TEA --- for the most part....

Another day in the studio! And the Weather is fine, and I even put on lipstick. My windows are open and the breeze is so nice. The sun will swing around at 2 and it will be unbearable to sit at my worktable, and I will scurry away to the far corners of my studio to sew in the dark.

I am all about the Bullion Stitch today. I think I will attempt to figure out how many coils I make in an hour. I want to branch out, but piling them on top of each other is so satisfying--I cannot stop doing it!

Today I am drinking Coconut Tea. I discovered a wonderful online store called Adagio. I am pretty careful about where I buy my Tea from---I cannot bear bad tea. Most people don't realize this, but the bags that you buy in the supermarket are actually just "Tea Dust"---that is, the Bottom of the Barrel--The Floor Sweepings. Good tea will look like a Leaf when it unfurls in hot water---just like a wet leaf you see on the sidewalk after a Rain Storm.

I used to work in Tea Houses in NYC, and I learned a lot and really refined my tastes. But I never really had to pay for the habit, because the tea was free to drink during work hours. So when I just got back into it---I was appalled at the prices!! But this Adagio place is Awesome because you can buy samples---and it's an ample amount---like 10 cups worth.( I should note in a day of "social networking"--- They aren't paying me anything to say this--I'm just passing on a good thing). And the average price of the sample is $2.00!! I mean--if you start getting fancy (which I did in some cases) a beautiful Yunnan Gold Sample will go for $10 or so---but most of the teas are really inexpensive to try.

If anyone reads this and would like a $5 gift certificate--please feel free to drop your email to me---after you start buying they give you unlimited $5 gift certificates to hand out. And if anyone wants a recommendation for a good starter Tea ---do not hesitate to ask!!! Tea--and especially Green Tea----really makes ones Life Better. It sounds ridiculous, yes it does, but it makes you feel better, and it's the Treat that can take the place of brownies (well Almost...).

Ok---my Sermon is done---

I am starting my day and hope to have a nice bit to show for it at 5 tonight!

Perpetua

Starting Off

So I am starting this blog to go with my new Life, which is actually an old Life, but I am now taking it all very seriously. I am an Artist, I have done many things over the years, from Film to Glassblowing. I have always Sewn--I am fascinated by Threads and Fabrics and really any Raw Material that comes my way. I can Weld Steel, and I can cast glass, I can make Paper, and Cook.

I recently had a Birthday---well 5 months ago I did---and it was one of those birthdays where you find yourself saying--"Oh MY". It ended up being wonderful, because myself and my best friend (and I mean Best Friend--I mean the way the term was when it originated--we have been best friends since we were in the Fourth Grade---she is my sister and my pal and just the best thing EVER!) sat down and confronted all of it. We were turning 38, and you know what you see when you turn 38? I'll tell you what you see when you turn 38---you see 40. And for me, it just seemed like it was time to get a move on in all things.

I have been very lucky in this life to find good people and to have Hands that can adapt and learn. I am grateful for this. So grateful! But it all leaves you feeling a bit like a Soggy Cracker if you don't do anything with these gifts.

So on this birthday back in April--we made a pact to stop Hedging and Avoiding and Excusing.

And Just Get On With it. I have spent a lot of time over the years making excuses for not moving forward. But when you see 40 looming out there, you realize how precious time is, you find Yourself asking Yourself do I actually want my life to go by as One Big Excuse? "Oh Sorry About That Guys, that was just my Life that Went by you---I'm not sure anyone noticed, did it Bump you on the way by? It was a big Muddle, and I couldn't quite find the Handle, but I did a good job, and you can see I tried...." Bleh bleh Bleh.

So I started to take my Art seriously. I am working on a Documentary, and I started with a line of Embroidered Accessories--and I am avoiding the thought of "Does the world need another Embroidered Acessory?" Because asking that question is contrary to what my Life is About these days. It's about DOING.

I have a Big Wonderful Cat: Below you will find a draft of a picture of my Cat as an Indian God--the quality is lousy, but you get where I am going. He is 5 feet long from nose to tail tip. We adopted him almost four years ago, and like most Insane cat people--we think he is Very Gifted. I am Safe to write this because? I also have a Wonderful Man in my Life, so I am not a crazy cat woman. He is also Gifted. And, as luck would have it, Funny and Kind.

I also gave up Coffee and went back to Tea---I spent 4 years as a Tea Afficiando in NYC, and almost got into the Tea Business for real. It is a fascinating thing, tea is. Giving up coffee after 25 years was very sad, but part of the Pact was to change Lifestyle---so I quit Coffee, bought a bike (a Stella bright Yellow, very happy bike), started going to the gym, and make every effort not to cause myself any more Debt in this Life.

Other goals are to have a show of some sort in the near future, and to finally get a place way out of the city, while still having a place IN the city to visit, so we don't get kooky and start eating plaster off the walls in some Bucolic Country setting.

So that's it---I am very excited about this Blog, and about my work, and all these new Goals. If anyone hears me making Excuses (if anyone ever reads this) Please feel free to Gently point me in the right direction!! For now I am off to see a man about a horse---have a Lovely day---

Perpetua