The Universe in a Single Atom

I'm reading the book by the Dalai Lama, "The Universe in a Single Atom". What resonates with me is that in the Buddhist philosophy you can change yourself by changing your mind. Wouldn't it be great to have had lessons from childhood in how to use your mind? In how to face whatever comes with grace? In how to see everyone in a compassionate light?

In this book, the Dalai Lama compares western science, psychology, and philosophy with Buddhist knowledge and philosophy. It's very interesting and informative how the two differ and where they agree. Some things that we take for granted are shown just to be a difference of background.

What books are you reading? Are they helping you see yourself and the world around you more clearly?

Memorial for Ru, Queen of the Button Lions

I've always been lucky. I had a great childhood, had some great friends, married a wonderful man. And had the best pets in the whole world. Ru was going to be our mascot at the new place, The Fernery Art Studio. She was the social cat, the one who always came out to greet new people. She loved to be admired and petted. And everyone loved her. We miss her so much. I feel so very lucky that it was us she chose to spend her life with.

Her full name: Ru, Might Red Cat, Queen of the Button Lions, Revered Incarnation of Apop, Agent of Chaos.

She taught all the kittens Kitty Kung Fu until they got to be bigger than her. She loved to play tug of war. She would carry things around the house, howling at the top of her itty bitty lungs. We never knew why she did this, but she taught two other cats to do the same.

She was an orange female, which is rare, but even rarer was the extra digit on all her paws. The sweetest of cats. And greatly loved. I pray that we will see you again!

Art will get you thru times of no money better than money will get you thru times of no art!

(To paraphrase Fat Freddy)

Aileen, on Aileen's musings, a member of the Altered Book Club Yahoo email group, put up some free images on her blog. Thought this was a terrific idea for gifts for friends who do altered art, so I'm putting some images here today that you can copy and use for your own work. (If you click on them, a larger version will display)


This is Hanuman, a god and hero in Thailand. This is part of a huge mural in the palace in Bangkok. It was 98 degrees that day, we nearly melted! The ice cream shop does a very good business...

This burnt Buddha from 500 years ago, in the old capital city of Thailand. It was overrun, and never restored. It's beautiful and magnificent, and reminded me of the poem "Ozymandius".

The recent cold weather had the hibiscus blooming like crazy. I like to cut these out with an Xacto knife for use in my journals. Hope you will find a use for it.


The red hibiscus are particular favorites of the local green iguanas, so I cut some to bring inside when they started blooming. My kitten, Uschi, ate one before I even had time to take a photo! She had the yellow pollen on her nose, so I know it was her! LOL!

ATCs for the Cyber Fyber Swap

Yesterday I stumbled across the Cyber Fyber International Random ATC swap. Cool! Here are the three I'm sending, no they aren't fiber ATCs, but this particular swap is open to all mediums. And the time is short, so...

Also, got the first sale on my etsy shop - some of my hand dyed vintage lace and appliques. Tres cool! Hope to see what they made, and if they send me pics, I will post!

Some cool swaps to join!

Just a couple lines today to tell you about a couple cool swaps to join! The Valentine Charm swap at the Tattered Rose. Here's where you sign up.

And an ATC swap at The Cyber Fyber International Random ATC Swap. Here
Sounds cool!

Fun!

Did you see this?

Did you see this? Click on the little picture to see it enlarged. The moon aligned with Jupiter and Venus - and it won't happen again until 2052. Very pretty night sky. Almost forgot to look, but I was taking out the garbage, and this is the view from my side yard. Guess that was my reward for taking out the garbage?

Here's a page from my journal that I just created using some of the handdyed vintage lace from last weeks dye pot adventure. The maps in the back ground are some of my husband's old aeronautical charts. They go out of use after 60 days (because things change that quickly, dear reader). So I get them for my art! I'll be putting a few up on my etsy site too.

Dear reader, it is tres cold here today, and going to stay cold for a few days. Don't you know I have to go north about 300 miles today too? Of course, it is even colder there. Ouch!

Guess what? I'm going to visit a pyschic on Friday. One of the guys working on my house told me about him and recommended him. I'll tell you what happened! Since the new house is near Cassadaga, there are lots of folks around here who go, it's not even a strange thing to do! Love it.

Nice day at the antique show

This lovely paperdoll, who btw, is fabric, not paper, came my way at an antique show yesterday. I paid WAY too much for it, but she really wanted to come home with me! Isn't she lovely? She has hand embroidery all over and the muslin material was handcolored with what might have been colored pencils. She might have been glued to something at one time, it looks like bits of old glue on the back.

What do you think I should name her? I'm thinking 50's. Would love to hear what you think, dear reader!

BTW, all the handdyed vintage lace pieces are up on my etsy site. www.bvandusen.etsy.com