Oops, the truth about my numbers!

 Ooops, I mis-spoke when I said that I was at #900. I think I WANTED to be at that, but, alas, I've still a little ways to go.
This CD collage got mailed off the other day, going very far away, I hope it makes it. It's #891.

#897

 Last night, while watching the wonderful PBS series ART21, which included Ai Wei Wei and El Anatsui (love their work,) I sat still and made 6 pieces of Mail Art. I was so inspired!

My friend Val wants to know the relationship between the music, the postage stamps, and the text. You decide. What could it be?

 I am so fond of this kind of Iris. These are, unfortunately, not in my garden. I spotted them on a walk in my neighborhood.

 Here is what my back garden looked like before I started the re-do. I didn't like those pencil trees at the right, creating a "wall" as I entered from the back gate. The pines along the fence were dying slowly from lack of sunlight. The entire area looked too stiff and regular for me.

Here's the re-do. It's not completed yet. Since this photo was taken, the round stone has been removed and a rectangle in it's place. I've planted more in the front section. I can't wait til everything comes up, so I can see what else to plant there. I'm definitely pleased with this  arrangement. My friend Shelia, made it happen. Less formal, for sure. Now to find a tree that takes morning sun, for the left corner behind the potted bamboo. Any ideas for me? I'd like it to get as tall as the fence.

A weekend in the dark!

 This weekend was the 20th annual French Film Festival. We spend a part of each day in the dark watching shorts and feature length films. The films are shown at a historic movie palace, the kind with a chandelier hanging down from the ceiling and a balcony. The seats are so uncomfortable, and many people bring pillows to sit on. People also pack lunches and dinners. We saw some terrific films and it was nice to meet the film makers, and for me, to speak a bit of French again. Go HERE to see more about one of the shorts that I liked a lot.

 I managed to keep up my practice during breaks from movie watching. Fortunately, we live only a 10 minutes walk from the movie palace (The Byrd.) Do you know this piece of music?

 Here are some lovely irises that we saw on one of our walks home. Everything is blooming early. Someone told us that irises are a month early. Wow!

 Well, that time of year is coming up again. The 2nd annual Skull appreciation event. There'll be another mail art call and you are invited to participate. Click HERE to get the details. I do hope you'll send something. If you haven't made mail art before, do for this event. It's free, there's no jury, and your work will be on display at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia!

Now that the work is on display on the 1708 Gallery on-line, I can post it here. This is the collage that I just completed for the 1708 Gallery exhibit and fundraising auction this year. It's 18" x 24" (45cm x 60cm appx) and is made from torn paper topo maps and thread. It's framed in a simple black frame. I hope it's well received.

End of the week!

 This is one of the pieces of mail art that I took with me on Monday to mail from the Postal Museum. I was playing around with oil sticks. I don't know that this ever dried properly and I hope it made it through the system without gumming up the machine.

 The National Postal Museum. What a treat to see it again.

 This is one of many views of the Jefferson Monument with Cherry Blossoms around it. The sun had finally appeared from behind the clouds and briefly lit up the dome.

 Juli took this photo of me, deep at work on the display table, making mail art.

 It was a very busy week between the D.C. visit and today. Among other things, on Tuesday we went to VMFA with friends for lunch,  and to look at the statues of The Mourners again. So beautiful.  

This morning, I walked to the Science Museum for Spanish Meet-up and on the way back took photos of flowers. Everything is in bloom, or about to bloom. Do you know what this plant is? I don't. It's a bush. The flowers are so pretty.

 This iris is growing against my neighbors fence. Childhood memories are full of irises, because I'd take them from neighborhood yards and bring them home to my mother, to her delight and chagrin. I knew she loved that flower, but she disliked me taking them from the neighbors yards.

Some brilliantly colored tulips.

 I haven't made much mail art this week, as I've piled my table full of papers, including goodies from the Postal Museum. (my excuse, weak as it is, cause you know I make M.A. anywhere.) This weekend, I'll neaten things up and get busy. 

I have continued, however, with my daily piano practice. 

Some images...

For some reason the photos of the irises and the tulips, which were taken using my cell phone, look somewhat like watercolours. Spring has sprung. The tulips are all over my neighborhood but I've only seen one iris in bloom so far. The ones in the vase came, alas, from Trader Joe's (yes, I finally made it out to the far west end of my city to shop there, and quite honestly, it was worth the drive.)
Ryan, our 8 year old cousin, was visiting for Passover, and made this lovely addition to Smitty "bedroom." I don't know how much Smitty dog likes it, but we sure do.
I'm showing you my old, and only bicycle, which has a flat tire, but will soon be put in working order. My neighbor wants to take me on an excursion. He'll be fixing up my bicycle in preparation. I've been to the gym 3 times in 2 days to ride a stationery bicycle to get myself prepared, since I haven't ridden my bicycle since I broke my arm 3 years ago this coming June. Here's the thing, the bike had nothing to do with my breaking my arm. What accounts for my not riding my bicycle since then? Fear? Could that be it? I'm going to over-come it and see where my neighbor leads me. I'll keep you posted on this.

Spring in Richmond

My dog and I enjoyed seeing all the flowers on our walk the other day. Huge purple irises planted by an apartment building, a single yellow tulip in my neighbors' yard, big pink blooms on the...oops, forgot the name of the flower, on the bush at the end of the alley, my deep fuschia azalea bush in the back yard, which I trimmed back a lot last fall and now has bigger blossoms, though I'm not sure I did the pruning correctly. It's raining really hard today, with thunder and lightening earlier, I think the blossoms will either be very bruised or even better looking next time I'm out on a walk.

Moments of Joy

My friend/neighbor Jan
created a list of moments of joy on her blog. She got me to thinking about those things that bring joy to my life. Here are a few of them.
Seeing Irises in bloom takes me back to my childhood, when I'd pick them out of neighbors yards on my walk home from elementary school, so I could present them to my mother, who LOVED irises. I feel joy when I see them. The neighbors probably weren't so joyful seeing how many of their Iris blooms were gone.
Playing the piano brings me such joy, even if I'm just playing Hanon exercises. Getting a new piece of music, and being able to play it pretty well right off, brings me joy. Yes, I can play Besame Mucho! Getting land mail from my mail art friends is pretty joyful. Sitting in my chair by the back window upstairs, reading a book, seeing birds in the tree just inches from my window, that's pretty great, too. Just writing about this is making me all warm and gushy. More to come...