Checking 'em Off

Getting stuff done this week, after the short vacation. Planted the deck and front triangle. I really love to garden--it's just that I am hot weather intolerant. I'm glad to get things planted before every day is 90º+. The perennials look better than they ever have. Is it because I haven't worked in the garden in two years?

Fused glass today--experimenting. I used frit dust, screen, leaves, and a Christmas idea. When I open the kiln tomorrow, maybe there will be something that worked.

Planning Art Camp for the kids. Wrote their letter tonight, smiling the whole time. We will have so much fun next week. I am enjoying planning the art projects, their timetables with snacks and 'recess' interspersed with art.

I have really been busy--with everything except painting. I hope I get to it before the summer is over. That's my plan.

R & R

We left graduation, which was dear and touching, and headed for the hills--literally. A little rest and relaxation at Gorham's Bluff in North Alabama. We are staying in the lodge on the top floor--maybe 50 or more steps I lose count every time! We are winded every time we get to the top. Nice place, great food, great view of the Tennessee River valley. We have read books, taken naps, ridden bikes, enjoyed a non-scheduled day. The first people we met had connections with my school! One's kid had gone there years ago. One guy was on the accreditation committee! It is truly a small world. Anyway, we are headed back home tomorrow, having rested and relaxed. So nice.

Last Day

Today was my last day to teach kids at school--vacation is upon us! Well, after rehearsal and graduation. But, still. I brought home mountains of materials for planning and will leave them until the week before school starts. I do that every year. M made me a spreadsheet so I wouldn't have to do that but I was afraid I would need all my papers too. I swear I plan to de-clutter. It will take courage to throw out potentially good art lessons.

There was a supper party for the faculty last night, given by the graduating parents. It was really nice. Those people had the greatest vegetable garden. Raised beds--surrounded by flagstones? or slate? Anyway they already have tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, lots of greens, herbs, squash. Goal: buy some plants for the deck and front garden before June. Wish we had some sun so we could grow tomatoes--will just have to go to the farmers' market every week. The parents of the graduates were very nice, appreciative of the art program, etc. Most of them have been there 10 years, some even longer. Their children have grown up and become fine big people. I will miss them. I hope what they learned in art class will stay with them as they move to another experience. JS said:"I am not a teacher, I am an artist. I am a midwife to my students." I've been thinking about that all week.

Loppers

Loppers are wonderful inventions. I had fun this afternoon walking thru my jungly garden, cutting branches and dead stuff. I am admittedly not very strong, especially after shoulder surgery, but I am a mean limb chopper with my trusty loppers. But feeling my muscles do stuff reminds me of another goal--that's what this blog started out for--goal setting and accomplishing them. I am going to get strong. This summer is my chance to get into the habit of strengthening exercises--they say it takes 3 weeks to make it a habit. Or is it 3 months? We have the wii fitness programs, yoga dvds, a pilates vcr tape, free weights,a big ball, stretchy bands, a ballet tape that belongs to M, a track, a gym!, a lake to walk around--and time.

Ballet and Bluegrass

I went to a ballet recital yesterday. My granddaughter is 6, long legged and gap-toothed. She was all dressed up in her clown suit for her tap dance at the theater. I was so proud of her--I don't think she gets nervous about that kind of thing. She just gets up there and does her job--tap, tap, step- ball-chain, right on the beat. Her favorite part was the applause and a bouquet of flowers.

I also went to a Dillpickers performance yesterday. It was at this little bar/joint in Springville--a 2 hour drive from the recital. The 'Pickers have played there once before--on Halloween when everybody was dressed up. So it felt familiar. Three ladies are the warm up band--they own the place. They sing old tunes in a nightclubby kind of way. The piano player is amazing. The 'Pickers played 2 sets to a really enthusiastic audience. Standing ovation. Encore. Another encore. Then the owner came out of the kitchen with his hands all floury and said he would make them biscuits if they would sing a special song for him. So they played for 20 more minutes until the biscuits were done. The audience enjoyed it all. The only thing missing was a bouquet of flowers. The honey-butter on the biscuits had to suffice.

Get-It-Done Day

Today was one of those days where I checked things off lists. I walked and went to the gym. First time to use machines since shoulder surgery last summer. Ate lunch with Pops, sitting outside in the breeze watching people walk by--nice! Then the museum to pick up a kid's artwork, to a friend's house to pick up my card table (she had left it by her door with a bottle of wine! and a nice hostess gift from a shower. Then took new grandbaby's picture to be framed for the family wall, nice chat with framer.
Then Sam's and the store. Sat thru the long traffic light 3 times before I finally got home around 3. What do women with 2 jobs and little kids and no time do when they have a list a mile long? I love having a day to take care of business. I am so blessed in my life!

Fused Glass

I have been fusing glass for maybe 10 years, working with my friend Mimi. We both have a little studio in our homes. We share the glass and work together once a week. We even have a website www.great-glass.com. Nobody looks at it, but it makes us feel modern or something. We worked today at my house. I made a round bowl like one I made a few years ago. (See picture) But it's not as much fun to re-create something as it is to make it up new. Mimi was re-making a plate that is a great design, but been there, done that. This summer we will learn some new techniques, try new things. I am including the glass work in my art goals for the summer. What I really hope happens is a creative urge that feeds off itself. More color, new ideas, trying new things.

Pass the Dustrag, Please

Today was the last day to finish art projects for the year. (Next week is Portfolio Day when they get to take their whole year's artwork home--we play pictionary and decorate portfolios) So, today, some kids were at loose ends and horsing around. I made a loud statement that since they didn't know how to use their free time, I had some chores for them. You should have seen them scramble to find something to do! Busiest people I saw all day! Except for A. who came over and sorta begged me to let her dust. She immediately went over to my VERY dusty bookshelves and started cleaning. And cleaning. And cleaning. The bell rang, and she was still cleaning. I pushed her out the door, thanking her as she left. Sometimes she gets that involved in her artwork too. Nice kid.

Whoops.

I titled the last post-Oh, my soul!-because of what a kid said yesterday in one of my classes. He was talking to his friends about the rest of the afternoon and said "I am so glad we don't have math at the end of the day, it robs my soul!" I was so glad he had art class to sooth his soul!

Oh, my soul!

Teaching school is a multi-layered career. I teach, I cajole, I push, I cheer. The art show came down today and the walls are bare. It is so sweet to have a third grader come out into the hall, stop, grab her stomach and say "Oh, no! Where is the color?"

It's a Jungle Out There

Sunday was a cool, crisp, gorgeous day. Pops and I packed a picnic and walked down to the ecoscape. Everything is blooming, lots of bees. We ate lunch, savoring the time. Then we walked into the woods, following the path around the back of the acreage. I read somewhere recently that your blood pressure goes down when you walk in the woods. Anyway, we decided to walk through the undergrowth and trees up the hill to the back of our house. It's a jungle out there, I'm telling you! And a zillion poison ivy plants. We made it--no snakes, ticks, or poison ivy rashes (yet). It's so nice to take the day off and really experience my surroundings. This is one of my goals this summer. That, and taming the jungle in my garden.

4 Generations

Yesterday we celebrated Mama J's 85th birthday with four generations around the table. Everybody was there except our dear Singapore ones. It was a great day for many reasons. It was our first weekend 'off' in a really long time. I like to cook. I made potato salad and banana bread. The kids came with their kids. The great-grandmother was the star. And all the mothers because of Mother's Day. We played. We ate. We blew out the candles (just 4, not 85!) When everybody left, quiet descended.
We anticipated, we enjoyed, we smiled at the memories. It was a great day.

The Roof

We have a leak in the roof. I don't know how long it has been there--we had two years of drought. It showed up when it finally started raining. I say this as I read facebook pages and e-mails telling of the disaster in Nashville. So many people are just wiped out. Did they have a chance to save the baby pictures? Their pets? Their computers? The only good thing I have read is that everyone is pitching in to help--neighbors, family, friends and complete strangers. They will rebuild in time. Meanwhile, I will go outside right now and hold the ladder for Pops as he patches the roof.

My kids call me a bird geek--we have bird feeders on the deck. Sometimes I lose a morning, watching those purple finches, chickadees and cardinals. When a goldfinch comes, I have to call somebody and tell--they are so beautiful. Well, all this bird talk brings me to what's on my mind. That oil spill in the Gulf is so distressing. How will it ever get cleaned up, with thousands of gallons of crude still spewing? I've been thinking about the shore birds. I took a great picture of a bunch of pelicans tussling in the water. I think birds are going to show up in some paintings this summer. Step one.

Starting a blog...

I'm looking forward to summer vacation--planning art camp for the grandkids, planning art camp for me. I hope this summer will be productive and not morph away while I'm not paying attention. Plans: begin painting again. Start a series. Play with those shadows on the wall next to the garage?? Try something different with the fused glass. Get organized.

Maybe if I write about it, I'll feel motivated to have something to show?

Now, I have to figure out how this blog thing works. I am pretty hopeless understanding this web stuff. But if iMollie can do it, I can!