The last time I posted pictures here, I complained to myself (the one person in the world who always LOVES hearing me complain) about my stupid, ancient Blogger template, which was so narrow that the pictures flopped over into the sidebar. Then I went and looked at the other templates, but only saw the same old narrow ones that have always been there.
Then I looked at Customizing, and apparently, I inadvertently updated myself to a different template. When I posted yesterday, I realized that the template was different, and more important, W I D E. Yeah!
Of course, updating the template also messes with sidebar customizations. No offense to those who used to be there and now are not. I'm still fiddling around with the look I want, and there is no point customizing anything until that is settled.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Bad night for astronomy
I didn't take many pictures at the Iowa Star Party this year, but one I did take ended up as Peek of the Week over at the Piker Press.
It was flippin' hot before the thunderstorm blew through, and quite lovely after, albeit a bit moony, so T got some observing in. Mostly, it was just a good chance to sit around and not do too awfully much.
It was flippin' hot before the thunderstorm blew through, and quite lovely after, albeit a bit moony, so T got some observing in. Mostly, it was just a good chance to sit around and not do too awfully much.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sketchy McSketcherson
My friend Sand and I were just talking about doodling and scribbling and playing with art. I told her I would post some of my scribblings, and here they are.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Pictures in my head
We went to Whiterock Conservancy last weekend for the Iowa Star Party. The big event of the weekend is the Saturday picnic dinner on a lawn overlooking a river, followed by an educational presentation in an old barn.
After dinner, our host, Liz, came around handing out scissors. "Go down to the garden and cut some flowers, and then bring them back up to the house, and we'll put them in Mason jars." I agreed, reluctantly, as I am not much of a flower person, but Liz can be persuasive.
There is a cutting garden down by the river, full of flowers I could not name. I was still a little hesitant, but Liz assured me that we were not cutting flowers for anything particular, just dead-heading them so they would bloom more. I interpreted that as, "Heck, yes, cut the pretty ones." So I did.
Even though I couldn't put a name to most of the flowers, I know good colors when I see them. This garden was at least as big as my house, and a riot of color - sunny yellow, warm gold, peach, pink, deep red, and an occasional pop of purple. Some blooms were as big as my fist, some were little bulbs no larger than my thumb, and some were tall spikes.
Back at the house, we got a beginner's course in flower arranging. Strip the lower leaves so they are not in the water, and don't forget to dress (hide) the rim. Some people made symmetrical clusters of matched flowers. Others just jammed a bunch into the water. I was somewhere in between, not too fussy, but willing to fiddle around a little bit to get a nice balance.
Since I was actually doing something, I left my camera with T. I suspect that by not looking for a way to record the moment, I was actually able to enjoy the moment more. But dang, I wish you could see all of those flowers, and experience the delight of picking the best ones for your own little bouquet.
After dinner, our host, Liz, came around handing out scissors. "Go down to the garden and cut some flowers, and then bring them back up to the house, and we'll put them in Mason jars." I agreed, reluctantly, as I am not much of a flower person, but Liz can be persuasive.
There is a cutting garden down by the river, full of flowers I could not name. I was still a little hesitant, but Liz assured me that we were not cutting flowers for anything particular, just dead-heading them so they would bloom more. I interpreted that as, "Heck, yes, cut the pretty ones." So I did.
Even though I couldn't put a name to most of the flowers, I know good colors when I see them. This garden was at least as big as my house, and a riot of color - sunny yellow, warm gold, peach, pink, deep red, and an occasional pop of purple. Some blooms were as big as my fist, some were little bulbs no larger than my thumb, and some were tall spikes.
Back at the house, we got a beginner's course in flower arranging. Strip the lower leaves so they are not in the water, and don't forget to dress (hide) the rim. Some people made symmetrical clusters of matched flowers. Others just jammed a bunch into the water. I was somewhere in between, not too fussy, but willing to fiddle around a little bit to get a nice balance.
Since I was actually doing something, I left my camera with T. I suspect that by not looking for a way to record the moment, I was actually able to enjoy the moment more. But dang, I wish you could see all of those flowers, and experience the delight of picking the best ones for your own little bouquet.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
New to the Girl Cave
Last weekend, I bought a spinning wheel. I've been spinning on spindles for a few years now, so I knew I liked the process. I had already been thinking about finding a wheel, and then an unexpected windfall showed up, and... What do you know? My half of the windfall was just a few dollars less than the price of a Schacht Ladybug, which was high on my list of "well-regarded wheels that I can afford and which are carried at the nearest fiber shop". So, I picked up my friend Sue for enabling support, and we went shopping.
The first couple of days with the wheel were really frustrating. It's a machine, after all, with quite a few moving parts that affect how it performs. That first day, if it didn't pull hunks of unspun fiber right out of my hands, then it twisted it into a kinked mess. I bugged people on Ravelry, looked at books, and Googled problems I didn't know how to describe. Every day, I tweaked things and tried again. Today, I finally got something approaching the kind of yarn I know I can make on a spindle.
Today was also the first day that Katie decided to come closer and check out the wheel. Surely that is a good omen.
The first couple of days with the wheel were really frustrating. It's a machine, after all, with quite a few moving parts that affect how it performs. That first day, if it didn't pull hunks of unspun fiber right out of my hands, then it twisted it into a kinked mess. I bugged people on Ravelry, looked at books, and Googled problems I didn't know how to describe. Every day, I tweaked things and tried again. Today, I finally got something approaching the kind of yarn I know I can make on a spindle.
Today was also the first day that Katie decided to come closer and check out the wheel. Surely that is a good omen.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Four houses
My friends Alex and Lillian have been doing art projects together. They'll pick a photo of an art object, and then they will both reproduce it.
Recently, Lillian picked a photo of a really cool building, and I couldn't resist taking a crack at it myself.
Recently, Lillian picked a photo of a really cool building, and I couldn't resist taking a crack at it myself.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
I made yarn
Again this year, most of my artsy-craftsy activity in July was devoted to the Tour de Fleece. The challenge is pretty simple - spin every day that the Tour de France is riding.
I worked on several ongoing spinning projects, but these two were new fiber, started and (mostly) finished during the Tour. The fiber was a Christmas gift from T, part of Spunky Eclectic's Galaxy Series, twelve different colorways based on solar system objects. These are Uranus (top) and Saturn (bottom).
I like the way they came out, and I'm feeling quite pleased with myself for making something I actually want to knit with.
I worked on several ongoing spinning projects, but these two were new fiber, started and (mostly) finished during the Tour. The fiber was a Christmas gift from T, part of Spunky Eclectic's Galaxy Series, twelve different colorways based on solar system objects. These are Uranus (top) and Saturn (bottom).
I like the way they came out, and I'm feeling quite pleased with myself for making something I actually want to knit with.
Monday, May 16, 2011
EDM 102 & 103
My friend Bernie (quite and artist in his own right) asked for more drawings, and I am happy to oblige.
Forget that old chestnut about "not able to draw a straight line." I am clearly incapable of drawing a circle, to say nothing of three concentric circles. And I'm okay with that. Lots of things are "wrong" in the pedometer picture, but in the end, it is a pretty good representation.
Forget that old chestnut about "not able to draw a straight line." I am clearly incapable of drawing a circle, to say nothing of three concentric circles. And I'm okay with that. Lots of things are "wrong" in the pedometer picture, but in the end, it is a pretty good representation.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Every Day in May
I found out yesterday, the 14th, about the Every Day in May art challenge. Yeah, I'm two weeks behind, but we'll never know until we try, will we?
I drew five things today. This was the first.
I drew five things today. This was the first.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Multnomah
I started this little shawl so I would have something simple to knit on the airplane while en route to a wedding last October. I finished during the wee hours Friday, while watching the Will and Kate nuptials.
Yes, I watched the Royal Wedding, from the time the important people started arriving, until the newlyweds left the balcony. I love a good show, and I had to work during Charles and Diana's wedding, so I deserved to see this one.
The shawl pattern is called Multnomah. It took one skein of sock yarn, and it is dead simple if you can count to 18. I did fine with the 18s, but had a little hiccup counting to 4 that caused me a bit of ripping back. No harm done,
Yes, I watched the Royal Wedding, from the time the important people started arriving, until the newlyweds left the balcony. I love a good show, and I had to work during Charles and Diana's wedding, so I deserved to see this one.
The shawl pattern is called Multnomah. It took one skein of sock yarn, and it is dead simple if you can count to 18. I did fine with the 18s, but had a little hiccup counting to 4 that caused me a bit of ripping back. No harm done,
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter 1965
It may have been raining this day. Our Easter finery pictures usually were taken outside, facing into the sun, and invariably involved me squinting.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Caves Project
Phase One of the Man Cave/Studio project is complete. The major furniture and equipment has been moved to the new locations. I am computing from my new digs in the basement - not at 100%, but getting by. T still has some network issues to straighten out.
There is still a lot of work to be done. The entire wall to the left, extending back beyond where I am standing, is piled with boxes. It's moderately well organized as clutter goes. Except for a few boxes that T packed when I wasn't looking, I know where everything is. I also have a general idea of which boxes of stuff need to be attacked first, and which have the highest potential to be leaving the house.
But look! Even with lots of stuff, there is floor space! We never had floor space before! Seeing that empty floor every time I walk into the basement is my encouragement to keep chipping away at it.
The best part is, I managed to snag one of the easy chairs, so Katie still has her favorite place to sit when she comes to visit.
There is still a lot of work to be done. The entire wall to the left, extending back beyond where I am standing, is piled with boxes. It's moderately well organized as clutter goes. Except for a few boxes that T packed when I wasn't looking, I know where everything is. I also have a general idea of which boxes of stuff need to be attacked first, and which have the highest potential to be leaving the house.
But look! Even with lots of stuff, there is floor space! We never had floor space before! Seeing that empty floor every time I walk into the basement is my encouragement to keep chipping away at it.
The best part is, I managed to snag one of the easy chairs, so Katie still has her favorite place to sit when she comes to visit.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Random acts of sprucing up
Slowly but surely, I am cleaning up the basement. We've hauled away some ratty old furniture, thrown away some stuff, and donated some stuff to charity. Today, I put a lot of the remaining stuff in neat rows, which will have to suffice as "order" for the time being. I set aside more things for a Goodwill run, and bagged up more garbage.
The ultimate goal is to make the main room of the basement my creative space, a studio. Really, I just wanted a place where I could set up a sewing machine, but you know how it goes - you clean one little area, then the area next to it looks bad, so you clean it, too.
To celebrate my industriousness, I sat down in a patio chair and did a little spinning. No photos - I've taken dozens of photos of the Pepto Pink fleece, and they all look about the same. But I didn't want to be picture-free, so please enjoy this artist's rendering of "Spindle, Laden with Fiber".
While I was working in the basement, our neighbor and her friend, unbeknownst to me, were doing yard work on our shared border. Suffice it to say, there is now a huge trailer in our back yard for yard debris, and tomorrow's agenda includes chainsaws, heavy ropes, and a dash of Round Up. When it is over, the sideways lilac should be upright again, and the grapevine and volunteer sycamores should be dead.
The ultimate goal is to make the main room of the basement my creative space, a studio. Really, I just wanted a place where I could set up a sewing machine, but you know how it goes - you clean one little area, then the area next to it looks bad, so you clean it, too.
To celebrate my industriousness, I sat down in a patio chair and did a little spinning. No photos - I've taken dozens of photos of the Pepto Pink fleece, and they all look about the same. But I didn't want to be picture-free, so please enjoy this artist's rendering of "Spindle, Laden with Fiber".
While I was working in the basement, our neighbor and her friend, unbeknownst to me, were doing yard work on our shared border. Suffice it to say, there is now a huge trailer in our back yard for yard debris, and tomorrow's agenda includes chainsaws, heavy ropes, and a dash of Round Up. When it is over, the sideways lilac should be upright again, and the grapevine and volunteer sycamores should be dead.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Katie at rest
I took off my sweater and folded it up. Before I could put it away, someone adopted it. You can't see it, but she is also lying on the iPod earbuds. I'm flattered that she wanted to be near me, but she always finds the most inconvenient way possible to do it.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Happy Birthday(s)!
i can always remember when I started this blog, because it was on my brother's birthday. Tomorrow, he and the blog will both be six years farther along the path than when I started.
Like this picture, the blog has no discernible fashion sense, and I don't see it developing one any time soon. I've always said that the blog is basically stuff I would have told my parents if they were still alive. If a few people wander by and read, that's cool, too.
Once a year, though, it's also a chance to tell my big brother that he's still awesome and memorable, no matter how he is dressed.
Like this picture, the blog has no discernible fashion sense, and I don't see it developing one any time soon. I've always said that the blog is basically stuff I would have told my parents if they were still alive. If a few people wander by and read, that's cool, too.
Once a year, though, it's also a chance to tell my big brother that he's still awesome and memorable, no matter how he is dressed.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Kobo-Kindle smackdown
Last month, I finally broke down and got an e-reader. I wasn't absolutely desperate for one, but the situation aligned itself so that I could get one at a reasonable price.
I've heard numerous reader-types say, "Oh, I wouldn't like that - I love real books too much!" To them, I can say that my little Kobo has not replaced printed books in my heart, at all. If anything, I have been reading more. I still have a couple of books going at home, but I also have a some on the Kobo for when I am out.
This picture is T's Kindle and my Kobo, side by side. It was the illustration for my review in the Piker Press.
I've heard numerous reader-types say, "Oh, I wouldn't like that - I love real books too much!" To them, I can say that my little Kobo has not replaced printed books in my heart, at all. If anything, I have been reading more. I still have a couple of books going at home, but I also have a some on the Kobo for when I am out.
This picture is T's Kindle and my Kobo, side by side. It was the illustration for my review in the Piker Press.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Kansas Day
January 29, 2011, is the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood.
In 1961, when Kansas celebrated its centennial, Pratt had a parade, and mom made sure my brother and I were decked out in our frontier finest. I know she made my dress, and a matching dress for herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she made Phil's vest, too.
Happy Sesquicentennial, Kansas!
In 1961, when Kansas celebrated its centennial, Pratt had a parade, and mom made sure my brother and I were decked out in our frontier finest. I know she made my dress, and a matching dress for herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she made Phil's vest, too.
Happy Sesquicentennial, Kansas!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A poem for the season
Recent conversations with a couple of football-loving girlfriends reminded me of this little ditty. I composed it when I was in junior high, back when the frozen north ruled the NFL - sort of like this year. What could have been more old school than seeing the Packers, Bears, Steelers, and Jets vying for the Super Bowl this year? I always got a vicious little thrill, seeing southern teams play up north, in falling snow, or in single-digit temps. Namby pambies. You should try living up north ALL THE TIME.
Ahem. Anyway, this is the only thing I ever wrote that I can recite in its entirety. If you would like to enjoy it for yourself, sing it to the tune of Jingle Bells.
Football games! Football games!Frolics in the snow,Sitting on a frozen benchIt's just thirteen belo-ow!Pass received? Pass received?We will never know,For the guy who made the catchIs buried in the snow!
Dashing through snow,A wishbone T in play--There's faith though we're behindNineteen to three today.Our team just can' t fit inThe place where we now play.You see, we are from FloridaAnd playing in Green Bay!
(repeat chorus with gusto)
(Disclaimers: Yes, I know nineteen is an uncommon score, and I know Miami didn't run the wishbone, and they certainly didn't run it across divisions against the Packers. But it's a poem, dammit, and these words scanned, and that's the important thing.)
(P.S. Go Steelers!)
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