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Last Saturday the shades for the porch were installed. Now that western sun can be held in check.

But the weather has changed to much cooler and the cats and I are appreciating the fireplace.

Still getting out for the walk to the river and keeping an eye out for the bear and interesting changes in the landscape.

Friday night I had a lovely dinner and visit with a neighbor here in Riverwalk. The food was very good and we had her favorite Chardonnay – Yellow Tail from Australia. Such a dependable and tasty wine to just have on hand to remember old friends and make new ones. Seeing the inside of another house here was so interesting. Our layouts are very similar and it was fun to see the difference in how we filled our spaces.

And last night I actually did go to the wine tasting night. I sat at the builder’s table with three of his workers, two young girls from the bank he does business with and a neighbor I met on a walk. It was a very enjoyable evening and I would gladly do it again. I will need to have some neighbors in to help drink the six bottles of wine I ordered. The sommelier made good choices for the hors d’oeurves served with each of the wines. It was a good place to get back into being social.

I redrew the bear on a stitchable paper. And just started right in with my scraps.

Finished….or so I think. But a walking stick seems a good idea.

Then I had to do another…..

I think he is almost there….

I draw and stitch while listening to books on tape from the library. British mysteries read by Timothy Dalton are especially good.

Not sure what the next animal will be. Rabbit? Raccoon? Something…maybe that owl…

Anyway I will think of something while I listen to another convoluted Victorian mystery before meeting the men for a movie this evening. We are each bringing our own dinner and drink. I might do a takeout and an old short bottle of wine I found in the cupboard of my former house and just had to bring along. Only one way to see if it is any good and I am likely the only one of the four of us tonight who drinks wine. We all agreed that the original Grumpy Old Men was a good choice.

Til later….

I woke at three to be ready at five for the lunar eclipse….another blood moon but with the fog preventing the warm glow of the previous moon trapped in the Earth’s shadow. I don’t know why I think it is so important that I watch this phenomenon. Maybe because it will not be til 2025 when this happens again.

A nice walk to the river a few days ago.

Five minute walk from my house and I am in the thick of it.

And yesterday the road past my house was paved.

Two days ago I had finished up my crow wood block. It was less than anticipated. So I have put carving aside for a bit until I get the studio set up.

But I needed to get caught up in something…SOMETHING! So settled down to drawing assorted animal heads to clothe in stitched cloth. I liked the bear best and decided to start with him.  Also a bear has been seen not far from my house coming down from the hills beyond.  I couldn’t resist a couple of paws coming out and a worried look on his face. He might not like that winter is coming and bundled up. The bits that are drawn cloth (shirt and scarf) will be finely stitched cloth to finish clothing him. He makes me smile and I am anxious to see what a fox might be worrying about. And on and on….

The drawing is on a six inch square of paper. Years ago I did a series of small owl heads with a partial moon in a deep blue sky behind. I am now thinking that I need to get those old wood blocks back out, print them and then clothe them from the neck down in finely stitched patchwork robes. A loosely tied cord around some fat middles. Anyway I am ready for some good fun and silliness coming off my pencils.

This morning I went to the big home supply store to get base cupboards for the studio that are counter height for the table top Patrick is making and will bring down at Thanksgiving. They are unfinished solid oak and I bought the side panels to cover that ugly board on the ends. One of the cupboards is 18″ wide and holds three drawers 24″ to the back. The other is 24″ wide and the same 24″ deep with one long drawer and a cupboard door down below. A great space for fitting the sewing machine and the XCut XPress die cut/etching press and beds. Marla will hang the pictures on the walls in the studio and we might add a shelf for artwork.

When I arrived home this morning a delivery person came shortly after. She had to hand deliver my package of a book shipped from Germany. It is the original woodcut images of Olesya Dzhurayeva in the Ukraine. She is a printmaker living in Kyiv. The images of her work through the printmaking groups I belong to on Facebook spoke to me like no others. These are from scraps of wood from her war torn surroundings inked with the black soil of her home.

When I saw there was going to be a small edition of this book, I contacted her to see if I could purchase one to not only help support her, but more importantly to have and hold these images.

It is hand bound in a clam shell box about 10″ by 13″. The colors of the Ukrainian flag are on the inside covers of the clam shell box and the book is covered in a “bitter chocolate” brown cover material from England. Three languages are opposite each of the six prints. The whole thing simply takes my breath away. I will say that Olesya has been in several printmaking exhibits in Europe since her work has become more public.

Here are some of the images of the book. The box.

The book cover with the image that first caught my eye.

And the English text between Ukrainian and German.

And how fitting that her words come today. The day Russians are routed from Kherson and the beleaguered Ukrainian soldiers are greeted so joyously.

Now I need to drop her a line to say that her inspirational work and words have arrived.

Til later….

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….