Maria has the mind and soul of an artist, I cannot imagine her mind doing anything else, the inside of her head is a mystical funhouse filled with dreams, images, encounters, fairies, moods, quirks, loves, resentments, angels and animals. She thinks differently than anyone I know. She never spends a nickel on herself, only wears clothes from second hand stores, throws nothing away, buys nothing new (unless given to her). It isn’t that she is cheap, she is very generous, it is rather than she needs little, demands nothing, thinks nothing of herself, unless it is for her art or studio. She is always giving me gifts, buying me dinner, thinking about what I need. She has little use for men but is nice to me, if I behave.

She would never think of air conditioning or mull how to fix the house. But if something is aesthetically amiss – the ugly, tacky old kitchen floor, there is no peace until it leaves, and it is leaving. It is curious how well we fit together, two pieces of a puzzle, we are do different yet so alike. One of life’s mysteries. We are always looking to support one another, soothe one another, ground one another, love one another. Today she emerged from her Schoolhouse Studio smiling and showed me another enchanting scarf made from old vintage handkerchiefs handed down from grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Many have made their say to her, and she knows what to do with them, she weaves them together, sees how they fit. I love this scarf, it manages to be dignified and gracious and riotous as the same time. It will be on sale Sunday at the Open House.