
This Christmas Eve a balmy wind has come to call. Today in the land of eternal sunshine the snow dreams were put on hold, the windows unlatched and opened wide. This is the first night in weeks and weeks that the heat hasn't been needed. But the air, warm or cold, isn't going to keep Santa at bay! No siree Bob! The cat posse is scanning the sky, eyes peeled for the magical team of reindeer pulling their special Christmas passenger. And down here on earth they are all set to chime the alarm. 3 meows in perfect unison will ring out across the house alerting me to hightail it outside with the camera. This is going to be the year. I can feel it.

Meanwhile the getaway car is packed and ready to head north. There's a real live Christmas Village to explore. A friend to meet. Pirate ships far out at sea to focus in on with my binoculars. Beaches to roam. And many many dogs wearing sweaters. Yes friends, I'm on my way to Carmel! And with any luck at all a great storm will blow in making it necessary to unfurl my raincoat and don my Astoria oilcloth hat.

The Merry Christmas collage above is on an 8x8 canvas. I sent that to my sister for her Christmas card. I had a grand time at the spraypaint station yesterday and today whipping up a small batch of mailart for a few special people. Those will be mailed from the road. 76 degrees is perfect spraying weather.
The bird theme continues. Today I used the giant bird mask over the blue-flowered vintage wallpaper.

Another unfinished page from the visual journal to be finished in Carmel. I never prep pages in advance so this is new for me. I'm strictly a one page at a time, one journal at a time person. The entire chaotic brain scan gets poured onto the page all at once. That's just the way I roll. But not this time.

In about three and a half minutes I'm going to be whipping up one of these babies in the kitchen. My sister will of course object to the way I've altered her recipe, but I can't help it. It's better this way. A perfect after dinner martini on a light-twinkling, magic-making Christmas Eve. Put on your party pants muchachos, the Key Lime Pie martini just pulled into town!

Okay and one last teeny tiny thing: THANK YOU. For continuing to stop by, and read, and comment, and share your thoughts, and ideas, books, music, art. All of it. Every last bit. xo

