High School Friends

Okay - I know I don’t want to be the person I was in high school, but I miss my high school friends.  We had so much fun when we were in high school.  With few exceptions, since college, I have not seen very many of them.  I went to my ten year reunion but the people I knew didn’t necessarily come.  I had four kids by then and was thinking about number five.  Most of my classmates didn’t understand.

The one person I have tried to keep up with is my friend Beth.  She moved in high school so was not there our senior year but in New Jersey with her mom.  We kept up as best we could through college, and then her to law school.  We both got married.  We have kids that are similar in age but I have a couple extras.

Last year, her father died and we saw each other for the first time in literally years.  Why is it death brings us together so frequently? 

Today, she called.  She and her oldest, Ashley, are on their way up to New York from the Richmond, Virginia area for the weekend.  They are leaving early evening Friday so won’t be here until Saturday morning early.  She is coming to get items from her father’s estate which is finally almost settled after a year.  We are going to get together.  I can’t wait to see her and Ashley.

CYO Volleyball

In my area, volleyball is a school sport that is now in the fall and is female only.  My sons have all loved to play volleyball and are very athletic.  Consequently, when the Catholic Youth Organization started a volleyball league that goes for about eight weeks in the spring, my kids jumped at the chance to play. 

When my first son started playing, the team always had trouble getting guys.  The teams are co-ed and there were always enough girls, just never enough boys.  The times they are a-changing.  This year, my youngest’s first year, there are not enough girls on his team.  Below are some shots from the first week in powerpoint.

cyovolleyballweekone

Celebrate Your Creative Self - Seascape

In the workshop I am doing this year that is working the way through Mary Todd Beam’s Celebrate Your Creative Self, we are working on a seascape this month.  I have been behind due to some unforeseen and some foreseen life circumstances.  I just started mine today.  This post will be a continuing one with the various phases of my seascape.

 

 

Well, the initial work - gesso and making some imprints and salting - are dry and I have worked on the watercolor part of my seascape.  I had a Pearl Ex-Press palette from some years ago so I decided I was going to use those as my watercolors this time.  Below is the result.  This is still not the finished product.

 

 

April Art Partner Challenge

I finally managed to be one of the first ten people to sign up for the Art Partner Challenge, sponsored by Inka Stamps on The Latest Trends in Mixed Media Yahoo! Group.  I was so excited when I saw the stamp that was enclosed as I do not normally work with photo stamps.

I was driving about 175 miles the next day and thought about that little girl the whole way.  I could envision many items that would go well with her on a card front - flowers, a covered bridge or wagon (I looked for a covered bridge on my travels).  But what to do with the Scrabble tile that was also included?  I couldn’t remember the letter that it was but then, as I started today, I decided she would be Rebecca - for the R tile.

Then, I was in a discussion about techniques and the one where you stamp on stickers and then put the stickers on the card or item was being discussed.  I use to love this technique.  I decided, then and there, I needed to marry Rebecca with this technique somehow.  The result is above. 

Road Trip Report

While I normally post in advance of my trips, the one last weekend was too hectic due to life and prep by the Science Olympiad team to get to my computer and type.  Last weekend, I went to New Paltz, New York for the New York State Science Olympiad competition.

I always help the team load themselves on the school bus and drive down myself.  I do this for several reasons.  The first and strongest reason is I have ridden the school bus before and I do not like the trip via bus.  Second, there are always items that are fragile that need to and they can go in my car so that they are not thrown around on the bus.  Third, I like to have a leisurely time in New Paltz on Friday afternoon.  Once the team is there, all focus is on the competition.  Before they get there, I enjoy myself.

Once I arrived in New Paltz, I had lunch at The Gilded Otter.  The Gilded Otter is a brew-pub and restaurant.  Not only are the local brews delicious, the food is magnificent.  This year I had a delicious burger with carmelized onions and feta cheese on a kaiser bun with my pint of Crimson Lager.  I also picked up a growler for the coaches to share later in the trip.

 

I also took a leisurely stroll through downtown New Paltz.  My stops included a quick one at Luna Blue to get a new pair of earrings.  This is a wonderful store that has handmade, local artisan work.  I stumbled on it during a previous visit to New Paltz.  I have two beautiful pairs of earrings that have wood inlays.

I also made my annual pilgrimage to Manny’s art supply store.  This is a wonderful visit to me as I do not have access to a real art store in my area.

Saturday was competition all day.  It was busy and exhausting.  The team - 15 competitors and one alternate - placed third in the state.  It is a wonderful job by the middle school kids and all the coaches and parents.   

ICE - Who is your “in case of emergency?”

I know this is not a topic we like to discuss in this society.  It usually becomes a family issue with older family members.  The question is who is your in case of emergency?

If you are a healthy mid-life adult, do you even think about items like this?  If you have children, do you think about it in conjunction with their travels?

Here is the story.  My ex had a nasty accident on his bicycle about a month ago.  It showed all the signs - cracked helmet, messed up handlebars, stitches in his lip - of an accident that should have required the doctor to think head injury or concussion at the least.  Evidently not.  Last night he went with his friend to the ER due to a loss of use of his leg.  After finally realizing this was a big issue, he was tranferred by ambulance to the hospital in the area that has a nuerological suite.

So why, do you ask, does this bring up the question who is your ICE?  Because at 11:30 in the evening while awaiting ambulance transport to a different hospital, he thought our 19 year old daughter was the one to call.

This entire incident has got me thinking and I thought we should all think about it.  Who is your ICE - your “in case of emergency?”

Leather Paper

I know it sounds odd - leather paper.  This is a paper technique in Julia Andrus’s Paper Transformed.  I did not have the Perfect Ink Refresher called for in Julia’s original instuctions so I simply spritzed my cardstock with water.

My first attempt did not turn out in any way, shape or manner to look like leather.  I didn’t even bother to try to put it online.

My second attempt was a lavender cardstock to begin with.  It was not a real heavy cardstock so wrinkled up easily.  I did have some issues finding the right ink to highlight the wrinkles with.  This was a part of my first attempt problem.  I also found that I liked the way it looked if I used a stipple brush to apply the ink as opposed to direct to the paper from the ink pad. 

I am also working on a piece that looks more like real leather as it is brown.  You can see how it looks more in the image below.  I wanted the lavender for something specific I have in mind.  The brown was a heavier cardstock.  I had to really get it wet to get it to crinkle and wrinkle up good.

 

Clarkson versus Michigan

My daughter and I, after watching both Clarkson and Michigan play on Friday, were sure this game was going to be a slaughter.  We figured that Michigan would easily beat Clarkson, possibly by enough early on that we could get an early start on the drive to East Syracuse.

Like the shock that most Michigan fans faced on Friday when the score against Niagara was 0-0 at the end of the first period, we were shocked at the play of the Clarkson team throughout the entire game. 

Clarkson kept up with Michigan, even at several points in the game outshooting them.

In the end, after much spirited play and wonderful hockey, Michigan came out on top of Clarkson by a score of 2-1 and is headed to Denver to the Frozen Four.

 

 

Let the Sun Shine

I realize that we need rain as we did not have a spectacular winter.  I do not believe that my area of upstate NY is in draught trouble at the moment but I am loving the sunshine.

The daffodils in my yard are starting to sprout up through the leaf mulch laid down last autumn.  The rain we have had recently is, I am sure, helping with these sprouts.  The sun is enormous for them, though.

Simple Abundance - April 2008

As I began to read April, I was drawn to the introductory page that discusses how sunlit April is.  I realize it is only day 2 of the month but it was sunny both days and my disposition is starting to improve already.

This month we are travelling along the path to Simple Abundance and discussing beauty.  We will touch on personal style, verve, color, art and that bane of all female discussions - weight loss and body image.  Some of these issues will be easy - what color looks best on each of us and how to possibly get the best look for the least money.  Other issues - body image - will be less easy to discuss.

Deal gently with yourself and take from each day’s reading what you can.

Please also check out the joyful simplicities at the end of the month.