Freddie

It took me three years to make Freddie. I finally developed the patience and time to sew all the pieces in place. He's been around about three or four years now. Maybe it's time for him to have a little brother with some of the new fabric I've dyed.

This year is the first Thanksgiving that I haven't had to make the dinner, Mother of Artist having passed away almost three months ago. My friends from Phoenix paid us a visit and this year we went out for dinner to a lovely local restaurant I hadn't visited in 20 years. It was very expensive, but it was their vacation and a little of ours as well, since I didn't have to cook. It was probably the best meal we've had since The Artist and I stayed at Valruges in the south of France in 1999.

My toe is much better, but still quite sore. Happy Thanksgiving.

My Toes

You never know how badly something can hurt until you do an action you never intended to do and injure an odd part of your body in a place usually not touched.

While wandering around the house in my bare feet (as usual) in the complete light of day, I mashed my pinkie toe on the leg of a chair. My toe is very, very sore. Do you have any idea just how much you use that toe for balance? Well, neither did I...well, maybe I did.

Can you notice that the toe next to my pinkie is a little crooked? Aren't you the least bit curious why? The reason is that many moons ago I loved to play sports. I was one of those who loved gym class, even when it was first period. One time while trying to spike a volleyball over a net, I came down on that toe. (This would really be very funny if you knew just how tall I am. Remember, in our salad days, we think anything is possible.)

When I came down on that toe, it couldn't support me. ("No kidding," you say.) Since it couldn't support me, I fell down screaming. I yanked off my white sneakers and gym socks and saw my fourth toe standing straight up in the air at a right angle to the rest of my toes. I was in pain. I had dislocated my toe. I remember that the doctor pushed it back in place and set it with a tongue depressor. I walked around with a stiff knee for a few days because I was afraid that bending it would damage my toe.

I recovered. I played more volleyball. And basketball (I won the foulshooting championship more than once) and softball (second base). But I never tried to spike again. And my toe ended up crooked.

I think I'll go ice my pinkie again. Tomorrow I have to wear business shoes.

Oh, I've been so bad!

Well, I just got busy and haven't been writing.

Open Studios came first. The Artist actually did very well. We moved the gallery indoors this year and people could really hear the instruments. One of my long-time favorites, The Songcatcher was sold. I used to sit here at the computer and catch glances up at his calm, reverent, face. But, no longer. I do miss him.

Then, we had a yard sale of many of Mother of the Artist's belongings. Silverwear, kitchen stuff, old towels. You know what I mean. Even her old dresser. We did OK and buyers did OK. We didn't sell her TV, but I refused to take it to Goodwill. Then, a couple weeks later, one of our yardsale visitors called us up to see if we still had it. It was a great deal for us both! "Three-year-old 32 inch Sony Trinitron used by an old lady to watch The Price is Right and Giants baseball."

Next, I finally got the closet in my guest room/studio. What prompted the wonderful completion by The Artist was that I got some free very nice cabinets at work. They sat in the garage during Open Studios. Then, it rained. Well it's OK to rain once or even twice, but I wanted my car to be in the garage over winter. After all, it's almost 20 years old. So, The Artist installed them and really made the room look finished. He's so talented.

And then, I finished my book...