Yes, where have I been?

I didn't realize I had been away from my blog for such a long time. My, how time flies when one is having fun. The last post was in January of this year which seems so long ago. yet I continue to get through each day. I wake up, have coffee, read my horoscope and the funnies. On Sunday, there's the NYT crossword to while away the morning.
  In February, life took a turn for the worse. My sweet boy was taken away from me and I am bereft of his presence, for how many more days is anyone's guess. I still wake up to each day to face what it will bring and manage to find something positive. I post photos and silly things on Facebook in a vain attempt to console myself. I miss his voice, his funny jokes and stories. I miss our morning routine of getting ready for school and the afternoon pickup. "How was your day?"
  All my negative energy that was generated by his initial absence, got channeled into a home improvement frenzy. Thanks to Dr. Cooper for giving me such a gift. I guess 4 1/2 yrs of therapy has paid off!
  I've painted nearly every surface in the front of my house-emphasis on MY-to suit me. Moved furniture to my liking. Built raised garden beds around the deck I built last fall. Got a tiny farm with yummy lettuce for sandwiches.
  Still, I find myself at loose ends. I did start walking again, to get myself back into the great physical shape I once had, plus the mental outlet walking provides. There's nothing better for the soul than a fast paced stroll in the sun (or clouds) to turn around a somber mood.
  There are better days ahead. That Pollyanna down inside me promises this will work out. I go back to court on May 13. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.

Where am I???

It's been forever since I last posted. 2014 was a crazy time adjusting to single life and getting my financials in order.

 The Federal tax man still loometh over me, but after dealing with local bureaucracy this past year, I'm ready. Of course, this is no laughing matter. I have to get a firm footing on my responsibilities and since I got out the loop, so to speak, for so many years, it's an adjustment I have to make. I'm anxious as hell about it all, but we all need something to keep our blood pumping, eh?

   The divorce was final one year ago January 15. You can't spend 20 years of your life and not have some residual effect. My grandchildren are here. Unfortunately, one of them brought his parents. But that's not his fault. They view my precious little boy as their golden ticket to a life of ease and irresponsibility. They are users in the worst way, always looking for a sucker. Some way to get what they need without too much effort on their part. That is a whole other story, volumes could be written in a psychological journal on those two. 

  Because of my long time in therapy, I have the insight to see this and help myself, in a most patient way. I choose to focus on the grandkids. And my own needs. Especially my need to be creative and productive. 

   I've spent much time over the year, indulging myself with big projects. I built a deck, which is totally awesome! There was a summer in January spell for the last several days, and I worked on the raised beds around the deck. The rest of my yard looks like shit, but that will resolve itself in time. The attic is finally getting cleared out. That is another story for a different day. Ugh......

  Right now I'm concentrating on upcoming art shows and other projects. Now that my health is better, I have the energy to work on the backlog of all my ideas that keep me awake in the wee hours. (Did I mention I was under the weather for most of October and December? Yuck. At least I'm not in the hospital like I was a year ago!)

  My art work is of great satisfaction to me now. I've missed being creative for the last several months. I'm trying to catch up on my trading cards, too. 

   So, here's to me.....survivor of the year!! Hahahahahaha. Life is good in general. Some days are pretty shitty, but the alternative is unthinkable. 

But I don't have Ebola

My grandson spent his entire fall break on the couch with cartoons and the iPad, high fever and a bad cough, due to some nasty respiratory virus he picked up at the disease pot known as elementary school. I got it the day he went back. He felt so bad and apologized, which I thought was goofy,sweet boy behavior. I told him I'd rather have got it from him than a total stranger, because at least I know what I'm dealing with. It's one of those nasty bugs that has to run its course, and you have to rest because you can't get out of bed. 

The fever was the worse part. It came with a headache and CRAAAZZZY dreams. It was as if I spent HOURS flipping through photos on someone else's phone. Just on and on and on. Mind you I've had more than my share of kookoo dreams, and enjoy them for the most part. They're fun to analyze the next day as they come back to me in drips and drabs. These fever dreams were horrific in their sheer length and tedious subject matter. I'll take an interesting anxiety dream, chock full of unresolved mommy/daddy issues any night, over the crap running through my head this last week.

But happily I'm on the mend, still not back to my energetic self. Going to spend the next couple days in bed, then I will get up and burn these sheets!! 

  I do have the best, caring friends, too. Since I cough with every other breath, texting has been the mainstay of communication. When asked what one can to help me out in my time of disease, I'm tempted to ask one of those lovely caring people to come make up my bed with me still in it.....of course I love my friends too much to risk passing along this crud to any of them.

  I'm very anxious to finish my deck. There's not too much left to go. When that's done, I can assemble the raised beds to go around the sides and start planning the redo of another part of the yard. It sounds great until I realize my inner sleep clock has been kicked hard and I have to get back on normal time.

Back to art posts

I have been fortunate lately to be able to exhibit some of my work. Plus there are upcoming shows as well. Of course, most of the work has been older pieces. I have been making a bed quilt for myself so I haven't done any artsy stuff. Except for a wall hanging made with a batik panel I acquired years ago. That's going to be in the show in November. 

  There's a show coming up in February that hopefully will knock my socks off!!  The theme is "Collaboration" and I'm working with a metal artist whose work I have admired for years. We are meeting this week to confer on our effort so I need to have something to show besides the big piece of paper that determines the size. 

  Stay tuned kids! The remaining pieces of the divorce should finally be falling into place, which will bring a huge sigh of relief from this tired old lady! 

  Plus I have been building a deck in the yard. It is nearing completion. One of my many projects to keep myself occupied. 

More diversion

I was so enthralled with the first tape bound journal, I wanted to experiment further, which required acquisition of supplies. I found some artists tape that I had painted and stamped last year. (Don't leave tape on freezer paper for long as it peels away the shiny part, boohoo,but some of it worked.)
Office Max has a pretty good variety of washi tape and duck tapes in colors and patterns. The Art Center had some washi tape as well and I had plenty of white artist tape, too. I had run out of gesso so I bought a big jar of that, which is much thicker than what I had before and scrapes nicely onto the pages and is better to use with stencils for added texture.
   There was plenty of cardboard from calendars in my hoard--I mean resource center--to make bigger pages for the second journal. It was much easier to prime and paint the unbound pages, too. When all was dry, I used different tapes, but tried to use sturdier ones on the pages and then covered with the washi tape, as it is not very durable. If it wears out over time, I can slap some more on. I am NOT making a Guttenburg bible, ya know.
  So here's photos of this process.

The newest diversion

After seeing tape bound journals on a blog a long time ago, I finally figured out how to make one. It was so simple I can't believe it took me so long....duh! The "instructions" are in a paragraph in the late Shereen LaPlantz's book, "Cover to Cover", which has been in my library forever.
   So now, I have yet another distraction from the horrors of real life and one more excuse for not vacuuming my bedroom. It's pretty horrible under the bed!
These are photos of the first journal that I made and of course, in my haste to secure the construction steps in my brain, I assembled the pages BEFORE gesso and paint was applied. Grrr...never mind the date/time stamp. I don't know what's going on with my new camera. I sure miss my old one...
  Notice the gesso has been scraped onto the cardboard page with an old plastic card. Gives it great texture. The last picture is texture added to the gesso with a small plastic doily.

New fiber art

I've started a bed quilt and got it somewhat quilted then started a wall hanging, too. I've decide to not write on my artwork for a while, but I really love how it looks and will quilt messages in future pieces.
  The weather was absolutely gorgeous for several days, then the wind changed direction and all the water absorbed in the clay soil has been rising up to torment us. Can't really complain. We've had the same mild summer like last year.
  My life is settling into the dull and boring routine I have longed for, except for an occasional drama fit from certain occupants in the household. School starts in less than two weeks and structured time will reign again for most of the neighborhood.