For inspiration

**Megan is out attending the Surface Design Association Conference**

The Art of Disappearing
by Naomi Shihab Nye

When they say Don’t I know you?
say no.

When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.

Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.

Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.

If they say We should get together
say why?

It’s not that you don’t love them anymore.
You’re trying to remember something
too important to forget.

Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.

When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.

When someone you haven’t seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don’t start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.

It may seem I'm a bit busy.... but then boredom scares me

I didn’t manage a post last week due to my flower and herb garden-planting extravaganza. I took vacation from work to concentrate on putting in my garden since I don’t usually manage to finish this task until July comes around. But this year is different and I wanted a fully planted garden before June (and well, I got about 98% done). The Surface Design Association Conference is next week and the following week will be in a soy wax workshop by Jane Dunnewold, which I am very excited to attend not only to learn the soy wax techniques but to also be taught again by Jane who is a great teacher and has inspired me on my artistic textiles journey. So June will revolve around studio art and I can now look out and see my flowers blooming as colorful inspiration.

The pressure is on. There are so many things needing attention to in the next few weeks that I’m afraid I will not be able to give my full devotion to everything needing my attention. This is my life as an artist working a full-time job to pay the credit card bills full of purchased art materials.

On a side note: Over the past few days I’ve been working on a few items - even one that had to wait when we had to seek shelter in the basement for a tornado which thankfully didn’t hit my area. One of the thoughts running through my head during this was, will the paint I just mixed on a palette make a mess if the tornado hits us? And then through such an event when life could have been unexpectedly gone down another path, I am grateful for the road I am on as I chose it and I maintain it as hectic as it may be sometimes.