I need some of this action...

Everything you can imagine, is real.

~Pablo Picasso

I am captured in this season

of thunder claps and moist earth.

The dull sky is a jar lid made of zinc.

I press my hands against the milky glass

take a shallow breath and wonder

if I'll outlast these smothering storms.

Islands Magazine has selected my photo of Tortola as Photo of the Day! Very cool!http://www.islands.com/pod_list.jsp?id=50696

on emptiness

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not.

~Tao Te Ching

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…

Ralph Waldo Emerson

where I work...

it could happen

I'd need a cooler and perhaps a few more feet of land,

but I can so easily place myself in this picture.

Doing much soldering today. I hope to complete around 50 pendants.

return of grey skies...

Our respite from the rain was brief. I am so very weary of storms.

Mark and Ian leave for a week in St. Louis tomorrow. That leaves just Kate, Will & I here. It should be quiet and calm. I plan to let cobwebs cover the stove. Actually, I went to the grocery store today and stocked up on goodies for us. I hope to get a lot of pendants soldered. I am down to less that 30 right now! EEEK!

I am afraid to look at the weather report.

Bryant Duke 1930-2007

I hope the leaving is joyful; and I hope never to return. ~Frida Kahlo

AOL Poll

Poll Results
How much faith do you have in President Bush's Iraq policy?
None 77% 103,610
A little 11% 15,337
A lot 11% 15,178
Total Votes: 134,125

from where I sit

It is never a bad thing to spend a day with this vantage point. What a lovely and much needed respite. I am learning to love the lake.

most shocking...

How amazing...

http://webdelsol.com/IBPC/winningpoems.html

Really

utterly

surprising.

And

very nice.

Well, I can add nature photographer to the list of things I am not. I was so delighted by this morning's sunlight that I went outside to take some photos of my jewelry for eBay. Natural light is so much easier to work with when youare taking photos of jewelry. A little white butterfly caught my eye and I followed it, snapping away and I must tell you... patience is not my strong suit. I offer my heartfelt admiration for all of you photographers that lie in wait for that perfect shot. I need a longer lens.

a break...

We've had a slight respite from the maddening deluge that has plagued north Texas for the LAST TWO MONTHS!! The photo above is last night's sunset. We had about half a day of partial sunshine which has given the populace the will to live again. Now, of course, the clouds are back and the weather map shows seven more days of thunderstorms. sigh... I am not a rain person. I am all about the sunshine. Oh, well... blah, blah, blah. Weather talk.
I have mucho arty stuff to do. Need to solder pendants. I have some commission work to complete. And I need to prepare my things for my booth at Market Square. I just want to watch "Deadliest Catch" and cut things out of paper...
Kate and Ian return from DisneyWorld tomorrow night. I miss them!
I hate this weather.

dear God!

What is that strange light??? Panic and then joy ensued in north Texas after a brief appearance by the long lost SUN! The populace was stunned by the intensity of this burning star. Mood were lifted! Bedraggled marigolds strained to lift their sodden heads. The familiar heavy clouds want none of this. They plot their return...

Check out my Slide Show!

Today is littered with jewels.
Opals wink from deep within
forget-me-nots. Wrens clutch
rubies in their tawny feet.

I woke with tenderness
upon me like a ray of light
and breathed its irridescence
as a sweet dream recalled.

I gather pearls and sapphires
in my pockets, heartbeats
in a paper sack. All day long
I see the diamond stars that wait

for sunset as they ride the lake's
broad back. My hands hold
faceted turquoise skies
and garnet memories set in gold.

for Lily

happy boy

Here's my Will with Annie at his riding lesson. My heart fills to its brim to see my sweet boy so happy. This was a perfect June day.

I love my camera...

Almost broke my neck chasing bubbles with my camera glued to my head... but got some cool shots! It's summer and I'm photographing bubbles. So there you have it.

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language”

~Henry James

I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk

It's all the same damn thing...

Okay, so this just came to me. Everything is natural. Nothing is man-made. All the ingredients are already here, provided by God, Goddesses, the Big Bang or what have you... all man does is rearrange them. So... it just follows that every little thing on this planet is natural. I am so happy! No more reading labels. No more guilt. It's ALL good! Name one thing that's not organic. I dare you! God, I love a breakthrough! Now my weekend is off to a spectacular, enlightened start!

I've been working on my ETSY store http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=23439,

my website http://seadreamstudio.net/index.html

and my eBay store http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=seadreamstudio

so if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by.

Isn't it interesting how so many forces in our lives attempt to dictate or influence what we like and love? Our preferences define us, motivate us, steer our lives in every way. Well-meaning people, society, media, religion... so many things exert their power in so many ways to tell us what we should care about. Our desires and inclinations are formed by countless forces, some random, some programmed deep into our limbic systems, some cosmic perhaps... but isn't it our right to care for what we care for, to love what we love, to want what we want? I am not advocating pursuing every whim that we have, but I think we should honor this fundamental part of out psyches. I suppose it is just being true to yourself, but always we should consider our actions and how they effect others. Within that framework of decency and kindness, I feel we should be who we are.

splendiferousousness... or something like that...

Art & Jazz Fest was a wonderful event. I am so glad I was able to participate. Being among artists feeds my spirit. Amazingly the weather was perfect. I blog too much about weather, but damn!... it was just fabulous how the rains (storms, I mean) skipped around us. I could go on and on about it, but I won't. if you live in this area you know that it is nearly miraculous that this event happened under SUNNY SKIES!!
So, our tent rocked! I was honored to be among...
Sandi Dinehart~ who sponsored our tent and provided us with the use of her credit card machine, her exuberant personality and a few icy Shiner Bocks! Hugs to her and her dear hubby, a funny and kind man.
http://www.downtownmckinney.com/associations/144/data/forms/1056/Market_Square

Lisa Raymer~ My friend and former bosslady, an amazingly talented artist who can do anything
and I mean ANYTHING! She is a bundle of energy and creative ideas. Her jewely is so beautiful and unique. Check out her business... Decoupage Flooring

Kathy Kromer~ A fun and talented lady whose work is exuberant and colorful. Her painting bring smiles!! Her website is down, but you can check out her apperance on HGTV!! Impressive, Kathy! Crafts : Artists / Crafters : Mixed Media Collage : Home & Garden Television

Janet Landers~ A fine painter whose canvases range from a whimsical green horse to Tuscan landscapes. Sorry Janet-can't find anywhere to link to for your art. Rats!

And last, but not least... the very talented Manuel Sarmiento. His metal sculptures are beautiful. I would love to see him at work. His pieces are gorgeous. I would suggest you buy one or two quickly before they become utterly unaffordable. Wonderful work! Check him out here... artists.htm

Oh, and little ol' me...SeaDreamStudio.net

more later...

SHOUT OUT TO SHELLY!!!

I'll regale you all with stories of the Art & Jazz Fest a little later, but this can't wait!

So I'm at the Fest on Saturday and I met Shelly...

who , I swear to God, says to me... "I read your blog all the time." I nearly fell over. I did a quick mental replay of my posts and blushed (which I never do!) and then offered her my autograph... JUST JOSHIN'!!! It was a bit surreal to meet this seemingly normal person who actually takes the time to read my crappy blog.

So, Shelly... Thanks for stopping by and it was a delight to meet you!!! I hereby promise to attempt to make this rag-o-blog a bit more exciting. Yes, I will have to lie, but we writers like to call that fiction. Stayed tuned...

Avatar Review

My poem, still life with forced perspective, is included in the newest edition of Avatar Review . I am honored to be a part of this publication.

Click here to read... AV9 :: Dale McLain

The painting above is by Flemish artist Adriaen van Utrecht.

no more f-ing rain!!!!!!

Hoo-frigging-ray! The drought is over... good and damn well over! It has rained ALL MONTH! Am I in Seattle or London or what??? And it's not just rain, but hideously frightening storms with crazy-nuts wind and tornados brewing... ugh! Hopefully it will clear up as I have a BIG art show on Sat. & Sun. I am afraid to look at the forecast.

In other news, life goes on. Kate's graduation and party went off with barely a hitch despite the soggy weather. Miraculously the rain paused for a few hours on Sat. night and the party was a very nice.

I forgot to quit my job, so I have to work tomorrow...

yo ho yo ho...

So what if the plot is confusing and there's too little kissing?

At World's End ROCKS!http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/atworldsend/

Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Anderson

YIKES! This is 2 weeks from today... Kate's graduation is Thursday & her party on Saturday. Thanks God I have nothing to do...
I am not making any more pendants as I have 100 or so of them. Mostly I am working on collage pieces and journals. I have MILLION ideas of things I want to create. They keep me up at night. If only I did not have to sleep... sigh...

wet and not wild

So, when the in-laws moved to Lake Richland Chambers (gotta' love that pretentious name!) I was not particularly delighted... but I must admit it is really lovely there. Though a lake is no match for the ocean, it is still water and it is not a bad view to have everyday. They are situated on a cove and this is one big lake. I'd never put a toe in that snakey water, but it is very peaceful there.

On Mother's Day we took out the kayaks. They plan to get a sailboat (which I will LOVE), but I'd go out on the water on a plank. I adore the feeling of water beneath me.

So, maybe I do like lakes a little.

a little cloud

May should last a very long time and be followed by an even longer June. Spectacular weather here... the kind that acts like a natural Xanax. Toss in a Miller Chill and life is good. The world is screwed up, but there are moments that feel very right.

Ah, lest I get too self-absorbed and happy (damnit!) the phone rings... and it is a soliciter for some agency collecting money for injured vets... sigh... Yes, it is probably a rip-off agency, but the dumb, ugly war is back in my face. As it should be.
It is still a beautiful day... and people are still being maimed and killed.
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/03/08/night_flights/index.html

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”

~George Bernard Shaw

no rhyme or reason...

http://video.aol.com/video/professors-son-killed-in-war/1906599

I feel the same way about solitude as some people feel about the blessing of the church. It's the light of grace for me. I never close my door behind me without the awareness that I am carrying out an act of mercy toward myself.--Peter Hoeg

very nice...

Oh, thank God I did not get what I deserve (a swift kick in the arse) for my birthday. Instead Mark and the kids gave me the KING OF GIFTS...

This post will also serve as proof that I SUCK at Photoshop...

Oh, well, I can't be good at everything!

do this...

http://johnedwards.com/action/sign-petitions/standfirm

and if you need a reason...

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/

http://icasualties.org/oif/

http://iraqbodycount.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_conflict_in_Iraq_since_2003

a simple wish... not ;)

http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/clickit/search?r_aid=6BE91C1EBE6F4E99B7449185FD844350&r_eop=6&r_sacop=6&r_spf=0&r_cop=main-title&r_snpp=6&r_spp=0&qqn=Rfu%4028m%27&r_coid=372372&rawto=http://www.prankster.it/Elvis-Costello-Dont-Let-Me-Be-Misunderstood.mp3

appreciating this moment

Spring transforms me. I honestly feel like a different person when the trees are green and the amazing Texas wildflowers are in bloom. We have had so much rain that everything is absolutely lush with blossoms and vibrant color. At this time of the year I can forgive Texas her bleak winters, pancake landscape and scorching summers. I drink in this beauty as I know it does not endure.

passages...

Happy Birthday Stephen!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070427-hawking-picture.html?source=rss

my kingdom come

Look at this fine crown. Starry and bright,
It sits on my head like a minaret.
I wear it at all times to remind my subjects
of... well, their subjectivity.

My kingdom?
Smallish, oddly shaped.
Were someone (cartographer? impressionist?)
to put it to a map I would insist on choosing
the colors. I do have some sway.
I am less concerned with boundaries and such.

My hold on it is wispy,
as thin as a veil.
Revolution brews under the doormat
Radicals crouch in every corner,
construct their clever schemes
draw complex diagrams.
They rub their hand together
as they dream of my demise.

I was born to this, heir to chaos,
inbred and redundant.
It is all I know.
The trappings fit me like a second,
truer skin. I stir up the occasional scandal,
remind the proletariat that I am privy
to a realm of sin that is beyond them,
debauchery on a plane
they dare not imagine.

My impotence is legendary,
but I am undisturbed by that silliness.
I do my job, invoke a bit of fear,
wear the ermine and the emeralds,
indulge sometimes in a wine-soaked
dream of abdication.

if you build it...

That's what I'm talking about!!! The shelter might come in handy this week! Damn dreadful, dreary weather!!! Well, at least it's not cold! And it's May... and I love me some MAY!

God! Don't you love a friggin' weather blog!!! Fascinating, no?