A French Award

Tout Droit.....

I've blogged on this before, but since Gail Lackey has awarded me this magical French award, I am again following my muse as she dances in her french slippers....skipping along the memories of my summer travels.

When my friend and I were driving around the back roads of France...getting lost every couple of miles....we would stop and ask directions and the reply was always "tout droit". Which means ( I think )...."keep going the way you are headed...."
And so it is my motto now....tout droit...tout droit...tout droit!
I am tout droit-ing through life, with French slippers on my feet....and through blogs to give you glimpses of the beauty and style of France.







The blogs I award the French award to are:

1. Oui Oui Paris
2. Paris Daily Photo
3.Polly vous Francias
4.Misplaced Texan
5. Just another American in Paris
6.A Seattleite in Paris
7.Teapot
8.Gufobardo

Here are the Rules for the Award:
1. Please put the logo on your blog
2. Place a link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs
4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog
5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them

Family time....

Oh my god...Thanksgiving is over......!

Our oldest daughter and her family drove up from Southern Calif and our other two daughters and their families were here, too. When the 7 cousins get together, I just might as well park my mind behind the door.

We had a wonderful gathering with friends and family, 30 of us...eating outside, overlooking the vineyard and out to the hills and valleys beyond. Spectacular.

The highlight was, for me, watching our 7 beautiful granddaughters.
Each time we are together, they present a play or a singing program, that the oldest, Aidan, choreographs.
This year they sang two songs, in rounds, and my heart expanded with love, and joy, and pride, and great hope for our future.

And now that they've gone, and I've picked up my mind from behind the door, I can again find my balance and be thankful for all of it....the chaos, the work, the heart touching moments.....all of it, which I guess is called "family".
And oh...the quiet is nice. :)

Such beauty takes my breath away.......

The turkeys have returned and so have I.....

Ahhhh......from paradise to paradise.
Autumn is here in Northern California, simmering in all her glory.
The vineyard is red and gold.....the hills are bright green with winter rains....
the sky is bright blue.......
and the wild turkeys have returned.

Aloha nui loha.....

I leave you with a final walk through my yard and his morning's walk on the beach.....tomorrow a walk in the vineyard in Northern California.....

one of my favorite statements....

" You can't get to wonderful without passing through all right...."

I LOVE that!!!

http://www.wisdombook.org/

Hands.....offering....holding....

I love hands!
I had found an wonderful mannequin hand at a flea market in France this summer and wrote about it in my July blog post.
I attached it to a wall of my little studio, draped it with necklaces and other changing treasures and declared that I was now going to collect mannequin hands.

And then I forgot my declaration.....or maybe I just didn't find any to bring home with me.
Until this past Sunday when I went to the garage sale where I found my wonderful paintings.......
and I found more mannequin hands! Seven of them!! Abundance!!


So I screwed a couple of them into the wall beneath my Hundredth Angel piece and I've draped them with treasures.
I love hands!

Mermaid......

Shrines

I love creating Shrines......and I can't think of a better reason for making one than this "Call for Artists".
Here is the link: Dia de Los Muertos Art Exhibit & Sale

A dog's day in Kawela Bay

Garage sale treasures!!!

Aren't these great! The bird painting is about 6 ft. long and the other painting is about 5 ft. x 4 ft.
I LOVE these!!

What can I say......

"What can I say but I'm working on it,

all of it-everything in its entirety.

I've left nothing out.  I can't say when it'll be complete,

only that I'll not cease until it's longer, rounder, tighter....

and with a little more red."

This print hangs in the hallway to my studio.  

I LOVE this artist and I apologize that I can't remember nor read the name on the print so that I can share the url with you.  If anyone knows, let me know so I can post it.

Here is my "longer, rounder, tighter....and with a little more red" piece........

the result of walks on the beach and hikes through the Ko'olau mountains.

Next week we fly back to California and while I love it there.....I'm already clenching my fingers to hang on to this paradise.