Frosty Morning

I took this frosty, peaceful picture a couple weeks ago. It's particularly nice to look at today since we're having quite the opposite weather right now. It's been unseasonably warm again and raining heavily for days (although yesterday we had a few brief, fantastic hours of sunshine, which my girls and I took advantage of with a picnic at the park. In DECEMBER.) and rivers all around us are flooding. Just a few minutes ago, a thunderstorm kicked up. If it doesn't let up soon, someone's going to have to build an ark.

P.S. I just came back inside from letting the dog out, and it's hailing like crazy. And MAN, that lightning is getting close!

Weekend Reflections: Stephanie Kallos' Still Life

Yesterday I went to the first annual Women Writers Salon at Hedgebrook, a retreat for women writers on Whidbey Island. It was a day of communion and adventure as we ate fantastic food, talked about the issues women writers face, and took workshops on a variety of topics. Best of all, for me, was making new friends.

This selection of items was on a wicker table at my morning workshop with Stephanie Kallos. The tableau was so enchanting with the streak of morning light across it, I took a picture of it as soon as I got the chance. The little mirror is reflecting a sprig of evergreen in a pottery vase, and the fabric bowl is filled with folded pieces of paper with our hopes for the day written on them. The letter tiles were for us to play with if our fingers got fidgety. Luckily, my fingers were busy writing most of the time... because after all, that's what I was there for.