gratefulness & amazing [un]graceful [un]malady

rosemary topiary Originally uploaded by dressform.

hello all.... so i am feeling much better - i can not thank you enough for all the warmth and well wishes and concern... i wish i could thank you individually - which brings me to my new way to handle comments.... b/c i think the etiquette there is so strange. i don't answer them individually [consistently] even though i want to and that seems ridiculously unfair.... so from now on at the end of the day after a post [or day after depending on timing] i will comment back - if you care what my response might be or had a question i'll answer there... good?? i hope so!

but i digressed [what else is new]. i am feeling better, but i still deal with some odd bit of weirdness in my head, my ears, my neck or something every day. it's not disabilitating but it's something slightly different. last night i had the rushing of the sea in my ears for 20 minutes - like i was holding shells to them - has anyone else had that?? so i take things as they come and will see what forms next... i'm just a bit more energetic everyday and thus assume i'm getting better!

this entirely ungraceful and almost uninspired little spell has made me realize a few things.... i took last week off from drawing and decided this week too - of course just when wendy pointed out how diligent i had been. ha ha. but i realized this is OK. a break is part of the deal and i'll go back hopefully next week as long as i can sit up [that was a problem last week]

i also have been noticing what small things i am entirely grateful for. like being able to go to lunch with a friend and talk and share and treat her! for little rosemary topiaries that i can put in my kitchen... for being able to tell my students i'm sorry but i'm going to be a bit slower on grading at the moment and that is just how it is... for being introduced to ginger bread pancakes with blueberries and poached pears by another friend [her treat!]... for the warmth and comfort of our new mattress.... for falling asleep holding my hubby's hand...

and the universe has done it's best to really balance out my illness!


first came my cards from mav came.....


then this envelope from annie bee who takes AMAZING poloroids and also who sent me this incredible article about the backside of the unicorn tapestries in the cloisters . [ok - the article was really about their restoration and how some lovely computer nerds got involved]. she also has a super charming blog . anyway - the ephemera is all this stuff that she posted on flickr and which i had responded to.... along with more film to encourage me... WOW! i was so touched!

and wait there's more [like a ginzu knife ad!]:


this is a smidgen of what came from lisa / eye on the sparrow . her box was just packed - at every turn i was unwrapping tissue and finding another treasure... you can see the whole deal here . yeah - i was doing the happy dance [it was limited to my fingers and the rest was imagined IN my head, but....]

wow, huh? and would you believe i came home to another box?? and and and a few more things [this is what happens when you can think again].... i want to open up the talent thing again... there were great thoughts on that.... FINALLY [i swear!] a couple people had said they might want to read the devil in the white city together? should we pick a start date? informally chat about it??