Something Sublime

When In The Wild West...

...wear what the wild Westerners wear. 

I know what you're thinking..."gosh, does she really need another pair of cowboy boots?"    Well, heck yeah.

Here's the thing...  Dan's Western Wear, a fixture for 90 years in the local landscape of Sheridan, Wyo, is calling it quits.  They're the kind of good, old fashioned business that can help you out with anything from what kind of boots to get to the history of most everything  and everyone in and around town.

It's sad to see Dan's go and I felt I should pay my respects with a last visit to the store.  What do you know?  These pretty little things were waiting for me...and at a deep deep discount.  Yipeekiyiyay.

Buried Treasure-Hidden Gems Of My Blog World

Everyone loves a good treasure hunt, right?  Last year, Seth Apter hosted his annual hunt "Buried Treasure."  It's that time again, so I'm digging through my archives of the last year to come up with the best and brightest of my hidden gems...my favorite blog posts. There are probably quite a few that qualify but I'll just polish up these jewels for your entertainment.  On to our first category...

Most Beautiful:  Scenes From An Oregon Autumn

In late September of last year, I traveled to my homeland of Oregon to teach my sold-out Wingkeeper class at Art & Soul.  The photos I took at my folks house are still some of my favorites.

Most Likely To Succeed:  Fly Like An Eagle

Both my guys are scouts.  Great organization, great values, great young men...gotta love it.

Most Popular:  I Wanna Be A Cowboy

Dang!  These boots were a hit!  I love 'em, my readers love 'em...most importantly, Wife Whisperer loves 'em.

Most Thoughtful:  The Art Of Forgiveness

I love any chance to start a discussion on the meaningful things of life.  For me, it's what the best part of my blog.

 

Best in Foreign Languages:  Hola!

I've been blessed to take several wonderful trips in the last year and Mazatlan was one of them.  Family, friends, food...all the important stuff.

Traveled the Farthest:  Lessons In Survival

There is a terrific story behind these gorgeous antique buttons and I've got something special in the works to showcase their history.

Most Fun:  Vegas...The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

How could you not have fun in this crazy town?  I was there to teach at Art & Soul but Wife Whisperer and I turned it into a 25th anniversary party.

 

Hottest Bod:  Hemi Love

A gem of a car and my latest love...in spite of my recent street racing/speeding mishap/misunderstanding.  But that's a story for another time...

And, even though it's from 2007, one of my all time favorite posts:  You'll Put An Eye Out.  This one is in a category all it's own...Freaks of Nature.

Watching Flowers Bloom

 

Photo from Houston Museum of Natural Science

Here in Houston, we're all watching the flowers bloom.  Well...just one flower...Lois.  Lois is our local Corpse Flower and she's fixin' to bloom this weekend.  For the last six years, shes been a quiet resident at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the Cockrell Butterfly Center.  She's suddenly decided the quiet life isn't for her and is raising quite a stink with this blooming business.  Lois is quite striking at four and a half feet tall.  She rarely chooses to bloom but when she does, she wows the world with a huge, showy, purple flower.  In fact, corpse flowers are very rare.  Lois' ancestors hail from Sumatra where early explorers thought this giant plant was a man-eater.  One of the most fascinating...and repulsive...things about Lois (and probably where she got her man-eating reputation) is her smell.  When she bursts into bloom, she emits a horrendous, eye-watering stench resembling a rotting corpse.  Isn't that attractive?  Actually, it is...to certain insects which are attracted by the stink, make a visit to the flower, and help with the pollination process.

Photo from Kew Gardens

Fortunately for us, we can experience Lois' charms from a distance...stink-free...on the corpse cam.  HMNS is staying open 24 hours a day, waiting and watching, for the big moment.  Lois...show us!

Working A Mystery

I've just spent a working weekend with my partner in creativity, Sharon Tomlinson, pounding out the details of our brand spanking new online workshop...Of Towers and Turrets.

 

I was disappointed that I didn't get to visit the Garden Palace, but we were working too hard to go for romps in the garden.

I've been showing you mysterious little glimpses of the class samples because we don't quite have all the details worked out...but we're really, really close.

And, you'll have to believe me here, what we're offering in this class is going to absolutely WOW you!

I'll give you our by-line:  An Exquisite Fusion of Mixed Media and Mixed Metals.  That's exactly what our class is...a creative fusion.  Sharon and I have had so much fun working on it together.

One of the best things, for me, in this project has been collaborating with another artist.  Sharon brings skills and techniques to the table that are a little different than my own.

I usually work alone in my studio, coming into very little contact with other artists, so it's very inspiring to share ideas and thoughts...to intermingle our media into one fabulous concept.

And, the very best part....now we're offering it to you!  I can hardly wait to see what you all think of the project and the workshop.  We're looking at opening registration very soon.  I hope you come play with us!

Daily Devo

"Sometimes it's hard to be a Christian when you're alone."  It was a proud moment when I read this sentence, written by one of my sons.  What an upstanding young man.  What a revealing comment.

He is someone who has deeply held beliefs and values.  Someone who knows he's swimming against the rip-tide.  Someone who wisely realizes that it might be difficult and lonely but it's who he is...and he is strong enough.

There is a reason it's called the road less traveled....the narrow gate.  It's easy to stay on the fence, not commit to anything (not committing is, in itself, a commitment to something), or do the thing that everyone else is doing, even though it may not be right.  It's much harder to voice a faith that goes against most of those around you.  It is difficult but in fact, we were cautioned and encouraged;  "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  Jn 16:33  In fact, we are not alone.

As my young men prepare to fly out into the world on their own, I can rest assured that they both have good, strong hearts and deep convictions.  For that, I am grateful.  Go into the world.  And grow.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Mt. 10:32-33

Echo-Market

This photo brings to mind bakeries and fish vendors, bundles of flowers in riotous colors, the freshest of fruits, veggies and seafood...Pikes Place Market.  Several years ago I took a delightful holiday to Seattle, which is a place absolutely cram packed with photo opportunities!  The theme for Susan and Chrysti's current Echo prompt is "market" and Seattle's Pikes Place is one of my favorites. 

 

DJ and I have been enjoying working together through the Echo prompts.  I really admire DJ's wonderful talent for making the simplest shot interesting.  Her "Open" market sign is a perfect example.  Signs, in and of themselves, are interesting to me and I had snapped a few good ones in the Seattle marketplace.  "Turkish Delight" (what a fascinating name for a shop!) seemed to coordinate very well with DJ's shot.  Leave your own link in my comments...I'd love to see what you're doing with the Echo prompts...

Wave Your Flag

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

                                                         fourth stanza of  The Star Spangled Banner