A Very Social Four Days

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I went to the neighbors to meet more of those who live here on the circle. It was quite a nice gathering, Lots of food and wine and getting to know each other. I seem to be the one with the clever garden out back. They appreciated my ANZAC cookies and requested the recipe.

A bear was seen where I walk to the river. But I was not deterred.

Yesterday I had time to get back to the Meadow Book.

And last night I joined a few of the men to watch a movie where we meet for coffee each morning. We shared pizza and wine. What I liked the most was how they laugh out loud and cheer on the good guys. I have missed that sound….men being amused out loud. I will go again if asked. It was just three men and myself. The wine was superb (the one who brought it has impeccable taste). But the second glass poured for me from another bottle attracted a fly. I watched him swim around for about a half hour, decided I did not need to fish him out to sip from where he was enjoying his last breath. I thought he needed his privacy to drown himself in the second best wine of the evening. And I did not, in any way, want to call attention to his peril at the risk of interrupting the laughter and running commentary of the fellows around me.

I walked home in time to meet up with family on our Wednesday evening phone call. But did stop to take a few pictures on the way.

And today I was pleased to be asked to go with one of the men’s wives to an art exhibit at a nearby college where she used to teach. She wants me to meet the teachers there who might want to use me as a resource for printmaking/book arts/ journaling. So I just need to be ready by 6:45. I can do this.

Til later….

FIVE Days Later!

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I decided to wait an extra day before posting. Major changes in the house this morning as I begin to unpack more “studio things”. The guest room furniture is packed into the garage waiting to go back north. In its place are familiar things.

This is the start of moving off the dining room table. And while help was here I switched area rugs between bedroom and living room. Once the warm toned shades went into the windows of the living room, I felt the rug there was too cool. But in the bedroom with the grey curtains and so many works in graphite, it made a better match,

I wanted to walk the dam the other day because it has been so long since I have.

And then back here to the river…..

I especially love this next one.

Magical doors in trees…

I like the female figure guarding the entrance above. And the recessed door with its peephole below.

And then the walk back home..

To my first camelia bloom.

The new mixer came. It is so light with some great German engineering. Even has a low speed that is low and a terrific storage feature for accessories and the cord! The mixers today have mostly wire beaters. I prefer the flat blade type because they will slice through the butter I thought had softened enough.

And the gas man came and started up the fireplace. Waiting for a dreary day now.

Thursday I went to the poetry group’s monthly meeting. I enjoyed it and hope they invite me again. It was nice to hear their words and see how they are placed on a page.

They asked if I wrote poetry. I said,  “Yes, but only on cloudy, dreary days, Not because the words are about dreary things but because the sun is an intrusion into my thoughts with its spinning around lighting things up as it goes. It (the sun) shines spotlights on things that call for the attention I am trying to give words.”

That got the response of, “hmm”. You know the kind of “hmm” that wishes they hadn’t asked.

So whether I get asked back again is unknown at this time. But a friend gave me a new ballpoint pen yesterday and I am ready to see if it can keep up with me. I can certainly thank the poetry group for getting  me in the mood.

The other day I came back from a walk to find, tucked in my door, an invitation to a resident’s home tomorrow evening to meet more neighbors. How nice.

I am looking forward to it. Home baked cookies or a bottle of wine would be nice to take along.

More later….

Very Pretty Days

Posted on by Sandy Webster

The past few days here in Hayesville have been lovely even though there is such dull color for Fall.

My view looking over where I live when waking up the hill into town.  And later in the meadow the golden rod has burst into fluff.

Some reached for the sky.

And then off through the meadow to the river. I am always happy to take myself on these walks. Never disappointed by the things to see.

The warm glow of the river bottom is reflected in the leaves, the bark and the ground beneath my feet. Such a beautiful color!

Two days ago I finished my carving of this year’s Christmas card.

And then yesterday finished putting my cards together.

It is strange how I will carve an image, print off about twenty, and not til they are all laid out on the counter, do I notice that they could be better. Coming to that awareness never seems to arrive with just one or two prints being pulled. A waste of time, paper and ink must be involved.

I must say that the kitchen island is a perfect place to ink up a block and print an image. With the sink in the center of the island it makes cleanup so easy.

Today I wait for the gas man to come and make my gas fireplace light up. And I will also wait for the builder to come and fix a front door lock that just suddenly refused to go into the lock position. Last night I gave up and propped a chair under the door handle.  Silly I know, but I did not want to wake in the night thinking of some poor old fellow getting his front door wrong after a few drinks with a neighbor.

In reality once the sun goes down, the doors shut. No headlights until I go to the gym at 6:45 in the morning.

Today while I wait for the fixit men I will do more carving on the crow block and sit next to my cats as needed.

Til later…

Turning Cooler

Posted on by Sandy Webster

We are covering up a bit more as the temperature drops.

The walks through the meadow have become more colorful.

This last one is like bits of clouds fell into the meadow.

So more small drawings of the changes go into the Meadow Book.

And yesterday I walked along another side and saw this…dried mud in such a lovely pattern,

And this when I lifted the camera on my iPhone.

Lovely light sparkling on these burst open grasses.

When I stepped back onto the road to my house three women asked me to join them in a lap around the block. It was nice visiting with new neighbors. I am sure to see them again.

This morning my old cleaning lady came by to agree that this house is very easy to keep clean and I am very capable of doing it myself. But she did promise to stop by and check on me once in awhile. She will message before coming so I have a chance to straighten things up just to prove we are both right….I can do this.

Tonight my old neighbor/friend/doctor is coming over when she finishes work to share a pizza and play a scrabble-type game while we catch up.

I might be getting more social.

This morning, right in the middle of making another loaf of banana/pumpkin/walnut/maple bread, our hand mixer finally stopped.

Lee had this before we were married 55 years ago. It has done a stellar job. I went on Amazon to find another General Electric hand mixer only to see there is no such thing. I think the company has been absorbed into something else now. All the other ones looked bigger, heavier and proud of how fast they can go. I like a slow speed to gently get into the mixing up part. More research is necessary.

But the other day I did a drawing for a new wood block and transferred it to the block.

I am in the mood for a crow.

And I also designed a new Christmas card carving for white line printing. It was nice of the mayor to offer to cut my wood blocks into the smaller pieces I want to experiment with.

Yesterday was the first day of early voting. I wanted to see the place crowded with a line but not so. Small town with people taking their time to hopefully make the right decisions for our country.

Til later….