Recent Mail Art collages - IF I can get the hang of posting on my Chrome Book!

#141

#142

Oh my dear friends, I can't believe this but I think I've got this figured out! I was just able to upload two images. Woweee.



I created the Paris one because I'm anticipating our anniversary trip to Paris in January. Yes, you read that correctly. January, where we're most likely to have weather issues. Is this crazy, or what? I'm buying travel insurance for sure.

The second piece, with the music was created this morning for my #creativesprint prompt. The prompt, to make something about one's favorite teacher.
Without a doubt, my favorite, most influential, earliest teacher was my piano teacher, Miss Rachel Marrs. She came into our home when I was a toddler to give my older sister lessons. Mom told me that I would sit by the piano during the lessons and make drawings that I'd give to Miss Marrs. I wanted to take lessons badly but was told that I had to read first, so you can bet I learned to read pretty quickly. I thought she was beautiful. She work lapel pins that were jeweled and seasonal: flowers, American flag, christmas wreath, and such. She brought a little clock with a roll up cover. AND she drove a car!!! That was a big deal, as my mother didn't drive one. Once, when I was probably about 10 or 11, Mom had me deliver some cookies to her as she lived only a few blocks away. I rode my bike over to her house and she invited me in to the living room for a few moments. Oh the thrill! She could never know the ways she influenced me.
We moved from the neighborhood when I was 16 and but I continued to take lessons from her until I was 18. I didn't realize then what a distance she had to travel to come to our home. I went off to college and we never communicated again. Later in life, I sent a letter to an address that I found for her, including some copies of old photos and current ones. I never knew if she got it, but she lives on in my memories.

The music bits are from a very old sonatina book that was my sister's before me. It's pages are yello and fragile. That is Miss Marrs handwriting.

Do you have a favorite teacher?

Some of my favorite things

Mail

Books!

My back garden

sock monkeys

Sock Monkeys: I made the one in the background for my friend and when she died, he came back to me. He's very old. The one in front was made by a student a MICA (Maryland Institute and College of Art) and I couldn't resist buying it, with it's little hot glue tear by it's eye.

My piano

NRRA salt water pool

My studio & making Mail Art

typewriter

 I brought my old machine out recently and was able to get new ink ribbons for it. It reminds me of other times and places and is fun to use, though I have to relearn how to use it - sloooowly I type my words.

violets

Mercredi (Wednesday)

The rainy night scenes are actually from Tuesday night after we went to the opening of the Patrick Mimran show. I waited outside of Franprix while Chuck was getting some wine. It was lovely with the reflections. Yesterday, we went shopping for groceries. Here's what we got. Notice that we got 3 packets of cookies and chocolate bars. Chuck loves those LU and Bon Maman cookies. Also, notice that I used my KootSacs for the produce. The clerk thought that was bon. I got a Comte cheese and a thick slice of Boucheron. The latter is SO creamy and not terribly expensive. I had intended to make an omelet for us after hearing a concert.

The concert was performed by Kiyoko Lerner, in honor of her husband, Nathan Lerner. He's the man whose exhibit we'd seen at MAHJ the other day. We were pretty happy that we'd gotten the information in time to get tickets for the concert. Maya, who is in my French class, and is a pianist, came with us. We really liked the concert very much. The program included Mozart, Beethoven, Messiaen, and Dvorak. We hoped to speak with Mrs. Lerner afterwards and happily, we did. We were all invited to the post concert reception. There was champagne, wine, hors d'oeuvres, desserts. We were very surprised and pleased, of course. We got to speak with Mrs. Lerner (who invited us to see her Bob Nickle print - he was our Prof at U of I, Navy Pier-when we were in Chicago next) and Maya got to speak with her, and her sister, who'd just arrived from Tokyo. There were also many other Chicagoans there and we exchanged e-mails. We finally headed home about 11 p.m. feeling very uplifted by the entire experience. And I didn't have to make dinner!

New Music

I'm so excited! Yesterday, I went to Antique Village with chuck, and while he was browsing for his stuff, I looked through music and found these! I played some last night and it was such fun..I was able to sight read better than I expected. The songs were so familiar to me because they were favorites of my parents. "Besame Mucho!" I love it!