yes, you can.

"our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~ Mariann Williamson

mm

mmmy mantra.... as i delve further.... into this thing.... called art....

dreams....

last weekend, i spent a most loverly time with my friend ellen.

i met her at the farm, where she keeps her horses and i took over 300 snaps of the gorgeous creatures. i have been painting like crazy lately and primarily focusing on horses......my goal is to have my very first art show, this fall.

..........aahhhhhh!

did i just say that out loud??

"this fall" is like right around the corner!

oh boy, that makes it seem even more real.

it makes me feel both excited and scared.......but in a very good way....

the thing is though, in order to balance out my time, i fear i will not be blogging as usual. i plan on posting (i can not help it), but commenting around takes up valuable time that i must use.....

to court my muse.

i hope you understand.

all photos taken by me.....

in ellen's, to die for, screened in porch.

a taste of what is to come....

and so please excuse....

me for just a while......

while i work on making my dreams come true.........

mmm

mmmm

revised...

oh my goodness!!!!!

i am dying here.

since i started this post this afternoon,

since i wrote "making my dreams come true", and i kid you not about this......

i have received a call from my neighbor/artist/ friend.....

she will be picking up some of paintings in the morning to hang them in a shop called Just Around The Corner.......in downtown Franklin.......turns out my cute little town is having its very first art crawl tomorrow night!!!

and I (yes, little ol ME) will have paintings hanging there for everyone to see!!!

incredible......

this is another first for me!

i am so excited......

gulp.

o.k. gotta go tweak a few things and put my signature on my babies!!!

double gulp!!

and

thank the powers that are greater than me,

for this most amazing gift.

ask and ye shall receive.

espalier.....

one of the duties, as the gardener to this particular property, is to keep this beautiful espalier looking good.
combined out of 11 bradford pear trees and trained into a living fence...

installed 6 or 7 years ago (can't remember) and underplanted with hosta...,,,,

it borders one corner of the pool area......

it grows like crazy and needs a haircut about every three weeks! see that wheelbarrow there? i call that "my office". i have included this photo with the 5 foot ladder, to show scale and YES i have to stand on the TOP rung of the ladder to reach the top of the espalier (don't do this at home). can you picture me up there, in my stylish wellies and vintage apron and hair in braids?? ya, right......

although, i DO wear my hair in braids.

at what age, is it too old to wear braids?

or teeter at the top of a ladder?

not a bad place to work, eh?

i love my job.

mm

mmm

i hope Hurricane Irene doesn't wreak too much havoc on YOU......

evacuating NY City?? unheard of. oh my.

right around the corner...

feeling restless yesterday....
we took off for a drive through the country. we had not traveled far...

when i spotted this cheerful white weed, merrily dancing across the field.

it turns out.

it was just what i needed.

i go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.

~john burroughs