As much as I’ve loved the winter rain, dripping trees, and bright moss forming on the bluff out back I need more to stretch out in the sun. To move around under a blaze of yellow and blue.
84 degrees worth of bone soaking warmth today. I drove all the way home with the windows down. I had forgotten the feel of warm wind on skin.
The remnants of sickness still holding on in my throat and sinuses, but today felt hopeful.
Went looking for sandals after school and came home with plates. So beautiful! Who could resist?
If you ever come for dinner at Moss Cottage you might recoil at my densely patterned plates.
But not the bowls. Who doesn’t need a nice deep bowl to lap milk out of? I haven’t bought bowls in years and years. The truth is I needed them more than sandals. The truth is I didn’t even make it to the shoe department. The dishes got me first.
In addition to feeling physically sick the last couple of weeks I’ve been completely drained of creative energy. I almost posted this photo the other day instead of the sanitorium. See that stagnant puddle of water there? My visual journal is underneath that. Somewhere…
Eventually I’ll fish it out and get it up to the surface. More than you hate coming here and not finding anyone home, I hate not being here. So thanks for all the comments and emails when I’ve had so little to leave out for you.
Last year at this time I was full of vim and vigor. Among other things, I made valentine mailart. The photo in the piece below is yours truly being held by Papa Moss.
More.
Looking at the photos of mailart that is long gone seems like just the right elixir.
Slowly I’m being pulled back into the world of ideas.
i’m a sucker for plates and dishes too.
Hi, again. Couldn’t stop thinking about Kate’s comment. I have noticed that, too…after a favorite blogger gets written up in a magazine they seem to lose the urge to blog. Could it be that blogging comes to seem like a CHORE or OBLIGATION instead of a joy? That would be so sad!
Or perhaps an activity that once seemed cozy and intimate suddenly seems very exposed. A magazine article, and suddenly everyone knows all about you.
No matter what, the friendly feelings and appreciation we all feel for our favorite blogger won’t change. We want you to fully enjoy your life and creativity–even if that means no more blog posts for us to read! (Of course we MISS you when you’re not around to visit!)
Whatever you decide about your blog, I hope your mood lifts soon and the joy and creative light comes back into your life. All the Best! RJ
Mary Ann– wanted to send a HUGE congrats to your feature in the latest Artful Blogging issue— you must be THRILLED!
VERY well deserved. Congrats to you! 🙂
De-lurking to say I’ve missed you. Love your “voice”, your photos, and your wonderful stencil art! I hope you’re “refueling” by doing some lurking yourself. Great creative vibes are coming back into blogland after the winter doldrums. A site called Geninne’s Art Blog has birdies on wood. Made me think of you, and Smile! Hope your own doldrums pass soon. RJ
I’ve got one of those pools in my back yard and can’t seem to get rid of it. hmmm
….dishes.
They look sunny and bright.
Happy to see you feeling well enough to be HERE! This yuck-ness is really taking its toll, here too.
Welcome back to the world Missy….
Mary Ann, I got the Artful Blogging magazine and read it on the train to California and back to Colorado. Congrats on being included! BUT, I was thinking (knowing my creative cycles as I do) that if I were in there, I’d probably shut down and not want to blog ever again. Then I see that you’re in a creative funk. Here’s what I would feel: like now what I posted would be to please all those new viewers, and meet their expectations; that it wasn’t ‘all mine,’ anymore. I hope, if that’s how you feel, it will pass and you will ‘take it back’ again! I love Mary Ann’s world, and don’t want it to change!
And, of course, you may be a stronger creative soul than I am, and you’re going, ‘what the?’ at this message. Hope so!! And now that I’ve exposed MYself… Loved the California (north) sunshine! Kate
Glad you are feeling better. I have enjoyed your blog. I will visit again.
Glad you are feeling better. I do love the plates.
Holy Cow! That post was from two days ago and I’m just now seeing it. See what happens when you go missing – your friends just forget all about you. NOT!
I’m so happy you are back. Keep on keeping on getting better. Your fans await you. There must be masses of new fans pouring in after meeting you in Artful Blogging.
Your being “away” for this time gave me an excuse (like I needed one – lol) to go back to look at many of my favorite posts. Friday, November 02, 2007 is still one of my most favorite – the bones of MY city.
Take good care of yourself while you are incubating with your group of sniffly coughing grubby-fingered little wild ones. Turn your face up to that glorious sun we have again today and get well. Your muse is arriving on the rays of the sun.
Welcome back! These are great photos as usual, but that one with Papa Moss slays me! Is your visual journal really under the puddle? My goodness. Oh, wait… I get it…
Wishing you all the V and V you want!!
I’ve been living inside a hollowed-out tree trunk, like that kid in a book I read 4 million times as a kid: My Side of The Mountain. It’s warm & cozy in here, and my wee Zoe is allowed in but no one else and that means the idea population. I’m just TIRED. I never allow myself to leave it alone at TIRED without smearing guilt & obligation all over it … this time I was tired, without judgement but with lots of gorgeous afternoon naps and NO studio time, and reading another favorite childhook book, The Little Princess because in that book, her mysterious friend decorates her attic hovel one piece of finery at a time, and very very slowly, and that’s how I’m letting the Ideas back in. If this ever happens again, at this level, at least I know what to do — well, where to start! Meanwhile: HELLO MISS MARY ANN!!!!! You can come in my tree trunk nest, too, if you want.
Welcome back to the land of the living, your creativity will follow soon!!!
Alas! DO NOT feel alone in your shopping adventure..because I too go shopping for something specific and ALWAYS end up bringing home dishes or something for the house! I love those plates by the way.
Nice plates. Plates vs. shoes—you don’t have to worry about whether they really fit or not. Glad you’re on the mend…spring is popping out here in Marin county–it’s 65 degrees here today.(After a whopping storm this weekend–it’s wonderful to have the sun) Be well/stay well:)
Christine
http://passionforpainting.blogspot.com
I am pretty sure my creativity is under that sludge in the pool. What the heck? I need sunshine! glad you are back!
Welcome back! The Net seems a sunnier place when you are posting your gloriously colourful and optimistic essays!
lets face it MA, we love how shoes look, but we are barefoot girls. The plates were a score. I passed up the same ones in pink and when I went back they were gone. 🙁 keep feeling better.
i hope the sticky sickness remains have by now vaporized and you’re starting to feel yourself again, full of that vim and vigor. sometimes we just have to slow down or even stop for awhile. i’m in with the bowls, we so need bowls around here – i need to shop. and poignant empty pool pic – how you capture moods and express feelings through photos and your journal is nothing short of amazing. i always feel better when i leave here.
Mary Ann, I hope you are feeling better, sunshine and warmth will help you heal.
I enjoyed reading that you went out for sandals and came home with plates. This is what I do all the time, nice to read I’m not alone.
checking in on you. kinda been awol working on projects & the such. that blasted bug – definately nondiscriminating.
sending healing hugs to you from Texas~
Oh I am glad to see you back. Isn’t this your 1st blog anniversary? I think we started at the same time.
I have the matching dessert plates to your dinner plates. Didn’t need them, but had to have them, too.
on the same planet boon – yes my teacher, my muse, my son/sun Boone teaching me about bioluminescence and foxfire – lighting my way through the dark of the forest – holding my hand and guiding me as do you dear miss – I personally LOVE those plates – and a while back was looking for the same…
Mary Ann – when you are feeling better – will you be my valentine?
xox – eb.
Sick or well, you are the ONE. I will happily eat off of your bizzy plates, lap martinis out of your deep bowls, sit at your feet for a year old Valentine. Be well, my muse. Lovely post. xoxo
Can one have vim but not vigor? hmmmm. Happy to see bubbles from ‘neath the wet scummy surface. glugg glugg