Creativity

Our life is not driven by science or dry facts. It is art that propels us forward. It is the creative soul that is our guide. We swim among the beat, we flourish in the colors. We live in full spectrum. Here. Now. And for our future selves.

We are ruled by our creative soul, fueled by emotions, passion, fire. We live to create.

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Earthquake ~ 4.9

 

Woof... this one was a hard slam/jolt that hit the house like a bulldozer and felt like it knocked me forward in my office chair. Mild shaking after that, then it was over. I am thinking this one will get labeled as an aftershock to the November 30, 2018 earthquake which only compounds my earthquake PTSD.

Best get on with my day and shake it off... heeheehee. Shake it off, shake it off. I trust everyone else is having a good day.

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Another Nice Day in Alaska

 

Just another nice day in Alaska! When you are planning your visit please drop us a line and we will offer up the best travel advice we have to date.

Photo of Denali and Ruth Glacier on a clear and a million kind of day!

Hope to see you soon!

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Spring Semester Watercolor ~ Project 3

 

What does a botanist, a mid-1980’s movie enthusiast, and someone who enjoys a play on words all have in common?

They might be the first set of folks to piece together some of the mysterious aspects of my latest watercolor project.

Titled: Under the Bleachers by Seymour

This painting ended up being more of an abstract piece than I originally intended, as if it came to life from another dimension. What do you see? What fascinates you, what is a bit unsettling? Most important did you find the egg?

Happy day to you all, and remember some ideas are beseeching for you to bring them to life.

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365 Days Working from Home

Everyone around the globe is reflecting on the past year that has elapsed. It is like a New Year's celebration, and the forming of a new marker with which we will measure our future years. For me I am reflecting on the fact that it has been 365 days since I started working from home. This time last year I was filled with an overwhelming sense of anxiety and the best coping mechanism I could come up with was stress releasing, somewhat ill humor.

Diaries of a Foisted Home Office thankfully did not have to endure much airtime but my identification number #32520 will remain a day that I now can proudly look back on with my head held high.

Today I am glad to have the privilege to be able to work from home. I am productive, no longer uneasy about the situation, and I have gained a stronger sense of self worth as part of my working-group. Plus, my blood pressure is lower. Working from home suits me.

My desk has under gone a few changes in the last year. The most recent change was we switched rooms between our master room and guest room. The master room is now where our small full bed and my office reside. This room has a larger southeast facing window, and offers more space to move about during the day.

We are expecting guests this summer so this change is a win-win. Our guests will get to sleep in the queen bed in a tidy room, and we will take the smaller full-size bed. It will be like the good-ol’ days before we upgraded to the queen bed.

Onward and upward, as some aspects of our lives move forward with a sense of normalcy, and I continue to work from home.

Day one working from home.

About a week later we converted the small table into a standing workspace, and I retrieved my full computer set up from the work building.

By the end of summer my husband bought me a large standing desk that will be converted into an artist table when I retire.

P.S. this photo was taken after work hours.

New office setup in the larger master room with the nice window and more space.

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Brightness

 

The reflective brightness of the sun on a spring day in Anchor-town give us hope that soon we will be seeing green in place of the white.

Bring on spring and all the glory it can muster.

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Change in Beliefs

 

When I was growing up I was told that because I was an only child that I was selfish. For years I lived in this belief, making others thoughts of me become reality. One day I began to question what others thought they knew about me. I took a long hard look at myself and those around me. What I saw was I am just like everyone else.

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Ol' Man Winters Last Hurrah

What are you seeking little birds? As you flit around the tree branches in the blustery snow. Surely the last of the fall seeds have been eaten, and the bare limbs have sparse shelter to offer you. Yet still you gather among the birch and peck at the branches. You fluff your feathers and guard yourself from the wind, best you can, all the while chatting between yourselves in your cheery way. I am glad that the winter storm has not kept you away from my view, and am filled with joy watching you go about your morning tasks.

A snow storm rolled into Anchor-town yesterday and has proven itself worthy, leaving several inches of fresh snow to be blown around to every nook and cranny. Somewhat of a welcome sight for me, even though most would wish for the green of spring to hurry up and get here, I have always enjoyed Ol’ Man Winters last hurrah.

Spring is sure to arrive. We will ride bikes in the sunshine and take hikes in the rain. But for today I will watch the snow blanket my view, swirl amidst the trees, and the little birds perform their song and dance.

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It's About

It's about satisfaction. It is about the crunch, the feel, and the flavor. It's about knowing when enough is enough. It's about slowing down, and about tasting the textures that are on your fork. It is about sensing when enough is full.

It is about accepting no exceptions. No rule breaking, only eating in the manner that you agreed upon. No snacking, no sugary treat, no buttery croissant.

It is about you. Who you are, and the life you want to live.

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Addie Camp on Whistle Hill ~ for the WIN

 

Addie Camp on Whistle Hill Soldotna Alaska for a HUGE win!

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Spring Semester Watercolor ~ Project Two

 

Spring semester project two titled - Below the Radar.
Practicing bravery. Showing up. Being seen.

Happy end of the work week everyone.

Updated 4/5/21

Artist statement:

Below the Radar

Spring approaches and as the inlet ice begins to break up, a sly raven takes flight to observe the changes. Unwilling to draw attention, our raven flies below the radar in order to have first dibs on any newly exposed treasures.

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Ten Years

 

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Friendship Quilt

 

Friendship or Baltimore or Album Patch or Chimney Sweep Quilt, this quilt pattern is known by several names in American quilt history. My Great Grandmother made the original quilt blocks years ago probably sometime between 1930 and 1950. Each of the 30 squares represent a family member or dear friend of hers. They were sewn together with plain muslin in wide sashing that was six inches in width. Over the year the quilt blocks fell out of square, the thin recycled fabrics stretched and strained against the seams. The quilt top was stained in some spots and damaged in others but it was a work of art and filled with heart.

In 1994 I inherited this quilt top, and thought it would be a fun project to finish, however I did not have a dang blang clue what I was doing, and there was no one in my life at the time that was a quilter. So, I did what I do best, I improvised. The quilt ended up with a cream muslin backing, red velvet four-inch wide binding (I was using fabrics I had access to in my closet), and I hand-tied it together with red embroidery thread. The quilt lived in this sad state for 26 years, until this past November when an idea made its way into my brain.

My Arizona Mom is a master quilter! She produces the most fantastic pieces of fabric art in the form of quilts, and she was coming to Alaska for Christmas. The timing was perfect. We could spend time together quilting and visiting, and in the end, we would have a masterpiece we made together with the begin squares from my Great Grandmother.

Plans changed slightly and I traveled to Arizona instead of them coming here but it was perfect as we had the advantage to use her quilting tools and fancy sewing machine. She also has a trusted person who could do the actually quilting of the piece.

Four days of a quilting camp for me as the student and Mom as teacher, we squared up the original blocks, reinforced the thinning fabric with iron-on backing, repairing the damage along the way, and added a layer of muslin as a backing for good measure. By the way none of the original squares are the same size which was a challenge when it came time to piece it all together but one we worked through together to overcome.

The precious gift of time together, and learning the beginnings of a new skill for me will not long be forgotten. And my Great Grandmothers heart is a little closer at hand.

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Time in a Bottle

 

We are quickly approaching the year mark since this pandemic was declared and our daily routines began to be vastly different. Today marks day 332 for me as a working from home employee. Does this number scare me? No, not really. Having lived in Alaska for as long as I have, which includes time spent living in a village, and living in the interior of Alaska, has given me a stronger sense of self fortitude to endure long periods of alone time.

During the long, dark and extremely cold winters in the interior of Alaska my family and I developed (mostly) healthy coping mechanisms to combat cabin fever and the lethargy that always managed to find its way into our lives. When I say mostly healthy coping I am referring to the binge eating of homemade macaroni-n-cheese, and buffalo sloppy joes with potato steak fries covered in homemade cheese sauce. Oh man that’s some good stuff for sure, when the cheese is gooey, warm and sends a flush of heat to your cheeks. There is noting like it for supper when it is -40 degrees outside.

Except maybe that one time when we persuaded the boys to walk to Lemongrass, our neighborhood Thai restaurant, to retrieve an evening meal. It was Christmas break, it was -45 degrees, the ice-fog hung weighty in the air obscuring the distant street lights from view. The boys needed some physical activity and us parents just needed some quiet time. The four of us had been home together for a solid week, only venturing outside to check the mail every few days, which involved a round of rock-paper-scissors. The looser had to put on some sort of footwear or not, and run to the end of the street to check the post box for any newly arrived letters. This too became a cabin fever coping mechanism game of “I dare you”.

You might be thinking, is this a story about winter comfort food or the fortitude to be alone for long periods of time. My intent is that it is about being comfortable with only yourself for company. About making the most out of the contact and communication you do have with your family and friends during long periods of isolation; no matter the cause, a winter storms, life in a small village or a pandemic.

A friend of mine recently asked how I was coping with working from home and not physically being around any co-workers. My answer is rather well. Video conferencing several times a day feels like walking into one-another’s office to talk over a particular task. Emails and phone calls from students are no different than if I was in the office or working from home. You see my work office on campus is in the administrative wing of the building so students would call or email, they rarely stopped by in person. And faculty have very little time between classes so they would call me from their office or from other places around campus. We barely saw each other in person. Once we all grew accustomed to this new work from home environment, at the end of the day there is no tangible difference.

On the home front we are seven years into being empty-nesters so we have adjusted to not having the boys at home. We miss them terribly. But everyone grows up, moves into the world, and forges their own lives. This means in our home it is just the two of us. My husband has a traveling job and he is away for five or so days at a time. Yes, even during the pandemic – essential employee and all that. I have grown quite content to work from home. The commute by the way is super sweet! Since I am working from home this allows us to maximize our time together. We have more quality time together than we would if I had to be away all day at an office.

As for those moments when I am alone, just me, no other voices, I rather like it. I like me. I am comfortable with me.

And now that Ol’ Man Winter is moving along, us Alaskans can start our migration into the sunshine for an afternoon walk or an evening bike ride.

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Feelings

When an argument arises between two people it's rarely about the last thing either person said or did or didn't say or didn't do. It's most always about an accumulation of feelings. Feelings that have been building over time, simmering, settling, and rising to the top again. Then the feelings boil over. Spill out. Words are exchanged. Tears are shed.

It's not about the spilled milk. It's not about misplaced vehicle keys. Not about forgotten groceries items, dead car batteries or who's turn it is to feed the cat.

It is about feelings.

We each own our feelings. When a person says "I feel" at the beginning of a sentence, they own the words that follow, they truly feel them as part of their current emotional sense of being. They are not lying, they don't need to get over them. They are speaking the truth they currently feel.

I feel loved in our relationship. I feel lonely in our relationship. I feel happy in our relationship. I feel ignored, and unimportant in our relationship.

When feelings have boiled over and an argument surfaces that is the moment to take time to sit and listen, to sit and talk. Each person sharing how they feel from their perspective. Open hearts and open minds. Each person taking ownership for their part of the argument and striving to truly understand each other.

Overcoming arguments takes trust, love, and balance, along with a handful of other helpful words that add goodness to the conversation.

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Letters of Communication

 

When my family moved to Alaska long distance phone calls were unreliable and expensive. Flights to and from the states, the lower 48, the outside, were also expensive (or so they seemed at the time) and slimmer in their selections. Direct flights to faraway places, which is anywhere outside of Alaska, were not an option back in the day. Flights were always multi-leg itineraries that took a full day or more to get to the lower 48. So how did we keep in touch with our friends and family we left behind? We wrote letters.

Letters of substance and good form let the reader know all about the current events from the writer’s perspective. Good letters ask the reader questions, they show an interest in the receiver’s daily life. Letters written in reply answer questions, validate the sender’s accomplishments as well as their worries. Letters are long distance conversation, they help keep you in touch, they help foster a bond and sense of belong.

Over the years and with the advent of smarty-pants phones, texting and messaging platforms, our letters have become condensed, almost to the point of being bastardized. Text messages are most times choppy and sent in rapid succession which does not give the reader much chance to digest what is being said. Let alone validate what the other person just typed or how they might be feeling. Perhaps we might need a break from texting or messaging.

These days I do not write many full-length letters to friends or family members, postcards are my communication method of choice especially if a postcard is sent or received from a recent holiday. Receiving postcards in my mail boxes brings me immense joy and are always a welcome sight.

Time to check my stash of postcards and stamps and spend some precious time reaching out to my friends and family.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Step Three

 

Step three - take more walks. Not sure I need to expound much on this step. Walking is good for your heart, your muscles, your emotional wellbeing.

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Spring Semester Watercolor ~ Project One

 

Spring semester project one titled - At the Cliffs Edge.
Practicing bravery. Showing up. Being seen.

Happy end of the work week everyone.

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Update: this piece of mine has been nominated to be in the 2D/3D Art Exhibition at the Hugh McPeck Gallery. Below is my artist statement to go with this entry into the exhibition.

At the Cliff’s Edge
Transparent Watercolor
14x18 inches
Arches 300-pound Cold Press

Searching for my voice, with a pen or with a brush, is a continual labor for structure and balance, a search for technique and individuality. As I practice my skills of persuading watercolor pigments across the paper to form shapes with shadow and depth, sometimes forcefully and other times fluidly, I wonder where it is leading me. To better answer this question, I turn to nature.

Nature can be beautiful, ruthless and evasive, consisting of a multitude of textures and hues. When we stand at the cliff’s edge we never know what we might find. This day we find a grouping of tender wildflowers clinging to a patch of soil hoping everything will turn out well in the end.

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Hershey Bar Day

Hello and welcome to our annual toast to a great man! That's right, today is Hershey Bar day!

Today we take a time out and reach however far we need to make our connections with each other. Whether across the world, across the continent, or simply across the room, we find a way to score us some candy. Then we eat it while we think on happy memories, and celebrate a great man's birthday by raising our toast to Dad, Grandpa, Merle, Mr. Winkelman!

Cheers!

Savor

When it comes to being trendy I am normally not the first in line. So it is no surprise that I have finally picked a word to define my new orbit ahead. 

Savor.

My younger self did not realize the importance of savoring the moments, the flavors, the seasons in life. I spent too many occasions rushing through to the next. The next life event, the next adventure, even the next household chore. Rush. Rush. Rush.

It is time to savor, to slow down, and if I could I would tell my younger self these words. 

Of course there is a time for action, but if everything in ones life is a call to act now, then there will be parts you missed along the way.

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