To Be or Not To Be Inspired

I don't know about you, but from time to time I go "cold" on my creativity.  As a result, I do nothing.  Then, I start to clean up/organize my craft area(s).  

The minute I start touching and looking at my inks, stamps, clip art, embellishments I get all kind of ideas.  The morale of this story...keep in touch with my "stuff". 

I can close the doors on some of my stuff.

I see a lot of suggestions/tips on how to organize your work space.  To tell you the truth, I do better if it is not organized.  

To give you a peek at how an unorganized work space looks I thought I would take a few pictures of my mess.  I confess to liking the mess and enjoy getting inspired by its messiness.  My "stuff" is spread out all of my house.  If we have company, it has to be planned.  I have to do some major picking up so they will have a place to sit and a table on which to eat.

Am I the only one that likes and gets inspired by this jumble of stuff....or do all artists have lovely studios with a lot of "cubbies" with all of their stuff organized and color coded?

James Carville On Stage

We went back to the University of Central Arkansas this week to see James Carville.   You ask #1 who is James Carville and #2 if you know the answer, you ask what could he have done to entertain a "full house"?


Well, let me tell you...I have never seen a "Political Consultant" put on a show.  However, I saw James Carville do it.  He is a very entertaining "one man" show.  I was totally impressed by his stage presence and ability to keep on topic and at the same time interject his humor...all without notes or a teleprompter.  All he had was a mike and a bottle of water.  He was introduced by a video of SNL clips that poked fun at him.  He came on stage, rolled up the sleeves of his blue button-down collar and started talking.  




In between his humor about past and present politicians and their campaigns, he left us with some bits of wisdom.  At the end of about 45 minutes of "stand-up" commentary, he took questions from the audience. He wrapped up all questions with three things that will insure that our children will share in the "American Dream".


1.  Make sure the value of education and its costs are equal.
2.  Keep money out of politics.  
3.  Make healthcare affordable.


There were a couple of comments he made that I found interesting:
1.  Regarding the Supreme Court's review of "ObamaCare", I heard him say that he hoped they would vote for it by 5-4.  His reasoning was that any failure of the Plan could not be placed in the lap of the Supreme Court, but blame would fall to those who were responsible for its passage.
2. He did not think he was a particular favorite of President Obama right now.  

It would have been even more fun if his wife, Mary Matalin, had joined him on stage:)

Mad Madge

Mad Madge: 
The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, 
the First Woman to Live by Her Pen
by Katie Whitaker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A short synopsis: 
Margaret Cavendish's life as a writer and noblewoman unfolded against the backdrop of the English Civil War and Restoration. Pursuing the only career open to women of her class, she became a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Henrietta Maria. Exiled to Paris with the Queen, she met and married William Cavendish, Marquis of Newcastle. In exile, Margaret did something unthinkable for a seventeenth-century Englishwoman: she lived proudly as a writer. Eventually she published twenty-three volumes, starting with Poems and Fancies, the first book of English poetry published by a woman under her own name. But later generations too easily accepted the disparaging opinions of her shocked critics, and labeled her "Mad Madge of Newcastle."Mad Madge is both a lively biography of a fascinating woman and a window on a tumultuous cultural time.


Well, I finally finished "Mad Madge", Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.  I bet you thought I never would.  (After all, I started in back in February.)  I really enjoyed this book. It took me a long time to finish it, but I savored every moment. Some reviewers thought it slow, but that is what I liked about it. It was not a "page turner", but held my interest. 


If you like history, you might like this peek at the mid-1600's through Margaret's eyes. I thought Ms. Whitaker's research excellent. Not only was Margaret not "mad", but was an imminent figure of her time as noted throughout the book and in the Epilogue. I recommend it to you.


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Maisie Dobbs (#3)

Pardonable Lies 
by Jacqueline Winspear

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 As always, Maisie starts out with one case, but ties it to a few others and solves them all. When I start one of her books, I don't want to put it down.  I haven't said that about too many books that I have read in the past few years.  I did find myself skimming over some of the story at the end...once all of the lose ends were tied up.  I will be reading the next book in the series and the next...and the next. 

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Tripping into Fall

Buffalo River at Ponca

We have been on a journey...a couple of "day trips" to be exact.  We took two "day trips" to find some Fall color in Arkansas.  Why you say?  Because Chuck is looking for inspiration for his painting.  


We took one trip to the Buffalo River through Atkins to Dover to Ponca back to Clarksville  and home.

Sumac

The River at Ponca

On the road back to Clarksville

On our second trip we took our sister, Peggy, and headed to Heber Springs, Red Apple Inn and Greer's Ferry Lake.  

Some "color" at entrance to Red Apple Inn

Us

Me

These pictures were taken at Swan Lake (see Blog) outside Heber Springs...after we had lunch at Macks Fish House.

Peg and Me 

Chuck and Peg

What we found....Not a lot of color, but we enjoyed our trips and got some photos to inspire "the artist".

No Color...I just liked this picture!