Susie Monday . El Cielo Studio

Here ,we are stuck inside one big ice cube, though it be one with a few thorns and spines. The north-facing windows are coated with at least a half inch of ice, lending the living room and bedroom the feel of a modern church sanctuary built around 1952 (a better image than that of a mental institution, right?). The caliche driveway out front is a skating rink. The  car doors simply won't open (yes, we have a garage, part of my studio building, but being inexperienced at winter, we didn't put the cars inside, go figure). The good news is that I have made it through almost one year of financial record recovery.

Also, we stretched frames and mounted two stunning pieces of African textiles that Linda bought several years ago -- now in a starring role on the living room wall. I don't know anything about African textiles and haven't had the time to do a good search for information yet. I know that the one on the left is kuba cloth from Zaire -- a rafia fabric with cowrie shell embellishment. The other is a wedding cloth, but I don't know where its from. If anyone with knowlege or a good web information source is reading this, please leave a comment.

Meanwhile, I am planning the weekend journaling workshop (Jan. 20-21, see workshop link) and hoping the meltdown is on its way.  Cabin fever has not quite set in, but the warning signs are nigh. I don't live in Texas for no reason.