Thankful for the Gift of Spring!

Outside the Front Door

We only had a little bit of winter, if you can even call it winter.  Mostly milder days, a good bit of rain (enough to create a small lake in the backyard for a few days).  Seems like just a few weeks were below freezing. 

The grey rainy days chilled my bones but felt good, like the right kind of rest.  A state of suspended animation, close - so close - but not there yet.  We stretched our way from holidays through illness and then, quite beautifully, into the start of spring.

My yard and garden surprised me like they do every year, sharing blooms in the most unexpected places, giving color every which where. 

I hope to have a chance to wander outside with the camera this week and capture some of the ephemeral moments of beauty, although I have missed getting pictures of some of it already - the yellow and purple crocuses, the full blooms of the wisteria and the bridal veil.   I have been amazingly fortunate to enjoy the colors from inside the windows, and completely appreciate this gift of spring in 2012!

Today: I woke up late, luxuriating in the weekend sleeping in.  I went to yoga and had an amazing hot yoga class that left me trembling in the very best way.  Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! cracked me up as I rested with 32 ounces of water and some almonds.  A second shower and I am ready to go!

Now: Off to the grocery and then home to make a Baked Alaska.  Family Dinner will be Grilled Chicken / Pimento Cheese sandwiches, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Baked Alaska.  We are wrapping up Asa and Jaya's birthday celebrations tonight.  Baked Alaska seems like just the ticket to celebrate.

After the flood

It is amazing to look at this blog and remember what happened.

Amazing to think that when I wrote that last post on January 13th, when I chose that picture of Asa and Bella, when I reflected on what they mean to me - that I was fine, just fine.

* * * * *

That evening (January 13th, 2012), at approximately 7:15 pm eastern, my appendix burst.  I remember sitting on the sofa watching Jeopardy, eating a bowl of chicken soup.  I remember the sudden amazing bloom of pain across my abdomen.  I remember how my vision immediately blurred, and that I could barely stand through the pain.  I know I was not thinking clearly when I said, "I am not feeling well, I have to go lay down," but I do remember getting into bed.  The next 36 hours passed by in waves of ever increasing pain.  Each time my husband would say "Do you want to go to the hospital?" I would answer, "No, I think this is some kind of terrible food poisoning," or "No, I think this is some kind of dreadful indigestion," or "No, the pain is moving around, maybe it will go away."

I didn't sleep more than five minutes at a time nor did I have a lucid thought - except "I don't have time for this!"

I had my days planned, you see.  And they were packed.  Blog entries, book editing, grand children visits, puppy training, family dinners, letter writing, craft room cleaning, laundry!  Life, lots and lots of life, was planned out around here.  And I was needed to be about the business of getting on with it, by George.

Sunday morning, January 15th, my birthday morning, I finally agreed to go to the hospital.

* * * * *

A month later, after I was home, I drew the flowers from the pictures on the wall in the heart wing at the hospital.  I noticed them every day as I did my paces, trying to get well.

I didn't feel up to completing the picture, but it looks as sickly as I felt.

* * * * *

Two months from my admittance to the hospital, I finally got off antibiotics.

Another three weeks later I was pronounced well, all the complications finally gone.

I am so happy to be walking with the puppies again.

* * * * *

I tell you what.  This whole ordeal has been a serious exercise in priorities, a test of determination, a focus of faith.  I am so very grateful to be well.  I am so very grateful to be able to appreciate the sun, the blue sky, the spring.  I am so very grateful to be here, after the flood.

Garden Gift

After all these years I finally have a hydrangea in bloom!

 The garden is looking amazing with all of ADR's focused work.  He has pulled poison ivey (the birds just love the danged stuff) and grapevines, and planted and mulched.  Flowers are blooming on both sides of the front walk and also in the side garden, and it is so wonderful!  It still has a rambling, wild, dense look that I love so much - random and full of energy.  But everything looks super healthy - better than it has in the last seven years - which is when I stopped gardening to travel for work.  Bah!

* * * *
I have been focusing on cleaning up inside, taking care of the absolute disaster that my art / craft space had become.  With work demanding time, I find that I so desperately want to make time for art that I just sit down and do it, and then never have the opportunity to clean up the resulting mess. And I am in the middle of a very cool art project right now, doing some work for a friend, so I really need the space.  So, I have been spending time digging through everything on the desk and floor, organizing like items into containers, labeling, filing.  It has been several weeks of this effort, and about two weeks ago I finally had a cleaner desk - enough that I could actually make space on top to work.  I found lots of cool things during this process - art supplies I didn't remember I had, little pieces of ephemera that I can use to make more art, interesting colors and stamps and brushes.  Buried treasure!  

Even now with the desk clean, there are things that sit all over the top of the desk - containers filled with paint brushes, big glass containers willed with tubes of acrylic paints, ceramic rectangular dishes to the brim with chalks.  I need all these things in easy reach when I am working (playing!) and I like the way they bring color to the desk.  I also have a super cool piece of bamboo that ADR gave me, filled with markers that I use for my envelope art.

ADR found this bamboo growing wild near his in-laws house.  No one wanted it, so he spent days with a machete out in the heat, cutting down long poles of bamboo.  Then he researched how to treat it so that it dried appropriately and cured the way it is supposed to, to make it strong.  He has used the bamboo to make a table and a really cool garden gate.  The piece that he gave me is about 4 and a half inches in diameter, and as tall as a coffee cup.  It is a beautiful subtle brown, and stronger than you might imagine.  I think that it is such a cool container - such a cool natural gift!  When I found the bamboo on my desk I was tickled and immediately made use of it for the markers. 

In passing the next day or so, I mentioned to ADR how cool my bamboo was that he had given me.

About a week later everyone came up for family dinner.  They were late in arriving and Mr. Bryant and I were out on the porch when they pulled up.  The kids hopped out of the car and came running for hugs and hellos, and SRR had a big smile and hug for us too.  ADR was carrying something and he said - I have a surprise for you mom.  Now, I am not usually much for surprises - but look at what this creative man brought to me.

Bamboo Garden Sculpture

 A one of a kind, hand made just for me, bamboo garden sculpture!  Made of six or seven pieces of bamboo and thick gauge copper wire, it is just so very good.  I am sure that it is excellent feng shui!  ADR installed it in the garden on Monday last, as you see it above.  He has big plans for mulch and flowers that will be planted all around to make it even more fabulous and more an integral part of the garden.

I feel very lucky and blessed to have creativity and beauty all around.  No wonder why I would rather be home than anywhere else!

Thank you dearest son.  I love my garden, and I love my sculpture.

July 4th, 2010

Like many people across our wonderful land, we are relaxing this weekend, and spending time with family for a cookout. We are thinking of those that can not be with us, thanking those that protect our nation, praying for those that struggle to lead us, and asking a beneficent God to bless us all and give us open hearts filled with kindness.

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, starting our tiny 13 colonies on the road to freedom. I did a little research and found some fun facts that I thought I might share that give an interesting perspective on our country, our history, our growth, how we share, and our sheer size.

2.5 million - In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970

309.6 million - The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population clock

31 - Number of places nationwide with "liberty" in their name. The most populous one as of July 1, 2008, is Liberty, Mo. (30,568). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

• Thirty places have "eagle" in their name -- after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol. (Places include cities, towns, villages and census-designated places.) The most populous such place is Eagle Pass, Texas, with 26,668 residents.
• Eleven places have "independence" in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Mo., with 110,440 residents.
• Five places adopted the name "freedom." Freedom, Calif., with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these. (This population total is as of the 2000 Census; no population estimate is available for Freedom because it is a census designated place.)
• There is one place named "patriot" -- Patriot, Ind., with a population of 189.
• And what could be more fitting than spending the Fourth of July in a place called "America"? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, population 27,064.

Sources: Population estimates and American FactFinder.

138- Ranking of the frequency of the surname of our first president, George Washington, among all last names tabulated in the 2000 Census. Other early presidential names that appear on the list, along with their ranking, were Adams (39), Jefferson (594), Madison (1,209) and Monroe (567).
Source: Census 2000 Genealogy

More than 1 in 4 - The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 18.9 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2010. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation's total. North Carolina (9.1 million) and Minnesota (7.2 million) were the runners-up.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6.5 billion pounds - Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2008. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation's total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.6 billion pounds) or Kansas (3.9 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6 - Number of states in which the value of broiler chicken production was $1 billion or greater between December 2007 and November 2008. There is a good chance that one of these states -- Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas -- is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

About 1 in 3 - The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 34 percent of the nation's dry, edible beans in 2009. Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia, Washington and New York together accounted for 66 percent of the fresh market sweet corn produced nationally in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (and here).

Please Pass the Potato Salad - Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. Half of the nation's spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

More than three-fourths - Amount of the nation's head lettuce production in 2009 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

7 in 10 - The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 70 percent of U.S. fresh market tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 95 percent of processed tomato production in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (and here).

Florida - The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (818 million pounds). Other leading producers of this popular fruit included California, Georgia and Texas, each with more than 500 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service


I thank God for this incredible country with all our diversity and options, with all our challenges and blessings. I pray that we will find clearer paths into the future with more civil behavior and respect for each other, with more discourse and more learning. I know with the hand of heaven upon us we will be successful. Happy Fourth of July to all of you!

About Phoenix

(This story was first published on the Boomers&Beyond Blogspot. Below is a modified version.)

This past week I traveled from the green, wet east coast of the United States to Phoenix Arizona for work. The event was pretty typical for work travel - I arrived early at the airport and browsed around half-heartedly in the shops. The flight was on time and completely and totally packed with every single seat occupied. Rush of people to board the plane, standing around in groups waiting, struggling with luggage and overhead bins, making sure to buy a bottle of water and a snack before boarding, and none of the excitement for travel that comes with a family trip or a vacation. Then the flight seemed to take forever. I had a chance to read a book (cover to cover), do some crochet work, and read a magazine.

When we finally landed it was like arriving on a different planet.

Phoenix landscape

Oh yes, everyone talked the same language, I could read the signs, I knew where I was. But the landscape was dramatically different from where I started - and the sky was HUGE! The desert is an amazing place, and very different from my rainy humid east coast of the U.S. home. Hardly any trees, no grass. Lots of flowering bushes - truly gorgeous ones - but nothing like home. Alone in Phoenix I was completely out of my element, completely out of my comfort zone. I had a hard time driving the rental car because I couldn't stop myself from staring and gaping at the desert around me. It truly was an alien landscape for me. I thought about the moon, about Mars.

Phoenix desert

I found my way to the hotel and realized that even though it was mid-afternoon with a blazing sun, it was after dinner "back home." I went to bed at 7:00 PM. It felt like 11:00 PM.

Over the next few days I gained some degree of comfort with my surroundings - I easily found my way between the hotel and the office - but I was still stunned at the views and had to be careful driving. I drove through an Indian reservation. The mountains were a sharp relief against the big big sky, and the dust that blew up from the machines tending the fields swept across that sky in big dark waves. I had seen pictures of this phenomenon, but it was absolutely stunning to witness. Apparently there are still dust storms in the western United States, but I didn't know it.

Dust storm in Chandler

The flowering cactus was breathtaking, as was the heat and the dryness of the air. The Valley of the Sun was true to its name, and the Indian colors were everywhere. I thought of the early explorers and settlers. I appreciated the hardiness of humanity, and our determination.

Then, this morning, I saw a jack rabbit. He raced across the road as I left the hotel (at 5:00 AM Phoenix time, felt like 8:00 AM), and again I slowed my car to take in this surprise. His ears were enormous compared to his body. I called my husband and left a message for him sharing this good omen for the day. I thought about felting a jack rabbit with their huge, heat dissipating ears. I thought about being home.

I was nervous on the way to the airport. Was my watch right? What if I had the time zone wrong and missed the flight? What if I got lost on this last leg of the trip? Why in heavens name was I so nervous??

I made the flight fine and we flew, hours and hours and hours across this great big country. I read, I crocheted, I thought about what I had seen, and I thought about how far away I was from my loved ones. I also considered how amazingly close I am to many incredible people - family and friends alike - through the gift of technology. All across the country - and really, all over the world. Even in this great big country with all the many differences here, and all across the world with all the things that separate us, I am aware that we live on a very small connected planet. And I am lucky to be a part of those connections, blessed with the many different insights, talents, perspectives, and gifts of amazing people all across the globe.

And so I am grateful to be living at this time in history. And as I am happy to be home, I am also delighted at just how wonderful it is to live in our cozy little world.

Wordless Wednesday - June 3, 2009

I Won!! I Won!! I Won!!!

Out here in the blogosphere, some people tend to turn their noses up at awards from fellow bloggers. They aren't "official" enough. They aren't awarded by some august body of special judges.

But I say that one of the great things about the blogosphere is our ability to reach each other in unexpected ways, across many miles. To make new friends, learn from each other, and find common interests. To appreciate the life and loves and hardships and strengths of each other. And to share the unexpected and true gift of awards accorded to each other without pretence and out of personal admiration and love.

And so, without further adieu, here is the news!!!

That talented mrsfatface has awarded my blog with the Kreative Blogger award! I want to thank the Academy, my producers, my ETSY teams, and most of all, my incredible co-stars, my family, for the wonderful stories and content and enrichment they provide to my everyday life!

I know! I know! I am all, like, oooh! aaah! Excellent Fun!

Please, please, before all the congratulations, I do have a tiny little speech.

The rules that I accepted along with this award (do all awards come with rules? hmmm.) are that I am to list seven (7) things that I love, and then pass the award on to others. So, while I am holding this highly coveted award let me share some loving surprises.

1) I love my husband, the one and only Mr. R. L. Bryant. Now who of you is surprised by that?

Mr. Bryant patiently lets me take one more picture.
But who can resist that Man in a White Shirt?!?! Smokin' Hot!!!

2) I love my family, everyone. Here are some of them....

That crazy James and Karla, dearest brother-in-law and Wonder Twin!



Mr. Bryant and Rose



Aunt Nancy, Uncle Mike, Mrs. and Mr. Hanson, after a picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The assembled crowd before the caves and the picnic and the hike!

ADR, SRR, ADR, and JPR. :)

At the beach. (Oh yes, I love the beach too, but I go there with my family so I am counting it here. Nothing in the rules about that. Nothing at all.)

3) I love PEACH PIE! Can't wait for summer and fresh peaches. Recipe here! Can't Wait!

I really need some peach pie now.

4) I love THESE! They were made just for me by the very talented sixsisters at ETSY. Fantastic and beautiful work! I have been very slowly using them, as I don't want to use them up too quick! Thanks so much, LOVE YOU SIX!

The Snow Hare - hand pulled print by
http://sixsisters.etsy.com

5) I love ART. In every form. All the time. Making, sharing, viewing, appreciating. Love It. I am really lucky to be surrounded by incredible artists at every turn. Painting, drawing, welding, cooking, dancing, smiling, spinning yarn, and making castles. Art is everywhere around me and I am grateful every moment.

Look at this, for example. A pencil drawing of Karla and James. Picture taken through glass. Like, wow.

Or here, as a sand castle begins to take shape. From the artist's mind and into life on the beach!

6) I love reading. Did ya know it?

On my bedside table. The books change, but the size of the stack never seems to diminish!

7) I love the music. Especially orchestral and choral music. Singing or listening to choral music reminds me of playing with or listening to an orchestra. I love all the parts, the harmonies. Love it! But, oh, my favs? Pachelbel's Canon. Moonlight Serenade. Yep. There they are.


And just like on my birthday, I am going to add one love to grow on. I love SCRAPBOOKING, putting all these memories where they will last and last, telling the stories of our every day lives, creating a legacy. I have incredible inspiration here from honored artists like Donna Downey, Jennifer Stewart, and Cathy Zielski to everyday people like the amazing Nilla in Kuala Lumpur and the inspired and Very Fun Debi Ellis.


And now, in these last few moments as I prepare to pass this award on, let me tell you that each and every one of these nominees is fabulous, special, talented, and WONDERFUL and that I am lucky lucky LUCKY to know them and learn from them every day. Each one of these award winners has taught me something precious, and I thank them. I am still learning every day, and everyone I meet is giving me the gift of enriching my life!


I bequeath the Kreative Blogger award to the following highly deserving bloggers, with no rules at all. :) Congratulations to....

Janine at AltheaP - a fascinating blogger and artist
Chauncy at her blogspot - a wonderful creative glass artist with a lovely blog
Chris at NiminyFingers - a very talented felt artist with great heart
Olivia at TheFiligreeGarden - a wonderful creative jewelry and fiber artist and a fabulous writer
Jean Hood, The Texas Hill Country Painter - one of my favorite painters with a great blog as well
Joan at SixSisters - a mult-talented artist with a fun and informative art blog
Pearl at Fehustoneware - a fabulous potter and interesting and creative blogger

Thursday Theme - Neighborhood Fun!

We had an impromptu neighborhood "meeting" to enjoy one of the early herald days of spring. Mr. Bryant and I were walking the dog and we ran into the KIDS up the street, and next thing you know, our day was rolling along at a surprising pace!



We spent time playing, snacking, eating, drinking, laughing, catching up, and really enjoying the wonderful people that live right here, in our neighborhood.

I recommend that you take some time and talk with your neighbors. Some of the most wonderful people live on your street!