In my heart I was painting. In my dreams I was painting.

In reality I was sorting through the remaining stuff in Mama’s cottage, the old studio, getting ready to rent it out. Bags of garbage. Bags of recycle. Bags of stuff for the thrift store. Stuff to donate to the art center where I work. Stuff to lug up the hill to the new! improved! Studio Grande. Open the door, toss it in and hope to God some fairy comes during the night and finds some place to put it.

Or some robber. At this point I don’t care. As long as he leaves the good stuff.

Stuff stuff stuff stuff  STUFF!!!

Do I really need a huge Rubbermaid tub full of styrofoam and cardboard stuff taking up valuable space? When is the next time I’m going to use them as sculpture bases. When?

About two weeks days after I give them away, that’s when.

But I’m going to get rid of them anyway. Because I. Don’t. Have. Room. For. STUFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!

While I was slaving away, hunkered over boxes and bags of stuff, Studio Quat mistook my leg for a sturdy tree. She climbed straight up, using her claws of course) and settled in on my back. 

It was amusing for the first few seconds. 

On one of my journeys back and forth up the hill I threw on the apron, grabbed a couple of paintings from years ago and slathered ’em up with cold wax and oil. So I guess I did do a little painting this weekend. Damn little. But enough to hold off the creative crankies.

Now here’s where I quit whining:

Last year when we were building the new studio I decided I needed to cut away the hillside further up and make a nice little area for Mama’s garden furniture. A nice little place to sit where I’ll hang prayer flags and wind chimes. Put up all those arty birdhouses I’ve been collecting. Create a cozy little special outdoor space.

I seriously envisioned doing it myself. But Mr. Spouse always needs a project…and who am I to deny him his fun?

 This is where it’s at right now. Eventually there will be concrete. And rocks on the retaining wall.

I had to test it out. Had to sit there and listen to the breeze, way high up in the trees. Had to listen to the hawks calling to one another as they flew overhead. And then the crow cawing in one of the pines. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky. It was perfect.

I sat there with the sun on my face, looking up to a perfect blue sky way up above the trees. Thinking how grateful I am for this life.

And then I got busy again moving stuff.