Gladys, The Goddess Of Love

“That would make a great hanging piece” Jon said when he saw the Valentine  I drew yesterday.

I’m not always open to Jon’s ideas, and he has a lot of them, but this time what he said got in my head and seemed like it would be fun to do.  And, I hate to say it, but he’s right,  it would make a great wall hanging.

So this morning, before feeding the cats or even going to the bathroom, (the first things I do every morning) I slipped my bare feet into my shoes, threw on one of the sweaters that are always hanging over the dining room chairs and bare-legged, ran out to my studio and turned the heat on.  It was 10 degrees below zero and when it’s that cold, it usually takes till the afternoon (if the sun is out which it isn’t today) for my studio to get warm.

It being a holiday, Jon and I are taking the day off and  going to the movies.   But ever  since he mentioned it, this piece was burning my fingertips, begging to be born.  So if I had to, I’d just be cold for a few hours to get it done.

Last year I went to my studio everyday in weather far worse than this, but this year I’m spoiled and 10 below feels unbearable.  So I bundled up, called Fate,  and took a cup of hot cup of tea with me.  Fate, unimpressed with the cold,  stayed outside to play with her squeaky chicken and I  got to work.

Gladys, The Goddess of Love was born dancing with hearts in her hair.  She asked for books, a cat, some secrets (in the drawers) light and a bowl of hearts instead of the wood stove from yesterday’s drawing to go with her.

I’m not done with Gladys yet, but my toes got cold enough to interrupt my focus and suddenly I was obsessing on the hunk of Salmon in the fridge from last nights dinner.  It was lunch time.

So I turned off my heat committing myself to the afternoon off.   A movie, The Bit Short, and one of those giant chewy ginger cookies they sell at the theater.  I know Gladys would approve.