's office.

4. I still own and use most of the furniture and dishes from my first apartment ... and I still love all of the pieces.

5. I taught myself to knit when I was in 2nd grade which was a feat because I was a leftie and had to do everything in the knitting book backwards.

6. Even though I strive to make my teens great drivers like me (HAH) the truth is I FAILED my first driving test.

Picture: the 4 barrel-back chairs are from my first apartment and the wicker screen was in my room as a child... told ya I am
a sentimental girl.

Newspapers and Stoplights

This morning a white convertible drove up beside me, slammed on the accelerator and sped up, cutting me off as the 2 lanes diverged into one. "Hmmmm, she must have an emergency, we'll let her go first" I said to the 2 teens in the car with me. I am constantly making these "MOM" statements with hopes of brainwashing my kids into becoming great drivers... just like their mom.

After I dropped the teens off at school I went for a walk. As I walked along one of my favorite streets I saw flashing firetrucks and ambulances ahead..... and as I approached the scene... I saw the little white convertible parked in front of the house where the medics were loading a little old man into the ambulance.

I knew this man, not by name, but I knew him. When I first moved to the 'hood with 3 babies I used to rise early to walk before DH went to work. Each morning I would pass by this man's house in the dark and each morning he would stand in his driveway greeting the walkers as they passed by. I said good morning to this man for 10 years. As he greeted the walker-bys he would also go around to each of his neighbor's houses , fetch their newspapers, and gently lean them up against the neighbor's front doors so that they would not have to step too far to retreive their morning news.

What a sweet man !
My thoughts and prayers go out to this man and to his relative in the little white convertible.

The Christmas Closet

Our hill country town has been shut down for THREE days now due to a LIGHT dusting of snow and ice.... which I am sure those of you from the north of us find hilarious.

By day 3 I was stir crazy, the newness of the situation had worn out. So when my friend Pattie called yesterday... I practically begged her to let me come over and help her clean out her closet. Pattie is one of those fun people who makes ya feel so good about yourself.... and she thinks I am soooo organized, so I happily headed over to her house yesterday determined to organize. Within an hour and a half we made major closet progress... enough to fill my car with a huge load for goodwill.



So Pattie thinks I am just the best most helpful, most organized friend ......

But what Pattie does NOT know is that this is what MY Christmas Closet looks like



So really I am a big fake... a person who lived in denial yesterday..... oh well.. maybe when the kids go back to school I can turn my attention to the Christmas closet and once again be organized.

Brrrrr....

Cedar pollen has left the hill country.... tiny pellets of sleet and tiny flakes of snow are falling on the ground... school is cancelled...

college princess is back at scool...

high school princess is curled up reading a book..

teen age son is riding on cardboard down the hill at the junior high.... reminds me of using cafeteria trays to go down Daisy Hill in college.

hubby and I just got back from a long walk in our winter wonderland lite-


HS princess just announced she is making brownies.... yummm brownies and snow...

Cedar Fever

For the third straight day the hill country has seen abundant levels of cedar pollen. We are droopy,sniffly,cranky couch potatoes at our house.

Be back soon !!

Thats what friends are for...

Just when.....I think I have nothing more to write about.
Just when.... I think what I have to say is silly....
Just when.... I think maybe I wont blog anymore...

Out of the blue... this happens::

My sweet sweet friend Corey sends me one of her beautiful photos as a loving housewarming gift....she took the above photo of the Shabby Chic window in San Francisco last summer.

And those awesome bloggers down in San Antonio, Chasity and Jana, invite me to lunch next week.
Hugs to you Corey and Jana and Chasity. You all are just the BEST !!! Thank you so so very much. I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge and friendship I have gained from the blogosphere. Thank you so much sister-friends.

I. HEART.YOU !

Is it really January 1, 2007 ??

Dear God,
Thank you for this beautiful sunny convertible top down day. Please help me remember to make each day sunny this year . Please guide me to embrace differences, build tolerance, to reach out, to savor each day, and to take better care of myself.
Love,
Diana

Happy New Year you all !!!

picture: last of the day lillies on a sunny summer day.