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so what does Santa look like? I have quite a few variations in my house, some lovely and old fashioned, some tattered from years of play, a set of odd little ceramic Santa’s of the world that my mom collected one week at a time when a store ran a promotion in the quite long ago. My mom was a product of the hard candy Christmas’s of the depression often less the hard candy, so the more is more theory lived loudly in our house. one year a nieces husband bought wrapping paper with Santa in different skin colors and to his supreme disappointment no one really noticed, no debate or nudging of the oldsters, Santa is so much our own imaginings no one can really change our childhood perceptions. This little blue Santa is my favorite; with a little bird perched on one hand and a bird house in the other I think he is the Santa for small things. Today when I was scattering seeds greeted by the chick a dees and finches I have sent an invitation to some of my so far missing winter birds, the little downy woodpeckers haven't been by yet this winter, nor Felix our little winter owl. I think like me they are waiting for some snow! The world is ever changing, the social context in which we celebrate, the planet itself, those at our tables and in our daily lives, all things change. Maybe it is the recognition of that we struggle with a bit at Christmas, some things I have learned this December; there is a reason we have butter tarts - not butter pies, sometimes less is best...cookies slipped from a tray late at night or early in the morning are the very best but nothing will taste like my moms brown sugar fudge, old memories can feel brand new with their intensity, no matter how late you stay awake you will not change the picture you have of what Santa looks like, that there is joy in finding there is always enough to share, and as I have suspected all along love lingers. Four days!!!!!

thank you for the world so sweet,
thank you for the food we eat.
thank you for the birds that sing,
thank you God, for everything.

22 x 30
acrylic on canvas

this piece just finished. sorry to have been such a terrible contact, slightly over committed but winding down again! whew. this piece is donated as a raffle prize to the North Okanagan Shuswap Brain injury society. It is a translation for magpie, a light in the darkness and when you are lost from all that is familiar a light is a very gracious thing. A second raffle piece went to the Cranbrook Behavior interventions for early childhood group that supports autism spectrum families. shipped today, the top one delivered tomorrow. If you can support either of these raffles, please do!!!!

if you want it to work.

i have endless respect
for hearts that hold their playfulness.
that are fearless.
that say
it is never too late,
it is always the right time!

in praise of older women.

almost the end of the long weekend, the end of summer holidays, but, still summer and the start of a new school year for all the littles. it's all good! one more campfire this weekend, tuesday mornings come too soon!