New Year, New Ideas & A Love Note...

It's officially 2010. I know this because Handsome, Kes and I heard the fireworks in our neighborhood at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Kes was especially interested in the noise and wondered what was going on. She wasn't afraid...just curious. After midnight hugs and kisses, Handsome and I ended our celebration and bid the revelers a good night.
I spent our rainy New Year's Day in the studio. Handsome spent the day watching football. I finished giveaway gifts that will be on their way to Marydon at Blushing Rose today, along with a surprise project for my sister, Diana, which I'll mail off to her in Minnesota.
These photos are ideas I'm working on for this year. The oak leaves in this photo were screened onto fabric which I turned into project totes for my Books A Million knitting/crochet friends on Tuesday night. I gave one to each of the gals earlier this week. They were the same muslin fabric with a drawstring design that I had used for Christmas gift bags, but I used my new oak leaf design as the image - and one of my signature acorn charms - on the front instead of an embroidered design.

They were just small gifts from the heart, but when I gave one to each of the gals, you might have thought I'd given them spun gold. They were all so appreciative! Don't you find that people who engage in handwork, in whatever form, always seem to like even the smallest gifts because they were hand made? I think so.

Over dinner last night, Handsome said he had one more anniversary gift for me, and then he handed me this book.

Inside the book were copies of email correspondences between him and the photographer who supplied all the images for the book, Bruce Dale. I started to cry, but in order for you to understand my reaction, I need to take you back twenty eight years.

The first love note Handsome gave me twenty eight years ago was attached to this picture:
Handsome told me in that note that the photograph was taken by Bruce Dale, "a photographer for National Geographic whose work can consistently water one's eyes". Handsome, being a professional photographer, loved the expression captured in this photo and in his love note to me, he told me that he hoped that someday we would have the same rapport as Bruce and his subject, Terry. Her image, which Handsome clipped from a National Geographic magazine (and then backed with his love note) has been framed and on one table top or another in every home we've lived in all these years.

Terry was published in the book, Mountain People in 1973. Handsome had met Bruce Dale in the 1960's at a professional function, and had seen the work that would eventually become this book. Long out of print, but with Mr. Dale's help, Handsome was able to locate a copy as a gift for me. In their correspondence, Mr. Dale also offered to autograph my copy.

Perhaps now, you understand my reaction to this gift. It was like getting that original love note - times ten - again this year. I'm looking forward to the possibility of actually meeting Mr. Dale (who lives in Virginia) on our return trip to Williamsburg next fall. I'll hand carry the book and explain to him just how important his picture of Terry has been to us. I think he's going to like knowing what an effect his work has had on our life together.