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I haven’t written for my blog since March 23^rd. Life has been busy, but it didn’t seem worth writing about, however, life is what I’m here to write about.

I’ve been to see both the Princes Di and the Monet exhibits. Interesting.  The dogs got out while I was at glass class one Monday night. Found out what great neighbors I have. And I’m trying hard to paint. However, the most wonderful happening was receiving Matt’s request to read and critique six chapters; a first draft of a novel he’s writing. I’m so happy that he’s writing and honored that he asked for my input. That responsibility has taken many intense hours full of the gnashing of teeth and belly laughs . . . time well spent.

My calendar is so full that I’m trading events. I sacrificed two excellent art society demos for the five Monday night glass classes that will be over next week. Sometime later this summer there will be an intermediary class I will take.

I’m glad that I took a year off from painting, however developing watercolor paintings is as difficult as it was before. It’s hard to say if I’m glad I’m back into it, because it’s so rough for me. Painting is a huge problem solving challenge. I know this difficulty is partly responsible for throwing me into art quilts and now into stained glass. But I’m back and in over my head, again. Sometimes you just have to drown.

After much sole searching I decided to go back to work for my portrait photography friend. If nothing else, it’s something different to do a couple times a months. I entertain children while Kathie snaps and snaps and snaps. We’re a good team. As long as my health continues to improve it shouldn’t be a problem, which brings us to Weight Watchers. I’ve been monitoring my food with WW’s point system for almost two months. Can’t say I’ve lost much; 11lbs, but I like how I’m feeling and know that a snail’s pace is still progress.

Because I’ve developed so many food sensitivities, in my old age, it’s kind of not an option. I probably had all these sensitivities all along, but the terrible and drawn-out grief my husband’s death thrust me into, threw my physiology way out of whack. Each food allergen’s effect has doubled, at least. Hence, no citrus, (that may mean no vitamin C also), wheat, barley (gluten), nor the nightshade veggies; tomato, potato, peppers or eggplant. And I have to be careful with rice. I’ve mentioned all this before, but it’s become quite clear that these food items also affect how I loose weight. Ya see, I allowed just a wee little bit in, and gained three pounds. Uuuugh !     Out they go !

My contractor is finishing the huge deck pictured at the  head of today’s post. It’s about 820sqft; two levels and a pergola from which to hang lots of plants. Mmm good. This is the culmination of a long awaited dream. The back yard needs only a Koi pond  to complete the dream, but I haven’t yet figured out how to afford another big project. Time & money ?.

My first year in the Methodist Church choir was okay. They did lots of old hymns and a few schmaltzy songs. The group was small and many had little experience. I think we sounded acceptable when we were given good music. I also think that we could have been challenged a lot more than we were. It’s one of the issues I have with the choir. However, because the stained glass project came up, I’m happy to be where I am, and so I guess I’ll hang in with the choir. I might visit the local Lutheran church my neighbors attend this summer just to save gas. When I was just eighteen years old, a Lutheran church hired me to sing; $5 a Sunday. That seems so funny now, but it was a good experience. Because I’ve moved around so many times, and subsequently attended different churches, I’ve been privileged to sing in many different Christian sanctuaries. There are lots of good churches. I usually only contribute by joining the choir, but this time I’ve been presented with the brand new challenge of creating stained glass window ornamentation. I did not have some long drawn out desire to learn how to make leaded glass windows. The whole concept came over me as if it was offered, or presented by the Holy Spirit. That’s what I like to believe. The beginner projects are not noteworthy, but I can see in the simple step by step lessons we’ve been going through in class, some grand possibilities. Think about it; I put aside art quilts without a second thought.  I knew where the glass shop was.  I had heard several times over the years that the owners of Leaded Glass II were mean and difficult. My inner voice urged me to ignore these rumors. Joseph and Kayla, his helper, are fine, pleasant people who seem to know what they are doing and are very willing to pass it along. It’s been a very worthwhile experience. It will be awhile before I get to designing my own creations in glass, but I like what I see ahead of me.
It’s possibly a tad brash to publish these thoughts and ideas on the web, since I barely finished one art quilt before I broke into glass. Nevertheless, I can see watercolors and computer-generated images transformed into stained glass. You may remember the design, The Arc. It will translate into glass as well as fabric. Last night before I fell asleep, I saw “windows” hanging from the pergola that Bob is building on the newly finished deck, and then I saw glass panels hanging in the front yard. Next, I remembered the three thousand dollar French doors with the stained glass pattern of leaves and flowers I’d seen in a catalogue.    Mmm, mmm mmm ! 

I think I’m going to have a good time transforming a few of the Wishwood illustrations into glass creations.

This life is a very interesting journey.

Dear Friends,                    
Last week I showed my watercolor class a computer designed value study (black, white plus a couple shades of gray). Well, I suddenly discovered that the design can be taken apart. This opens up major possibilities for redesigning. Here’s what I did next.

Above is the original blac&white photo of the exterior of a toy store on Cape Cod. The right hand image is the initial result of the computer’s value study achieved through one of the ancillary programs in the Corel suite of design programs. I only own a #9. Corel has produced upgrades above #15. It’s true they do keep sending me up-dates to improve my older schematics, but the ability to take the values apart may have been there all along and I just discovered it. In any case, I’m thrilled.

Below is what I arrived at after playing around with the value shapes. I “played around” with them for hours discovering different ways I could manipulate the pieces and parts.
I am so excited about this design tool. Before, it would have taken multiple sheets of paper, pencils and erasers to achieve this outcome. I do need to clean up the giraffe’s head, but I’m sure you get the idea even if it’s a bit raggedy. I will leave in some of the bits, Bett’s style, ho ho ho, and the tiger does need some of his stripes back.

After translating designs into a pleasing value study, one then adds color keeping within the suggested values of the gray scale.

Many who read this blog may not be into art, but I hope that you can still appreciate the thrill of discovery. This breakthrough came about opportunistically (a God thing) just as I was building a proposal, for my church, to create decorative stained glass pieces to hang over a number of transoms in our sanctuary. This value study method should help implement any design process. I still need to visit the stained glass shop. That should be another adventure. I’ve not cut glass but once before in my life. Anyway that’s what’s been happening here on the home front.
                   Sincerely Having Fun, 
                                   Jane

Hey Matt&Sarah,

I will eventually get the head phones so I can talk to with you in Vietnam. I’ve been hassling with lots of stuff over the past several days; dr appointments, chest xray, blood test, water-softener repairman, and a new handy man. The final closing of the Stow house has launched a whole string of projects. But of course, I slept in late, as I’m getting use to doing. Then it takes awhile for the brain fog to lift. I think it’s lifting.

I’m having a hard time dieting. I’ve not fallen far, but need to boot myself, for I joined Curves. That’s three times a week. So far it’s a real pain, but combining Curves with a stable diet should help me loose a few pounds and gain some stamina. Pray for me.

I’m having a hard time getting to work on a quilt. Since I have several started I really shouldn’t have that problem. I want to get back to the Arc of the Covenant. I may have to ask for help when it comes time to square it up, but that’s a long way off. I don’t know which church it will hang in, but that’s even farther away, for I Hope to enter this quilt in a few shows before it finds a home.

I found a new quilt store in Kent yesterday, and blew a hundred dollars with ease. I specifically looked for lights and then threw in a few must-haves. I like the hominess of the new place and the storeowner. She’s not as ripped as the perky mover and a shaker out at the bright “Spun Bizarre Sweets”.  (Names have been changed to protect the innocent)

I missed another quilt guild meeting. Guess I’m just not interested in what they do. I will tap the shop for some of the wild bright fabrics, for quilters frequent more than a few shops to keep up their palette/stash.

I already had most of the fabric for the Arc so I really should get on with it. I turned on a web based classical music radio station this morn, instead of Folk Alley (folk music). It’s really neat having two web radio stations with such diverse music to work by.

I will eventually get the head phones, but my camera is breaking down. I’d thought about getting Tim to build me a new computer, but now I’m wondering if I really need a new one . . . at the moment. Even though I’m way behind in Corel upgrades, I can design so easily with #9. It may not really matter that Corel is past #15 and into X3. I can try it, but then I’d have to devote the month to learning it. You know, they allow you to have it for a period of 30 days or so, and then you have to pay for it, or it self destructs.

So you see, life is full  . . . oh yea, I’m taking Sally’s watercolor class Tuesday afternoons. I need the companionship of artists far more than I need a quilt guild that makes cute change purses and lively book covers. I should’a known better.  It would be good to take an occasional quilt class to learn sewing techniques, but the specific community I require is my art society.

I think, for now, I’ll work on the Arc, get the head phones, and look for a new digital camera. Everything else can wait, except Todd, the new handy man. He’ll be working on something from the list, every Wednesday.

    I need to take Mondays off !
                Your Frazzled Happy Mum,
                             Ma Sahr
 

Dear Friends, sorry I missed posting something for January, but I’ve two pieces being critiqued in a few days, one an essay called “Soft Abuse”, and the other a short memoir; “The Best Laid Plans”.  

The first month of this year, went well. I figured out a good furniture arrangement for the great room/studio and when Patty came to clean, she helped me move the furniture into place.

I did take-off two weeks to go through bronchitis, but I haven’t had a upper respitory illness for three years because of the Zinc lozenges. I’ve only a little cough and a touch of laryngitis that I can sing over for short periods, so I’m back in the choir. I’ve been sticking to my diet and the scale has proven it. So all in all, yes, January has been a good month, a good beginning to a new year.

Today I shall grace the doorway of a local Curves. I’m scarred to death. Just last night I had a forty-five minute heart episode, but I’d also missed taking my supplements for two days. That’s a big no no. I’m trying to get them in first thing in the morning, with the coffee-milk; . . .  ritual . . .  habit.

Trying to make a new regimen a habit is a big bug-a-bo with me. “They” say that if you do something for three weeks, 21 days, it will become a habit. Don’t believe it. I’d say it’s more like three months, and even then I still have to think about it. It took me over a year to whittle my food down, to cut out all the allergens, and then begin to pick up a new way to eat. You may recall that I had to cut out citrus, wheat, rice, tomato, potato, peppers, and eggplant. Eggplant was no problem, and I’ve been able to add brown rice and light brown rice, once a week.

Fruit is my new best friend. Bananas; I’ve always liked them, but now I make an effort to have at least a half a day. Unsweetened cranberry juice is the new lemon. A fist full of nuts enhance the top of the cottage-cheese-pineapple-sundae I have most every day for lunch. I’ll not bore you with more detail, but I will reiterate that it took a year to make these changes.

Loneliness still nips at my heels. I don’t like going out repeatedly to keep in touch because I’m a home body. I think that’s part of why I keep this blog. It helps me reach out, and I again, invite you to write back.

Yesterday, I cleaned the fish tank and selected a new teddy bear pattern. I’d already washed and dried a raggedy quilt I plan to use to make this new addition to my collection.

I poured copious amounts of the nutrient rich fishwater on all my house plants. This summer masses of containers will flow with lush growth because of this rich goldfish water. I’ve plans to install an even bigger tank. The current one is 36 gallons. Can you imagine a hundred gallon container . . . on wheels, so it can sit out on the deck; April through Thanksgiving. Anything in between is only a baby step; not worth the trouble.

Ah yes, the old house finally closed and now my plans for the huge multi level deck off the back of my little ranch will come to fruition.  That’s where the container garden will grow and flourish and the XXL fish tank will rest.

Afternoon tea at Jane’s, out on the deck in good weather. Might you stop by ?  Maybe its just a dream; a pleasant dream, my dream and so I’m allowed. Do come by. Bring a small job. I’ll help, or we can play double solitaire . . .  or just sip our tea in communal harmony while gazing out the wall of windows onto the sparkling landscape, and dream in green.

Yours Truly,      Jane