Peach Coglo

Photographic Friday ~ Twenty-five

It's Photographic Friday, the day when I share practice photographs from the past few days or so.  They aren't perfect.  What is really?  I'm enjoying the process of concentrating, creating and working up my 10,000 hours of practice.  If the spirit moves you, feel free to share your own creations, photographic and otherwise with a link!

In keeping with the growing darkness that will soon surround us in the Northern Hemisphere, I have been tinkering with dark and light in my photos.

Wishing you all a delightful weekend!

Walk Around Artwalk

All of you have been so sweet in your kind wishes and compliments on my art work!  You guys just make my heart swell.  Thank you so much!

As promised, here is a little tour around Artwalk.  This year the art league had a one day sale instead of the usual few weeks.  In past year, painting and works were placed in store fronts in the town center.  It's great, and long exposure for the artists.  This time things were different.  The art league had a clothesline show for one day.  It was more of a community art day.  There were demonstrations, auctions art projects like silk-screening that everyone, including children could enjoy.  Later in the afternoon a quilt artist, Ed Johnetta Miller  led adults and children in some tile-making.   She is fabulous.  The tiles will be used as the border for her huge quilt installation.   Then there was food and a wine tasting which I wasn't around for, but heard it was a huge hit.

I was elated to be juried into this show.  It was my first entry ever into a juried art show.  No matter how much I try to rely on my own sense of satisfaction in my work, it is awesome when someone else thinks my stuff is cool.  Yeah I know . . . it's something I'm working on.  ;-)

I met some cool artists there.  They were full talent and generous with encouragement and advice.  My own cool artist friend Julie came by at the beginning of the show.  It was all well and good.

On my way to Artwalk . . . .

There's my painting!  Squeee!

There's my photograph! Yay!

     Ed Johnetta's awesome quilt

So that's it for Artwalk.  Thanks for all of your support and encouragement!

Have a great Thursday!

The Second Leg

It's time for Yarn Along with Ginny.  If you're feeling it, join in with a link and share what you are making and reading this week.

Thanks you tennis class.  Suddenly I have some free time to knit.  I was dreading the wait, but then I remembered, "Hey, I knit!"   Thanks to Elijah's class, I was able to start on my second leg of my peppermint legwarmers.  I have really been taking my time with this project.  However, the 45 minutes of waiting for Elijah while he plays tennis has given me more knitting time in my week.   Suhweet.

I'm also trying to remember to knit when I am sitting down.  Oftentimes I am so blurry-eyed tired that I forget what a salve knitting is for me.  I often wind up with more energy after a few rows.  So here's to knitting again last night while watching Inspector Lewis.

As for reading, we have been delving into Ozma of Oz.  We're almost done with this one. Baum was straight-up crazy-in a good way.  I do love his imagination.  A lot of these books would make amazing movies if done well.  I wonder why no one has done it.

Anyway, in the knitting and reading world, this is all we have been up to during this busy week.  I did find a simple dude cowl pattern over at Ravelry.  I think it's a seed stitch but doesn't look to tedious.  It's perfect for taking along on a trip, tennis class or in front of the television.  I will be heading to the yarn store today for some yarn.  Eden loves the yarn store so it will be a nice outing.

What are you reading and making this week?

 

Weekending ~ September 25, 2011

It's Monday so it's time for weekending with Amanda.  Feel free to link up and share you weekend doings too.

It was supposed to rain all weekend, but it didn't.

It was the first weekend of autumn and we had planned to go to the fair at Hancock Shaker Village.  It is much closer to us than the Common  Ground Fair, but still pretty nice and low-key too.  We went last year and had a wonderful time.  However, it was supposed to rain- a lot. 

Greg and I talked and decided it would be better to stay home and dry.  We could have a slow weekend and get some work done on some neglected house projects, so home we stayed.

It didn't rain.  It was super-duper humid, but no rain on Saturday.  I had lunch and some laughs with some sweet friends.  Then it was off to the studio to get some work done and do some art planning.  That was wonderful and oh so quiet.  It definitely helped me recover from a challenging week.

On Sunday, it was super-duper humid, but no rain.  However, Sunday was nice and slow and unplugged.  It's been unplugged but not very slow lately, so this was a treat. 

Greg repaired and raised Elijah's window sill and trim.  It was a long-overdue project. Now all we need to do is apply the joint compound and start painting.  So far Elijah has picked some rather muted colors-oh my quiet, unassuming boy.  I have to admit, I wanted him to pick something more jazzy since he is nearly always so quiet and 'meek'.  It is his room though.  After some initial excitement over his window repair,  Elijah provided some parallel assistance on this project.  Basically this means that he played with Legos while his Dad worked.

Seeing that it was the first weekend of Fall, I thought it would be good to bring out the seasonal decorations, including our Halloween stuff.  Out came the glass turkeys and glass pumpkins, Disco Skull, mini-gravestones, the Beasties and other various bric a brac so I could survey what we have and where to put it.

I used to be a big old Halloween decorating curmudgeon; yeah I was like that.  I didn't understand the brouhaha.  I am still a bit low-key about it.  However, having kiddoes and trying to live each season to its fullest has changed my perspective.  The children absolutely love decorating for any and every holiday, no matter how minor.  It's nice to relax and be carried into the simple joy of it all.

For the first time ever we have Halloween lights for the mantle.  I love twinkly lights anyway, so this is a good excuse.  Our decorations still have to be put in place, but we are on our way.

But back to our day-after a bit of  rest and quiet time, it was off to tennis with Elijah.  Doran has a cold so he stayed home from soccer.   Even Eden got in a much-needed nap (thank heavens!).  I was able to cast on my second leg of my legwarmers.  Tennis time is awesome.  I try to ignore the conversations and behaviour around me as I waited for Elijah.  I also tried not to judge.  Knitting definitely helped.  I swear it's like some kind of cure-all.

We ended the day with a bonfire.  I actually dared a mosquito to bite me.  I figure it's time for a bug-eliminating frost.

Despite the disappointment of an unnecessarily cancelled trip, all is well.  Now it's time to get centered for the week.  I definitely need a list.  I keep fighting off thoughts of costume prep for the kids amongst the other projects I need to tackle.

And there we have it, another weekend flying by at breakneck speed.  Wow.  I'll be back at this space on Wednesday for Yarn Along and I hope to 'see' you then. 

How was your weekend?

Photographic Friday ~ Twenty-four

It's Photographic Friday, the day when I share practice photographs from the past few days or so.  They aren't perfect.  What is really?  I'm enjoying the process of concentrating, creating and working up my 10,000 hours of practice.  If the spirit moves you, feel free to share your own creations, photographic and otherwise with a link!

I wish everyone a beautiful and restful weekend!

A Day Off

A little one had fitful/no sleep all last night which meant I had fitful/no sleep all last night.  To top it off today was be-at-school-at-7:45am-day.  We have appointments and Curriculum Night at school tonight.  You know what's coming.  :-)  Taking a quick break today to recover and prepare.  I'll be back tomorrow for Photographic Friday.  I was planning to share the art festival today, but instead here's a little postcard from our recent backyard digs.   I'll share Artwalk next week when things have hopefully calmed a bit.  Thanks for hanging in there.  Have a great Thursday!

 

Preparing for Autumn

Today I am joining Ginny for Yarn Along over at small things .  If you're in the sharing mood, link up with her and others to share what you have been creating and reading this week.

There has been a dearth of knitting in my life lately.  I have been adjusting to or attempting to adjust to the new routines around here.  Between the homework crunch, seemingly constant meal prep, forms, computer business, and toting children around, the needles have been fairly silent.  This is not good for me or for my planned Christmas gift list.

So yesterday towards the end of  a homework project activity and in the middle of a yowling toddler, I set the timer for ten minutes.  I told the little people around me that I would be knitting in relative peace until the timer went off.  I told them I did not even want to hear the sound the letter "m" makes, lest I think someone is calling "Mama" yet again.  Strangely they cooperated.  Maybe it was the desperate, kind of wild look in my eye.  Even the baby stopped whining as I sat.  Seems knitting calms everyone's nerves.  I think I will try this again when everyone is off-center and see what happens.

Oh but anyway, the title of this post is "Preparing for Autumn", so let's get on with the books shall we.  Yes I have been fighting it, but the equinox is Friday so it's time to be at peace about it and enjoy.  I have been reading more about Tasha Tudor.  Boy was she ever a spitfire-whoa!  I picked up The Art of Tasha Tudor from the library.  Love this book and hearing about her challenging and interesting personality.  Who knows what would have become of her if she hadn't been so determined.  I do adore how she marked the seasons and noticed the little changes from one to another.  We are also reading Pumpkin Moonshine, and An Autumn Story.  That's enough to set the mood for the coming crisp days and warm soup.

Now that the temperature is dropping a bit, I am settling into some more knitting.  First up on my gift list is a cowl for a dude.  There after weeks of indecision and still being undecided, I just picked something cute yet manly.  And there you have it.  ;-)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

A Conversation with Eden

Oh this two year old of mine,  I know I am completely biased but her spirit just moves me!  She is quite the clown.  Lately I have been falling over laughing at her expressiveness; she stretches her eyes wide and cups her chin with her hands for emphasis.  I need to record this kid, but she's kind of quick.

Eden has always thought she could talk.  I guess she has; we just don't always understand her.  Sometimes I get it completely.  Other times it's like she is speaking a secret language.  Still it's fun to listen to her; soon she will be pronouncing all of her words correctly-too soon.  Often she sounds like the priest from The Princess Bride.  I relish it while I can.

The other evening she strolled into the kitchen where I was washing dishes and announced:

"I'm afwaid of da dahk."  (I'm afraid of the dark)

Me: "Oh, really."

Eden:  "Yup."

Then without missing a beat,

Eden said, "I'm afwaid of da moooonnnn."

Me: "Really?"

Eden, "Yup."  And with that she strolled back outside into the dark with the sky filled with a bright, waning moon.  Um, okay.

 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Weekending ~ September 18, 2011

It's time for Weekending with Amanda at the habit of being.  If you like, join  in and share your weekend.

This was another one of those full weekends.  Alas, another opportunity to practice appreciation, mindfulness, and patience.

I was super excited to have two of my pieces accepted for a local Artwalk festival.  I met some different and generous artists.  I hung out with some friends who were sweet enough to spend part of their Saturday at the festival.  It's always fun looking at art with my friend Julie; there are always some interesting pieces to enjoy

My parents sent me a lovely flower arrangement-so sweet

Greg took all four kidlets (thanks for the delightful word Amanda) to Helena's dance class.  That is a brave man.  The children behave well, but I really have a difficult time with all of the energy and noise that gets bottled up in the teeny waiting area-from all of the adults mind you, not the children

After that, the whole family went back to Artwalk and made some tiles for a community art project.  The tiles will be the border for a quilt by Ed Johnetta Miller.  That will be sweet

Then we went on our separate ways, Greg and the kids to a birthday party and me to CT Pride to support a friend.  That was a fun time

Then because everyone was so darn tired, there was Chinese food for dinner.  Nobody was cooking anything.   The kiddos rewatched Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!  Greg and I kept nodding out

Even with all of the activity and running about it was still a good and exciting Saturday

Sunday we didn't go nearly as many places, but it was still a full day-such is Fall (notice the attempt to adjust my 'tude)

The morning was slow.  I went off on a search for more canning jars and lids.  I have learned the hard way that a body can never have too many.  I am trying to plan ahead for Christmas; those jars are great for Christmas bark and other goodies.  Somehow I can never find them after September

I achieved my goal and managed to can five more pints of whole tomatoes for a total of nine.  The smell of cooking tomatoes is just heavenly.  We have done quite well considering the ill-timed rain we had at the beginning and end of the season.  There are more tomatoes ripening around the house and a lot green ones on the vine still.  Yes we have done well given the late blight and recent hurricane

Now we are eyeing our store of apples and pears-hmmm

Then late in the afternoon it was time for Elijah's tennis and Doran's soccer.  I figure I can handle this schedule for a few more weeks; both sports end the week of Halloween.  I like for the children to have as much free time as possible.  However, they still want to participate in a few activities.  I figure one activity each for the older children is not too much or too little-for now

We enjoyed grilled hamburgers and a bonfire for dinner and then 'poof'' the weekend was over.

 

How was your weekend?

 

 

Photographic Friday ~ Twenty-three

It's Photographic Friday, the day when I share practice photographs from the past few days or so.  They aren't perfect.  What is really?  I'm enjoying the process of concentrating, creating and working up my 10,000 hours of practice.  If the spirit moves you, feel free to share your own creations, photographic and otherwise with a link!

Things have been a bit full around here and I haven't had a lot of opportunity to respond to your kind comments.  I will be getting back to you soon!  Have a wonderful weekend!