Happy Memorial's Day

I have been working about 8.5 hours  a day in perfect solitude in my Dawes Studio on some of my best panels if I can say so myself.  Of course there were three weddings yesterday, family reunions and visitors seeking shade to cool down in our 90 plus temperatures.  Today we had high heat again and a graduation party /picnic for a friend's son ...plenty of great people and awesome food.  Deb and Erin came to my back door and insisted I come out and eat.  The security person Fawn came in to check on my progress and Deb's mother came in to get the coolness of air conditioning.  Ken made some awesome barbeque chicken for our dinner and now I am getting the final load of cottons into the wash in preparation for the final...I think...dye process.  I am trying to create a deep orange rust color over a gray parfait...we will see.  I can definitely steam them tomorrow in the back of my old friend Geo!  I heard from my best friend Cyd is arriving in Ohio on Thursday to spend a whole week creating and getting renewed ...she and I have been through chapters of our lives over the last 25 years.  I am so excited ...I want to maintain my energy level so I do not poop out on her.  Tomorrow I have three long panels...continuing in the the theme "there are no empty skies".  The trees are going to be in shimmers of silvers and bronzes ...so we can add a variety of design elements with my great volunteers this week.  As the days seem to evaporate I fluctuate between getting extremely nervous and extremely excited!!!

I have forgotten to thank National Public radio for their superb selections this past week.  I had gotten away from listening to NPR for different reasons ...none that are very good ones.  I listened to stories and poetry, Bluegrass, contemporary experimental music and of course Terry Gross's interviews and my favorite brothers from Car Talk.  The hours seem to fly by as I immerse myself into the brush strokes.  I hope you have had a great week in your studios and wonder what you like to listen to when you are creating???

Happy Memorial Day to all who have served and given back to keep us safe ...I definitely do not even begin to understand the reasoning behind the workings of our armies and such but they have dedicated their lives to save the weak.  I am also wanting to remember the mothers and fathers who have raised such courageous sons and daughters.  We should also remember to actually say Hello and Thank You when we meet them personally.

Imagine and LIVE IN Peace,  Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart