Thursday, April 21, 2011
Since yesterday, when I tried to get onto my Twitter page, I saw that they had switched to their new format which I had already been using for months. However, there's a problem...no surprise with Twitter! They won't let me sign in. I have used the correct username and password and I cannot get onto my profile page for use. I am able to see it but I can't perform any actions. Can't post, or send DM's...nothing because the action links don't show until I sign in which they won't let me do. I just get another set of boxes to fill out my username and password and then fill out the word jumbles! They are accepting nothing! What a joke. This is the third Twitter page I am locked out of. One was for my husband and one was hacked into and stolen from me and I was suspended. Now I simply cannot sign in, so I'm posting this into the ethers for anyone who may come across my post here.
If anyone wants to contact me, my email address is: 22cats-crossing@cox.net
If Twitter should fix itself, then I will begin to post again.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Remembering Jack Goodman
"Jack & Myself"Good Times in Idaho - 5 miles South & 1/4 West
( walking around the old homestead )
Once in a while I get the urge to Google someone from my past, as I Google myself sometimes to see what comes up. So I Googled an old friend from the time we lived in Idaho, Jack Goodman. After so many years have passed, we have been out of touch for most of them. Just wondering how he and his family were I found a link that mentioned him as a poet and his book of poetry published in 2009, "Wind Songs from Turtle's Back." I was not that surprised as Jack was always a deep person who was always quiet and in deep thought, an inward person, so it didn't surprise me at all that he was writing. I read that he was also now a cattleman and had moved from our old farm house 5 miles south of Jerome...they rented it from us so we could buy a house in town. We became close friends after that.
I later went to amazon.com to search for his book and was thrilled that they had 2 left! I ordered it right away and it arrived in the mail yesterday. :) I didn't read cover to cover, but read the first few pages and back cover, then flipped through it stopping and reading poems that caught my eye or soul, as his poems were about his experiences and life with wild and domestic animals of the great northwest. Since I knew Jack and I lived in Idaho for 5 years, each word I read was very special as I visualized him writing and felt close to him once again as a friend, being there as he watched his failing dog, felt the hot steam from his cup of green tea, felt the wind blowing snow in his face as he fed his cattle, and in the canoe down the Snake River witnessing the birds flying over.
His poems touched my soul, and old memories came flooding back to that old farmhouse we both lived in and picturing his new farmhouse as they have moved away where he raises his cattle. Thinking of Jack sitting on his porch looking at the canyon walls makes me very lonesome for Idaho again. It owns a piece of my heart. The 5 years I lived in Jerome were probably the best years of my life. I can't be there except in my mind, and I can be there in my dreams and thoughts, and love the land and friends that meant so much to me.
"Wind Songs from Turtle's Back" has now become one of my sacred books, and Jack, you will remain a good friend in my heart forever.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
White Peacock
No one can disbelieve in the divine beauty of naturewhen their eyes fall upon this angelic creature!
The weaver could never create a design so perfect.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
FAWN with quote
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
~Maya Angelou
Friday, April 1, 2011
Time To Close...or not
I woke up this morning thinking about how I would feel if I closed Three Lights Sanctuary and just stayed home. I felt more at ease. Like a weight was lifting. I have been going back and forth about whether to stay or close for a long time. There is absolutely no reason to sit there waiting for people to come in. They don't.
Now that I've rented a 4-shelf case in Putnam, CT in Jeremiaha's Antique Shoppe and have sold only one item in March, my first month, and knowing he is busy on the weekends, I am now doubtful that retail of any kind anywhere in this local area is successful. Driving around from town to town and looking at the main streets and retail shops like mine, not super stores, I don't see any activity to speak of anywhere. The only place close by that is showing signs of success are the second hand stores on our main street in town. I believe now that the only thing people can afford or will pay for are things marked at very low prices. And so these junk sellers clean out homes and attics and pay a tiny amount of cash so they can resell these used items.
I'm not nor was I ever in the junk business. I have my own junk and mother's leftovers from her antique shopping days. These things that will fit on shelves I'll save for Jeremiaha's. Next month I'll try antiques and old stuff and bring my Spring and Easter things home. My case is in the last row of cases in the shoppe. I wonder if everybody goes down that row...some do, but is that part of the problem? Because I have been successful selling in antique stores before, but that ship has sailed, where I sold before...no more info about that. Back to Jeremiaha's, he says all but one person makes their rent each month, and now it's 2 adding myself! I don't know if I believe it, though, because there has to be a whole lot of merchandise going out his door for 50 dealers to make $50 a month, and to make it worth while, you have to make at least twice that much every month or your merchandise goes out the door for nothing. You can not break even. And for me, losing money every month by keeping Three Lights Sanctuary, and now my case in Putnam, I think it's time to make some reasonable decisions.
I ask and keep asking myself the appropriate questions hoping I'll see the light and either close or think of another way to get people in to stay open, but just thinking about sitting in the middle of "contractor ally" depresses me! I am surrounded by offices as that's who my landlord has rented to since I have been there, and he has 2 more rental units yet to rent. The restaurant in the front brings no one around because he doesn't open for lunch. So I think it's time to stay home. Bring everything home and be out by the end of May as I already paid for April, and the landlord has my last month's payment already.
I was thinking of having a "party" but it's just more money on advertising and refreshments and in my past experiences, people don't show up for such things. I once had an Open House when I was a pet photographer and had the works! Prizes, clown with balloons, food, and ads. I was donating a portion of the proceeds to an animal shelter and had one of their volunteers helping me with things. What a joke that was!! No one showed up, not even any of the people who worked at the animal shelter! That was a huge slap in the face!! So, do I want more people ignoring my efforts, low prices, and refreshments taking the chance that they'll show up this time? Or should I save my blood pressure and just forget about breaking my back and wallet trying to get the public into my studio/shop. I think it's time to leave and give up being in the retail business, which for me is only a hobby anyway. And if I'm going to just lose money at the antique shoppe, too, I may as well keep everything or donate some things to charity, like I did before Christmas, donating racks of old and some new merchandise to a local church. I never heard from that person about how their bazaar went, but I got rid of a lot of stuff I'd been carrying around from location to location.
Sigh...sometimes you have to keep talking like this to come to the right decision. The only other option which I MAY try, is to keep my unit at Pinewood Park and do something behind closed doors so I'm not obligated to let people in. With no activity near me, I don't like letting men into my shop. And being a studio with my paintings, they could rightfully stay as long as they wanted looking at paintings and everything else, and there would be nothing I could do about it but be uncomfortable or lie and say I had to close. I have looked at many scenarios and so I think I either give up the space, or keep it for myself only. Now what would I do there? I guess, paint! But only until winter. The heat (electric) is too expensive and the driving is difficult. Seems that painting at home during the cold weather and painting there in the warm weather is what would work as it's too hot in my loft at home to paint.
So speaking of closing, that's what I am about to do at this time.
Good day!
Saturday April 2,2011
Yesterday I came to a conclusion to my indecision about whether to close my art studio or not. This will solve my concerns.
I am going to keep my space at Pinewood Park, bring all gift merchandise home except for what I create: my paintings, Stones of Galilee, poetry, and greeting cards. I will bring home all small cabinets I'm now using for excess gift items. I can always put this merchandise out in my case at Jeremiaha's. I will close to the public weekdays and use my studio to paint, write Stones of Galilee, eat lunch...it'll serve as my workshop, and the door will remain locked. On Saturdays I will open to the public by appointment and have a sign in my window with phone number.
This should solve all problems. I'll get my supplies out of the loft at home and fix up my studio to actually paint in it, yet I won't close the door for people who want to see what I offer when my husband can open with me on Saturdays.
I'm comfortable with this. If a retail store should open in the old Stove Shop, maybe I'll feel comfortable opening during the week. For now, this is a good change.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Garden Sanctuary
This beautiful sanctuary in a private garden is my place to sit and sun myself. I love being here and I am free to scratch at the grass and between the flowers and I am never punished because I am just doing what comes naturally.
Up the stairs is a shaded porch and behind that is my home where I sleep and eat there, too. I am let outside when they open the door or when I ask by sitting near the door to the porch. But this garden sanctuary is my favorite place to live. I know I have a good life and I know I am spoiled, but I also know it is sometimes called, love. I hear that word all the time, and deep down inside my stomach I know what love is between humans and animals. I have that with my family...love. I am a lucky fellow!
Blessed be the animals that aren't as lucky as I am. I will share my garden sanctuary if a stray animal wanders into my special place.
I learned what love is. There is enough to go around.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Decisions...decisions
It's a mild morning in my piece of the Earth. Love having the birds singing and eating and flying around the yard every day. (The cats love watching them, too!) (And I love watching the cats watching the birds :)) So many days I sit with my journal writing pros and cons about whether to keep my studio/shop, and I keep coming to the decision to keep it for now...waiting for someone to rent the old Stove Shop in front, hoping that will make a difference by being an attraction for people, and if they go there they should see my flag and sign and stop in to see what I have to offer. That hasn't happened yet and it's a guessing and waiting game. The restaurant is not open for lunch, so it makes no sense to spend time there because no one stops in when I do sit there. There is no other affordable place to move my studio, so it's Pinewood Park or home. Home is where my heart is, and I have more work I need to do at home than I'd like. My 10 cats are here and love my company, so why am I constantly looking to do something away from home? I have been pondering the fact that I actually prefer to be alone. People cause too many problems, cause stress and emotional pain and hurt feelings, and through this type of communication (email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs,) people still find a way to argue and cause undo stress. There is too much that is misunderstood, especially when communicating with those in other countries. Some, or most Europeans get insulted at the drop of a hat. Then before you know it, you're no longer communicating anymore. I feel that is such a shame, but it goes along with the territory using this kind of communication. But that's water under the bridge. I just think about how much energy and resources I have spent on relationships via email, blogs, and other social networks and the end result is still the same, I end up retreating and wanting to be alone. Then there comes a time when I want to "share" again and go back to these networks only to be disappointed once again. So I am here in the quiet where no one is scolding me for what I write, and maybe no one reads, or maybe someone reads, so what does it matter. If I want a following and feedback I should be among the masses and work at collecting thousands of followers. But that isn't what I want. With the masses comes the conflict because you can't please everyone. If you have conflict with one other person, imagine how much you would have with hundreds and thousands. God Bless the people in the entertainment field and those who are famous and very well known. You have to be super tough and a social butterfly to invite that into your life. I am living in the reverse of that, and I am comfortable with my choice. However, I still want to share my paintings and my Stones of Galilee, and have found that the one thing that seems to work is to do the work myself but place it in another's physical space to get my art to the public (masses) including other's web sites such as Fine Art America. However things are so slow economically, things are moving at a turtle's pace. So, I keep writing, sitting at my PC, and I do find some comfort and intimacy being alone with my thoughts. I could also do the same with pen and paper, and so I do both. Since I have taken a vacation from Facebook and left my blog address there, any of my FB friends can find me here if they want to. I have a new follower, Ann, and wonder if it's Ann from FB, maybe she will let me know. Thank you for stopping by! :) This conversation with myself can go on and on...so many components involved. I am so into living by the direction my intuition takes me...I have so much here at home...and people can be so cruel "out there" I keep thinking about what Carolyn Myss said in a story about a writer, I forget which woman it was, had to be a cloister...always wore white, and had to write all the time. I wonder if I would be happy just to be at home writing and sitting in my makeshift chapel, and reading my sacred books, while at the same time living in the real world that I share with my husband. I find peace in solitude. Giving up my studio seems to be getting closer and closer, as it's only expensive storage. I am going to close on that note...I still have the upstairs cats to feed, so if anyone "out there" has read this, thank you for your interest. If no one will read this, I am at peace that I have this outlet to write down my thoughts and feelings. Good Morning ~ Monday, March 28, 2011
On Vacation
I'm on vacation from Facebook as things have gotten muddy and murky recently. I'm vacationing here in the now and will be posting the beautiful photos I've been busy collecting to use on FB, and will share them here for awhile, instead. I feel more freedom here already. It's my private space and at the same time open to all who stumble here or come here because they know I am here and want to see what I post, or view my photos, or to say, "hello." If people do not like what I post here, I will not be moved to react negatively. I am not opening myself here to criticism, and to those who may criticise, I do not have to respond.
I am looking forward to being myself in my space. I think I am going to love being on vacation!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Josh Groban - Tickets
St. Patrick's Day is always a lucky day for me, and so the tickets to see Josh Groban were in today's mail! Now the lottery tickets bought today should also be lucky...will find out at supper time!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
My First Sale ON FAA
Finally, after a year and 2 months, I received an email from Fine Art America telling me I sold a "greeting card" of my painting, "Mandala!" A small sale but I had almost given up...thinking I wouldn't sign up again for their sales program, but I did and am glad I did.
The sale came from a buyer from San Antonio, TX which was a surprise because another recent "visitor" viewing that painting was from Chepachet, the town where my art studio is. I was sure it was someone from there, funny how it was someone from Texas!
As small a purchase as this was, it somehow gave me some motivation needed to continue to paint and look for more ways to display my art. I have shelf space in Putnam, CT at Jeremiah's Antiques, and in the other direction, I have been offered to sell paintings at Cindy's Flowers & Things in her new store in Smithfield, so maybe there is some light at the end of this dark tunnel after all.
Debating whether to keep my space at Pinewood Park or not as I am not the least bit interested in sitting there among offices and unfriendly people. The restaurant in front has opened but not for lunch yet when I would be there, and the stove shop is still FOR RENT as well as a unit above me, so things have to come together soon or I will leave and sell my art and merchandise in other's stores.
But...Keeping the faith!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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