Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Bonnie and Albie enjoy life together

Bonnie came to visit me. She is my dear friend who lives in Mill Valley, California and who shares deeply from her heart her love, enthusiasm and amazing sense of style and beauty. I met her about 20 years ago at a Painting Experience intensive at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. We were both painting with Michelle Cassou and Stewart Cubley at the Painting Experience in San Francisco but were on different schedules so hadn't met there. Everyone was telling me I would love her when I met her and because my experience is often that I do not like what other people insist I will just love, I was sure I wouldn't be able to stand her. WRONG. Though very different from each other, we are solid partners in a friendship that keeps on bringing pleasure and continues to expand and endure. Bonnie turned me on to paper making which led to book making which led to me teaching. We had plans to do arty stuff this visit but what we did do wasn't what we expected. Being game for new experiences, Bonnie willingly checked out a designer/artist I have started to work with named Diane Ericson who has a studio at the fabulous new Ashland Art Center in Ashland, took in a dynamic, intense play at the Oregon Shakespeare Theater, ate a couple of times at New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent, and saw a Portugese film held over from our International Film Festival. Plus she had time to do some knitting, take walks and help me finish the move out of my old studio. What a gal!! I could go on and on about the fun we have, the things we share, the interests that light us up but you get the idea. Through everything life dishes up she has been here for me. As she says, you are in my heart always. And she is in mine. Who is in yours? Don't forget to let them know.

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