Day 26 - An evening out

Day 27 -The Diningroom is ready for a Christmas celebration

30 days of Christmas/Day1

The guest room is ready for the second guest in 2 days. The decorations have started to go up slowly.

Good dogs get turkey for Thanksgiving

This day before Thanksgiving

I have one son in Hawaii and one son upstairs asleep. It has been a rough couple of days as an EMT for the second son. He performed CPR on a 26 year old man who succumbed to whatever illness he had. "CPR is hard Mom."

I don't say much - just listen. I am grateful for the friends that my son has made with the other EMT's. They talk about what they have seen with each other; sometimes jokes are said just between them. Illness and death are a hard business to be in. They keep each other grounded.

Thanksgiving preschool crafts

Tigers made out of the letter T and cornucopia headbands that we wore for our feast.

Midmorning hike with my youngest

He called us to come get him yesterday as he was ill and wanted to be sick at home. Today he felt much better and we went for a walk up at the dam which was in the movie where Steve Carell was Noah. We had hoped to take the trail up to Blue Hole, which is a favorite swimming spot in the summer, but the water that empties into the dam was too high to cross. Odd for this time of year.

The university has given the students the week off but S2 has to go back tomorrow and work for two days. Also has to make sure that he is out of his lease at the end of this month. We are keeping fingers crossed that the apartment manager's word is good.

Life has been busy this week. Paperwork for a study to finish filling out. Choir, violin, etc which has been hampered by an allergy attack that has lasted longer than it should. (fall allergies). Noticed a bite on Snoopy tonight after I let him out for a little bit. Then he went back outside, came in and licked his chops. So I'm sure that there is something gross outside. I have cleaned up his wound and he is napping in Bella's crate. Life is exhausting, especially when his evening included grabbing the first dinner that I cooked myself while my back was turned.




Hiking with Bella. We spread some of Maxine's ashes (our golden that died a few years ago).



Birthday goodness.

Tonight's art. Prepping a canvas and painting a tiny house.

Wordless Wednesday

The big 50

Yes, today is it. The big one.
And I feel great. Turning 40 bothered me a lot.
Turning 50 is a gift and a blessing.

Admiring oneself in the mirror

Husband took the photo and got our little friend outside. I do not like the unpredictability of birds --- for which I blame a greataunt --she let hers fly around - (for my family it was Uncle Glens wife, cannot remember her name). And an old roommate of my husbands who let hers do the same.

Friday Find/Photo opp

I love the colors on this row of buildings. Very art deco.

I love

hot air balloons - to watch at least - riding one I think would freak me out.
I saw these two on my way to work yesterday.

It is 7:28 and I need to leave for

after

before
work by 8 but my mood is a little blah this morning so I thought that I would do some art.

Last night's result is in the second photo. I want the edge to look like wood but it is a little too light.

This morning I added brown. Makes it look better but will have to wait until after work to see the result in better light. My kitchen has poor light even though it is direct light (does that make any sense). I will need to take advantage of the natural light this afternoon.

Latest Project

Fiber paste was put on a preprimed canvas. Then I took some sponges from school and painted different colors. Next came some beautiful leaves that I found today after violin lesson. I have modge podged the entire picture and probably will put on another coat. I'm also planning on writing some things on the picture. It will be interesting to see how long the leaves last before/if they get crunchy.

Wild Beasts Roam the Municipal Golf Course

By this past June

the stress level in my life (actually one specific part) was so high that when I went in for an annual physical I had a frank discussion with my doctor about it. I wasn't ready to give up that part of my life but I wasn't sure how I could deal with it without driving myself crazy with worry.

She advised that I needed some balance to counteract the negative. Which I knew but could not figure out how to achieve.

Then came a conversation with my violin teacher - a new string group was forming - would I like to join. Yes.

In August a notice was put in the church bulletin for a singing group that met once a month and sung in nursing homes. Yes.

Two weeks ago the string group disbanded until after Christmas but I was asked to join another one that meets every other week. Yes.

I joined an online bookclub in addition to the local one. Yes.

I put myself down for Art Every Day. (That has been a struggle finding the time - though I'm working on that) Yes.

Stress is still there but it is less. Circumstances have changed somewhat. Also there are so many more positives to look forward to.

Life is good.

Six Hot Air Balloons in the Distant Sky

taken from the grocery store parking lot.

What first caught my eye was

that the mother of the little girl was putting a scarf around her daughter's neck. Inside a big box store.

The weather here is seasonable. The mornings may be cold but by 2 in the afternoon it is time for a sweater or just long sleeves.

I continued to watch. My photos were printing and I had time to kill.

After the scarf the mother pulled out a winter hat and started to put it on the child's head. Then the dad took over.

What made me feel uneasy was the way that the child never moved as her father was talking to her. Children are wiggly when you put their coats and hats on. This child never moved - with either mom or dad. Kids are chatty, especially girls. This one didn't speak. Like she was used to being still.

And then there were the looks that the mother gave dad while the episode slowly unfolded. She seemed to need to see what his reaction would be before she could make the next move.

I'm still feeling unsettled.

Day 2 and 3

The origin of Art Every Day Month can be located here. It is a wonderful idea and gives me a chance to use items that I already have and some interesting ones that I find at the craft store. Like the mini pumpkins - which were bought at Michael's craft store. I believe they are dried seed pods of something from India. Darn cute and for a huge container (that was also on sale) it was something like $4.99. And I have half the container left.

Yesterday I looked at stuffed fabric owl photos online and drew ones that I liked and embellished on some of them. Also I saw a cute tea towel with a ric rac trim that was simple and cute. And I do have plain white tea towels that I bought at an estate sale.

The art that was started today was a patch repair on a pair of jeans. They will be great for home wear and are giving me a chance to fine tune the sewing skills.

I must say that being forced to be creative has made me quite happy. I don't have the time to do a project a day but just to do something is very relaxing.

Project Day 1/Art Every Day

 

I have no illusions that anyone will look at this and say wow. However, spending part of an afternoon gluing tiny pumpkins to a tiny grapevine wreath is cathartic. So I started on two candle rings. The major thing left to do is take off the glue gun strings and possibly spray varnish.