SkybellArts @ Blogger

Sending my prayers

2011-04-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to all those who lost their lives and those who are suffering in the aftermath of the tornadoes that struck in Alabama.

chore relief

2011-04-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

I was working on April's Doodle calendar this evening when I realized that I never took a picture of March. That's the problem with starting to get back in the swing of things - dealing with the nasty little reminders of the things I let slide. Fine. At least I still remember how to crop the picture and get it into Blogger!

and 3 beautiful things:

Made a Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry for dinner - so good.
My youngest daughter is going to Rome for the fall - so happy for her.
Dave cleaned up the kitchen AND vacuumed this evening. Happy to get the help - even happier that he's able to use arm to do simple chores!!!

time goes by

2011-04-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

I turned 59 on Monday. Just another year, no big deal. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the cards, gifts, emails, Facebook comments, phone calls, and tweets I received. Life is good!

I successfully survived my 30 Day Vegan Challenge and have continued with vegan program on my own for the last three weeks. I've enjoyed the change - new recipes and a focus on mindful eating. I'm not sure when I'll re-introduce eggs and dairy back into the my cooking but it'll happen.

I've hardly been in the studio. I think the change of habit in the kitchen and the time it took to prepare the dishes used up what little creativity I had during these last couple of months. It took me some time to realize that I was also worrying more than usual and that left me drained. For several weeks, I thought my energy and enthusiasm was just low but it finally occurred to me that with both my husband and my daughter dealing with recovering from their injuries I was consumed with thinking about them - both consciously and subconsciously. My daughter has one more week of physical therapy and Dave's continues through the month of May.

and 3 beautiful things...

Birthday wishes from friends and loved ones!
Wicked.
52 weeks until I turn 60.

32nd of March

2011-04-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Finishing up Day 26 of my 30 Days Vegan Workshop and most of the time I've enjoyed the challenge. Doing without eggs and dairy has been easier than I thought it would be. The challenge was the grocery shopping, food prep, and cooking - complicated by the fact that I've been head chef, sous chef, wait staff and chauffeur since March 1st. I've been feeling pretty proud of myself but I almost blew it this evening when at Happy Hour the martini I had came with the blue cheese stuffed olive. I gave the garnish to my husband and gave myself a pass on what little "blue cheese" contamination the alcohol may have suffered. I like Rachel Maddow's cocktail philosophy:

"You're never supposed to eat the garnish. The garnish is not a snack. The garnish is there to modify the liquor that is in the glass. It is not there to provide you a tasty treat to go along with your drink. The drink is the treat."

Amen.

and three beautiful things:

Sun, glorious sun today. (I'm pretending not to hear the rain that has already started falling.)
The house was cleaned today AND the lawn was mowed.
Been enjoying the blooming hoya carnosa... the sweet smell is tolerable.

rain...

2011-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

and 3 beautiful things:

Dave and I worked well together today - shopping, cleaning, cooking... I think we've found our new normal. (Four and a half weeks to go, I can do it!)
With all the driving around I did this afternoon in the downpour, somehow I managed not to get wet.
114k households lost power during the peak of the storm, we didn't.

spring forward

2011-03-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

and 3 beautiful things:

took the day off - didn't worry about the "should", just did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it.
Played in the kitchen making baked tofu, quinoa tabouli, and pad thai.
People can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Their donation will go to support relief efforts for the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

Google Crisis Response - list of additional resources

food, sun, sleep - - perfect

2011-03-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

and 3 beautiful things:

Friday morning breakfast out with friends and a delicious vegan scramble with tempeh, broccoli and potatoes.
Took a clue from the dog today - she went out the backdoor and laid in the sun on the deck. I joined her, but I sat in a chair and read. Luscious warm sun.
I'm tired, in a good way, and really looking forward to putting my head on my pillow and going to sleep.

home sweet home

2011-03-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

Week 09 and 10 done. All I needed was a little time to finish them, funny how that works, at least I'm back on schedule. Happiness.

and 3 beautiful things:

A sweet twelve hours, alone in my house... pure joy!
Played the piano for an hour.
Four full days of vegan meals and I feel great. I'm not feeling deprived and have made some yummy dishes. A pleasant surprise.

time may change me

2011-03-09T22:03:00.000-08:00

and 3 beautiful things:

Change is good. Change all at once has had me a tad ruffled. I'm happy I've recognized that.
Both my daughter and husband are doing physical therapy and it hurts knowing how they are suffering. But watching how they're taking care to get back to full health makes me so proud, and happy, too!
Maple roasted root vegetables for dinner. oh, yummy...

it might as well be spring

2011-03-08T23:55:00.000-08:00

Had a couple of hours to work in the studio today. Not much time spent actually making anything but, I did plot, and plan, and sketch. There should be an "art" term for this process. The chefs have mise-en-place, directors have mise-en-scène, mise-en-abyme is an art technique - I think I'll adopt mise-en-idée. Don't know if it's the right translation but "idea development" is what I'm going for.

and 3 beautiful things:

The daffodils in my front yard are just about to open. Just down the hill the daffodils have been open for the last five days. I've been patiently waiting. I brought in three daffodils inside - happiness!
I've discovered red quinoa and I love it. I made a quinoa tabouli with cucumber, red onion, scallions, chickpeas. Drizzled with a little white balsamic/Dijon dressing, heaven.
I had a chat with my sister today - always warms my heart! Later I sent her a text/picture of my daffodils using the Ikebana vase that she had sent me for Christmas one year. She quickly replied in a text that she was "copying that tomorrow." I'm so happy I inspired her but I was left wondering if she has daffodils in the front yard of her Texas home.

just this

2011-03-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

and 3 beautiful things:

Sat outside and read a bit. It was a little chilly but lovely.
Made Aloo Gobi for dinner but didn't want to wait for rice to cook. We had red quinoa instead - good choice.
Day 1 of the vegan challenge was wonderful. The best part is focusing on self care inside and outside!

weekend end

2011-03-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

With everything I had to do today, I did make it to the studio (woo hoo) and managed to do some drawing, pick up things, and make a start on the weekly.
I'm driving Dave to work tomorrow at 8am. The house to myself. What ever will I do? I'm sure I'll think of something!

I took some time to straighten up the pantry and label some of the new (cheap, $3 for 10) plastic containers. I shopped and pick up some foods I usually don't have in the house. Luckily, the Co-op has nearly everything but I needed help finding the sucanat and they were out of mint (I'll survive.) Surprisingly, Dave is really looking forward to my 30 day vegan challenge. He figures he'll be able to score lots of side dishes

and 3 beautiful things:

Wow! Talk about your altered books. Brian Dettmer has sculpted beautiful works of art out of books. I'm in awe. Go there, enjoy! (and read his artist statement.)
Just finished tomorrow's NYTimes Crossword.
Did I mention I'm driving Dave to work at 8am tomorrow. I love him but I need a little me time.

the never ending chores

2011-03-05T23:46:00.000-08:00

Busy with household chores and more household chores. Will rest tomorrow.
and 3 beautiful things:

This is cool. Makes my brain happy just thinking about - a list of 101 Brain blogs! I tried to keep myself from spending hours, I set the timer for 20 minutes read about: the Zeigarnik effect; Brain Awareness Week (March 14-20); various posts here; and here; and here. (Some blogs could not be found list was published Dec'08)
Called my mom and dad, had lovely talk. They painted their living room yellow and gold, and bought a off-white leather sectional. Mom says they're going for a clean modern look. Made me smile!
Made chocolate cookie dough for Dave. I still need to roll the dough into balls and freeze. We had a nice day together.

books and more books

2011-03-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

At breakfast this morning, I was talking to chef and discovered I have all kinds of vegan options for breakfast on Fridays. Yay! She then talked us into ordering a cinnamon roll with a new butter cream frosting she's been working on. Yup, it was yummy -thankfully there were four of us sharing it and we left some on the plate (ha, only because, it was huge!)

After breakfast, I swung by the library to pick up three books I had placed on hold. I wanted to look at Robertson's 1000 Vegan Recipes but it wasn't at the library. Found a copy at Border's and after looking through it for about ten minutes, decided to just buy it. Got home to discover a shipment from Amazon. It's been a very good (book) day!

and 3 beautiful things:

Duh, the books!
We were having fish tacos for dinner and I sliced open the most perfect avocado - should have taken a picture - looked beautiful, tasted great. Simple pleasures!
I'm off now to snuggle up with a book or two... happiness.

doodle, peaches, and smiles

2011-03-03T23:43:00.000-08:00

Finally had a chance to get into the studio and take a picture of February's Doodle Calendar- it nearly felt like a creative intervention. Sigh... Maye I'll get a couple of hours tomorrow.

and 3 beautiful things:

A friend brought over a peach crisp. Lovely. Happy day.
I was expecting a call at 3pm. Unbelievably, the cable of the land line phone was cut and impacted phone service to the entire neighbor. I was pleasantly surprised when my cell phone rang at 3:05p - my friend assumed something was wrong and called me on my cell home. Smile. Talked for a couple of hours. Still Smiling.
Husband doing well, daughter's pain subsiding and she feels confident driving the Mini... life is beautiful.

to rant or not to

2011-03-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

Rant.
It's been one of those days. I finally had to take a deep breath and go sit quietly in my room. Alone.

I'm use to having the house to myself during the weekdays and even though I was prepared to be home with Dave while he recovers, the "be with" time got just a little overwhelming. The cooling unit that keeps his shoulder cooled is eating up ice faster than he thought it would. So, off to the store to buy huge bags of ice (and a few bulk items for the pantry). Could he have stayed home? Yes. Did he? Of course not.

Back home, I was starting to reorganize the pantry to accommodate the new foods when I notice that things didn't sound right with the refrigerator. Isn't it ironic that the refrigerator would pick today to stop making ice. Not only stop making ice but the waterline came off the back of the refrigerator and water was leaking for hours. We then worked together to debug the problem and ultimately fixed it.

The whole day felt as if I was taking one step forward and three back. I've got plans to implement several changes this month and have put myself on a fairly aggressive schedule to get things done. Oh, silly me.

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied with drawbacks and discomfort." ~ Arnold Bennett

Okay, moving on.
and 3 beautiful things:

Watched this TEDtalk - Brene Brown on vulnerability (recommended by Heather.)
Oops, I did it again. I'm ordering another book. This time, The Artful Bird by Abby Glassenberg. I didn't think I wanted to make soft toys.
Searched the library looking for vegan cookbooks. Most of the ones I wanted were already checked out, but I did request a hold on a few. Later I came across this recipe for Olive Lentil burgers - cool.

waiting... Godot never comes

2011-03-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

I had lots of time to sit and wait today. I took Dave to the hospital at 8am and brought him home at 2:45pm (swinging by pharmacy to pick his pain meds.) While he was having surgery on his shoulder, I surfed and surfed the interwebs. It wasn't a total waste of time but, geez, everybody has I blog... I know, I know, I'm also among the hackneyed masses. In general, I limit my computer time to an hour for visiting a few select blogs, reading, commenting and writing my own blog post. Some folks out there must be spending hours and hours and hours - I don't know where they get the time... I hope they've at least found a way to generate some income from it!

and 3BT:

I thought this was sweet - made me smile - Becky Adams.
Dave put the trash and recycling out before his surgery - a day early! Even if it wasn't for me, I'm happy he dealt with it.
It didn't rain on us today!

two months down, ten to go

2011-02-28T23:16:00.000-08:00

What did I do today? Really what? I think what happened is that I busied myself with cleaning and organizing the house. It's the type of busy-ness I do when I'm going on vacation - got to get it picked up and cleaned so that when I come back it's picked up and cleaned. Crazy thinking. Also, it must have something to do with Dave going in for shoulder surgery - 8am in the morning! This is NOT going to be a vacation.

and 3BT:

The NYTimes has started posting an online-only Children's Book Review each week. I'm looking forward to some wonderful illustration and this first one doesn't disappoint! "Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit"
It rained (and rained) today. The temperature was in the forties. I was so happy.
Sometimes it is the simplest things that give me pleasure - a freshly laundered, warm towel. Heaven.

Chores and TV

2011-02-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

Creativity... none.
The day was filled with getting the house and things ready for Dave's upcoming surgery and taking care of errands. We settled in for a homemade pizza and Oscar party at five o'clock.

and 3BT:

Colin Firth, Best Male Actor. I am pleased.
'Harry Potter', 'Twilight', and 'Social Network" getting autotuned.
and the Oscar goes to 'The King's Speech' - and the crowd cheers.

I'll take rain over freezing cold

2011-02-27T00:06:00.000-08:00

Yay, warmer wetter weather!

and 3BT:

I had news free day. So nice.
Seeing my daughter and giving her a big, but gentle, hug. Sweetness. She's sore and stiff, and moving around like one of those Playmobil people.
I had a Ginger Cosmopolitan at Sweet Basil (Is it wrong that alcohol ends up on the list of things that give me pleasure twice in one week?)

b-b-b-baby it's c-c-c-cold outside

2011-02-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

It's 27 degrees out and it is suppose to drop down to 13. All I'm saying is that that is too cold. I'd like by gray, wet 45 degree weather back please.
and 3BT:

I was going to bail on breakfast this morning. It was cold and I was grumpy. A little gmail chat convinced me that face time would lift my spirits. It did. I'm happy I went.
Meat-lovers pizza. We never order this. But here I am planning a vegan month and what do I want, meat, of course. I'm pleased I was mindful enough to recognize what I was doing. Yes, we ordered the pizza.
The dog has been coming between us a lot recently. Usually, she walks between us when we are standing close together. Today, we were in the kitchen and Dave comes over to me and gives me a hug and kiss when the dog sticks her head between Dave's legs. Of course, he said "Am I happy to see you or is that a black lab between my legs?" ba-dump-bump

circles of life

2011-02-25T00:41:00.000-08:00

I spent the day working on 22 inset circles. I used raw silk for the circle. It's a lousy picture but the silk adds lots of texture.

These pieces will be going into a large piece, 18x32 inches that I planning to have done before the end of next month. Since I'm not feeling any panic, I must be more or less on schedule.

and now, 3BT*

It snowed today. It was pretty. The thing that pleased me the most was when the sun came out, light reflected off the snow and flooded the house.
I won the book give away at Food Blogga.
After she saw the Dr. and filled her prescriptions (pain meds for whiplash), my daughter walked over to Starbucks and told them that she never got to enjoy her FREE coffee that she had picked up right before the accident. They immediately gave her a replacement coffee. Chutzpah, maybe, but it pleases me that this kid knows that it's the little things we do that can make a big difference in how we take care of ourselves.

* Three Beautiful Things

everything is beautiful

2011-02-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

There are only beautiful things right now!

My daughter is okay.
My daughter is okay.
My daughter is okay.

The young man that ran the stop sign said he was really sorry for ruining her day. He had rammed the driver's door, shattering the window and windshield, bent the steering wheel, and pushed the front tire under the car The 1987 Volvo that she was driving suffered it's first accident and is probably totaled. She saw it coming and tried to avoid the collision. She said she remembered to turn her head away from the glass. After she got back to her apartment she found glass in her socks, pants, and shirt. She has a minor cut on her foot and is beginning to feel a little achy and sore all over.

My daughter is okay. That's all that really matters.

cookies, tea, and friendship

2011-02-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

I made these cookies afternoon tea with a friend. They were absolutely delicious. I use Dagoba chocolate, a 72% baking chocolate (which unfortunately they longer sell!) and this recipe from Debby Maugans' cookbook, Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers (read about it at Food Blogga). Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. The recipe only makes seven cookies. I had one, my friend had one and my husband had one... there seems to be a missing cookie.

and 3BT:

I am definitely counting today's cookie as a beautiful thing that gave me pleasure!
Four hours of conversation with a dear friend (and a cookie, does it get any better?)
She loved her Heart Garland (didn't sew beads on it but I did "wrap" it in a custom bag inspired by a guest blogger at Whip Up.) I got a big hug and then she wrapped the garland around her neck like a scarf.

bats and sun

2011-02-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

No work for Dave today and (lame excuse) as a consequence I didn't make it to the studio. I did make soup (this one) and it's lovely aroma is filling the house - potatoes, yams, lentils, and chorizo.

Ironically, today is the day I signed up for an online workshop, 30 Day Vegan, with Heather at beauty that moves. I'm not committing to a vegan lifestyle (at least I don't think so) for the rest of my life but rather lean more into a conscious eating mindset - mindful of where my food comes from. I've yet to read any of Michael Pollan's books, I've seen him interviewed, I think he addresses ideas that I want to investigate a little more. Probably should add some of those books to my reading list for March.

and now, 3BT:

Dave bought this little bat for me on Saturday. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out where to hang it but today it found it's home. Giddy happy I am, ain't he sweet! (The artist is Dan Chen)
Heard from a very dear friend today - known her since I was 18 - always, but always warms my heart!
The sun was wonderful today. It flooded the house and sitting out on the deck was glorious. (It's hard to believe that snow is in the forecast for the end of the week.)

hearts and other things

2011-02-20T23:28:00.000-08:00

I continued to work on the hearts. I have them all chained together, twenty in all, a little over six feet in length.

I'm planning to sew on some beads tomorrow. I was inspired by the heart garland at Skip to my Lou and the heart garland at Suzies Stuff. Next, the Shamrock garland... nay, don't think so.

and now, 3BT:

Getting up early to give my daughter a kiss goodbye after her ~36 hr visit home. She asked if I was awake - barely. Her father went back to bed.
Tried two new meatloaf recipes out of the new Fine Cooking magazine: Indian-spiced and Spicy-southwestern. Most of the meatloaf will end up in the freezer and get pulled out on the I-am-not-in-the-mood-to-fix-dinner days. (yay!!)
Having one of my favorite cocktails, a Negroni while the meatloaf cooks.

happy,and 3bt

2011-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm still ruminating over the happiness thing. I returned to one of my favorite places on the web - ZenHabits - and once again reread Handbook for Life: 52 tips for Happiness and Productivity. As I read the list I was surprised by how many of the tips didn't surprise me at all. I can't say if I've actively adopted them or if, over time, I have just settled into them as part of how I live life.There are a few I would like to more proactively pursue: Keep a Journal (did, stopped, would like to restart) and Lose Arguments (not my voice!)

I also stumbled upon this blog, Three Beautiful Things, and I think it is such a lovely idea. It may be just what I need to address a few of other things on the 52 tips. I should be able to think of three things that have given me pleasure during the day - hopefully it won't be the same three things everyday! Ha.

1. This quilt, Alabama Beauty, that Deb Geyer is quilting. The quilt top was made by *KarenDianne. The artistry of both of these women absolutely delights me.
2. Jamie at the beach... at 10 years old, she tires a little faster but she is one happy dog!

3. I'm making a garland for a friend as a birthday present. A simple little thing. It takes about ten minutes to crochet one heart - every time I finish one, I just smile. I want to have it done Tuesday morning... plenty of time.

and the pursuit of...

2011-02-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

I need to work on my happiness list. Not the public happiness a la the Declaration of Independence, but my own private happiness - both obvious and circuitous. I'm sure that some of the things that end up on my list will also contribute positively to the civil society, for example: random acts of kindness; volunteer work; charitable giving; etc. I really want to focus on what makes me happy, so that I can better understand how I want to spend my time and also share that list with the people in my life so they can support me in pursuing that happiness. For the holidays/birthdays, we make these lists of the things we want and share them. And when the gifts come, some of them are obviously right off the list and others arrive in a more roundabout way inferred from the list. That's kind of what I'm looking for with my happiness list.

Most of the time I'm be satisfied with that contentment sensation. Some of the time I just need to be aware and appreciative of the fact that I was content. In either case, I want to be more proactive. And by all means, try to have some joy and ecstasy along the way, however fleeting they may be!

I know for a fact that time in the studio makes me happy. Even though I didn't get any time there today, it was a good day. Good conversation, time with friends, time with family, and now, late at night, I have time alone to work on Friday's NYTimes crossword.

ooh ow

2011-02-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

This is the eighth weekly of the year. Working on dark brown fabric with paintstik, machine and hand stitching, was interesting. I like the hard edge with the paintstik but I prefer them outlined with thread. My fingers are sore from making all those French knots but on the plus side I didn't draw blood. I don't see myself doing too many embroidery project although I did find some useful information in the projects page of Stitch.

slow going

2011-02-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

Loving these photo hangers (designed by Juta Kan in 2007) available from arango.

I'm working on the weekly - attempting to add lots of French knot and it is not going as well as I'd like. The thread I'm using is slick, the needle doesn't seem sharp enough, and I can't seem to get a rhythm going. It feels clumsy but I'm going to push on through and continue. At some point I'm sure it will start feeling better... practice, practice, practice.

It may be awhile before I start to cover rocks with French knots.

e alla fine qualcosa di buonissimo!

2011-02-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

I figure I need a little more practice working with stencils so I thought I'd take the opportunity to practice and work on a weekly. I'm not sure where this is going yet but this is the start.

I'll use paintstik - something that will stand up against the dark fabric - and then work some other surface design techniques to build the rest of the design.

I spent (way too much) time today surfing around looking at blogs and other interesting web "stuff".

e alla fine qualcosa di buonissimo! (last but not least something yummy!)
Then I made cupcakes for the husband. We had a steak, arugula, and blue cheese salad for dinner with a lovely 2004 Borolo Marcenasco.

Happy Valentine's Day!

a-stenciling we go

2011-02-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

I had been surfing the web looking for techniques on making stencils. Ran across this sweet machine - Mark 440 Stencil Maker. But I think for the few stencils I want to make I don't need to spend a couple of hundred dollars. I was talking with my daughter after breakfast this morning about my sketchbook, my interest in making stencils, and the whether or not I could get sharp clean edges. It suddenly occurred to me that I could print the images I have on adhesive labels and cut out the image with an exacto knife.

First, I had to add bridges to the images which took 20 minutes in Photoshop. Next, print the page on an adhesive label - of course, wouldn't you know I only had address label.

I used pastel dye sticks on the bottom symbol, paintstik applied directly on the middle symbol, and paintstik appiled with a toothbrush on the top symbol. I don't like the pastel dye stick - the other two have potential.

WIP samples

2011-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

This is not fun work, but I suppose necessary if I've trying to improve the quality of my work (think happy thoughts.) I'm feeling comfortable putting in the inset circles. I like the shape and texture of the lower for 'faces' in my quilt - I'm using a raw silk graciously donated from a friend. I'm still uncertain about how to do the symbols. Tomorrow, I'm planning on making a few stencils and seeing if I can get sharp edges with paintstik. I am favoring the stitched symbols.

I picked up a copy of the Fine Cooking magazine. I saw at least six recipes in it that I would like to try - not including the meatloaf variations. Truth is I really don't need any more recipes in magazines or cookbooks but the pretty pictures tempted and I willingly parted with my money. The magazine has a nice recipe index in the back and a page giving all the nutritional information on the recipes. Well done. It is Taunton Press.

stitchin'

2011-02-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a set of symbols for a quilt and while I had made some stamps I was unhappy with the way the stamps looked. I decided to try 'quilting' the symbols on fabric. Some turned out better than others. I think I need to continue to work on different ideas and more samples.

Breakfast out this morning with the girls and dinner out with the husband - I've had a good day and I'm ready for the weekend.

choosing fabric

2011-02-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a quilt that needs to be completed by the end of March. Today I worked on auditioning fabric that I will use in the piece. I going to use 22 different fabrics that need to play together with each other and with the background fabric. I collected 32 fabrics that seem to work. Tomorrow, I'll figure out which ones work best.

I spent a couple hours in the studio selecting fabric and picking up. The rest of the day just seemed to race by. I got the things done I had planned but today felt like I didn't get anything accomplished. I was clearly in a autopilot mode and not particularly mindful of what I was doing. I did get caught up in the events happening in Egypt. I don't think watching the news in the early afternoon is good for me - kind of mind numbing. I did decide that I need create a list of "thoughtful conservatives" and "thoughtful progressives" (I think it was sometime Chris Matthews said) and spend more time reading their POVs.

should have -

2011-02-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

One thing about doing these (besides ending up with a pile of them) if I make one I don't like it's easy to just let it go and move on to the next thing I need to do.

Maybe I should have worked on what I had originally planned to do... does make me wonder.

flowers on my mind

2011-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was driving around town the other and saw four different people planting spring flowers. I assume the plants were pansies and primroses. I don't have much, if any gardening expertise, but now that the hardscaping in the backyard is complete it is time to figure out what to plant. I want a simple plan that I can expand on over the years as I learn more about plants and what plants do well on the property.

One area, next to the main deck and hot tub, about 10' x 10', I have decided to plant with roses. Luckily, I know just where to get my roses, about an hour and a half north of Corvallis, at Heirloom Roses. I'm planning on going through their roses online, listing the ones that appeal to me, and taking a stab at a potential garden plan. Then, I'm going to drive up there and see if they will review the plan, improve it - or - toss and completely redo.

I'd like to some dahlias and there are plenty of local growers to choose from: Swan Island Dahlias and Frey's Dahlias and Dahlia Divas. Yay! - another road trip but, I'll have to wait to August/September to walk the farms to see them in bloom.

I'm really looking forward to May 6th when Schreiner's Iris Garden opens their 10 acre display gardens to the public.

and I'm...

2011-02-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

Feeling good... got the first six of fifty-two done.

I have found another place to wile away the hours - Google's Art Project! (read more about it - NYTimes) I keep telling myself, if I can figure out how to really use it to improve my knowledge and inspire my own creativity then, it won't be a waste of time at all. In the meantime, ooh aah look at the pretty pictures!

restfest

2011-02-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Today was officially a day of rest. I woke up with a killer headache but managed to slog my way through the NYTimes crossword with the aid of some espresso. The song (omigod, omigod you guys) from last night still lingers although I think by tomorrow I'll be able to let it slip away. If not, my daughter told me that she has the Wicked soundtrack in her room, and I'll just put that on and get those songs in my head. Besides doing a few chores and my doodle calendar, I did a lot of nothing until it was time to head over to the annual Super Bowl Party. An excellent way to spend the afternoon: friends, wine and food. While the game was good, the ribs were fantastic.

off, but not to see the wizard - yet

2011-02-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

The first weekly for February with only three more for the month. Time to return to the sketchbook and work on some ideas but, I must pick up the studio. After that I'm...

Off to see Legally Blond The Musical at the Hult Center tonight. I intend to just relax and have fun with it but if I end up next week singing "Omigod You Guys" in the studio, I may need therapy. The last, in this series of Broadway in Eugene, is Wicked in April and I'm really looking forward to that musical. While going to a musical may not constitute an 'artist date' a la The Artist Way, I certainly find them inspirational. I loved the set for Spring Awakening and in particular, one scene,"The Mirror-Blue Night", when they lowered blue lights from the ceiling. Stunning.

a good day

2011-02-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

It was a lovely day. Started with my ritual Friday Breakfast with the girls, ran a few errands, and then took myself to an afternoon movie to see The King's Speech. What an excellent film! Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were wonderful, brilliant! Toward the end when George VI (Firth) is speaking to the British Empire on BBC radio announcing Britain's entry into WWII and the allegretto from Beethoven's 7th playing in the background - I had tears streaming down my face, it was so powerful. I got home and quilted the two weeklies above. I was having a wonderful day - right up to the moment that Dave told me he wouldn't be able to drive for 6 weeks after his surgery to fix a labral tear (scheduled for March 1st.) He started talking about pain meds and I asked, seriously, if as his wife I could also have some pain meds during the first couple of weeks!

I like living in a small town. Years ago, I complained about the lack of restaurants and particular 'grocery' stores. Happily, the number and quality of the restaurants has improved and, now, Trader Joe's, Market of Choice, and the two Coop's satisfy my grocery needs. In the last twenty-four hours, I discovered three new things about Corvallis and the creativity of the people who live here.

Dave and I went to a hard cider tasting at Corvallis Brewing Supply. As we walked in the door, Aruna was there providing samples of her Athiba chutneys - Yum - only sold locally (right now). We fought the crowds to get to the back of the store to find 2 Towns Cider House, one of the owners is the son of friends we've known since our kids were in Montessori together. At breakfast this morning, my friend pulls out this book (that I just read about at skitter skatter knitting) and ask if I'd seen it. I had checked and it wasn't available at Amazon. But since JC Briar is a local author, the book is available in town and so I got one! Life is Good!

late but on schedule

2011-02-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

Third day of the second month and I've the first of the 2011 weeklies done. Good thing I'm not being paid to do this.

I fretted during the day about what kind of paragraph I'd write for this blog post today. Not feeling it. Some of it is about the whole writing thing but another part is that the studio is in chaos right now and that's got me frustrated. Little bits and bobs laying on the cutting table, the ironing board cover needs to be changed, the floor's a mess, piles of fabric needs to be put away, and spools of thread are everywhere. My mess, my fault, and my responsibility to deal with - I'm sure the 'damn, just do it' feeling will hit me any moment. Grumble.

Heading off for a hard cider tasting - a first Thursday event in town that I thought was Art and Wine... close enough. It's been over forty years (yikes) since I was in Germany and tried apfelwein. It was very distinctive. It'll be interesting to see if this cider tonight triggers that taste memory.

mindfulness practice

2011-02-03T00:12:00.000-08:00

I sketched these little owls out last October, worked on them about the time I ended up in the hospital and they got buried in the studio. I'm going to pull the Happy Holidays MMX out and recycle them for the 2011 holidays.

I'll be quilting these four weeklies tomorrow and get another one started. I thought I'd make more progress today but I just couldn't seem to focus. It finally dawned on me that my lower back was starting to grab a bit and I was not comfortable. Seems like such a little thing but it derailed me.

Came across a new study, seems that if I meditate 30 minutes a day, I can increase my hippocampus (learning and memory) and reduce my amygdala (anxiety and stress). New studies with MRI evidence of changes in gray matter - I guess that only continues to confirm what Buddhist have known for some time now. I can sit and "do nothing" but I can't say that I meditate. I'm thinking I'll try spending 20 minutes a day in 'mindfulness of breathing'.

aversion therapy?

2011-02-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

Just wrapped up a yearlong adventure with nine other quilt artist over at Interpret This! I enjoyed the challenge and will miss the monthly reveals. While I still don't think I've developed a distinctive style or voice in what I make, I have become more committed to using my sketchbook to work out ideas for projects and keep notes on my progress. This year, I planning on building on what I learned while working on the challenges. As part of that I joined a critique group with four other quilt artist. We have agreed to encourage, critique and help each other as we work produce four piece each over the year. I decided on my theme for the year and have begun working on the first piece. Part of the work involves developing a library of symbols that are related to specific memories of mine. I'm going to continue my weeklies for 2011 by featuring some of those symbols in 8 x 10 inch (landscape) quilts. I'm finishing up the first four of those this week.

In addition, this year, I'm taking the doodle calendar in a new direction. For each day, I'm coming up with a single symbol that captures an event that happened that day. On the back of the page, I've written a few words about the event (These symbols are not the same as the memory symbols -- Yup, I've committed myself to symbol purgatory, clearly I will be crazy by the end of the year!!!). Doing the doodle calendar has become a ritual that gets me to the studio and which leads to making studio time a habit. Although it is a really simple activity, it helps me to make that transition to a creative mindset.

I was talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago about "mark making" and her struggle to practice it on a consistent basis. Because I know how much she hates to write, I suggested that she either practices making marks OR writes a paragraph about why she didn't/couldn't make the time to do it. She says she's making marks, yay! (because she really doesn't want to write!!) At the time I called it aversion therapy, I think it's probably a type of adaptive behavior therapy. It got me thinking.

When I started this blog, I wanted to use it to keep track and share my creative progress. But, like my friend, I hate to write. I usually slap an image up and jot a note and call it done. But, truthfully, I wish I could write with more ease. I know in order to become more comfortable with it I need to practice - keep my mind exercised in the craft of writing. I'm not sure what carrot or stick is going to work for me. But to start, at least for this month, I'm going to try and post every day.

Party for one

2011-01-25T15:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Dance! Done. I finally finished the weeklies for 2010.

Moving on.

queued and ready to quilt

2011-01-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

I spent the last few days getting the last eight weeklies for 2010 pulled together and ready to quilt. I was straightening up the studio when the husband came home. I told him I almost got the weeklies done. He said - "Isn't the idea to get them done each week?"

Duh.

IT!, the end of the year and not ready for 2011.

2011-01-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

Has the new year started yet? Doesn't feel like it. Derailed by a stay in the hospital in November and the time it took to recover, I'm still trying to finish some projects from last year.

The last Interpret This! is done and posted - more here. Once again, the group has done a wonderful job interpreting this last photograph. I'm going to miss this monthly challenge and sharing the experience with this talented group of artists. We will be having a Grand Finale where each artist will discuss the piece that they feel best exemplifies their work during the year's challenge. Those discussions will be posted at the end of the month. Debra challenged us to write a few of paragraphs - I usually struggle to write a couple of sentences!

I have eight weekly quilts to finish. I sketched them out last year, just need to put myself in the studio and in the mood to work on them.

I did finish my 2010 doodle calendar and have already started one for 2011.

IT! and the rest of the month

2010-11-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

This month is finally coming to a close. At times it seemed painfully long and I have little to show for it except my improving health (okay, that's a big thing) and the IT! challenge piece that I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to finish.

(Read more here and do take some time and explore the other pieces here - they should all be posted by tomorrow.)

I had planned to get something done in the studio this morning but I got sidetracked. I've long been an admirer of Christopher Hitchens - whether I agree with him or not - brilliant mind and enviable energy. So, when I heard he debated Tony Blair (Munk Debate: "Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world."), I had to watch and then read the transcript. The New Statesman has the transcripts and link to the video.

Now, I'm going to see what I can get done creatively with the two days left in this month.

planning to...

2010-11-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

I certainly spend enough time planning to be creative - maybe too much. Today's word from NaNoJouMo was "fortune" and went, once again to words and quotes. Next, worked on some ideas for fabric postcards, it's that time of year.

Other AEDM efforts were spent working on ideas for November's IT! Time management is going to be the issue this month.

Working with fabric is the plan tomorrow.

i vote, you vote, she votes...

2010-11-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

The votes have been counted or are being counted. Now, the TV ads should stop.

First November weekly done! Theme is 'learn' - this one focusing on acquiring new KBVPSU (knowledge, behaviors, values, preferences, skills, and understanding).

Adding today's word, choice, I finished the first 2 pages for November's journal:

I've also started working on my Interpret This! challenge. I've got three ideas that I'd like to explore.

one down, twenty-nine to go

2010-11-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning Art Every Day Month by finishing my October Doodle calendar -

Art Every Day Month is hosted by Leah Piken Kolidas of Creative Every Day) - so far it look likes she has 230+ participating.

I also spent time "prepping" for the rest of the month. I'm taking advantage of Dawn Dvries Sokol's d'blogola for the prompt INCEPTION, which is the NaNoJouMo word for the day.

I'm still working on my plan for the month:

4 weeklies - "learn" theme
Interpret This - from my Sissinghurst photo
Daily - calendar doodle and journal/sketchbook
craft/art project for AEDM2010 and XMASMMX

So far, so good.

October's IT!

2010-10-30T01:15:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed working on October's Interpret This! challenge (read more here). I believe that all the reveals have been posted and, once again, some wonderful quilts from talented women at Interpret This!

I need to remember to get to the store and pick up some Halloween candy for the half a dozen kids the brave the hill and stairs up to our front door. In the meantime, I spent the last half hour listening the Robert Burns' Halloween -- here --- below the first two stanzas:

Halloween by Robert Burns

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams
To sport that night.

Among the bonny winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin' clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, country-folks,
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu' blithe that night.

living in the moment

2010-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

hmmm...
It seems October is coming to an end. The days have certainly been busy enough. The weeklies for the month are done, LOVE was the theme:

My piece for Interpret This! is done and will be revealed tomorrow. I so look forward to seeing how everyone interprets the months photograph and do love seeing everyone's creative expression!

up-to-date.

2010-10-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Am I there yet? Probably not. Seems I'm constantly trying to get current with the commitments I've made to myself. Now that I've finished these four weeklies (from September) at least I'll be working on a weekly per week - well that's the plan.

ta done

2010-09-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

IT! is done. A sneak peek - it looks as out of focused as I feel! Reveals start tomorrow - Interpret This!

live it up

2010-09-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

This was my friend today -

Handy little thing when you need it. Hopefully I'll be able to put it away and not have to use it for weeks or months to come.

Thoughts for "Live":

to have life or continue to have life
to dwell or reside
live it up
having resilience or bounce
live and let live
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." ~ Albert Einstein
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." ~ Mohandas Gandhi
"To be able to look back upon ones life with satisfaction, is to live twice." ~ Kahlil Gibran
"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
"I intend to live forever. So far, so good." ~ Steven Wright

Happy Fall

2010-09-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

A simple little map of Corvallis to end the month of 'local' and now, I can move on to the pieces for September. But first, I need to finish IT!

Ok Go's latest music video was filmed in Corvallis - Pet Project article from Gazette Times.

one 'local' to go

2010-09-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Whiteside Theater and Marys Peak were my inspiration for these two pieces. I've one more 'local' piece to work on and then move on to September's 'live' (with ten days left in the month, I might just get back on schedule.)

It's officially fall tomorrow. The Autumnal Equinox begins at 8:09 pm - I think I'll celebrate with a glass of wine.
This may be worth the drive up to Portland - Ikea's TYGLÖSA frames.

ready for fall

2010-09-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

The theme for the August weeklies is "Local" and I had thought that Raymond Hunter's sculpture Ballerina that has danced in Central Park since 1979 would be a nice place to start. Fall is a lovely time of year in the park and I wanted to capture a sense of those rich colors. I like the background - not as pleased with the silhouette.

I struggled with the IT! piece today and I'll hopefully resolve my issue so that I can finish 'er up.

and the rains continue

2010-09-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

It hasn't rained much during the last twelve weeks. I think that's why the heavy rains the last few days put me in a bit of a funk. Took me a few moments to remember that I live in Oregon and, duh, it rains. My attitude was much better today. I completed the 'linger' weeklies for the month of August----

I do believe that by the end of this month I'll be caught up and back on track to do a weekly a week! (won't that be novel!)

rain, rain, go away

2010-09-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was thankful for the rain. Today, not so much.
Avoiding the rain, I did spend time working on a two of the five pieces for July's theme of "linger".

'Nuf said.

No studio time.

2010-09-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

Friday always seems to be the hardest day to get to the studio. Breakfast when friends in the morning (which last well into early afternoon) steals most of the time. That's my excuse today!

The landscapers put the sod down in the backyard. What a difference a little green makes! I love the insta-lawn. Now the builder needs to finish the stairs off the main deck and we'll be able to begin using the area. This is of course the weekend that the rains have decided to move in. Fine. I'm stilled happy that the end is in sight!

IT! and sketches

2010-09-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

I made progress on the September IT! - hoping that I have it done early next week. (No show and tell until the reveal.) The rest of my studio time today went toward sketching out some ideas for the July and August weeklies.

done with 'luck'

2010-09-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

I had fun working this piece, inspired by the phrase "push one's luck", it came together while I watched a new episode of Parenthood. Tomorrow I hope to sketch out the next few weeks and work on September IT!

half september

2010-09-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

I had intended to work on a paper pieced weekly but it turned out to be, as one of my daughters has said, an epic failure. I was mildly frustrated when I started and moved to really frustrated then a little disgusted with my inability to make it work. So, I gave up and pulled this one together instead. Luckily enough, I had already had the 'september' on a square of organza leftover from a project many years ago.

after tennis

2010-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

I took the quote attributed to Elbert Hubbard 'Luck is tenacity of purpose' and slapped this together after watching the men's final... wonderful match! I'm very happy for Nadal.

de-rain de-lay

2010-09-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

I waited all day to watch the Men's final at the US Open and it's postponed until tomorrow. Disappointing but now both Djokovic and Nadal will be well rested and ready for battle - I've my fingers crossed for really exceptional tennis.

I've been thinking that I was going to put the September IT! piece above the piano. I did mock up of what I think the size and basic layout will be and (love Photoshop) dropped it into the photo. Now, I'm not so sure. Too big? Too busy? I've always wanted something over the piano but maybe it's fine as it is.

We're dining late tonight. I made Rian's port onions (once again) and DH is about to start the skirt steak. I need to wash the arugula and crumble some blue cheese. These four things together as a salad are just heavenly... doesn't hurt to have a glass of wine with it!

Another Saturday night...

2010-09-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

As luck would have it, I didn't get to work in the studio during the men's semifinals - DH in backyard with a circular saw tearing up old deck so I figured I should stay close in case I needed to call 911. By the time I got to work, the US Open women's final was just starting. I'm happy Clijsters won but I could have used a little more time! I did get to practice couching - not thrilling but it's done.

Promised DH I'd watch a movie with him. He's picked Burn After Reading. I think it got mixed reviews but I like the Coen brothers and the cast looks good.

Que Sera, Sera

2010-09-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'd like to have this house -

I don't what I'd do with the spouse or the dog... but on a hill over looking the ocean... ah, heaven. (I'm assuming at least 3G coverage!)

I was in the studio today - I cleaned and put away fabric that has been piling up. Also took care of laundry and ironing (clearly a problem having the studio next to the laundry room!)

This weekend we need to remove the small deck that we have been living with since the 'remodeling' of the backyard began (enough or a small table and the BBQ.) I'm planning on watching Super Saturday (US Open Tennis) but I'll need to remember to go outside and cheer on the work that my darling husband will be doing! With so many hours of tennis, I'll have plenty of time to work on my 'weeklies'. I really would like to get current before this month ends.

Tennis and IT

2010-09-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

If I wasn't getting so much done in the studio I think I'd be tired of watching tennis. I've always like watching TV while doing something else (or is it that I've liked doing something while I watch TV... nay, I could be listening to music.) The "IT!" challenge occupied most of my day.

Started the third month of hardscaping in the back and side yard. Retaining walls, patio and walkways are almost done - I think/hope/pray! The builder is suppose to start next week. He's extending the roof line over the hot tub and back deck (I think) before he does the deck. I'm trying not to get too excited - too many weeks to go - but it's looking good!

Early "IT!" tease

2010-09-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

I worked on the September "Interpret This!" challenge today. I chose to focus on a particular section of the fence but struggled with the colors - or lack of color in the photograph. I decided to eliminate the green and think about spicing it up with some purple/blue and orange/brown.

Turns out that this was just enough to help me finish planning out both the design layout and palette for the challenge.

on a roll

2010-09-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

The studio's still a mess but I finished the last piece for May. Now I just have ALL the weeklies from the summer months to catch up with.

I sketched some ideas for June ("Luck" is the theme.) Now that I take a second look at the sketch I'm already seeing things I'm going to change.

I watched Helvetica this afternoon. It was interesting - worth the time.

monday monday

2010-09-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I got the network connected to the Roku and the TV is now ready to run Netflix in the studio. Of course the studio looks like it exploded. Pulling things away from the walls to run the cable exposed lots of dust and vacuuming began a requirement for the day. I switched machines - setting up my old Bernina (1530) so I can take the Artista 180 in for repair and cleaning. I kept the boxes of fabric that were neatly tucked under the cutting table out to go through and hopefully purge some of the fabric. Despite the chaos and clutter, I did manage to finish to more small weeklies -

Really?! sixteen to go

2010-09-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

I made progress in the studio and it felt good - right up to the minute when I clipped the threads off the finished weekly and in the process also 'clipped' my little finger. Boy those scissors were sharp!

I had sketched my plan for the four weeklies with the theme of 'Lesson' for the month of May earlier this morning. I'm going to keep these simple and small. I want to be on schedule before mid month.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get at least two more done while I watch the fourth round of the US Open (maybe all three if the Fish/Djokovic match goes 5 sets.)

Finally finished April!

2010-09-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

While I watched coverage of the U.S. Open today, I finished the four weeklies I've had pinned up on the design wall for the last five months. I'm thinking of them as warm up pieces - of course, I'm so far behind that I'll be spending most of September warming up! If I weren't so stubborn, I'd just forget about them. (grumble)

DH got me a Roku Digital Player for the television in the studio. I think it'll be a good thing!

Cheers.

2010-09-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

I knew today was going to be a bust in the studio. I didn't really have a plan. I showed up and sorted fabric for a few minutes. Cleaned up some piles that had been sitting around. I started to work on a few little projects and the sewing machine 'gods' took their revenge. Broken thread, broken needle, a problem with the bobbin - clearly, I was being tested. I worked about two hours and left feeling frustrated.

How's it go... ars longa, vita brevis which translates as art is long, life is short. Too bad that original aphorism referred to the craft of medicine and not the meager attempts of the 'craft with fabric' that I made today!

oh well, carpe vinum.

(see... Moderate Drinking Helps Middle-Aged and Older People Live Longer.)

Catching up

2010-09-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Studio time today consisted of finishing up last months Doodle Calendar and taking photos of the five months before that - where did the time go?

I did a little more work on the September IT! challenge. Started having second thoughts about what I wanted to do and how big I wanted the finished piece to be. Doubt, I think it's a good thing...

Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us 'Something is out of tune.' - Carl Jung

My husband has been telling me that I should watch Helvetica for the last year or so. Yeah, yeah - so many things to watch, so little time. Last night, while trying to decide on a short film to watch, I stumbled upon Objectified (75 mins) and suggested we watch it. It's available through Netflix's "watch instantly" program. I really enjoyed it. So did Dave (at least for the parts he was awake for - the two hours of racquetball earlier in the evening wore him out.) Turns out that both of these documentaries films are by Gary Hustwit and he's working on a new film, Urbanized, that will premiere in 2011.

September begins.

2010-09-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've got to decide that summer is over and get back into the studio. Months have gone by and I have made little - except for the Interpret This! pieces! Speaking of which, this was my contribution to the August Challenge....

You can read more about it (here) and be sure to check out the pieces submitted by the other artists at Interpret This! The new photograph for September is up (here) and I've already sketched out a couple of ideas. I'm thinking about doing a large piece - something I can hang over the piano.

NaBloPoMo theme for September is ART.

" It's a theme that lets you post about art others have made that inspires you as well as the ways you bring the arts into your own life. It's also a good theme for niche bloggers who have made an art of whatever it is they do, be it knitting, jousting, or growing heirloom tomatoes. Art is all around us if we know where to look."

It's been some time since I made a commitment to blogging everyday. I think it will help with my goal of getting back into the studio!

Happy Bday USA!

2010-07-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

John Adams wrote to this to his wife Abigal on July 3d 1776:

But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

It ended up being the 4th of July.

I did manage to get up this morning to watch the final set of the Men's Championship at Wimbledon. Nadal played well - would have been good to see him play Federer.

No studio activity yet. I've keeping up with July's Doodle calendar and filling in the two weeks I missed in June.

In the meantime, I'm reading The Market Guys' Five Points for Trading Success . My sister gave a couple to my Dad for Father's Day and it looked interesting enough for me to download a sample of the book to my Kindle while we were in Cabo. (No charge for downloading books wirelessly in over 100 countries - Cool!) My husband been wanting me to "get more involved" with our investments. I think it will be a good challenge for me - just have to commit the time and be disciplined.

procrastinating...

2010-07-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

I had planned to get up and watch 'Breakfast at Wimbledon' this morning but I the need for sleep kept me in bed. I figure I'll be able to catch the highlights of Serena's match sometime today. In the meantime, instead of starting laundry, I'm surfing the web looking at Pojagi (Korean Patchwork). I found this interview with Chunghie Lee at the 2009 Festival of Quilts, England:

And also a link to a short RISD video on "Pojagi + Beyond" - here

I'm not sure where I might go with this but it would be fun to play and see where it leads me.

ah, to be in France...

2010-07-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

I made it out for breakfast this morning to catch up with friends but I must admit I have been dragging all day. I did manage to unpack and sort laundry but I just couldn't deal with doing the laundry. Tomorrow. I think I still have a little of the I'm-on-vacation attitude in my blood or maybe, just maybe, I was bitten by some sort of "lazybug" while I languishing in California.

The new photograph for the August Interpret This! challenge comes courtesy of Beverly, a picture her daughter took while in Annecy, France. I love the architectural elements and the reflection in the water. The Palais de l'Isle jail sits in the middle of the canal. The yellow paint on the Hôtel du Palais de l'Isle is just visible next to the red awning of the Café des Ducs. Oh, and I am loving the iron architecture typical of the 20th century that surrounds the canal. What a treat this is going to be. (And already I'm concerned that I won't be able to capture in fabric what my mind "wants" to make! But hey, I've got nearly two months to try!)

I know, but still can't believe that 2010 is half over. There are still so many things I want to do and yet I also feel that I want to change course and work on other things. My indecision is nearly paralyzing me. Yeah, I think I'll procrastinate any action until at least Monday!

Half 2010

2010-07-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it's July. Three months have passed since I last posted on this poor neglected blog. Drove sixteen hours yesterday, after being away from home for fifteen days, to sleep in my own bed! Ahhhh.

"Aflutterby" - June's IT! (read about it here) traveled with me to California where she now lives with a very dear friend.

I have enjoyed the Interpret This! challenges - should have at least mentioned them... here's the link to April's and May's finished pieces. And take some time, go and enjoy the creative work of Barbara, Beverly, Debra, Judith, Karen, Kay, Libby, and Nellie. It is such a privilege to be sharing the Interpret This! challenge with these very talented women!

April "shower" and it's raining as well

2010-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

wk 14-10

This is my first of five weeklies for the month of April with the theme of Luxury.

I did some quick sketches that capture a few of my initial thoughts: warm shower; lap of luxury; manicure; accumulating stuff; waves of indulgence. I'm definitely thinking about 'luxury' without a pejorative taint but more in terms of something enjoyable or comfortable beyond life's necessities. Although I must say, I consider a hot morning shower pretty much a life's necessity!

Traveling north in the morning, Dave and I have been planning to get up to the Seattle for months now. Finally made the reservations - hopefully it won't rain the whole time! We been wanting to see the Alexander Calder exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum since it opened last October. The exhibit closes on April 11th - yeah, plenty of time! We'll also stop in Tacoma to visit the Museum of Glass. So excited!

The last of the reveals at Interpret This! have been posted. I am once again so impressed with the creativity and artistry of the group. Go visit, here!

Can't wait to see Nellie's photo for April - thank goodness I've my iPhone!

eavesdrop

2010-03-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

wk 13-10

Last weekly of the month and I was struggling with what to do. I spent too long just staring at empty space. I finally started thinking about going to Ashland and what I'll do there: the plays; a little shopping; dining out; and people watching. Thinking about people watching led me to the idea of eavesdropping - listening to little tidbits of broken conversations.

Eavesdropper... one who stands on the eavesdrop in order to listen to conversations inside the house.

to give ear to

2010-03-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

wk 12-10

This weekly is influenced by the politics I've been watching lately. In short, it reflects how I feel about how hard it is to "listen" when people are shouting. I remain optimistic that our political leaders can behave with civility and respect.

I've been playing 'catch up' all month long and don't feel like I got anything done - maybe it was just running in circles! I'm hoping to get the last weekly done today as we are off to OSF tomorrow morning to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Hamlet. I'm looking forward to both play but I must admit I'm a little nervous about what they've done to Hamlet after reading a review that had this line:

And it's perfectly natural to fuse hip-hop with Hamlet, by adding "sick hooks" to the iambic pentameter, said Claudia Alick, hip-hop dramaturge for the play and curator and producer of the festival's musical Green Shows.

hmmm... not quite sure what 'sick hooks' are.

In the meantime, reveals for the March Interpret This! will be starting this Saturday. I'm planning to use the "scheduled at" feature for posting my reveal on Saturday afternoon - hope it works!

jazzy full

2010-03-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

wk11-10

There is a "listen" story behind this weekly where the word FULL is represented by the green rectangle in the center. After nearly thirty years, I'm (still) working on improving how we communicate as a couple. Occasionally, we'll get into the downward spiral of 'you never told me/yes I did' discussion. So the other day when my husband handed me a new Starbucks card, he said "You never told me if you wanted a full or mini card", I picked up my cellphone and pulled up my text messages with him. There it was, plain and simple, the single word Full (in a little green speech bubble) in answer to a question from him.

I've been struggling with what to do with the Interpret This! challenge. I finally figured it out while listening to jazz last Saturday night. We went to a Jazz Party at The Shedd, enjoyed an evening of jazz with Dick Hyman (pianist/composer) and Ken Peplowski (clarinetist). One of my favorite sets of the evening, they rolled out a second piano and Dave Frishberg joined Dick Hyman and they played some boogie-woogie pieces - so good!

March Teasers are being posted at Interpret This! Now that I know what I'm doing, I can at least show what I'm NOT going to do.

morning chorus

2010-03-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

wk10-10

A new month and a cold nailed me during the first week of it. It did give me time to think about this months weekly theme - Listen. It's that time of year when the birds start their morning chorus about forty minutes before the sun comes up.

A new photograph is up at Interpret This! - a wonderful image but I'm struggling with what to do with it. The one idea I have doesn't inspire me.

I hate being sick - yeah, I know everyone does. The wasted time and then time spent doing things I didn't do because I was sick, a double punishment. The 'upside' is that I did spend a little more time reading. I'm going back and re-reading two articles (this time without fuzzy brain): Depressions Upside (NYT) and book review of Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind by Guy Claxton.

Whoosh... and February's done.

2010-02-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

I hung my February Interpret This! challenge piece in the kitchen. It's a little big for that space but the colors are wonderful. Check out the Interpret This! blog for more information about mine and all the other quilts. I've looked forward to the reveals the last few days and have marveled at the creative expression of all the women and their quilts. We will start again on Monday with a new photograph, submitted by Kay. I'm excited and ready to start the new challenge!

I'm thankful that tomorrow's the last day for the Olympics. I watched more curling than I thought I could tolerate but I think it'll stay an every-four-years fascination. I'm planning to watch the hockey game between Canada and the USA... should be good. I never did get around to the Knitting Olympics - I can't even claim "DNF" since I never started - c'est la vie.

life laughs best

2010-02-26T00:40:00.000-08:00

wk 09-10

This wraps up my month of "Laugh" weeklies and includes a Norwegian proverb Der som ler sist, ler best. (He who laughs last, laughs best.) I've been watching the Olympics and have been really impressed with Norway's Marit Bjoergen who has won three gold medals and a bronze in the four events that she has competed in - and she still has one more event to go! The woman looked absolutely joyous today as she crossed the finish line.

Speaking of joyous - click on over to Interpret This! ... the reveals are in process!

One laugh, out loud.

2010-02-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

wk 07-10

wk 08-10

I spent the afternoon catching up on my weeklies. My inspiration for week 07 was this quote:

We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once and we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I just love a good Nietzsche quote to work with - someday I might just 'become what I am' (Ha!)

For week 08, a quote from (approx.) 65AD:

It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it.
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

with a irreverent modern twist - LOL@Life.

My Interpret This! piece is done and I'm looking forward to reveals that will be starting on Thursday, the 25th.

Half February

2010-02-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

It's mid-month and over at Interpret This! the "teasers" for the February challenge have started. I've got my piece sandwiched and have started quilting. These are some of the fabrics that I used. It's been an interesting challenge and I'm happy with what I've created.

I had planned to watch the Olympics tomorrow but forgot we are heading off to the opera to see Mozart's Così fan tutte. I'm really looking forward to it - this description is perfect:

The perfect opera for those who prefer their laughter sandwiched with a slice of wry.

Laugh and Live

2010-02-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

wk 06-10

This month's word is 'Laugh' and for this week I was inspired by a quote attributed to Erma Bombeck:

If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.

It was simple and fast - and yes, I can live with it.

ups and downs

2010-02-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

I worked on Feb's Interpret This! yesterday. The photograph (here) from Rian is rich with colors I like so the task of getting started was painless. I made wonderful progress: filled five pages in my journal; sketched out a design; and I have started selecting fabric. With last month's challenge, I found inspiration based on my feelings. This month, my inspiration is coming from thinking about discrete things and how I might achieve them through different techniques.

Irritated! I'm trying not to spend a lot of time on the computer but today I wasted precious time cleaning up spam and reporting it to Blogger. I had to do something "fun" to offset the mood I was in so, off to the studio to make this:

I saw it on Wild Olive and decided that a little humor was good - a little humor I could carry around with me, even better! I changed the pattern by stitching the face with the sewing machine and adding a pocket to hold a card or two.

While it is cute, it's not what I'd use everyday so, the more practical side of me made this as well:

Now, let's see if they work for me.

I'd like a teal Ikran, please.

2010-01-31T23:42:00.000-08:00

I read Naomi Wolf's Avatar and Empire a few days ago and decided it was time to go and see the movie. We did that tonight. I enjoyed it. I found that when it made me a little tense my impulse was to take off the 3D glasses and then it took me a few seconds to figure out that that was why the screen was then out of focus. "...the power of American filmmaking... directed toward American self-knowledge..." I hope that's true but escapism is a hard addiction to fight.

Yep, January is done and the year just started.

Looking ahead...

February begins tomorrow and I'm busy trying to figure out how I'm going to get everything done. I seem to have a rhythm with my daily things - photo, doodle, music, etc. but my big blocks of time in the studio have not been well structured. I'm hoping to change that this month. To begin with I'm starting on these things:

Interpret This! - The photograph that we'll be interpreting will be available in the morning and I'm planning to get started first thing. I'm going to continue working with my journal and try to understand my design process.
Weeklies - Four this month, the theme is "Laugh" (could be fun!?!)
Knitting - The Olympics start on the Feb 12th and I'm doing my own Knitting Olympics MMX.
Quilted Xmas gift - starting early, hopefully get at least one done in Feb.
60th Wedding gift - this needs to be done by June.

January "Interpret This!"

2010-01-31T00:51:00.000-08:00

I posted my January challenge piece, Color me Curious at the "Interpret This!" blog. Here's a detail shot and my design/process notes:

I don't like to spend time dwelling in the past so I started this little sojourn with some hesitation. I think I expected it to be uncomfortable and instead I found a peace with myself and my parents.

Nothing changed except my perception. Funny that.

We saw John Kolvenbach's play Love Song tonight. Really enjoyed it - clever writing, wistful and offbeat. I'm now going to see if I can stay up and watch some of the Federer/Murray tennis match.

changing how I look at things

2010-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

wk 05-10

I can't believe how fast this year is going - the end of January is just around the corner. In finishing up the weeklies for this month, I played around with a quote attributed to Wayne Dyer:

If you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.

Simply made, tossed on a few button, quilted a few lines, and I'm happy with the results.

Sometimes I try to force change in how I do things, other times I'm happily marching along to a change theme without realizing it. This month, while working on my Interpret This! challenge piece I was aware of how my perception of my parents changed and that I felt different about the role they played in my life. Something I didn't expect.

Speaking of Interpret This! do go over there and check out the reveals that have already been posted: Libby, Rian, Kay, and Judith. Read the comments and enjoy! Two more will be revealed tomorrow.

six days 'til reveal

2010-01-25T23:13:00.001-08:00

I'm almost finished with my piece for Interpret This! This is the back and yes, those are poinsettias (Christmas fabric that's kinda related.) The reveals start on Wednesday - Debra posted the reveal schedule (here) and Debra is still looking for contributions for Operation Pillowcase.

Continuing with my photo-a-day project, this is Jan 16th-22nd:

wk 04

Give

2010-01-22T18:26:00.001-08:00

wk 04-10

It is so easy to be overwhelmed by what is going on in Haiti. My heart goes out to all who have suffered and I'm thankful that the nations around the world have been so generous.

This weekly, to look more deeply into what I can do... we gave cash (with matching dollars from my husband work) and I'm asking everyone to give what they can.

cherish is the word

2010-01-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to take daily photograph and attempt to write a six word story for each one of them.

fragile glass: shadows of Christmas past.

After taking this first one I decided to focus on things I cherish and see how far that takes me. I'm trying to just have fun... I'll fret about better photography and crafting better word stories latter!

While I've been busy collecting them, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. Then the other day it occurred to me that I could do a weekly compilation. So, here's January so far:
wk02

wk03

Zoom, zoom...

2010-01-14T22:23:00.001-08:00

...and she's quilting!. Love this part. After all the planning, the machine is humming and the piece for Interpret this! is starting to come together.

I like the way Barbra Streisand sang Stout-Hearted Men from her Simply Streisand album.