Art Club, Poms and Dog Toys

Everyone was doing something unique last night at Art Club. Stamping cards, stitching owls, and making wooden collaged art for a show/sale. I made this card and worked on a paper collage in my workbook. I was more interested in talking.

I worked on three (four) new pomegranates since last time. The dark one you have seen before but now you can see how "dark" it really is. The upper right is the brush pen again with colored pencil. Lower left is brush pen without details as yet. Lower right is colored pencil and acrylic paint, so far. Even though this paper I purchased and am using here, says "watercolor" on the label, it isn't. I tried to paint another pom with my watercolors and the paper got all fuzzy. So that pom is in the garbage can.

Monkey contemplating the brown carpet thread used to sew his arm back on. All Riley's toys are now back in the toy basket. Spidey got his butt sewn closed, Beaver had his tummy sewn closed over new stuffing, Bunny had his entire midsection cut open, so I could stuff the squeaky tennis ball in, and then he was sewn back together and the unnamed bird (he was ripped apart pretty close to the time he arrived) is stuffed and ready to be chewed on again.

All this emergency medical attention was CLOSELY SUPERVISED by Riley. He sat and watched the progress of each stitch. Groaning and sighing when the repair seemed to take too long. At times, he stood by me and rested his head on my knee, to be closer to his beloved toys. And as each was completed, knotted and clipped, he would come over to take the toy from my hands and look them over. Toss them, give them a test chomp. His favorites (Spidey and Beaver) were taken to his dog bed and held tightly against his chest, between his front legs, with his chin resting on top. A deep sigh was his perfect expression of how much he missed these toys, which have been waiting for repairs for months. Bad Joanne.

G is back at work and I will be walking the dog today. It seems colder today but the sun is out. I have retired my thinner windbreakers to the hall closet and will be wearing the heavy thinsulate wind breaker from now on with various under layers. The down jacket being the warmest under layer and the new Orvis battleship gray sweatshirt being the medium layer. And gloves. And a scarf. And a hat. I have gloves, hat and scarf in different temperature levels, also. When it's 12 degrees, I sometimes wear everything. Two pair of gloves, for sure.

I am working on cooking stuff from the freezer again, so I can empty it. Tonight is Gas Betty. Really, it's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce but when my daughter was little, she called it Gas Betty, and that's been the "family" name for it ever since. I rarely make meat sauce anymore but it was a weekly item when I had children and teens living in the house. Last year, at this time, I had to try and remember some of these "family" recipes for my son, who requested written recipes as his Christmas gift. Godfather's Lasagna. Goulash with Spatzle. Gas Betty. Mexican Casserole. Meatloaf. Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips. Baked Meatballs. BBQ'ed Meatballs. Saturday Chicken. Parmesan Breaded Chicken Cutlets. Pierogi.

So, today's bowl will be filled with Gas Betty.

Note: This same daughter called a certain chicken "Chucky Fried".

It's December One

I worked hard yesterday, at work, and tried to stay warm. I brought a frozen container of soup for lunch and it thawed nicely in the "very powerful" microwave. So I had a nice, hot lunch. Then back to the even colder greenhouse and the "Christmas Room" which is actually a wire table on a tower of cement blocks, at the back of the greenhouse, next to uninsulated glass doors, which open alot. 40 degrees outside and 40 degrees inside. Yesterday was the "big delivery day" of ordered wreaths, points, trees and roping for commercial use. The library order was ready and it went out after I arrived with the credit card info. Two guys delivered 53 points to various doctor's offices. Point = Poinsettia.

I got to unload 6 carts of points, Christmas cactus, azaleas, and cyclamen. Very splashy colors. Red, white, pink. The greenhouse is a sea of points. At least 12 tables full.

We were selling quite a few wreaths and holiday boxes yesterday. So we were busy making fill ins and back up stock. Trying to "keep up" while doing everything else (watering and customer service). It's been cool and cloudy so the greenhouse is damp. No real need for anything but spot watering, clean up and row straightening. We like straight rows. I did get to discuss citrus care, Christmas cactus flowering lifespan and terrarium construction with customers.

Even though I had my journal ready, my stamps and stamp pads at hand, glue stick, paints and pom model all out on the dining room table (newly cleared for Thanksgiving dinner), I did none of those things. I had a hot shower, warmed up the remainder of the non-meat leftovers, turned on the evening news and then answered the phone and talked with G's brother for an hour (G was working EOM). R was making his annual "happy birthday" call. To say these two brothers aren't "close" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship. They are five years apart with no in between siblings. Two strangers who happened to have the same address. When people meet both (after having known one for a while) they are perplexed. They always think R is the older brother. He isn't. They think the "brother" thing is a joke. It isn't. They ask if they are step brothers. They aren't. One is blond, blue eyed, outgoing and naturally thin. The other burly, barrel chested, dark eyed and the complete opposite of outgoing. I like them both. R was doing chain saw carving for a few years (we have a beautiful black bear he carved) but stopped (they weren't selling) and is now thinking of learning how to paint. The Bob Ross method. He has been watching the public tv programs on late night television. R can stay up late. G is asleep by 8:30.

The sun is shining this morning. Riley has done his morning toilette, eaten breakfast and barked at the garbage truck. Now, Ri and square Bob are napping in the sunshine until G wakes up. Which will be around 10am. I am deciding if I want oatmeal or shredded wheat for my breakfast.

Art Club this evening. I have crackers and plan to make a chutney cheese spread to share while we make cards. The emails promise "lots of stamps". I still have no clear idea on my own card design. I do want to stitch, but not that thrilled about poking holes in the card stock with an awl. The card carrier that I purchased to hold the art is pretty elaborate so the Tree needs to be simple, graphic and clearly a Tree. I do have a large enough piece of carving material and could carve a tree. And stamp it. No stitching.

My bowl this morning will be filled with oatmeal. My head with ideas.

End Of the Month

November is close to being gone. Where did it go? Each and everyday this month has seemed to be about 20 minutes long. I have breakfast and then it's time for bed. I wish the days in January and February were this speedy.

But I have plans for this winter. Walls to paint. Stuff to move. Garbage bags and recycling cans to fill. I'm making a list and setting "do-able" daily deadlines. I also have quilts to make and one to finish. Promises to keep. And dog toys to repair (especially bunny).

Yesterday I bought a $10 cheapo collection of 12 colors of stamp pads and I got out my handcarved eraser alphabet and stamped three pages in my journal. I spelled words wrong in my exuberance but so what? I remembered how much I love my very own ABC stamps. I even dug around in the greeting card drawer and found an "art" card with pomegranates. Cool. G is doing EOM paperwork from 4 pm to 2 am so it will be a good night to carve a new stamp. A Pom.

Last night I settled in with the library rented DVD of Pride and Prejudice and the damned thing started skipping and stopping after the first 45 minutes. By then I was hooked, so G and I stopped and started, skipped etc. till the end. What a disappointment. I don't have a book to read right now, so I guess I'll return to sewing circles and squares if my eyes aren't sleepy in the evenings. Until I get a book.

I also purchased some 8 by 5 sheets of watercolor paper for my Christmas Tree cards. I still don't have any ideas for what I will be creating this year for the annual edition of 10. The suspense is killing me.

So, guess what, my bowl today is filled with "suspense". My life is a mystery. Today. I don't even know what my lunch will be. Now, that's scary.

The Best Gift Ever

G brought home a few feet of construction fencing. For me. I have wanted some of this orange "art supply" ever since I first saw Jeanne Williamson's work in the Quilt National book several years ago. I have asked for a small piece at various construction sites and have been told "no". I have no idea how to use it, as I have never been this close to orange construction fencing, so I will just use it as the ideas come to me. I am very intrigued.

The sun is shining today. Yesterday was cold, dark, wet and blustery. Gusts of strong wind were hitting the greenhouse walls all day yesterday. It sounded like a war zone. No rain was dripping into the greenhouse from the roof. Not as cold as Friday. I was working with cold, wet wreaths all day. Making State of Maine wreaths, red bow wreaths, making decorated wreaths. For about an hour, the floral employee was standing next to me making bows. That was nice. I also got to pot up many new plants for happy customers. And I wished them happy holidays. It was a good day, but I was very tired when I got home and happy to still have turkey leftovers in the fridge for a quick, delicious dinner. I made fresh gravy. We had pie. I had a lovely, hot shower. Our son called to wish his dad a happy birthday and he made his father laugh. Wonderful.

I got an email from Art Club and we are scheduled to make cards on Tuesday evening. I have cards that need to be made. This sounds like a good meeting to attend and start working on my 10 cards. And then I can show them to you and mail them.

My pomegranate is getting soft. I may need to buy a new one. Or I can paint it as it rots and collapses onto itself in a puddle of red juices.

We're having toast for breakfast with coffee and the CBS Morning Show which I think is a collection of repeated stories. I have my new charcoal Orvis sweatshirt on. Thick and warm with kangaroo pockets to fill with kleenex or use to warm my hands. This is my first time wearing it. I may be too warm.

I have no idea what G and I will be doing today. The dog will need his walk. I have a movie I want to watch. Pride and Prejudice. I have my paints ready to use on the composting pom. And did I mention the sun was shining?