Posted in 2024, hobbies, leisure time, life, relaxing

Experimental Collage

On Saturday, I took a class at the Guilford Art Center called “Experimental Collage Workshop”.

I was more than a little nervous as I was driving to the center. I’ve never taken an art class before and it takes me a while to get my “creative juices” going!

It involved using a variety of medium to create a collage. The teacher brought so much material and it was fun to sort through everything there.

As I went through the packets of magazine pages, cutouts, words, and paper stock, I pulled out items that interested me. I realized I knew what I wanted to do.

As I was making it, I had to let go of my need to make things symmetrical or cut strips straight and of equal dimensions! The sun came about on my third try of a sun. As soon as I saw the green leaf paper, I knew I wanted it to be the roof and the teacher was impressed it was 3-D! I had to have Wally there and the cardinal was a fluke as I didn’t see it in the packet the first time I looked through it. I think it came out pretty good!

I’ve always had a thing for standard collage. My earliest memory was in third grade we had a collage project, maybe for our first communion, of a chalice and the communion wafer. I only remember it because it was in a yarn bound “book” of art work that hung around in the basement for years.

I love seeing the tile work in the subway stations. The two tours at Hearst Castle both ended up at the pool and it is breathtaking! The colors and the way they reflect off the water – I have so many pictures!

I really enjoyed this class. Once I had an idea of what I wanted to do, it became soothing to sort my material and cut out the items. I think it’s something I might explore at home!

Posted in 2021, 2024, friends, leisure time, life, Memories, photography

July 17 Hump Day Photo

Arch Rock, Mackinac Island, Michigan August 2021

I take so many pictures on my IPhone. 29,386 photos and 1,079 videos to be exact! I have a Canon EOS with three different lenses but it just cannot compete with the instant gratification convenience (my Canon doesn’t have wi-fi).

What should I do with all those photos? First off, delete all the duplicates. But second, Share them! So starting today, on Wednesdays I will share a photo and give the when, where, and why.

This photo was taken during a vacation in August 2021 to visit friends who had a home in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. While there with 2 other couples and the hosts, we took a trip to Mackinac Island.

It was quite a drive to get to the ferry (although we’d gone to Petoskey on a previous trip) but it and the ferry ride were enjoyable!

Once we got to the island, we had lunch and shopped and then took a horse drawn tour which brought us all over the island. It was such an enjoyable trip and one of the stops was at Arch Rock which looks out onto Lake Huron to the east. Believe me when I say, I took many pictures of this view from every angle.

We also saw the beautiful Grand Hotel on our tour along with a cemetery, and our tour guide had a lot of great information about the island.

Once our tour was over, we walked back down to the town and took the ferry ride back to Mackinaw City and headed home.

I’m very grateful for having met these couples on a Danube River cruise and our visits with them afterward!

Posted in 2024, life, Memories, thoughts

Decisions Decisions!

Dogs or cats?

I had a cat for 14 years. We adopted a dog 2 months after the cat passed away; he has been part of our family for 12 years. I didn’t grow up with either so both were new to me!

Chuckie Finster Benson, our cat, came into our home from his barn birth when he was a few months old in 1998. He had the most beautiful coloring and since he was orange, and our son was a fan of RugRats, it made sense to name him after the orange-haired boy Chuckie.

Maybe because he had barn cat in his blood, he preferred to spend his summers outside. He spent his nights in the winter in the basement, otherwise, I would find him on my head trying to wake me up at 3 am.

We would find him in the strangest locations over the years, always someplace warm like behind the couch on the radiator cover, inside the dryer on some freshly dried clothes, and always in the basket of blankets in the living room.

He wasn’t a cuddly cat but became one as he got older. He loved to sit right right next to me in my chair. I guess it was just another place to be warm!

When he died in 2012, we were all very sad.

So I started looking at rescue dog advertisements and found Wally.

56107620045__b0dac535-8f11-4b85-b1cd-5733a298f346-1

I mean really, how could you resist that face? He put on a good show at the Humane Society, letting us all crowd around and pet him. As soon as we got home, he latched onto my husband and that was it. Wally will fight you to the death to protect his man!

Wally was left at the shelter so he was likely 2 or 3 years old when we took him home. It’s been 12 years and he has slowed down. He still loves his lunchtime walks down to the corner and back and walking out to the edge of our yard to sniff all his favorite spots. He comes bounding back from his trip like he’s two years old again because he knows there is a treat at the end of his run!

Chuckie was easier because he could be left to roam. We could go away for the weekend and our neighbor would keep her eye on him and check that he had food in the house. Very easy.

Wally is a prickly pear so you want him to love you. So many people have been fooled by his wagging tail that they don’t notice the lip quiver that signals a snarl and snap coming!

I’m glad I’ve had one of each to experience having a pet but my answer would be Cats.

Posted in 2024, leisure time, Writing

Getting Lost in Research

Daily writing prompt
Which activities make you lose track of time?

When I get involved with ancestry research work, time flies! I get so engrossed in names and making sure the information is correct, that an hour will go by before I know it! I’ll sit down to take a quick look and WHOOSH there goes the time!

Posted in 2024, family, friends, Goals, life, Writing

Two (or 3) Simple Words

How do you express your gratitude?

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Those are two ways I usually express my gratitude for something someone has done for me or said to me.

I think sometimes, for me, I don’t slow down or stop to think about thanking the people who are around me all the time. Family, co-workers. I am go, go, go in the office and expect people to do the same!

I need to stop and reflect what someone does that makes me feel good or happy or satisfied the way something was done. Not just for something they say to me or do for me.

The words will be the same, but for different reasons.

Blue Jay saying hello to us!
Posted in 2024, hobbies, leisure time, life, Writing

Everything I Want To Learn

What are you passionate about?

I was thinking of the hobbies I have been really “passionate” about – knitting, piano, making cards, ancestry – and how that passion will be so strong and then wane. None of those have completely disappeared but they move in and out of my life like waves.

That’s when I realized I am passionate about learning. New skills, new ideas, history, people.

Posted in 2024, life, Memories, thoughts, Writing

Fall In Love With Fall

What is your favorite season of year? Why?

Fall in New England is the most glorious season of the year.

I catch a hint of its arrival in mid-August. I can see it in the angle of the sunrise through the leaves in the morning. If I stop and let the air wash over me, I can feel the slight chill under the heat. It’s brief, but it’s a taste of what’s to come.

Skip to mid September and I feel the cold within the heat and the heat within the cold. If I close my eyes I can imagine both a fall day and winter is coming or a spring day and summer is around the corner!

Vermont steel bridge

October. Now October is the Gem of the season! That’s when we have glorious colors and bright blue skies. Every tree I see, I want to take a picture of it! I’ve been on many motorcycle trips during “leaf peeping” season and my head is on a swivel looking at the beautiful scenery and enjoying the wonderful weather.

Morris Rock, Wallingford
Posted in 2024, life, thoughts

Butterfingers Rule!

Describe your dream chocolate bar.

My dream chocolate bar is a Butterfinger bar.

I like to nibble all the chocolate off the sides and top first. Then I start on the peanut butter layers inside. I work all around the bar until it’s gone. It gets messy!

I haven’t had a butterfinger bar in a very long time.