Category: home

Distractions

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img_6019I’ve been somewhat distracted lately. I spent time at a fabulous retreat in Asheville, NC (Life is a Verb Camp), and came home to adopt a 9-month old puppy with special needs. She has taken much of my time lately. And when I’m not with her, I’m printing.

If you are local, I’ll be at the Sunken Well Tavern (corner of Hanover and Littlepage) Tinsel Town Market this Thursday (Dec. 8) from 6-9 with cards and prints. It should be a festive evening!

In the meantime, remember to slow down, enjoy each day, and give someone a hug.

 

xoxo

susan

 

 

 

And there goes summer….

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Photos of my dad and grandfather sitting in the same place in the old living room.
Photos of my dad and grandfather sitting in the same place in the old living room. I love how it’s a favorite nap place.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve spent a little more than two weeks in my favorite place: Rhode Island. I’ve been going since I was a baby, and that’s a damn long time.

We drifted on the salt pond, swam in the ocean, read on the back porch, and played with kids and grandkids. Plus I explored my grandfather’s scrapbook and found some cool memories!

Now I’m back and on the press. I really missed it, which tells me something. I am in my happy place here, too.

David secures the boat for an evening "float"
David secures the boat for an evening “float”

Spending our days…

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DSCN4164Annie Dillard once wrote “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

As I move into my mid-60’s (yikes) I realize that this idea of living a good life (whatever that is) means everything. I know I am privileged to have choice in how I live my life–not all do. Discovering a passion, letterpress, and a way to play with words has allowed me to truly slip into flow.

“According to Csikszentmihályi, flow is completely focused motivation. It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate experience in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning.”

This often happened when I was teaching, working with young adults and helping them find some meaning in their lives (always more important than whatever was in the curriculum). But I’m certainly finding it now in my printing work.

My other joy is having time to play with my grandchildren, watch them grow, and see my own children in their eyes and smiles. I spent yesterday with two children and Sunday will see the other two. Their visits fill me up with indescribable happiness.

Now that I’m settled in my new shop (or settled in two, actually since my new press is at home), I am trying to develop a routine. Summer is not exactly the time to do that, but it’s coming slowly.

I am trying to remember how each moment matters.

Home Sweet Home…..

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I’ve been traveling. To printers’ fairs (Lancaster, PA), workshops (Chicago, Starshaped Prss), classes (Charlottesville, Calligraphy) and a short trip to New York.

Needless to say, my head is spinning.

But that’s ok because I’m learning. Still. After two years of having my presses! Today I had great success with less ink, figured out a better way to layout a card, and used the cute star ornaments Jen @starshapedpress gave me.

I love the way the shadows hit my type case in this photo by Khirstie Smith, our intern. I’ve said, being my my shop is meditative, calming. And I’m looking forward to being home for a while.