Patti Edmon Artist

I've enjoyed chatting with friends who were kind enough to share their true Valentine's Day sentiments - the hoopla, extravaganza - romantic and thrilling,  for some. Me? I stood at the door, waving. My daughter and her buds helped chaperone a ballet babysitting fundraiser/party; my husband took my son to a concert deemed by the music critic as ideal for those inclined to wear their heart - and/or spleen on their valentine sleeve, music befitting the original ancient Roman Lupercalia festival, a raucous affair involving goat-skin whips and fertility chants. Ahem. I ate red licorice and watched Sweet Home Alabama. Again. I love when Reese Witherspoon decks Candice Bergen. Anyway, about 30 minutes in, unable to prop open my eyes, I went to bed with a good book and promptly fell asleep. But I was honored!  I felt loved! My daughter made a poster-sized card wishing me a Happy Day and my son made me a Rice Krispie... treat. (I tinted it pink for visibility of the detail). Did he use...

I am in the habit of saying Merry Christmas; I'm a Presbyterian and I've grown up with most of the same traditions that I now practice with my own family. Like lighting a candle in church as we sing Silent Night on Christmas Eve.  To say Happy Holidays is not an attempt to generalize, only acknowledgment of those friends to whom Christmas isn't the focus of their December. So whether it be Hanukkah, Kwanza, or a quiet day away from the noise and fast pace, Happy Whatever You Celebrate.  Thanks for reading my blog! I appreciate the community I have grown to cherish and the comments I look for every time I post; the encouragement and friendships that keep me feeling a deep sense of connection to something much larger than my own little world, up in the attic where I explore mixed media and focus on creativity to keep my life in balance. Over the past couple of weeks, I  made a series of 4 x 4 canvases using a Christmas card that I cut apart - each phrase its own piece. I'...

When my daughter told me her class was going on a field trip to the Lexington Cemetery, I wasn't surprised. It is historic, majestic, with lovely seasonal displays of color and flower. The date did stop me though. October 14, the birthday of my dear friend Sally (and my kids' godmother), who passed away in August of '07. My daughter has a history of 'seeing angels,' and I've never questioned her, but I've been envious. Children are so open that they don't filter out the many wonders of the universe that we often walk by without noticing.  I have been thinking a great deal about my Aunt who died in June, the long talks we had when I was directionless in my early 20s, and later when I had relationship 'issues.' She was always there for me and in many ways she still is. I can feel her presence, as I can Sally's; they both left such wonderful, honorable legacies, women who will long be remembered as giving, compassionate, understanding, powerful....

I came across this logo while reading My Vintage Studio , one of my favorite blogs, and it was like - WOW!  I've never heard about this before and it's the week, too late to do a lot aside from posting the info and reading the daily blog and spreading the word as widely as I can through my own blog and emails. Having an invisible ailment - and I know of several blog friends who live with chronic illness that isn't readily apparent - is unique and presents different situations from, say, being in a wheel chair, or, God forbid, having a terminal illness. I'm not sick enough to be bedridden or homebound, though I don't travel too far or for very long. But I do have a handicapped tag hanging from my rearview mirror, and I get some pretty odd looks when I'm in a huge parking lot and actually use it; I miss out on long, late dinners and pretty much everything that happens after 7 or 8 at night. I have been isolated socially for a couple of years now, and my old circle...

To be blessed not once, but twice in the same week is manna from heaven. I won't 'repeat' myself by rehashing my big old pity party, but I've alluded to recent traumas with my kids going to middle school, my illness, my aunt's death, more than I'd care to deal with such a short time span. So, winning a drawing held by Lucy, a fabulous artist in North Carolina, was a double dose of goodness indeed. If you haven't visited Sweet Repeats , go now! Wait, finish reading first. Lucy, Sweet Lucy, truly is the kind of found angel/friend that appears when we are open, eyes and heart, in need or just receptive, to the grace that travels along the universal vibes in bubbles, streams, rays, flickers of hope and goodness.  To receive a package from her is more than a brightness in the day, it shores up a hurting heart, rises up low spirits and reinforces every good thing in life. When I received the prize I was blown away by the fact that, along with the print, which mirr...

I don't buy tickets for the lottery, cake walks or raffles - unless it's for charity. I experience at least my fair share of good fortune, but I'm just not one of those 'lucky' people. How does one improve odds? Or is it luck or coincidence anyway... accident or fate? A bit of research reveals beliefs that are as varied as they are fascinating.   There are schools of thought that ponder whether fate can be explained by  mathematical occurrences ;  some believe that every move is guided by the hand of God, driven by fate. Then there is Deepak Chopra's  Synchrodestiny , the magic of connecting with the underlying field of infinite possibilities; the ability to see amazing potential in every moment. If, in fact, we study these convenient occurrences, we can even increase the number and quality of our daily coincidences.   From a mathematical perspective, I had fairly decent odds of winning the Fairy Girl Bird Box, a beautiful creation by Ragamuffin Gal, (she picked...

Ever since I joined Leah in the call to be  Creative Every Day  I have payed more attention to the infinite ways in which we express our creative selves aside from making art in the studio - viewing something as simple as a sign or the beauty of nature, how we arrange our surroundings (notice I didn't say 'organizing'),or finding new ways to meditate. Photography has always been my medium of choice for recording my daily walk and I'm always delighted to notice an odd detail in the otherwise ordinary.  I picked my daughter up at camp the other day and dashed into the restroom before making the hour long drive home. Not sure why I felt compelled to take a photograph of this sign, it just kinda cracked me up that such a formal word was, well, a bit worn. If it hadn't been securely attached (and at a church camp:) I might have considered it a found object and brought it home for a bit more grunging. Oh, the other sign said 'Men,' were they trying to save on lett...