BITS and BLOBS

paradox cafe portland: everyday gratefuls day 41

2012-02-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

this is a mural on the wall in the bathroom of the Paradox Cafe on Belmont in Portland. FUN! the boy on the carrot is probaly about 2 feet tall, the mural takes most of the whole wall.

mt hood: everyday grateful day 40

2012-02-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

a different view: this time Mt Hood. And there is snow on the ground in Mosier, Oregon.

This is the morning view, with the moon.

Taking pictures of mountains is always difficult with a regular camera, the mountain is never close enough. However you can get the feel for the morning light.

Making valentines: everyday grateful day 39

2012-02-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

Susan Callan volunteered to do a valentine making session for some of us at work. We worked on a specific style: a valentine that folded/unfolded like a puzzle, creating its' own envelope. We started working on it, and noted that this was for us, better than going out for beer after work, and then someone volunteered a bottle of wine, so we were totally set.

Here's a couple of the works in progress.

almost ready to fold up and mail

Cooking Dinner: everyday gratefuls day 38

2012-02-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

I walked into the common house tonight, and the kitchen was full of activity. There were 3 adults actively cooking dinner (chile, rice, swiss chard, homemade tortillas, salad), and one of the cook's kids was busily moving uncooked lentils from one bowl to another. He would pick up a cup of lentils, and pour it into the other bowl, listening to the rustling sound the lentils made when they landed in the other bowl. Then he would do it over again. He was very intent on the whole process, which allowed his mom to work on the real dinner. By the time I found my camera to take a picture, yet another neighbor was in the kitchen, and she was helping him with the lentils.
It was a very cooperative cooking process for all.

something to smile at: everyday grateful day 37

2012-02-08T23:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.recyclart.org/2011/12/saturday-morning-cartoons/

The thought of recycling stuffed animals into a chair is too much fun. Anyone who has kids has gone through way too many stuffed animals. Make them useful!

and, for a more local note: I love this rock that was made into the entrance sign for our library:

Note: our 5 days of sunshine have ended and it is raining again. Surprising how many people commented on how much they like the rain. True northwesterners can't take too much sun.

book : The Big Burn: everyday grateful 36

2012-02-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my book club. There are 5 women, all active readers, constantly finding new books to read. Whenever we are discussing what book to read next, each person has ideas and many other books they are in the process of reading. (a joy to trade ideas and passions) We trade the books around and get them from the library to keep costs down.

The Big Burn:Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, was also a One Book One Community book, where the library was getting everybody to read the same book.

I listened to some of it on my ipod, and the parts that stuck are the descriptions of the way the different small towns dealt with imminent destruction by fire, and the different fire crews that were caught in the destruction. The book becomes a bit like a series of short stories, introducing a bunch of characters and following them from beginning of fire to the aftermath. Immigrants, prostitutes, miners, and families are followed from beginning of fire to end. Woven in were the politics of big business vs the starting of the forest service by Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot. To show the relationship between them and something about their characters, Egan included a story of Pinchot and Roosevelt having a wrestling and boxing match. Mostly I got drawn in by the descriptions of the fire, and its effects, from embers the size of horses to evacuation via train... And, very disturbed by the number of people killed, and how, and the total destruction of millions of acres of forest...

Compassion: Everyday Gratefuls Day 35

2012-02-06T23:45:00.000-08:00

Started a Study Group tonight for the book "12 Steps to a Compassionate Life" by Karen Armstrong. We are going to try and do one chapter a month. With homework in between.

She defines compassion as "to endure [something] with another person", to put ourselves in somebody else's shoes, an attitude of principled, consistent altruism. Merriam Webster says "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it"

From the Dalai Lama:

"Nirvana may be the final object of attainment, but at the moment it is difficult to reach. Thus the practical and realistic aim is compassion, a warm heart, serving other people, helping others, respecting others, being less selfish. By practising these, you can gain benefit and happiness that remain longer. If you investigate the purpose of life and, with the motivation that results from this inquiry, develop a good heart - compassion and love. Using your whole life this way, each day will become useful and meaningful."
"Every human being has the same potential for compassion; the only question is whether we really take any care of that potential, and develop and implement it in our daily life. My hope is that more and more people will realise the value of compassion, and so follow the path of altruism. As for myself, ever since I became a Buddhist monk, that has been my real destiny - for usually I think of myself as just one simple Buddhist monk, no more and no less."

Karen Armstrong says we should help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help build a Charter for Compassion -- to restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine. For more: see www.charterforcompassion.org and also the Ted Talk that Karen Armstrong did: http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion.html

morning light; everyday grateful day 34

2012-02-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

7:52 am

This morning, had the joy of staying at the beach facing east, so the sunrise was across puget sound. The quality of light at that time of day was warm, and Mt Rainier was fully visible.

7:51 am

Some mornings you just have to get up and see the sunrise. (altho, since it is still winter, that isn't too early in the morning!)

Crossing the Stream: Everyday Gratefuls day 33

2012-02-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here they begin the intrepid crossing of the stream. Note, there were not that many logs to step on when I crossed, and I slipped and fell in. But with a gorgeous sunny day, it was not too bad, and the water was only about 6 inches deep. (probably should have taken my shoes off and waded across. Easy to analyze after the fact). Grateful for living in an absolutely fabulous place.

Seattle Bus Ride : Every day Grateful day 32

2012-02-04T00:18:00.001-08:00

took the bus from the ferry to University of Washington, and it was just sunset, and here are a few of the pictures from the bus.... Watching out the lights go on, and the sunset out the window the bus was totally engaging. I was playing with Hipstamatic app on my iphone again, and I like the square format, and may need to invest in additional effects. Met up with friends for Thai dinner, then to see Shen Wei dance company. I like the quote below:
"these are not bodies so much as sculptures." It was challenging to watch, hard to take in all that was happening on stage at once. One segment had no sound, just dancers and video. Another, the dancer used her body as a palette for paint. Another used the weather report as the sound, with video projected on stage, and the dancers using their bodies as part of the screen the video was being projected on...

Theater: Everyday Gratefuls day 31

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Went to see this play tonight at the Seattle Rep, a heart full story about a functional family that still had its quirks, and how the main character, Bill, dealt with the death of his parents. It was funny, and joyful, and sad and powerful. Bill and his mother fight and are cranky and tell lies and are loving and have to deal with pain and death. I recommend going. (and it only is in Seattle thru this Sunday.) Bill says at the end "Every family has a story, and every family ought to write its own "book of the Bible" every 100 years or so." In an interview the playwright added "The Bible is the story of a family. It's the story of Abraham and Sarah and all their descendants. It's the story of faith. It's messy. It's full of fights and quarrels, but ultimately it's all about the revelation of God's love for us."

first thursday tomorrow: everyday grateful day 30

2012-02-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is first Thursday in Seattle (and the next day First Friday on Bainbridge) when new art shows open. Tomorrow is special because my friend and neighbor Therese is opening a show at CORE Gallery, 117 Prefontaine Place South, Seattle. Therese has been creating these concrete cubes, they are about 7 inches on a side, and she has a selection of about 12 of them that she is showing. She made most of them in the studio we share, taking over the studio for the last month, and working on them even though she broke her wrist walking in the rain a few weeks ago. Some incorporate wood, others are textured, others have color or stones for their theme.

Most first Thursdays the Seattle Art Museum is open til midnight, and there is an atmosphere of fun around Pioneer Square and downtown, as people take to the streets to see all the new exhibits.

Morning Crow and Frozen Grapes: Everyday Gratefuls day 29

2012-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Walking to work this morning, and this crow was very brave, and was more interested in the seed he was eating than in getting away from me...Notice also that it is sunny, and there are shadows!

We had sun this morning, that moved into clouds and some rain later. And I appreciate the sun and the rain. And we haven't had much sun lately, so it was extra special.

Bought grapes at the store yesterday, and the guy who was bagging my groceries said his favorite way to eat grapes was to freeze them, then they are better than candy, and it's fun to eat them and just pop them frozen into your mouth. The checker agreed, she also ate them frozen. So, I put a couple freezer bags of grapes into the freezer, and tonight decided that I could try frozen grapes in a glass of wine (similar to having strawberries in champagne.). I tried it, and they taste great, besides adding a bit of extra crispy cold to the white wine! Although it is challenging to eat the grapes before getting to the bottom of the glass of wine.

One of my favorite wine glasses too, a Lennox one I found at Goodwill last year... So I'm savoring frozen grapes in white wine in crystal.

An Alter to St Brigid, imbolc, Candlemas, Groundhog day... Everyday Gratefuls day 28

2012-01-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

Went to my women's group this morning, and Katherine and Debby set up an alter to help us honor St Brigid, and Imbolc, and all those other seasonal things that happen on Feb 1 and 2 (Groundhog Day, Candlemas) to signal the ending of winter, and little bits of spring to be seen. Mid way between Solistice and Equinox.

The passing of the seasons is apparent as it is lighter every morning, and the days get longer, the birds and the flowers are showing up.

Moments to notice.

Another fun thing I have to notice is this short video with Bobby McFerrin, one of my favorite musicians. He draws the audience in to sing a melody, and then he extends it and goes further with it. The fun part is how he manages to have people sing, just using his body to lead in creating the different tones.
http://www.ted.com/talks/bobby_mcferrin_hacks_your_brain_with_music.html

Coffee: Everyday Gratefuls day 27

2012-01-29T22:47:00.000-08:00

OK, one of the fun things of the morning is to make a good cup of coffee and enjoy it. Lately I've been using the Aerobie Aeropress, got it for myself at Christmas, read somewhere it made the best coffee ever...

It is easy, fast, and DOES make a good cup of coffee. Simple morning pleasures.

Just grind up some coffee, meaasure, add the right temperature water, and mix for 10 seconds, and press through.

Aerobie Aeropress

Another Tree: Everyday Gratefuls Day 26

2012-01-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

I don't have anything in the picture to give proper perspective, but his is a cedar tree outside the building where I was at a women's retreat. A full day of community and introspection.

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the verities
and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth,
The glory of actions,
The splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
A dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.

attributed to Kalidasa

Blue Sky in the winter: Everyday Gratefuls day 25

2012-01-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

I think you might have to live in the northwest to totally appreciate the site of blue sky in the winter. We have so many gray days (which are fine in their own way), that those days when the sky is blue are days to notice and celebrate.

Chickens and sunset: Everyday gratefuls day 24

2012-01-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

I was walking to work this morning, past the chicken coop, and the "girls" were all clucking around, asking for their picture to be taken.

5 pm olympics

The water was still, and there was new snow on the Olympics. A lovely afternoon. some days the drama is in the sky, but today it was the reflections in the still water that I paid attention to.

Birds in the garden: Everyday Gratefuls day 23

2012-01-25T21:28:00.000-08:00

Walked into the garden this morning on the way to work, and for the first time in more than a week, there were birds flying everywhere! I don't know where they went during the snow last week, but they were hiding out. Today, they were all out looking for food. I couldn't get very close to them, but there were a couple of blue jays, and many robins looking around the garden for food.

I love their sounds, and it lightened my walk to work to hear them. (and these pictures were captured with my iphone, could have used a better lens to actually get better resolution).

windy evening: everyday gratefuls day 22

2012-01-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

I walked down the sidewalk with the wind in my face listening to it in the trees, and was trying to decide how to take a picture of the wind. I got inside and decided for a small moment it would be easier to just take a picture of the raspberry sorbet I was about to eat and enjoy, and that would work to describe part of my evening as well.

Again, the little things are what make time enjoyable, and fresh sorbet, made from real ingredients is a taste treat.

Effect 1

Of course, then I had to try the same photo with a couple different effects:

Effect 2

And for good luck, here is my picture of the wind:

Noticing color: Everyday Gratefuls day 21

2012-01-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

Was walking at a friends house, and this birdbath caught my eye, a spot of color in the winter garden.

There is a time for being ahead,

a time for being behind;

a time for being in motion,

a time for being at rest;

a time for being vigorous,

a time for being exhausted;

a time for being safe,

a time for being in danger.

The Master sees things as they are,

without trying to control them.

She lets them go their own way,

and resides at the center of the circle.

tao te ching

Morning Group Power: Everyday Gratefuls day 20

2012-01-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

Island Fitness, Bainbridge Island

Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights I often end up in Glenn's Group Power class. Besides being good exercise, it is a lot of fun, as Glenn brings his sense of fun and energy to the class. We can sing along as needed (he says it's good for the breath), and he always adds some entertaining "dance moves" to what would be fairly straightforward working out with weights.

There are the regulars in the class, and I was particularly grateful Sunday, because I hadn't signed up for the class ahead of time, and there was a space open when I got there.

Saturday yoga : everyday gratefuls day 19

2012-01-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

I start most Saturday mornings doing yoga with Katie, and as you can tell by the smile on her face, it is a happy way to start the day. I am so grateful she comes and teaches a class every Saturday morning!

Other fun thing of the day is playing around with "Hipstamatic" iphone app, which does special effects (so the pictures of Katie are in an instamatic color scheme. )

More and More Snow: Everyday Gratefuls day 18

2012-01-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

typical sidestreet. The main roads didn't look much better.

This morning, the world was monochromatic. There was mist in the air, some rain, and snow covered everything else. This was our "rain" day, but the snow won.

There were WHUMPs in the night, as big chunks of snow and ice slid off the roof.

And, everyone stayed cheerful and helpful, and endured through yet another day of no school, slippery roads, difficult commutes, and later in the day, lots of slush.

After work, I knocked on several neighbors doors, and we had an impromptu TGIF wine and cheese hour, and talked about how nice it would be to go to Argentina, or maybe New Zealand for the winter. One of those easy whoever showed up were the right people times.

More Snow: Everyday grateful day 17

2012-01-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

Another snow day. What made me smile about this picture was the carrot toes. They added another bit of color to a view that today is mostly white.

Today was the day it was supposed to turn to rain and all melt, except it didn't. We got some freezing rain before sunrise, and then it snowed all morning. Surprised the forecasters.

Around here, everything just stops for snow. The restaurants close, the schools close, they cancel public meetings and classes and people stay home. Altho they plowed the main roads, the freezing rain and sleet just made ice.

It was a lovely quiet day. Muffled by the snow, it was quiet outdoors. I had low expectations of accomplishing anything, once my morning conference call was over. Had dinner with neighbors, laughing and joyful.

snow day: everyday grateful day 16

2012-01-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

OK, in my neighborhood, we don't hire anybody to shovel the sidewalks, everybody just pitches in as available, and most of the time they get done.

Woke up this morning to 2-3 inches of snow on the ground and more coming out of the sky. A little later heard shovel noises from my back porch, and there was my duplex neighbor out there making a path to our shared hot tub!

In the front of the house the woman across the way took her lunch break to shovel our end of the path (I live in a community where there are only sidewalks to the homes, the parking is off to one end of the property), another woman was working in front of the common house, and I joined in for awhile. It was very heavy wet snow. As one person dropped out to go home, another person would join in.

I walked into town to go to the post office and the grocery store, and there were kids sledding down every available slope. So far only 6899 steps for me today (3.25 miles). It's cold out, that may be how many I get today. But shoveling all that snow was like lifting weights at the gym....

walking: everyday grateful day 15

2012-01-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

Best step counter I've ever had

This morning, rather than get in the car and drive the .6 miles to the pool, I decided to walk. Seems silly to drive to go exercise. Maybe I could do that everyday, it just means I need to be ready to go 5 minutes earlier, and I have to be able to get to work afterwards 10 minutes later. Not much time compared to how much better I feel when I get more exercise in.

I've been re-inspired by my mom to do more walking. I gave her a step counter for Christmas to encourage her to be more active the weeks that the gym is closed and she has been taking every opportunity to walk more, whether down the church hallway, or in the grocery store.

I'm grateful I'm healthy enough to walk wherever I want. While walking today, I noticed little snowflakes in the air, I noticed how the winter grass feels under my feet, I was able to smile at the walkers going the opposite direction, I noticed how they are cleaning up the gardens at the library, cutting back the winter brown foliage, making room for the new.

Here's a fun video about the Single Best Thing You Can Do for Your Health http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2011/12/the-single-best-thing-you-can-do-for-your-health/249913/

snow and wisdom: everyday grateful day 14

2012-01-16T23:28:00.000-08:00

It started snowing yesterday, a bit in the morning, big flakes in the afternoon. Somewhat regional, but enough that the kids were outside trying to sled.... Above is the view outside my office window this afternoon, as it tried again to snow. Just barely above freezing, so it didn't stick by us. To the right is a flower in the garden, trying to reach through the snow.

The wisdom I encountered was a book "30 Lessons for Living", and it's corresponding website: http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/ "The Legacy Project has systematically collected practical advice from over 1500 older Americans who have lived through extraordinary experiences and historical events. They offer tips on surviving and thriving despite the challenges we all encounter."

10-year journal: Everyday grateful day 13

2012-01-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

In the year 2000 I bought a 10-Year Journal, and then managed to write in it almost every day for 10 years, so then this year, bought another! and have started again. It is truly amazing to look at the changes over the years, and to see that events that I thought were just a few years ago were actually 7 or 8 years ago!

Pictured at right on the top is my old one, and on the bottom, the new.... They are made by a company called "Because Time Flies".

When I read back over time, I see what most engaged me in different periods, and in some cases how much things changed, and others how much they stayed the same.

On each page is 10 sections for 10 different years, that date. I'm grateful for those past 10 years, and plan for the next 10 years to be even better!

Marshmallows by the fire: Everyday gratefuls day 12

2012-01-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

OK. I was warm, the marshmallow toasted really quickly, I got new toaster sticks for Christmas, and it was a great ending to a great day.

Sunrise and ice : everyday gratefuls day 11

2012-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

OK, this morning, sort of was able to capture the sunrise, yes, that is Mt Rainier in the distance, it is snow covered, so doesn't stand out against the sky...

Then was walking to work and noticed icy puddles. And, a mom and her toddler daughter were picking up ice from the puddle, maybe some of the first ice in puddles that little girl had ever seen! Too cold for her. In my picture it looks just like a brown piece of parking lot, but to the little girl it was an amazing discovery of ice outside.

just a big of ice among the mud and gravel

My new website discovery of the day was:

The Last Word On Nothing

"Science says the first word on everything, and the last word on nothing" – Victor Hugo

"Science is first of all about discovery (the first word on everything). But the more science knows, the more it realizes what it doesn't know (the last word on nothing). Curiosity and humility: the human condition. "

Everyday grateful : day 10, Lots of moments

2012-01-12T23:53:00.001-08:00

I appreciate my friends. I was sitting at dinner, mentioned I had to walk down to work to pick up my phone, which I'd forgotten, and Jane offered to walk down with me. A simple thing, but it made the trip go fast, I got to chat with her, we enjoyed the cold crisp night. As she put it we were missing our grey blanket, so it was colder. (blanket of clouds).

Countdown to transplant : http://mary-elizabethsbump.blogspot.com/

My day is made up of lots of little moments. This was just one example. I could also list the 2 hours that Marci and Debora spent with me, sorting through the cash flow for the community, prepping for our Saturday business meeting. Or the joy moment that Mary-Elizabeth is OK'd for her transplant (cord blood to heal her leukemia). Or the taste of fresh greens from our community garden, still some winter greens available. Or the willingness of my co-worker Michael to interrupt his project work to sort through computer glitches for everyone else.

I opened an email and found this familiar poem:

Let yourself breathe and trust.

It is only by a courageous letting go

That the heart becomes free.

This is called the wisdom of insecurity.

Security is mostly a superstition.

It does not exist in nature,

Nor do children as a whole experience it.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run

Than outright exposure.

Life is either a daring adventure

Or nothing. Helen Keller

Everyday Gratefuls: day 9, views of the mountains

2012-01-11T23:50:00.000-08:00

I was walking into the pool this morning, just at sunrise (7:55 am), and there on the horizon (to the southeast) was Mt Rainier, covered with snow and with a pink glow. I'm grateful to live on an island in the northwest, with moments of absolute beauty. I turn a corner, walk up some steps, and there is a stunning snow covered mountain.

Then, later I went to the beach to turn the heat on in the cabin, and there were the Olympics, covered with snow, off in the distance.

Sunset today was at around 4:40 pm, again, pink clouds, and over mountains to the southwest. And I am also grateful the days are getting longer.

dinner: porkchops and bean burgers

2012-01-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

Mark Bittman has published several times this very simple recipe for bean burgers:
Cut a medium onion into chunks and put in in a food processor, along with 2 cups drained canned beans (white beans - 1 14 1/2 oz can, drained and rinsed), 1/2 cup oatmeal, a little chile powder (I put in 1/2 tsp of chipotle chile powder), salt and pepper.
Pulse, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides as necessary
Taste, it it's too dry, add water, too wet add more rolled oats.
Divide the mixture into patties and cook them in olive oil until nicely browned each side.

I did x5, and served 10 vegetarians, along with some vegetables and oven fries.

To go with it, I made a combo of apples, onions, yams and a carrot, baked for an hour.

For the meat eaters I cooked pork chops, with the same apple/onion/yam mixture over the top.

Add some oven fried potatoes
and a salad, and VOILA, dinner for 22.

Purple Potatoes: Everyday Gratefuls Day 8

2012-01-10T21:58:00.000-08:00

Today at work, one of our volunteers, Connie, brought in a box of potatoes to share. It had 4 kinds of potatoes, including a beautiful dark purple one, both inside and out. So, I cooked one with some broccoli for lunch, and here is a picture of it:

I'm grateful for non-commercial heritage potatoes. I'm grateful for the wonderful volunteers who come in and help YES! on a daily and weekly basis. I'm grateful for people who give away the abundance of their gardens.

More organization: Everyday gratefuls day 7

2012-01-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

OK, still working on the "right" way to get my cabinets organized, but before the new pot rack, it was a challenge to get all the pots and pans into my cabinet at once: sort of get them all in and then close the door quickly so they don't come out again.

Now, they are mostly all hanging (except for the pressure cooker, and the cast iron dutch oven). Still need to figure out the lids, so some fine tuning. But just looking at them hanging makes me want to cook more, and smile.

Something about having a place to put everything, a sense of order, is reassuring.

Everyday Gratefuls: day 6 -Sunday morning NY Times

2012-01-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

OK, only a million + other people also enjoy the Sunday NY Times.

[The Times is the most circulated Sunday paper in the country, delivering 1,645,152 copies, according to the Audit Bureau.]

But I find joy in sitting with a cup of coffee, discovering interesting facts, looking at the pictures, contemplating the ideas in the different sections.

Today my eye was caught by "Paved, But Still Alive" a story about parking lots as public spaces.

And, Bill Moyers is back "He's Back, Just as Curious as Ever", with a new show on American Public Television. And, his own website: http://billmoyers.com/ as he puts it "The need for voices of reason, simple and eloquent, has rarely been stronger. Those voices, whether they be from artist or social critic, philosopher or poet, historian or physicist, can bring us truth, inspiration, even hope. So I’ll be reaching out in this new series to people engaged in the trials and errors of democracy, who have tested their ideas against experience, and who know that the health of our body politic is everybody’s business. They help us see the world anew, and to make informed choices."

Romney Times Four was fun, even just for the eye candy of his four charming sons.

And, since its the second sunday of the year, an article by John Tierney, on New Years resolutions "Be It Resolved" which describes a couple of studies on what makes it more likely that you will actually reach your goals, and pre-commit to a goal, keep track of progress, outsource your self-control, and reward yourself....

And, just for fun, here's an image:

walked outside, and on the sidewalk there was a kite, waiting for a neighbor kid on the sidewalk:

Saturday Projects: everyday gratefuls day 5

2012-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

Today is neighbor appreciation day. Started the day with yoga class, neighbors in it, and an ex-neighbor as the teacher. Great energy.

new board above door

Next decided I had a construction project to do to fix a shelf in a closet, and called a neighbor for assistance in cutting a board, and he said yes, no problem.
Next walked in to the common house and noticed a small repair project that needed doing (some insulation above a door was showing, needed a temporary cover while awaiting an art project), and mentioned it to yet another neighbor, and voila, by mid-afternoon, it was complete.
Went to finish installing my new pot rack on the wall, and got help from yet another neighbor....

click on picture to enlarge

And tonight there is a big party in the common house, the 40th birthday of a neighbor, and instead of gifts, they are giving art supplies to a Waldorf school in Guatemala!

At left, the gingerbread version of our neighborhood!

January is the beginning of spring: everyday gratefuls day 4

2012-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

Once December is gone, and the days are getting longer, there are days that start to feel like spring.

And the trees are thinking so too. I was walking to work today and noticed flowers and buds!

This is why I love living in the northwest. The winter is mild (we still might get snow) and there are flowers out almost all year long.

Here are the first of the flowers.

camellia buds too, they will be flowers soon

Water Aerobics/River Fitness: Everyday Gratefuls day 3

2012-01-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.mccanngroup.com/waterfitness

Nothing like a deadline: class starts at 8 am. I didn't exactly leap out of bed, but left the house at 7:55, sneaking into class right at 8, (the joys of small town lack of traffic, to get out of my house to parking lot, get car, to pool, and inside in less than 5 minutes). 8 people plus instructor Pamela McCann today. The class is called River Fitness, and we do aerobics and core fitness exercises mostly in the "lazy river" that provides extra resistance, as we dash around in circles either with or against the current. In class, I notice how often we laugh, how pleasant all the other people are to each other, how relaxing and supportive the water is, even when I sweating, how comforting it is to see the same people most days, how we've developed a community of fellow exercisers, how starting the day in the water is good for my mood. I appreciate clean warm water, I appreciate being able to socialize a bit while moving and keeping fit, I appreciate the teachers Valerie and Pam for their daily cheerfulness, I realize what a water based being I am.

Everyday Gratefuls: day 2 -Bainbridge Public Library

2012-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for the Bainbridge Library. I think I have about 10 books out right now, and tonight got:
" Alterknits Felt" by Leigh Radford
" Simply Needlefelt " by Jayne Emerson
" Everyone is Beautiful" by Katherine Center

also have
" Plainsong" by Kent Haruf
" The Big Burn" by Timothy Egan
" People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks
" Unbroken" by Laura Hildenbrand
"Feltique" by Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris

Probably I won't get them all read in 3 weeks, but I love having them available. It's wonder-making to have a local library that is well stocked, well attended, community supported, easy to use, and walking distance from home. Truly everyday magic.

something other than food.... Everyday Gratefuls day 1

2012-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Each day for the last year and a half I list at least 5 things I'm grateful for. I'm thinking of making at least one of those "every day magic", something, or some moment that I pay attention to, that wakes me up.

Today my moment was when I found a blog by Caryn Mirriam Goldberg, who is the poet laureate of Kansas. In June of 2010 she started writing about Every Day Magic:
She writes:

“Treat the world as if it really existed,”

William Stafford writes,

and lately I’ve been thinking about how

each day offers moments that can truly wake us up to the ordinary

and magical happening all the time,

and the trick is simply to pay attention.

I found her because YES! posted a story of hers:

Love Leads Into Mystery http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/love-leads-into-mystery-raising-a-child-with-aspergers

Caryn Mirriam Goldberg's writing is magic. I'm grateful that she is posting on the web.

New Year's Day

2012-01-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

Felting is magic.

For New Year's I went to The Ranch in Snohomish, and we felted....

I decided to make flowers, inspired by a how-to book, "Hand Felted Jewelry". Others were doing Nuno felting, similar to that found in the book "Nuno Nouveau".

Christmas food

2011-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Starting the day with popovers.

Ending the day with turkey.

curried pumpkin tomato apple soup

2011-11-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

I didn't take pictures, but the recipe was tasty, so I'm going to post. Served it with Chicken Caesar Salad (dressing and croutons from Cooks Illustrated Jan 2011), and apple crisp.

4 Tb Butter
1 or 2 large onion, chopped
1 head celery, chopped (I used slicing blade)
4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I chopped everything in cuisanart)
2 Tb curry powder
8-10 cups vegetable broth
2 large cans pumpkin (29 oz ea)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (29 oz)
4-5 carrots, grated
3 cups half and half
honey to taste (3 Tb or so)

Melt the butter in a large frying pay, stir in onions and celery, saute for 5 minutes, add apple, saute another 3-4 minutes. Stir in curry powder and 1 cup broth. Puree in batches in food processor, adding broth as needed. Not all of it needs to be pureed, adds some texture to soup.

Transfer to large soup pot, and add pumpkin, tomato, rest of broth, carrots, and honey. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally.

simmer for 20 minutes, add half and half. Taste, add honey. Simmer as long as needed, but at least another 15 minutes.

Makes almost 2 gallons. With salad and dessert, served 23 people.

Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale

2011-10-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

F or 17 people, started with about 13 lb chicken legs and thighs.
had around 4 1/2 lb kale and broccolini out of the garden
7 lb potatoes sliced thinly
3 onions thinly sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp paprika
lemon slices over the top

in 2 large roasting pans, tossed greens, potatoes and onions with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and spread out in a layer. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper and paprika, added lemon slices.
covered with foil or roasting pan cover....
roasted for 20 minutes, removed cover and roasted 40 minutes longer until chicken cooked thru.

we used potatoes from the cohousing garden

Vegetarian option: black bean burgers over potatoes and kale.

we also served green beans from the garden

and tomatoes and basil and salad.

Tom is making apple dessert

apples cored and sliced

RECIPE: Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp
Topping:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup oats
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Apple:
21 cups sliced peeled apples (we used a selection from the orchard) around 9 pounds
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup apple juice or cider (optional, good if apples look dry)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 375.
combine topping ingredients in a bowl, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. (can mix in big cuisanart for more uniform distribution)

combine apples, maple syrup and cinnamon in a large bowl.

place in large size insert pan. sprinkle with crumb mixture.

Bake 45 minutes to hour until golden brown . Serve warm (with ice cream?)

Baked and ready to serve

stuffed pork loin and roasted potatoes

2011-07-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Spinach and Herb Crusted Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

6-7 lb boneless porkloin (3-4 of them)

1/2 cup salt

3/4 cup sugar

Bread Crumbs from stale bread, 4 cups

2 cups grated parmesan

minced garlic 3 Tb

1 cup olive oil

1 1/3 cup packed basil and spinach leaves in whatever combination you have, can also use parsley

2Tb minced thyme

4 tsp minced fresh rosemary

salt

pepper

Score top of pork loins, and cut a pocket horizontally in each one.

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 qt water in large container, submerge roasts, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse and dry.

Heat over to 325 degrees

Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, add 1/2 cup parmesan, 3 Tb oil. Toss until coated in another bowl.

Put Basil/Spinach, and herbs, rest of garlic, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, into food processor and process until smooth, with short pulses. Spread 1/4 cup in each pork loin

Tie Pork Loin closed with string, and brown in a frying pan with remaining olive oil, on all sides. Transfer to baking rack over aluminum foil in baking sheet.

Spread remaining herb mixture over roasts. Pat on the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 50-75 minutes at 325 until internal temperature reads 145.

Let rest 10 minutes, remove string and slice (temperature should now be 150 inside)

2nd photo

making the bread crumb topping and putting the pesto inside

this is the tenderloin sliced and served.

Slice 8-10 lb potatoes and mix with a bit of olive oil

spread out in one layer

in oven

ready to serve

Vegetarian option. Sauteed vegetables. (zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions)

salad from the garden

5 lb broccoli.

The Kitchen and Dining Room in Common House at Winslow Cohousing

2011-04-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

The common house dining room (and general meeting room)


the main work counter (looks narrower here than it is)

the dish washing area. dishes are put in brown bins that are upside down here.

the dishwasher (sanitizer) and sinks

the stove: note fire suppression system in hood

Continental 3 bay refrigerator (we have a freezer, its on the back porch)

the stove, another view

Steel Wire

2011-02-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Brenda Schweder taught a steel wire jewelry class at The Ranch in Snohomish, WA on January 21 and 22, at the right is the cover of her book that she just published.

We did 2 days of technique workshop and one day using those techniques to do a patterned project.

Steel wire is very cheap and versatile, you can get it at the hardware store, it comes in many sizes, and allows you to hammer, bend, cut, and form it into many shapes. In a way it is like drawing with wire.

The same size steel as copper is harder and stiffer, so that it's easier to make a pin back for example.

at the right is a simple neck wire, with a shell that has been caged in a basket like weave with the wire.

a cooks illustrated chicken piccata dinner for 26

2011-01-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

oranges, salad, looking down serving table

Started the day shopping for my meal for 26 people (22 chicken eaters, 4 vegetarians), and got to the grocery store and didn't bring my recipes. so, went to my cooks illustrated iphone app, and looked up the recipes, and yep, forgot onions. Also, researched carrots, and found a simple recipe for roasted carrots.

Menu:
chicken piccata for the meat eaters,
stir fry vegetables with tofu and lemon and capers for the vegetarians,
rice pilaf with vermicelli,
"seasonal vegetables", which means whatever is cheap at the grocery store, and they had organic carrots for 2 lb for 1.50, so we had roasted carrots
Organic salad/spinach mix. (one of the Earthbound , 1 lb boxes)
Oranges for dessert


John stirring roasted carrots

Food purchased: 10 lb Foster Farm frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bag lemons (6 large)
2 small lemons for slicing
1 bag oranges (6 lb) (dessert, quartered)
1 lb vermicelli
2 qt organic chicken broth
jar capers (needed 10 Tb)
6 lb carrots
1 lb salad mix
4 yellow onions
1 red pepper, 1 green pepper
1 lb firm tofu
4 oz mushrooms

Had on hand: garlic, butter (3/4 lb), cumin, coriander, olive oil, salt and pepper, cornstarch, 1/2 cup milk, rice (used 7 cups basmati).


lemon sauce

Recipe: Lighter Chicken Piccata from Cooks Illustrated, Published April 18, 2007. serves 4

I'm not going to put the recipe here, because it is theirs, but I did a x5 on the recipe, which came out to 10 lb of chicken. We took the frozen chicken breasts, partially thawed them in water quickly (there were 17 in the package), and cut into 41 pieces. some of the larger pieces we cut in 3, the rest in two. (cut horizontally, so they were thinner).
Also, didn't have parsley, so skipped the parsley in the recipe.
I used 2 frying pans, and sauteed the cutlets, until just done, and put in 250 degree oven. Took about an hour to get all 41 pieces done. Then made the lemon sauce.

needed to put it in 2 1/2 pans to fit all the chicken.

Simultaneously, Tom made the "rice pilaf with vermicelli" which they said served 4. recipe published March 1, 2000. We did a x 5 of this recipe, and had a bit leftover. Modified the recipe, by putting it in the rice cooker at the end, rather than cooking on the stove, to accomodate the 7 1/2 cups of rice, 16 oz of vermicelli, and 16 cups of water.

We also did "roasted carrots" serves 4-6 from November 1, 2010 Cooks Illustrated. We did a x4 of recipe, and there was just enough (with all the rest of the food) for our 26 servings. 6 lb of carrots, 8 TB of butter, and salt and pepper. Took just about an hour to roast to sufficient done-ness.

In the last half hour, we also chopped the peppers, onions, mushrooms, sauteed with garlic and added cubed tofu, some lemon, capers for the vegetarian option.

so, the 3 of us started cooking at about 4 pm, and dinner was ready at 6:30, We also did a lot of the dishes as we went along, also set tables, put water in the refrigerator, and Tom took off for the last 1/2 hour to run an errand. Not a leisurely cooking time though.

starting the new year

2011-01-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

I guess it might be a fiber kind of year. Notice in the picture at right, we are all wearing scarves.

Randi (3rd from left) hosted a nuno scarf making "alternative to football" New Years day party, complete with hot buttered rum for our potluck lunch (with amazing curry soup, and feta walnut apple salad), and cheese and crackers and cosmos for afternoon enjoyment.

So we had fun, got wet, (felting can spread water all over) and played with silk and wool .

New Sewing Machine and Oil Cloth Bag

2010-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

While shopping for Christmas gifts, I finally purchased a sewing machine that can zigzag, and was looking forward to making things with felted old sweaters.

However, I bumped into a book at the library called "Oilcloth Inspirations", which didn't really have that much in it, but it did have a picture of a carryall on the cover that looked cute. Mine is nothing like it, but I was inspired.

This is a simple bag of one piece seamed up the sides, and mitred at the bottom to create a flat bottom. then I added a pocket and a handle and "Voila!". I think it is a good size to hold a knitting project.

If you look closely you'll see the lines of stitching are a little wavery, i'm still getting used to the tension on the machine, but I'm happy with the first attempt!

Christmas Reindeer

2010-12-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

OK, a few years ago, after my son had left home, we were thinking of getting an artificial tree, so we (my daughter and I) went to the hardware store, and it was depressing, they just didn't work for us. Instead we found this lovely pre-lit reindeer that has wire places to hang ornaments, and we added a star on top, and ta-da!

It's not trying to be a real tree, and it adds the light and fun that a Christmas tree does, and although s/he doesn't smell like a fir tree, we have plenty of that right outside the door.

And, it's sustainable, just goes back in a box under the stairs to be re-used next year. Now, on Bainbridge, there are a couple tree farms, so we could support local agriculture and go cut our own, but I figure there are plenty of people who do that (they seem to sell out every year). And I don't have a good place to replant a live tree, but I really like to hang ornaments and enjoy Christmas decorations. So, the Christmas reindeer works. (I think he was intended to go outdoors in a yard, but he fits just fine in my little home).

Tin Can Purses

2010-10-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

	The weekend of September 18, I went off to The Ranch, center for Art, in Snohomish, WA for another weekend of creating, this time, to create bags and purses out of tin. I like tin, because it is easy to start with recycled materials, and there are tins everywhere, from in your pantry to in your Christmas box. To prepare, I went to goodwill to find some raw materials, but I ended up using a coffee can that Randi already had, because I was attracted to the bright colors. the class was taught by Marlene True see http://www.marlenetrue.com/brooches for some samples of her work.
Randi Harper "The Ranch owner and host" and Marlene True "Teacher Extraordinaire"

Here we are working with a table full of potential materials. Andy Cooperman in the background, who came just to visit, Randi in the middle.

Here I am thnking about what to put on the ends. so far, no feet, no handle, no hinges yet.


The purse as a work in progress

A selection of purses made in the class, mine in the center

More Amazing Color

2010-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Look at all those balloons!

Straight up

Right in front of us

Dawn Patrol - checking out the weather early in the morning for the other balloons

Yes, those are real flames heating the air in the balloon

A newer balloon has not faded yet

The "Bees are making babies

The bees from closer

fun

Just a few of the hundreds up in the air at once.

Competing for ground space

Laying out on ground before inflation

The "good" and the "bad" sides of a carryall.

2010-09-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

Early in September, took a class from Michael De Meng http://www.michaeldemeng.com/ His artist statement:

"My work is about transformations. It is about the transformation of the common into the sacred. Discarded materials find new and unexpected uses in my work; they are reassembled and conjoined with unlikely components, a form of rebirth from the ashes into new life and new meaning. These assemblages are metaphors for the evolutions and revolutions of existence: from life to death to rebirth, from new to old to renewed, from construction to destruction to reconstruction. These forms are examinations of the world in perpetual flux, where meaning and function are ever-changing."

At right he is demoing a purse by Randi Harper (The Ranch)

I started with a simple makeup bag, found at Goodwill.

I think transformed it with paint and found objects. here is the "looking bad" side. Note in the true spirit of transformation, all you need to do is turn the bad around and it is transformed. (see below).

Here is the more "typical" or "good" side.

another view of the back side. here you can see some of the additions by the handle a little better. Note if you click on a photo it will show it to you enlarged.

gazpacho for 25

2010-08-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

this is a gazpacho soup from Moosewood cooks for a crowd (sortof), with the addition of corn. Instead of starting with tomato joice, I started with a #10 can of crushed tomatoes. Then add lots of chopped vegetables, whatever ones are available from the garden. (1 qt of fresh tomatoes, 3 cucumbers, a zucchini, some yellow squash, a couple of onions, and a couple of green peppers). I figure 12-oz of soup a person if you have other things to go with it.

Here you see some of the things we had with it. a quesacilla per person, some guacamole (again, based on a recipe from Moosewood, I add some tofu to the 4 or 5 avocados, some lemon or lime juice, some salsa... some garlic, some spices --- cumin, and cilantro.)

We were lucky this year, we had fresh salad from the garden all summer long.

Quiche for 25

2010-07-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

One Quiche for every 4 people.

Sample plate: quiche, carrots, roasted cauliflower


Salad from garden, plums from our tree

Making 3-D Felt

2010-07-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is Randi putting felt around a ball.

Here are the completed hats. More to come to describe some of the steps betwwen

playing with color

2010-06-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

after getting inspired from a NW Bead Society meeting, where Maggie Maggio spoke, I went off to the Ranch in Snohomish and played with color and technique.

The picture at the right is of a "pod" about 4 inches longs, the colors aren't quite looking right on my monitor but.... It's using a technique called "watercolor" in polymer clay, as described by Maggie on her website

This piece is mostly mokume gane, again, in polymer, with a little bit of other colors collaged on top.

Using the classic switchplate as a place to practice, the above is another example of the "watercolor" technique, which has nothing to do with watercolor, but the collage of pieces of clay that have a watercolor quality to the colors.

One of the things I am playing with is using what Maggie calls "mud" as a background. if you mix enough colors together, they form a muddy color. However, it turns out the muddy colors serve a purpose of setting off other colors as well as evoking very natural umbers, ochres, dusky purples, etc.

more to come....

Lentil Soup- warm food for a cold rainy weekend

2010-05-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Food for many people: Lentil soup with kale, flat breads, salad...

One of the things I do is cook for dinners at cohousing, an "art" in itself.

Here is Tom chopping onions for Lentil Soup.

Recipe for 18:
3 onions, chopped medium
1/2 cup olive oil
5 or 6 carrots
5 or 5 stalks celery (if you have it)
6-7 cloves garlic (more is fine)
3 tsp dried oregano
3 bay leafs
3 tsp dried basil
2 (14.5 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
7 cups dry lentils
24 cups water
6 cups kale or broccolini or spinach cleaned and chopped (preferably fresh)
5 Tb Cider Vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

For a hearty meat version, I added 3 lb Aidells Chicken/apple sausage, browned, which adds a bit of a smoky flavor. For vegetarians, just skip adding the meat.

Saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a big (2 1/2 or 3 gallon) pot, add other spices,

Stir in lentils, water and tomatoes, bring to a boil, and stir so the bottom doesn't stick.

Saute the sausage, letting it brown, while lentils are cooking. Add about half way thru. (not critical timing)

Simmer until lentils are tender, about an hour, can be more. 15 minutes before serving, stir in fresh greens, and cook until wilted. Add vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste.

I made a vegetarian and a meat version and served it with flat breads with a little parmesan melted on the top and a fresh green salad.

Inspiration: LEGO Boardroom Table

2010-05-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

‘making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.’ Charles Mingus

I was inspired by this picture and the description and video of how it was made: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Lego-Boardroom-Table/425324

Then I was intrigued by the site: www.behance.net, which is a showcase for designers worldwide,

which also sponsors the 99% Conference. 99% is based on 1% Inspiration, 99% Perspiration theory on ideas making things happen. Here are some great quotes on the 99% Conference. Sum: It's not about ideas, its about making ideas happen. (of course, the ideas showcased are stunning.)

Hammering on Metal

2010-05-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Took a "Chasing and Repoussé" class from Megan Corwin last weekend: Here she is setting up for the class at Randi Hapers "Art at the Ranch" in Snohomish.

The metal is generally held in a pot full of pitch, which supports the metal from one side, and you hammer it with tools from the top side. This gives you texture and shapes the metal.

Here's Randi with a piece of copper on the pitch, with her left hand she is holding a tool, which is touching the metal, and in her right hand she is hammering the other end of the tool.

Here is a sample (some great pieces) of what you can get with the chasing, and some of the tools are in the background.

Check out Megan's website for some of the really gorgeous work that can be done.

What do you see on your way to work?

2010-04-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

I see tulips!

and more tulips!

It's spring and flower inspiration time is here.

Photographing 3D and Fabric Art Class

2010-04-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I took a class at the Pacific Northwest Art School in Coupeville on Whidbey from Denis Hill and John Olsen

Here they are taking a photo of silver earrings thru a hole drilled in a skylight, using the skylight as a diffuser.

here is the same piece of jewelry using a light tent as a diffuser.

Here is Denis Hill (his website) holding up film to filter the light.

here is an example of 3 lights set up using string and plastic as a tent. Teacher John Olsen (his website) is adjusting the background.

Most of what I got out of the class was the importance of getting the lighting right. They talked a little bit about composition, but almost all of the time was spent on lighting.
They did the class using both a point and shoot and a digital SLR, so the camera didn't seem to be as critical (at least for posting images on the web). Of course there are a lot more adjustments available on the SLR, but they showed it was possible to do what we needed on a point and shoot as well.

They did a half hour at the end about using Picasa to edit the images, (crop, adjust lighting a bit more, and sharpening). That information was also critical as when they showed taking the shot, there was always the assumption you would crop out the excess with the computer at the end.

The class was a 3 hour class, I wish it was longer. (the best kind of class leaves me wanting more!)

Vision and actuality not quite matching

2010-04-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

OK, I bumped into this video of Ira Glass telling about his beginnings, and what I love about what he says is that the problem with creating something when you are first beginning is that your vision, and what you are capable of making, don't quite match, but then, you just have to keep producing, and after awhile, hopefully, what you can make, and what you like will come closer together.

So, maybe there is hope!

Caterpillars and Butterflies

2010-04-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know Butterflies are done over and over, but I bumped into this book at work "100 Caterpillars" with amazing images, (and it does show what each looks like as a butterfly), and I got to thinking about what it would be like to do a series on caterpillars, with the flip side a picture of the butterfly it would transform into.....
Not sure if I'd run into image rights, I guess that would depend how literally I used the images...

Still struggling a little with does the piece have to have meaning, altho the reason the caterpillar and butterfly are so fascinating is all about metamorphisis.

So, I'm in the thinking thru phase of how to do caterpillars......

Art at the Ranch : more felting

2010-03-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

At the right is the beginning of a small felting sampler. It is a piece of recycled silk dress with some pieces of wool roving laid on top of it. (and that is on top of some bubble wrap). After getting it wet with soapy water, putting some more wool on the other side, rolling it up in the bubble wrap, rolling it around for awhile, throwing it on the floor for awhile, and putting it into the dryer to get hot and shrink a bit, it looks like the second picture.

This is post felting, but you really can't see the 3-d ness of it or how soft it feels. note that the wool has shrunk, and the fabric has bunched up between it.

I'm really going to have to work on the photographs. This is a red and black nuno felted scarf that I also made. but the picture does not do it justice. Likewise it has a very 3-d quality to it, and is soft, flexible, and beautiful colors.

micro-mosaics

2010-03-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Took a class from Cynthia Toops this weekend at the Ranch in Snohomish, at right shows the piece I made a little bigger than real life. I did it from a picture of a bird that Denise Vaughan took in Africa last summer, not sure what kind of bird it is.

if you follow the link to Cynthia's site, you will see that my piece is sort of a "kindergarten" version of hers. Even though I had to wear magnifiers to see the pieces, my individual threads were still a lot bigger than Cynthia's.

The process for making the piece: start with a bezel, or container that you want to put the mosaic in. Put some polymer clay (we used Fimo soft), in and level it with top of bezel. Pull out threads of clay in all the colors you want, bake them, cut them into tiny pieces, then place them one by one onto the picture that you have sketched with a pin onto the clay base.

At right is a piece in process made by my neighbor at the table, Melissa Cable, of beadclub in Woodinville. you get an idea of the scale we were working at when you see the tweezers and her fingers placing the little dots of the mosaic. Her bezel is the same size as mine.

Question: will I do this again? maybe. This is a picture of Randi, with her lighted peepers to see the work she was doing! To do it effectively, I need to have a well lit, comfortable place to work on very fine work.

Artist Statement

2010-03-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

This is the summary I ended up with at the end of the Advancement of Excellence in March of 2010:

I make hand-made clothing, jewelry and containers created as expressive art. I use glass, metal, clay or fiber or a combination of all of them. I am an artist who creates wearable and usable art.

A Few of My Favorite Creative Books

2010-03-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

The "500" Series by Lark is a wealth of beauty and ideas.

I own "1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments for the Hand",
"500 Pendants & Lockets: Contemporary Interpretations of Classic Adornments",
"500 Brooches: Inspiring Adornments for the Body"
"500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewelry"

Right now I own maybe 100 books that are in the arts area, and I'd like to figure out a good way to list them here, with descriptions and my experiences with them.

Some are "How-To" books, some are for inspiration, some are there to hold a space for me, they hold future ideas.

This book is in my library for inspiration on color and design. It is by Harry Rand, published by Taschen. I first fell in love with him 18 years ago when I was in Vienna, and looked out the bus window and saw some of the buildings that he designed.

One of my projects is to catalog all my books, so I can keep track of what I have. I started using Readerware, but have not yet prioritized it to the point that I have all my books in it.

Blogtime

2010-03-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

I've been going to the Advancement of Excellence from Context Training with the intent to develop my direction around creative expression, to become clear about what I'm doing and why.

I'm developing tangible measurable results in creating the life I want, which includes getting my studio up and running again, experimenting in different media, and re-connecting with who I am as an artist.

I have a wonderful support team of Wayne, Tom, Jeff, Sami and Dave, and Wayne made me the inspirational gift you see here: on the top it says "I am an ARTIST". on the left it says "For a healthy blog: post no less than one time per week", on the front it says "We are Watching... We are waiting..." and then BLOG TIME Is it time to post a blog yet or are you waiting for the 11th hour. the Star says Push Here when blog is posted, and then....It talks to me and says "That was EASY!" The whole thing is decorated with flowers, stars, and other sayings, such as fun, family, inspiration, "create what you love".

One of my continuing issues has always been to find time to do more than just the family, community, work, home tasks that can fill every moment. However, once I get started making something, I'm energized, so the whole process is working.

woven jewelry

2010-02-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I took a workshop from Marilyn Moore (http://www.marilynmoore.net/) on twining with wire. At the right is my first attempt. It is like basket weaving, except it is done with copper wires as the spokes, and the twining wire is craft wire very thin (32 and 34 gauge). Craft wire is copper wire with a coating of color. While working with the wire, you wrap it on the plastic spools you can see next to the pin I'm making, which is supposed to become a gingko leaf. This project is a "kit", and I'm using it to learn the techniques. It is a slow process, to wind the wire, and push it down and compress it together. Not sure if I've quite got the process down yet, will do some more experimenting.

Here's the beginning of Marilyn Moore's artist statement "I have been intrigued with baskets for many years. Thinking about what can be placed in the basket, what gives life to the inanimate object of the basket, informs the way that I look at my work. The basket is the container of things needed to maintain my life, utilitarian as well as beautiful.
Memories, memento's of my own life process, are kept in the baskets that I make and also collect. As I look at each basket they bring back a place and time, a part of my progression as a person and as an artist. Putting ideas into the basket as I work on it has become as important as design and color to my aesthetic sense. Using color to express an idea or even just a mood is a means of expression that evolves like the slow processes that I use."

Walking in This World

2010-02-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

Since the first of the year, I've been working through the book "Walking in This World: the Practical Art of Creativity" by Julia Cameron.    It's a sequel the "The Artist's Way".   Tom, Lynn and I started it on New Year's Day (2010), and we aren't quite doing the recommended 1 chapter a week.

Besides the daily writing morning pages, there is a weekly "artist date" and "Weekly Walk".   This week, I took my "weekly walk" partly via bicycle. I cycled to the west side of the island, walked down Hansen Road, down my driveway, and took this picture looking across the water (Port Orchard) to Brownsville Marina, on the right there is a tug going by, and Olympics are in the distance. in the foreground is a Madrona tree. The morning was crisp and cool, not much wind.    At the beach, I am close to the rhythms of nature, with the tide going out. Above, an eagle soared.

Part of using this book as a guide is that I can read the same chapter on different days and make totally new discoveries.   Chapter 7, "Discovering a Sense of Momentum", dismantling procrastination. I'm a master at procrastination.   I told myself I'd do two blogs this week, and at 11:35 pm on Friday night I'm working my way through the second one. Oh well.

This week I also signed up for a photography class at the Pacific Northwest Art School "Photographing 3D and Fabric Art", in April. I hope to learn how to capture what I see in person in photos.

Knitting too

2010-02-16T22:45:00.000-08:00

I spent more that a year making this sweater. I was sad when I finished it, it was such an experience making it. It kept my lap warm and it was soft and fuzzy, and the collection of colors and textures was a continuous sensual experience. It is made in sections, back, fronts, sleeves, side panels, so until the end, it was very portable.

The project started with a trip to Albuquerque, NM to take a class from Patricia Werner, at Village Wools. It's done in a style called modular knitting. It's like a puzzle, you make one triangle, then add another, then another until pretty soon you have a sweater. The outside is Zitron Ethno yarn, which is an 85% merino wool, 15% nylon. The inside of each triangle is Classic EliteWool Bam Boo. My sister Mary and I took the class together and she made a vest, I decided for Seattle weather it would be nice to make a sweater. We bought the six colors of the bamboo yarn and split them, so her sweater is similar but very different.

It gives the impression of a patchwork quilt. While making it, it was a random walk thru the knitting bag to decide what the next color would be. I tried not to put two triangles with the same color center together.

After this sweater, any other one looks plain.

Studio work

2010-02-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

A demonstration piece that has words (Love, Fear, Never, Missed) which can be read in any order. This piece has solder, rivets, stamps, texturing, and is made of silver, brass and copper. It is about 1 1/2" by 1 1/3". I like the layers, the contrast of the texture in the background, with the smoother brass. On the backside is the word HOPE.

The good news of the week is that I got my acetylene tank functional again. the valve at the top had a small leak, I over tightened it and then couldn't get it open again, but ended up getting it open with a wrench. The place where you put the wrench is a bit rounded out, but with some help from my studio-mate Chris and some moral support from Tom, was able to get it working. And today successfully opened and closed it myself. The issue is that the local gas delivery people won't deliver to a residential address, and you can't carry these tanks in a car, you need to carry them in open air. So I'd need to borrow a truck to go to the welding shop, and they are only open Monday to Friday... while I'm at work. So it was a big relief to be able to use what I have.

The studio is a bit of a a "work in progress" at this point, but at least the torches are working again, and there is some space to actually work. I have both an oxygen propane torch for doing lampwork (making glass beads and more), and an acetylene torch for metal soldering. There is a vent over the torch area. Also have a pottery kiln that I have also done some fused glass and enameling in. By the way if you click on the photos, you can see a bigger version.

I also put together a pair of earrings, using glass beads I made, and slightly domed silver disks. I'm experimenting with what shape ear wired to make, these are slightly hammered sterling wires.

Felting

2010-02-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Felting is a current fascination for me, particularly the three dimensional effect that you get with nuno felting. I made a kimono jacket and some scarves a few years ago at a class at Oregon College of Art and Craft, and I made some felt scarves at Christmas: here is a picture of the scarves at the beginning of the felting process, just laying out the wool and getting it wet.
Nuno felting is where the wool is felted onto a piece of fabric, in this case a piece of silk. The resulting fabric can be lighter, more flexible because it gets it's strength from the fabric as well as the wool. The process involves laying out the fabric, laying the wool in small tufts on top of it adding water with a little soap, rolling it up (we used bubble wrap), and agitating it, rolling it over and over in a tube, then unrolling, adjusting, rerolling etc, then finally taking it off the bubble wrap, now the wool fibers are attached to the fabric, then adding hot water and throwing it down on the ground til it shrinks to the point you want it.

here are a couple pictures of the scarves finished. They are about 4 feet long, 8 inches wide...
I started with blue dyed silk organza and black and white wool. When you lay out the wool, you really can't tell quite what it will turn out like, as it shrinks, puckers, moves a little... So there is a bit of magic and happy accident in it.

I found this video http://blog.cooperhewitt.org/2009/03/27/video-fashioning-felt-on-martha-stewart that talks about an exhibit in 2009 at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. It includes objects made from industrial felt at left and a yurt made by Janice Arnold, and some video of the construction of the felt.

Favorite images

2010-02-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

I took this picture at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a while ago, but its still one of my favorite images. So, it could be a source of inspiration...
What I like about it is the contrast of colors and the complexity of the tendrils, and the bit of movement as well.

Life is Good

2010-02-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

The picture at the right was done by Tom, for fun, for communicating, for making another person happy.
amazing that you can do doodles on an iphone.

My goal for this week is to do a little bit of creativity every day.

What is Craft....

2010-01-30T00:25:00.000-08:00

one resource I've appreciated is the American Craft Council
http://www.craftcouncil.org/

..There is an inherent pleasure in making. We might call this joie de faire (like joie de vivre) to indicate that there is something important, even urgent, to be said about the sheer enjoyment of making something exist that didn't exist before, of using one's own agency, dexterity, feelings and judgment to mold, form, touch, hold and craft physical materials, apart from anticipating the fact of its eventual beauty, uniqueness or usefulness.
Ellen Dissanayake, "The Pleasure and Meaning of Making"
AMERICAN CRAFT, April/May 1995

Projects - buttons

2010-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mary and I made buttons, here are a few we made:
polymer clay, around 1 1/4" in diameter.

Lots more experimenting to do...
These came out more gold than we intended, still need some sanding down around the edges. Next: play more with texture and shapes.

Handmade Nation

2010-01-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

There is a documentary
(trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evDFo6-RBVc) called Handmade Nation that documents the movement of artists, crafters and designers, the new DIY movement (do it yourself), fueled by the common thread of creating.

It's about people and why the make what they make, and selling on Etsy.com, and how handmade is better than corporate production.....

Idea Sharing

2010-01-22T10:58:00.001-08:00

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” ~George Bernard Shaw

Lately I seem to have an abundance of ideas, and need to figure out what to do with them all! so, I started this blog to try and collect ideas to be able to take action on them!

Another Artist Statement: Elise Winters

2010-01-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

I like her descriptive words, and some of them feel right to me as well. Color, light, what a material feels like when I work with it...

Elise Winters, her artist’s statement reads:

“Concern for color and light has followed me through every phase of my artistic career.
Early on, my first masters’ project addressed light patterns in translucent porcelain which I created by manipulating thickness and texture. As I potter, I found joy in twisting, pulling and shaping that pliable material into full organic forms. Then, years as a photographer allowed me to explore the ephemeral quality of light and color in nature… the reflective shimmer off a rippling stream, the delicate shifting colors of the evening sky, the iridescences of creatures in a tidal pool, the blush of color on the skin of rip fruit.
My current work in polymer affords me the opportunity to merge all these concerns. I use specially formulated metallic acrylic paints and iridescent glazes to create shimmering luminous color effects over the polymer. The result is a seductive convergence of additive and subtractive color mixture allowing me to play with all the dimensions of color and light over the surface of my jewelry.”
with this piece: Red RUFFLE Ruche, 2009 polymer, acrylic 8 x 9 x 1″, promised gift, Newark Museum
http://polymerartarchive.com/2009/10/23/winters-bishoff-a-final-look-at-sculpting-color/

Beauty and the NOW

2010-01-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

One of the books on the floor by my bed, waiting to be read is "The Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters" by Sarah Susanka. I was skimming thru the book, and the following caught my eye

"Beauty, when you experience it fully, opens the door to being in the Now just as surely as any death defying act, by stunning the senses equally as powerfully."

Which is what happens in the natural world, when I catch sight of the moon, or stop to see a beautiful sunrise or sunset. And when I pick up a something that feels good. It reconnects me with being in the present.

I got a little distracted by looking up beauty on the web, and bumped into http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aesthetic-judgment/ which is in sort of a wikipedia for philosophers.

This is a picture I took this summer of Mt Rainier with a great lenticular cloud over it.

do you need to be an artist to make jewelry

2009-12-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.nanzaalund.com/

"Can anyone learn to make jewelry or do you need to be an artist?

Nanz Aalund: Jewelry has been around since 70,000 BC, that is how important jewelry is to human beings and human culture. The great thing about jewelry making is the more you learn about the craft, the more you can truly express your own identity. Self-expression and expression of identity are valid art forms. So, yes everyone can make jewelry"

Took a class from Nanz mid-december 2009

Kristina Logan

2009-11-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

KRISTINA writes that beads "are part of my lifelong fascination with art and ornamentation. Glass beads form an historical thread, connecting people and cultures throughout our history"

http://www.kristinalogan.com/

I took a 2-week long class from Kristina Logan and Ellen Wieske in 2002 in Provence, France.

Trying Out Happiness

2009-11-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

Are there exercises that can make you happier?

Martin Seligman is testing just that, in his Positive Psychology studies at U Penn,

YES! talked about in in our issue on the Good Life.

My current test is: Notice 3 good things that happened every day and analyze why they occurred.
Do this for a month. See how you feel after that. Likely you will find that happiness is the process not the place. Raise the awareness of the process, and see what happens!

Patrik Kusek: Bronze, Silver, Copper Clay Jewelry and Sculpture

2008-11-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

"The beauty of a single leaf, the symmetry of a starfish, the structure of a sea horse, the beauty in nature never fails to provide infinite sources of inspiration." says Patrik. With silver being his primary medium Patrik shapes his designs with an eye towards fusing elements and textures from the natural world. "I enjoy exploring the answer to 'What would happen if...' What would happen if a sea urchin crossed with a daffodil?" or "What would happen if two twigs symbolizes friendship?" I incorporate into my designs the elements that speak a visual language; that explore the answers to these types of questions." Patrik Kusek http://www.patriksstudio.com

I took a class from patrik in october of 2008.

How much is enough

2008-10-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Trying to deal with the market debacle. So how much money do I really need?

Here's a couple quotes from Jacob Needleman (he's the one answering the questions, the interviewer is asking them)

Q: what's your definition of success?

To be totally engaged with all my functions, all my faculties, all my capacities in life. To me that would be success.

I grew up around the Yiddish language, and in Yiddish there are about 1,000 words that mean "fool." There's only one word that means an authentic human being: mensch. My grandmother would say, "You've got to be a mensch," and that has to do with what we used to call character. To be successful means to have developed character.

Q: So how does a philosopher understand money and the meaning of life?

As the ancients said, we are angels and devils at the same time -- and sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two. Sometimes the two masquerade as each other. Caring for your friends and family and children is part of being in this world, though it may seem a spiritual act. Getting your kid through college is not a spiritual act but part of being in the world. At the same time, working and making money can have a spiritual dimension.

We philosophers can't really figure this out better than anyone else. And money alone can't buy you an answer. Only worldly experience with lots of adventures and making lots of money may finally let you come away from it saying, "There's something money can't buy. I can't put my finger on it, but I sense it."

Q: And the ultimate connection between money and work?

You should be looking for the joy, the struggle, and the challenge of work. What you bring forth from your own guts and heart. The happiness of hard work. No amount of money can buy that. Those are things of the spirit.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/09/meaning.html

The Internet at It's Best: Open Courseware

2007-12-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

MIT Open Courseware makes the course materials that are used in the teaching of almost all MIT’s undergraduate and graduate subjects available on the Web, free of charge, to any user anywhere in the world.

This is from the website: "It is an ideal that flows from the MIT Faculty's passionate belief in the MIT mission, based on the conviction that the open dissemination of knowledge and information can open new doors to the powerful benefits of education for humanity around the world."

Not only do they put their courseware online, but they are helping to build a network of other universities also doing it.

Truly an amazing project, which should benefit many people.

It's On My List of Things To Do

2005-07-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Nobody wants to think about the fact they might die or be disabled, so we tend to avoid it. In polling about 10 of my immediate friends, I only found 2 with current wills. The rest said "it's on my list of things to do." But for people my age (old enough to know better) it could be just going out of commission for a month or two. what then?

I've had my own example close to home, where a friend of mine (age: mid 50's) had a stroke 7 weeks ago, and has been in the hospital ever since. He's not brain dead, but he was not able to make decisions or do business, or even tell someone where to find things. so, now one of my topics of conversation is : do you have a will? do you have a living will? do you have a medical directive? do you have a durable power of attorney? what if you were in the hospital for 7 weeks and unable to make decisions, who would pay your bills? who would tell the Dr's its ok for you to have surgery? In my friends case, he also had a teenager, so had another question: who would your kids live with for a couple months? My immediate family members could interrupt their lives for a couple weeks, but there's very few people who could do it for a couple months.

I also now appreciate those forms that say "who to contact in case of emergency. who ELSE to contact? (what if number 1 is on vacation)" Luckily most of us have cell phones, so someone could just start calling all the numbers in the cell phone looking for a responsible party. What if someone started to do that with your cell phone? who would they reach?

there is a 5 wishes document circulating on the internet from www.agingwithdignity.org.
Wish 1: The Person I Want To Make Health Care Decisions For Me When I Can't
Wish 2: My Wish For the Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don't Want
Wish 3: My Wish for How Comfortable I Want to Be
Wish 4: My Wish for How I Want People to Treat Me
Wish 5: My Wish for What I Want my Loved Ones to Know

I have looked at my will and living will and durable power of attorney, and they are all up to date, but I do need to do a better summary on how to pay my bills for a couple months, and what insurance I have.

One of my neighbors said they would do their diligence by the end of the year, and I was welcome to ask them about it at our annual New Year's Eve party.

when will you do it?