Another day in Hermitville

More days than not, I realize how lucky and happy I am to be here in the world at this time. Of course, this is mainly due to the happenstance of my birth, to be on this side of this lovely planet, living my lower middle class life in a safe neighborhood, with enough financial resources to keep me fed and a decent roof over my head. None of that has escaped me. All that said, I am awakened everyday with the joyous feeling of meeting life head on, in the way I want to see the particular day ahead of me. 

  This glorious morning I dived into another yard project. For the last few months, I've wanted to redo the shady side of the front yard and was able to chance upon some well priced plants at the end of the season late last fall. My boss called me early to free me from my duties so I armed myself with garden tools and dug up the monkey grass and vinca minor from the front yard. There was wisteria and ivy to battle as well.

   I can't do any deep digging until I know exactly where the jonquils and may apples are, but I was able to rid the surface of most of the ground covers and tomorrow I will cover the almost bare areas with crushed leaves to smother any regrowth. I'll be putting in azaleas, hydrangeas, and maybe camillias in the cleared space. More research needs to be done on the placement of the camillias. There's room for hostas and ferns too. The holly and autumn ferns will go in. The other ones in my yard have been stalwart plantings for the most part, evergreen and hardy growing.

   The compost and rotted leaves will provide some lovely filth too. The raised bed for veggies is coming along and needs a lot of dirty top it off. 

   There's still February to get through, I know. Ice and snow are possible and freezing temps are forecast next week. But I'm getting a jump on the hard work during these nice days and feel recharged being in the sunshine for a few hours. 

  Next weekend is the opening of the Collaborations show, which is going to be very exciting! The art work I've done with Michele has turned out great and I'm happy with it and happy to have spent the time and energy creating it. I probably won't be able to finish the solo piece I wanted to show, but I really don't want to rush it. It needs to be a well created, fine work of art, so I won't push myself and risk messing it up.

Hermitville

I have been happily ensconced in my hovel this weekend, playing with my fabric and sewing machines. It feels so calming to stay busy with projects and working on ideas inspired by fellow artists. Even though there was a lot of hand work involved-ugh-combining Michele's ceramic tiles with my hand printed fabric, the result has become a wonderful art piece. The vessels arrived and await their completion. I am a happy hermit. No more photos till the show opens.
    It's too cold to rake leaves or move dirt anyway. Time for that soon enough. I will be happy to start early spring planting and want to start seeds for some of the crops in the house. Snow peas, greens, chard, etc. I'm sure I can find plants for the late spring/summer plants. The raised bed should be ready soon enough. Gotta get lots of soil to add to the rotted leaves I've been piling all winter.
   I'm still getting to know my new machine as well. I went into settings and thought I had fixed the typing mode to auto spell and capitalize, but NO!!! A thorough investigation is in order! Harumph. And I never ventured to the office supply for the external mouse, so I'm fiddling with the swirly, fingery thing still.
    All in all, it has been a restful weekend. Life is good.

BTW

I have been making a piece of art in collaboration with a friend who makes the most beautiful hand built pottery. The show opens in February, so I'd best be getting on with my bad self and finish!!!

These are the fabrics I painted. 

This is the photocopy I used to screen print the fabric

The omens are good

This rotten head cold took a turn towards coughing fits last night, and I overslept and was late to my duties early this morning. Yet, the day progressed, without any fatalities, and I got errands accomplished, had a delightful lunch of spring rolls, hot tea, and delicious pho! The cure for the common cold.

   When I got home, I went straight to my bed for a 2 hour nap and one of the best crazy dreams I've had in a while. I just love a good crazy dream, especially one I can interpret upon a bit of reflection. 

  Physically and mentally prepared, I went to visit my friend at her demolished house to check on the remodel. Wine in styrofoam cups and festering refrigerator needing unloading were tasks at hand. Of course, hugs and pats on the back to reassure that chaos will bring forth beauty in wonderful new kitchen, perfect for entertaining and production of gourmet meals, which said friend desires. 

   Back to my hovel, to make meatballs and watch 2014 version of Godzilla, sure to inspire a good crazy dream or two.

Technology in the new year

For the last few months, I've been itching to have a new gadget of some sort. I knew I couldn't afford the MacBook of my dreams, so I found this lightweight PC at Office Max while shopping for ink pens. WHAT?? Yes, I came home with HP Stream-the Chromebook killer-for around $230. It's blue, my favorite color and has Windows 10. It also has an internal mouse, which I hate and my next purchase will be a wireless mouse!!!
   My son told me Windows 10 was not of the devil so I decided to give it a try for the reasonable cost of the machine. Of course, I will never give up my other laptop with 7 until the terrible day Microsoft no longer supports that operating system. That machine is full of documents and photos and runs so sloooowwww I only go in there when I absolutely have to. So many files for banking, taxes, insurance, ugh.....it knows all my scanning and printing preferences. It's my friend who's been with me through the hard times and the old days of learning the world of computering.
    I wrote my first blog posts there....good times. Now, hardly anyone reads my blog, yet I can't give it up. I bared my private moments, as much as I dared. Maybe everyone tired of the constant photos and stories of my yard projects. How could that be!!! My yard and garden are awesome! Maybe, I didn't post enough of my artistic adventures. Well, the divorce and need for making a living got in the way of that fun!
    So, here I am, with the new machine. Yes, I'll still use the other PC laptop and yes, I'm still totally enamored of the Ipad, my go to machine, as long as I have wifi. But this new machine, so blue, so fresh, so devoid of crap, oh so sweet. Weighs almost nothing. And did I say it's blue? My favorite color?
    The next time I'm here there will be a wireless mouse because I HATE this swirly, fingery pad!