the art of longing

I was inspired by the vintage chair today when she asked what are ten things you cannot live with out. In thinking about that - beyond the obvious stuff like my camera equipment and car, I started thinking about the things I have of my parents.

My mom was an artist - even though she would pish-saw that definition as she thought her talent was more in reproduction. Back in the days, she was fantastic at ceramics - even winning blue ribbons at the fair. I do not have any of those pieces though I love to visit my aunt who has a ceramic cat my mom painted. My mom could look at almost anything and draw/paint it. So, when I gave her this funky mother's day card, she immediately painted the angel on it.



Also in the shot you will see a photograph of my parents and me when I was about three months old. One the back of the photograph is my great-grandmother's writing telling my mom she will have a larger shot sent later. I have no clue if it was ever sent. You will see a book given to my parents when they married called "Whom God Hath Joined" and the copyright is dated 1953. It has an unknown signature inside with the year 1956. I think that's the pastor's signature. There is also the needlepoint pillow top that I worked on during mom's different surgergies for cancer. I haven't picked it up since she passed in November 2006. I still need to take it to be stretched and turned into a pillow. Finally there is a pot of tiny irises in a white concrete container that I found for a steal ($5).

What I couldn't carry outside are two pieces of furniture that I cherish - ones my father built from scratch. My favorite is a china cabinet that I picked out of the ethan allen catalog and my dad built as a wedding present. The other is a chest that sits at the foot of my bed that my dad built. There is my grandmother's china - it's simple really, white with a silver band.

These things I cherish and treasure.

Earlier today I posted a tribute to one of my favorite surrealist authors, Cooper Edens. He seems more widely known lately for his children's books - but, I have some of his out of print work called "With Secret Friends" and "The Art of Longing". I love his illustrations and his quiet poetry.



And finally...the tiny irises. Just because I loved them today. I hope you do too.