Just A Few Floral Shots

To celebrate the fact that my camera is working properly again.

When I planted this garden I was trying for a look of floral profusion - masses of color mixed wildly together. These days, it looks like an experiment in chaos theory (but in a good way, I think).

The ants come marching one by one . . . . (I seem to have missed most of peony season during my travels. There is a huge drift of brown petals on the ground below the few remaining white blossoms.)

This was a technical experiment. I was able to tighten my focus to bring just the stamens in focus, leaving the petals slightly blurred. Don't know yet if it's aesthetically appealing, but it amuses me.

Another Week In Review

I spent 2 1/2 glorious days last week up at Peninsula State Park, catching up with old friends and soaking in the scenery. It was just glorious weather and the lilacs were rioting. The puppy adapted quickly to tent living, and with several other dogs in the group she had lots of positive role models and lots of play time. It really was a situation that just couldn't be beat. And though I hated to leave when I did, I had the consolation of knowing that the weather turned beastly cold and rainy as soon as I was out the park gate.

But I had to get home for the first day of Farmer's Market on Saturday, and it was just brutal. Cold, with threatening rain that turned out to not to be a bluff, and accompanied by the chaos that one would expect for the first attempt of the season. I was late, and my set-up didn't go smoothly, and although there was a surprising volume of customers (given the weather and the lack of actual produce this early in the season) I barely made enough to justify my efforts. When it started raining at 11:00, I packed it in despite the disapproving looks from my fellow vendors.

Luckily, Sunday's graduation events were all indoors and my baby made it across the stage without a hitch. There were a lot of misty eyes when she and the other graduates were recognized in church that morning, but the graduation itself was strangely anticlimactic; perhaps because college is looming so large in her future, and we have the strong sense that this is just another milestone towards a still distant goal.

Along with the big events, we've had a few smaller incidents this week. Somehow a (presumably mother) squirrel and her compatriots got into the roof overhanging our front porch, and from there worked their way into the kitchen soffit and the kitchen/master bath wall. We could tell that one squirrel had fallen down into a gap between a pair of studs and was trying to climb out over the weekend. Rick got into the bathroom ceiling and fished a rope down between the studs, hoping the squirrel would climb up and then get out - which may or may not have worked, since the sounds in that part of the wall were gone by Monday or so. And meanwhile, he applied some tinfoil to the trim piece they'd been climbing up to access the overhang, hoping they'd slide down and be unable to get back up. But by Tuesday or so there was more scratching and carrying on in another section of the wall, and we eventually gave up on the rope concept in favor a low, discrete hole through the sheet rock.

This little guy seemed almost too young to be away from his mother, and despite Rick's best efforts with a warming lamp and eyedroppers of preemie puppy milk, he didn't make it. The whole thing is a shame, but I'm secretly relieved we didn't end up adding a pet squirrel to the menagerie. Instead, I acquired 8 Auracanus chicks from a friend and am incubating them in the same glass cage recently occupied by the squirrel.

Most of them will go to Cousin Kate in a few weeks - but there's a dark chocolate chick with a certain air about him who reminds me a bit of our recently deceased Rudy. I'm not sure what the little guy's name is just yet, but he's probably male and he's definitely staying.

Ladies' Night

The chiropractor from my networking group is hosting a "Ladies' Night" tonight, with demonstrations and vendors and such. I've been invited to attend and hawk my portrait work, which meant putting a trade-show type booth together for the first time. Luckily, I have an assortment of tables from my farmer's market set-up, so I just needed to figure out a tri-fold display. What do you think?

Also, I put together a jewelery set for my friend Sara at Sheboygan Monument, similar to the ones I made for Dan's wedding last Fall. In exchange she gave me this lovely garden stone. I'm going to use it as a door prize tonight; I like the continuation of the "stone" theme.


I considered also bringing my bin of matted 8" x 10" art prints, but I'm not sure this will be quite the right venue. I think tonight will be more about making contacts than making sales. Still, I think I'll have it handy in the car, just in case.

And finally, a gratuitous rooster picture. Chester still misses Rudy.

Wet Cuffs on My Pajamas

It's cooler and rainy this morning, but before getting ready for school I just had to check out the lilacs blooming outside my bathroom window. These are bushes that I picked out a few years ago from the lilac thicket on the other end of our land, and painfully lugged over to plant next to the house. They are an unending source of pleasure when they are in bloom.




And so long as I was out there, I did a quick inspection of some other early blossoms.



Oh, and that second scarf blank is hung up for the last stages of drying. I mixed a fair amount of metallic gold in with the greens and browns and bronzes, but so far the scarf still reminds me a bit of something an Ewok would wear. We'll see.

A Mother's Day Portrait

Why is it that my own kids are the hardest onest to photograph? I did my very best to insist that they sit for me in honor of Mother's Day, so I could send a portrait to each of their grandmothers. It was like herding cats to get the schedules of two working teenagers to coordinate with each other, my own availability, and the good graces of Mother Nature. A week late, I finally got them in front of my lens.

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Unfortunately, Tasha needed a very long lag time to get ready, and refused to take my first several suggestions for poses. Then Lucas got the giggles, and made a bunch of faces at the camera while I was trying to get the dog to smile. Then he kept trying to go deadpan to compensate.

And wasn't looking at the camera . . . And then the dog blinked . . .

By the time we finally got something I liked, I was ready to throw the camera!

But I keep reminding myself that we won't have too many more times when both kids are home and we're all together. We need to savor them, even if I felt like screaming once or twice.

Time to Reflect

Today I spent some time being aware of my surroundings. Appreciating the rain which has so kindly stepped in to water the poor blueberry bush we planted last night. Appreciating how funny the chickens can look, with "the boys" strutting across the field during a random break in the rain and their ladies scurrying behind - and how amazing it is that at least two goldfish survived the winter in my sorry neglected little excuse for a water garden. Appreciating that even though I somehow have developed poison ivy on the web between the index and middle fingers of my dominant hand, I had the experience to know what would help. Even more, I can offer knowledgeable advice to the confused-looking young couple who were in the same drugstore aisle for the same reason. (Ivy Dry, if you're wondering. Some years it's the only thing to preserve my sanity.)

I love quiet rainy days.

I Owe You

For a woman who is officially without a job, I'm managing to keep busy. I taught 3 days of high school and one day of middle school in the Cognitively Disabled room last week, filling the remaining weekday by catching up on my household chores and pitching dried manure for the church's community garden. I also found the time to take a nice long walk with the puppy, cutting through my neighbor's woodlands on the way back. The mist was coming off the river, and my shoes were in constant danger of mud, and it was just breath-taking. The whole place looked like an elfin bower.

I took these special for you, and have been meaning to share them ever since. Enjoy!







P.S. Apparently it's hunting season for something. I heard a not-so-distant shotgun blast and decided to get my dark-blue-clothed self out of the dim blue mist. Sybil has given permission for us to walk her woods anytime, but she gives such permission to others as well. I got a phone message from her later that I should maybe stay out of the woods in the mornings for the next couple of weeks.

Semi-Glamourous

Today I am delivering discs and prints for the "Glamour Shots" session from last Saturday. The funny thing is, Pam (no, not that Pam) and I started this project for women who might enjoy the chance to get dolled up for the camera. A brighter shade of lipstick than normal, the confidence of knowing you have a professional on hand to make sure your hair is just right, maybe a cute little lacy thing to wear . . . you get the idea. But more and more, our work is geared towards taking photos of children before they have time to get messed up. It's a whole different attitude, but I'm loving the chance to work with the kids.

This time around, someone even brought in a baby! I didn't have the right kind of stuff to get a baby positioned correctly (and safely), but I found a big old wooden wire spool in the salon's basement. Throw a length of velvet over it, and voila! We took some shots that way, and some with his big sister or his grandmother holding him.I always knew those old hats and scarfs in my collection would come in handy!

It's All Good

First, can I just say how much I enjoy the little ones? With my baby turning 18 in just a couple of weeks, I've really been contemplating the cute cuddliness which was once a daily part of my life. Between the trip to Michigan for Aunt Mary's funeral and the fun and games surrounding the Arizona trip, I've really been blessed with some wonderful kid moments.

And the Arizona trip itself went very well. Hiking with my brother and cousin, a trip to an artsy-craftsy town full of shopping opportunities, and a chance to explore the wonderful artwork of San Xavier del Bac. (Not to mention the main event, a lovely family wedding.) I think I just need to let the pictures tell the story.

Making Progress

The blue bag of distraction is done, felted twice, and will be taken to the leather lady this afternoon to be fitted with handles. I'll show you the end result, but it make take a little while to work our way down in her cue. And I'm back at the extreme brown shrug, which will probably be finished on the plane. Meanwhile, I finished my essay and other materials to apply for Chicago Theological Seminary. (GULP!) No idea how I would fund such a thing, especially since the deadline for financial aid for 2009 passed several weeks ago. But do you know the joke about the guy who keeps praying, "Lord, let me win the lottery. Lord, let me win the lottery." And God keeps answering, "Buy a ticket. Buy a ticket." Well, the application is my way of buying a ticket. We'll see where we go from there.

I'm also finishing up my application for the Alive in the Arts juried show in Plymouth, which will open in late Spring. I'm going to enter my "Wisconsin Scream," one of the train photos, and another image taken just a few days ago in Fremont. I'm calling it "Making Tracks." Apparently I'm feeling just a bit monochromatic. Let me know what you think.

And finally, just had to share this: http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741. I wish I had a more elegant way to paste in the link, but if you have reasonably high speed access I strongly encourage you to check it out. It's a mix-up version of the classic song, Stand By Me, and it's wonderful. Also, I think the old blind guy with the white beard must be what angels look like. Enjoy.

Just Thought I'd Show You This

This is my lovely neighbor, Sybil, showing me some mementos from her time as an ice dancer with Holiday on Ice. The inscription on the photo reads something like "What a tough job to be paid for dancing the swing waltz with Sybil!" and is signed by her dance partner. I believe she said she got the job because she could fit into the costumes, and she ended up traveling all over the States and South America in the show.

She said of her partner, "Of course, he was a homosexual -- but such a delightful young man to work with!"

Cute, eh?

Socks of Perdition

I finally finished the Spring Forward Socks. It's a lovely pattern, don't get me wrong. Love the yarn I used, love the way the lace ripples back and forth. But working with this tiny yarn and tiny needles, the project had this way of sucking out my soul as it went on, and on, and on. I'm just not cut out for this kind of project; at least, not at this point in my emotional development.

There used to be a term, during the Imperial period in Russia: "serf's work." It meant something that was so labor intensive that it would be utterly impractical to do if the worker had to be compensated for the labor in any meaningful way. I figure I've got 45 or 50 hours into these socks, and I still need to sew up the toes. Some non-knitter is going to look at them and say something like, "Those are cute. You should make a bunch of them to sell at the farmer's market." But truth be told, even if someone was willing to pay a reasonable hourly wage for them (say, $500), I just don't think I would ever do it again except for love. Then again, I do have enough left over for a whole second pair of socks. Maybe this summer, after I've had time to heal emotionally.

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Meanwhile, guess what I'm working on now? For those with limited memories of my past efforts, this is the long lost edge lacing for the Anniversary shawl. I have no excuses left, and I think I'm ready to finish it up. I even managed to complete 1 & 1/2 repeats of the pattern last night before Lenten Services. If I give it a good go, maybe I'll actually get the two edges done before I leave for Arizona, so Tammy can crochet the pieces together by Easter. (I should be knocking on wood right now.) We'll see.

And finally, here's an updated photo of the puppy and a couple more shots from the ice storm. Just because.

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After The Storm

Is there anything in this world more beautiful than an ice storm? I mean, assuming you're inside during the actual application of ice, with a cup of hot cocoa and some warm socks and all. But the morning after, before the sun warms up and takes it all away again, it's just stunning.

I have noticed, by the way, that one of the most common topics for a blog entry (right up there with "How cute is my cat?") is some variation of an apology for not blogging. "I've been too busy with _______" is the common refrain, followed by some self-induced guilt trip about the lack of blog updates. Me, I'm not doing it. Uh uh. I haven't blogged in 16 days or so because I was otherwise occupied, and I really am trying not to feel guilty about it. I mean, since I last blogged, I have spent yet another freakin' wonderful retreat weekend at Moon Beach in Eagle River. I have taught school. I have attended two funerals; one a well-earned rest for the deceased, and the other a sad little tragedy that I attended in support of the bereaved. I have attended another wonderful Lay Academy session, this time on pastoral counseling. (I should probably tell you more about that, since I came away with even more food for thought than usual.) And I finished the lace alpaca socks, informally known by now as the "Socks of Perdition." I have used my stationary bike extensively, established that despite a series of gut aches my gall bladder is in good shape, and progressed to a very squeaky "Ode to Joy" on my violin. I also made a really fine pecan pie for Rick, complete with scratch crust.

Somehow, now that I have more so-called free time, I seem to have less time for the computer. That may be a facet of my homebound location, with its
older/slower computer and significantly slower internet speeds. And frankly, the time is fast approaching when I need to invest in a new home computer - this one is having a lot of trouble with even basic photo editing, which is of course my (nominal) bread and butter these days. But I am also quite clearly spending less time in front of a monitor and more time actively participating in life.

Okay, so there's a little guilt. I like blogging, and reading blogs. I like showing off my latest project, and pondering my latest idea or concept in such a way as to invite feedback. I've missed you guys, whoever you are - the 12 to 18 people who according to my tracking page are regular readers. I'm going to try to do better; tomorrow I will have updated puppy pictures, and Sock of Perdition pictures, and so on.

Meanwhile, the wind is whipping like crazy outside. Seems like a good time to get up and make an apple crisp.