Last Check in Before OH BOY!

A new acquisition is the fabulous vintage clock/mic trophy and some new hair for Dingus. Quite a bargain for both.

I've been working on my little shop and things to go in it ramping up to The Pink Cabbage's Funky Flea that's next weekend. I want to have plenty of goodies to offer the customers while I'm romping in Texas.

So this is my last Maryland post until after I get to Texas for my 35th high school reunion!!!!

So here are some of latest photos. Actually I went in today and it looks a little different, fuller, but still (I think) cute.

Can you figure out what anything is? Well, it's a lot of things that people need to purchase to make their lives wonderful.

Here's the ostrich egg that I got in Richmond...did I mention it? Anyhoosville, I got a great stand and love the way it's turned out.

Why the laundry isn't folded and put away...

Okay, some of this is Amy Power's (of Inspire Co. fame) fault because of her fabulous online magazine which can be found for a crazy low $3.50 here . It's unbelievable how many great ideas there are in her mags. So, I copied one of her ideas and made two birthday wish hanging boxes plus a lot of other stuff. Really, I've literally (more photos when they are installed in my shop) been in my workroom all day the last three days and have made some fun stuff; these are just a few. So, when not working on art, I'm outside (when it's not been raining-sorry, Texas, but we are having a couple of days break from rain after every day this week and forecast for all next week) snapping some photos of all the color. If you know me you know that I'm not Maryland's biggest fan but it's hard to beat spring here-soooo dang green. And with so much rain this year it's really, really green and our trees are now growing like several feet every year. Lantana is my favorite. Everyone here says not to put out flowers until Mother's Day to be safe from freezing, but we all know I'm not "everyone". Sheesh, wait until May? The season is way too short here to start late and I hang on to the annuals until they are begging to be put out of their misery. Continuing to baffle the guys until I get a new porch, I'm putting all the funk up here! Well, the bath sink is still in the flower bed in the yard but...now you know.

Fun in Richmond

I always have a wonderful time just seeing Stacy (see previous a few posts ago) when we get together. I love her job because it brings Stacy within driving distance of me every few months. While Stacy works I run around Richmond having fun and helping the local economy. This time I discovered Sweet Frog-wow! I've been a huge Jamba Juice fan for many years and I've listed, somewhere, all the different cities and states I've had Jamba Juice. I worked in one of the first frozen yogurt cafe's in the country back in 1976, so I've had my fill. And I'm not a huge ice cream fan...I'd rather use calories on a cannoli. But the bright colors and warm weather drew me into this place-two days in a row. Keeping the same genre, I have always had chocolate with strawberries and whatever boosters at JJ, so I went for the chocolate (low fat!) with strawberries and then remembered how much I'd loved (and eaten) granola on chocolate frozen yogurt...so voila...they had it all and I made this beauty. So far they are only in Virginia and North Carolina but I hear there are ones like them in Texas. In a little over a week I'm gonna have both!!!!

I love Whole Foods (which, of course, we don't have) and this one was very close to our hotel and I made several trips there for food, groceries, etc. It's special to me...

Just 'Cause...

This is just 'cause I wanted to take a photo of some of my favorite things. The red clock piece I made (collected and put together) and the ribbon. The other things are just favorite finds. Just 'cause.

Another fabulous, sweet reunion...

I'm sure that most of you who read this know how fast 20 years can go by these days. This summer it will have been 20 years since this young man and I had seen each other. Twenty years since I put him on that plane in San Francisco after spending the day there. Matteo Pistono had just spent a week helping me move back to California from Wyoming where we had met. Way back then, I was head of the Amnesty International chapter in Casper and Matt was head of AI at Casper College. We merged the groups and grew the group to a very respectable size. We became very close friends through working together so, when it was time for me to move back to California after getting a divorce, he had the time, energy, and good attitude to help me do it. We drove a HUGE truck all the way and Matt stayed for about a week to help me and for me to be able to show him around The Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur, and San Francisco the last day. Then fast forward to Facebook. I found Matt on there and contacted him. From there I went to his website and learned about all of the phenomenal things he'd been doing especially the last 10 years.

Tuesday night, in Washington DC, Matt gave a talk and slide show on his work and travels in Tibet. He has been touring the country doing speeches and slide shows to promote his book and his foundation Nekorpa. The photos were stunning and he is very at ease speaking in public and sharing his story. It was wonderful to see him. He had been just a college student when I last saw him. Now he has done incredible things on behalf of Tibetan Buddhists, has gotten married, and has traveled the world with many dignitaries. He is passionate about human rights, something we definitely still have in common. Even with the big crowd of people waiting for his time we got to have a little time alone together to catch up and reminisce. Here's his book. You don't have to be a Buddhist to read it; it's fascinating. It's hard for me to be very objective about it; in fact so much so that when I read it, it was Matt's voice I heard the words spoken in. It is alternately about the history of Buddhism and his personal experience as he goes on his spiritual pilgrimage and the "spy mission" which side tracked parts of his journey. It's, in my opinion, a good situation for us all to be aware of. I'd seen "Save Tibet" bumper stickers for years but never knew what it meant until now. There is a lot we can do, free-letter writing, to help this cause for the right to practice the religion of your choice freely and safely. Here's Matt, my sister Valori, and (I wish I could remember his name-he was so nice) the guy who was head of the University of Wyoming Amnesty group...over 20 years ago. I'm not sure why I'm getting to be so blessed to be having all these unimaginable reunions in the last few years. It's indescribable how full these reunions have made my heart and soul. It makes the waiting so much sweeter. This is why I love Facebook and the world wide web. Reconnect.

New Photos from The Pink Cabbage

No commentary on this post. Just enjoy these photos of updates at The Pink Cabbage...

...thanks for looking!!