Barbara's Little Field

Taking A Break

2010-09-12T11:52:00.003-06:00

I do hate blogs that drift off without notice, growing more and more scarce as time goes on. Mine has been doing just that because I have been dealing with some personal issues. I believe that this issues should be under control within the next month or so and will resume regular blogging then.

See you all later,

Barbara

Duck Festival People Peeping

2010-09-08T08:41:00.003-06:00

Sorry about disappearing for awhile; my body has not been cooperating with my spirit.

When I last wrote I was talking about one of my favorite subjects: People Peeping. I am fascinated by people reactions, interactions and priorities. This couple caught my attention.

At first glance it is easy to see that even though the couple looks like they are passively sharing their seats in the shade; there is definitely something going on between them.

Her body language tells me that she is solid in her chair, and has no intention of moving. Considering how hot it is in the afternoon sun, in August, in the desert of the Southwest; being solid in your chair in the shade is the only way to go. This posture could also mean that she has an opinion and is not budging from it.

He is ready to spring into action; one foot ready to push off, the other foot extended for the first step, one hand ready to push himself up from the chair, and the other hand grasping his hat to keep it from falling.

The expression on her face could be bored, she could have just said something to him that she thinks will cause a reaction and she is waiting to see what that reaction will be, she has just said something to him she knows he will react to and doesn't care what his reaction is, she has just said something to him, knows his reaction will not be favorable, and she has hidden behind a passive expression.

He is obviously reacting. I can feel the motion of his head swinging towards her. His brows are up, and his lips poised to speak. His eyes look to me like they are angry.

I would love to know the beginning and end of this story, but I could not ask them what had transpired, nor could I linger and observe any longer without being more intrusive than I already was.

Was this just a bad moment in a good marriage, was this a repetitive saga of passive/aggressive behavior, or was this merely a suggestion by her that he get up and buy her some ice cream?

People Peeping is a creative sport.

Duck Festival People Peeping

2010-09-03T12:12:00.003-06:00

Last week the Duck Festival was held in Deming. It is held every year at the end of August. The end of August is hot, very, very hot and this year I was not up to attending. That got me digging in my picture archive. I thought I would share some of those pictures and my thoughts on them. I also have some pictures of ducks but it is much harder to read into their characters from a picture so for now I will stick to what I call "People Peeping".

This gentleman is fully focused on his roasted corn. He and his buddies have found a spot in the shade, have water to drink, and are indulging in the guilty pleasure of carnival food. Carnival food is the great equalizer of fair attenders: roasted corn, corn dogs, turkey legs, funnel cakes, candy cotton, candy apples, curly fries. Our hearts urge us to taste our childhood memories, and later our adult digestive systems will make us pay. But oh that first lovely fist bite......

There are free performances by local musicians at the festival. The bleachers are only partially in the shade and if you can stand the sun in the high two digit, or sometimes, low three digit weather you can sit and enjoy some of the local talent Deming has to offer. This woman took my fancy: she is somewhat isolated from the rest of the crowd by her positioning on the bleachers, her hat casually placed so space is preserved on one side, and sitting at an angle which blocks off her personal space on the other side. Her arms and leg are crossed to hold in her private space, and even the lit cigarette is used to extend her protective barrier. I wonder is this is part of her personality or can it be attributed to the heat?

I know this couple and therefore won't read my speculations into their body languages. I will point out that they added denim vests to their outfits, which had to add a layer of heat, and yet still are compelled to hold hands and move through the crowd as one.

Ah this couple; they deserve a post of their own and I will revisit them tomorrow.

Boring Knit And A New Project

2010-08-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

In a former post I was whining about a shawl pattern that was so simple that I was bored. When my brain in not engaged it wanders, when it wanders I miss things like yarn overs or knit together's. The pattern was "Dusk" from the book "A Fine Line". I was drawn to the designs in this book by their clean lines. The designs were based on the placement of color values of yarn, and not the stitches themselves.

The directions called for purchasing a lot of different yarns; a dollar investment I did not want to make. However I did have one skein of "Kauni" in a light fingering weight. It is a variegated yarn in long color runs. When my Stitch & Bitch made our field trip to Tucson I found some "Dream In Color" lace weight yarn that came close in weight, color, and texture to use for the center of the shawl.

The pattern is masterful. The usual placement of increases for the corners is marked; a line of stitches flanked by a hole on each side is the traditional method. For "Dusk" the designer engineered the increases so they blended into the pattern.

My finished shawl is 47" square. That pattern is for a larger shawl, and I prefer a larger shawl, but I was out of yarn and didn't want to order more so I could continue with a project that was putting me to sleep.

It is lovely, but I have learned my lesson: I knit for fun first, and product second. No matter how lovely the pattern looks I will not be drawn in unless it will keep me awake. I am very glad I borrowed my friend's book and did not invest in it myself.

Of course once one project came off the needles a new one had to be cast on. I am making another "Hanging Garden" by Sivia Harding. I made one this spring in a heather grey and have gotten a lot of use from it even though it is wool. When I saw the "Lacey Lamb" 100% extra fine lambs wool in purple while on the above mentioned field trip, I knew it was perfect for "Hanging Garden". I have never knit the same pattern twice, but I think the pattern requires just the right amount of attention from me to keep me awake. This yarn is so soft that it is a joy to work on after my two previous projects.

Blocking Knit Lace

2010-08-29T09:57:00.006-06:00

I have either been "down" this week or on a roll. I will share the "on a roll" accomplishments over the next couple of days.

Today I will share the process of blocking a shawl. I finished knitting "Miralda's Triangular Shawl" from "Knitted Lace of Estonia" by Nancy Bush. It was a complex pattern that kept me awake, but yet was not beyond my skill set. I chose the yarn, Longad by Evilla, because of the long runs of color. While the color gave just the effect I wanted the yarn was full of debris that I removed both while winding the ball, and during the knitting process itself. Also despite a lot of fabric softener the yarn retained its rough texture and would not be good for use next to bare flesh.

It is not always easy to take a picture of the finished product while wearing it, but I gave it a stab. (You can see parts of my bathroom as an added bonus.)

Knitted lace just off the needles looks like a nest of yarn at best. The finished piece must be blocked to come into its full glory. Blocking involves getting the piece wet, then stretching it into the desired shape and securing it with pins until it dries.

I block on rubber mats that I put down on my living room floor. However being on the floor is a signal to the Boys that I want to play. I am offered toys to throw.

Being a good Doggy Mommy I do play a couple of games of "Throw The Green Monster Stuffed Critter", but that comes to an end. Then Roul goes into one of his many beds and pouts,

and Blizzard is torn between taking a nap, and watching me crawl around on my hands and knees.

When the piece is stretched on the blocking boards it looks like this. At this point you can either see your perfect project, or the errors that you didn't catch. My philosophy about that is "If it looks good for the distance of 3 feet; don't worry about it."

When it is dry the pins are removed, and I rush to take pictures while the project is relatively dog fur free.

Now I just wait for the weather to go below the high 90's.

Chihuahua Race II

2010-08-23T08:51:00.005-06:00

Besides the races there was a "Dog and Person Look Alike Costume Contest". Hang on for a cuteness overload.

This lady and her dog were not entered in the contest, they just looked alike. I wonder if the woman looked for a dog that looked like her, or if she changed her look to resemble the dog? Maybe she is unaware of the resemblance. Maybe they are sisters.

This woman took the whole contest thing a little too seriously. Her dog had a change of outfits that were rotated throughout the afternoon. She did not win. It was a very warm day and most of the people did not put their dogs into costume until just before the contest. I suspect that the judges did not reward the woman because of the unintentional discomfort she caused here dog. Not cruelty, she would have been torn from limb to limb in the dog loving crowd, but discomfort. Shame on her.

This little fellow was a mixed breed, but he had Chihuahua in him and Chihuahua people are not exacting. Come one, come all. He looks very sexy in his "leathers".

Hello! This costume was a "no brainer".

This little girl wore a costume as delicate as she was. With the costume on I don't think she would have broken the 3 lb. mark.

Bat Dog; probably more intelligent than Robin as a sidekick.

The winner was "Football Dog". Both she and her owner were dress in the colors of a New Mexico collage football team (I have no idea which one.) The helmet was only worn for the contest.

It was a very good day; the dogs were well behaved, the children were well behaved, and everybody scooped.

Chihuahua Race

2010-08-21T06:45:00.002-06:00

Awhile back, before Blizzard came to live with us, Roul and I attended a Chihuahua Race in Las Cruces, NM. It was a charity event held to raise funds for homeless children. You can't have a better mix than kids and dogs.

As you can see from the pictures it was a low overhead festival. It focused on Chihuahua, Chihuahua want-to-be's (any dog that is not a Chihuahua, because you just know that being a Chihuahua is the very best), and families.

This is the start of the race. Chihuahua are very, very fast little dogs and my digital camera could not take pictures fast enough. I was lucky I caught a picture of the last two dogs out of the chutes. Most of the dogs ran towards the finish line, some didn't want to move, and one ran behind the chutes to see what was so interesting back there.

To keep the dogs headed in the right direction a family member was just over the finish line calling out encouragement. In previous heats, after crossing the finish line, a lady gave each of them a treat. These dogs had figured that out through observation, ignored their people, and veered left to the "treat lady". Chihuahua are both fast and smart.

Not all of the dogs ran in the races. This little fellow was content to ride in his Mommy's arms peering over her shoulder. He never moved from there. She told me he was a rescue dog and had never been socialized with other dogs. He did not know how to play, he just knew he was safe in her arms and that is where he wanted to be. (After adopting Blizzard I understand the behavior.)

This of course is Roul. He is a social butterfly; willing to make friends with everybody and anybody. He was not entered in the races, nor did he think the races where such a good idea. Above he is giving me that "Are you out of your mind. I not running on a hot day." look.

PS If you click on the pictures you can enlarge the pictures. I don't want you missing any of that Chihuahua cuteness.

This and that

2010-08-18T20:19:00.004-06:00

Things are looking up here. I did have to get that cortisone shot and it is working. I am starting to look human, I expect tonight to be my first good night's sleep in two weeks, and I do believe that tomorrow I will be able to wear proper undergarments when I go out. Yay!!!

The TV issues remain the same. I will tackle it when I more fully myself.

I hope the shelves get painted this weekend.

And I am feeling pretty perky.

I think a blog without pictures is uninteresting; I am a very visual person. Since I haven't been out and about I have no new ones to share with you, but I do have archives.

Today's pictures are of my art work. All of these are based on pictures of people I don't know, but who have fascinated me. One of the antique shops where I bought some of these had them in a basket labeled "Unclaimed Relatives". Here are my unclaimed relatives and the stories I have made up for them. They are all colored pencils drawings on white fabric, appliqued, embroidered, and quilted.

This piece is called "Grandmother's Flower Garden". It's background is a scrap of an vintage quilt top in the Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern. I assume they are husband and wife, and the picture was taken by one of their visiting children. Grandfather is dapper, basking in the attention of his offspring, and Grandmother is a tad wrinkled and worn. She is the one who has been cooking for the last two days, making sure everybody is fed and happy.

This is Ann. I think of her as a young woman who comes from a upper class family who has fallen on hard times. She has been betrothed to an older widower with four children. Because of her family's reduced circumstances this is considered a good match. I have hoped that her sting of pearls, which is broken and in the process of falling to the ground, and the wilted bouquet express the loss of her innocence.

"The Glance". The shy glance, and mischievous smile of this woman endeared her to me.

I hope you have enjoyed my "Reclaimed Relatives".

Good Grief

2010-08-15T13:23:00.002-06:00

Good grief, I haven't written for a week! Well you haven't missed anything, it has been a rather blah week. To bring you up to date:

The TV set up issues are the same; I need two remotes to work the stupid thing. My calls to the local satellite installer who did the initial set up were answered; several times. I went from person to person who didn't have a clue and ended up referring me to the technical support division of Direct TV. I have yet to contact them; I need to be in tip top shape in both mind and body to deal with them on the phone and me with the TV and two remotes.
My renovation work has been limited to one coat of paint on the crown molding, as well as exploration on line to learn how to install it. This may be not such a good idea. Again I need to be in tip top shape of mind and body to attempt this project.
I did get one coat of paint on one of the bookcases. That one coat made me realize that because of the bookcase's very dark color three coats will be necessary.
I have been knitting on a shawl. The pattern is simple and boring. My brain has fallen asleep and I have made a number of errors that must be either ignored, fixed, or ripped out. For today I am ignoring the whole project.
The pressed board desk that was moved from the kitchen to the garage was in my way and I could not find a new home for it. I dragged it to the front yard and hung a FREE sign on it. I was gone in less than a half hour. I do wish they had either taken the sign with them, or walked the 30 feet to the dumpster and thrown it away, rather than ripping it off and tossing it in the yard. Oh well, at least that sucker is out of here.
I attended a jewelry party. For those of you who don't know; I worked in both the fine and costume jewelry for years. I don't need any more jewelry. Oh I might have, and on occasion, have succumb to temptation, but that only occurs if the piece is very unique, or a GREAT bargain. Alas the jewelry offered for sale at the party was neither. I felt great gobs of guilt for not buying anything.
Most of my week was spent trying not to rip my skin off. My allergies and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease have combined to make my body one massive, red, itching mass. I kept hoping it would get better, but it hasn't. This is its second week and I will surrender to it tomorrow morning if I don't see a marked improvement. I know what will kill it; a cortisone shot. Neither the Dr. nor I want to do that because of the long term side effects of large doses of cortisone on the body. Like Scarlett O'Hara; "I will think about that tomorrow."

Here are some pictures to bring you up to date.

The new TV on the new TV stand.

The old TV waiting for me to find out how to get rid of it. Also the contents of the book case which is currently in the garage waiting for two more coats of paint,

and here is the bookcase.

Here is the painted crown molding.

My Third Hand

2010-08-08T19:41:00.002-06:00

There are no pictures today; well there are, but they are still in the camera. Today was spent continuing to move things about as part of my renovations, and I am just too tired to play with both the camera and the computer.

I showed you the media center that needed to be moved. First it had to be emptied, then a place found for all of the stuff I took out of it. I have bags of DVDs and VHS tapes that will either be given away, or taken to Coas, the used book store for credit. There were a bunch of music cassettes that need to be gone through because time is not kind to cassette tapes. My CDs are in a bag waiting for more musical furniture to give them a place to hang out.

My neighbor and his twenty something son will come on Wed. to help move the media center to the garage where it will be used for storage. It is now empty and ready to go, but that means the TV is disconnected. I bought a new TV and a stand for it to sit on. I figured I could assemble the stand, and set the TV up on it in front of the fireplace and then move them where they should be when the media center was out of the way.

First I assembled the table. Because it was very heavy; the box said it should be "team lifted" and showed a picture of two people moving it, I had left it in the back of the car. I unwrapped it while it was in the car, and carried it into the house one or two pieces at a time. A very wise but very time consuming process. Of course that BIG box had to be cut in to medium pieces before it went into the dumpster. The directions were clear but doing it by myself was awkward. I used my shoes to help hold it in position while I was assembling it.

Next came the TV. The directions for assembly were not as clear. Assembling with a black base, a black TV, and black screws was a challenge. Two of the screws had to be placed deep inside the stand almost blindly, and required a long, slender, Phillips head screw driver. Lord knows Ralph left me with set after set of interchangeable screwdriver sets, but not one of them would fit into that slender spot. I must have spent an hour looking for the proper one. I came close with a long flat head screwdriver; it wasn't the right tool and it was not easy to use. I never thought I would have to buy a set of screwdrivers, but they are now on my shopping list. (If I have them I will never need them.) Of course the TV came in another BIG box that needed to be cut up before it could be put in the dumpster.

Now it is time to hook up the TV. I found a new cable for the satellite connection, but it is not long enough for me to connect the TV in it's current position; once it is in its proper position the cable will reach. But that can't happen until I get the media center out of the way. That is OK because when I look at the drawing and read the hook up directions I don't understand one little bit of it. I will attempt it again tomorrow when I am fresh, but if that doesn't work I will have to call somebody who know what they are doing.

I am looking at the media center thinking that I won't have to wait until Wednesday if I put it on a couple of old rugs and slide/drag it into the garage. Hey, it is a thought.

Today I missed Ralph. For almost 30 years we were each other's third hand. We repaired plumbing, painted a barn, laid tile, assembled countless items, hung kitchen cabinets, poured cement, dug a trench for a new well connection, built a summer house, and so many other things. I can do a lot of things thanks to his lessons. He ended up knowing he should read directions thanks to my lessons. I don't mind that it takes longer now, and that I have to be a bit more creative in how I do things, but I do miss sharing the accomplishments.

Birds Of A Feather

2010-08-07T13:57:00.002-06:00

As you know from previous posts I have been cleaning out my garage. During the process (still on going) I found a flock of parrots. One of them was worn from the weather and had come unglued from his perch. The other two were fresh from a store in Mexico, purchased at least a year ago but never glued to their perches and put in the garden. One of my goals in the cleaning of the garage is to touch each item as few times as possible. That means that the parrots did not get moved to another corner, but got their feet (or where they would have feet if they were real) Gorilla Glued to their perches.

The above is the older parrot; you can see what at least 5 years of high altitude desert sun has done to his paint. The poor baby has the mange.

This is his brother who was purchased at the same time. They are now back on their double perch in the center of the garden.

This new member of the family now lives just on the edge of my covered porch.

This fellow now lives outside my dining area window.

They are fun, colorful, and have far outlasted any designed for the garden ornament I have purchased. I didn't think they would last a season.

Polly want a cracker?

More Renovation

2010-08-05T08:33:00.002-06:00

Hard as it is to believe, yesterdays renovation plans are only the start of a grander scheme.

Below is a window looking out over the back garden. The only other view of the garden is the dinning/kitchen area, facing east. Because of the intense summer sun the blinds on the east facing windows are not rolled up until after noon in the summer. The window shown faces north and has the over hang of the porch to keep it shaded. This is the perfect place to sit with a book, a cup of tea, and watch over the garden and its residents.

However it was being used as a computer space by my late husband. I want to move that computer to the yet to be developed office/guest room.

That will allow me space not only for an easy chair, but also for.....

These bookcases which are in the entry way. Moving these would open the flow into the living area.

But for now my plans will be laid aside. It is time to go to Stitch & Bitch.

Renovation

2010-08-04T14:26:00.004-06:00

I am doing some renovations to the house. Right now everything is on a holding pattern waiting on something else. I feel like I am juggling chainsaws and eggs at the same time.

I bought the above miter saw on my shopping spree last week. The only tool I had for cutting angles was a plastic miter box. I need a lot more accuracy if I am to install crown molding throughout the house. A very good miter box was $50, this marvel that does not require me to use a handsaw was $99. It seemed like a worthwhile investment to me. But it sits in the garage waiting for me to make a space to set it up.
Also in my garage is a new TV. My old DVD player no longer works and a new one will not work with the old TV. The TV now has a blue horizontal stripe that appears on occasion. I suspect that the TV is on its last legs. This is a lovely new 32" one (on sale!). I also bought a TV stand for the new TV because the new TV will not fit in my old media center. The new TV table has not made it out of the back of my car for two reasons: there is no room for it in the garage, and it is too heavy for me to move in its box. I will take it out of the box in the back of the car a piece at a time and assemble it very close to where it will be used.

This is the old media center. The new TV will move into that spot but only after I move the media center to the garage where it will be used for storage.

Above is the section of my garage where the media center will be put. It will run perpendicular to the storage on the left of the picture. If you look carefully you will see a large orange box about in the center of the picture. It is a desk that I purchased used and painted. It will go in the kitchen/dinning area where I keep my laptop on a particle board desk that is in deep trouble. This area of the garage will also be my wet studio.

The orange desk is now where it is supposed to be, and I am cleaning out the old desk, determining what will go into the office/guestroom (yet to be set up), what should be tossed, and what should be kept in the orange desk. If I don't finish this job by this afternoon I will have to eat standing up tonight.

The old desk will be offered to my neighbor, who's wife has volunteered him to help move the media center into the garage. If he does not take the desk it will be put in front of the house with a "FREE" sign on it.

This is only the very tip of my iceberg of madness. I will share the process with you as it progresses.

For now I have to work on the mess in the above photo and get it tamed before dinner.

I feel like I should have circus music playing in the background of my life.

Tiffany's Pizza and Greek American Cuisine

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

First I want you to know that my friend Pauli, and I are not joined at the hip; we have just managed to squeeze in another day together. It all started when our local building supply store failed to have what I needed. Since this is pretty consistent I don't know why I even bother to go there. Maybe it is because I keep hoping I won't need to make the 160 mile round trip to Las Cruces.

In any case I need to go to Home Depot. I remembered that Pauli said that she had errands that needed to be run in Las Cruces. There was no reason we couldn't do our errands together.

Off we went Friday morning. We were efficient, and through; with stops at Tuesday Mornings, Mountain View Co-0p, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Sam's Club, and the U-Haul. My car was so full that had the boxes from U-Haul been 1/8" bigger they would not have fit.

There will be future posts about the supplies purchased during this adventure, but for today I want to share our lunch stop with you.

We ate at Tiffany's Pizza and Greek American Cuisine. Having both been there before we chose to order one lunch and split it. We got the Gyro Plate pictured here. It was more than enough of yummy fresh ingredients.

We did not need dessert, but for their baklava we made room. Again we shared. I did not think to take a picture until there was only one bite left; it was Pauli's and she dispatched it right after I snapped the shot. Then we scarfed up as many of the crumbs as we could. After all we needed energy; our afternoon stops were Home Depot and Sam's Club. They both require a lot of walking and the pushing of heavy carts.

Stitch & Bitch

2010-08-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Once a week I meet with other local ladies for a Stitch & Bitch. The group was origionaly formed for knitting, and knitting is still an important part of our relationship. As time has progressed we have shared so many joys and sorrows that it is our personal relationship that now the real reason we all consider this a highlight of our week

We meet at "The Way Maker" a religious bookstore and coffee shop in downtown Deming. While not one of us is a member of the affilated church they have made us feel a part of their extended family. A few weeks ago they suddenly remembered that they had forgotten to tell us they would be closed the next week for vacation. A neighbor of mine is a church member and a frequent customer; when he came in they got my name and phone number from him and called me at home to tell me about being closed. It was in pleanty of time for me to have the ladies over to my house. For that and oh so many other kindnesses we are apprecitive.

This gentleman is Marvin, he is a regular at the coffee shop. The S&B group sits way in the back of the shop, while Marvin has personal territory at the counter. While he appears to be reading the paper I frequently suspect he is realy chuckling at our fun.

Here is Jane checking in with Marven. We all stop for a word or two each week. Carol is waiting for her cup of tea. The group is just starting to convene.

Before we get down to the knitting we have to unpack our bags and distribute what was promised last week, surprises, and garden produce. Above are they beautiful fresh peaches from Joanell's tree. Peaches like this can not be found at a market.

Here Doreen and Joanell are given a pattern by Pierrette.

Doreen shares books with Joanell.

Carol brought in eggplant and tomatoes in from her garden.

I know it is hard to believe, but we did get settled, each with the beverage of her choice, and some knitting did get accomplished.

Day Trip to El Paso IV

2010-07-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

El Paso is an interesting city just begging to be explored further. Its buildings cover a long span of time, different cultural traditions, and tastes.

The menu of buildings outside of the Camino Real Hotel is just as intriguing as the menu inside. We could not resist the urge to snap photo after photo without moving from a 5 foot radius.

A return visit for exploration purposes is on both Pauli and my "too do" lists.

It was a good day; the weather was not too hot, the sights interesting, and the time spent with a friend was the most precious of all.

Day Trip to El Paso III

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

After our tour of the El Paso Museum of Art we crossed the street to the Camino Real Hotel for a very late lunch.

It was pretty much what one could expect from a hotel dinning room, and the decor was pleasent.

As you can see even with sore "museum feet" we were still enjoying ourselves. Just give us an air conditioned room, a place to sit, and food, and you have a couple of happy campers.

Day Trip to El Paso II

2010-07-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

The El Paso Museum of Art greets visitors with El Vacquero, a fiberglass statue by Luis Jimenez. This being Texas, the statue is is biggest, shiniest, toughest cowboy imaginable.

Alas I am not an appreciative audience of this statue because I am not fond of fiberglass as a medium. For me it evokes the same feelings of other statues done in that medium like Ronald McDonald, and Bob's Big Boy; places that want my money of something of lesser quality.

The architecture of both the interior and exterior are interesting. However I got distracted and only took pictures of the entrance. I cannot find pictures of the interior on the Internet to share with you, but promise I will on my next visit.

We went specifically to see the Bedazzled exhibit; it was on loan and therefore I could not photograph it. My working life was in the jewelry industry and I am a sucker for any exhibit of jewelry; modern, historical, costume or fine. This exhibit, while worth seeing, was of a private collection that was unfocused, and the mounting of the exhibit could have been better. The lighting was not the best for the objects shown, and the magnifying glasses to see the detail were not installed in the cases at the optimum focus, but hand held by the viewer. This link will take you to images from the catalogue. This is the very fist exhibit I have ever attended where the images in the catalogue were better than the objects themselves.

However a day out with a friend is treasure, no matter what you are doing.

Day Trip to El Paso I

2010-07-25T10:54:00.004-06:00

Saturday my friend Pauli and I went to El Paso, TX for a visit to the El Paso Museum of Art. (Let me add that the El Paso Museum of Art will not go down as one of the worlds finest, but when you have been without the finest for long enough it will do.) We parked the car in the lot under the Convention Center

When we emerged from the subterranean world of parking we discovered that the Convention Center had redesigned their plaza. No longer was it a vast interesting paved area with an unused water feature. It was now covered with a vast, multi angled, multi curved, blue, glass canopy that bordered on sculpture.

It was supported by the earth toned columns that were interesting in themselves being multi textured and evocative ofthe desert.

The over head was pure almost endless sky, the kind that is best enjoyed in the desert.

When viewed from inside the El Paso Art Museum across the street it was even more sculptural.

I would have liked to spend more time exploring and experiencing the changing light of the canopy, but El Paso is a two hour drive from Deming and moving on to the museum was in order.

Cloudcroft, NM Part V

2010-07-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

In this, my final post about my trip to Cloudcroft, I leave you with pictures of clouds. There are some spectacular clouds in Cloudcroft.

Clouds moving up from the mouth of the canyon...

Clouds further up the canyon...

Clouds as the backdrop for the never ending pine trees...

and clouds that bear the look of the hand of a god.

Cloudcroft, NM Part IV

2010-07-23T09:01:00.003-06:00

During our stay in Cloudcroft the Boy's and I went for walks. Walking with dogs is a necessity, at least that is what the Boy's think. Walks provide the perfect opportunity to explore an area. Unfortunately exploring while walking with dogs means you rush past the scenic areas, and explore dumpsters, telephone poles and things that smell bad. Our walks are always matters of compromise.

When I first got to Cloudcroft I couldn't figure out why the forest bothered me; there was just something a bit "off". It took me two days realize that not only were all of the trees pine, but that there was very little variety in the kind of pine. This lack of variety is due to the very high altitude. The lack of variety also makes for either a bland forest view, or a relaxing forest view; depending on your mindset. I was not only surrounded by green, but green of the same hue and value. This took some getting used to.

There were very few wildflowers. Those that were there were so singular that they stood out like jewels in a deep green velvet box.

The above two pictures were taken with great difficulty. The thistles were not inaccessible; they were right on the edge of the road. They were on a scenic part of the road, not a part with something that would interest two dogs. While I tried to focus on flowers that were gently moving with a breeze the Boy's were each pulling in a different direction while using me as a Maypole. That is why you had better enjoy these two pictures because they are the only ones that I got remotely in focus.

Cloudcroft, NM Part III

2010-07-20T10:14:00.003-06:00

"They" are right; necessity is the mother of invention. When Ralph and I traveled I COOKED. He liked his 3 squares a day. A salad was something that went along with a meal. Now it is just me, and a bigger salad is a meal.

On my recent trip I was faced with the fact that I didn't have a bowl big enough for a BIG salad. A cereal bowl was too small, and a dinner plate a bit awkward. Then it hit me; the perfect solution.

I have a set of stacking cookware made for RV travel. Below is how one of the pans looks when it is assembled for cooking.

I took off the lid, and the handle,

and filled it with salad.

My problem was solved.

Cloudcroft, NM Part II

2010-07-18T14:07:00.003-06:00

It is Monsoon Season in New Mexico. Down in Deming we anxiously hope that the scattered storms will land in our yards. In Cloudcroft the storms cover the entire territory. While I was there the village of Cloudcroft had enough hail to call out their snow clearing equipment to make the steep roads safe. Also to the south, at around 6,500 feet, they had so much rain the streets were flooded.

Most days there was rain for an hour or two in the afternoon, and one day it rained all day. Somehow that didn't matter. I was not attracted to the town that looked like a collection to tourist shops and Bar BQ joints; I stayed in the campground. When it rained we just moved inside and continued our relaxation. I read my new Kindle (which I love), knit, watched old movies on DVD, napped, and ate.

Roul is good at napping. When the temperature is below 75 F he is cold so he gets tucked under his little Night-Night. He slept peacefully because he is not bothered by storms.

On the other hand, poor Blizzard is terrified by storms. He would tuck himself either in my lap, or wedged between me and Roul, and shiver and shake until the storm was over and moved well out of earshot.

When it was nice the Boys stayed in their pen outside or walked with me.

This was their second camping trip and they have figured out that the camper will take them to new places full of new smells. They loved it. Now when I go out to empty, and clean the trailer they are hot on my heels, forcing there way past me into the trailer in anticipation of a new adventure. This is going to make loading up the trailer for our next trip a bit of a challenge.

Cloudcroft, NM Part I

2010-07-18T13:33:00.003-06:00

Last week the Boys and I ventured forth once again in our little camper. This time we were seeking cooler weather. The only way to get cooler weather around here it to go higher in altitude. The highest point within a reasonable drive time is Cloudcroft, NM. Because we went 8 miles past Cloudcroft to Scenic Canyon RV Park we climbed to about 9,000 feet. That is 5,000 feet higher than we are here in Deming. What a difference a few thousand feet make.

The campground was small; only 15 spaces tucked into a narrow canyon that looked more like a mountain meadow to me. To make the most of a narrow space the RVs were parked on one side of a circling road. Some of the RVs faced North and the others South. We were nose to tail. I found this a bit disconcerting after living and camping in the almost endless vistas of the desert.

Only self contained RVs were allowed; there were no tent campers, no homemade units. While walking around the park I noticed that except for one medium sized rig; I was the only one with NM plates, all of the others were from Texas. That might explain the size of the rigs. Most of them were Huge! They were extremely long, all with multiple slideouts and one was so tall that they needed a 6 foot ladder to put up the outside window shades. Then there was me, in my little 17 foot Casita Travel Trailer. A ladder is not needed to cover its windows, the only option to just to reach out and pull down the blinds. The only thing that slides out is the step to enter. I was a lonely little petunia in an onion patch. (Below is my rig in front of one of the medium/large, but not the largest rig in the park.)

That is just fine by me. The Boys and I were as snug as three little bugs in a rug. While the men were futzing with the mechanics, and the women were cleaning the insides, the Boys and I were sitting outside taking it easy.

The view up the canyon was beautiful. When the sun was out and the light just right I expected to see Julie Andrews running into the meadow singing "The Sound of Music".

Because I booked late in the season, and in fact would not have gotten a spot at all if someone had not cancelled, I did not have the prime view. Rather than look across a grassy dip and then just a bit up the tamer side of the canyon, I could have looked right up the steep side (as seen above). I am told that elk and other wildlife can be seen close up from this side. You can bet that next year I will book ahead.

Yarn

2010-07-17T09:44:00.002-06:00

I know that some of my readers are sister knitters; this blog is for them.

Above is Tosh Lace, it is 100% superwash merino wool and I now own 2 skeins of 950 yards each. Now that will make one very big, yet to be designated shawl. (In real life the value of the colors is darker.)

The darker of the two yarns above is Dream in Color's Baby Lace Weight in Gothic Rose. It is 100% superfine Australian Merino Superwash. I bought it to go with the Kauni variegated yarn that I already had. I plan to make "Dusk" from "The Fine Line". I have a total of 1,770 yards. Their will be left over, or this will be one huge shawl.

This is 880 yards of 100% Baby Alpaca from Peru. It is as soft as the inside of a puppy's ears. I am using it to make a "Dancing Crane Shawl"

Last, but not least, is this Lacey Lamb 100% extrafine lambswool. I bought it because of its deeply saturated color, which my picture does not do justice to. I plan to use it to make another "Hanging Garden"
I seldom knit the same pattern twice, but this yarn called out for the sophistication of this shawl designed by Sivia Harding

If you find yourself standing near me look out for flying needles. I have 5,130 yards of new yarn (We won't count the 1,000's of yards I already have in my stash.) and I am on a roll.

Yarn Crawl

2010-07-15T16:43:00.006-06:00

For those of you who don't know; a Yarn Crawl is like a Pub Crawl only with a lot more lasting fun, and no hangover.

Joanell, Barbara, Jane, Sharon

Last week some of the ladies of my Stitch & Bitch joined me for a trip to Tucson, AZ for a "Yarn Crawl". It was an all day excursion starting at 7AM and ending at 10PM. Joanell and I shared the driving, Jane and Sharon navigated.

I have a 7 passenger GMC Arcadia; it should have more than enough room for four ladies yarn shopping. However we all brought projects to work on, books for reference, water for desert travel, and snacks. We were prepared for anything.

The first shop we visited was Purls Tucson. We caught them at a bad time; they had just vacated their shop temporarily for a few days while it was being remodeled. They had only moved two doors down. Typical of any move; there was little or no method to how the movers dropped their stuff. The shop owners had managed to put out one ball of each yarn in every color, and would get however many balls you wanted from the bags and bags of yarn that were stacked against the walls, under the tables, and in the back room. It takes more than an upside down shop to slow down a dedicated knitter. We shopped, the owners dug, and we shopped some more.

Here is Jane, tucked in between the bins and bags, checking out some new patterns.

Here is Sharon, perhaps reconsidering her choices as the store owner tallies up Sharon's bill. Sharon did not reconsider long. She took everything she wanted, and stuffed it into my rapidly filling SUV.

"Grandma"

Our next stop was Grandma's Spinning Wheel. It featured not only some very unusual yarns for knitting, but also anything you would ever need for spinning your own yarn. We all looked at the lovely fleece, and the wooden spinning wheels longingly, and then went to the other side of the store where we bought already spun yarn. I guess there is not a purest in the bunch. Many more bags were added to my SUV at Grandma's.

Our next scheduled stop was The Kiwi Knitter alas, they were closed for vacation. However we did peek in the window and deemed the shop well worth a future visit.

Across the street was Rincon Market, a combination market and deli. We all stoked up on the salad buffet by the oz. We all also indulged in the deserts. I can personally say that the pecan baklava is heavenly.

Our last stop was The Tucson Yarn Company by this time I was too tired to take pictures, or perhaps too distracted in their back room which they open to me so I could look through the boxes of lace weight yarn that had just arrived. Here we filled more bags that were stuffed in the back of my SUV.

It was time to drive back to Deming. There was one more stop at the truck stop in Wilcox, AZ where we switched drivers, and ate just one more desert.

While none of use need any more yarn, we had such a good time that we have planned to go again some time next spring. Until then we had better knit fast to make room for more yarn.

Here in Joanell checking out just one more hank.....

Forgetful

2010-07-10T11:19:00.002-06:00

This last week has been so eventful that I haven't had time to post. I am sitting in my RV in a campground in Cloudcroft, NM. The sun is in and out, mostly in, and I had planned to use this time to download pictures and catch up with the blog.

However I have forgotten to bring the cable to download my camera with. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

While forgetful me can't show you the pictures, I can tell you a bit about what I did last week and the place I am at now.

Earlier this week my some of the ladies from my Stitch & Bitch group went to Tucson, AZ to visit the yarn stores there. My 7 passenger car was filled to the brim with 4 ladies, snacks, water (of course we were in the desert), knitting books for quick reference, our knitting projects to keep us occupied during the drive (like chatting would not be enough), and bags of yarn. The bags of yarn kept adding up at each stop; lovely yarn of every weight and color, enough yarn to last for years. We had so much fun that we plan to do it again. Not because we need more yarn, but because it was such a good day.

I promise that pictures will follow, but not right away.

On Friday morning I left the high desert of 4,000 ft. where I live, to go the the woods of the high mountains near Cloudcroft, NM. I am at 9,000 ft, where it is much cooler. Of course the coolness of the air is a relief, but the pine woods that surround me are starting to bother me. I find that while I like an occasional tree for the shade, a whole forest of them hems me in and blocks my view. I will be interested to see how I feel about trees when my visit is done.

I promise that pictures of my mountain vacation will follow also.

Forgetful, forgetful, forgetful.......

TOMTOM

2010-07-06T14:57:00.002-06:00

There are no pictures today; there is nothing to take a picture of. TOMTOM has gone bye-bye. I return it this morning to Best Buy who cheerfully refunded my money.

The more I played with TOMTOM the more I realized that it didn't have much of a sense of direction. Nor did it have any common sense.

I will do some more research and decide if I want to purchase another GPS.

TOMTOM

2010-07-04T13:19:00.003-06:00

Meet Tom, its full name is Tomtom. I have used several other names for it, but cannot use them on my blog or it will have to be listed as having "adult content". You get the idea.

When my husband and I traveled back and forth the country I did the navigating. I had big maps, little maps, and directories for campgrounds. I was and still am a very good navigator. However now that I will be driving I can't deal with reading all of that paper.

A GPS unit that connects to Google for the locations of the nearest gas stations and their prices, campgrounds, hospitals etc, and that will navigate a driving route all while you are still on the interstate traveling at a minimum of 65 MPH using a predetermined route to your destination should be a great help. I even paid extra for one that answers to voice commands to avoid trying to key in commands while driving.

Now if I could just figure out how the #%@*^(*@! thing works.

It is 1:30 PM an I am still in my nightgown, interfacing with the device itself and its computer counterpart. Ever so slowly I am starting to figure it out, but this is one very long learning curve. I have spent the morning trying to set up a route for a road trip to be taken by my Stitch & Bitch this week to Tucson to visit four yarn shops. Planning the invasion of Normandy must have been easier.

I am also routing a proposed trip to Florida to see my family next year. It is hard to have faith in a devise that insists that I410 goes around Huston, when all of the other maps in the world show it is I610 and that I410 goes around San Antonio.

Also Deming is a small town with very pronounced cross streets; getting from point A to point B is very, very easy. I ran a test route from my house to Wal Mart and had I taken their proposed route I would have been very, very dizzy.

I have less than a week left to either get this sucker figured out or return it. Grrrrrrrr

Cactus for Suzanne

2010-07-02T09:53:00.002-06:00

This entry is for my friend Suzanne. She shares her time between Florida and North Carolina. She lives in tropical jungle like foliage and deep woods; depending on the time of year. The desert does not attract her at all. This morning she sent me an attachment of cactus flower pictures; saying that she had no idea that cactus blossoms were that pretty. So Suzanne, here are some pictures I took during my visit to Rockhound State Park, and one of my neighbors yard.

The blossoms open in the morning and are spent in 24 hours. But there are enough buds for the cactus flower to keep going for several weeks of splendor.

(Note the little bug in the lower left.)

Even when the blossom is spent, it is beautiful.

Hmmmm - I may just take a quick trip around the neighborhood to take pictures of the seed pods that are the reason for all of these beautiful flowers. They are almost as pretty as the flowers.

Yucca

2010-06-28T11:05:00.002-06:00

The end of June is when the Soap Yucca bloom. They are native plants in the truest form; they require absolutely no cultivation. Just stand back and watch them grow. They adapt to each year's weather conditions. In harsh years they they bloom weakly; with skinny stalks, and sparse blossoms. In moist years they explode with a multitude of thick stalks, and lush flowers. This winter was relatively moist, and the yucca are responding.

Their seeds will make new yucca, or feed the birds, and rabbits (among others). If necessary the seeds will remain in the ground for up to 24 years waiting for just the right conditions to start growing. Once established their tap roots go down to hell, never to be found by a gardener trying to move one.

This is what you will see if you walk out my front door and look up.

These are the same yucca seen from the foot of the driveway.

These yucca are the guardians of the gas meter. They are all that stand between the gas meter and the paper delivery person in the dark of early morning.

This stalk was so heavy with flowers that it bent to the ground allowing me to take a close up. They are a waxy thick bloom that is a cream color.

Some yucca, like these in my neighbors yard, follow their own, less direct, path to the sky.

I look forward to the yucca season each year.

"Designer" Lamps

2010-06-26T17:00:00.000-06:00

I am changing over the bedroom along with the rest of the house. The blue and white quilt I made that has been on the bed since just after we married 30 years ago, has been folded with love and stored away. In it's place is a large quilt, that I also made, in a variation of the Flying Geese pattern. It is autumn colors with a black background.

On the wall is another of my quilted pieces called "Early Autumn Joy". The walls will be a cream color.

The white ceramic with blue details and gold trim I bought 35 years ago just did not go. I looked for replacements in stores, and on line. Alas the few I found were starting around $500. I don't think so!

Then it came to me; paint them! I had nothing to loose, I couldn't use them the way they were. It was fast and easy, and a great success. Now I just have to find replacement shades.

Sun Damage Furniture

2010-06-25T20:16:00.003-06:00

I have left the painting of the interior for a bit. Alas I ran out of paint for the bathroom and must go into Las Cruces for more paint.

I have a lot of other projects besides painting the interior. The furniture on the patio is exposed to the full fury of the high altitude desert sun. While the paint on the same style furniture under the shade of the porch is still almost like new, the patio furniture is screaming for paint.

Painting the same green or a black would be tempting, but the sun fades paint out in one summer. I thought it would be best to start light; when it faded it will only look lighter and not worn; at least that is my plan.

The first color I tried was yellow. It was spray paint which I think would have cost me a fortune for enough to cover the entire set. Lucky for me I did not like the color yellow. I wanted a richer yellow; if I wanted yellow at all.

Then I remember a 5 gallon container of light blue exterior paint that the contractor over estimated by 4 gallons. Light blue furniture would look pretty. Now to get the paint from the garage to the backyard. Even only 4 gallons of paint is mighty heavy. I could not lift it, I did not want to drag it, and then it hit me that I needed wheels. I had wheels; my only luggage wheels from back in the days before suitcases came with them built on. They worked beautifully. Of course I could not have moved the paint without my assistant.

I now have the first coat of light blue paint on one piece of the three piece set.

If the weather continues to give me cool mornings without wind I should finish in about 5 days. (I know that is wishful thinking and it may take all summer to get the right weather combination to work.)Spray would be faster, but cost more, and not give me the control over the color.

Fussy, fussy, fussy

Installing my first light fixture

2010-06-23T10:09:00.004-06:00

Because of our 23 year age difference my husband, Ralph, made sure that I knew about home repairs. We did all sorts of projects together including plumbing, electrical, plowing for the garden, mixing and pouring cement. He said he did not expect me to know how to do some of these things alone, but to know if I was being ripped off by someone I hired. Ralph, honey, I was paying attention. Look at what I did!

The light fixture in the guest bath was horrid. We changed other fixtures when we moved in, but not the ones in the bath. Because I am going to paint in there I knew it was now or never.

This is the old fixture. Yuck!

These are the easy to read (if you can find the English section) directions for installing a new fixture; white to white, black to black, and connect the ground. I can handle this.

Not everything matches the directions. Instead of a box for the wiring the wiring just came out of a hole in the wall. I suspect this is because there is a stud where the box should be.

I can deal with this little bump in my road. I put up the support for the new light, being careful to level it because the support was welded together crooked. So far, so good.

I struggled to contain the wires under the cover of the light fixture, but I managed. I turned on the power and flipped the switch: BUZZT! Yikes, turn off the switch, turn off the power - what had I done wrong.

I dismantled the light and all looked well to me, but it did not work. Could I have nicked the covering of one of the wires because they were jammed together near where the screw went to hold the fixture on the wall?

I borrowed my neighbor's husband, Frank. I asked him to look at my wiring and tell me where I went wrong. I really wanted to do this myself.

Frank looked and said I did the wiring perfectly, but because it didn't work he would run the ground differently. BUZZT!

Now he was as puzzled as I was. He said it was a simple wiring job, that it would very difficult to do wrong. He futzed and futzed and at last found the smallest of nicks in the covering of the black wire. All it took was a little electric tape and I had LIGHT! (I owe Frank a chocolate cake.)

I know Ralph would be proud of me, so would my Dad, and you can tell that I am damned proud of myself.

The new guest bathroom light. Ta-da!

Bird Buffet

2010-06-20T09:31:00.002-06:00

Yesterday this little Finch dropped by to have a snack in the Russian Sage. Out of a dozen pictures I got one in focus.

Painting Project - Guest Bath l

2010-06-19T20:44:00.002-06:00

I was in the bathroom all day yesterday. It is the smallest room in the house and I think a good one to start my project of painting the house. The house is all one color: dirty cream. When I say all I mean the walls, the trim, the door, the ceiling in every single room.

These pictures are of the bathroom as it stands with the addition of the paint sample I added to one wall.

Yesterday I learned how to open a 5 gallon pail of paint. (That was not easy.) I learned how to mix the paint with an attachment on the drill. (Doing this with great care and deliberation will keep paint from flying all over the garage.)

I learned that a 10 foot ceiling can be difficult to reach. That an 8 foot ladder may be a necessity but it is very difficult to maneuver in a small space.

I learned to hate textured walls and ceilings. I learned that it is good to have a hardware store nearby.

and that painting the inside of a skylight is not for the faint of heart.

Today I will fill in some holes, do a bit of masking, hit a couple of spots at the edge of the ceiling that I missed yesterday (Please of goddess of house painting, don't have me redo the entire ceiling.) I may paint three of the walls today or tomorrow. The fourth wall will have to wait until after Tuesday when the new light fixture is scheduled to arrive.

This job is going to take all summer. Still doing it myself gives me a quality job, and I will not have to deal with people who get drunk and don't show up either for the entire day, or after lunch. Plus I never take a smoke break.

Onward and upward!

Playing With Color III

2010-06-16T19:25:00.002-06:00

This is a report on my color play. There is good news and bad news.
The good news is the nail polish called "Petal To The Metal" looks great. The silver grey takes on the color of what it is near: pink, ice blue, or a gunmetal color near black; it is a perfect neutral. Also it wears well. This one is a keeper.

The bad news is the shawl I started had to be "frogged" (rip it, rip it). I made an error in the cast on. Usually an error of that sort would show up in the first pattern row, but through some mathematical fluke the error did not show up until I started the third chart. Grrrrrrr

Still it is a fun, interesting knit, and will be even better if I don't make any more stupid mistakes.

Bath Time for The Boys

2010-06-15T08:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was bath day for "The Boys". Conditions have to be just right: no dishes in the sink, lots of patience on my part, warm sun (not hot) coming in the window. First I pretend like I am puttering around in the kitchen as I get out the towels, dog shampoo, water proof apron, and fill the sinks with warm water.

Because Roul is the fastest and the smartest of the two it is necessary for me to lull him into a false sense of security. I sit in my chair and pretend to read the paper. Roul decides it is safe and jumps into my lap. I gently, but firmly hold him in my arms and approach the sink. This is when he starts to scramble, climbing my arms, and leaving toenail tracks. Once in the water he is defeated and allows the bath to happen. However if I do not exercise due vigilance he will try to escape to the counter top.

When Roul's bath is complete, I put him into an arm chair with a large bath towel covering it. He flips over onto his back and "spin dries". While it is fun to watch him, it is impossible for me to take a picture of the "spin" because he gets carried away and I need to watch to make sure he doesn't spin right off the chair. After his "spin dry" he finishes up with a sun dry.

Blizzard is easier to catch. Because his shoulder was broken he is not as fast as Roul; I can just quietly swoop him up. Before he came to us, a year ago, Blizzard was neglected, his only bath was the rain. He has not yet figured out that Mom means business and he cannot escaped a bath. As I start to lower him into the sink all four of his little legs extend straight out to the sides of his body like a furry starfish. Once I do manage to get him into the sink he is constantly trying to escape from it. Bathing him is far more challenging than bathing Roul.

Blizzard does not "spin" dry; first he likes being cradled in a towel to get the worst of the wet off, then while sitting in the sun, he gives himself a complete going over with his tongue.

They both spend the rest of the morning on the window ledge, basking in the sun and checking each other out. Here Roul checks to make sure if I have gotten Blizzard's ears clean.

The are fluffy and clean. I am a wet mess with towels to wash, and sinks to clean. But oh they are sooooo soft when they are clean - I could just snuggle them to death.

Playing with Color II

2010-06-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Other colors that have sucked up my time are: nail polish and yarn.

I am doing my self over as well as the house. It has been a very long time since I have really looked in the mirror. When I did look I saw a woman stressed and worn beyond her 64 years. I have no illusions about looking 30 again. I am very happy being 64. I just don't want to look 74.

Researching today's fashions for the mature woman has been fun. One of the articles I read said that manicured nails and rings make hands look younger. Since I am not about to have a hand lift (Do they do that?) I took myself off to K Mart, and Wal Mart, the high fashion shops in Deming. Lord there are endless colors of nail polish. Below is what I have chosen. A little daring, but not over the top for a woman of my years.

This is kind of fun......

The other time sucking color project is a new shawl I just cast on. The yarn has a very long run of variegation. That means it is variegated in color, but the length of each color is long and will stripe with wide stripes on a big piece as opposed to a short variegation which breaks up into small, irregular blocks of color that are very hard to control. This particular triangular shawl is cast on from the bottom and kit up to the neck. The length of the cast on is 321 stitches. That means each row will get shorter as I knit which is sort of a reward, but that my initial rows take a long time to knit. I wanted to see how the color broke so I had to knit quite a few rows. OK I didn't "have to" but I was very anxious to see how the yarn would look with the pattern.

Now if you will excuse me, I will go do my nails, and when they are dry I will knit on my new shawl.

Playing With Color

2010-06-12T11:46:00.004-06:00

Almost 11 years ago I moved into this house. It is a combination of the "Mediterranean" and "Santa Fe" styles. The paint color of the walls and ceilings throughout the house (including the garage) is sort of a cream color. I think the method they used to paint it was to mask off the windows, stand in the middle of each room and hit it with a commercial spray gun. I am about to change the house. All of the ceilings will be painted a pure white, as well as all of the base boards, doors, and other trim (that is the easy part to pick out). The choices for the walls are more difficult: both bathrooms, the front entrance, and the fireplace hearth have green/blue tile that I am not about to change out. The floor in the kitchen/dinning/living room area are an oak laminate. The carpet in the bedroom (which I had planned to pull up but won't because the boys love chasing each other around and around under the bed) is also a grey/green/blue. I do not like green, but I am stuck with it - sigh.

This is the guest bathroom (above). It has a skylight, but no window. The skylight is so bright that it looks like a light has been left on all of the time. This is the paint sample I voted least likely to work, but I was wrong. I will pick up a quart when I am in town next week. One room almost down except I need to pick out a new light fixture before I start to paint.

Above and below are my living room/entry/computer room (small formal eating area)/eating area/kitchen. While the kitchen and the eatting area are broken off from the other parts with a wall; the wall is 3 feet short of the ceiling. That is one HUGE ceiling to paint. The eating area has a lovely bay window that pours in light, the kitchen gets it light from the eating area, the computer room faces north and its window has a 9 foot porch ceiling over it. The living room has a set of french doors on the same north facing wall with the same porch over hang. The living room does have two skylights that keep it from looking like a cave.

For these one giant group of connecting rooms I picked a light green/blue. As you can see I have painted samples everywhere. I think I almost have it, but not quite. It is just a little too dentist office. I am going to look for a more greyed shade of this color: just a hint.

I have plenty of time to look for the exact right color and still work on the preparation of the walls and the painting of the ceiling. That ceiling alone may break me.

Stayed tuned for further developments.

Hanging Garden Stole

2010-06-09T07:34:00.003-06:00

This lovely ball of Silky Alpaca Lace yarn had a rough start; Roul thought it was a toy and ran around the house with it. I found it by following a trail of yarn to what remained of the ball under the bed. It took four hours to untangle and rewind it. I was not a happy knitter.

I wanted the yarn to make the lovely "Hanging Garden Stole". The yarn was so light that I determined it needed to have a bit of weight added at either end so it would drape well when worn. I made a trip to the local bead shop for the grey beads and the hand carved stone fetishes.

I started to knit in February, and this week I finished the knit, and blocked the stole. It was worth every bit of time and effort. I will wear this shawl forever; both its design and color are classic.

Sivia Harding not only designs beautiful garments, but she also knows how to write a clear, understandable, logical pattern. Bless you Sivia.

Tadamara Performance - part II

2010-06-05T10:10:00.003-06:00

When we last saw the Tadamara Indians, the little boy had fixed himself firmly to his mother while she was performing. At last Daddy, with an indulgent and rather sheepish smile, stepped in. The little boy was willing to let go of Momma for Daddy. However Daddy was also performing; he was the MC, singer, and dancer. Daddy announced while holding his son.

Daddy danced while holding his son.

All things considered Daddy was pretty proud of his son.

The Tadamara have a rising star in their tribe.

Tadamara Performance

2010-06-03T12:13:00.002-06:00

The Tadamara are an Indian Tribe from south of the border. (My Indian acquaintances prefer "Indian" to "Native American".) This group is not commercial; this was their very first public performance. They were doing just great when.....

The littlest member of the group got lonely. He escaped from his sitters on the sidelines and latched on to Mama.

Momma tried her best to be professional.

Ignoring the little boy did not help, he only got a firmer grip. He would not be coaxed away. Why was Momma singing and not paying attention to him?

To be continued.

Somebodies Best Friend

2010-05-29T15:47:00.006-06:00

The other day while out and about I had an uncontrollable urge for a Blue Cheese stuffed Hamburger with Sweet Potato Fries on the side. That meant a detour to the Patio Cafe. While sitting at my table, gazing out the back door I saw a pile of something brown on the back of a pickup truck. Getting out my trusty camera with 12x optical zoom I learned that it was a dog. A very big, shaggy dog. He was waiting patiently for his person to come out of the store. He never moved, never even shifted his weight.

Until a young man walked by with a hamburger. Now that caught his attention. Alas the young man did not share and the dogs continued to wait.

Music by Arabella

2010-05-29T15:30:00.003-06:00

Not long ago a new shop opened in town: The Galleria. They had a grand opening (no sales though - RATS) In the background there was lovely, relaxing music; mostly old standards played softly on a keyboard.

The person responsible for the music was Arabella. She is a resident of Deming who travels all around the US earning her living playing her music. She was born in Deming and inherited her grandfathers house where she lives between jobs. She said she loves her travels, and is drawn to big cities where there are lots of things happening. Yet there is something about Deming that keeps bringing her back. She is not sure what it is, but acknowledges that the pull is strong.

Today she was playing as a gift to the owners of the new store. What a lovely gift.

Arabella's music is soft and restful, Arabella is a hot ticket. I wish I had gotten a better picture of her outfit: silver sequined sneakers, a skirt with twisted ruffles hanging from the hem, and a black shirt with pink sequins declaring to all the world that she is a Capricorn.

If you are open to them, life has an abundance of little jewels for you to experience. Arabella is one of them.

The Nest

2010-05-29T15:13:00.002-06:00

Before I completely overwhelm my readers with pictures of flowers I think I should draw the posts about my trip to Rockhound State Park to a close by showing you the inside of my little Casita Travel Trailer. I frequently refer to it as a nest.

The back is a table for four that can be lowered into a double bed. I keep it as a bed all of the time. When afternoons are hot, windy, or I am just in the mood for a nap it is a comfortable place to retreat to. As you can see the boys understood its function completely.

The is the small table for two that I leave up all of the time (it also converts into a very narrow bed). It is a space to eat, read, write, and store things. At night I could eat my dinner while watching the lights of Deming blink on one at a time; beautiful.

A lot of my time in the nest was spent reading: a little inner exploration, New Mexico history, tourist information, and a curiosity to see what houses in the area are going for.

Here I am sitting on the edge of the big bed taking a picture towards the front of the trailer. Behind the door with the mirror was the bathroom: toilet, sink, and shower. To the far right is the microwave, and just the tip top of the refrigerator and freezer. My little Casita is just perfect for me and the boys.

Rockhound State Park Nature Garden

2010-05-26T16:51:00.002-06:00

Around 6 or 7 PM most nights, the boys and I would walk the path in the Nature Garden at Rockhound St. Park. because of the sharp angle of the sun the landscape change depending on the direction it was viewed from. Faced from the west it looked like this.

Faced from the north the shadows were more interesting.

Faced toward the west it was magical.

The sun's rays back lite these small, common weeds and made them beautiful and mysterious beyond words.

The Nature Garden has changed for the better since it was built by “Mary of the Rocks” several years ago. The tacky but sincere little shrines she built have all almost been swallowed by the desert. The few that remain are graciously faded. The cacti she transplanted, and all of the other desert plants she moved to this concentrated site are no longer struggling to survive bordered with homemade wind brakes. They ones that have survived are full, vibrant and thriving. The rocks she carried by hand from other parts of the park to border the meandering paths she constructed are now soft and natural looking. Because of the growth of the plants one can no longer see the layout of the entire garden, but is constantly and pleasantly surprised as they follow the paths. It has become a magical place both because of and in spite of her. I have been told that she has died a year or two ago. There is no sign posted telling of the gardens origins, few remember her, or her efforts, yet with just a little bit of maintenance her work will live on to enchant so many others. If not maintained her work will be swallowed by the desert in a couple of years, just like her memory.

Camping in Rockhound St. Park

2010-05-25T16:59:00.004-06:00

Last week I took my little Casita Travel Trailer and went camping. It was my first solo camping trip in the trailer. Hooking it up was not too bad, backing it into both the campsite, and it's parking space at home was not too good. I will get better with practice.

I chose to go only 15 miles from home to Rockhound State Park in the Florida Mountains near Deming, NM. At Rockhound visitors are encouraged to explore, and take home up to 15 pounds of rocks per day. I am not a rockhound, but I have talked to people who are, and the rocks close to the trail have been picked over. To find the best rocks a collector must climb high into the mountain. That makes carrying 15 pounds quite a chore. I am not a collector - whew!

It looks pretty bleak to an eye used to lots of trees and green, but with trees in the way all of the big beautiful blue sky would not be visible.

It was rather windy as it always is in the spring of the year.

If you look closely there are many beautiful wonders to be seen. I will be sharing my pictures with you in my next few entries.

Glory

2010-05-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

The garden is coming into it's glorious self. In the early morning the Chocolate Flowers bloom. They last only until it gets hot later in the day, then they drop their petals. But oh they do smell wonderful in the morning, they have the odor of hot cocoa - honest! While they are not eatable by humans, the birds feast on the seeds.

I have no idea what these gentle lavender flowers are. They have appeared by the magic of nature around my mailbox. I am sure some people would call them weeds and pull them up. I call them a gift and enjoy every day I go out for the mail or newspaper.

I have two kinds of plants in my garden: happy and dead. This Apache Plum is one of the happy plants. It is a member of the rose family but has no thorns. When the flowers fade they turn into feathery seed heads that resemble Indian Headdresses. The finches come from far and wide to dine on them.

Nature has designed my garden. Plants frequently die where I put them, but there seeds come up someplace else where they thrive. The plants under the sundial are all "volunteers". All I had to do was stand back and let them happen.

Little Dancer

2010-05-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

I shared pictures the official performers from last weeks Fiesta. This little girl was an added bonus. She knew every step, every nuance of the dances preformed. I think she deserves her own full skirted colorful dress. Maybe in a few years I will see her preform as part of the troupe.

New in Town

2010-05-20T09:01:00.004-06:00

Blizzard and Roul were minding their own business.

Then Blizzard caught the scent.

Then Roul picked it up. It was Tipper, the new Golden Retriever puppy next door. Welcome to the neighborhood Tipper.

More Fiesta

2010-05-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

I promise these are the last pictures of Folklorico Dancers that I will post from this particular festival. I am careful with my words because I know there will be more festivals and I know that I will take more pictures.

I was so impressed with the composure, and professionalism of these Deming High School students. They preformed on the sidewalk, in costumes that must have been very hot to wear under the desert sun, and they made the audience feel like they were part of the dance, not spectators.

I will now be quiet and let you enjoy the performance.

Bravo!

Fiesta

2010-05-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

This is Page, she is the owner of Life Ways Health Shoppe. She started the business four years ago; she has a good head for business and the ability to really listen to her customers. The shop offers natural foods, supplements, bulk food, and fresh vegetables from local gardens in season. Also there is a masseuse, make up, and hand woven goods from Carol Ward, a local weaver. Page has even opened a small coffee shop attached to the shop. Well done Page.

Saturday was the forth anniversary of the stores opening. In true southwestern tradition she threw a fiesta.

The Folklorico Dance troupe from the local High School was featured. (You will be seeing more of them later.)

There were all sorts of vendors; this lady made lovely jewelry. She also dazzled me with her color block dress. She look elegant and cool.

Of course there had to be a western singer.

There was a good turn out of local residents. Some because we just never saw a fiesta we didn't like, and most because we wanted to celebrate the fruits of Page's hard work.

Abstraction

2010-05-15T09:18:00.002-06:00

Today I have continued to experiment (play) with my Photoshop Elements program. First I took a detail shot from yesterday. It is of where the tin roof angles.

Then I duplicated it, flipped parts, and reassembled it.

Then I played with different filters.

The filter I liked best was the Neon one.

I duplicated and flipped some more and came up with an interesting composition. Yes, I know it could be even more interesting but that is enough play for today.

This is fun; who knew how much could be done with an image of a roof?

Playing With Images

2010-05-14T14:15:00.002-06:00

In Deming, on Ash St., near the old County Courthouse, is an "Auto Shop". I have never seen any activity there, but the hub caps that are incorporated into the exterior are always shinny and clean. I have used one of my pictures of the building and broken it down into different pictures that are abstracted to the point that they are no longer recognizable as part of a building. The process of doing this is good for me, it forces me to see the subjects from another perspective.

Hmmm this could be even more fun if I start to experiment with the different filters in my Photoshop Elements program.

Jump Starting Creativity continued

2010-05-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

ON THE EDGE

AFTER I DIE

ONE AND ONE

IS LIFE EASIER?

In all of the above the image came first and the words followed. Except "AFTER I DIE" the words were a question: "What will I miss after I die?" It was part of an exercise in writing. I had great difficulty dealing with that question because I have always thought of death as a form of moving beyond were one was. The best I could come up with was not an image of what I would miss, but what I might be moving on to. Hmmm, I guess I was out standing in my field, alone, again.

Jump Starting Creativity

2010-05-12T08:00:00.002-06:00

But I Digress

The Light At The End Of

My Tunnel

Out, Standing In My Field

For the last several years the focus of my life narrowed; creative time in my studio was not a priority. Now I am able to extend my life interest again. To get my creativity jump started I have been playing; doing throw away exercises.

The first ones I am going to share with you were done in either my Photoshop Elements program or the Paint program that came installed in my computer. Some of the images started as words, and for others the words came after the image was started.

It is amazing what will fall out of your brain when you are playing without restraints. Each one of these images could be expanded into a much larger work of words and visual expression.

Cinco de Mayo 2007 Dancers

2010-05-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

At the 2007 Cinco de Mayo there were Folklorio Dancers,

social dancers,

and Tadamara Indian dancers.

All so very different, all enjoying themselves, and offering such contrast. I do hope they will bring back the festival next year.

The Arbor

2010-05-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted a Rose Arbor in my garden. At last I have one with Lady Banks roses. They are an old fashioned climber; blooming once a year, and oh so fragrant. They also are very happy in the desert and require constant cutting back.

Walking through the arbor is like walking on a different planet. Instead of harsh tough plants you are surrounded by soft green leaves.

Possibly it is the Guardian of the Arbor who makes the desert bloom.

Mother's Day Bouquet

2010-05-09T10:02:00.003-06:00

My neighbors have a cactus garden. Every year, just in time for Mother's Day two small, nondescript cacti explode with pink flowers, wearing them like a crown.

Each of the flowers last only one day, and each cactus blooms for only a week, but such a glorious week.

Bouquet

2010-05-07T13:25:00.003-06:00

First I took a picture from the east.

Then I took a picture from the west.

Then I took a picture from above.

Then I got fascinated with the detail.

At last I got lost in the abstract possibilities.

I am getting drawn deeper and deeper in the detail that is in my small world.

Shadows

2010-05-07T09:37:00.003-06:00

Last night, before sunset, the light in the back garden was glowing. I went out with my camera in the hope of catching that glow.

Alas I did not succeed. I was distracted by the play of the shadows, and the negative spaces they altered.

The study of negative space is something I should play closer attention to. You may see more of my explorations.

Cinco de Mayo - Part II

2010-05-06T08:00:00.002-06:00

At the 2006 Cinco de Mayo Festival I took picture after picture. The mixed media piece shown was taken from one of those pictures. The heads, limbs, and shoes are colored pencil on fabric, the bodies are appliqued, the entire piece is machine embroidered and machine quilted. It is called show time. The Mother in the picture was reassuring the daughter that she would be "right over there watching".

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T08:37:00.002-06:00

It is the 5Th of May, or Cinco de Mayo; a day not noticed by people living in Mexico, but celebrated in New Mexico. In 2006 Deming held its first festival; a small local affair, held in the parking lot of the bank. It was great fun with Anglos and Hispanics in attendance.

The powers that be in town saw $$$ and each year since the festival became bigger, and more professional; entertainment was less and less local, the number of vendors increased, a parade was developed, and fewer of the locals attended.

This year the festival seems to have imploded; there have been no preparations that I can see, there are no announcements in the local paper. I feel a sense of loss.

Bread For One

2010-05-04T09:13:00.001-06:00

I have found a fabulous book on bread baking "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

The ingredients are mixed together, but not kneaded, and allowed to rise in a covered, but not sealed container. The dough is then stored in the same unsealed container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

When you want a loaf of bread you just tear off a chunk, form it into a loaf, and bake it. Now that I am alone I tear off a small chunk and form a small loaf, so small that I can bake it in my toaster oven. I get 4 or 5 loaves per batch of dough.

Fresh, homemade bread on demand. Yummmm

The World Reveled

2010-05-02T12:13:00.005-06:00

This is the source of yesterday's pictures. It is the root portion of the stump of an apricot tree. The tree was cut down several years ago and the stump left to rot. It had rotted enough that I could pull it up with ease.

I had disturbed a whole universe of bugs. After letting the stump dry out for one day in the desert sun, it was empty of most of its inhabitants. I turned it upside down, placed it on a table in the backyard and photographed it from a number of angles.

I saw beaches, caves, mountains, and sheer cliffs in the landscape of this small world.

There are miracles and marvels happening around us.

A Different World

2010-05-02T12:04:00.003-06:00

Do you know the subject or these pictures? (The only computer changes made was to crop them.)

The answer will be in tomorrow's blog.

Dust Storm

2010-04-30T09:45:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Mother Nature gave us a little reminder that she was in charge. The weather forecast was for high winds and blowing dust; they were right.

The schools closed early so the children could be transported home before the county was forced to close the roads. Indeed the roads were closed around noon. If you were in Deming, Silver City, Las Cruces NM, or El Paso TX you had to stay there; all of the connecting roads through the desert were closed until early evening. I stayed off the computer expecting a power outage and sure enough the power went out.

Today I should deal with the leaving of the storm, but it is cold and the wind is starting up again. We are supposed to get rain today which will either wash away the dirt, or just spit and make the dirt stick. If the weather is better tomorrow I will clean the back porch with a leaf blower or a hose; depending on how much dirt is left after today's winds. If I am lucky the winds will reverse and blow the dirt off the porch. That rarely happens.

Blizzard

2010-04-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

Blizzard came to us a year ago; he was five years old, neglected, and abandoned with a broken shoulder. He had been picked up by the Humane Society and taken to the Vet’s office; where he had surgery on the shoulder and recuperated for a month.

He was not at all the spayed female we were looking for. He was an intact male. The Vet knew we had been looking for a companion for Roul. While I was at the Vet’s with Roul for his routine shots Blizzard was suggested. As I hemmed and hawed Blizzard was carried in. With his white fur, and his black shoe button eyes he was irresistible. He and Roul gave each other a sniff and appeared to be at peace.

The Vet preformed a quick neuter and some dental surgery and Blizzard joined the family the next day.

Blizzard felt safe with me and after his new home was no longer strange; he decided that I belonged to him and him alone. He attacked both my husband and Roul when they came near me. He hated big dogs and would attack them if they came within five feet of him. Any visitors to our home were greeted with a snarling white fury. We had our hands full.

A little over a year later his shoulder has healed, his fur grown in, his fear of strangers under control, and his temperament is mellower. Having never played with toys he is not sure what to do when Roul offers him one. The damage to his shoulder keeps him from leaping the way Roul does. His coat is now as soft as down and no longer crunches, the dirt is gone from the inside of his ears, and his eyes are as bright as stars.

Blizzard is a happy, secure member of the family.

Lost in Google land

2010-04-27T10:50:00.001-06:00

This morning I spent my “blog time” on Google looking through the text of old knitting books. I have accumulated a frightening backlog of titles on my “To Read” list.

Knitters have it easy today; our books come with pictures and charts. A lot of the old books had no pictures, and charts are a fairly new addition to knitting. An early knitter would go by the title of the pattern, and be skilled enough to “see” the pattern without a visual aid. A few of my contemporary knitters have gone through these old books and knitted samplers and composed charts. They are better, more patient knitters than I am. I don’t want to knit samples; I want to knit something I can wear. How impatient we have become over the years.

The scarf I am sharing with you was knit as a gift for my friend Marilyn. I used lovely soft merino wool, in fingering weight. The pattern came from the book Arctic Lace.

Meet Roul

2010-04-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

Meet Roul, one of my “Boys”. Roul came to us when he was 5 months old. We purchased him from a breeder who had bought him to breed with her 4 lb. female. When it become obvious that Roul would grow over the 6 lbs. limit to show, and would be too big to breed with their smaller female they went looking for his ”forever home”. He came to us never knowing anything but care and love; he is fun, loving, and secure. He now tips the scales at 7.5 lbs. and is 4 years old.

He was a constant companion to my late husband, Ralph. Roul is a fierce hunter of birds, spoiled rotten with toys, well mannered, and so cute that disciplining him for bad behavior is hard. He is a joy to be around and has convinced many people who dislike Chihuahuas that they are wrong. He is a love.

Poppies

2010-04-25T11:18:00.000-06:00

Most every spring the Mexican Poppies bloom on the Florida Mountains. How many poppies bloom depends on the spring weather and the winter rains. This year Nature gave us a yellow carpet running from the base of the mountains up as far as a wee bit of soil could be found between the rocks.

My friend Pauli took me to the less accessible east side of the Florida’s in her high clearance truck. It is hard to describe the beauty of the bright yellow flowers, with the contrast of the purple or orange occasional other wild flowers, and the clear blue sky. New Mexico is truly “The Land Of Enchantment” just like it says on our license plates.

Petting Zoo Continued

2010-04-24T09:50:00.001-06:00

There were more goats than any other kind of animal at the Petting Zoo. For some reason, that I choose not to analyze, I am intrigued by goats.

Several years ago I found a photo taken by Jay Hoffman of a group of goats. After getting his permission I used the photo as the basis for a mixed media piece I call “The Billy Family”. It is colored pencil drawing on cloth, machine embroidered, machine quilted, and machine appliquéd. Apparently I am the only one intrigued by goats because while it was often admired, it never sold.

I like “The Billy Family” and it is OK to have them living with me.

A CAMEL in Courthous Park!

2010-04-23T11:15:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I was on my way to a Luna County Fiber Arts meeting when I spied a CAMEL in Courthouse Park. Even in Deming a camel in town is unusual. I grabbed my camera and went to investigate, the fiber arts could wait.

The camel was part of a Petting Zoo that was traveling from a gig in California to their home in Kansas. Deming looked like a prosperous little town so they stopped, got the proper permits and put up their tent for a few days. I caught them just as they were unloading the animals.

I could tell just by looking at the animals that they were well taken care of: they were happy, gentle, and clean. Hmmmm – I wonder if I could borrow a child and go back to pet them?

Goodies from Amazon.com

2010-04-22T13:16:00.000-06:00

The mail lady brought such treasures today.

The road atlas and the book on National Parks of the West were purchased because my older editions were from 2003 and I needed to update before I started planning any road trips.

The Casita Travel Trailer is in the process of having all its systems overhauled. It has been sitting so long that I didn’t dare even light the stove until I made sure that all of the connections for the gas were in good order. I know it needed new tires, an anode for the heater, and one of the power outlets didn’t work. I have no idea what it will cost to overhaul it, but whatever the cost, it will be worth it.

The copy of “500 Handmade Books” was added to my Amazon order because I was a few cents short of the $25 purchase needed for free shipping. I am aware that this was not an economically wise decision, but a little eye candy never hurt anyone.

I think I will brew a pot of tea, ignore the work that needs to be done, curl up on the sofa to fondle my new books.

Spring in the front garden

2010-04-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

This morning it was so beautiful, when I went out for the paper that I came back outside in my bathrobe with my camera. The front garden had gone from brown sticks and mounds to beautiful blooms. I wanted to share it with my friends.

No matter how old you are spring is always a season of new beginnings. There can’t be a better time of the year, or my life to attempt a blog.