It's been a while. The chaos of life took over (and I know that's no excuse) but here I am now, revived and ready. In order to catch you up on where I've been, I give you "The Top Ten Things I Have Seen in the Last Two Months (in no particular order)."

1) Autumn in Seattle. The colors - I don't even know what to do with them but I tell you what, they put my paint mixing abilities to shame!

2) My little sister in a wedding dress - enough said!

3) A sunset sky the exact color of Rainbow's Orange Sherbet with Raspberry swirls. The sunsets in Florida truly have no competition.

4) The first ceramic pieces I have thrown in two years, arriving at my door, glazed in colors that made me squeal (the very first forced-collaborative project with my Ti).

5) My amazing man in a pair of larger-than-life aviators. Somehow equally goofy and sexy, just the way I love him.

6) My own pedicured toes (you first must understand how sadly rare this is, only then will you understand how good they looked).

7) The look on Miss Jessica G's face when she realized I could act (or deceive, depending on how you look at it) to the point of forced tears.

8) The Snoqualamie Falls - the complete scene involved watery but warm afternoon sunlight, soft cheese and crisp apples, the beautifully intense scent of wet moss combined with decaying leaves, the everlasting sound of the Falls tumbling, crashing, splashing, and of course, the view of the valley sodden and sparkling far below.

9) The slow development of my "cherry blossom" painting (not its real name), the painting I have been working on for almost six months, the painting that has re-taught me how to struggle for my work, the painting I have almost given up on many times. Its almost there.

10) The brick wall outside my studio that daily sends me this message: Whatever your poetry is, keep it alive. It is your soul.