Them Thars Apples...

So off we trundled directly east up the 10 freeway, leaving the big smoke of La La land behind us, until the tundra changed and the hills were looming. Riley's Farm was upon us and dark clouds hoovering over the mountain beyond kept the cool breeze blowing falling leaves around us. "One landed on me!" said someone in the crowd of city kids in the woods!

bobbing apples wait for the press...

freshly picked, both tart and sweet - yum!

The curious kids, got to squish apples on the old press, pump and drink water from the well, stuff a mattress with hay, visit inside a real log cabin, ride in a horse drawn wagon through the apple orchards, pick the perfect apples for lunch and happily collect acorns from the giant oaks up the road!

Our 3rd grade teacher sent a beautiful, empassioned, rhetoric that included this thought after the day was done.

"I know that the children were changed by this outing, because after the farm trip was over, we sat down in the grass before we got in our cars and as I looked at them there was an amazing sense of calmness in them. It felt like they had all drunk a delicious gulp of wonder and joy and were completely filled up."

apres press - perfect pomme compost or treat for the animals

Whether you teach at home or have your child in a more traditional school setting, you know that the passion of teaching and of leading your child to experience the wonder of learning is such a great gift. Happy Day.

covered wagon of the old west

Shrooming

There are so many shrooms and so little time to spend playing with them! Whilst participating in last month's Magical Mushroom swap on Swap Bot ( see wild waldorf group) my magical partner gave me these!! Are you jealous? Aren't they gorge? I did not get a picture of the ones I made to send onto Paper, maybe she will share....

The last week was so busy with Halloween parties to throw, Lady Autumn divying the gifted gnomies to the kindy's and staying ahead of the laundry beast...

acorn gnomies ala Carle lined up and ready to rock n rolla......and this week is filled with mucho pumpkin carving madness. I have to admit my favourite part is roasting and chomping the seeds!!

We will be celebrating Day of the Dead this year as we sadly have reason to do so. It's a good time to remember those who have passed and celebrate our earthly life.

artist from taos wall hanging from wool felt...

And lastly but not least...I think my garden represents la dia des mortes right now..I have much digging and planting work to catch up on, just mulching and composting/making soil right now as the weather doesn't want to cooperate with my plans for cold weather veggies...bah humbug!!

Happy October birthdays to Da-doo-Ron-da, Amy-la, Maddy, and Tinkerbell.....love you all...late pressies will ensue as soon as funds allow.... maybe you can purchase these silks and help me on my way!!

Wooly Bits #2

Here's a woolly bit I finished last week...it could be better but it's a first larger 12x17" piece and done in a bit of a rush as a donation for a silent auction.

Anyhoo...are you bored yet? Really it's way too hot here to get motivated, the waldorfy winter faire is looming and I MUST make some things to show and sell!

My lovely garden is so neglected, the sun burning everything and unless I'm eating out of it, I'm loathe to waste the water on it. My silly schedule has no time before sundown to get the hours needed out there to make the soil work again and there are so many houses to look at ( dream about) in more areas than necessary...from San Diego all the way up to Calabases for goodness sakes - Yikes!

oh boy, what a horrid post, sorry. Here are some more pics illustrating happier weekends.

I think I'll start doing some highlights on other artists' work right now.... so it is my honour that you meet Marie (surname?) and she is a lovely woman I met in Taos, who is so very talented and prolific ( unlike some of us...yep that'll be me) and I wanted to share some of her outstanding work and proff that wooly faces do not need to look scary...

the jester with puppet

christmas fairy
lady with mask ready for ballReally her work is so exquistite and the details she includes, show her divine patience..thanks for the encouragement to come and teach a workshop next year..see you then Marie!

Wooly Bits #1

OK, so there are too many cool pics and moments to share with ya'll so I'll just be blatant and pop them up and be done with it..maybe you (erm...who?) will feel inspired, daunted, disgusted or just don't give two hoots - as my housematron Potty used to say.

friend to be shorn and worn...

erm...woolly and a little wobbly too...

what a shame....he can't fit in my suitcase..

artist at the festival showing her wares..wonderful!

winging my way to Albuquerque - what a view to dream on..

Great Balls of Wool!

So, for the second and probably not the last installment of Taos Two... If you are ever in Taos please do stop by the Hotel De Fonda right in the middle of the plaza. It's the oldest place in town and has the famous & and most controversial collection of naughty paintings a la D.H Lawrence and because I am sworn to be PG rated here, I'll just give ya a peek...




Of course at the time (1927-ish) all the rags in London were publishing the pics in splendid, full colour, quoting, " Outrageous, disgusting and pure pornography". While probably all true I'm relieved that we have come a long way since then, with art publishing and whilst the paintings may not be up to technical par, the shots at poor D.H. and consequential banning of all his artwork on the shores of Blighty still hold to this day. Amazing.

The oh-so-sore-feet padding around, fields, shops and of course, (watering holes) um....art galleries, were too much. But onward we soldiered, to reach the town plaza and wondering what all the noise was. We found a drum circle which in itself wasn't out of place but it turned out to be a huge Obamanos rally!





I think this little alien dude (by Ayala) stole me away for a time.... More sleep, less to do or remember may solve my many excuses for being unproductive, forgetting my fav Dragonfly girlies craft night and ditching all but the necessary grocery list duties...

Tipsy in Taos

Well we were without kidlets.....

So exciting was the visit, I will have share over a couple of posts...the looming forecast before travel was doom and gloom weatherwise and I was concerned about a muddy field of smelly angora rabbits, shaggy llamas and soggy wool roving - it's the English in me - but happily the rain and storms held off for the daytime and kept itself concerned with nighttime splashing.

The huge highlight of the weekend was meeting one of the most original felting artists by chance. Ayala Talpai wrote the Felting Needle, from Factory to Fantasy and Further Fantasies and is truly one of the premier fiber artists to stand out, in this funky felting world I seem to find myself in. She is etheral, spiritual, masterful and very generous with her art and words. My cohort in crime, 'Snip' and I had just enjoyed a lovely panini lunch across the street, complete with a large glass of chilean wobbly. Feeling all friendly and warm we followed the lure of felted objects seen from afar until we were climbing stairs above a fiber art shop, upon realising that the person sitting behind her table surrounded by the many beautiful creations was the fantasy felting goddess, Ayala - we just about fell over, pointing at her screaming, "it's YOU!!" I'm pretty sure that she found us mildly amusing (crazy) grinning over ourselves to gush and wow over the stuff before us and the realisation that this was a meant-to-be moment.

Of course we popped off downstairs into the store to grab her books so she could sign them for us, and she also agreed to come and visit us in Los Angeles next year to teach a workshop!!
We were so inspired that evening - yes, after more red wobbly stuff - we sat and tried to make our very first faces using Ayala's techniques..voila!!

and so was born Grumpy by Phoenix...

and gnome friend by Snip

the wobbly pair, sporting some friendly & unique hats

Mrs Elf herself - Ayala Talpai

so the first day over..I'll post some second day shots and Santa Fe displays later...

Wooly Taos

It's nearly here!!!
I'm so excited to be heading off this weekend for the annual Taos wool festival, I know I've mentioned it before right? It's really just silly to see the grin on my face in anticipation of the fiber treats in store!

ahhhh...Autumn in Taos...

Kit Carson Park is full of live animals, workshops, demonstrations and of course many hand chosen vendors, showing off heaps of beautiful yarn and roving just ready for drooling over and snagging to bring home! Coupled with the beauty of the tiny walkable town filled with artisans and the nip of Fall, I'm so looking forward to getting away for the first and probably only time this year.

With so many of my projects under way and none really close to finished (and a budget to stick to) it's always so hard to choose with my head and not my heart. Hopefully, Scissor (fellow fiber fanatic friend, who really made this all an annual affair after moving to Albuquerque) will be helpful in being wiser than last time in my desire to haul a sheep, llama and angora rabbit home to my tree house!!!

Wheelies at work during the fest...

I'll post some yummy wool pics and hopefully stories of adventures upon my return next week!!!