Meditation, new Work Space, and a Concert

This journey, at least in my mind, is multi-fauceted. One being the exploration of art, but also the exploration of new ideas and ways to live. We all desire to be healthy. Healthy of mind and body. A lot of us desire for improvement. Self improvement, more specifically. But improvement in the quality of life, too. I desire to improve myself in ways that might bring me and those around me, more peace, happiness, and enrichment. Wow. That seems like a much taller order now that it's in front of me in black and white (or black and green, same diff).

In my journey, I see meditation as part of the equation. Nick and I are also looking for ways to become a part of the community here and meet new people. So... Monday we joined a meditation class. It was held in a ladies home. There were 9 of us there. (Nick being the only male and the only one who admittedly had never "meditated" before.) I enjoyed it. I felt like I was visiting friends because I was welcomed into her home and we all sat around expressing what we think and feel/experience. It was a very comfortable setting. I would love to continue with it.

We also had the idea of joining a square dance class at a fun venue. Just so happens, it's on Monday nights, too. We have also heard of a class on Thursday's somewhere else. So maybe we can do both.

Alright....................... ON TO YESTERDAY. (what a neat phrase)
Yesterday was great! We did a little thrift shopping and I found these beautiful glasses I some how managed to resist buying.

We actually need glasses, but they are shorties. (If they are there when I go back, though...) Picked up some fall colored fabric.

AND I finally got a table to paint on. (while I waited for it to be loaded on the car roof, I took some fun pics of a vintage sofa that someone made a little more appealing by coloring in the flowers.)
Brought it home and set it up right away. There is already an explosion of inspiration all over it.

this is my work space.

Then last night, we went to a concert at a venue (that use to be a skating rink) called the Orange Peel. If you come to Asheville, check it out. The name of the group is called Ten Out of Tenn. They are 10 separate singer/song writers that have their own CDs/music as well are in other bands. One guy tours with Keith Urban (I believe it was) and another girl tours with Jewel. They were awesome!! Worth every penny. They each took turns singing while the rest played guitars, keys, harmonicas, tambarine, etc. After the show, they came down onto the floor (all 10 of them) and we gathered in a circle around them, and we all sang together. So much fun. They offered a bundle deal where you get all 10 of their individual CDs plus the groups' CD. So we got them. YAY!!

11 CDs and the event poster (snatched off the wall as we were leaving, of course :)

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I also want to share some pictures of some artwork that Nick recently purchased from some local artists. The first two are artists' work we saw in an large exhibition a few weeks ago and these two artists' were my favorites. This one is an original and in our bathroom right now. Deona Fish


This one has a really neat message. It's titled "Never give up" (a print) by Sarah Faulkner and pictures a country fence. The fence posts are wood strung together with wire, and one of the fence posts has sprouted a branch and is growing into a tree again. We hung it on one of the wood beams.


This last painting is one he was intrigued by. Its an original and titled "the birds and the bees". The artist incorporated the wood knots into her painting, leaving bare wood showing. And the curly lines you see on it are actually words strung together.