June 29

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❤   ❤   ❤   ❤   ❤   ❤   ❤   ❤

Thank you everyone, for your caring and shared heart felt thoughts.  Losing our companions is never easy, but oh how much richer they make the time we do get to spend together.

I returned to the space Zack and I shared together for so many hours, while I was recuperating over the past year. I sat and painted a box for his burial, feeling his absence deeply - no little head trying to push it's way under my hand as I worked...

  

What greater gift than the love of a cat? 

~ Charles Dickens

The sun finally graced us with it's presence, and we were able to create a resting place for Zack in our back yard,

above the fountain stream,      

           below the shade of trees...

Endings and beginnings.  Just hours after we finished burying Zack, I got the approval I've been waiting for from my insurance company to begin a new course of treatment, which should help alleviate a great deal of the joint pain I have been dealing with.  I had been thinking - gee, once I start doing better Zack sure isn't going to be happy, if I start getting out and about more.  As saddened as I am with the huge loss his passage has left, I can't help feel a sense of peace with the timing of his passing being a part of the natural transition needed for both of us moving forward.  

My memories have me laughing and crying; my ears and eyes still sense him on the sidelines, just out of reach; and my heart holds him closely...

farewell my friend

Zack  1991 - 2009

   

One of the reasons I have been absent from blog land these days, has been because I have been caring for my sweet companion Zack.  He took a sudden turn a week ago, and his 17½ years began to take their toll.  

This morning we said good bye, and sent him on his way.  I thank you Zack, for the wonderful full life you lived and shared with us.  It was an honor knowing you, loving you, and living with you.

  

Hard to believe he was ever so tiny - 

or that my glasses were ever so huge!

I leave you with the little video I made of Zack as he watched my every move

while I worked on my journal back on January 4th.

I'm going to miss you my sweet boy...

Somewhere Over the Rainbow from Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Facing Future

June 16

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June 12-14

rain, rain go away...

Admittedly, my personal preference leans towards cool, quiet, cloudy days,

but we all know that there are times when too much of a good thing gets old!

This has been such a very long cool wet spring, even I am missing the sun.

This mandala took my hands three days to complete,

but I'm happy with it - 

and

just as I was finishing it up the sun actually did finally come out to play,

so we ended the day with glimmering green leaves

shimmering against clear blue skies... 

           

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Bone Bug

  

I just finished creating this bug made of bones today, inspired in a round about way by my participation in The Artist Challenge group.  Each month this diverse and talented group of artists picks a theme to create artwork around, which is for sale, and is displayed en masse at http://www.theartistchallenge.com

It's a democratic process, ideas are proposed and then voted on, and when June came around this month the firs thing that popped into my mind was June bug - which I didn't take literally - I only thought June...Bug.  Bugs in June - I'll use any excuse to focus on bugs.

and Bones

  

So it only seemed natural that I combine the two!  The best part, which the pictures don't show, is that the bottom set of legs move, still in natural delicately attached hinges.

The bones are mainly attached with encaustic wax, with a few reinforced by fine brass wire.

Click on any photo to get a close up view.

June 4-5

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June 1

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