didn't i receive the most wonderful surprise for christmasfrom my cousin jason vaughn. -i was excited immediately when the mailman brought the mail, because it was not merely an envelope with a christmas card inside; it was a package...
what could it be? to my complete delight my talented photographer cousin had sent me two gifts: a framed photograph which is a collage of beautiful doll faces, AND, "february" a limited edition collection of his highly artistic photography.
and i've been meaning, since december, to send a thank you.
today - at last! - as part of my "radical cleaning" project, i finally got to it. let me first explain "radical cleaning" -radical cleaning is when you touch a piece of paper you may not move on to the next thing until you take that paper to it's death. no piling it over there, or filing it to be dealt with some day..
and when i say taking a paper to it's death -i mean it! this would be a great example:
i'm dancing to joss stone and putting the dishes away, finish that, and go to clean the counter. touch the envelope from jason that i've been saving since i recieved his gift so i had his return address. -the temptation might be to move the envelope somewhere again but NOT WITH RADICAL CLEANING
so instead, i stopped everything i was doing. needed some wood to make a mag time thank you frame.. none at hand. but no excuses allowed. will be updating my word wall soon anyway, so plucked the "inspire" wood frame from my wall display and created a mag time frame on the opposite side. designed and constructed the frame; handstamped, embossed "thank you" in the center; took a copy of their picture together from the back of another limited photography collection (9/50) i was given by my mom after she attended what i believe was his first gallery show in hollywood" "space and the human condition" 
so that's jason and shola. beautiful couple, yes. -and what is extra cool, is that they, like my aunt & uncle, bill and june vaughn, have a creative~collaborative~love
my aunt and uncle, both professional potters, have been married 40 years now, and creating pottery together just as long. my uncle throws and forms, my aunt freestyle designs. together they create and design some of the most spectacular, captivating pottery you've ever seen. and i'm not just sayin' that because i love them. it's true! see for yourself: http://www.vaughnpottery.com/
and a similar collaboration is being experienced between their son jason and his love, shola. her helping with and supporting his photography, and him, helping with and supporting her singing career.
thank you both! for thinking of me
- okay, and now back to radical cleaning - after i designed the frame and wrote a thank you note, i packaged it, and drove to the post office and mailed it out TODAY. i did not place it by the door for later, when...
i did not stop until that envelope i touched was taken to it's death. his return address has been copied in my book, i've created AND MAILED OUT the over-due thank you gift. i've posted this blog with pictures AND NOW.. i can throw away that envelope
AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING. radical cleaning may seem counter-productive at first.. stopping in the middle of everything to drive to the post office? -but, in truth, my experience is that it is the slowest, but most productive type of cleaning i do.
rearranging papers over and over, relocating clutter.. making my place visitor-friendly in a hurry.. this is quick but the results are very temporary; lasts 10 minutes tops.
but radical cleaning.. it can last a whole day.
