In the Midst

I've about had it with feeling like the Bubonic Plague has descended.  But this morning I feel a little better, so I'm going to call that a win.  My own eye is a bit suspicious, though.  Wouldn't it be great if I have pink eye, too?  Yep, everybody loves pink eye.

Despite the germfest, I've had a bit of creative inspiration.  It's been all needles and thread and words!! over here, I tell you.  What a wonderful thing to be working again.  The irony of this blog is that I never mention that in real life, I'm a writer.  I never mention it, partially because I feel like in many ways, I do my worst writing here and partially because my relationship to creative writing has been tenuous at best since the baby came (and probably since way before that if we're going to get all honest).  The past few weeks have witnessed a turn-around.  It's probably the weather, the intoxicating levels of sunlight, rereading some Margaret Atwood, something like that.  Whatever it is, whatever grace I've stumbled upon, I'll take it.  I've been doing "real" writing again (and what, all of my other work is just imaginary??) AND I've also been quite crafty.  All of this while playing nursemaid and patient in quick succession.  It's gotta be the sunlight!

Inspiration comes in many forms, but lately I'm loving these blogs:

The lovely Kelly Rae.  I've been familiar with her work in a general way for awhile, but recently have been reading her blog and really studying her paintings.  I love the layers, the texture, the richness of each piece.  I like that her pieces look like they arise organically from the process, which is how I work best, which is what inspires me the most.

Calamity Kim.  Again, someone I've known about but whose work is speaking to me loud and clear lately.  Vintagey, textural, full of colors, and utterly yummy.

While baby naps, I'm going to try to get some stitching done.  If I get to the battery store, I may have pictures for you by later tonight.

Healing

So once E's pink eye cleared up, Sarah was all scummed up with a sinus infection and ear infection.  Add that to my own fears of swine flu and I'm about to call the CDC.  It's tough because the winter has been so very long and we're all really just freaking out to get outside and play and have fun with our friends and now I feel like we're quarantined.  And once we're healthy, there's the possible global pandemic to worry about.  I know it's likely not as big of a deal as, say, the 1918 flu, but for a toddler, any flu is too much flu.

In other news, I did sneak over to a garage sale across the alley this morning and picked up a plastic singing tea pot for the E.  So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

Pictures?  Not today.  Something is different in my photo menu and I can't see the pictures before selecting them.  Which is obviously not a good thing.