This beautiful card and others like it are on sale just in time for Valentines Day, in an effort to promote more genuine self appreciation. How about a self-love Valentine this year? While it may be true that there are certain, say, presidential candidates who don't need encouragement in this area, most of the people I…
Guest Blogger at Cheryl Holloway’s Author blog
I'm honored to be featured today at Cheryl Holloway's blog here: How to Succeed at NaNoWriMo Please go read, and give Cheryl some love. It's the second year I've been invited to do thisand I'm honored. Cheryl interviews indy authors of all types and genres, and I've discovered interesting writers and books. So she is a big…
Summer Painting

You can catch me at the monthly Moyaone Markets, where I often have art for sale and in progress. In good weather I love to set up outside and invite anyone to make art with me, and that's what I did at the August 1 Market, a blissful summer's day. I had a variety of…
Fundraising for Vet Bills
I've launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the vet bills that have exploded in the wake of Lily's skin disease. If you can help by sharing the link or donating even a few dollars, that's a big help. Prayers and good wishes are greatly appreciated. You can read all the details at this link: http://www.gofundme.com/helpLilyheal…
Artist Profile: Terry St. Cloud & Bone Sigh Arts
Did you ever go through a dark night of the soul, and reach deep into yourself and find hope or strength from something a friend shared, or a beautiful memory? Well, that feeling of relief that you get at a moment like that, THAT is a Bone Sigh. A long time ago (at Artomatic 2003)…
Depression: Not that Simple
In light of the very public death of Robin Williams, and in the spirit of Blogging for Mental Health 2014, I wanted to reveal some of the really challenging things that depressed people live with. (I've bolded the ones that have been particularly pernicious for me.) Many of these symptoms and tendencies seem innocuous or unimportant,…
Garden Report!
Gifts of the Garden: July Click on any photo for a larger image Beautiful Harvest photos Patrise Henkel
Grace is the right word
Next Sunday, July 20 there's a tribute and benefit concert for my friend and neighbor Grace Griffith, the award-winning folk singer from Accokeek Maryland. It's also an album release party for Passing Through, a new CD. Due to the effects from Griffith's 17-year battle with Parkinson's Disease, the album took more than two years to painstakingly record;…
A Science Fiction Movie
Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a science fiction movie. I was enjoying our writer's group meeting at the (staid) public library, when two friends walk in. Nothing too unusual, aside from their costumes: red jackets, big sunglasses, and shiny hats made from colanders and foil. They are walking stiffly, like robots. With fists…
I Have Your Heart
I spent last night curled around Seneca, my ancient and bony dog. I have not been sleeping with her the past few weeks because her incontinence has become so severe. But on this short night, her last, I did not care. Today I will take her to the vet for the last time. I've been putting this off…