I'm actually home for two weeks. This is rare. So I'm writing and reading and stocking up for the road. 

I think it was Mati Rose's blog  where she talked about grateful friday. Well here it is Saturday and I have so many ideas for new songs and i'm friggin' grateful. So many times, it seems I have to go into this treacherous dark pit to distil and percolate before new songs will surface. But not lately. It all started last October with the Woody project, and I swear his energy is still swirling all around. Not to mention all the fabulous artists from the last journal.

Anyway, point is, I wanted to share a few pix of my little altars of inspiration in my little music room.

Here is PIG from my super amazing photographer friend Linda Hansen. She did a whole series of her son's plastic animals, called "Life in Plastic." She also did all the pictures from "Back in the Circus" and "Careful What you Wish For." (we still have some one time Circus prints if you're interested.)

I have Pig staring right at me in my chair and I basically think he's saying "get to work, stop being so damn precious with yourself."

Top left is Woody, my "Little Bird." From the time I wrote that song for the new record and even now, if I sing that, I get unstuck. Woody was that free, he didn't seem to have the 'I suck knob' that most of us do.

Leonard Cohen. I cried through many of his songs when i finally saw him last summer at the Montreux Jazz festival.

A note from my friend Matt at Disney.

"Live Life" with the little upside down bird. I love this. I can't remember who gave it to me... somebody at a gig. But I've kept it ever since.

Notecard by Brian Andreas from Elizabeth at the Squam art workshops.

If that isn't enough, there's "rock star Jonatha" created by four super fans whose names, alas, fell off the back of the polaroid they stuck to Barbie. I love this doll like nobody's business. I hope they know.

they even created the sequel doll: "Big Top Jonatha" and brought it to the Anspacher show. Am I lucky or what?

for those of you who've heard the story, here he is: "Stilt Boy." One of my best friend, Ronnie White's early creations. I call this stilt town. Three boxes that my brother crafted that I cherish, a cigar box full of letters that have totally made my day, and a handmade paper collage box from WAY WAY back in the story days. most of the lyrics have fallen, but it's "Barefoot Ballroom" from The Angel in the House.

Back to work, PIG's glaring at me.

cheers,

Jonatha