A new regime will start - tomorrow!

 We had a crazy week, our first week home! My honey had to install his exhibit/exposition at the gallery with help from friends. It looked great and the openings were successful. Yay! Relief. AND we had a cousins fly in from Los Angeles to surpise us and they DID! They arrived at the preview opening directly from the airport. Wow!

Today, we went to the VMFA with them. I fell in love with this Egyptian falcon. Oh, to own a little replica would be super.

I, also, love this Egyptian head. The way the line of the stone goes across it is so gorgeous. It's hard to believe that these are so old. There is also this nagging in my brain - why are they here and not in Egypt? Okay, I won't go there; I'm just glad I'm able to see them.

Now everyone has gone, we're ready to start our re-entry into our regular lives. Tomorrow, we start the regular regimen, tomorrow.

 Here's the back garden in our spring-like weather that we had for a few days. Now it's colder and snow is predicted. That's crazy! Not happening!

The patio looks nice and I'll be happy to sit out there with my coffee soon.

A friend in San Francisco sent me a typed letter. She posted about typewriters on her blog. 
I got inspired to dust off my old typewriter. I can't believe how heavy it is considering it's a portable. Oh, right, I'm used to my little laptop computer. In any case, I got it out and it still works and the ribbon still has ink in it! Cool, right? I went on-line and found a source for replacement tapes and ordered 2. This is going to start a whole new (old) thing for me. Typing letters! All I have to do is clean off a spot on my work table. Fun ahead! Do you have a typewriter? If yes, what kind?

A big shell, the tempest, and some Mail Art

 Last week, when I went to see the Peruvian embroidery exhibit, I strolled around the Lora Robins gallery and stood in awe before this gigantic clam shell. It's enormous. I wish I'd put something next to it so you could judge the size. Okay, my head would fit inside for one thing.

 Last Monday, we had torrential rains. They came so fast and heavy that we had an instant flood. I snapped this through my screen door. Sheets of water fell from the sky.

 This is #303 in a series I started the other day. The line is from a drawing by a 3 year old.

 In France, a friend gave me several old calling cards. I rediscovered them this morning and laid out four cards.

 I went off to Spanish Meet-up then went off to see an exhibit, which was fabulous and inspiring,  called Art=text=Art.

 I couldn't wait to get home to finished this series, #304, 304a,b,&c.

This was the only card with no black border so I felt like it need more to it. I added the rubber stamps that make it look so official. What I couldn't find were old French postage stamps. I used to have lots of them. I found tons of other countries.  The stamps I used are pretty old ones, so that worked fine.

More post hurricane and mail art

 By the time we took our walk on Sunday, the tree that had fallen on our side street, had been cut up and stacked. (View looking toward Davis St. from our alley.)

 Another photo from the kitchen window while the wind was blowing and the rain falling. The gate between the two houses was blown over and the roof on our neighbor's storage shed (red shape on left) was caved in.

 This tree lost a big limb which landed in the street, hanging by a thin strip of bark. (On Floyd by Strawberry St.)

 Lots of police tape everywhere.

 Late last night, after all the excitement post hurricane, and lots of cooking an eating en famille, and the book club meeting at my house (cause we had power) I went into my studio and altered a landscape card. There are Renoir's dancers on a lily pad.

I made this alteration this morning. The figures are from a 1965 magazine. Very fashionable ladies, taking the short cut route to town, through the lake! ha ha ha. I'm amusing myself with these alterations.

About the hurricane and mail art

 I got a book of Landscapes of Canada postcards from my friend in Ontario. I'm having a challenging fun time altering these cards. I made this one on Friday, with the hurricane on it's way.

 I made George in the lake during the power outage while it was still daylight, so I could snap this photo with my cell phone and send it on to the MailArt365 blog.

 Here's my bounty of potatoes from our CSA, garlic and basil from the farm in Maryland where M worked for a few days with her friends. We're all set for some good eating.  We have a gas stove and oven so cooking food was possible even with the power out.

 The wind was blowing when I took this photo through our kitchen window. The little tree to the left was waving like crazy! The leaves layered the patio like a carpet of green. When it was all over, my honey filled 7 big bags with them.

 Yesterday, we took a walk in the neighborhood. The old tree in Paradise Park had fallen over missing the houses and a car. The only thing, it appeared, was some damage to a wood fence.

 A closer look at the fallen tree.












A tree had landed on this house. The odd thing was that trees mainly fell across streets.

 This is our kitchen on Saturday while the power was out. We were the lucky ones that we were without power during daylight hours. It came back on at 5 p.m. Many, many people are still without power, including N & J. Their food is in our refrigerator and freezer, so we've been taking meals together. Nice. 

The paper lanterns melted and unraveled in the storm. We wondered at first what those thin strings were at first. Aaagh, the lanterns. Needless to say, my honey removed the remains while cleaning up the leaves.  The nice thing about the storm, people calling each other to find out if they were okay, and afterwards people coming out in the neighborhood to see what had happened and hanging out and chatting.

Yesterday's mail art and some other stuff

 When I posted these on my MailArt365 group site, someone commented on their complexity because I'd been so minimal recently. And I do prefer minimal, but...

 I discovered that I still have a few of these commercial cards left over from a tin of them that I was given as a gift. They called out for alterations.

 The last two needed tape to obscure some element that I didn't particularly like, compositionally. I think Washi tape is like another default for me. If it needs something USE TAPE!!

 I've temporarily moved my essential mail art materials into kitchen along with the computer and scanner, to work there, while the A/C installation is going on. It's pretty nice in the kitchen with the overhead fan whirling away and the blinds closed. It feels coolish and a bit less humid.

  I was able to complete today's mail art early. It just all came together. I'll post that later today. It's minimal (or Mimimal, as Katerina says.)

 These macaroons (macarons) are made by someone we actually know. They were made for a fundraiser, which we attended. They were so delicious and beautiful in colors related to the event.  Veronica must have a mighty good dehumidifier to make macaroons in Richmond VA USA. You can see her web site here.

Yesterday, it was less humid so I sat on my patio bench to read and drink some iced tea. It was so lovely. This is the view down the walkway to the front of the house. Just beyond that gate is our broken, soon to be fixed, A/C unit. Isn't this a pretty view? The plants on the left are what I call "four-o-clocks." They bloom late in the afternoon. I have white, fuschia, and yellow blooms. They make me smile because they were all around my neighborhood, when I was growing up. They're my nostalgia flower. Do you have a flower,  that you remember from your childhood or a special time in your life?

Monday, cool mail art and more.

 This series is my "Sunday, oh it's so hot in my studio I have to work with cooooool colors."

 I had a good time going through the box of color paper finding ones that were cool.

 Choosing the colors to layer to best effect was fun. It's like playing!

 I gave these mathematical titles and added the ink line for action, since the coolness made activity seem possible. Otherwise, I stay still or move slowly. Yes, this is how I've come to understand the need for iced tea, a fan, and moving slowly.

Oh yes, our Air Conditioning is no longer working. We have so many windows and so little window covering, oh for awnings and shades!

 Today is day #265 of the 365 project. I made two more Tiny Town cards today to commemorate that I have only 100 more days to go.

#265 "Bernie was a body building enthusiast. The women of Tiny Town found his visits a visual treat."  This is actually a photo of Bernard Baruch, who was a physical culture adherent.

 

For this second card today, I used a painting of a woman by Degas, that was done while he was visiting his family in New Orleans.
The title is "Maylene envied the residents of Tiny Town and their neat streets."
I have a sense that the streets in Maylene's times, and Utrillos actually, were quite messy.

 I was able to have my morning coffee out in my garden. It was not humid, it was breezy, it was soooo pleasant.  This arrangement of potted plants is by my honey. He's quite good at this.

 I got another mini-rose bush, from Canada,  on Saturday night at the supermarket. It was only $2.99, but turned out that I got it for free. The price wouldn't scan, so the clerk told me it was free!  What a surprise treat. I had  one of these in the past and it lasted a very long time.

This is the little cat that N. and SDIL have tamed and had neutered. They already have resident cats so are looking for a home for this lap sitter, with the tuxedo suit, whose been temporarily named Benoit. Is he cute or what? I'd love to take him but we aren't ready for a new pet, yet. If you know anyone in our area (Richmond, Virginia, USA) let them know this little cutie could be theirs. He's going to a shelter in a few days. A cuddler, lap sitter! Puleeeze pass this along.

Wow, Monday already! Duckie, Mail Art and More.

 This morning the pool was calm and Duckie was all alone in the deep end. So nice, less humidity, warm water in the pool making the emerging feel as if the air was chilly. Ah, nice.

This gal went off in the mail on Saturday. The image is of a dancer from the 1930s, photo taken by Lotte Jacobi.
 

 These chairs are outside of the yogurt shop nearby, fortunately not so nearby that I can walk there every night, which would be tempting.

Even though it was humid, I decided to take my breakfast outdoors on Saturday morning. It's like another house out there. I really like it a lot since we've had it re-done.

#217 mail art & other stuff

 This is today's mail art. I'm at day #217 in the year long project but the is like my 422nd or something like that card made and sent. I didn't have a title for this one, but it needs something good. Any ideas?

 This photo is my current profile photo on Facebook. It was taken in 1965 on my first visit to Paris. It was spring, I was there with my mother. I was wearing white gloves and hose and high heeled shoes. oh my. Same hair do and color as I have now, round in a circle. Maybe I'll take another photo in this same spot next time I'm in Paris!

 This is my former student Michael-Birch Pierce, who is now a graduate student at SCAD. He's doing an embroidery portrait. He's going to do one of my honey and I in a couple weeks.

The sun light was coming through the lanterns strung over the patio. I liked the way they looked. It's hot out there, though, and humid. Not good to be out there at the moment.

Post birthday catching up

 So much has gone on since I last posted. On the 30th, I did a workshop using Mail Art as the medium. I'll post more on that next, but I didn't get to do any posting, then came a busy Friday, then my birthday and wow the days flew, though I did make mail art daily. Amazingly!

This is the new patio arrangement, like a little living room. It's been too hot during the day, but we sat out there a couple of nights, and chatted, just me and my honey.

 This is the cake we were surprised with by Micheal Sparks at a happy hour he called on Friday. He's showing Chuck's photos at his design studio/gallery. We were sooo surprised. The cake was delicious, a tres leches cake. We liked it so much that we're having more for our birthday party fun. We're having a pot luck fiesta!

 Here are two things that I got for my birthday from my son and STBDIL. They think the pen will only last 3 years in my case. I'll let you know how long it actually lasts. The other item, in case you aren't a Dr. Who fan, is a Dalek keychain torch (flashlight.) I'm delighted by both items.

Here's our little dove. She sits there so still and pays no attention to me as I poke my mobile phone into her space. Her next is so flimsy. I hope the eggs hatch and we get to see some of those big dove babies.