Now where were we? What's going on in my neighborhood?

 At the end of October, while the weather was still warm, we took the grand-girl for a walk to the museum. She pulled "pull-dog" to but fro she needed a lift in her stroller. The pull toy is a Keith Herring wolf sent to me by a friend in Germany a couple years ago. The grand really likes it a lot. She's wearing her favorite spider socks in her starry shoes, by the way.

The weather has changed dramatically due to the Polar something and we are not liking it. We don't have proper clothing for these temps, or shoes.

We're staying indoors this morning, not just because of the cold but because we are hemmed into our neighborhood by the annual Richmond Marathon!! I can walk a block or two in any direction and see people running.

My African Violets are in bloom. Lovely to see them in this chilly weather. A reminder of spring.

I received a box of yarn from my niece M for my birthday. I've been making finger-less mitts and caps out of it. Nice colors! I've been production knitting. I have a dozen pair in my favorite little gift shop NEST, and am participating in a one day pop-up shop mid-December. My wrists will need a rest after this.

 I received this leaf from NSW, Australia. It's an alteration of one of the cards in my Installation last month at the Nowra River Festival. So far, only this card has been returned to me.  We're planning another installation there in May with triple the number of postcards.

These are the cards that I made for Banana recognition day, which is this coming Monday. I'm not sure it's a real "holiday" but my buddies in the IUOMA celebrate by sending cards. This is my second year of participating.

It's fun to have a theme, right?


So this is what's going on these days since we last met up.


Oh and we can't end without a photo of our cat, Bizoo, right?

Saturday night Mail Art catch up

#215

#216

#217

 Gosh, these look nice as a little grouping.  An altered Picasso postcard, a bird in a gallery looking at an image I inserted, a Matisse woman looking out at us for International Woman's day! These are for my 365.2 Mail Art project.

#65

#66

#67

These next three are for my 365.3 Mail Art project - an altered Picasso postcard, an owl hanging out in an architectural setting with an altered window, and a mother and child from a 1956 National Geographic Magazine in recognition of International Women's Day.

















These are the cards Wednesday through Friday of this week. It's already late on Saturday and I've not scanned my cards for the day. I just finished making them, running late today because I've been busy finishing up some knitting, while watching episodes of Firefly on DVD. A very relaxing Saturday!

My African violets are so gorgeous right now. That green plant in the foreground is my miniature rose bush. I don't see any more buds on it, but I'm hoping for another little rose eventually. I am liking these flowering plants very much.

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

Bright spots.

We had sun yesterday and today. Last night, it rained and the temperature went up, so today we have a lot less snow. The streets are all mushy slushy, and some sidewalks are totally free of snow. It's nice to get some clean up before the weekend when we're supposed to get snow again. The snow that decorated my tree has melted but it looked so nice with it's white frosting.
Smitty wore his Count Dracula cape for a walk yesterday. He couldn't walk too far but enjoyed the bit he did. When I got round the corner, I was nicely surprised to find a tiny hand on the pole, formerly the site of The Shelf. Plus a little note that said "good-by Bea." Hmmm.




Two of my African Violets are in bloom. I just love the bright spot in my bedroom. You can see the tree out in my back garden and the snow on the garage roof. The flowers are doing very well even though they never got watered once during the two weeks that I was in Los Angeles. I guess the soaking I gave them before I left and the soaking I gave them when I returned was all they needed. Me gusta mucho estes flores!