on the cold bare branch

teasing the chill autumn wind

one last leaf flutters

This is from the day before yesterday, I haven't done yesterday's yet - behind already. I didn't write again today, too much to do. I helped a friend do the final edit on her book this morning. I don't know if I mentioned it before but last year she gave me a stack of handwritten notes and I sorted them all out and typed out her book. It is about her relationship with a crow, where she lived before. It's a very interesting story about crows behaviour. When we finished she wanted to take me to lunch and then I had to go do banking and shopping by the time I got home I was too tired. Life's necessities do get in the way of things we really want to do sometimes, it must be really difficult when you have children to look after. I did nothing much creative when my kids were small and they were out playing most of the time when the weather was nice.

Got a positive response from the property manager and she even signed it "warmly". I really am trying to be more positive and less cynical and re-active because I truly believe the energy we put out comes back to us

.

It's bedtime again, the days just fly by. It I didn't wake up at 4:30 in the morning I wouldn't have to go back to sleep after eating a little breakfast and my days would be longer. Four hours sleep just doesn't cut it.

Good night.

VIOLETTE WITH HER BOOK, LEANNE IN THE BACKGROUND
RUBYDOG BORED WITH IT ALL
THE PINK ONE WON FIRST PRIZE
THE VAMPIRE SHARED SECOND PLACE

I have had such a fun, busy weekend. Yesterday I went to RubyDogs Art House for a book signing and demo by Violette. Her book is called Journal Bliss and is a very creative book about art journalling. It was nice to spend time with other artists and it is always so positive and cheerful at RubyDogs.

Today, after a three hour conversation with my eldest daughter, I went to Granville Island where they had the Garbage Can Art Auction, the proceeds going to Children's Hospital Art Program to buy art supplies - an excellent cause. My granddaughter was under their care for her first eighteen years for leukemia so it is a cause close to my heart. I even bough a garbage can. I didn't get the one I really wanted because it went for something like $300 - but I did get one for my Great Granddaughters first birthday in November. I have never bid for anything in my life so that was a new experience. Another new experience is that I put my name down to be one of the artists next year. Thanks to my bloggy friends, I have the confidence to do that now. Never would have dreamt of it before. So I am excited about that.

I didn't write over the weekend, it was more important to go out in the world and do things - connect, the October word for creative everyday. Something I have struggled with particularly the past few years.

I wrote both of my Haiku's and did one journal page that isn't quite finished yet so will post IT tomorrow.

circle kitty sleeps
with one eye open...waiting
for my soft warm lap

Busy day again today. I wrote a letter to our propertry manager for the tenants with the information from yesterday's meeting. I wrote 1704 words on my story, all made up today, I finished the copying yesterday. I wrote the Haiku when I woke up this morning and just finished my circle kitty. May add more to it tomorrow. It's 11:30 and time to go to bed. I am really enjoying this while it lasts. I don't think I have ever written this much in one go.

Jasmine my daughter's cat is sitting here beside my laptop looking at me, to let me know it is past bedtime. She's sitting right on my mouse. Ha! Ha! She sleeps on my legs for about fifteen minutes when I get into bed and then goes to her little nest at the end of my bed. A soft warm cosy throw made into a nest. She is such a sweet kitty, she's 17 years old and so dainty and cute.

Off to bed, I have spent way too much time on this computer today.

ordered chaos
all jostling talking driving
with destinations

I had a busy day today. Typed 1706 words on my story, just finished now at 11:40 pm. My art journal and haiku for today are above. Had to go to the Dr., my thyroid was hypo but is now hyper so need medication adjustments. I've been on the same medication for years and no problem so don't know what is going on now. I feel better since I cut the meds back, way more energy which is opposite to what it is supposed to be. I guess it will work itself out eventually, perhaps my thyroid gland is working on it's own now. That chakra is about communication and having a voice so maybe it is significant.

Also went to a tenants meeting that I suggested we have because our elevator is going to be out of commission for one to two months and that will have major repercussions for many of the people living here. Many can't get up and down the stairs and many have to go for cancer treatments and other treatments besides wanting to go out for socializing. We had the winter from hell last year while they were doing major work on the plumbing and we had a couple of feet of snow so people couldn't go out to get away from it all. Landlords and property managers are not the most considerate people on the planet.



Good night all. Sweet dreams.

Morning sun rising
urban glass glimmering gold
glorious new day

I wrote my Haiku this morning and put it in my art journal. The picture below is the way it looked one morning a couple of winters ago. It really is quite an amazing sight - a city of gold.

My journal painting is gold, obiously, the sun is gold leaf. I want to make my entries simple so I can loosen up and not be so fussy about what I am doing.

I also type 1700 words but I was copying the first chapter of my book because it was originally typed in my very old computer. It is a good way to get started on this project.

It was a busy day and very enjoyable.

FALL EQUINOX

Gentle autumn light

soft mellow lengthening shadows

earth settling to sleep

The beautiful sunny weather is tempered by a nice cool breeze, soon the leaves will be changing and we will be surrounded by the beautiful earthy colours that I love so much, browns, yellows, oranges and reds. The shadows are lengthening and the air is mellow and soft transforming from the harsh, bright light of summer. Autumn is my favourite time of year.



Today, I went to a book launch. The book is called Mythogyny, the lives and times of women elders in B.C. It is a collection of excerpts from stories told by women abou the lives. I am one of the women in the book, which is pretty exciting. I am published. Actually, it's only about one page in total. We told out stories to someone, they were taped and then transcribed. It was quite a project and I am happy to be a part of it.

I got a letter from my cousin today, she lives on Quadra Island and I haven't talked to her for a year. She is one of the people in my extended family that I can relate to the best, so I phoned her and we had a nice long chat.

Yesterday, I went for a walk and saw two women walking their cats. They were a leopard cat and an ocelot cat. The leopard cat was only two generations from a leopard. The really were very beautiful.

OCELOT CAT

LEOPARD CAT

I also gessoed and painted many pages in my art journal in preparation for the latest 100 day challenge that I found out about on Bev's blog. Starting tomorrow there is 100 days left in the year so I am going to attempt 100 haiku's and thought I would write them in my art journal. My goal is to write 100 but even if I don't accomplish that I will have done a lot more than I would have without the challenge.

Hybrid J is doing the NaNo challenge, 50,000 words written in one month so I am going to attempt that as well (unoficially). I started writing a book about fifteen years ago. I wrote one chapter and that was it so I will continue with that. Again, if I don't do 50,000 words I will have written more that I would without the challenge.

My crazy quilt is coming along slowly but surely. Tomorrow, I am staying home so I will get more done.

MAYBE SOME WOMEN AREN'T MEANT TO BE TAMED.

MAYBE THEY NEED TO RUN FREE UNTIL THEY FIND SOMEONE JUST AS WILD TO RUN WITH.

I love this quote from Sex and the City. Every young woman should have this posted on their wall so they don't sell themselves short and get hooked up with a man who doesn't have the same energy and wildness that they do. I love the idea of women's wildness, I love the title of Estes's book Women Who Run With The Wolves. I feel that wildness and wish there was somewhere for it to go. I feel surrounded by people who are so uptight and oppressed. I feel full of passion but don't know what to do with it. Don't you just want to scream sometimes - WAKE UP EVERYBODY. I have just finished reading a book called Footprints in the Sand by Sarah Challis. Two cousins set off on a journey to scatter their Great Aunts ashes in the desert in Africa. While they are travelling they notice that the European people are so uptight and as they get closer to Africa and have African people in the plane with them they find them full of life and wearing clothes of beautiful colours. India is like that too. Beautiful, colourful art and clothing. I love going to Little India (I was there on Thursday) because of all the beautiful fabrics and saris and the mens clothing is so beautiful too. I think crazy qujilting will be a good outlet for this passion for colour and texture. I love collage as well for that reason.

I don't know where I'm going with this, I just feel all of this energy that needs expression. Where will it go I wonder?

THOSE IMAGES

Seek those images

that constitute the wild,

the lion and the virgin,

the harlot and the child.

Find in middle air

an eagle on the wing.

Recognize the fire

That make the Muses sing.

William Butler Yeats