A Favorite Tale - "Mr. Tom"

My sister and I won't have the chance to be together this Thanksgiving, due to other commitments made and physical distance (i.e. me living in Kansas and her living in Kentucky). I always miss her company, but this feeling seems especially magnified during the holidays.

We did not always have the easiest relationship growing up, but now we share a deep bond of friendship, along with sharing a similar childhood history.

And although we are different, we are also very similar in a lot of ways. I enjoy being with her for many reasons, to name just a few...she is easy to talk to, always willing to lend a sympathetic ear, and can definitely out shop, and out bargain hunt me.

The story below is one that I shared on my blog two years ago. As I sat down to write my Thanksgiving post, this tale kept coming to mind.

I hope you will indulge me, as I regale the story of "Mr. Tom". And as they say on the radio airwaves, I am dedicating this one to my sister from across the miles.


"Every year in November, I love to decorate my office with the picture of this funny little character. Made from simple construction paper and elmer's glue, this is one of my favorite art pieces to hang on the wall near my desk.

Mr. Tom, as I affectionately call him, is an endearing reminder of the first Thanksgiving holiday I celebrated at my sister's home. Because of life circumstances, the relationship between my sister and I had slowly drifted apart. After many years, we both came to a point in our lives where we each began to reach out for the other. And, the precious moments of this particular holiday gave us the opportunity to reconnect, and rekindle our bonds of love, friendship, and sisterhood.

My two beautiful nieces were quite young when I visited that first year. I remember my sister commenting during a phone conversation before the trip that the girls thought their Aunt Tracie was VERY COOL because I was an artist.

WELL...not wanting to disappoint my adoring fans, I dragged along some art supplies, and whipped together a few ideas so they could enjoy making some art of their own. The first project I shared with them was constructing festive holiday placemats for everyone at the Thanksgiving table.

OH, what FUN, we had making our table art. We all looked like mad scientists with the furrowed brow that matched our intense concentration as we created our masterpieces. There were sounds of scissor snipping, pieces of construction paper flying about, and glue everywhere. My nieces pulled out every crayon they could find, along with all their glitter, and more markers than I had ever seen in order to help with our decorating efforts.

My brother-in-law even joined in the crafting session, and made a placemat for himself. Secretly, I think he was worried that he might not have a place to sit if he did not mark his spot at the table with a custom piece of art.

It was only by some miracle that my art placemat did not have one stain or unsightly food remnant on it after our delicious meal. So while I was helping with the clean up, I removed my art piece from the table, and carefully tucked it in my suitcase.

Once I returned home, I took it straight over to my nearest office supply store to have it laminated. And, after all these years, Mr. Tom continues to be a most cherished keepsake from a holiday of wonderful memories and Thankfulness."

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

The Perfect Gift

Swift the days come now, drawing us closer to the end of the another year. And, I find myself spending more and more time contemplating what the future will be like in the months ahead, and dreaming of the adventures I will experience in the coming year.

Wonderful opportunities to travel are more than just ways to fill idle time. They are gifts that I give myself as I walk the pathways of life. These are chances for me to renew and refresh my ideals and perspective, along with enveloping myself in friendship and art.

All too often, these beautiful experiences come and go in the blink of an eye without ever having time to deeply savor the minutes. But what if there was an occasion that included all the possibilities to make such a travel experience even more inspiring, and spiritual.

What a PERFECT Gift that would be!

There is a great joy about a week in Orvieto, Italy that creates a wonderful, spiritual journey because the place, the way of living, the experience itself induces contemplation, brings peace and quiet, reawakens the child within to the wonders of the world.

How does it happen?

Well, there is a magic that can't be explained, but just being in Orvieto for a week makes it happen.

There are elements that contribute to this magic, such as being in a foreign country raises the level of awareness. We are present, absorbing, experiencing all there is, instead of thinking or worrying about the past or future.

We are removed from home, its demands, e-mail, phone calls, distractions. This allows us to pay attention, to really live.

The cultural exploration and immersion provided is fun, different, eye opening and induces reflection and comparison to our own ways at home.

Taking a week long workshop provides a more concentrated involvement, resulting in deeper observations, which by its very nature is reflective.

During our trip, we will reside at a convent Bed&Breakfast that is serene, a place that induces thought, overlooking the countryside, and providing a sense of timelessness and history.

What a PERFECT gift to give yourself or a loved one this holiday season... the Gift of Time, Travel, and Rich Experiences, along with Unforgettable Memories

This INCREDIBLE experience is scheduled for mid May of 2009 with reservations required no later than late February 7, 2009. Find out all the details, here.

More Beautiful Words to Share

WELCOME dear friends...YES, Welcome... and THANK YOU so very much for stopping by to visit.

Continuing in the spirit of sharing words, I am THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE that I am now offering the 2nd in a series book of Poetry and Art called, "Quiet Moments, A Reflection Of Days Unfolded"

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS GIVING, this small treasure is available to pre-order, with all holiday purchases of the book being gift wrapped and shipped starting December 10th.

My little shop is also filled to the brim with other WONDERFUL holiday delights such as NEW winter inspired Gifts of Nature Tags, GORGEOUS Nest Assemblages, and the most CHARMING Painted Pin Cushions.

But don't wait, quanities are limited, and the number of poetry books available is limited to 50 through December 31st. Once sold out, the book will not be available again until January 1.

Happiest of Holidays to you and yours!

The Day Has Come... To Share These Beautiful Words

The Idea:
We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along. Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.
One of my favorite poets is Ted Kooser. Just like myself, he lives on the Plains of the Midwest, and his poetry is influenced by his experiences in Nature.

Mr. Kooser has published over 8 poetry books, but "Winter Morning Walks" is my very favorite.

I had a hard time limiting myself to just one poem, so I decided to share four of them with you today.

december 9

"Fence post to fence post,
just out of reach,
a bank swallow led me
into the sunrise.

Black, white and gray
like a half-burned love letter
floating up out of the fire,
she led me along.

I would like to have read
what was left of that message,
red on its feathery edges
with dawn."



february 16

"In fair weather, the shy past keeps its distance.
Old loves, old regrets, old humiliations
look on from afar. They stand back under the trees.
No one would think to look for them there.

But in fog they come closer. You can feel them
there by the road as you slowly walk past.
Still as fence posts they wait, dark and reproachful,
each stepping forward in turn."



march 12

"Only a crust of moon is left
to offer the morning,
but that may be enough for now,
what with our frosty picnic table
so heavily laden with stars."



march 20

"How important it must be
to someone
that I am alive, and walking,
and that I have written
these poems.
This morning the sun stood right at the end of the road
and waited for me."



If you would like to enjoy more beautiful inspiring words, visit this post on L.K. Ludwig's blog and follow the links.

A Day of Sharing Words

The Idea:
We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along. Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date:
Wednesday, November 19.

The Plan:
1. On your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you. (quotes and song lyrics also welcome). Include the author (or composer or musician) and source (book, album)- perhaps also the amazon link if there is one. no explanation required, no other revelation about the poem you are choosing is necessary. One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.

2. Visit this post on L.K. Ludwig's blog.

3. Add a comment with your link, and L.K. will create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the rhythm of the words, see the image and share in the experience.

The Request:
If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Words- encourage your friends to post. Who couldn't use a few new poems in their treasury or new songs in their hearts? How cool would it be if we coud get dozens of bloggers to share on the same day!? What an anthology that would make!!!


What a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday by sharing the gift of Poetry.

Join Us.. Won't You!

Be Glad Of Life...

Because It Gives You The Chance
to Love,
to Work,
to Play,
to See the Sunrise.

Feeling JUST like a Kid Again!

As a child, I never had the occasion to participate in summer camp. But if I ever had, I would liken my experiences at ArtFiberFest to being part of a quaint childhood retreat that always provided the fondest of memories and recollections.


This event , now in its fourth year, is chocked full of opportunities to laugh, smile, and enjoy friends. Those who come are quite a tight knit group.

It is not to say that newcomers are not welcome... not at all... everyone is quickly embraced with equal love and acceptance, which is one thing I adore about community and being with like minds, like hearts.
My love for mixed media fiber adventures is always nourished when I have the chance to be at this gathering, where we speak a somewhat different language, using words such as fabric, thread, needle, felting, stitching, beading, dyeing.

It is an encounter that is rich with soft fibers and beautiful textures waiting to be touched and embraced, and artisans that preserve age old traditions of quilting, sewing, and intricate handwork, along with pushing the boundaries of these utilitarian processes, with their hints of cottage craftiness, into the elevated realms of art.

This year I had the opportunity to lead two incredible workshops. As always, the most amazing artists come to play, experiment, to be brave and wander outside their own repertorie of skills.

And, I have the chance to witness the most awe-inspiring beauty and creativity each person brings with them. What an incredible gift I am given each and everytime I teach, when I see the bright light of art-making in the eyes of another.

JUST LOOK! at what was made in only a day in both the Nature Inspired Fabrics, and the Ode To Nature Necklace classes.

Breathtaking! is all I can think to say.



However, no trip to my favorite city, Seattle, would be complete without a visit to the Public Market. It is always the first place I long to go after exiting the airport, so that I can soak up the energy and the atmosphere of the surroundings. It is such a natural high for the senses that I feel intoxicated by the moments spent there.

Bouquet after bouquet of flowers can not help but make the heaviest heart feel light. The bursts of color and fragrances can invigorate the most weary traveler.


As always, time moves at lightning speed when you are engulfed in activities that make your heart sing. I look forward to returning to this little retreat with all its magic, knowing I will continue to make more wonderful memories to write upon the page of my days.

The Return

If you leave a place, even for a day, how much of it changes... and how much remains just as it was.

And, are those changes ones that will be noticed or merely dismissed, leaving one to ponder, if perhaps, what is remembered was simply imagined, or dreamed.

The prairie grasses were a deep warm russet, making the Plains burn with the glow of Autumn, when I set out beyond the boundaries of comfort and routine into the world at large.

Everywhere I looked, the landscapes seemed incredibly alive, ablaze with vivid Fall colors as I began my travels, and I wondered if all of this splendor would be gone, relinquishing itself to the heathery gray hues of winter before I would come back.

I returned home yesterday from 13 days on the road teaching hither and yon. The experience was awe-inspiring!

I can not travel without completely succumbing to the divine influence of those I meet and the art I see. It always makes me want to rush home and create, create, create... even though I feel a bit weary.

The fatigue, strange beds, bad eating habits, multiple time zones, and airline hassles are all quickly diminished by the energies of time and place that surround me. It is always, always the people and their creative spirit that prove to be well worth every ounce of hardship.

So much to share... so much to tell you all, but it must wait until pictures have been downloaded and sorted, urgent emails read and answered. Soon though... soon.

The Plains did not greet me with the same brilliance along the pathway towards home... never the less, I was returning to Kansas with a richness, and feeling very much alive inside with the burning glow of memories, ablaze with the consciousness of events that have woven themselves like threads into my days that make up this one, wonderful life!

I am glad to have been there and glad to return.