Betty and I have decided to postpone the U.K. until spring--and spend my birthday month meandering in New England. I need to find a back road in the U.S. and practice driving on the other side of the road!
We will wend our way around Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, possibly Canada.
I will leave here sometime in September and do some Georgia mountains and Callaway Gardens with my mama.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Visual Journaling
I spent the entire day yesterday working on a journal Victoria gave me--a blue square journal (I call her Little Blue) that closes with an elastic band and whose pages are thick and thirsty enough for inks, glue, chalks and water colors. (Hand-Book Visual Journal by Global Arts.)
One of the Craftsy teachers said, "A journal is not a place for finished products so much as it is a process of learning to pay attention and observe things more closely, to celebrate the everyday." If used as trip journals, pages can be prepped with color and borders (or "activated," as one teacher calls it) before the trip, then filled with notes, travel memorabilia and drawings on the trip.
My first Chic Sparrow journal--a turquoise leather cover--was used for pictures and cards and handwritten notes I've saved over the years. When finished, I took out all those insert notebooks and put them in a special place to look at whenever I need a hit of love, then inserted four fresh notebooks. You buy inserts at Etsy, Amazon, or Chic Sparrow according to the size of the leather cover--A5, B6 Slim, etc.
I used my second Chic Sparrow--a smaller one with a red pebbly cover--for notes on photography online classes.
Now, Little Blue--along with a small notebook I bought in Virginia years ago made out of antique postcards--these are where I'm playing with lines, colors, marks, and words.
Yesterday, I pasted in old postage stamps, tried out lettering, played with chalks and water color pencils, and learned a lot about the ways different materials behave on these papers.
Craftsy, now Bluprint, has a class called Essential Techniques for Capturing the Energy of Places by James Richards--which pairs well with their classes by Judith Cassel-Mamet in Expressive Journaling. I stayed up til 2 a.m. watching these excellent classes!
I've always thought I'm not an artist because I don't have the slightest talent for drawing, but these classes are teaching me that drawing is learnable and that there are other paths to image-making besides drawing. Visual journals combine sketches, scribbles, collage techniques, and mixing various media.
One tip I particularly like it turning smart phone pictures to monochrome--and then using the photos as guides for drawing.
From James Richards, I learned that the human body is "eight heads tall." Who knew?
Judith Cassel-Mamet demonstrates a really cool technique for making books out of paper bags--which Day and Elena and I made together at the lake.
You need three paper bags for each book (white or brown). You fold each in half, put them together by sewing a seam down the spine, and then thicken it up with collage and watercolor papers. The paper of the bags doesn't work well for water colors, but if you cut a square of watercolor paper, you can glue it into the book.
When you fold the bags, then put them together in books, the openings of the bag leave pockets--which makes this a good travel journal. In the pockets, you can put maps and found objects, business cards, menus, etc.
One of the Craftsy teachers said, "A journal is not a place for finished products so much as it is a process of learning to pay attention and observe things more closely, to celebrate the everyday." If used as trip journals, pages can be prepped with color and borders (or "activated," as one teacher calls it) before the trip, then filled with notes, travel memorabilia and drawings on the trip.
My first Chic Sparrow journal--a turquoise leather cover--was used for pictures and cards and handwritten notes I've saved over the years. When finished, I took out all those insert notebooks and put them in a special place to look at whenever I need a hit of love, then inserted four fresh notebooks. You buy inserts at Etsy, Amazon, or Chic Sparrow according to the size of the leather cover--A5, B6 Slim, etc.
I used my second Chic Sparrow--a smaller one with a red pebbly cover--for notes on photography online classes.
Now, Little Blue--along with a small notebook I bought in Virginia years ago made out of antique postcards--these are where I'm playing with lines, colors, marks, and words.
Yesterday, I pasted in old postage stamps, tried out lettering, played with chalks and water color pencils, and learned a lot about the ways different materials behave on these papers.
Craftsy, now Bluprint, has a class called Essential Techniques for Capturing the Energy of Places by James Richards--which pairs well with their classes by Judith Cassel-Mamet in Expressive Journaling. I stayed up til 2 a.m. watching these excellent classes!
I've always thought I'm not an artist because I don't have the slightest talent for drawing, but these classes are teaching me that drawing is learnable and that there are other paths to image-making besides drawing. Visual journals combine sketches, scribbles, collage techniques, and mixing various media.
One tip I particularly like it turning smart phone pictures to monochrome--and then using the photos as guides for drawing.
From James Richards, I learned that the human body is "eight heads tall." Who knew?
Judith Cassel-Mamet demonstrates a really cool technique for making books out of paper bags--which Day and Elena and I made together at the lake.
You need three paper bags for each book (white or brown). You fold each in half, put them together by sewing a seam down the spine, and then thicken it up with collage and watercolor papers. The paper of the bags doesn't work well for water colors, but if you cut a square of watercolor paper, you can glue it into the book.
When you fold the bags, then put them together in books, the openings of the bag leave pockets--which makes this a good travel journal. In the pockets, you can put maps and found objects, business cards, menus, etc.
Monday, July 30, 2018
My Daddy
Seventeen years ago today my daddy died. When I think of him, as I do all the time, I remember his crinkly smile, his blue eyes, his constant affection and kindness.
On the anniversary of his death, I remember that awful day when it was clear he wasn't going to get better. I remember every detail about the intensive care room and the many visitors who came to say good-bye and who sat with us for hours in the hallway outside his room. I remember Carlene singing to him as he was leaving and saying, "It's been a great trip."
I remember Steve and Linda coming from Cape Cod, Betty from Peachtree City, and my then-boyfriend Bob from Minnesota. And Will--who bravely stood in front of a packed church to deliver a eulogy.
On other days, however, I don't remember so much the day he died so much as the days he lived. He had a huge spirit of love and generosity to his family, and you can see that in the way he almost always has his arm around one or all of in pictures.
So many little things he did stand out for me: taking flowers to widows in the neighborhood; scaling newly-caught fish for Carlene to fry for dinner; standing behind me at the piano and singing hymns, in a voice that sounded like Jim Reeves....
I won't ever stop missing this man!
On the anniversary of his death, I remember that awful day when it was clear he wasn't going to get better. I remember every detail about the intensive care room and the many visitors who came to say good-bye and who sat with us for hours in the hallway outside his room. I remember Carlene singing to him as he was leaving and saying, "It's been a great trip."
I remember Steve and Linda coming from Cape Cod, Betty from Peachtree City, and my then-boyfriend Bob from Minnesota. And Will--who bravely stood in front of a packed church to deliver a eulogy.
On other days, however, I don't remember so much the day he died so much as the days he lived. He had a huge spirit of love and generosity to his family, and you can see that in the way he almost always has his arm around one or all of in pictures.
So many little things he did stand out for me: taking flowers to widows in the neighborhood; scaling newly-caught fish for Carlene to fry for dinner; standing behind me at the piano and singing hymns, in a voice that sounded like Jim Reeves....
 |
| About 20 years ago in this house Carlene and Lloyd |
 |
| About 22 years ago, Helotes |
 |
| 69 Years Ago, Holding Me |
I won't ever stop missing this man!
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Expedition Happiness
Looking for travel information, I stumbled upon this charming documentary on Netflix. An adorable young German couple and their puppy fly to New York, buy an old yellow school bus, spend three months fixing it up to live and travel in, then drive through Canada to Alaska.
I'm about midpoint in the film right now--they're heading south on Highway One, the Pacific Highway. They loved Banff--which I'm wanting to go back to myself--then had to stay a while in Vancouver to get joint surgery for Rudi, the dog.
Highly recommended if you love road tripping and wish you were young enough to see the whole world on wheels!
Speaking of which: so far, Betty and I have only begun to make our plans by email. When I mentioned England, she said just what I've been saying to myself: I don't know if we can drive on the other side of the road, the steering wheel on the side of the car I know as the passenger seat.
But I've watched a lot of British movies, and I've decided, "Yes, we can!"
After all, I drove all over Tuscany in a tiny car carrying three other women, Nellie and Amanda and Laurie. Of course, the roads and cars in Italy are like ours, but driving a straight shift car in rushing traffic, unable to read road signs, was a challenge, and I'm so glad I didn't pass it up. Those days of driving in Italy gave us all some unforgettable memories!
I'm about midpoint in the film right now--they're heading south on Highway One, the Pacific Highway. They loved Banff--which I'm wanting to go back to myself--then had to stay a while in Vancouver to get joint surgery for Rudi, the dog.
Highly recommended if you love road tripping and wish you were young enough to see the whole world on wheels!
Speaking of which: so far, Betty and I have only begun to make our plans by email. When I mentioned England, she said just what I've been saying to myself: I don't know if we can drive on the other side of the road, the steering wheel on the side of the car I know as the passenger seat.
But I've watched a lot of British movies, and I've decided, "Yes, we can!"
After all, I drove all over Tuscany in a tiny car carrying three other women, Nellie and Amanda and Laurie. Of course, the roads and cars in Italy are like ours, but driving a straight shift car in rushing traffic, unable to read road signs, was a challenge, and I'm so glad I didn't pass it up. Those days of driving in Italy gave us all some unforgettable memories!
Saturday
This morning Pam and I went to an exhibit of her friend's, the late-Alberto Mijangos ' paintings. It was my first outing of the week, not counting a couple of gym swims with Elena and driving them to the airport for their two-week Hawaii vacation.
While Pam and I were at the mercado, next to the museum, the kids called to FaceTime me and give me a guided tour of their condo and the beautiful view outside their windows. They are so excited!
When they woke up this morning, Elena said, "I can see Hawaii from my window!"
The museum was cool and quiet. Bustling outside were hundreds of tourists and a man loudly singing "God Bless the USA" and another man telling unfunny jokes pounding on the phrase, "If you don't work, you don't eat."
Behind the singer's stage was a glamorously-dressed woman of 83 sitting in a chair with stuffed animals attached to both sides. I asked if I could take her picture and she stood up and let me, telling me she was about to dance on the stage, using all the money she makes to contribute to cancer research. Had the weather been cooler and we'd both felt more energetic, we'd have stayed to watch her dance.
As it was, we chose a shady outside table and had lunch, then left. Here's pretty Pam at lunch:
Betty and I are cooking up some plans for a fall birthday trip, along the East Coast--and she has a friend who's offered us her house any time we want it in October. We're both ready to hit the road and find cooler air and fall leaves! Both in the If-Not-Now-When? phase of our lives, we may decide to hop on over the ocean and put our feet on UK soil.
We all need LFT's--Look Forward To's--and this is that for sure! Just thinking about it is easing me out of my summer slump!
While Pam and I were at the mercado, next to the museum, the kids called to FaceTime me and give me a guided tour of their condo and the beautiful view outside their windows. They are so excited!
When they woke up this morning, Elena said, "I can see Hawaii from my window!"
The museum was cool and quiet. Bustling outside were hundreds of tourists and a man loudly singing "God Bless the USA" and another man telling unfunny jokes pounding on the phrase, "If you don't work, you don't eat."
Behind the singer's stage was a glamorously-dressed woman of 83 sitting in a chair with stuffed animals attached to both sides. I asked if I could take her picture and she stood up and let me, telling me she was about to dance on the stage, using all the money she makes to contribute to cancer research. Had the weather been cooler and we'd both felt more energetic, we'd have stayed to watch her dance.
As it was, we chose a shady outside table and had lunch, then left. Here's pretty Pam at lunch:
This was my favorite of Alberto's paintings:
Betty and I are cooking up some plans for a fall birthday trip, along the East Coast--and she has a friend who's offered us her house any time we want it in October. We're both ready to hit the road and find cooler air and fall leaves! Both in the If-Not-Now-When? phase of our lives, we may decide to hop on over the ocean and put our feet on UK soil.
We all need LFT's--Look Forward To's--and this is that for sure! Just thinking about it is easing me out of my summer slump!
Friday, July 27, 2018
Educated--by Tara Westover
"...Refusing to give way to those who claim certainty, was a privilege I had never allowed myself. My life was narrated to me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs."
Tara Westover's memoir tells a compelling story--a story in which she was not allowed to be "brainwashed" by the government and attend public school, yet teaches herself algebra and trigonometry in order to pass the ACT test to get into college.
Her story is not my story--not by far--but there are strains that resonate with those of us whose stories we've not dared to write, or those who have cleaned up our stories and omitted the awful parts.
Tara was born in 1986, received no formal education until she was seventeen, and was dominated by the paranoia of her father who forced her to work on dangerous machinery in a junkyard when she was just a child. She's studied at Cambridge and received a Ph.D. from Harvard. Her most impressive accomplishment may be the courage to put her voice and story on the page in this unforgettable and powerful book.
Tara Westover's memoir tells a compelling story--a story in which she was not allowed to be "brainwashed" by the government and attend public school, yet teaches herself algebra and trigonometry in order to pass the ACT test to get into college.
Her story is not my story--not by far--but there are strains that resonate with those of us whose stories we've not dared to write, or those who have cleaned up our stories and omitted the awful parts.
Tara was born in 1986, received no formal education until she was seventeen, and was dominated by the paranoia of her father who forced her to work on dangerous machinery in a junkyard when she was just a child. She's studied at Cambridge and received a Ph.D. from Harvard. Her most impressive accomplishment may be the courage to put her voice and story on the page in this unforgettable and powerful book.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Watermelon Days in Texas
Elena and I spent yesterday and today together--they leave tomorrow for Hawaii.
We did her manicure and pedicure yesterday, but looks like the swims got the better of both.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Rubbing Noses With A Possum
I just shared with Elena a story my dentist's fun British receptionist told all us patients in the waiting room.
She had been awakened in the middle of the night--by a possum, in her bed, rubbing noses with her!
Everyone in the waiting room was aghast--especially me--when she stretched the story out slowly to tell us how he had gotten in through the cat or dog door, gone up the stairs, past three other bedrooms, and snuggled in with her, his little possum nose against hers.
She was hysterical at the sight of a possum in her bed. She considered calling 911. She considered waking up a neighbor. Then she decided it was up to her to get him out--and she scooped him up in a towel and transported him back outdoors.
Finally, after he was safely back outside, she decided that her dogs and cats must have had a party and invited said possum and forgotten to tell him when it was time to leave!
Elena's reaction was entirely different from mine: "AWWWW! How cute!" she said. "I wish that would happen to me!"
She had been awakened in the middle of the night--by a possum, in her bed, rubbing noses with her!
Everyone in the waiting room was aghast--especially me--when she stretched the story out slowly to tell us how he had gotten in through the cat or dog door, gone up the stairs, past three other bedrooms, and snuggled in with her, his little possum nose against hers.
She was hysterical at the sight of a possum in her bed. She considered calling 911. She considered waking up a neighbor. Then she decided it was up to her to get him out--and she scooped him up in a towel and transported him back outdoors.
Finally, after he was safely back outside, she decided that her dogs and cats must have had a party and invited said possum and forgotten to tell him when it was time to leave!
Elena's reaction was entirely different from mine: "AWWWW! How cute!" she said. "I wish that would happen to me!"
Friday, July 20, 2018
Bluprint
Formerly called Craftsy, Bluprint is now up and running--a platform for online classes in everything from embroidery to photography to yoga!
Check it out!
Check it out!
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