Time flies when your nose is on the grindstone

 So, today I decided to look at my blog and found a whole new regime installed by the google. I was surprised the last post was in April!! Maybe not too surprised. Everyday is Blursday here, although I do know when Saturday rolls around because my sweet baby visits for the day. All those other days are spent in my veggie garden, sewing room, kitchen, or in front of the tube, watching as much left wing liberal news, fix it and cooking shows as I feel necessary. 

The really big excitement around the neighborhood this summer was the Cooper's (I think) hawk and mate flying around protecting their nest. Several days ago, the babies left the nest and all is quiet in the mornings now. Of course, we still have the owls all night. This is going on in a very urban area of Memphis. 

  Thanks to zoom, I have been able to participate with the peeps at Memphis Sewing Guild and Tennessee Craft-Southwest. At MSG, we've started having programs again. Maybe not as much fun as in person gathering, but it'll have to do for now. I love seeing everyone and what they are doing. 

TNCraft-SW has been able to put together some gallery shows in town. Big thanks to all who put in the hard work to pull it together and provide the artists with venues for our work. 

Someday, things will be different again, for better or worse. I'll be glad for the break I've had from a daily grind and having had the time to spend as I wish. 

So far,so good

The show at Buckman Center was a raging success as far as I'm concerned. We had a wonderful turnout at the reception and all the artwork was hung on the walls by somebody with exceptionally intuitive vision. It looked so cohesive, even though it was created by two artists, working in different media, and we got lots of positive responses. Some of the people at the reception went back a second time. That is so validating in my opinion.
  Plus, one of Memphis' well known artists bought a wall hanging, and much to my surprise. a couple of my photographs sold!! I had put them in the show mainly as reference to the inspiration for my fiber art works.
 Spring is making inroads here. The yard is coming alive, despite some damage from the local utility company's tree trimmers. After they had been in my yard, it looked like Godzilla had strolled through.
The gazing ball I've had for 23 years was smashed. I'm very angry and have not had a response to my call to tree company. Ugh.....
  Anyway....life goes on...I'm making sure my little great grandson gets the loving care and attention he needs and deserves. He is just so fucking adorable.

How life got in the way of blogging

Wow! I didn't realize how long it's been since I was last here until I got here. So much has happened- good and bad- this past year, I don't know where to start.
 My house improvements have all been good. The basement is finally drying out after decades of water leaking in. A major improvement was done on my screened in front porch. Once upon a time, in my old life, it was home to a dozen or so cats. Now, it is refreshed with new screens, paint (the ceiling is light blue and the swing is now white), and bright clean covers for the furniture. Plus a rug from the sale bin at Ikea.
  My love life, such as it was, is on hiatus. My choice and I'm happy for it.
  This past summer, I was awarded temporary custody of my sweet great grand son. He's living with his daddy now, since the first part of December, but he's here nearly every afternoon while daddy is at work. It was quite an adjustment, I must say, having a little one around. Jerry, the lone cat here, has been infinitely patient with being mauled and pulled at, with only an occasional hiss to express her displeasure. As much work as it is to have a baby around the house, it's also been fun to watch him grow into a sweet toddler.
  Now that these pesky holidays are past-whew-I can start to focus on getting my yard back in order for spring planting. Some trees were taken down before the roof project, then the one big tree that I left, developed a crack and was endangering my neighbor's house. So it went, too. Now there's a LOT of sun in that part of the yard and raised beds are going in to grow veggies. I've never had too much success with edibles since I had so much shade, so it should be fun to see what happens.
   This month, January 17th, my friend Frederique and I are having an exhibit of some of our artworks, that were inspired by visits to beaches. I'll try to post photos of the event. 
  Maybe I can find time to update this blog on a more regular basis, because I know all you followers out there were wondering what was going on with my wonderfully boring life!!!

What happened??

So, I got my roof replaced (refer to previous posts) and it's been well worth the time and effort. After this long strange spring, with all the temperature and precipitation changes, the summer has arrived. I missed most of the spring because I had my nose to the grindstone, but that roof isn't gonna pay for itself!!!
  I did actually sneak in a few hours digging in the yard, only because I was going to lose my mind if I didn't! The self flagellating Calvinist residing deep within me sometimes feels the need to work under the most unpleasant conditions. I tried to hold off turning on the AC until the first day of June. That didn't happen.
 The drum on the clothes dryer stopped turning during this time, as well, but miraculously decided to work again when repairman waved a magic wand (AKA screwdriver) over it. A mystery, yet unsolved.
   Photos of yard improvements will be posted...someday..upcoming art shows, actually one in progress right now. At JCC, the Collaborations Show with members of TennesseeCraft-Southwest.  It's a really good show and will be up till the end of May. Other shows are in October and January 2020.
  Life is good.

Another photo

This photograph of the beach is another possible candidate for interpretation to enter into the upcoming show. 

And it begins....

With a photo. This picture is from my visit to Dauphin Island last winter. It was such a relaxing weekend with my friend, Frederique. We were completely enamored of the environment and the solitude. Everyday we walked, a total of 21 plus miles over three days, according to Fitbit.
  We went from one end of the island to the other, even though it was breezy and cold most of the time. The foggiest morning was the best, like walking in a bubble. We both took many photos. Frederique had her very nice camera and has so many lovely shots of birds, dead things, trees, the gulf waters, etc.
 I forgot my little point and shoot, and had to rely on the Iphone camera, Since I wasn't sure of storage issues, I had to be a bit more judicious in my decisions of what to photograph, not just snapping pics of any old thing, like I usually do.
  I'm very happy with what I captured and have started on several pieces of artwork based on the photos. In future posts, I hope to show the progress I'm making and maybe inspire someone else to record your adventure in another way than vacation photos.

WKNO show

hand stitching on linen

The TNCraft-Southwest show at the WKNO gallery closed last week. When I went to pick up my artwork I discovered one of my pieces had sold!! YAY! I have no idea who loved this as much as I do, and want to thank you for choosing my work to be in your home or office or wherever......
  Plus, I couldn't be happier to have a few extra bucks to help pay for new eyeglasses, since I lost my fave bifocals at a punk rock show last week. I've finally stopped beating myself up for losing them. It's as if they VANISHED into thin air and maybe fell off my head into the toilet in ladies room. I don't know....I'm usually very careful keeping up with my stuff.

A Gift

Since February, I've been spending a lot of my time in creative endeavors, most of it sewing in one form or another. Coming up in June, some of my artwork will be in a group show. It's exciting to have work shown, but I wish I'd had time to make something new....and I wish I had the time to play in my yard everyday and scrub this hovel to a higher standard that I really should subscribe to...dream on.
 Since I love my artwork, I'm good with the pieces I'm entering in the show. They are pieces I look at everyday and make me happy that I made them.
  I'm starting to feel the same way with my yard. I have found it to be another creative outlet and I see it everyday, so it's always on my mind. The physical activity required to make any patch of dirt look like art is not much more than any other medium. So, I'm happily digging when I can, usually early in the day. I do live in Memphis.
  Life is maybe the best gift a person could get, I'm glad I got mine and the gift of patience to go with it. I just want to get a gift of time.
 

Lemme explain

There was no writing in the last post, mainly because I was so sad at the demise of my trusty Elna sewing machine. It's been with me since the early 80's and saw me through many projects. It was especially useful for all the heirloom sewing I've done these many years.
  Right in the middle of one of the many graduation dresses I'm working on this season, it decided it was too tired to continue. The thread kept breaking. It was very frustrating and I would have panicked, but a several years ago, I ran across another Elna, that was maybe a year or two older than the recently deceased model. I had the intention of using it for replacement parts if my beloved machine ever needed repairs. It was similar to parents having another child for transplant parts for the older child with a serious disease.
   Since there is no time in my schedule to stop for repairs, I plugged in the spare machine and realized it sewed beautifully. And quietly, with no skipped stitches, no balled up thread on the underside of seams!!! YAY!!!
So, all is well in the workroom now, well.....it will be when I get over this awful cold that has had me confined to my bed for the last several days. I had been SOOO careful all winter, avoiding crowds and sick people when the flu was going around, because I knew if I came down with anything it would be BAD!
   Then BOOM I woke up with a scratchy throat last Wednesday, told myself it was spring allergies (which I never have) soldiered on till I went to bed, totally exhausted. Aches and pains kept me from a good night's sleep, then a headache accompanied by rising fever. My temperature reached over 103 and I got out the ice pack.
  Now it's Monday, I'm still fatigued and very disappointed that I had to miss the opening reception of the TNCraft-Southwest Collaborations show yesterday. But so many friends were concerned and offered to bring food and beverage. I'm a lucky person to have such kind caring people in my life...

Sacred Tree

Bug Book

New Year with new weather

It's only two weeks into 2018, and we've had at least three seasons it seems! Cold (12 degrees), not so cold (70), now snow and ice (ugh, no NYT delivery).....at least not being able to get out and about has given me a good excuse to blog.
  There's lots of sewing to do, too. Graduation dresses are in the works. Carnival suit is in progress. For Christmas gifts (as yet, undelivered) I made several microwave bowl cozies. I love mine so much I found directions on Youtube--Thank you, Karen--then dug through my resource center for coordinating fabrics and batting, and whipped them out. And I have received the parts from collaborating artist, Catherine Stevens, to create the pieces for the show in April. That is VERY exciting and I will post more on that later.
  Since I've got an early start on the dresses and suits, I will have time to work in the garden before the REAL summer season begins. Who knows when that humidity bomb will drop??!!!

My wonderfully boring life!

    Last week was busy for me. Dinner with pals at a very fine dining establishment on Monday. The next evening, Tuesday, I gave a presentation on journal quilts, which was well received, I hope...all the guild members present where quiet during my talk, or should I say blathering. I do enjoy my series of journal quilts and feel like I have a fairly decent body of work that tells parts of my story.
    Then there was all the regular stuff- BFCC on Monday morning, dental appointment Tuesday afternoon, checking on friend's house all week, fulfilling other obligations and duties, too.
    The weather has been perfect the last few days, so I spent the ENTIRE day yesterday in my yard. I got a lot accomplished, planting, digging out crap. Sadly, my favorite little shovel broke while trying to dig up a rotted tree stump. There's a backup shovel in the truck, but I hesitate to take it out, because one never knows when one will have to bury somebo.......er.....dig up something......

Senior Citizenhood

My birthday came and went. Now I'm 65. On Medicare. hmmm
I unplugged for a few days around my birthday and really enjoyed the quiet time. The weather was nice too. Then the remnants of the hurricanes swept through, one right after another. So much rain!!

The wedding dress I'm making for my great niece is ready to be shipped to her. And I have my plane ticket for the trip to California to finish the dress and attend the wedding. My sister and I decide I should fly to Las Vegas, then drive to LA. For some reason, I'm less nervous that if I was flying straight to LA, who knows why. I'm a terrible traveler.
  I hope to get some photos of the completion of the dress to post here when I get back in November.

At the end of August, I was in a show and sale with TNCraft-Southwest, then two weeks later, I participated in an art fair that was in conjuction with Central Gardens Home and Garden tour. I really enjoyed both outings and saw lots of people I hadn't seen in a while.  Plus, my work was very well received and that gave me a great feeling of accomplishment and validation.

My life has settled into the boring, drama free routine I wished for and I couldn't be happier.

The depths of summer

As usual, it's been hot and humid, like every other Memphis summer since the dawn of time. We got a tiny break this weekend and I took advantage of it and got a lot of work done in the yard. It really needed it too, as I had neglected my yard for two years!!!! I know where all that time went and am too embarrassed to tell anyone.......
  So, it's back on track now. My sewing adventures have been good, maybe not as prolific as years past, but satisfying enough. I hope to spend more time on creative endeavors going forth. I've done a little painting, but realized my true talent doesn't lie with paint and canvas and am happy to leave that to my brother, sister and sister in law! A lot of my sewing has been dedicated to reworking my niece's 1980's wedding dress into a new creation for her daughter. I'm very happy with how it's coming along and she seems pleased when I send her photos. I love texting.....
   The realization that I haven't fully explored living for myself and gaining inner strength is another reason for a change in my creative attitude and giving more time to house and yard obligations. The troubles are in the past and must stay there. The grand adventure is over and done. It's enough to reflect on the positive emotions of both those relationships, but not let myself go down either of those paths again.

    On a more uplifting note, the group show at Crosstown is coming up. I screwed around at the deadline and just couldn't get my shit together to make a proper application. I felt bad about that but sucked it up without too much self abuse. Then, one of the other artists had to drop out and I was offered their space!! So, I got a reprieve. Now I'm making a few new things to present for sale and rerun some older bits. Last August, I took everything I had and now realize what a messy space I had. Maybe a slimmed down presentation will prove more attractive. 

Springtime

The two art shows in February went very well. The TN Craft-Southwest show at the Memphis Jewish Community Center was spectacular! So many talented artists in that group. The collaborative efforts were outstanding. I'm very glad that I was a part of it and hope to find someone to work with for next year's show.

 This is the llama in pajama that I worked on with Rebecca Zeimer, an amazing potter. She has created 366 critters in the past year as part of a challenge. They are almost ready for display and I cannot wait to see them all together.
   The other piece is a piggy in a tutu! You'll have to look at TN Craft's website for a good photo of that and the other artist's works. www.tncraftsouthwest.org

This is my most recent art quilt, which was in the show. It's based on a photograph of me taken in 1978 or 1979. the quilting in the background is words and phrases, some that I wrote and other things I've heard or read. I call it "Wishful Thinking". Obviously, I was having a not so wonderful hair day--this was before I discovered Moroccan Argan hair product! I did rock that rhinestone necklace, though......
   The other show was at Crosstown Arts, called "Can We Talk?" The theme was break ups and lots of different artists showed their responses to failed relationships. It was VERY interesting and I was happy to be a part of that show, too. My piece was one of the art quilts I made during the "troubles", as I like to refer to that difficult time in my life when my marriage was ending. So happy those days are long gone.

Struggling

It seems the frustration will never end! The recent political situation has only added to derail my search for a quiet mind. I don't think I'm the only one feeling this way theses days.
  I did find the energy to complete my healthcare application, because I HAD to finish it, so I will have some coverage till it all goes to hell. Still a few more steps to make sure I'm registered properly.
 Past experience of doing all the right things to make something work, then being met with gut wrenching disappointment, haunts every step I take these days. But, I will put one foot in front of the other and meet each day with the hope for a better tomorrow. There's really not an acceptable alternative.

Frustration abounds

But not for long.....
The past few weeks have tested my patience and resolve. Family trouble, love problems, friends in need, computer dead ends....ugh!
Lots of negative energy built up around me, so I worked on a yard project that was floating in my head for months. An art project or two await my capable hands. I will find peace in all this.

This project is more complete than represented in these photos, and photos of art projects are elsewhere than this machine. I will endeavor to post updates as soon as I figure out how...

Back at the machine!

For the past couple of weeks, I have had to be away from my own sewing, due to other obligations. I get very cranky when this happens.....but I finally got back in the groove. My friend, Veronica, who is a fabric sales rep, told me about a couple of companies that have some very nice designs. So, I got online and two glasses of wine later, I had ordered three pieces of extremely nice knits.
  I've been wearing leggings during the cold weather the last few years and have been searching for some printed ones, to no avail. Two of the pieces of fabric I ordered are going to be made into leggings, the first pair is already done! They fit pretty good, but might need some tweaking and definitely the second pair will have the bugs worked out. The knit tends to "grow" with wearing and I should make them a bit smaller! I'd put a photo on here, but it's on my Ipad and hasn't been transferred to here. Next time....
  The other piece of fabric is a lovely linen knit in charcoal grey, which is going to be a top of some design. It shrunk quite a bit in the wash, boo, but there's enough for something nice.
  I bought a pattern for a top that one of the Memphis Sewing Guild members recommended. I'm looking forward to getting that together as well as a couple of cute jumpers from a Japanese dress pattern book I purchased a few months ago. All summer, I wore dresses of one style or another and got so many compliments. Plus it was so much more comfortable than shorts or jeans in the incessant heat and humidity we've had.
  There's still a quilt to be finished and I've started on another art quilt. AND I have to sew a broken vase back together for the TN Craft collaborations show in February. That project will be all by hand.
  I'm certainly not lacking for entertainment.

Inspration from odd places

While looking at photos of the recent art show, I saw a common thread in a couple of the pieces I had on display and realized I had not done it on purpose. But, it looks pretty good and now I'm excited for the next "big" artwork I want to make. Plus, it's going to be from an image I made long ago, like the swans.
Today, I did some of the start up work for this next quilt.....I'm very happy to be inspired to do more big pieces.....I've let this part of my life sit idle too long.

Upcoming birthday musings

Oh dear, the days go by so quickly! Another anniversary of my birth is looming on the horizon.

  Such a lovely weekend, what with the art show and basking in all that glory of seeing friends and various others telling me how wonderfully creative I am. Almost an altered state, maybe a "high" of sorts.

Spent most of Sunday afternoon sorting art from the public display to its return to closets and walls in the hovel. Sunday evening, well spent, resting with compadre. 

 Monday, indulging myself in laughing and sharing creative conversation with trusted friends. Sometimes, Monday is the best day I can think of.

 Now, I'm thinking of the few days ahead, anticipating a small celebration for my birthday. At one point, I envisioned a grand party, but thought better of it. Since my special day almost always falls on the national holiday honoring those who actually work for a living, and nearly everyone has made plans for otherwise activities, I decided to forgo such nonsense. 

  I have outlived my father by a year and I pray to whatever is out in the universe that I will come close to living as long and productively as my dear departed mother, rest their souls. 

    Two sisters have gone before me in not so many more years as I have been celebrating my time on our lovely planet. I have thrown away all the pills and potions prescribed to me in an effort to ease the troubles of this modern life. I have pretty good hair and skin at this day and age. I have an attentive lover who appreciates the time and energy I can share with him. 

  Yes, I could complain about nit picky details......plenty of that...but why waste precious energy?  

We'll see how the next few days play out and hopefully the following post will be of a most happy day full of stories of how I celebrated my 64th birthday. 

Maybe I'll just stay home and listen to Beatles songs all day, then go to eatery around the corner for super girly martinis! In any event, there will be photos!!!

The soft opening of summer

Just like a new restaurant, the soft opening of this new season is Memorial Day. The real one will be the celestial day of fire and wishes for bumper crops of tomatoes and all the tasty summer veggies! The longest day of the year, before REAL Memphis summer sets in, to remind us how happy we are for air conditioners and wish the guy (or gal) who invented it gets a Nobel prize!
  The past weekend was very good and restful for me. After a night out of dancing to tunes from my youth, wherein I invoked the suggestion of dancing like no one is watching, I had a quiet, unplugged morning. A mind relieved of constant chatter is worth more than gold! Caught up on magazine reading, gave quiet thought to progress of next couple of art works, put my harried world aside for a moment.
   If you read my last missive, you will understand what next transpired. Yes. I jinxed myself. My bad. My firstborn young'un got back into my house. That's my bad, too. As my man friend says, solitudus interruptus. This happened last weekend, with large child promising to stay for only two days. It has been how many now? Which I have given constant updates on just how many?
   After four and a half years in the chair, I had come to grips with inherited enabling tendencies. Tough love was at the forefront, but in a weak moment it all fell to the wayside, and alas, I'm here now swimming in regret. So this day and the few before this one, I am gathering strength to fight the good fight to save my hard won solitude. Most of my lovely life (all the miserable days are distant sad memories now) I have cared for one person or another, and not regretted a day of it. As a daughter, a mother, a wife, a sister, all that time was freely and mostly lovingly given to that care. Those days are past. Time for me now, selfish as it sounds, I don't care. There's a line in the sands of time, folks!
   There's a summer waiting for me. Gardening, art making, dinner plans, lazy mornings and weekends, calling me to wander about in my big old house and yard, alone and loving it!