Recently, I've struggled with what direction the next phase of my life should take. I look back and see what I wanted to do but never did. I look forward and see all the wonderful and exciting paths I can take, and get overwhelmed by which to choose. This morning after a quick walk in my garden I glanced over into my neighbors yard and Spirit once again gave me a nudge in the right direction. You see we are about to get a privacy fence installed on our driveway, but before that can happen we were required to clean out the fence line. My elderly neighbor who was once an avid gardener has not been able to maintain her small rose beds, and they have become completely over grown. With her permission my husband and I pulled out years of weeds and overgrowth. My neighbor came out and expressed her gratitude for the help. She began to tell me about the huge rose bush that was at least fifty years old. This poor rose was tied with strings to an old clothesline post. I could tell it meant much to her, so after she went in I started to prune out the dead wood. I  trimmed out the weak branches and cut it back in the appropriate spots. That was about five weeks ago. Well this morning I noticed that it is loaded with blooms, in about a week it will be spectacular! This brings me back to my original thought. In order to bloom I too must clean out the deadwood. I have so many items and projects that haunt me, that I'm unable to bloom. It's difficult to let go of dreams that never quite made it to fruition and hobbies that I always thought I'd get back into. But it's time to look at what really makes me soul sing and bid a fond farewell to the past. I'm reminded of the Mary Engelbreit painting "Don't Look Back" it says it all. So, as I begin my sixth year, I realize it's not too late, if I cut back then I can still BLOOM!

 One of the many wonderful things about vacationing in Northern Michigan, or as we like to say "Up North", is the abundance of friendly, creative people. I've sometimes been admonished by my friends for being too friendly. The older I get the more I realize that we leave this planet with nothing other than our memories and experiences. So, when God puts someone on my path and I have the opportunity to hear about their journey, I jump at it. I often find this is where the magic of synchronicity happens. Which brings me back to the title of this post, Hand Made. Often, as I'm shopping in my Northern Michigan Paradise I will see something in a gift shop, farmers market or gallery that catches my eye. Sometimes the artist or crafts person is the one selling the item. It is special opportunity to hear the story from the artist them self about why they do what they do and how much they love doing it.  If someone is truly passionate about what they are creating whether it's a bar of soap or a jar of honey you can feel that in their goods.  One encounter in particular brought this connection so clearly into focus that it made me look at "Hand made" products in a whole new light.
I stepped into the Daybreak Gallery in downtown Manistee, MI just planning on browsing at the beautiful pottery, some of which caught my eye from the window. After wandering around a bit I was greeted by Schyler, a good looking young man who asked if he could help me. I told him I was admiring his work, in particular his coffee mugs. He proceeded to show me what he said was the "best" mug in his gallery. He told me that earlier in the summer he had "wood fired" this mug as opposed to kiln firing. I could feel the enthusiasm and passion he had for his craft. Schyler spoke of camping out with the fire and tending it for three days and that this technique offered it's own unique colors, pattern and texture not to mention how labor intensive it was. As I listened to his explanation, a mug directly over his shoulder caught my eye, it was small and had what looked like a crow feather on the side. As he finished his story I said, "what about that mug?" as I pointed to the little crow feather mug. He said that too was wood fired and these were the only two he had left in the gallery, all of the others were kiln fired. Then it clicked, could it be that, three months earlier he'd been given the design thought to create a mug that was meant solely for me? Perhaps I was destined to walk into his shop and find it. Why "that" mug you might ask, well ,you see my sister Barb was a Bead-work artist before she passed, while she was here she took the crow as her inspirational totem. I can't express how strongly I feel that she sent that little mug to me through this young potter. Oh, by the way, I bought both mugs! The point is when we open our hearts to other peoples stories we often get more in return that just buying an item. We can feel a connection, friend and strangers alike. By purchasing hand made goods and meeting the passionate people who create them we then become part of their story. Synchronicity at work, or should I say, at play! As artists I think we might sometimes be tempted to dismiss a creative idea that initially we perceived as silly or without artistic merit. But remember you may be creating a piece specifically for someone you haven't even met yet. Follow your artistic heart! Your creation will always find the person it was meant for. 

If you're ever in West Northern Michigan stop in and say hi to these folks or visit them on the web!
Karen

Susan Lingg is an outstanding watercolor artist and teacher. Susan's loose and vibrant style captures the beauty of nature and pulls you into the landscapes she paints. Susan is the reason I picked up a brush!
http://www.watercolorsbysusan.com/​

Kim at Great Lakes Soapworks, I've been buying her soap for years.
https://www.facebook.com/Great-Lakes-Soapworks-125658140780673/

Sarah from Wee Bee Jammin" raises her own Bee's and the Jams are fantastic!
https://www.facebook.com/Wee-Bee-Jammin-194562302908/
https://www.weebeejammin.com/

Miller's Northwood Farm Market in Onekama, MI. Chet and Bonnie are super nice people, I love this little market!
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070315485170

If you are a dog owner, and have been lucky enough to share your life with more than one dog, chances are one of those dogs was your "heart" dog. Now, don't get me wrong, I've had seven dogs throughout my life and every one of them was special. I can't imagine my life without the wonderful lessons that each dog brought. But I've often heard people say that one dog in particular meant a tiny bit more. In my case this dog was my Golden Retriever, Magic. Magic was the whole package, from the moment he chose us, we knew he was special. His presence at 7 weeks of age, immediately healed the broken heart of our dog Zachary who had lost two companions within a short time. He was beautiful, smart, and very intuitive. He could sense moods of people and was quick to offer comfort. He had many canine friends and was gentle and loving to all living beings. I was blessed enough to have him for just shy of 15 years. He's been gone for 10 years this month and I still miss him dearly. But sometime after he passed I had a dream so vivid and real I wrote it down immediately upon waking. It was the last dream of the night, you know, the one right before the start of a new day. It seems those dreams are the ones we're most likely to remember.  I knew it was meant to be shared sometime in the future, and the time is now. If you too were lucky enough to have a powerful, loving relationship with a dog like I had with Magic, then perhaps this message is for you as well. The dream began like this...

I saw him, through the thin veil of the Full Blood Moon. He stood there staring at me, wearing a look with just a touch of sadness. I knew if I called him to come to me he could not. So we stood there, staring into each others eyes, with a desire for me to hold him and for him to be held. If only I could stroke his soft golden fur and be reunited, just for a moment. I knew in that instant it was more than a dream, he was bringing me a sign, as I held his gaze, I felt these words, "I still exist, though not by your side, I still wait, though not in your realm, I still love, but just from a Celestial place." I knew then we would meet again.

I woke abruptly, my eyes damp from the emotional encounter, it was more than a dream it was a message. Beside me lay two beautiful, young Goldens, my gifts from God. They bring me more joy than words can describe. They are not replacements, just additions to this wonderful canine filled life the Divine has deemed me worthy to have. We all have different beliefs regarding animals and the afterlife, but as for me, I believe we will reunite with these incredible companions we've shared our life with, ask me how I know and I'll tell you, because I got "A Message from Magic"

Blessings from Paws In The Garden,
Karen

This morning I decided to make a pot of Jasmine tea. I climbed up and reached into the back of my cupboard looking for my flowered teapot. As I carefully extracted it from behind all of the other kitchen treasures that often get relegated to high shelves and far corners, memories of this little teapot came flooding back. You see, my dear Mother-in-law was a tea drinker, if we stopped for even a short visit the tea kettle went on. Then we would sit down around her dining room table and enjoy a cup of Red Rose tea, a cookie and a chat. So one year for Mother's Day I gave her a small flowered teapot. I purchased it from a  gift shop in our home town that my Mother-in-law often visited. It so reminded me of her, petite, cheerful and colorfully creative. Being a tea drinker she had teapots that had been passed down from her Mother, but this one spoke to me, it was meant for her.  If it was just the two of us, she used the  little teapot, if she was having tea by herself, she used the little teapot. By using it she let me know it was as special to her as it was to me.  Sadly, she has been gone for many years now, but this morning when I took that little pot down from the shelf, and I held it in my hands, all of the wonderful, loving memories came flooding back.  So it occurred to me as a newbie artist that this would be a wonderful thing to paint! Since my Mother-in-law was a talented artist in her own right I'd ask her to be with me as "we" paint it together. Above is "our" finished painting, it was more fun to paint then you can imagine and I felt Mom with me through the entire process.
I'm sure we all have objects like the little flowered teapot that evoke wonderful memories of people that have passed. Look around, your most creative inspiration may be as close as your kitchen cupboard.

Have a creatively Blessed day!
Karen