Yep, right you are.

Hm...books. That is an idea. I haven't given many books lately. Thanks Dee.

Oh thanks, Mo. I think it is interesting how these colors are speaking to me now.

Yes, it has turned out to be a gift. Tannin might be a good choice...I'll think about it, thanks.

Thanks Dee...this project makes me feel somewhat at a loss, but I think that is positive.

Thanks Mo, I found them curiously compelling in the midst of other brighter colors.

Isn't it lovely?

Great questions!! Thank you for considering them, because I have been thinking about them too. I did have a hope for the gathering, an ideal outcome. It is always the same, no matter who is invited....I want the group to engage with each other, to become one for the duration of the meal. I don't care too much about the basis of the engagement...silly jokes, reminiscences of old songs, deep reflections on current events...I just want everyone to Be There with the others. When that happens all participants can feel it and the evening is made. All the effort is worth it. Perhaps this unspoken hope exerts a pressure that undermines itself. Everyone at this particular party knew each other slightly,but in another context. As it happened the strongest personality was too self-centered. She dominated without engaging and I wasn't able to rescue the conversation often enough during the course of the dinner. I didn't know this ahead of time, which is why I say that new combinations of guests can be a gamble. I would like to be present and extroverted enough myself to better control the flow of the interchange. I have been thinking about how I can improve without being a dominator myself. Also, about whether my expectations intrude too much into What Is.

There is something about living on an edge, isn't there? The interaction of land and water here is energetic and so beautiful.

Salt, yes. Our house is way back and way higher than the water, but a windy day will still coat the windows with salt.

It was wild today.

Haha! Beam me up Scottie.

Thanks Mo! I wish I could invite you and Rod to my table.

I really cherish the friends who can converse about serious, weighty issues and are knowledgeable about the news of the day....also those whose wit and humor keep the weight from oppressing the occasion...but I don't mind frivolity either, if the group is into it. What I always try to encourage is one conversation that everyone can enter. I don't like more than eight people at the table because diners tend to fragment into smaller chats that erode the connection I am trying to engender. You can always tell when everyone around the table is engaged...its like a force field.

Thank you Marti! Connection is always what I am looking for, but it doesn't necessarily gel even with (or maybe because of) lots of encouragement. Its a mystery.

Thanks Mom. Do you recognize the pumpkin garland I bought in Waco?

I know you would have helped Mom, and I appreciate it.

I will, fleeting though it may be.

Yes, am I not fabulously fortunate? This place is Beauty FULL. I love it.

The card catalog is the best storage for little fiddly art supplies...pencils, x-acto knives, sponges, fabric brushes, tjanting tools, watercolor dishes and paints....and on and on. I love it just for itself as well. I think these came originally from the Geography Library at the University of Washington. I put new drawer tags in the holders, but the old ones are still behind them. The catalogs are charismatic objects that evoke the accumulation of knowledge. Also, the Corning teapot was a wedding shower gift for me too...that was 1972 and it is still in use.

Yes, the original cabin is glass on three sides, built by an art professor at the University of Washington. It was her studio also.

Well, my problems sound like a pale shadow of your husband's, but close enough to give me a real feeling for what he is suffering. And you too...being the somewhat powerless companion to a loved one's ill health is very taxing. Life can be hard. It is a daily challenge to see the light when you are surrounded by the dark fear and pain of illness. I, too, have trouble with computers. Because of the way mine is set up I can't comment on blogs that only allow it through Google. My google account is in my son's name and connects to his computer and email. Aargh! Email is a good idea. Thank you so much for commenting here.

Thanks Dee, I agree about this being heaven. The patio did turn out to be bigger and harder than we thought. I, too, remember the days of trundling yards and yards of soil, mulch and bark around our old yard. It is hard to adjust my expectations to my current capabilities.

When you have large areas to manage, as we both do, projects do assume an endless, timeless quality. It definitely becomes about the process. I'm sure Don's rock garden is growing in beauty as time passes.

Thank you Liz. It is satisfying to make progress, no matter how slow.