Love Never Ends — My Late Sister-in-law’s Knitting Needles

Today when I got home from running errands there was a package on my front porch — again. This time it was from my sister, Keo, who lives in Tennessee. She sent me a wonderful package FULL of knitting and sewing items that belonged to our late sister-in-law, Betty, who passed away several years ago. It took my breath away because a few weeks ago I said outloud to no one in particular “I wish I had a (knitting) needle case” because all of my needles are loose in a tote bag and I’m always losing one of a pair. knitting needles... [Read more]

40 Things I Did To Transform My Self and My Life

I have been on my own now for just over seven years.  Seven is a magical number and realizing this has caused me to sit back and think about all that I did to transform and empower myself – and to ultimately completely change my life. It has been a time of sweet and joyous reunion with myself, but also a time of enormous emotional, psychological, spiritual and intellectual growth. Many women ask me what I did to change the trajectory of my path. I tell them that I didn’t have much of a choice – it just had to come out , come to fruition,... [Read more]

The Pinwheel Girl is Nude! Why is that?

Anatomy of a Pinwheel Girl Oftentimes I am asked why is the Pinwheel Girl nude and why doesn’t she have breasts? Where are her hands? Feet? Does she have a face? Despite some absent features, her anatomy is very recognizable and simple. You know instantly when you see her that she is female but there is a lot of symbolism to her form. When I created her, much of her outcome was serendipitous. It wasn’t until I started really pondering her detail and lack of detail that I realized how much was there in the void. if you feel like you... [Read more]

Born in a Windmill ~ The Inner Journey Comes Full Circle

I recently found out that my mother was born in a windmill. She’ll be 88 years old soon. She was born in England in 1922 and I have to say that I was quite stunned to find out her literal birthplace. She casually mentioned this little known piece of family history over Thanksgiving dinner. It was pretty momentous because, of course, not only had I just written, illustrated and published a book about pinwheels, which are derivatives of windmills, but I had also just finished photographing windmills of the American West and started assembling some... [Read more]

Mexican Pinwheels: Symbol of Happiness

I recently had the great pleasure and honor to meet a professional pinwheel maker.  I have never met a pinwheel maker before. Have you? Lorenzo has been making pinwheels by hand for the last 34 years, along with his pa, in the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He sells the pinwheels, along with balloons, from a simple stand on the malecon (the Boardwalk) overlooking Banderas Bay. His pinwheel stand is colorful and alluring. You can’t miss it–all the colors swirling and twirling is quite mesmerizing and attractive! the Spanish... [Read more]

Pink Roses, St. Therese and a Giant Pinwheel in the Sky

I found out today on my birthday that yesterday, October 1, was the Feast of St. Therese. It is also her birthday.  Though I’m not Catholic, I consider St. Therese to be one of my patron saints. She had tuberculosis as a young woman and died of it at age 24 — she was a highly sensitive person and as a child she was prone to fits and tantrums because she wanted to express herself and often couldn’t do so with clarity.  Born into a very devout French family, she was also deeply empathic and passionate – her spirituality was highly evolved... [Read more]