More Audiobooks, More Construction

Posted on by Sandy Webster

The last few days have been quite productive on the old screen porch…soon to be sunroom. The days of rain forecasted have put a hold on it for a bit. but we will get there.

I am trying to eat properly, especially getting enough protein. I actually splurged and put two eggs in my spinach omelet the other day. Felt quite decadent to use two eggs in one meal. But I do have a whole dozen left…not the newest nor the freshest, but edible.

I managed to get through a 24 hour Elizabeth George audiobook the other day. She uses so much language! I tried to listen to an American best seller, but found it so boring. Sort of like a hopped-up teenager reading her diary. Now I am well into Louise Penny’s latest Gamache book. I wonder if she will ever get tired of him and just let him stay retired.

The nurse still visits. but I think she stops next week. We enjoy each other’s company. She admires my stamina and clarity of speech…I enjoy her listening to words I have a hard time keeping inside. I will miss her.

The physical therapist comes in about an hour to bat the balloon back and forth with me. The physical hopping back and forth without falling over is more fun than I would have imagined.

I skipped the wine tasting invitation last night. Too much flu going on now and as the physical therapist pointed out, “You have plenty of wine here.”

The last few days have been spent digging out the names and addresses of all republicans in the Senate.  My postcards came yesterday and I needed to make copies of the text I will paste in next to addresses. Soon I will be sending bundles to those who sent me their mailing addresses so they can also send a note to ones lovingly supporting the new leaders of America.

Stitching seems to be the cure. So now I am stitching on top of stitching.

Now it is off to find some lunch and start a big pot of chicken soup.

More later….

A Good Week!

Posted on by Sandy Webster

Another walk to tai chi.

More sketchbook butterflies and Moths.

And the new book cases are assembled in the den. The old ones going home with Patrick.

Then putting most of it away on new shelves sized to fit each collection.

Marla will make the final art arrangements when she comes for Thanksgiving.

The drawers are filled with all the artist books I’ve made and just can’t quite part with right now.

And now on to a new addiction. Rag Rocks. Amy and Marla’s idea to keep me occupied. They even requested some for Christmas.

I have plenty of smooth stones from the landscaping along the side and back of the house. It is fun to make selections. And then ripping up small patches of cloth and threading a needle.

Top side.

Bottom.

Fabrics are from worn out pajamas, WafuWorks’ old Japanese cloth and a bit of failed contact prints. It was painful getting the needle through several layers, so I employed needle nose pliers. Marla has since ordered some jewelers pliers with Teflon grips.  This stone is only four inches across but feels heavy as I hold it in the non-stitching hand. But I do love the feel of these stones once they get their clothes on. I will pick another stone once I have decided all patches are on.

Hold on. I am going to get a glass of wine.

Much better.

I am listening to audio books as I draw, paint or stitch. Right now, at least the fifth book, is Robert Galbraith’s Troubled Blood. I like the main character, Cormoran Strike. J.K. Rowling does a good job with this male point of view. Seems most of the story is relayed via conversations. The reader does a wonderful job of getting all the necessary voices right for so many characters. I especially like when the male reader with their gruff male voice, can pull off the female voice. No, actually what I really like is being able to do something with my hands besides turn pages, and having someone read to me.

Patrick comes today to spend a week with me. He arrives about seven and we will enjoy a drink before a dinner of highly dressed baked potatoes. I was told broccoli, cheese, sour cream and bacon bits are good as toppers. We will likely spend several dinners out. A neighbor and I had a great sea scallops dinner the other night that we started with their new cocktail of expresso martini….a lovely creamy concoction with three coffee beans centered on top.

I decided to take the week off from the gym. chair yoga and tai chi this week. Patrick will be working remotely from here and I will stay with my drawing, painting, and stitching.

That’s about it for now….more after Patrick leaves this coming Saturday.

Til then….

 

 

 

A Whirlwind Visit!

Posted on by Sandy Webster

Marla arrived Tuesday late afternoon. Just in time to ready ourselves for a local wine tasting with delicious food on offer.  The following morning back into the coffee/wine/mail center to count wine orders from the night before. Then home to start Marla’s incredible eye for tweaking my living space.

But first the careful unwrapping of lilacs that daughter Amy gave to Marla to bring down. Many memories of me picking flowers along the road to send to my mother.

Wednesday morning we went down to Blue Ridge to visit a friend, look at art, and have the best lobster rolls I have ever had. Back here to get to work.

The heads finally have room to interact with each other and have a bit more breathing space. Now I can easily get to their right and left brain impulses.

The shelves thinned out in the living room. Isn’t it funny how you think every thing is necessary only to find out that it can all come down to “clutter”?

The best part was in the den. Over four cartons of books and several bundles of artworks were removed to head north to family. I will get a white line print using the soils of Australia framed and put on the wall above the top shelf. What few books on Australia that are left will be boxed up when I am ready and given to the young man from down under who operates a bike sales and repair shop in town. If he turns them down, the library will get them. All my many novels written about Australian characters have been sent north.

I found someone willing to take my larger etching press back to her studio. And when that goes, I can put the newly emptied shelves from the den that set under the window, into that space in the studio. Then that room will only be writing, poetry, printmaking (because I am keeping and using my X Cut machine) and sketchbooks I am still working in.

All my book arts teaching books have gone home with Marla. She still teaches different forms to her group of binders and can put my collection of teaching aids to good use.

And with so many baskets of books emptied now, the baskets fill the shelf in the laundry room.

Yesterday Marla came with me to tai chi and last night we had a spectacular dinner at the Copper Door in town. This morning a quick trip for lavender lattes and bagels at RareBird where we also got some early Christmas shopping done. Then we loaded her car up with all the cartons to go north.

After lunch it seemed a good idea that she head home today so there would be less time on the road tomorrow. As soon as company backs their car out, I put their linens in the washing machine. Now to fold and put away. She will message when she gets to her motel in Kentucky.

The cats are missing her already. I will take a walk around the neighborhood before cooking a frozen pizza for dinner.

Dilly has retreated to my rocker.

Til later…..

 

Scattered Day

Posted on by Sandy Webster

The last of my dogwood blooms.  And what is looking like the arrival of Spring. I have added some succulents to the pots near the porch that gets full sun. And added more ferns to the shady areas. It is such a small area to look after compared to what I left behind in the “thens”. And even this requires the glancing look of the yardman I brought along. There was a local master gardener sale here just up the street this weekend. I did not go…what would I buy? where would I put it? I am quite sure there were no exotic Asian-looking trees for the front yard, so stay away. Do not buy those wonderful nasturtiums that have such large lotus-like leaves when you buy them and then once potted, they hardly seem happy to put out pitiful little ones that all seem to lean back toward where they came from. No more nasturtiums for me! I have filled the large pot they were in last year with sticks, dead branches my neighbors were trimming away. I like the look of a pot full of dead branches. Not sure my neighbor does…but I don’t like his gas tank and these help disguise the view. Plus I don’t like seeing his perfectly shaped and quite thriving bushes near that ugly gas tank. I will be collecting more dead branches for the fern pots out front. there is a theme going on here. The look of “less is more”. Dead branches cost nothing and look “good” all year.

Today I decided to sew the shirts I cut out yesterday. There was this lovely two-layered cotton gauze cloth I saw on the internet. So bought the only two colors I thought I’d wear. BUT when buying gauze fabric one needs to buy at least one and a half times the required amount. Once washed and dried, it simply puckers and shrinks into much smaller yardage. So the pattern my friend Jude in Tasmania made from my favorite shirt was looking doubtful to have them made in puckered double-layered gauze. But if I eliminated the cowl collar and gave up placing the sleeve on a fold and seamed down both sides. it could be done.

So I popped the first one (deep blue) over my head only to have it drift downward into a much longer length. No worries. I simply hacked off five inches. Once I figured I could get my head through the neck hole, I just cut a strip long enough to sew around the hole. I still need to hand stitch the inner edge. It will look like a bias there because the puckered gauze seems very forgiving and cooperative.

So here is what I learned:

Older women hate what is on offer at the shops. This is because unless they are as slim as they planned on being, all store bought clothing is now a synthetic, clinging to every curve, aka “bulge”, and looks as though they are wearing something they shouldn’t.

Trying to find natural fiber like cotton and especially linen ready-made clothing is near impossible.  Why in god’s name do they feel you want darts over sixty?!

And exactly how many older women want to look like they are wearing an off-cut of a Pakistani table cloth?!

So buy the fabric, regardless of the cost, use your favorite patterns and wish that the best seamstress ever, Jude from Tasmania, lived right next door.

Earlier this week I made savoury scones…ham, parsley, onion, cheddar and parmesan cheese. They are the scoop kind to save time and over-kneading.

They make a good quick lunch and a filler served with a tossed salad for dinner.

I did find time to add another Philosophical Consideration.