Treasure Hunting With Toby

I've been walking with Toby the Beagle each morning.

He attacks me when he sees me getting my shoes.

Yesterday, he pouted for 15 minutes 

while I collaged a few pieces of paper onto a board

so that it could dry while we walked.

It is a good thing.

As I said a few days ago,

it does wonders for our relationship.

We are becoming good friends.

Not to mention, we both need exercise . . .

AND he does unpleasant things when we don't walk.

Which he knows are wrong

because when I call his name,

he heads straight to the kennel.

 

Plus, I am finding lots of treasures.

Like heart shaped rocks

and

interesting feathers.

And more rocks.

I do not know yet

what I will do with my rapidly growing

rock collection.

But something . . . 

And more treasures like

nests.

Most of the leaves have fallen.

So now I can see the nests.

I was snapping pictures of one wishing I could climb a tree

and

look

inside.

In fact, I really considered climbing one,

sized up the tree,

found a fence post to attach the beagle leash to,

and thought about how I would

manage going out on the limb with my camera.

I decided I better not do it alone.

So I walked a little further down the fence line

to find this sacred home:

I took a deep breath

and smiled big

and thought of

my

Grandma Marj.

And then I thought about our birdwatching times together.

And then I just wondered . . .

what if she and the Lord are in cahoots up there in heaven

just thinking up ways to surprise me...

and if they are just as delighted as I am

when I come around a bend

to find a nest . . . 

or a cardinal in my yard,

or a strange yellow feather,

or whatever beautiful surprise it might be.

Just what if?

And if they are not,

what fun I will have telling her

these stories

when I get to heaven!

Tomorrow, the weaned calves will be ready

for Toby to be unleashed.

So he will be free to roam the ranch again.

And our walks will still happen,

but I won't be tethered to him and his nose

and he won't be attached to me with my camera.

~

*

~

Lots of exciting things are happening inside too!

Because I recently sold all of my artwork

 to Sturgis Photo and Gifts on Main Street, Sturgis, SD,

{stop in and see them!}

I am busy making new art for upcoming shows:

Pinedale Bazaar at Pinedale Elementary School on Saturday, November 3; 8:30-3:00

*

Sturgis Winter Frostival, at Sturgis Community Center, Friday November 30-Sunday, December 2

*

Featured Artist of the Month at Prairie Pages Bookseller in Pierre, SD

for January 2013

*

So here's a peek into my "studio"

which is my kitchen island:

I am also super excited about THIS:

Lots of excitement happening here!

I'm too busy to be too lonesome for my kindergartner!

But I'm always excited to see my kiddos

come through the door, or step off the school bus.

I am super blessed!

*

Life is good!

Walking Boots

I'm working "in the studio" this week

and sharing a sneak peek

along with these lovely artists:

I keep backing up my Etsy store re-opening date

because I recently sold out {YAY!} my art,

and it is taking me longer to build up some inventory than I expected.

{Joyful challenge!}

This week I submitted an application

to the South Dakota Governor's Conference on Tourism.

A big gulp, deep breath, and sending it off it the mail

with knee-knocking, heart-thumping courage.

Even putting a box in the mail

can seem daunting!

Butterflies in the stomach ~ excitement and vulnerability.

So, today, I have been working on this piece

that I am loving.

Loving the themes

of

stepping out,

journey,

adventure.

I'm playing with my new {old} alphabet set

that I bought from GASP studio in Spearfish.

L.o.v.i.n.g. it!

And step-by-step

building up a new body of artwork.

All new.

My new target date to re-open my Etsy shop is now October 10.

What are your goals for October that you are working at step-by-step?

Beagle Walking

Our beagle is on a chain in the yard

because we have newly weaned calves.

Calves that are just weaned are very noisy,

but more importantly,

EXTREMELY paranoid, easily scared into a stampede,

by any unfamiliar sight or sound.

We live along a beautiful prairie creek.

HEAVEN for a beagle.

Beagles are hounds born and bred to track and hunt rabbits

with their nose.

If you are not familiar with hounds,

you must know that they make the most

high-pitched, writhing-in-pain, kind of sound

when they are on the trail of something.

This braying sound is why Toby, the beagle,

is chained up when we have weaned calves.

Normally, I walk with the beagle unleashed.

So he is quite untrained . . . a free-range beagle, we'll call him.

However, with the weaned calves I must keep him with me.

White Owl Creek is perhaps the most

explosive in fall color beauty

that I have ever seen.

Usually we have fall frosts and rains and winds that knock down the leaves.

But, despite the drought, 

there is gorgeous-ness.

So I adventure WITH the beagle into the creek.

With his oversensitive hound nose.

It is a miracle that I got ANY clear shots.

The creek is home to

deer,

skunk,

porcupine,

raccoon,

turkey,

and

RABBITS.

It was a battle of wills the entire way.

Me with my camera hunting for light and color and contrast

and

Toby with his nose hunting for all kind of vermin and varmint.

My kids had just gotten on the school bus

when Toby and I left.

And I noticed how one tree

that was vibrant orange

on Monday

was brown and almost bare.

I thought about how little time

I have to get photos of the trees

once the leaves start to turn yellow.

How I had to go with the beagle through the creek,

even though it would have been much

more peaceful to leave him at home,

or tempting to wait until he didn't have to be leashed.

But how I would have missed the moment.

Which turned my mind to my kids on the bus

and how we have moments

that are fleeting

like

fall

leaves.

The years of being home with me all day

are over,

so our evenings, mornings and weekends are

fleeting moments.

To savor and to really listen to them,

to hear what they have to say,

what they are excited about

what they are struggling with

what they are learning.

Every stage of life has its challenges

and every stage of life has its beauty and wonder and newness.

Beagle on a leash = challenge.

Fall leaves = beauty.

Kindergarten = wonder at learning to read.

Fifth grade = excitement about volleyball.

Seventh grade = newness . . . transition.

Challenges for each of my kids.

Challenges for me.

Challenges for my man on the ranch in a drought.

Living it all.  Doing these things together.

Is the beauty of it

all.

New Art Location!

I am thrilled to announce a new retail location for my artwork!

Sturgis Photo and Gifts

on Main Street, Sturgis, South Dakota

has done a beautiful job

presenting my work

and I am proud to do business with them.

I love that I can be featured in my hometown community

where I graduated from high school

sharing my art with Meade county, where I live,

and that inspires much of my work.

Thank you Bob Davis at Sturgis Photo and Gifts!

I also want to express thanks to Lori at

The Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City

who is also carrying a few of my originals

. . . although, they are almost sold out!

{Which is wonderful!}

Sign up for my newsletter and watch my facebook page

for upcoming art class and retreat opportunities

that are in the works!

A Daring Adventurer

I am a reader.

I am a rule-follower.

I want to do the right thing the correct way.

I want everybody to be happy with the choices I make.

And here are the books that I ordered this week:

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Undaunted by Christine Caine

The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel

See a theme?

This is going to be tough.

Below are the books I am currently reading to my children:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Dragons and Giants from The Frog and Toad Treasury by Arnold Lobel

On The Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

More adventure.

More daring.

Even Lisa Whelchel . . . when I ordered her book about Christmas

because I have been frustrated with what I'm teaching my kids

at Christmastime the last few years, when I ordered it,

I did not know

until last night

that she was going to be on Survivor.

I'm a Survivor fan . . . NOT a fan of them running around in their underwear . . .

but I like to watch human interaction and relationships 

and looking for people with depth of character

and how they play this kind of game.

But I am an observer, not one who would DARE to do it.

But here is Lisa Whelchel, daring to do it.

I hope she makes it a long way.

I did not select ANY of these books because of an adventurous theme.

But perhaps I am in need of courage and bravery.

EVERY step of sharing writing, art and photography has required courage.

It was scary purchasing my first art supplies.

I even tucked them in a corner and didn't want my family to see them.

And I only wanted to make things when nobody was looking.

It is still scary.

I am embarking on reading Daring Greatly with some friends 

(the CanAm Tas Philas which stands for Canadian American Sisterhood)

that I read through Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break by Kelly Minter

with this summer.

Nehemiah was all about, yes, building the wall of Jerusalem,

but also about a heart that breaks for people

and finding what breaks your heart.

And alot about serving those people where your passion lies.

Whenever I hear Brene Brown speak,

I am on fire because I believe all this

vulnerability, authenticity, wholeheartedness stuff.

It is what I wrestled with myself and God for.

Yet is STILL so difficult to LIVE sometimes!

So I find out about Christine Cain who is a co-founder with her husband Nick,

of the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign.

Talk about UNDAUNTED daring courage.

But this cause ignites my heart.

Yet I am AFRAID of the things that God might call me to do.

Like Christine referring to Moses,

I don't want to be full of excuses for God like Moses.

I want to be brave and courageous and say,

Here I am, send me,

like Isaiah.

But instead I feel a bit like a reluctant adventurer like Bilbo Baggins

who just wanted to stay in his nice, safe, warm hobbit hole

instead of adventuring after treasures and dragons with 13 dwarves.

"Remember what Bilbo used to say: 

It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. 

You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, 

there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

Sometimes,

it's the steps it takes to getting out the front door

that are the hardest to take.

Yet even Bilbo

was the one to urge them on with hope to keep going

once they were in the middle of their daring adventure.

I'm reading On The Banks of Plum Creek with Sydney.

I adore Laura Ingalls Wilder.

And who is more adventurous and noble and wholehearted than

Charles Ingalls?

Homesteading on the wild prairie.

Erin and I read about Frog and Toad often.

Wondering if they are brave like the heroes they read about in their books.

We think bravery doesn't feel uncomfortable.

That brave people feel this powerful, surging, strong, noble courage.

But is vulnerability

and working with passion

and having hard conversations

and sticking your neck out

and putting your heart out there in artwork

 . . . isn't all of that

brave

even though

and

especially

if

we

are

shaking

when we do it??

When Erin and I finish the story,

she looks at me with a knowing smile,

every time,

and says,

"But they are afraid, aren't they?"

And I say,

"Yes, but they do it anyway.  And that is brave, isn't it?"

And

so

here is to 

responding

to God's call . . . 

Here I am Lord

send me.

My knees and my voice are shaking.

But if You called little me to slay giants, You will make me a giant slayer.

You called Gideon, Moses, Mary, David . . . 

You just might call me.