When I really make myself think about all the good things in my life, I realize that I NEVER have ANY reason to be unhappy or complain. Even if my darling husband and our precious girls were my only earthly blessings, I would be luckiest woman I know. But then there's work, with 400 young minds I get to fill with art in two BRAND NEW art rooms. Then there's The Book and my coauthor and all the great people at Interweave Press who took a chance. And then there's my freedom and ability and means to spend time making art. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to feed and clothe my girls. I can spend a few dollars on gorgeous fabric and we can still have dinner. We live in a time and place when I truly say to my girls that they can do anything they want to do. Then there is all the beautiful art made so many talented people who share it so generously on their blogs, like Calamity Kim's endless supply of eyecandy. I could go on and on, but I need to cook!

Enjoy your holiday and count your blessings!

Turkey Tomorrow!!

Don't forget the Annual PreThanksgiving Shopping Challenge:
Just for fun, go as late as possible this evening to the grocery store and try to buy Cool Whip - the original blue label, not Extra Creamy, not the store brand. I do this even if I don't need it. Some years I have reached through the crowd into the cooler fearing I would pull back a bloody stump; other years, I have searched every store in town and could only find a solitary tub of Fat Free Cool Whip. In any case, watching frazzled people shop in panic is just good, clean fun.

Cupucopia Corncakes

Or cornucopia cupcakes. Bugles and runts. The girls made these last night to take to my mom and dad's for Thanksgiving, which we celebrated today with them. On Thursday, we will go down home, to the house where my father-in-law was born, in Martin County. J.R.'s grammy, Imogene, is the only grandparent we have left between us. Everybody has two names - Johnny Bob, Larry Wayne, Sandra Mae, Lowell Edward, Lotus June - it's cute and true and our family. So I embrace it fully. I will call the girls Whitley Taylor and Courtney Chanel all day.

Buy this song

right now. It is so stuck in my head and I love it so much I could listen to it a thousand times a day. It is "Straight Lines" by Silverchair. I heard it first on my station, WTTS 92.3.

"Lately I'm a desperate believer and I'm walking in a straight line."

Teachin' art

This is my work life. These are the views outide my art room door and the three simple rules I ask my students to follow. Note the Indiana state tree in the foreground.

Here are the clay vases my fifth graders built last week. I hope to get them all fired tomorrow. My kiln survived the big move and seems to be fine. I fired it for the first time this year today. I hope nothing broke.

This is what makes my art room cool - THE SMART BOARD!

Indiana High School Basketball Player

This is Whit's official basketball portrait. As of last Thursday, she was permanently put moved from the freshman roster to the JV roster. They had their first game last Saturday. I was a nervous wreck and so was she.

She's an Indiana High School Basketball Player. At a school with multiple final four appearances and a couple of state titles. A school with tradition. Maybe you have seen a little film what is called Hoosiers ? That's what I'm talkin' about. A boiling hot gym, red-faced coaches, hassling the stripes and kids leaving everything on the hardwood. Indiana High School Basketball Player. Is there a more sacred phrase? Not in Indiana there ain't.

Her soccer success was a huge deal in the soccer posse, but the rest of her universe paid no attention. She will get more notice for playing JV basketball than she did for playing varsity soccer. That burns her a little.

BTW they won Saturday. Whit had 6 points and played all but a minute four. For those of you who think that's too much detail, there is no such thing as too much detail about a basketball game.

Today for Veteran's Day, we had a lovely program at the flagpole with some darling white hairs from the American Legion. The young man from our church who had been in Iraq for 15 months is back home, safe and sound, thank the Lord. I cannot imagine the worry his mom and dad have been through.

On the daily art thing for 2008 - I have decided to do a series of small quilts, in a range of sizes from ATC to about 2' square that will be laced or buttoned or safety pinned or whatevered together to make one big quilt. Thanks, Kim, for the nudge in the right direction. I have already decided on 12 themes. It will be autobiographical in a way. Some of the quilt themes are Matisse, Frida, Bees, Amy Tan, Philippians 4:17, my granny, my girls, JR and Arrowmont. I want to do lots of different techiniques and styles. It might look the last day of a 3-day yard sale when I'm done, but I'm stoked about doing it.

A Fuss about Daily Art

I have been trying to figure out what my 2008 daily art project will be and cannot come to a conclusion that will stick. I can come up with lots of ideas and think I have it decided, but then I come up with a reason not to do that project. I won't be doing a big journal like this year - too unwieldy. I am thinking of a color limitation in some way and I really want to do something in fabric.

Something I consider on and off is a quilt a month project or a mini quilt a week project. I don't know. I also think I should spend the year drawing. I need to get back to that. I am driving myself nuts and I have other stuff (write a book) that I need to do.

JR thinks I should be working on large scale projects. I have one of those brewing a little, but haven't worked out any details. I Should start a sketchbook for that thing so I can start getting some things on paper.

Next year will be my fifth year of daily art and I want it to be the best yet.

OUR NEW MAYOR

It looks like Bedford's new mayor will be Shawna Girgis, the Independent. Our first woman mayor and our first independent. That's a lot of change for this little town in one fell swoop. Mrs. Girgis is married to Dr.Kamal Girgis who graduated one year ahead of me. We worked at McDonald's together for a while I think. His brother and sister worked there, too.

The new Mrs. Mayor has a Masters Degree in social work and is the director of the Indiana Rural Health Association. I voted for her and I think she will do a good job. God bless her.

Where are my wings?

I picked up the new ish of Somerset Studio today, after skipping the last one or two. It seems like for the last year the letters to the editor have been full of rants against pointy hats and wings. I wanted to show you a picture of what my 14-year old Courtney looked like when she was a baby, like I did on Whit's birthday, but I couldn't resist this one from her 5th birthday. That's Court - looking you straight in the eye and saying take it or leave it. From the time she knew what the camera was, she posed. She's my supermodel.

This is an icing baby. Courtney and I were playing with the leftover decorating icing from her cake. I drew the face on my finger with a sharpie and drew the hat and blankie with icing.

Say what you will about my Colts and those patriots. Tony Dungy isn't a cheat and Peyton doesn't have a baby momma. Sour grapes? Ya think? They're on special up to the supercenter this evening.

The Amazing Race is back on. It is pretty much the only show we all watch together. JR picks his worst favorites and best favorites right away. When that one lady said the Amazing Race is a love letter to the planet, she lost me.

Speaking of races, Bedford elects a new mayor Tuesday. The Republican and the Independent are both women; the Democrat is a man. I'm voting for the Indpendent Candidate. I have watched and listened to the debates on tv and radio and paid attention to what's going on in town and there is no doubt in my mind that she is the smartest, most articulate and best qualified for the job. It looks like we will have our first woman mayor, in any case. The Democrats aren't even backing their guy; the party hasn't given him a dime.

Frustration, Transition and Teenagers

This is Courtney. She will be 14 tomorrow. She is getting a North Face jacket. Some pals of ours are having their annual bonfire and hayride tomorrow evening, so I am taking a cake to that - chocolate with chocolate. She's a sassy one, but very good and quite smart. She takes after her daddy in that department.

So that's the teenager bit. Now for the frustration - why am I bothering to blog when I have a deadline in a month and no time to make art. Fun art, new art, the art I have been inspired to make while working on The Book.

I read the new ME Home Companion today. It made me feel sick. Time for a transition of some kind in my art life. Maybe I'm in the midst of it and it's moving so slowly that I can't see it.