October Magic

It's been a magical week in October around the Wilcox household. We began with an indoor skydiving adventure on Sunday, that has convinced me there is no need to put myself in danger by actually jumping out of a plane! My husband and I and our son and one of his friends all donned our jump suits, helmets and ear plugs and individually dove into the iFly wind tunnel in Union City, CA.  Of course, we had a little help from a flight instructor who was by our side positioning our hands and legs and giving us hand signals as we floated in the 60+ mph winds that kept us afloat. It was exhilirating, so say the least!! I loved it and am ready for more!

On Monday and Tuesday, I had the wonderful privilege of taking classes from Michael DeMeng. What a genuinely nice guy and such a talent! We created some "Demented Toys," on Monday that were truly eclectic. I created a serpent-like mermaid using a vintage China head and a Barbi torso. Yes, it is quite a sight. I've got more work to do on it, but I learned so much.

Tuesday, Micheal took us through the process of creating framed images with layers and layers of color. He is a real genius when it comes to Golden paints and the sublte nuances each adds when mixed. He gave us the recipe for painting creepy babies, serial killer red, vertigre and gothic black. My cup runneth over with Halloween ideas.

However, that wasn't the best part of Tuesday. It was also our son's 18th birthday. I can't believe my sweet little shy boy has become a man and we couldn't be more proud. I made his favorite breakfast, dinner and dessert, and later this week, we will head out to a steak house on Friday for more celebrating. Of course, just beneath the surface are my thoughts of our daughter who never reached the age of 18. Each celebration is bittersweet knowing that one of us is no longer here. I felt her spirit as my husband and I sang happy birthday to our beaming son, and I feel her presence as I sit in the backyard and watch fall's splendor around us.

So the magic continues as October progresses to it's ultimate culmination - Halloween - a family favorite.  I will be listing the beeswax collage pictured above on eBay later tonight for a 3-day auction. I hope October's magic is casting it's seasonal spell on you too.