During Izzy’s most intense hospice work, I didn’t work with him and sheep. Didn’t want to crank him up. I’m taking him out for some lessons, though. He loves it. His directionals are poor – he circles the sheep and his outruns are spectacular, but he doesn’t quite get the idea of bringing them to me, or anywhere else really. He has a lot of instinct, and I don’t really want to push it. But I will be working with him more in the coming weeks. Good for both of us.
The birdbath, after the storm
I have to say I’m with Woody Allen when it comes to relationships. They are tricky, and the heart does want what the heart wants. My time as a single man has been both spectacular and mundane. Divorce gives one a particular perspective on the importance of working at relationships. Maria and I were thrown together in the way people are not supposed to be – in the midst of crisis and drama.
We have both changed, quite a bit, and we have changed together. As a single man, I learned to manage my life, learn about money, pay my bills, take responsibility for a lot of things – cooking, cleaning. I needed help and I got help. I needed to get some people out of my life, and I did. I needed to find new people in my life, and I did. Throughout all of it, Maria and I have drawn closer, and dealt with life together. Everyone I know tells me I am lucky and blessed. I know that. I relished my time as a single man. I loved walking in the woods, dawdling for hours over a particular photograph, buying things when I wished.
People told me that women would be lining up to be with me. They were not. I had two “dates” and they were both pretty awful. I did have a romantic encounter on a book tour, in Texas. That was nice. The next day I got a tattoo that said “Maria.”
Maybe because I was only interested in one woman from the beginning. How odd I would find her in a tiny town on a remote farm in upstate New York. Life is stranger even than Woody Allen knew.
Sharing a life is a big change for me. I like it. It seems to me a significant portion of what life is about. As I move towards marriage, I’d like to write more about my life as a single man, what I’ve learned.
June 6, 2010- Awful storms today, trees down, and power out in many places. Bartleby is recovering from docking and banding, so I put him and his mom into the barn for the day to ride out the storm and give him a chance to heal. There is always something special about seeing a ewe and lamb in a safe, warm and dry place during a storm. The world seems a bit saner.
This photo will be offered as a single $5 notecard (along with shots of Rose and some flowers) on July 24 at our Creative Union show in Dorset, Vt., at the Redux Gallery. Maria and I are celebrating love, marriage and affordable art. The show, from 1 to 4 p.m. is expanding in content but not price. Nothing will cost more than $15. Christine Nemec of Redux is offering single photo notecards (very limited quantities) for $5 each and the rest of the notecards will be sold in packs of five. They will include the new Bartleby, donkey and Rose at work series. Christine is now on Facebook – Redux Art & Antiques. Maria is also on Facebook – fullmoonfiberart.
Maria is offering her celebrated potholders and also her eyeglass and cell phone cases. She has also begun making E-reader bags for Kindle’s and Nook’s and Ipads, all available to see on Maria’s new website.
We believe in seeing our art go out into the world, but we also know that people don’t have much money to spend on art these days so we are rethinking our art and presenting it in the most affordable possible ways. We wish to call attention to the plight of artists, suffering greatly in the recession, and also to be creative about new ways of getting our stories out into the world. This show is a step in that direction we believe. Good art, affordable and functional.
Maria and I will both be at the show, and I will be happy to sign any of the notecards purchased.
Out taking photos, sheepherding, and I heard a rustle and there was Mother keeping an eye on me, and perhaps on a mouse. Mother is an amazing creature, very friendly, and yet…
