Octopus Watch

Kind of crappy iPhone pictures taken early yesterday morning:

The darn thing has grown another foot while I wasn't watching!
And I just went out for today's growth-spurt and here's what's going on. Notice the stalk has taken on a bit of a twist, you can see today's growth in relationship to the wall behind it- I now have to take the picture from across the pool in order to get it in the frame! This time I took the extra trouble of actually using a real camera. I can't wait to see what's next on this puppy!
So, while I was out there in the daylight I decided to show you my little sedum and cactus project. Seems that is also blooming while I am ignoring it- one of the cactus sent up a 3' little stalk with a few teensy flowers on it, probably in sympathy for what's going on with the big guy.

Not too exciting, is is? But I do like the different cactus all planted in that flat dish together. I should pull out the back one and replace it with something more to scale- it's really gotten too big for it's britches (and neighbor planties).
Then I remembered my Christmas Amarrylis that I 'lost' inside of a dark cupboard since a year ago January. It flet all depleted and dead but I let it soak awhile and stuck it out in the air and light and though I can't believe it, it too has stuck out it's little green tongue! We'll see if it will actually bloom again (this would be it's fourth time).
Maybe having a pet snail nestled at it's fee will help. These guys find the most amazing places to go die, hope he's not there yet and is instead whispering encouragement to this codger of a plant on it's last stand.

I'm feeling like Mr. Greenjeans with all this spurting life going on around me.

Oh yeah, this is s'posed to be an art blog, isn't it? I've been tres bizzy there too. I've started my piece for Rochester, run into roadblocks, restarted and think I have it, Ollie. Of course I'm talking from the just pinned position so we'll see what new fresh hell will develop as I work.

I've sent off my bio and statement to the Gathering show up in MA this summer. The piece that is going to be in that show is

'Rabbit Morphs Into Raven, I Find My Voice'

which is representative of working with my crit group. The bottom log cabin set was influenced by a Japanese book that Sylvia had shared with me, the old quilt top Judy found in her neighborhood trash became the raven, and otehr fabrics were dropped on me by other members but it's murky since I haven't seen this piece for years now. Guess I should share it on the SAQA list because they are talking about writing on quilts and I am the queen of applique letters and bias writing. Oh well, I'm sure they wouldn't care since it involves actual work to do, not like buying a pen and having at it. OK, so that project is put to bed for now.
The big treat came yesterday when I got contacted about using my Ironstone Book as a feature in a new special interest magazine coming out soon. I have to get it bubble wrapped and off to the publishers today. AND explain it! I love that part.

Additionally my plaster dog wouldn't be clear-coated and it is back in the studio for me to FIX that problem. I used to love Lacey, not so much any more. Did I mention I had to cover a 2x2x2 pedestal to 'match' her? This little detail wasn't mentioned until I thought I was done. now I have to live with the freakin' DOG COFFIN in the studio until it's picked up.

See? I am actually doing a few things besides whining but I do admit that takes up a very large part of my existance.