My Old Scooter (in my mind) My Horse!

Originally uploaded by manglor_y_que

My nephew will be bringing it back to life. I can't believe that there was a time when I was fearless and rode all over town in my little blue scooter. I was young and fancy free. A free spirit! The freedom I felt was awesome! She's in good hands. Thanks Manny for restoring her. 

I'm simply happy to see it being taken care of. That lifestyle was another time and a part of my life that I can now give a gentle goodbye. 

The Toot Mobile

Yesterday, we were driving to Dodger stadium to watch the Dodger's play, but we never made it to the game. We are all fine. The Toot mobile didn't do well though. So the little one and I are without an auto to get around on our outings and classes. We're waiting to see what our insurance is going to offer after they get the estimate from the body shop. We were so happy with our blue minivan and it hurts to see it like this. We'll just have to adjust and make do with what we have for now. We are all home safe and to be honest I don't want to get in a freeway for a while. That's life in the city and I've never liked it. I always wanted a horse.

.change.

Beautiful Rain

I enjoyed every drop of rain we got today. I was out and about with the Toot when it started to rain for a few minutes. We all needed a nice cleansing. 

It's difficult for me to hear about someone who is suffering from depression and they can't let go of the pain. I was there for a long time. I had to read, read, read, read and read some more to get out of it. One book led me to another and then another and this is where I am. Here. Not alone hiding under the covers. Not alone drinking myself to a deep despair . Not alone hurting. Lately, I've been so excited about everything. The simplest task can make me feel so alive and grateful. There's that word again, but I am. Gratitude was the key to getting me out of my gloom and doom. 

“Do not go after the past, Nor lose yourself in the future. For the past no longer exists, And the future is not yet here. By looking deeply at things just as they are, in this moment, here and now, the seeker lives calmly and freely. You should be attentive today, for waiting until tomorrow is too late. Death can come and take us by surprise-- How can we gainsay it? The one who knows how to live attentively night and day is the one who knows the best way to be independent.” -Bhaddekaratta Sutra

Sculpy Stage 2

Here they are ready to go in the oven. Curious to see what they'll feel like after they harden. I've read that I will be able to sand and file any details after they're cooked. This is where I wish'em safe travels!

All three are about 3" high and 2" across.

Spotlighting "Liz"

My amazing artist/mother/teacher/friend Liz recently did a Papel Picado demonstration for the Latin Heritage Foundation at the Pasadena Playhouse. You can see her work here. I'm always inspired by her work and all that she does for her family. 

I love this woman because she is a bit of an excentric and a tad quirky. Liz is my kind of people!

I am watching

Cranford on PBS Online. It's 12:24am and I just finished watching the 2nd episode. This is the only time I can watch it. Sundays at 9pm I am putting the Toot to sleep and I've missed the two episodes on the television. I don't like many shows on TV and this one is a must see on my list. It's beautifully made and we don't get quality shows too often. 

Photo from Amazon.com

Sculpy Project

Time is so limited for creating any artwork.

I finally managed to get the Sculpy project started today. It's been sitting on my art table for weeks now so I just plunged myself to work. This is just an outline and I plan on working in some details with my carving tools.

A little difficult to see at this stage, but they will evolve beautifully from here. 

I'm excited to get more work done on these. 

Nobody told me it would be easy to work at home and take care of my Toot. This has been the challenge. This is when I say the Serenity Prayer. Will I have the wisdom to know the difference? What's my next step when it comes to my art? I've downsized my creative space to a table top. The easel is folded up and gathering dust. I've not sold anything on Etsy in months. What's the next step? 

Well, right now, the next step is to take care of my Toot who caught a cold this weekend. She's asleep on my lap as I type this. I just happened to have my camera in front of me to illustrate my point. Look at me, I'm multitasking! 

A Beautiful Book for $2

I've been wanting a cookbook with traditional Mexican recipes and I've found it at the 2nd hand store. This was a great find and I grabbed it knowing this was a gem. It's got some wonderful photos of the people and the food. Here is a sample of the inside....

There are recipes from different regions.

A pair of beautiful ladies. Probably a mother and her daughter. This photo reminded me of the time I helped my mother sell some mexican planters on our driveway. They were beautifully painted and in a variety of shapes and colors.

 

Rompope! I will be making this for my father. 

The three fingers I slashed with a utility blade a week before I went to Japan for a month (you can see the scar on the index finger). Oh, and a man carrying home some fresh fish for dinner. I would love to go visit Mexico. There are many amazing photos in the book and I'm aching for a trip to another country.