Winter v. Spring

It's that time of year in New England when Winter and Spring are battling it out.  Elbowing each other in the ribs, pulling hair, looking at each other funny.  Mother nature may threaten to "pull this car over right now," but Winter and Spring know it's just an empty threat.  So they'll continue their bickering, pinching and biting straight through April.  

If I hear the term "wintery mix" from the lips of one more forecaster, I might have a nervous breakdown.  I am convinced that the term itself is merely part of a conspiracy to get snow and ice-weary people out of their beds in the morning.  "Wintery mix."   So cheerful and snappy, almost poetic.  It should really be called "wet, frozen muck."  We're in for another wet, frozen muck tonight, tomorrow and into Friday.  60 degrees and sunny on Saturday with more wet, frozen muck on Sunday all the way through Wednesday.  It would be so much more honest.

Between each round of wet, frozen muck I soak up as many glimmers of spring as I can.  Deb and I went for a little walk yesterday outside of the studio.  
The sun and the opportunity to witness Cocoa's antics (when she is released into the wilds of Watertown) should carry me through another round of wet, frozen muck.  

I finished this piece yesterday.  On Friday, when I left the studio, I wasn't sure about it.  But I liked it again when I came in with fresh eyes, and I finished it right up.  Lately I find that I've been repeatedly encouraging my students to move past the little dissatisfactions they are having in their work.  I think it's OK to struggle for a while, but not forever.  Getting bogged down in one area prevents us from moving forward to the next bit of fun.  And usually, that next bit of fun can help us unravel whatever it was that was bogging us down in the first place. I've started listening to my own advice and it's been working for me.  
Today I'm going to move onto the next bit of fun and start a new piece.

This ribbon structure is inspired by Vireo nests like this one.

In other news, I recently discovered Grosgrain Fabulous.  Kathleen, the blog's creator, runs a number of delicious weekly handmade giveaways like this one: Baggu Grosgrain Guest GIVEAWAY!!!!

And the photos she takes of herself and her family are hysterical and beautiful.  They inspire me to play around more with my camera.