Bonjour! C’est Linda! Yes, Tom and I finally made it to Canada yesterday. We’re in the beautiful Province of Quebec and trying to brush up on our Canadian French… which isn’t going too well. Fortunately, we’ve met only kind and patient people so far! My 50-year High School Class Reunion was a hit! Seeing old friends and making new relationships made the day delightful! So many memories that I hadn’t thought about in ages led to lots of laughter and wonder. I loved it when some of the guys and gals recalled the days when they skipped school in our…

Hi, it’s Linda! The big day has finally arrived! For years, I’ve been thinking about creating a calendar showcasing my art. I tried to develop one last year, but I couldn’t find a manufacturer with an acceptable design that I liked. Tom and I have been traveling in Europe and collecting calendars on each trip we take. We collected some beautiful ones, including a calendar of Monet’s Garden in France. After enjoying these calendars year after year, I wondered if I could develop one with the help of my artistically creative daughter, Brittany. Could we do it on our own? (The…

In our day-to-day travels around the city, Tom and I have been noticing more and more celebratory items for sale for the 250th birthday of our beautiful land, the United States of America. I was looking for some memorabilia for my upcoming 50-year class reunion, and I came across one of my journal entries from 1976. I literally drove across the country on July 4th, 1976, after attending my nephew’s baptism in Kansas. All the way from Kansas to Pennsylvania, there were fireworks everywhere. I wrote about the tall ships and about Denmark celebrating with us in solidarity. It was…

Abigail lives with us Monday through Friday during the day and one night overnight. It’s been good to see her becoming increasingly comfortable with the NG tube. Though she’s still not eating orally, we are getting her to taste foods throughout the day. The good news is that I feel ready to get back to work in my studio, as well as around the house in general. This week, I’ve somehow managed both! May I introduce you to our new garden? Gardening, to me, is like painting the yard with color and texture.  Flowers, what can I say… they bring…

Well, this has been an interesting week! I finished my private commission, and the couple picked it up today. They were very happy. I had sent them photos along the way so they could watch the progress. They really enjoyed seeing it develop! My eye surgery was this week, as well as my birthday. And this year I received the best birthday gift ever – meet Mia! She is 12 weeks old, and she is so sweet! It didn’t take her long to become family. Get this – no hissing, no clawing, only loving! I held her for 50 minutes…

It’s been an eventful month… There was the unveiling of “Our Lady of Liberty,” which was quite a momentous occasion, with more press coverage than I had imagined.  In addition, I participated in two new Home Shows in Montour and in Bethel Park’s Cool Springs Sports Complex, both of which I’m certain I’ll be returning to next year. I did, however, visit our friends at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show downtown. I also led a workshop on business development for fellow artists (pic above). And keeping with tradition, we bought our Girl Scout Cookies.  Then this weekend, Tom and I spent an entire day gardening in…

Hi, it’s Linda! You know… the artist who started at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show 29 years ago? When we made the decision not to participate this year, I had no idea how much I would miss it. I literally started the Artists’ Aisle years and years ago. In my first year at the old Convention Center, I was the only artist on the second floor. My booth was between bathtubs and windows. People told me that my booth was like having dessert after all those garage doors and garden sheds! For 8 years, I remained the only artist…

The title of today’s blog relates to our experiences at last week’s South Hills Home Show at AHN Cool Springs Sports Complex in Bethel Park. From the moment we arrived Thursday to set up, the other vendors went out of their way to welcome us and to help us carry everything in. Friends and customers stopped by to tell me they were so glad I was there and that they found me! On Friday, Andy from Evey Hardware showcased our booth on BPTV. And on Saturday, KDKA’s Rob Pratte Live interviewed me for about 20 minutes. He asked questions about my career and told…

It’s funny how even when our children are grown and independent, we’re still sometimes called upon to be moms again.   My daughter Brittany had surgery this week. I hadn’t been that nervous for a very long time. I’m aware that emotional eating has always been my coping mechanism, so I made it a point to make a smart choice at the hospital cafeteria by ordering a veggie omelet. That worked out so well, that then I thought, “I think I need more fuel in this stressful situation, so maybe I’ll do what the hobbits do and have a second…