Oh look! It's my daughter's new kitty cat, Zasha, a gorgeous Russian Blue which is one of the best feline breeds around, I'm told.Sociable, affectionate Russian Blues are especially good for families with children...children like Violet in black and white! Joyfully, Zasha the rescue cat has a new home and Violet a new love.
Zasha's photo taken by Maya, author of Spring Tree Road where she posts her creative efforts which include photography of family, cats, old houses, architecture, found objects, and the yarns she's in process of learning to spin.
Spinning wheel got to go round!
Maya has become an avid knitter as have many people these days and I for one am happy to see this soothing and useful past time regaining its former glory.
In my teens my Mom's sister, my Aunt Cornelia (I know!) taught me to knit and crochet and I admit to preferring the latter over the former. Probably had to do with the laciness of it, but Maya knitted the hat in the above-linked photo and though you can't tell much about it in black and white, it's got a lovely lacy border.
When she gets her etsy shop up and running, her link will be added here in case you, Dear Reader, want to check out the knitting patterns she's invented, along with yarns, knitted wearables, photographs, and such.
Can you tell I'm proud of my inventive offspring (Pallas, the daughter) who has happily found her creative niche?
You know, it stems quite a lot from my being able to draw a little, because when you do, your children tend to give up on drawing too readily and insist that they'll never top you at it - as if drawing 'belongs' only to you. Puh! Everyone can draw but not everyone puts in the hours of practice to develop the ability.
And silly Mom, I thought it was about how drawing is good for you as this May 5 NPR feature attests (text or audio w/ photos of Michelle Norris' 'curious' drawing efforts - a must-see!)
Getting adults or kids to draw?
Well with drawing, like practicing piano in childhood, no one ever had to fuss, plead, or threaten to get me to do either one. Guess I'm fortunate in that way. Or just plain bull-headed about doing what I want how and when I want to do it! An abundance of Capricorn planets, I suppose (Sun, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter - gracious plenty as we're fond of saying in the South. We Caps are self-molding, thanks.)
Now here's my favorite quote from Thomas Merton because it makes perfect sense to the artist lurking inside:
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
Hear that whisper? It could be the still-blank sketch pad you bought a few years ago begging for your attention...it may just be calling your name!
