This morning I went to the market down the street and brought myself a lovely dust-pan(mine is the one to the left in the front). I wanted to buy all of them ship them off to my sisters, mom and step-mom, but thought about the fact that they might get broken along the way, maybe when I go back to the states next summer to visit my family, I'll be the lady walking through the airport holding five beautiful dust-pans, who knows, we will see.......
When I post it is also my time when I look at other blogs, here is a post I was reading today from this woman's web site, so much fun to look at.
I really have been getting lost in beauty I have been outside on hikes in nature with my family, need I say more.
The other day my post listed five wishes.........life is wonderful when your wishes really do come true.
Right now the fields along the roads are scattered with wild flowers and I think the red poppies are stealing the show. Just a small reminder I am having a ceramics drawing for some measuring spoons I made in class if interested read this post gives you all the info. I'm not sure if I will get around to posting this weekend. Jason and I are trying to take the kids sight seeing each weekend. Last weekend Jason didn't end up feeling well so we didn't manage to get out so this weekend we have two small excursions planned, if we manage to pull off just one I will still be proud of us.
Yesterday, the kids had a day off from school so I took them to Florence to have their portraits done. This is something I have wanted to do since we arrived in Italy. It is hard for me to explain how I felt while watching the artist sketching them...they looked so old ...is that how he saw them? Why didn't I see them like that....the artist had captured a moment, 20 minutes of each one of my kids not talking, not moving, trying to be completely still. I felt like someone had jolted me, managed to stop time for me and was saying "pay attention this is who they are now" ....and I felt like crying for being sad about this fact and for also being happy about it, both at the same time. I started out this paragraph saying it was hard for me to explain how I felt, I was really feeling all over the place. Lucky for them I didn't cry, instead I was the mom in the black dress trying to look normal while having all sorts of emotions surge through her. I also felt like one of the other tourists who were stopping and glancing at someones children getting their portraits sketched and couldn't help but noticed how beautiful that simple act was.
I do like that saying "A picture can say a thousand words", something close to that anyways. I came across this photo the other day. We had stopped in Paris for a few days on our way back to the Azores. We had all stumbled upon a tea shop, the fancy kind where everyone (adults) were inside, sitting down at little tables, their conversations were quiet and the tea's sweet perfume filled the air. I wanted to sit down and I knew the rest of the family wanted to join me but Jason and I looked at each other knowing this wasn't the place you bring kids too, the stares we received from the clientele were dead giveaways. So instead we decided to purchase some packaged tea to take back with us. Jason went first (choosing his teas) as I waited outside with the kids.
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I am on a roll at getting things caught up around here. Took this photo on the way to the post office, to pay some bills that had been lying around silently nagging me. So just a simple photo today. This week is about getting things done, I feel like I need a special outfit to wear, super-business-woman-pinstriped-suit, hair slicked back into a bun, leather briefcase in tote, but no it's just me in my jeans, layer t-shirts, converse, hair loosely pulled back and the same old purse. I'm like the middle-aged assistant that sneaks in lots of coffee breaks because she is left unsupervised, doesn't get paid that much and is a little disgruntled. (I'm not really disgruntled just seemed to fit in with the description and as far as the pay goes well lets just say that I give myself raises all the time)
Well the first beach souvenir was wrapped, for Suz. There are nine left so if you feel like getting a little something from me to you, just follow the instructions here. ( two more taken today, so you know I will just start putting the little wrapped package in their place when they get spoken for)
You may wonder why is she doing this? Well lets see...... 1. I am seriously procrastinating on getting the real jobs done around here.
2. As I have been going along blogging, reaching out to others seems to be what I am doing, and wanting to do that in a positive and fun way.
3. Sometimes you just need something to come your way, a little gift that is wrapped up for you, little pieces from oceans around the world seemed good to me, oceans do connect us after all.
4. It is fun for me to make funky creations and know that maybe they will sit on a desk or be hidden out in a garden for someone to stumble upon and say "What the heck is this?".
Anyway those are just some of the reasons. I will be taking two days off from blogging I must, I repeat, I must, get cracking around here. Katy
I know I dedicated three days to posting about Corsica. So I wanted to share something from the trip, well a couple things. First off the conversation that took place when we first got off the ferry, just trying to keep it real.
Jason: "Where am I going?"
Katy: "Well just stop for a second, let me figure out where we are" (Jason not stopping car)
Jason: "This way?"
Katy: "Jay, I don't know, I don't know where we are, if you would just stop for a minute." (just to be fair to Jason , I'm requesting that he does this as we are going around a round-about in heavy city traffic)
Jason: "I'm just going to take this road" (At this point I am looking out the window, trying to take a deep breath.)
Jason, again: "Is this the right way?"
Katy, not wanting to respond but doing it anyways: "If you would slow down for a minute, I could make out the signs."
Well of course we made it there and he was going the right way, but could you feel the tension which is now humorous of course.
Secondly, I worked on making some beach souvenirs this weekend for my May giveaway. They are funky! (would anyone expect anything less?) So If you want one of my beach souvenirs with rocks from Corsica, shells from Corsica, the Azores(Portugal) and Tuscany, Italy. Each wrapped with wire and a little bead.
Just leave a comment or email me kkeuter@gmail.com they are numbered 1-10 from left to right. So if there is one that catches your fancy just make sure to write the number. The largest one is #8 (length 10cm & width 7cm) smallest is #3 (length 4cm & width 4cm) all the others fall in-between these measurements. I must add that Jason came in the room when I was making these "Oh making something with your rocks, interesting." yes I do love this man, dare I say it......even when he is driving, now that's true love.
Here are close-ups of each one since the photos are so tiny.
I have mentioned before that one of my favorite things to do is look at hanging laundry, it is a clue to who lives in the house, obviously a sweet baby dwells here. I couldn't resist taking this photo of all the little onesies and sleepers too sweet! It does make me sigh a little though, I can't help but think of my own children's laundry, ohhh......how they have grown.
The four photos below are different shots from another mountain village. These little towns made me love the color gray(I didn't know it was possible to love it more than I already did).
At each place we stopped I took photo after photo. Jason didn't l know that I was taking this particular photo, he was busy petting a dog that wandered up to him while he was waiting for me to finish taking photos so he could drive us to the next town where I would hop out and take more....I think he was secretly happy when my camera battery ran out.
I did feel like a kid in a candy store, each town was so beautiful! I love when signs are painted on buildings.
Last photo I leave you with was taken along the beach. I made it a little out focus, to make it seem dreamy, that is the word I would use to describe Corsica, dreamy.
I think for the next few days I will post photos of our (mine and Jason's) two nights and three days in Corsica on our own. 
Yes without kids, my dad and step-mom watched the kids for us, such a treat. Corsica is one of my favorite places, I am drawn to Island life, seems slower and the beaches the kind that are not filled with umbrellas, those are my favorite.
If I could become a professional beachcomber I would, it is my true calling I think. On our last day there before catching the ferry, I said to Jason, I need to go to the beach one last time to gather some more rocks."
Jason said "I think you already have enough." as he watched me stuff my tote full of rocks.
"I need just a few more." I pleaded. And there he sat on a bench near the beach, patiently watching me.
Here are some windows in a small town in the mountains, I really like the one with the older person inside reading the paper. More photos tomorrow.
I didn't think these photos needed to many words next to them. 
I know mine mind is restless, whenever it is I have an urge to make something. I have been painting, not really sure I even like these paintings but that isn't really the point...they relax me.....the circles.....it must been painting the circles that is doing it for me. I also have been pulling over the car and hopping out picking wildflowers and roses from abandoned roses bushes. Arranging bouquets, some are simple and some are showy, it is another standby that relaxes me. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around moving to Japan. "Moving from Italy to Japan, a housewife with three kids, a dog, three guinea pigs and an adventurous husband, stay tuned for more on this story" imagine an official sounding newscaster saying this, what is the real story? Is it even news? When I think of this move, I miss my turn I was supposed to take when I am driving, I forget why I walked into a room, I end up looking lost in the grocery store because, surprise, I forgot my shopping list .....yeah sometimes I just have to stop and paint and pick flowers.
This is a close-up from a painting
a full painting
I haven't been posting lately. Jason was gone last week in Germany so this weekend was just spent doing nothing but being home together as a family. I also haven't known what to write about either. So this explains why you might come here and say hum... what's up? I took Cubana on a walk this morning and have one photo to share. There are these groves of trees planted around here, I'm not sure what type of tree they are or why they are planted in rows but I love how they look. When I get out of my bloggers block...you'll be sure to know. A good week to you. katy
I have to take a few days off blogging here, need to stop being the lady causally taking photos of others hustling and bustling about. Need to start attending to matters like getting three guinea pigs pet passports, you know the usual moving stuff like that. We are moving soon, need to face the reality of it. So until a couple days from now...Katy
My ceramic dream piece is almost finished. Last Wednesday I glazed it. I went to the library to look for books about Native American Art. I realized this is what my dream piece wants to be and as I looked around the library I ended up seeing a little ragged book on a bottom shelf in the poetry section. I could only make out the words sun and love on the side. "Hummm......what is this?" I thought.
I picked it up and open the first page "So and so has written over six poetry books since 1940 poems about the Yukon...."
"I don't know this really isn't speaking to me." I thought.
"Just look at one poem." I heard myself say. I opened the book
Kathleen was written at the top of the page. I slammed the book shut. "That is my name! This book has a poem written in it with my name as the title, I just randomly turned to that page....okay this is weird, I am definitely checking out this book." I glanced around, had anyone noticed that I had sort-of freaked out and slammed the book shut....no....the coast was clear or maybe the library was just it's usual empty self and I was my usual nutty self.
I realized as I was checking out the book that I had to rush home, Iris would be out of school very soon. I threw the book in the front seat next to me. I couldn't stop glancing over at the book What was the poem about?...are there many poems titled Kathleen?....was this poem going to be a love poem?....was it about a woman in Alaska?....was it going to be the most intense poem I had ever read with some sort-of life changing message? Well after I picked up Iris, I had to make lunch for all the kids, take them swimming and then finally when we got home I went down to my room and opened the book.
It was probably the lamest, strangest poem I have ever read I actually started laughing thinking "What the *;%#!"!!! Every line rhymed at the end tak'n and break'n these are how the words were actually spelled, it was about some man who sailed a boat and had stomach problems and had to have a cow, who he named Kathleen on his boat, because he could only drink milk......I kidd you not! I kept thinking who would write a poem about this....six poetry books published.....what the bleep!! I somehow finished the whole poem which went on and on and the writing style driving me crazy the whole time but I kept thinking there has got to be something to this. It all really makes me laugh now, laugh at myself for being so freaking serious about the whole thing. Life is funny, get it, I get it.
I took my usual walk the other day. Took the camera along. I have walked this same path at least four times a week for the last year and half. My mind wanders in and out of though.
For the most part the countryside is able to distract me from my ever-repeating thoughts.
But one kept sneaking through.... come this end of August I will just have photos of this path and only memories of the red tail hawk who lives somewhere nearby and has scared me a couple of times because of how close it was to me, one day only five feet away sitting on a stump watching me walk.
The little Italian tower on the crumbling cliff side.
The cement shed at the end of field whose crop rotates each year. I know I will find new places to explore but sometimes thoughts of moving can be so bittersweet.....so I took photo after photo, I don't want to only rely on my mind's memory of images that started off my mornings here. I made that mistake with Portugal.
I am trying something new. I go to a site I like look at. Then I look at their links then from those links I look at more links so I end up very randomly choosing a new link(blog) to add. The blog will be a surprise even to me.......so anyways in my new category on the side new blog I am adding I will change maybe every three weeks or so but permanently keep them in the where I visit section after I add a new one. This week is a fanciful twist I liked her post was it just all a dream and I also read her yes wishes post. Then Jasmine walked in the room and we looked at her Etsy store and Jasmine said "Only two dollars and fifty cents doesn't she know how good she is? She could charge way more." I always love it when my kids walk in and look at other people's art with me because they really truly appreciate it. Here is another item from her shop, like her blog her work seems to reflect that she is enjoying life.
So I figuratively let the bird go, the one that I was carrying around since this weekend, the one I thought could sort-out all the unknowns for me, doesn't work that way, I have to let it go because the unknowns are called that for a reason aren't they. It really did work I literately feel much lighter.
Japan is just as good as a destination as the next, how strange yet wonderful my life is.
This Saturday I went with two of my best pals to ceramic shops we had quite a few wonderful unexpected detours too. I can't tell you how inspiring it all was and how many photos I took. How I couldn't stop taking photos. You may think whoa she has never posted so many photos all at once before and you would be right but I just felt compelled to share as much as I could. So here it goes
1) Bridget(thank you Bridget for driving as always) 2)Suzanne
1)Wall above the studio 2)Door outside the painting studio
1)The Kiln 2) window outside the shop
1) Masks on wall up to an apartment above the studio(this photo made me think of Jerry and Alicia)
The wife of the owner of the ceramics shop/studio took us on a tour of the warehouse it was built in 1812 and the walls were covered with black smoke it was so dark and quiet. I loved the black, white and gray tones that filled the space. 1) lone light bulb 2)Ceramic molds against wall 3)light coming through a shut up window 4)old pot open window
1)This was the husband's studio, the painting he had hanging up was given to him by his Uncle. The story goes that someone had given the Uncle this painting and he loved it and hung it up in his house, his wife however hated it and complained about it everyday. When she died he took it down because he felt so guilty whenever he looked at it and that is how it ended up in this studio. 2)The wife of the owner showing us the original kiln built in 1812.
This Man is an owner of another ceramic studio/shop(he is the egg-holder man, Melynn). I was so happy on this excursion to have to courage to ask if I could take people's photo this was a big step for me.(Mary, I will bring him back a photo)
1)He told me I could take a photo of the pieces he had made that morning I think he was quite proud of them. 2) Inside his shop/studio 3) This outside of his shop was charming with the laundry above.
This morning I wrote the post below and this evening I found myself watching an online video of Oprah with Eckhart's class chapter one this may not be for everyone but quite a bit of it really spoke to me. Made me even laugh because there they were discussing some of the same issues I feel like I am dealing with. There they were being addressed. They also talked about an experience Oprah had with a tree and feeling it's presence, yesterday in ceramics I made a bowl with a woman and where her heart was I etched a tree and it's trunk went down her torso and it's roots wove into her skirt. When I got up to leave class and I handed the bowl to my teacher she said "I'm not sure what is different about you tonight but you seemed so present, you didn't worry about rushing home to make dinner, you didn't seem distracted by anything." Then another adult came over and looked at my bowl and asked about the tree they wanted to know why I put it there. "That is her heart." I explained I didn't really know how to explain soul in Italian so I had said heart instead. So this evening when I watched the video and they started talking about the tree experience she(Oprah) had had Eckhart said to Oprah something to the affect of "Well the tree became a part of you when you were present." I got chills, really I did because that was my feeling I was having when I made the bowl that the tree was a part of this woman.....me......us, isn't it funny how a day can go.
Sometimes this blog feels therapeutic, sometimes it makes me feel like I am being self-centered, me me me. My hope is that it doesn't come off as self-centered and instead is a break from your own day to day stuff. I know when I go to other blogs I love checking-in, seeing what is new or even reading the same old day in/day out stuff and I love that these bloggers are putting themselves out there....sharing their worlds and the word "selfless" comes to my mind.
Is it just me that has this weird hang-up? The I can't talk to much about myself or share too much, without thinking that others think, I think, I'm all that and a bag of chips syndrome. I'll be honest, for me, it is strange forty years later to suddenly start writing about what is going on in my world almost everyday, share it and not always know who is reading. I do get a sense of freedom from having this blog, I can express myself more freely than I think I otherwise would, the somewhat anonymity of it all seems to make this possible for me.
I'm wishing I was a more confident blogger I guess.....wishing I felt like I knew what I was doing and didn't need any feedback reassuring me to keep on sharing....wish I had the confidence to hear that from myself loudly but instead it is still at the under my breath stage....more than half of my posts I have doubts about. If you were a fly on the wall in this computer room you would witness me writing.....deleting.....writing.....deleting.....coming back two hours later to re-edit my post, you get the picture.
I'm drawn to the bloggers who put photos of themselves on their blogs, I like seeing the face behind the voice, they seem to really own their blogs but it is difficult for me to do that myself. Insecurities again, boy they like to rear their ugly heads around here a lot. Well here I am the woman who feels like she is still trying to convince herself that it is okay for her to have a blog.
Jason asked to borrow my keys and I said "Yeah, I think they are in my coat pockets"
He did find my keys and also came over with a bunch of rocks in his hands.
"Now I know where our kids get this from" he said smiling.
I must admit that it was one of my prouder moments as being recognized as a parent who has had a little influence on their kids.
On any given day you can find a dried up flower, half a walnut shell, or an assortment of rocks in my pockets, don't ask me how long this has been going on I couldn't tell you.
This morning I decided to empty out today's pockets and take some photos of what I had picked up. Here are some different arrangements of my pocket contents today.
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