Our New Arrival

Announcing the World Premier of Our Baby

MIXED MANIA: RECIPES FOR DELICIOUS MIXED MEDIA CREATIONS

Weighing in at 2 lbs

Measuring 10" long

Delivered via Fed Ex

With no epidural

Proud Mothers - Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater

New season, new post

The pictures never seem to end up where I want them when I publish a post, but they look okay for now, so here we go.

It's been, what, four weeks since I posted here? I have meant to get in here and update many times, but by the time I have time, I am too tired to form complete sentences. The girls are more-than-busy with soccer, (cross country, too, for Court) and homework. Courtney often puts in 10 hour days at school, with cross country after a two-hour soccer practice. But she has handled the transition into high school like a Chinese diver - smoothly and with very little splash. It's like she's always been there. Whit leads the varsity soccer in goals; Court leads JV and is second to Whit on varsity. Court is running pretty solid in the #3 varsity spot on the cross team.

What about art? The big book I showed you last time is a Dreaded Art Journal. No time limit or theme. Notes, sketches and lots of words. I guess I'm over worrying about whether somebody reads it or not. I've missed writing since my class was over in the spring. It also seems like I run out of listening ears before I run out of words to say and pages are very patient. Some of the pages here are done; some are in the process. The pink and purple ones are a chronicle of my design process for something I have in progress right now. People ask me how I come up with stuff. I don't know what to tell them - sometimes it's a long and circuitous route from the germ of the idea to finished product. It ain't magic.

Why "Dreaded"? The word journal makes me squirm a bit. A journal is where emo kids write about their angst or something dark like that. No big secrets or plots in my book. . . I can't deny my craving for the book form - whether or not it's commercially viable in the mixed media world or not - it's my thing. I have strayed from it in pursuit of Other Things and it feels good to be home.