The Good things I Put Off Blogging About in 2015

In 2015
Rodeo Red by my dear friend Maripat was PUBLISHED.

This is Bailey, Gwen and Mike's new puppy.

I was introduced to La Chatelaine Chocolat Co from Bozeman, MT. Gwen and Mike brought me back a box in September.
 In March I went with Nancy to the Flint Museum of Art.  I saw some beautiful objects there. I particularly like this vase with blue enameled leaves and cicadas.


 Arianna got Hello Kitty wheels for her birthday.


Arianna got her ears pierced.

My foot was doing much better and I began running again.

Joel and Jennie went to Iceland

Dominic was in a play.

I learn about the artist Giselle after finding a note card at a local thrift store.

Mekayla gots braces and had a roller rink birthday party.

I made a little origami cicada pin. It was a prototype and hopefully a step into becoming creative again.

I met my first Sugar Glider.




Jeff graduated from Ole Miss. 

We celebrate his achievement with dinner at the Taylor Grocery.  

   



I reluctantly went out west and had a BIG life changing adventure.  I saw the murals made from corn, millet etc. at the Mitchell, SD Corn Palace. Outwest I make cashew butter cookies which I call Buffalo Chip Cookies.  These cookies are only achieved with Debbie's vintage potato masher. I saw buffalo and hot pots at Yellow Stone. I saw old faithful at twilight. I saw beautiful etched glass windows at the Old Faithful Inn and I ate trout there.

I visited Fort Worth and went to the Cowgirl hall of fame.

I learned about Art o Matic Machines – old cigarette machines reimagined into art vending machines where you can buy an original one-of-a-kind work of art.

I went to Kansas and saw works by Birger Sandzen. I saw the stirring Badlands and took this great photograph of Bailey.
Jeff moved back to Michigan and landed a job at Ben Carson High School in Detroit.

I curated the Louvre Jr. at the local art festival. Children learned a little art history and collected their first work of original art.

Red shows up in my life.  Red leaves, red shoes, red dahlias, red coats, beet cake, red hats, B12 cream for eczema, a red chair for Maripat’s birthday . . .

My friend had a baby. I went to an owl themed baby shower with an enticing parfait table.

I enjoyed purple veggies.

My nephew graduated from college.

My niece and her daughter rode in style at the 4th of July parade. Cowgirls!

I became a dog sitter.

I began photographing Gwen’s art.

Arianna carved a cute pumpkin but wore a scary costume on Halloween.  Dominic wore a very cool glowing mask.

I went thrifting in Jackson and found some great books at a thrift store and I also discovered City Crepes restaurant in downtown. I made peach cream pie.

I turned a toy dinosaur into a planter.

I went to my grand daughters' soccer and volleyball games.

I had an apple cider slushie.

Mom made Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it was better than pumpkin pie.

I saw a deer gutted for the first time on Thanksgiving. In my brother's neighborhood a dog mauled a young doe a street over.  After getting a permit from the police to take the deer, my nephews carry it across the yard and around the pond to my brother’s house where it is gutted. Horrifying.

I met Oliver AKA Frankenpuppy.  He is the cutest and wackiest looking dog. I decorated boxes for Christmas.  I saw my first Living Nativity.  It was well done.  I took the grandkids to see it. I could see their reverence for God's holiness and his humility to become human.

Kadie and Dan announced they are expecting a baby.

Jeff bought a house.

I made Christmas cookies with Huckleberry jam! Yumm.

 Gwen and Mike gave me 44 North Huckleberry Vodka. Oh so good.
I got a job at Marshall's and I started going to Al-anon.
There were many many Christmas joys!  Including being an elf at Marshall’s.  

This is big Boy Bailey.

YES! More Michigan Pot Hole PLEASE!

Yes, it is possible to  love Michigan Pot Hole, when it's Ashby's chocolaty, chocolate, chocolate ice cream filled with pebbles of chocolate and ribbons of ground chocolate cookie sand in a mud of chocolate.  This is Willie Wonka style road work.  Eat responsibly! 

A Distinguished Profile

A lesser published view of Mt. Rushmore is this profile of first president George Washington. It seems right that his image is the only one that can be seen, at some point, unaccompanied by the other presidents. Being first is a lonely position.

Strength and Humility come to mind when I reflect on these president's service to our fledgling nation. Strength and humility is reflected in the strong and humble stone from which their images are carved.  I like how the portraits are polished to a kind of "spiritual radiance." 
It's fun to quiz folks as to why they think these four presidents were selected for this special memorial. Their many achievements are worth remembering and acknowledging. 

Here I am trying to look distinguished alongside Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.  It's doubtful that any other portrait will be sculpted at Keystone Park, however in a metaphorical sense U.S. citizens can consider themselves as part of the sculpture.  Many of us are like the strong and humble rock foundation from which great individuals emerge and/or are supported.

Bean out West

 At the end of May I headed out west with my friends Gwen and Mike.  On our first day we made a stop at the "Bean" in Chicago.  We arrived at the end of the day as the sun was setting and the early rising moon was bright spot in the cloudless sky.

I really like this photo I took of the moon above the sky scrapers.

I really enjoyed seeing the Bean as it reminded me of a past fascination I had with an old parlor game that uses a chrome tube and a distorted picture which reflects a proportional image in the the tube's concave surface. Of course everything is distorted in the bean, but it is fun like the Fun House Mirrors in Dempsey's Restaurant.  However, the Bean, at least on that night, in the cool of a May evening was more like a magic mirror and was full of elegance and class.  

Painting the Glazow with thoughts of Spring

On March 6 the grandkids came over for mid-winter break.  It was a bitter cold day but Mekayla said something about painting the snow.  Typically this is done with spray bottles filled with water dyed with food coloring.  I don't have the spray bottles, but the snow had a icy slick over it on account of freezing rain the previous Tuesday.  I told the kids that the Inuit have many words for snow and that I decided to name the snow glazow for glazed snow.  The glazow made an interesting "canvas."  Our thoughts of spring made charming images and so it was worth it to brave the cold for a few minutes.  But, it was so cold that the water froze in the containers before our eyes!

Yesterday warmth passed through melting our Spring Dreams and leaving no detectable trace of their being.

My New Friend

This is Bailey.  My friend Gwen bought him at a pet store in Billings.  I took this picture in January and he is a little more grown up.  It's clear he is adorable and he loves me and he is funny and sweet and he doesn't have accidents in the house!  He does get into the trash can . . . but as he he is becoming more excited about the outdoors he should out grown his interest in trash.

Calendar Waste Basket

I made a waste basket from an old calendar.
I used some chip board, and some old harvest gold vinyl shelf liner, clear contact paper, hole punch, and some yarn in mardi gras colors. I found a pattern for a waste can and traced the shape on the chip board. 

I glued the calendar onto the board using rubber cement.  When the glue was dry I trimmed each side and put contact over the images.  I glued the shelf liner on with E600 spray adhesive and trimmed off the extra.  Bore holes around the edges and then I blanket stitched around each piece. I sewed the sides together using a light green cotton thread which I wove around the existing threads.  

I like the results.  The waste basket is contemporary and nostalgic.  I think I would like to make boxes using this method.  

Valentine Cookies

Gwen gave me pink pearl sugar so I made these lovely heart shaped palmiers.  I have made them before but these were the most charming by far.  The large grains of the sugar really accentuated the form of the cookies.  The grandkids loved them.  I also made them hazelnut spread shortbread cut in the shape of hearts. These cookies needed a few days for the flavors to come to a peak, also the dough was kind of a pain to work and required my patience.  However, the results were worth my effort.