Confessions of a Bead Counter

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

2011-06-18T06:16:00.000-05:00

I was made acutely aware of living my life too fast when I was recently pulled over for running a stop sign. Well, I didn't run it, I did a Chicago roll through it as I always do through that intersection. No ticket, but a stern warning.

Love this detail on the side of a duplex.

Made me realize how seldom I slow down - how fast I live my life. I'm now aware when I come to a full and complete stop at a stop sign. I multi-task all the time at work - it's nearly a requirement since we have had so many positions cut.

Took a nice relaxing week off and went to Oak Park to care for my sister's pets. I went with the objective of reading, beading, and drawing at the very least with some movies thrown in.

A redbud caught in transition.

I ended up watching very little tv, spent a lot of time listening to music and focusing on the task at hand (although if I was truly focusing, I would have turned the music off.) I also drove around town with the intent of noticing details.

Beaded beads - the same pattern, different beads. I enjoy playing around with different bead shapes to see how they'd turn out.

Got back to work and really noticed how frantic and frenetic people are to get things done. At first I was telling people to slow down and breathe. They thought I was nuts. I was able to focus on one thing at a time, but by the end of the week, it was becoming difficult for me to focus on one thing at a time - you get pulled so many different ways.

This past week I found myself becoming frantic and loosing my concentration. I made a little sign that reminded me to be present. To focus.

View from my window at work.

What I find distracts me the most is having creative thoughts run through my mind. I guess I'm a day dreamer which makes concentrating on numbers difficult at times.

Today's quote comes from Marilyn vos Savant: Multi-tasking arises out of distraction itself.

And another quote from Ms. vos Savant: A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night.

Stuff

2011-05-14T10:15:00.000-05:00

At what point does our "stuff" own us instead of us owning it?

I guess I've always had a hoarding tendency - "that'd be cool used in..." So I'd save pieces of paper, telephone wire, anything that I thought might be cool used in a piece. I often don't have a piece in mind when I buy the stuff, but think it's so cool that I must have it!

I recently got one of my father's desks. I love it. Underneath the top (which used to be part of a couch that Dad built when I was young) is an artwork done by a child in orange crayon. Circa 1964, I guess.

See all the stuff that I've collected to make Art? That's only part of it. I have much more that is out of the camera's view (on purpose). That stuff crammed into the shelves behind the desk is not beading stuff - mixed media and paint.

I finally began to tackle sorting my beads. I knew I had a lot and wanted to go through them to let some of them go if needed and first and foremost, to put them in some sort of order so that I can put my finger on them when I want a specific bead type.

I found that I'd bought the same bead, same color over and over. Funny. At least I'm consistent.
This is a shot after the first gross sort. Didn't take as long as I thought it would, but then a simple gross sort shouldn't.

Not done yet - I have 4 carts filled with beads and thread and tools to add to the sort.

I think the finer sort and then storage is going to be the challenge for me.

I've seen the hoarding shows and Clean House shows on tv where they treat clutter as a negative thing.

Is clutter and having things around you in a sort of chaos wrong? I don't think so. I think that there should be some sort of happy medium - isn't having no clutter at all also some sort of disorder?

I know that I need a bit of chaos around me in order to create, but I also need to be able to put my finger on things when I need them. I see some people's studios that are orderly and clean and I think of Einstein's quote: If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, Of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?

Today's second quote comes from George Orwell: Language ought to be the joint creation of poets and manual workers.

Commitment

2011-04-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

Been thinking a lot about commitment lately.

I've committed myself to many things - serving on the board of my society, exercising, and lately, making art.

For me it was the commitment part that was my stumbling block.

After work sometimes it was the last thing I wanted to do, but for the past couple of weeks I've made a commitment to work on a kit that I bought years ago.

It felt good to work towards completion - I'm not quite there yet - the instructions left something to be desired, so I will rip out a good deal of it and begin again. At least I am not disheartened. It is my current Mount Everest and I will make it to the peak.

Nearly time for the tulips to bloom.

I think that I may put it away and work on something else for a little while, but for the time being, I have made the commitment to do something creative everyday. After all, sometimes it is the journey and not the destination. I just made a side trip, that's all.

Two quotes for today -

The first is from anonymous: There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

The second is from: Peter Drucker: Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.

Time Passages

2011-01-01T13:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Twinny Leben (as one of my friends said) everyone! Here's to a fresh start and new beginnings.

Well, perhaps not new beginnings, but a point to leave some things behind and work and grow on those things that make me me.

2010 had its highs and some very low lows. Learned of loss and of grief, but those feelings lessen a bit each day. Find myself seeing my father in me now.

Bead Embroidery gift for my brother.

Inspiration for the bead embroidery.

Have been working on creativity a bit - rekindling ideas and images and things that I want to do. I have a running list which only seems to get longer. I will have to make the time to make art since it is what makes me whole - it is a passion that sometimes burns brightly, but then can ebb. It is a flow, a fount of me. Okay, enough of that.

Snowflake ornaments - seems like I stitched a blizzard's worth!

So here's to the New Year!

Today's quote comes from Oscar Wilde - Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have been collecting skull beads for a long time, intending to make a necklace out of them - which I will do someday.

One of my favorite things (although I haven't done it much lately) is photographing markers in cemeteries. I find them to be peaceful places. People used to picnic in cemeteries before there were parks. Hard to imagine, isn't it?

This marker is from Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery - where the Davidsons of Harley Davidson fame were laid to rest (why do we use those phrases?) along with some of Milwaukee's brewers (not the baseball team but the guys who brewed "What Made Milwaukee
Famous").

Someone loved this person very much - from Chicago's Graceland Cemetery. It is a great cemetery to visit. Mr. Fields of Marshall Fields fame is buried there, along with many other great Chicagoans. Monuments in Graceland are, well, monumental.

When I go on road trips, I often see little cemeteries and wish I had a moment to stop and take photographs which I will - someday.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Today's quote comes from Theodosia Garrison: At first cock-crow the ghosts must go back to their quiet graves below.

A Day that Dad Would Have Liked

2010-10-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

10-10-10.

I think my father would have liked today - a warm sunny fall day with beautiful colors and the date. I like to think that I note things like that because of my father.

Lake Superior in late September.

My Dad died in late June and I have found grief to be a tough thing to pass through. I didn't do anything creative for a long time.

Another Lake Superior view in late September.

Then I decided to knit a baby blanket for a coworker who was due in late August. I found knitting to be very therapeutic and meditative. It was something for me to do instead of doing nothing.

Lake Superior sunrise.

As I knit, I found that making something for someone else was a good way to rid myself of a lot of my grief. Oh, it's still there and I expect it will continue to rear it's ugly head every now and then, but for the most part it has abated.

Then I went on to decorate a bra for my cousin to either keep or auction off for Breast Cancer research if she so chose. She said that she was going to keep it which made me very happy.

"I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"

I got some help from artists at work on the structure and armature. Thanks Lynn and Marsha.

For a while I thought I'd never blog again. A wise friend told me "it's there waiting for you when you are ready." So here I am, blogging again.

I have been quite prolific lately which has made me feel a lot better.

A friend came over to help me design this awesome necklace to wear to a wedding. Wearing it makes me feel really good. Thanks for your eyes, Susan. She taught me a lot when we worked together to make this design. My sister did the awesome wire work. I love this necklace and had been collecting things to make it with for a long time.

Two of my favorite ingredients are the raw tourmaline (black rocks) and the most awesome Anne Choi bead. The bling is also a favorite.

I also made a necklace with skulls - from a prayer necklace - and I enjoy wearing that as well.

I am so happy to be creating again. My father was always interested in what I created. I suppose in many ways he is my muse. I was so very lucky to have a father who understood creativity and encouraged me to create. He was also an artist and I am designing some things that were inspired by him.

Today's quote comes from an unknown author: Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.

Bead and Button Show Time of Year!

2010-06-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a crazy week.

Learned some new things from Leslee Frumin and Lynne Soto.

Every year I think I'm over the bling and every year I learn more stitching patterns using bling. That's what Leslee taught me - beaded beads using crystal. They are beautiful.

Lynne taught me to use bugle beads in designs. I am having a bit of a tough time figuring out just how to put the components together, but I'll get it, eventually.

Lynne Soto's Celtic Bracelet

Met some nice people at the show yesterday - Andrew Thorton (who is having a big give away on his blog - check it out) and some of the show organizers. What great people! If they are tired, they do not show it.

Managed to keep my bead purchases down so far, but there is a special strand of topaz that is calling my name.

All this and lots of bean counting to do at work and a very ill father makes for a very stressful week.

Today's quote comes from anonymous: You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget. Those are your friends.

Inagottadabeada II 2010

2010-06-06T17:07:00.000-05:00

Julie Miller

This was the second Inagottadabeada. The first one was done in 2008. We skipped last year and this year we are back!

Each year a ribbon is drawn onto a piece of fabric and cut up into pieces. Each participant is given a piece with some pink beads and given only the instruction that the pink section of the piece must be done with those pink beads.

No one (unless they share) knows what anyone else is doing with their section and I don't know how things are going to turn out until everyone turns their pieces in to me.

Sue Rejman-Zember

What I find interesting is how the participants' pieces differ yet how techniques and colors (besides the pink) are echoed across the pieces.

Brenda Schweder

Ruth Maegli

Julie's piece is dedicated to her friend Kelly. See how the beads on the edge of the petals are on their sides?

Sue's piece is paisley - notice the beads on their edges outlining the paisley?

Brenda's piece uses a resin Barbie face - if you look closely, you can see hair!

We all thought that Ruth's piece looked a bit like corn cobs in July. (She worked on it at a bead retreat so many of us saw it.)

Any J Smith

Carla Sikorski

My piece began with the frosted white beads in the top section of the X. I decided to work in monotones.

Addie Peterson

Carla's and Addie's pieces have kind of the same color scheme (but then they both love blue!) and the same composition.

Susan Duehl

Helen Dahms

Helen's piece - she was clever - underneath the bigger beads at the bottom she added some sort of metal or reflective thing - didn't notice until I was stitching her piece onto the frame.

Susan's piece is stunning. I asked her after the last Inagottadabead how she had done her piece and she told me that she rips a lot of the beads out until it looks just right.

After all of that, the piece is certainly more than a sum of it's parts. Thank you to all the particpants. Without them it would have lacked the personality that it has. Here's hoping that it will bring big money in the Bead Social Auction at the Bead and Button Show!

What I don't understand is how blogger works! I'd like this layout to look a whole lot nicer, but blogger is not communicating well with me!

Today's quote comes from Vince Lombardi: Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

Inagottadabeada II 2010

Why is it?...

2010-05-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

That I forget about how wonderful it feels to work on a project? To get into the flow and loose myself in the stream of the creation? I've been working on this year's Inagottadabeada and it looks so awesome!

What is pictured here is the Inagottadabeada 2008. I came up with the idea and found 11 like-minded beaders to join me. Each was given a square to bead with a supply of pink beads and given only the direction that pink had to go in the area on the fabric that was shaded pink. They were not told what the design was, although I know a few of them figured out.

Wasn't the result great?

Inagottadabeada 2008

This piece was auctioned off at the 2008 Bead and Button Social for a very tidy sum. This year's piece is just as cool. It is more than the sum of it's parts.

Well, I have been feeling the itch to stitch lately, but I thought that it was crochet that was calling my name. (Probably still is.)

Bead and Button begins a week from today - a time of year I love. I know that I'm going to be inspired and over-stimulated which is a strange combination. Add to that exhausted. Pleasantly exhausted.

Maybe doing Morning Pages and a little Zen-doodling this time around will help me feel more centered.

Today's quote comes from Linda Naiman: When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play and it is play that stimulates creativity.

Bags

2010-05-18T07:17:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love me a great bag. I have too many, many discarded because they were too heavy although I really love the bag. If it hurts, it's set aside. Donate? Not yet.

The search for a perfect bag can be a long and tedious one. Too heavy, wrong color, right style, wrong size, doesn't close at the top and the beat goes on...

I should make one. Make one that I'll use and love. I have an image of a messenger or hobo bag with a leather gusset and crocheted panels with a lining. Maybe a bead or two. I'll put that on my creative list.

By the way, what does the Queen of England carry in her purse? Mad money? An extra set of keys to the castle? A handkerchief?

Check this blog out - she talks about those black purses the Queen carries.

Today's quote comes from none other than Shakespeare himself: Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor: For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich; and as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, so honor peereth in the meanest habit.

Hello, Magic! Where have you been?

2010-05-16T13:52:00.001-05:00

It's been so long since I've posted that Blogger has changed their interface - again!

Sometimes life gets in the way of creating and somewhere along the way, my magic gets buried. I know it's there, waiting to come out. You know what it is - that thing that happens when things click - when everything comes together and - poof! - what you were creating is complete.

My sister was married Friday and I wanted to make something to wear. By the time I finished shopping for failed projects, I could have bought myself something really nice!

I remembered that I had some rivolis that I bought long ago from Glass Onion Bead Company in Appleton, WI. Found this green one and wanted to capture it in a bezel but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to accomplish it. Knew I wanted to incorporate pearls for a rich look. Tried one netting technique and this is actually the result of the second attempt (is it fair to call it an attempt when I succeeded?), I love the way it turned out.

I actually had made another strung necklace with kyanite sticks, but really wanted to wear this - at what other time would I be able to wear this? With my polo shirt work uniform? Well, maybe. :)

Sometimes I need a break from creativity and I guess my magic's reappeared, so I'll keep working. My other sister thinks that there are steps of creativity just like AA. First one is excitement, second one is hard work, third one is dislike and criticism and the fourth one is excitement when the piece is done!

This week I need to work on a group piece that will be auctioned off at the Bead and Button Social. I've misplaced my piece, but will be able to do it once I get more of the other pieces of the puzzle.

Today's quote comes from Antoine de Saint-Exupery: True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.

Foot in the Door Show 4 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2010-04-11T11:01:00.002-05:00

Wall at the Foot in the Door Show

Went to visit an old friend in St Paul last weekend. The visit was refreshing and it was good to get away from home for a little while.

Heard some great music by the St Paul Chamber Orchestra (which has archives of shows on Minnesota Public Radio. MPR also has an awesome classical music stream which is great for me since there is no classical radio here anymore.)

On Saturday my friend and I went exploring - I love the Twin Cities, but don't get there too often anymore. Usually I'm just passing through.

One of the stops we made (besides Bobby Bead - my friend is a muscian, not a beader and beaders know that any visit to a bead store can be overwhelming) was to see the Foot in the Door 4 Show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Elizabethan Rabbit

I love the premise behind the show. I stumbled across it ten years ago and was amazed.

It's a show that ANY Minnesotan can submit art to, as long as it is 12" x 12" x 12". (Hence a FOOT in the Door) I think it's a great idea - but in practice it is a little overwhelming - as you can see there are pieces on top of pieces and the juxtaposition of pieces may make people miss some of them.

Chicken-headed baby.

Hand made of bent keys.

Marilyn Monroe pastel.

I'm so sorry that I don't know the names of the artists - this is but a small representation of what was exhibited and there were no tags with the titles and artist name. (no room!)

My camera kept using face recognition software when I was taking photos of pieces. I thought that was odd.

Pandamonium.

Troll

I loved this meticulous hilarious piece.

I think some of the pieces were just submitted to see if they'd get in - they obviously hadn't had any thought or real attempt at being artistic behind the piece. Some were done by young children - nothing wrong with that.

Sure didn't see all of the pieces - some were at 10 feet high and even if I liked a piece at that height, I couldn't photograph it.

It was interesting to listen to what people said or how they reacted to specific pieces. There was quite a bit of laughter, but I don't know if it was funny- ha ha laughter or the nervous laughter that one does when they don't know how to react to something.

There were a lot of "I kinda like that" comments as if the person wasn't sure if they should like something or not.

Brick Stitch medallions

A whole piece could be done just on people's reactions to things. What is shown here is but a teeny portion of the pieces exhibited. I think there were about 400 in total, not counting the video pieces which are available online.

In addition, Google has changed their blogging interface and now I can do more with formatting, but I'm not quite sure how to do what I want to.

I have been writing Morning Pages since January 20th. I have been doing them on the computer, so I am able to add photos and other bits of articles, etc. It has been very successful - helped me through some stressful times at work and at home. I also journaled for many many years and this replaces both of them.

I have a wedding to attend in a month and I'm making a piece to wear - so I'll post that once I get going on it.

I also want to make a piece for my hostess last weekend. I've gone through about 4 different bracelets - started them and they haven't worked out as I hoped they would. But then, that's the creative process. Try, try and try again until it works out the way you want it to.

I've been working on a large piece that has been years in the making. I've also cleaned up my studio (which still needs more work.) I want to do 15 to 30 minutes of creative work each day.

Today's quote comes from Aristotle: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Google Translator

2010-03-20T18:34:00.002-05:00

So, a couple of weeks ago I got a comment in an Asian language on this blog - didn't know which one... A friend also got one on her blog and she thought that she'd translate it, so today I thought I should do the same.

This is the comment:辛苦了！祝你愈來愈好！........................... (and I just found out that it's Chinese)

and here is the translation:Worked hard! I wish you getting better and better!

Pretty nice comment. Thank you.

Happy Vernal Equinox

2010-03-20T14:32:00.004-05:00

Happy Vernal Equinox!!!!! Wow. 12 hours of light (no sunshine here today.) That's good for us northerners who have missed the sun. Was 65 the other day and it snowed overnight. That's spring here in Wisconsin.

This is the work of Jim Kelly. He is an American Indian of the Oneida Nation. His work is beautiful. He embroiders and makes bags. This is the flap of a small purse.

He came to the beading retreat last week and we got a chance to talk about Native Americans and their heritage. The discussion reminded me of a book that I was given in high school - Seven Arrows by Hyemeyohsts Storm.

"The Stories are about both animals and people. You will find Stories about Mice, Wolves, Raccoons, Otters and Buffalo. These Stories are almost entirely allegorical in form, and everything in them should be read symbolically. Every story can be symbolically unfolded for you through your own Medicines, Reflections and Seekings. As you do this, you will learn to See through the eyes of your Brothers and Sisters, and to share their Perceptions."

The Loose Bead Society has been lucky enough to have one Native American gentleman speak at a meeting and soon Jim will grace us with another talk about Native American beadwork. I look forward to it!

I'm interested in Native American beadwork and when I was searching for the Ogalala Lace stitch online, the only site that popped up was a Russian site! How strange is that?

This is a pin that I finally finished for my baseball nut sister. I'm sure she'll wear it with pride. It was good to get that crossed off my list of to dos.

Today I am heading back into the studio to make myself a spot to work. And then I hope to do some beading.

Today's quote is a Native American saying: Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.

One more quote for today from Anne Bradstreet: If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

Retreat Time Again!

2010-03-07T17:28:00.005-06:00

Downtown Racine, Wisconsin - Funky Hannah's Bead Shop on the left.

Every year, the Bead Society I belong to holds a weekend retreat just far enough away from home to feel like you're really away from home. We are very fortunate to have a great spot not far from home that has a great hotel right on Lake Michigan. Walk out the door and there you are! Racine, are you ready? Here we come!

I am so looking forward to it - a chance to sit and work on things with like-minded people is always a great thing. I'm looking forward to lots of conversations and laughter and beading!

I have yet to decide what to work on, but among what I take will be the makings of a gift for a cousin. I have yet to decide exactly what I'm making for her - lots of ideas spinning in my head.

I was pretty successful at cleaning out my studio - but still have a ways to go before I can comfortably work in there. Won't happen this week, but soon I hope to have a photo or two to share. What fun I had looking at artist's studios online trying to figure out what I liked and why.

Come back next week to see what we did!!!

Quote for today comes from my sister: Persistance, not perfection.

Keep on keepin' on, everyone!

Completion Feels Good

2010-02-21T14:44:00.005-06:00

Went to a Bead In yesterday that was held by The Loose Bead Society. We had a great time! Lots of sharing of techniques - my friend Mary watched me struggle with bead crochet again (it's been a long time) and I finally finished my chemo cap for the chemo cap crew.

I realize that the sentiment may offend some people, but I think it's funny and hopefully it'll be a good fit for someone who needs a cap to wear during chemo. I made it with the best of intentions. I don't do cute and I don't do puppies and kitties, so here's my donation, raw as it is.

I've been writing down my goals for myself every day - been doing the "Morning Pages" for nearly a month now - and I repeat those goals daily as a reminder. Now I can cross this one off my list. I've also been writing them down in my journal and sharing them with people so that I have a witness. Helps when you share.

Last week I focused on cleaning out my studio and have been very successful. I still have a way to go, but I am happy with the outcome. If I spend a few minutes in there, I should be able to clear a space to work on. Not quite ready to take my beading in there, but soon. Don't want to add yet another layer to it.

Today's quote comes from Margo Kaufman - One person's mess is merely another person's filing system.

Creativity - Nature or Nurture?

2010-02-12T09:08:00.004-06:00

Frost on my stairway window.

Been thinking a lot about creativity lately. I have the ideas, but nowhere to implement them right now and no time, it seems.

Thought of my maternal grandmother this morning as I was casting off a hand warmer. I learned to knit in Girl Scouts. My grandmother did not knit until after retirement. Grandma didn't do canning, grow vegetables, or craft. Sometimes I wonder why - did it have to do with growing up on a farm and making everything by hand?

My father, on the other hand, made many things - furniture and candlesticks and designed and taught architecture.

My parents both are creative in their own ways and support and encourage me to be creative and make things. A woman I know has a son who is an Artist and has recently sold some major pieces of work, but she thinks that he should get a job. I, on the other hand, have a job and should get some Art! Thank you, Mom and Dad for supporting my creative side.

Part of creativity is showing up and I need to remember that.

I have been doing the Morning Pages that Julia Cameron suggests in her book The Artist's Way. I've been writing every day first thing in the morning for 3 weeks now and it's making the ideas come - flooding in, actually.

Today I begin to tackle the cleaning up and organization of my studio. It has been neglected for far too long and I need make a nice space for me to work in.

I have two quotes for today and they conflict:

A place for everything and everything in it's place.

My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

Ideas Flowing!

2010-01-20T20:12:00.003-06:00

Lots of creative ideas flowing through my mind lately, especially when I'm trying to fall asleep. Some nights it's much harder to fall asleep than others.

I know that many of them will remain creative flashes, part of my irregular nighttime rituals, never to be consummated, others I will try and they will not work as I had hoped, and then some will be better than I could have imagined. (Just got another idea just now!)

Sometimes we all have creative droughts - I'm now having a creative rainfall. I write some of the ideas down in a journal in hopes that writing them down will allow me to sleep a sounder sleep.

I hope to get the chance to work on some of them in the near future. I need an Art day soon!

Today's quote comes from Charlotte Bronte: A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.

Life Out of Balance

2010-01-16T13:28:00.006-06:00

This film came out in 1982 - I really liked it then - take a

look - it's short. The entire film (without commercials)

is powerful.

Today I begin to put my life back into balance. I am

optimistic and positive that I will succeed.

Several things in my life have thrown my personal life

off kilter and I intend to right that beginning today.

Today's quote comes from none other than Einstein:

Life is like riding a bicycle.

To keep your balance you must keep moving.

I Heard a Bird Sing

2010-01-12T15:42:00.002-06:00

I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December

A magical thing

and sweet to remember.

”We are nearer to Spring

than we were in September,”

I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December.

Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

Palindrome Day 01-11-10

2010-01-11T19:10:00.006-06:00

Okay, so I like numbers. I'm a geek - but unlike one of my friends, I do not read, nor shall I ever even pick up " The Journal of Recreational Mathematics." That sounds like an oxymoron to me if I ever heard one. But that's me. (And while I haven't actually seen the Journal, I'm told it does exist.)

I have my great-grandparents clock. It's a mantle clock and it never worked until last Saturday when I moved it and it started to tick-tock. Then it began to chime - and I never knew when to expect it, so it freaked me out a little at first. I figured that it didn't work and that this would not last. But it has.

Well, I've become accustomed to that clock. To the tick-tock and it's gentle reminders that time is passing. I like to think of my great grandparents marking the hours of the day (and night) with this clock. It's soothing, somehow.

My Grandmother used to have a number of clocks in her living room (about 6 - don't quite know why) and when I'd sleep on the sofa at night, all I could hear was all the clocks ticking - it would take me quite a while to wind down and go to sleep.

Happy Palindrome Day!

Today's quote comes from Harvey MacKay: Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.

Procrastination... or why I wait until later

2010-01-09T15:23:00.005-06:00

This image looks serene to me, so I thought I'd add it to help me settle down a little bit.

I have always been a procrastinator. It's a hard habit to break. I once bought a book about procrastination and it sat next to my bed, unopened, for years. No lie.

I have before me a large task with a deadline, which makes meeting it a little easier and the reward once done will be well worth the work. I have to move two eight foot bookcases that are crammed full of books, journals and knick-knacks before I get a furniture delivery on Tuesday.

That means not only de-booking the shelves but moving furniture so that the shelves can be moved. So things will look very bad before it looks like I have accomplished anything.

Been very busy lately and have had no time to do much about it but think about it and now the time is here and what am I doing? Writing about it instead of doing it!

Today's quote comes from anonymous: Procrastination is the key to prolonging life. (I like this quote - it was the only positive quote that I found!)

Baby, it's Cold Outside

2010-01-03T09:31:00.003-06:00

Cold weather is okay with me. I can handle it better than the heat and humidity in the summer. Layers, layers, layers... I enjoy the snow and ice - to a point.

I love the patterns that Jack Frost leaves on the windows in the stairwell.

Long list of things to do today before returning to work for a full week. Most of them are chores, but I'll be sure to include something fun.

I wrapped up a wrap on New Year's Day - just have to tack down the ribbons. One more UFO off my list.

Completed projects: (hope to add to this on a regular basis)

Wrap

In the UFO queue (as of right now - more to be added):

Blinging the grey felted scarf I made for my sister
Finishing (adding the pin and the ultrasuede back) the pin I made for my other sister
Completing a chevron scarf
Reworking Romantica (a pattern from Marcia DeCoster)
and the biggie - Geo floral beaded cube by Laura McCabe

Today's quote comes from one of my favorite playwrights, Moliere: Long is the road from conception to completion.

Happy Hogmanay and Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T22:15:00.005-06:00

I am loving the blue moon tonight - lit the path to my door for me. Love the shadows of the trees that are cast in the snow. Beautiful. Cold night tonight - the air is crisp and the moon's light is bright.

Laura McCabe's Geo Floral Beaded Bead

I've come to the conclusion that I have far too many UFOs (unfinished objects) in my queue and intend to make headway in completing them. The first one I will complete is Laura McCabe's beautiful floral cube pictured above. I have one side done. Now for the other five and then to put it together. I love Laura McCabe's designs - she combines geometry and stitches to create beautiful objects.

Once I take stock of what I have in progress, I'll list them here - which is like proclaiming my intentions to the world! Yikes!

Tonight's quote is one of my favorites from Ralph Waldo Emerson: Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

And one more from W. Clement Stone: Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Holidays

2009-12-27T12:50:00.007-06:00

Man walking dog down ravine path in Lake Park.

I like the time between Christmas and New Year's the best. All the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over and it's time to play with your new toys. (I hope everyone got a new toy of some sort or another!)

I made two gifts for Christmas this year and they were well received - a felted wool scarf (which turned out very well but took forever to dry) and a beaded Brewer's logo for my sister the baseball fan.

I'm happy that I made at least two gifts this year. I did buy a handmade gift for my brother - a lamp by Kirkiture, an artist from Pittsburgh who makes amazing lamps. Shop seems to be empty now, but check back. Very nicely done.

Wintry tree on lakefront.

So now is the time of year that I spend reflecting on the past year and looking forward to next year. I have some things I'd like to accomplish next year fermenting in my mind. Time to pull out a journal and begin anew.

Today's quote comes from Ellen Goodman: We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential.

and another from John Burroughs: One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things.

This is Magnificient!

2009-12-13T09:21:00.005-06:00

Viggo's Eye - in progress by Jo Hamilton. Go take a look - you'll be amazed! Never thought of doing free form crochet! (I have trouble following a pattern - maybe this would be an approach to try - although doing work this detailed would be a ways off if ever...)

Saw this on another cool blog Dude Craft. He posts all sorts of cool things that people are doing.

Quote today comes from James McNeill Whistler: An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.

Handmade for the Holidays Part 2

2009-12-12T17:13:00.006-06:00

Frost Thursday, December 10, 2009.

Only less than two weeks left in the making season for gifts... Will I finish on time? Probably not. Will I have problems with a project and have to scramble for plan b (which I don't have)? Probably. Aaackkk!

Went to the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago last weekend. Lots of interesting things to be seen in between the bodies wedged next to the tables and in the aisles. Not a place for the faint of heart or for the agoraphobic. Didn't take long until my sisters were ready to leave. Now.

I did manage to spend some money - some funny cards, a skein of hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn, amongst others.

Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago December 09

Or, as we took to calling it, the Rebellious Craft Fair. I have my theories about these craft/art fairs, but they need to simmer a bit before I voice them.

View from the Amtrak Hiawatha from Milwaukee, arriving at Union Station in Chicago. Cool reflections of clouds and buildings on the Chicago River as viewed from the train.

And, oh yeah, got the Bead and Button Catalog today. Haven't had a chance to sit down to look at it yet. May save it until some chores are done.

Today's quote comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson: But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith's.

Beaded Beads and Art Fairs

2009-11-23T08:36:00.001-06:00

My latest project - cornerless cubes designed by Valerie Hector. The cornerless cubes are the red (waiting for the last beads (the hardest to do) to be added), orange and the green one in the upper left. The rest are simple right angle weave 12 beads/bead.

Went to the Madison Contemporary Museum Art Fair this past weekend... and Jo Ann Baumann of the beading world complimented my necklace (that I had made)!!!!! That made my day. Got lots of compliments on it that day.

There was a lot of interesting quality work at the fair. Don't normally go to them because often the fairs are filled with things I can make myself (but don't). But there were a couple of artists that compelled me and I bought a few pieces.

I enjoy supporting artists and come from an artistic family. I was taught by my father and mother to buy art I enjoy and that when you do that, you are supporting an artist.

One thing I never buy or even look at is photography - and with the advent of Photoshop and digital cameras everyone can be a photographer, but not everyone has the photographic eye. I like my photographs and the way I see light. The limitations of my digital camera can be frustrating, but I haven't used my 35mm in years (it's so heavy!) Digital cameras have changed the way everyday life is captured.

I do enjoy taking movie shorts with my digital camera. Now I have to learn how to put them all together to make a movie short. (I know how to do it with real film, now to learn the digital...)

Sunset as I was leaving work last week.

I enjoy watching the colors of the sky change and having the trees silhouetted in the foreground... but I do not like the absence of light in the evening. Just another cycle I have to get used to.

Have a few new projects in the works and gifts to make, so hopefully I'll have something new to post next week.

Today's quote comes from Maria Robinson: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. (Or, today is the first day of the rest of your life.)

Pickle Day!

2009-11-14T15:36:00.003-06:00

Have a pickle today - it's a Food Holiday according to the food service calendar I have!

Thomas Jefferson had this to say about pickles: On a hot day in Virginia, I know nothing more comforting than a fine spiced pickle, brought up trout-like from the sparkling depths of the aromatic jar below the stairs of Aunt Sally's cellar.

(Who knew there were quotes about pickles?)

Tenacity

2009-11-14T15:24:00.003-06:00

Am trying so hard to work on a knitted scarf. Shouldn't be as hard as it has been for me - it's a simple pattern, but I keep screwing it up. I have started it over many times. Each time I make a mistake, but I start over.

Why isn't there an undo button for knitting? I've gotten so spoiled.

I won't give up, though. It's a really cool scarf. I'll try again later on tonight. I can do it, yes I can!

Today's quote comes from Amelia Earhart: The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life: and the procedure, the process is its own reward.

Karla Kam - Right Angle Weave Beads

2009-11-13T19:20:00.003-06:00

Finally figured out that the new resource for how-to's is YouTube. No longer will I have to search my dusty bookshelves for the directions on a specific project. (btw - LBS people, this is what we'll be doing soon but with needles.)

Today's quote comes from Alan Cohen: It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and the seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

Chicago, Chicago...

2009-11-11T21:32:00.005-06:00

The windows above are cool - Tiffany's. I love the way the artist broke the plane with the leaves that protrude from the window. I think the windows were just as gorgeous if not more than the gems they showcased.

Went to Chicago to catch up with some old friends and to go to a concert one of them was in. Forgot how much I like to look at Chicago architecture. Saw a lot of interesting buildings that I'd like to take photos of and details that I'd like to photograph.

Hancock Tower and the Water Tower that survived the great fire on the left.

The last fall show.

Today's quote comes from Stanley Horowitz: Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.

Alien Song - I Will Survive

2009-11-08T10:46:00.001-06:00

Love this short animation!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T16:44:00.006-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!! My cousin's favorite holiday - even more so than Christmas. I like Day of the Dead myself. Have a great Dead Elvis in a cabinet.

My sister did the cruelest thing to me today. She recently took up quilting and insisted that I accompany her to a quilting store. I was in agony. All this pretty fabric and so many things waiting to be made! I cannot take up another hobby. Not allowed. No siree Bob.

Lake Michigan after a fall storm.

Lake Michigan steely grey fall sunrise.

Today's quote comes from the Scots: From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!

Fall 2009

2009-10-25T19:07:00.005-05:00

This is one of those things that comes with fall, I'm told. It's an Osage Orange which is a tree seed that I've never seen before. I think it's lovely.

I love the color and the bumps. Looks like fibers all knotted together in one giant ball. Also kinda looks like a green brain.

Found these seed pods outside the Alterra Coffee shop. Hard to get it in focus when the wind's blowing!

And the tree right outside my house. Resplendent in its true colors against the October sky.

Today's quote comes from the existentialist Albert Camus: Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

Kinetic Bird Art

2009-10-21T12:03:00.003-05:00

Think I should get downtown and make my own movie (minus the interviews) and let the birds speak for themselves. Don't like invasive species, but appreciate the beauty of this one. European Starlings.

Today's Quote comes from Izaak Walton: Those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art.

Fall is Here

2009-10-18T12:46:00.005-05:00

Fall is here - actually feels like it began with the ending since it's been so cold. I think we're due an Indian Summer. The trees don't seem to know what to do - one in the backyard just decided to drop nearly ALL of it's leaves over night!

I think this is an ash tree and it has always been one of my favorites in the fall since it appears to glow from within. I finally got a couple of pictures at just the right time. Emerald Ash Borers have been found near my city and the thought of loosing all of these beautiful trees makes me sick.

Been working on housey-stuff and I have come to the conclusion that I hate paper! Well, okay, I love paper, but I hate recycling it and getting it in the first place. I also handle so much at work. Have you ever pulled out a file of paper that's just a couple of years old and noticed that it smells?

I wish I could be more paper-free and I'm trying. I don't get paper bills anymore and the internet has made writing checks nearly obsolete. One step in the paper-free direction. Now if we could just get magazines to allow subscribers to access their magazines online - no more stacks of magazines - awesome!

On a lighter and brighter note: I sat down and conquered St Petersburg chain yesterday. Made two short samples and am now ready to begin work on a gift. Felt really good to sit down and bead and challenge myself. Now to figure out how to put my own stamp on it.

Today's quote comes from PD James: It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.

Land of No TV

2009-10-13T20:12:00.005-05:00

Peyote rings created by Shayna Illingworth. I took a class from her on dimensional peyote - it was cool and was just the challenge I was looking for. She's a very talented young woman - watch for her!

Amazing what one can accomplish when one shuts off the boob tube. I have always wanted to be one of those people who don't watch much tv, but that is not usually the case.

However, lately there are far fewer programs on tv that I want to watch and this is a good thing. Leaves more time for listening to music, reading and cooking. Have a pot of ratatouille on the stove right now and it smells wonderful!

Today's quote comes from an unknown source: I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called "brightness," but that doesn't work.

Bead Retreat Today

2009-10-10T08:36:00.005-05:00

Of course I have many projects to work on, but nothing gathered and ready to go. I should just work on UFO (unfinished objects) but those are still packed away after the major cleaning spurt.

I think I'll teach myself a new stitch today to see if I really like it (St Petersburg chain). It's a Russian stitch and I don't think I've learned any Russian stitches before.

Looking forward to the camaraderie and laughter today.

I had a kernel of an idea for a film project but I need to let it gel a bit before I begin to storyboard it.

Today's quote is a Buddist Proverb: When the student is ready, the master appears.

Craft in America

2009-10-07T22:04:00.002-05:00

I saw just a little bit of the Craft in America (Season Two) on PBS tonight, but what I did see looks very interesting.

Hope you have a chance to watch it. I find it inspiring and I really like to see how other creative people's idea's come to fruition.

Today's quote comes from Phyllis George: Crafts make us feel rooted, give us a sense of belonging and connect us with our history. Our ancestors used to create these crafts out of necessity, and now we do them for fun, to make money and to express ourselves.

Bead Show Today and the Symphony

2009-10-04T08:53:00.004-05:00

The Milwaukee Bead Show is today. Going with a pack of friends and have a short list (that I will probably end up not sticking to because I'll find something fabulous that I must have!)

Need to get a focal bead for a gift for a cousin and the awful part is that I know I have the perfect bead, but I just spent days cleaning up and now I can't find a thing!

Saw the Target ad today - they're now selling jewelry that mimics that which we beaders (and Sundance) have made and enjoyed for years - garnet and labradorite earrings and necklaces... A little amazed by that. Will have to check on the quality of the stones. Handmade will always be better!!!!!

Went to the symphony last night - hearing the orchestra warming up and going through the ritual of tuning brought back floods of memories as did the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony - played that - don't remember when or where or which orchestra.

Beethoven : Symphony No.7 in A major Op.92 : II Allegretto - Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Having a listening skill is important and may be something that we, as an electronic society, are loosing. Think about it. Sitting and listening to a book on cd or an orchestra without doing anything else.

Today's first quote comes from Red Auerbach: Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Today's second quote comes from Buddy Holly: Without Elvis, none of us could have made it.

Bling

2009-09-27T15:42:00.003-05:00

Out to dinner at Maxie's - a New Orleans style restaurant in Milwaukee. Love the decor - dark red walls, black ceilings and tons of crystal chandeliers.

As much as I think I'm so over crystals, there's something to be said for the Bling.

Quote for today comes from Jimmy Buffet: And I wound up in New Orleans for all those years and it was a great place, really a catalyst creatively.

Where Did Summer Go?

2009-09-27T15:21:00.006-05:00

Where did the summer go? I woke up one day and it was nearly gone.

Queen Anne's Lace is one of my favorite wildflowers.

My Aunt kept quoting this poem on our short road trip during which we stopped to take these photos. My Grandmother used to quote it often and loved poetry.

SEPTEMBER
by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

THE golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.


The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.


The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook.


From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.


By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.


But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.


'Tis a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.

Now if I can figure out how to do simple editing electronically, I'll be set

MOO Cards

2009-08-09T11:01:00.004-05:00

Have you popped over to MOO to get your free MOO cards?

These little cards are great! I wanted to see what they were like, so I uploaded 50 of my own photos and had to pay only for shipping and handling (MOO does put a bit of advertising on the card.)

What a great way to promote yourself! I think of it as a type of 21st century calling card.

Another quote for today comes from George Carlin: The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity.

Creative Drano

2009-08-09T10:39:00.006-05:00

Sometimes I think that summertime isn't such a good time for creativity - one is beckoned to go outside to enjoy the weather. Well, today isn't one of those days - temps in the 90s with tropical dew points, so I'm hoping to get some type of creative work done today along with the other parts of life that one can't ignore for too long or the task becomes massive.

I'm still struggling with making time for creative endeavors when work and other demands drain me of all creative desires. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be, but it doesn't feel right.

It's not that I don't have ideas, I do, and I have a lot of projects in the pipeline, but that pipeline is clogged right now and I need some creative Drano.

The Bead Society I belong to had a challenge based on color - this is my entry. It probably won't win any prizes, but that doesn't matter. This is the type of Drano I may need on a more regular basis and maybe I need to learn to provide that for myself. I enjoyed the challenge on many levels. Could I have pushed myself more to create something more? Certainly. Am I happy with the result. Certainly.

I need to learn how to be more structured (on many levels) in my life. I think that technology also messes with my attention span. Time to step away from the computer.

Today's quote comes from Stella Adler: Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.

A Film by C Cook

2009-07-02T11:30:00.003-05:00

IMMORTAL CUPBOARD: In Search of Lorine Niedecker from Cathy Cook on Vimeo.

This is an excerpt of a film made by an old classmate at UWM, Cathy Cook. Makes me want to make films again. Wisconsin Public TV did an interview with Cathy earlier this year.

There's something to be said about films as an art form - they exist only when shown, when stored they are pure potential. In order to experience someone's work, one must take time - literally - to see the art.

I've been thinking a lot lately about art forms that exist in time - such as film and music. In music the art exists while not being played as a piece of paper. In film, the art exists in a can while it waits to be seen. I suppose that poetry and writing also fall into this category.

Cathy also talks about what she learned from Lorine... "I learned from her what she had to put aside or move around in her life to make room for poetry..." hmmm. Making room for art. Something I must learn to do.

Today's quote comes from Eckhart Tolle: All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.

RIP Michael, Farrah and Ed

2009-06-27T12:38:00.003-05:00

What a sad week for the entertainment world and for all of us.

I remember my mother taking all 4 of us children to see the Jackson 5 when I was young. My parents bought us Jackson 5 albums and let us hang a poster in the living room. They were so awesome (and still are.)

Maybe Michael Jackson will find the peace he never seemed to have in his life.

Today's quote comes from another person who we lost too soon - Gilda Radner: I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.

Wordle

2009-06-17T19:17:00.004-05:00

Have you heard of Wordle? It's a great site that will take words and make them into pieces of word clouds like the ones you see above. They are based on my blog, but of course!

Take it for a spin! You'll have fun!

Today's quote comes from Eric Hoffer: Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature.

Projects from Bead and Button 2009

2009-06-14T17:12:00.003-05:00

Fireflies at Sunset - class taught by Carol Cypher. Flexible peyote tube - love the use of the drops - brings out flashes of color. This one worked up pretty fast and I'm very happy with the results. I enjoyed taking class from Carol and really like her hair!

Peapod made in Mary Hettsmansperger's Color on Metals class. Loved the class, love taking classes with Mary! Learned so much and played so much.

Quote from Picasso: Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

I Just Heard a Beautiful Sound!

2009-06-14T10:38:00.004-05:00

Isn't she pretty?

The Hiawatha in Milwaukee.

The observation car of the Hiawatha.

The sound of a steam locomotive. I live fairly close to the railroad tracks and most of the time the horn is a sound I ignore, but this sound I love.

My family used to take the Hiawatha from Milwaukee to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. It is a fond childhood memory.

Another quote from today comes from Seneca: Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.

We Lost a Great Voice

2009-06-14T10:19:00.002-05:00

RIP Koko Taylor 1928 - 2009

The Blues are American through and through.

Today's quote comes from Edgar Winter: As far as I'm concerned, blues and jazz are the great American contributions to music.

Bead and Button Video

2009-06-09T22:26:00.003-05:00

Short, but sweet. More on Bead and Button when time and energy allow.

Today's quote comes from Angela Monet: Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.

What??!

2009-06-08T19:43:00.006-05:00

I do not understand why toilet paper manufacturers use animated bears and puppies to sell toilet paper. I think it's so stupid that I won't waste (pun intended) my money on their products. Does anybody care what kind of toilet paper animated bears prefer? I think we should bring back Mr. Whipple!

Today's quote comes from Abraham Lincoln: What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.

(More on the Bead and Button Show when I get a chance to take some photos!)

Another June, Another Bead and Button Show

2009-06-02T19:07:00.004-05:00

Image by Mabeline Gidez - Tiny Embraces pattern.

I have taken two classes so far this year - the first was Mabeline's Tiny Embraces bracelet. It was a cozy class - only a few of us - and I was the only one not to finish during the class time. Oh well. I'm going to finish tonight. I enjoyed learning the pattern and meeting Mabeline. I think that her designs stood out in the catalog this year.

Today's class was Color on Metals taught by Mary Hettsmansperger. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and made many pendants. It was the polar opposite of Mabeline's class - no mistakes that couldn't be fixed and involved using a torch. I was happy to learn a torch all day - feel more comfortable using one now.

When I get a chance, I'll take pictures and post them here. So far, this Bead and Button Show has been the best for me and we haven't even been shopping yet!

Today's quote comes from Anawanitia: Art is not so much expressing oneself, as it is discovering oneself.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T12:35:00.004-05:00

Today's quote comes from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: . . . from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Wish List

2009-05-24T07:36:00.005-05:00

Wish List for Today: (idea compliments of curious girl)

to be creative, even a little bit, each day
to take time to smell the roses
to remember that creativity removes me from the world and its worries
to push myself to grow creatively
to work on the challenge from our bead society
to not compare my work and creative ideas against anyone else's
to silence the internal critic (tough one)
to organize those naughty little beads
to find inspiration everywhere and act upon it
to remember that I am not defined by my vocation
to remember that I am flawed and so is everyone else

Today's quote comes from George Elliott: It seems to me that we can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good and we must hunger after them.

At Last I Finished a Beading Project!

2009-05-16T14:19:00.003-05:00

Mounds Bracelet designed by Kim Stathis

Took me a few tries to complete this beautiful bracelet - the perfectionist in me rearing its ugly head... and life got in the way. I know some people seem to be able to do creative things when they are caring for an ill family member, but I just seem to end up in a fog - moving through the day as best as possible.

Anyway. I am happy to have completed this! It's a little more complicated and shiny than I usually wear, but I like it - not practical to wear to work, but now I have something to wear to Bead and Button.

I'd also like to say that Kim is a great teacher and her written directions are easy to follow - I usually learn best by reading, but I bead best when the directions are pictoral and hers are wonderful (both the written and the images.)

Quote for today comes from Henry Ward Beecher: The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.

The Beleaguered Dandlelion

2009-05-08T20:52:00.007-05:00

Field of dandelions in a park near my home.

I like dandelions. I think they're a happy flower - what I have never understood is why they are the enemy to so many homeowners and why so many people complain about them to their local municipalities.

Dandelions can be eaten as a salad or made into a wine, right? So why destroy them with chemicals and lawn mowers?

And I don't like it when people refer to them as weeds. A weed is simply a plant that is growing in a place that it is not wanted.

There is something about the green of spring, especially the green in the tree above that I like. I like the contrast of the green against the slate grey skies of a storm (missed that shot the other day) and sometimes I take a break outside just to smell the green.

There's something to be said for each season. I love them all, but spring and fall are probably my two favorites.

I wait for the crabapple trees and the redbuds to bloom.

Another quote for today comes from anonymous: The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.

Danny Gokey Day in Brewtown!

2009-05-08T12:17:00.004-05:00

Okay, I admit it. I am a huge American Idol fan. Things are nuts here in town because Danny Gokey's made the final 3!

Anyway - found myself wanting to see his audition tape from last summer. I was surprised that I was able to embed it here.

Go, Danny, Go! We're rooting for you!

Today's quote comes from Gail Devers: Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.

Antiquing with My Sisters

2009-04-26T15:36:00.008-05:00

Home party about 110 years ago...

Went antiquing with my sisters a couple of weeks ago. I enjoy it, and I always come home with more than I should, although I always like what I buy.

This time I came home with road maps from the 1930s (a very favorite thing of mine), a Walborg beaded handbag - black, hand-beaded, complete with mirror, a sequined 1950s style hat that sat on the back of the head (think Lucy Ball), and a most awesome pair of cat's eye glasses complete with case and rhinestones - copper colored, too.

I also purchased a very old photo album (about 100 years old) that needs rescuing from acid. I wonder who these people are and think how sad it is that it ended up in an antique mall.

A very assured young woman.

Found this info on the handbag on the web. Hilde Walborg Weinberg founded her business in New York in the late 1940s. She designed the beaded bags herself and had them handmade in Europe initially (Belgium, France and Italy) and then from the late 1950s on in the Far East. Her products were very popular, and in 1954 she opened a showroom on Madison Avenue.

Hope to take a photo of it in the near future.

Never seen a photo with this shape before.

I like funky old stuff - not if it smells funky, though.

Intend to bead a bit today - pondering whether to begin something new or finish a nearly done project... Think I'll finish Kim Stathis' Mounds bracelet (one more mound to make and connect and then finish off the clasp.) Would have been done already, but being the person I am, I ripped the first one apart.

Today's quote comes from Jason Smith: Grocery stores used to be on every corner, now it's antique stores.

Liquid Green

2009-04-26T15:17:00.005-05:00

Carpet of blue Siberian Squill

Seguy's birds. Love the colors.

Raining a lot the past couple of days - this time of year in Wisconsin the rain is liquid green. One good rain and some warm weather and things begin to explode.

The birds are really happy. Just stood for a moment or two in my parents backyard listening to all of the birds singing. My father says he hears the robins calling for rain. My mother said that her mother used to say the same thing. I wish I knew what call they were referring to.

Some bunny eating spring grass in my backyard.

Thunderstorms yesterday and today. Sat and listened to the thunder and the sound of the rain pounding on the roof. Nice soothing sounds. I enjoy thunderstorms.

Have been a bit stymied in my creative work lately - obviously nothing really to show. Just don't seem to have the energy to create right now - life is getting in the way.

Today's quote comes from Henry Van Dyke: The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

Have a most excellent day!

A Wonderful Accomplishment!

2009-04-15T18:50:00.003-05:00

Paul Potts on Britian's Got Talent - he blew the judges and the audience and me away.

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent - she really blew me away and made Simon Cowell's eyebrown raise and made him genuinely smile, and made the other judge's mouths drop. You go girl!

Can't post the video here, but I hope you'll go take a look. Well worth it if you like to root for the underdog.

Today's quote comes from Halle Berry: There's a place in me that can really relate to being the underdog. I'm always fighting to overcome the obstacle. I can really understand what that's about.

Bead Shopping

2009-04-03T21:21:00.004-05:00

Needed some color today. This is a photo taken by Indah Susanti. Beautiful, isn't it?

Went shopping for some grey silver lined matte seed beads today. Couldn't find any, so had to settle for another grey bead for my next short (I hope) project - my second crocheted rope. Haven't worked on beaded crochet for a while, so this may be a challenge.

Question: why don't bead store owners let you know how many grams of beads you're buying? I find it so frustrating when one bead store sells their beads in skinny tubes, and another sells theirs in plastic boxes or hanks. I end up buying more than I probably need just to make sure. No wonder my dining room is filled with beads!

Quote for today comes from Anne Bradstreet: If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

Hang in There, Fargo!

2009-03-29T15:07:00.007-05:00

Waited long enough and some of the snow that we got last night melted, so I didn't have to shovel as much. I've had it with snow - come on spring!

These tulips will soon bloom! I have faith in nature.

Came across an interesting site by a Swedish beader named Monica Rundstrom - take a look! She makes these awesome beaded stars, among other beady things.

My mind is on Fargo, ND and all of the people there who are banding together to save their town. The news said this morning that 88% of the population turned out to work the sandbagging operations. They are teaching the rest of us a lesson about community.

I have family there, which is one reason I am concerned. I watch the news for a familiar face. So far I understand their homes are safe, but that one breach will cause an awful lot of damage. That is one flat town!

Wanted to quote a woman named Eileen Lee from Fargo who was spotlighted on the CBS show "Sunday Morning." When asked about her outlook on the possible crest of the Red River, she said (while looking at the river only feet from the back of her house) "I'm cautiously optimistic, (pause) which for Norwegians, is practically delirious." That made me crack up - I'm a quarter Norwegian myself.

Today's quote comes from Frederick Buechner: The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.

Today is International Goof Off Day!

2009-03-22T17:39:00.002-05:00

Hope you did some goofing off today! :)

Today's quote comes from an article by Paul Roberts in Psychology Today: The pure pleasure of play is a true antidote to all the mundane duties of adulthood, especially that most tedious of tasks, maintenance of Self. But we have a hard time allowing ourselves the purposelessness that is absolutely fundamental to the relief we crave....

In other words, All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.

Link to An Interesting Article

2009-03-21T19:06:00.005-05:00

I was surfing a bit today and stumbled across Beverly Gilbert's blog. She is using her blog to teach about color. I found it to be enlightening.

I think people used to think I was nuts when I'd tell them that their fuschia shirt had a lot of blue in it. I love color although for me it's more of an intuitive thing instead of a learned thing.

From that I found that an internet article had been written about her as well - very interesting.

The article was on Blisstree - a website I'd never heard of before but will definitely go back to look at again.

Today's quote comes from Lewis Carroll: If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Happy Vernal Equinox

2009-03-20T10:10:00.003-05:00

Aaaahhhhhhhh yes. The day many northerners wait for - the day when daylight is equal to nighttime. I hope you enjoy Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Spring.

Spring - Vivaldi

I heard, a long time ago, that on the equinoxes, one is able to balance an unboiled egg on its end. I was able to do this years ago and may try again today. I've also heard that you can do this any day of the year... but haven't tried it.

Today's quote is about spring: Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. - Doug Larson

Spring is on the Way

2009-03-16T20:41:00.005-05:00

On the way in to downtown Racine, WI. Awesome mural on both sides of a vacant lot.

Really like this figure. Lotsa mirrors. And cool eyes.

This is another detail of the mosaic.

Went to a bead retreat with the Loose Bead Society in Racine this past weekend. Took a great class with Kim Stathis - Mounds bracelet. A few people finished it this weekend, of course, but it will take me a little longer. Maybe by the end of the week.

I did manage to finally finish one UFO (UnFinished Object) from several years ago. Put the finishing touches on my first bead crochet rope. Now if I can remember how to do bead crochet again. I've had an idea for years that I want to work on.

This morning I got a springtime bird serenade on my way to work. The robins, red winged blackbirds and geese all sang for me. The robins and red winged blackbirds tell me that nature is approaching spring as well.

Quote of the day comes from Marcel Proust: The real act of discovery is not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2009-03-16T19:12:00.004-05:00

It's said that everyone's Irish on St Patrick's Day!

So lift a glass if you're so inclined and enjoy the day (which begins at 6 am at many bars in town.)

Today's quote comes from the Irish (I'm 1/16th Irish):
May those that love us, love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping.

A Good for the Soul Weekend

2009-03-08T13:40:00.007-05:00

The ice on the lake front is melting. March 6, 2009.

Spent some time with some very old and dear friends this weekend. We laughed so hard and met new spouses. It was uplifting for me - they know who I was and it is easy to fall back into that old friendship we had. These are friends I don't want to loose touch with again.

We spent some time at Diana's house - Diana is so talented artistically and her house is filled with art and happiness. One of my other friends, Victoria, was in town to perform several harp concerts. I so enjoyed listening to the pieces she played - as flawlessly as I remember.

I have been inspired - by Diana's art and home and by Tori's diligence in practicing because she is a professional and that's what she does.

Fogged in lake front March 7, 2009.

Today's quote is attributed to the Girl Scouts, which is fitting because I met two of these old friends in Brownies all those years ago: Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

Funny Little Fact About Me

2009-02-28T08:44:00.005-06:00

I stick my tongue out when I'm working hard on something. Knew my twin did it, but didn't think I did until someone at work pointed it out to me. I was embarrassed, to say the least.

Saw this today and felt better!

WHY DO PEOPLE SOMETIMES STICK OUT THEIR TONGUES WHEN THEY’RE CONCENTRATING ON A HARD JOB?

Experts say: When concentrating on something, like a math problem, you’re using the part of the brain that’s also used for motor skills. Biting your lip or sticking out your tongue is an indicator that you’re suspending motor activity and limiting interference, i.e., concentrating.

I've also been thinking about getting a coloring book with designs like the one below to take to work to give my mind a break. I think it would help me concentrate a little more on some of the mundane, rote and boring things I do at work.

Today's quote comes from Buddah: Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Weather's Got Me - Again!

2009-02-21T13:12:00.007-06:00

I'm getting tired of snow. Waiting for spring for the second year in a row. This gets hard on the psyche.

I'm also struggling with my lack of creativity. I've worked here and there on pieces, but nothing steady and haven't finished anything lately. I have a number of projects in the works, but nothing I really want to work on right now. I find it difficult to come home to be creative after working all day. Just don't have the drive I wish I had. Perhaps it's the result of working on the website - it's just sucking my creative energy.

The Milwaukee Bead Show is tomorrow - have a few items I'd like to buy (making myself determine what is a need and what is a want lately) for a community project to donate for an auction to raise breast cancer research money. This is what is on my list: fabric for bead embroidery and pink beads. Should be interesting to see what else I buy.

The Oscars are tomorrow - I like to watch the red carpet reports although I find most of the interviewers boring. So, in honor of the Oscars, here's another Eggman morphing video of the men of film (some of the morphs are creepy).

Today's quote comes from Ursula K. LeGuin: It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end.

A friend recently said that she enjoyed working on pieces more than focusing on the completion. Having been a card-carrying member of the procrastinators club forever, this is a habit I'm trying to break. Wish me luck.

Handmade Nation - the Movie

2009-02-07T08:16:00.003-06:00

Went to the premier of Handmade Nation right here in Milwaukee at one of my favorite theaters - the Oriental.

Filmmaker and crew from good ol Milwaukee. Nice to see so many inspiring crafters out there. The film was pretty good. There were a couple of spots I (the filmmaker in me) would have handled a little differently, but I have to ask myself - is that because you're older now and you would have thought that those techniques were really cool when you were younger?

The opening sequence (below) was one of the best parts of the film. If you get a chance to see it, I do recommend it.

When I went home, I was ready to pull out my beads and work. It's been tough at work and I haven't felt that inspired to come home and do beading. Last weekend, however, I did manage to finish my beaded chain for Romantica. Now I'm working on the dangles. I have a goal to finish that before the next bead society meeting.

I'm off to bead for a bit!

Today's quote comes from unknown: Creative minds are rarely tidy.

Been a Bit Busy and It's Been Cold!

2009-01-25T12:17:00.005-06:00

Not only has life been a bit crazy lately, it's been what some of you might call mind-numbing cold here lately. I've been taking advantage of the frost and have taken many more photos. There really is a beauty unlike any other in a very cold landscape.

Took a class from Marcia DeCoster with a bunch of friends on Friday - Romantica. I really liked the class and it was nice to get out of the house and work for a day! The possibilites presented in Romanitca are interesting and have been occupying my mind a lot since Friday. The structure of Romantica remind me of medival and gothic structures and designs. She is teaching it at the Bead and Button Show in June.

Haven't really had time to bead lately, but I am hoping that I can get back into the habit this week.

Today's quote is an Irish blessing: May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.

The Beads Have Me

2009-01-05T20:02:00.008-06:00

My beads have taken over. I don't know what I have and can't find what I need.

Every time I look for beads for a project I stumble across something that I'd forgotten about. It's like a treasure chest, isn't it?

Non-beaders don't understand that it's difficult to match colors or make them work right together, so you may have the color you're looking for, but not the right hue or shade. It can be very frustrating. I'll add that to my creative goals for 2009. Organizing my bead stash.

Today's quote is very apropos. From A. A. Milne: One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T18:43:00.007-06:00

Hope everyone has a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

I don't do New Year's Resolutions, but I do think about goals and things I'd like to do. Here are a few creative goals I have for this year:

Bead every day. That may sound easy to some people, but it's something that I often want to do but don't seem to have the energy to.
Improve my Right Angle Weave and make that small bag I've been thinking about.
Finish some of the beaded kits I've bought along with other UFOs.
Begin my 2008 Beaded Journal Project. I'm so far behind, but I've been so busy.
Work on a sculptural beaded piece. Just do it and quit thinking about it!
Work on my beaded lady.
Make a piece to enter in Bead Dreams.
Take more photographs - carry my point and shoot with me.
Learn Photoshop Elements 6.0 - it has changed so much since version 3.
Journal more in my art journal (maybe I'll scan some pages and share them here - I have an idea for creating a new type of journal that I've been thinking about all day.)

This New Year's quote comes from Edith Lovejoy Pierce: We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Happy Holidays from Snowy and Really Cold Milwaukee!

2008-12-21T21:06:00.011-06:00

This is NOT my house, but it is nearby. I think that's a Santa decoration from a defunct shopping center in town.We've had too much snow already and it's been below zero most of the day, but the fresh snowfall last night helped officers nab a would be thief!

The police followed the suspect's tracks and apprehended him. He had changed his clothes but they found the mask he used to hold up pizza delivery person. Headline read "Footprints in Snow Lead Police to Suspect." Talk about dumb criminals...

No time to do any beading lately - hope to get back to it after the holidays.

Today's quote is Zen (and I'll try hard to remember this the next time I'm digging out from under): No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.

Been a While

2008-12-06T11:16:00.004-06:00

Steam rising over Lake Michigan 12-5-08.

I finally have the website that has been consuming a lot of my time up and running. It's for the Loose Bead Society of Greater Milwaukee. Hope you'll stop by and take a look. I coded the whole thing by hand.

Haven't really had much time to bead lately - my sister and I stumbled into an opportunity we couldn't pass up - an artist's cooperative that is in existence for at least the holiday season, right around the corner from my house. If things work out, it'll be there to stay. I've been spending a lot of time over there.

Today's quote comes from Henry David Thoreau: Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

Autumn Oak Leaf

2008-11-11T17:39:00.006-06:00

I beaded this piece and donated it to the Park People of Milwaukee for them to auction off at their silent auction last Saturday. In attendance was Jane Kaczmarek, star of Raising the Bar and Malcolm in the Middle.

Imagine my immense pleasure when I was told today that Jane Kaczmarek had purchased the piece, and said that it was stunning. I am still excited and pleased as punch.

Today's quote comes from chemist Marie Curie - Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.

OUR MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT - THE RIGHT TO VOTE

2008-11-04T14:04:00.009-06:00

Hope everyone got a chance to get out and vote today. No line when I went and I was voter 603 at my polling place. I don't want to sound preachy, but it is something that I strongly believe in.

This election was so different for me and people who live in my state. Last time the race was so much closer and my state was a battleground state, so we had both Kerry and Bush less than a mile apart on the same day! It was crazy.

I got robo calls from all sorts of politicians and stars - more than 26 different people asking me to support their candidate. This time only Rudy Guliani called. And John McCain and his running mate also called.

Can you pass the test that immigrants take when they are studying to become American citizens? Here it is.

Today's quote comes from William E. Simon: Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.

Fascinating Fractals

2008-11-02T20:55:00.012-06:00

I have a friend who is unbelievably intelligent, especially in mathematics, and have always found it more than a little humorous that one of his favorite magazines was called the Journal of Recreational Mathematics. That, to me, is an oxymoron.

Math has been described as the language of science. Makes sense to me. I do find some math fascinating, such as Fibonacci numbers and Fractals. Watched the Nova episode about Fractals and Benoit Mandelbrot and loved the images I saw.

The pictures shown here are created by a series of equations that feed on one another. I like math as long as I don't have to do it - the complicated stuff, anyway.

Fractals shows up in nature and I really like the patterns that the equations create. Reminds me of the frost pictures I took last winter.

To see an animation of a fractal, click on this link to Nova.

Here is a cool animation from YouTube. Makes me think of posters promoting rock concerts from the 60s on acid in the twenty-first century.

I find myself inspired by all things natural.

Today's quote comes from Albert Einstein: Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Another Cell Phone Photo

2008-10-12T18:43:00.005-05:00

Nice fall day today in Wisconsin. The colors are beginning to change in earnest. Today was one of those nice warm fall days - leaves under your feet and the football game on the tube.

And I just paid $2.95 per gallon for unleaded gas! I never thought I'd be so excited about $3.00 a gallon gas.

Today's quote comes from Eric Sloane: A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.

Some Really Cool Images!

2008-10-11T20:44:00.008-05:00

This is a photo of Mercury taken by the Messenger as it flew by. I love photos of planets.

What do you think this is? This is an image of mouse neurons. Who would have guessed? How cool is that?

Today's quote comes from Edwin Hubble, The Nature of Science, 1954 - Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.

Tough Cookies?

2008-10-05T18:17:00.007-05:00

VOTE, AMERICA, VOTE.

I am not advocating a particular candidate, but I think everyone should vote. If you don't vote, you shouldn't complain. You can always write in Spongebob Squarepants if you think he's the best candidate. No matter who wins, this election is historic.

One thing I love about this country is that we can disagree about issues and vote for different candidates and not feel the need to kill each other. We can get along, no matter our differences (well, at least most of us can.)

A bakery here in Milwaukee is selling cookies (all four candidates) and basing a very unscientific poll on the numbers of cookies bought. Here's the article from the paper.

I just had to bite her head off. Sorry if that offends anyone, but frankly, she offends me.

Today's quote comes from Sarah Palin herself (I couldn't resist): Well, let's see. There's -- of course -- in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings." --Sarah Palin, unable to name a Supreme Court decision other than Roe vs. Wade, interview with Katie Couric, CBS News, Oct. 1, 2008 (Watch video clip)

Been a Little Busy

2008-09-21T10:49:00.005-05:00

Decided to help out my local bead society by offering to revamp the website. Well, I'm the kind of person that really doesn't like templates or using patterns too much, so I decided to take a class in XHTML and CSS. I want to build the type of site that our society deserves and I've always wanted to relearn HTML.

I think XHTML and CSS are the perfect blend of right brained and left brained activities for me.

Class is going well - taking it from a local tech college online.

I'm on vacation this week, so I intend to do a lot of reading, cooking, beading, knitting, watching movies, stretching and exercising, writing some XHTML code, lots of -ing words. In short, my mind will be taking a break. May even get a trip in to a new cemetery.

Today's quote comes from anonymous: Vacation is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer.

PostSecret - Frank Warren

2008-09-08T17:14:00.002-05:00

This project is very intriguing to me. I guess we all do have secrets of one sort or another. I hope you take a look at this video.

Today's quote is actually a proverb and a good one I'd never heard before: Tell your friend a lie. If he keeps it secret, then tell him the truth.

Labor Day

2008-09-01T08:33:00.006-05:00

Today many of us no longer belong to Unions, but we all owe a great deal to those who fought for work conditions that we now take for granted such as the 8 hour work day, and better pay and working conditions. Children no longer work for pennies a day in conditions that we would find deplorable.

You go, girl!

Way cool float in Detroit, 1942.

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill proclaiming the first Monday in September as the Labor Day holiday. So Labor Day has been around for a long time and it's meaning has changed, but let's not forget those who fought and died for better working conditions for us.

Today's quote comes from E. B. White: Computing machines perhaps can do the work of a dozen ordinary people, but there is no machine that can do the work of one extraordinary person.

And let us not forget that it takes smart people to program computers - so there are people on the creation end as well as the user's end. What computer programmers create amazes me. Daily.

Beautiful Evening on the Lakefront

2008-08-31T20:51:00.005-05:00

Stopped on the way home to snap these photos of the colors of Lake Michigan. So interesting when the lake appears lighter in color than the sky. Hope you can tell where the lake ends and the sky begins.

This photo was taken just a few minutes later and already the light has changed.

Don't you wish you were on one of these sailboats enjoying the last Sunday of the summer?

Today's quote comes from James Dent: A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.

Milwaukee's Rumbling...

2008-08-28T19:54:00.010-05:00

potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato

WISDOT webcam of Miller Park parking lots filled with Harleys earlier today. I was peaking at the webcams watching the streams of motorcycles on the freeways today. I can't describe what it feels like to be in a car with so many bikes around. They're kinda like gnats (but more fun.)

potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato

Photo of Brady Street on the Lower East Side of Milwaukee during the 100th Anniversary celebration.

potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato potato

Photo of the Washington County Fairgrounds last night. Bikes as far as the eye can see.

The 105th Harley Anniversary is proving to be just as popular and loud as the 1ooth. The new Harley-Davidson Museum opened last month and I had dinner there a week ago (it was good).

Photo of rain beading on the outdoor dining tables at the Harley-Davidson Museum. (Another cell phone photo - amazing clarity!)

My house is about 1 mile north of Miller Park and I can hear the bass and drums of the music at the party at Miller. I figure at about 2 am the city will hum again with the sounds of thousands - scratch that - tens of thousands of Harleys and other motorcycles heading to bed.

It is a little unnerving to drive when there are so many bikes on the road. I'll take my camera with me tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a good shot or two.

Today's quote comes from Barbara Hoffman: Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey!

And in case you haven't figured out the potato potato potato, it's the sound a Harley makes while idling. :)

Beloit College's Mindset List 2008

2008-08-19T18:08:00.010-05:00

If you want to feel how much the world has changed in the past 18 years, take a look at the Beloit College Mindset List.

When I was a freshman in college:

personal tvs (the analog kind without cable) were black and white and didn't have remotes
M*A*S*H was a weekly show
LaVerne and Shirley was a hit as was Three's Company (it was the 70s.)
there were no 24 hour a day television stations
the networks ran our tv watching schedule
VCRs were not common
microwaves and answering machines were new and too expensive
hand-held calculators were new and cost $100
computers were huge and you had to learn logic or some other program in order to run them
personal stereos were humongous and usually included a turntable
disco wasn't dead
drinking age was 18
internet was but a dream
Macs and Windows were apples and windows
term papers were typed, did White Out even exist? I can't remember.
researching papers meant taking out books and looking up articles on micro film at the library
Ma Bell ran the phone company
long distance was expensive
my city had two daily newspapers
Iran held hostages
Sting was what you got when a bee got you
The Police were law enforcement
Madonna was a religious figure
pin ball was the game to play if you didn't have pong
a gallon of leaded gas cost 63 cents
Animal House and Halloween were in the theaters
Terry Bradshaw was Pittsburgh's quarterback in the Superbowl

Whoooooo Boyyyyyy! I don't remember wearing anything like this, but the guys did love their pastel colored leisure suits...

We Are The Champions - Queen

I think I've done enough time travel for now.

Today's quote comes from Leslie Poles Hartley: The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

It Runs in the Family...

2008-08-11T21:32:00.006-05:00

Photo of a little cemetery somewhere on the Mason Dixon Line in Maryland or Pennsylvania. Photo taken by me.

Wanted to share some great photography with you. My cousin lives in Duluth, MN and takes these awesome photos of the outdoors and nature. Hope you enjoy them.

Quote about photography from Minor White: Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.

How true, how true. Some of my best photographs are the ones I missed and have in my memory.

Here's Another Challenge!

2008-08-11T18:11:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may not have seen this, it is a contest from Interweave.

Angela posted it over at the BJP Blog today. Sounds like something I might be able to sink my teeth into.

Have a happy!

This quote comes from Francie Larrieu Smith: The most important thing about motivation is goal setting. You should always have a goal.

I'm Done! I'm Really Done!

2008-08-11T10:48:00.007-05:00

This is my last piece for the 2007 BJP. I can't believe I'm finally done! The piece is called "Fireflies." I realize now that it looks very much like Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night, but that's okay!

Me, the last to finish projects, the lifelong procrastinator, the one with many Unfinished Objects, (UFOs) - I have completed a large commitment and a large piece spanning a year.

This project was at times, especially at the end, a struggle. I just wanted it to be over. I asked my sister if I could just do 11 pages and that would be enough. She said that I was so close that I had to finish it. So I came up with an idea, and finished the piece in under a week! My mojo's back!

Can you hear my happy dance?

This morning glory plant comes back in pots on my deck year after year! That's determination!

Today's quote comes from Anna Pavlova: To follow without halt, one aim; there is the secret of success. And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of the theater; it lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishment.

08-08-08 An Auspicious Date!

2008-08-09T08:41:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I missed posting on 8-8-8 (I love dates like this!)

Watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics. Stunning! The clip below is from my favorite part - reminded me of a drumline (but better) and a Busby Berkeley movie all in one!

8-11-08 the video is no longer available :(

March's Page Done!

2008-08-05T17:48:00.003-05:00

Pseuda Buddha

Only one more page left to go and then I can begin 2008's BJP!

I already started the last page, but of course I didn't have the just right beads, so I stopped by my LBS to pick some up. Wouldn't you know they were having a sale. So I walked out of there with a package full of half price seed beads and the nearly right beads I needed for my last page.

Today's quotation comes from Buddha: All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

August is Here!

2008-08-03T18:21:00.003-05:00

Animated short by Laura Neuvonen. Wonderfully done!

Time to get out those knitting needles if you want to make something in time to wear it this fall!

Today's quote comes from Dorothy Day: Knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again.

2007 Beaded Journal Page Project Website

2008-07-30T20:08:00.006-05:00

Finally got it together and got my pages up on the BJP website, thanks to the webdesign angel.

Take a look if you'd like: http://www.beadjournalproject.com/anyjs.htm

Today's quote comes from Honore de Balzac: An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a man's entire existence.

p. s. I beaded for 20 minutes last night and right after I post this, I will do another 20 minutes, minimum.

Anatole France said, "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

Doldrums of Summer

2008-07-29T20:15:00.004-05:00

Having real problems being stuck artistically. Can't bring myself to work on any beaded work right now and I'm so close to finishing the Beaded Journal Page project.

Maybe I just need to step away from it for a while, but I feel that I need to learn to work on it each day. I feel guilty and lazy, but sometimes it's hard to work on anything after crunching numbers all day. I want to learn how to discipline myself to work on my craft daily, even if it's only for 20 minutes. (I think I'll do that right after I finish this post.)

Any suggestions? Stickers on a calendar?

Today's quote comes from Roy L. Smith: Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.

One more comes from Thomas Edison: Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

Glow Little Glow Worm, Glimmer!

2008-07-28T21:02:00.003-05:00

Isn't this picture gorgeous? I got it from Wikipedia. I might try a couple of long exposure shots myself later this week.

Ah, 'tis the season for fireflies! I just came in from watching the firefly show in my backyard. I remember visiting my father's family farm in Ohio when I was young and being amazed by the number of fireflies - thousands, it seemed, lit the fields.

This kind of beetle I like.

By the way, I'll have to take a picture (that means finding them first) of the awesome beads I got at Bead in Hand in Chicago about a month ago - beetle wings! They are hard and so gorgeous and not gross at all, just extraordinary!

Today's quote comes from Crowfoot: What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

Travel by Rail

2008-07-24T13:12:00.004-05:00

I have taken the train all over the USA, but for me, travel by rail is not so romantic anymore. I've decided that other than short jaunts, I won't take the train anymore.

Took Amtrak from Milwaukee to Fargo for a family reunion. Left Milwaukee at 4 pm and arrived in Fargo at 3 am. About the opposite schedule on the way back. I thought to myself, "this would be wasted time anyway, so why not let someone else do the driving?"

I didn't sleep well at all on the train - it's a lesson I should have learned long ago. I was so exhausted that I wasted a day upon arrival and one upon returning home sleeping.

I would have been better off driving the 600 miles by myself, stopping when I wanted to and seeing what I wanted to. Could have made a stop at Diane Fitzgerald's in Minneapolis. Next time I will drive.

Today's quote comes from Lao Tzu: A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.