Happy Birthday Us

Well... She was actually born the day before me, so she is definitely more grounded than I managed to be on my birthday weekend. At least I was able to have a photo session with my newly birthed creation before the family made there way to my door. After that the weekend was full of little visits and gifts, a time with the younger grandchildren and their parents in the park, a time with older grandchildren here, and on Sunday a movie with my sister, my cousin and a good friend. FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD was beautifully filmed and acted in Dorset, England, so I got to gaze at the glorious countryside that I get small glimpses of in the photos of some of my blip friends. After that we indulged in very good ice cream sundaes. I fell pretty heavily after that sugar high. And I still had another visitor: my sweet nephew, Chris, who I was helping to fire some medallions he had made. He also admired my sculpture, and with tears in his beautiful eyes, gave me to know that I am admired and loved, and not nearly as alone as I sometimes think I am. 

I admit I am tired this morning, but now I have time to share the happy completion of the sculpture with you. It has been a long time coming, with all my long pauses between stages, but I think it is worth it. And soon I will start again with a fresh and formless lump of clay from which I will bring forth: who knows what?. I always surprise myself, which is why I keep answering the challenge, I guess. I like surprises...even if they bring difficulties that tear me to shreds as I struggle to deal with them. Being bored is much more destructive to the spirit.  Again... The soul wants balance...

Again and again, I return to that need for balance. I forget that one can only be conscious of balance for the briefest of moments. Life tilts us this way and that and we dance our precarious dance, yet the still point is always here, waiting for us...to remember: Ahhh...

Extra photos are of different views of the sculpture. I don't know why blip occasionally turns the photos sideways. Don't know how to rectify it. So be it.