Tuesday, November 8, 2016

- We voted

Retrospective (11/22)

Patch #313 For all the good it did


Original Post

Don and I went to the polls two weeks ago, but today the young people in our lives are exercising their rights. As their pictures come in, I will add them here ...




Because today will be a day to remember.

Monday, November 7, 2016

- Election Eve

Retrospective (12/3)

Patch #312 Sign of the apocalypse


Original Post

I finished a four-day ombré in orange ...


Speedy G on October 7


G's ACL "tattoo" from October 8
with a rationale for the spelling of "axe" versus "ax" to be found here


The monkey bars in Wimberley on October 9


G's chocolate-drizzled, sugar-sprinkled PBJ crepe on October 10


And then, looking at the title of the post from October 11
I had to check to see if that was the day Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in literature. Nope, I was two days early ...


Prescient? Well no, but a good example of why our generation's poet laureate deserved the nod: his words have become an integral part of our vernacular.

Finally, I'll let Don have the last word today in this rare (for him) post on Facebook ...




Sunday, November 6, 2016

- Back (on) track

Retrospective (12/3)

Patch #311 Hope is the thing with feathers


soaring above the floodplain or lying broken on the ground.

Original Post

Finally!

The sailboat from Don's assemblage on October 12 (stitched with one of Hazel's boats by my side)


J's "Nana" on October 17


The fabric from Logan's bag on October 29, with a star and a crescent moon


and the return migration of the sandhill cranes on October 30


There are four more patches, but I'll save them for tomorrow. 

And it's raining, one inch so far. 

And the FBI has re-closed its email investigation.

I dare to hope ...

Saturday, November 5, 2016

- What's in a name

Patch #310 Red letter day


Years ago, when I was the Needleworker at Colonial Williamsburg, my father suggested that I create a stylized signature in stitch. A brand, if you will, although I don't think he called it that.

In hindsight, this wasn't a surprising suggestion as he was a marketing exec for a toy company and worked on Madison Avenue. However, my modus operandi at the time was cross stitch and I wasn't able to see my way out of the figurative box that format imposed.

Indeed, I neglected signing my work more often than not. And when I did, it was arguably "over-wrought" as these two samplers amply depict ...



So today I was faced with signing a newly completed gift and once again found myself supremely dissatisfied with the result. As I tore out the stitches, I thought about my recent forays into eccentric lettering and started to play ...


At long last, I actually liked what I saw ... 


and went with it ...



Friday, November 4, 2016

- Land of Flood and Drought - 2015

Retrospective (12/3)

Patch #309 Two floods too many


Original Post

Après la secheresse ...


Land of Flood and Drought - 2015 is finally hanging ...


Just as, after a full month with no rain, the skies have opened ...


Thursday, November 3, 2016

- Inertia

Retrospective (12/3)

Patch #308 Ka-ching


Original Post

I am so far behind on my daily patches that I've become frozen in my tracks, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers while simultaneously dreaming up new projects.

Then there's this ...


This is what it will cost for our 60 and 62 year old selves to keep our current level of health insurance. I wonder if people with employer-sponsored health insurance realize that prices for individual policies are age-based.

Still, we count ourselves fortunate that we were able to retire early and follow our current creative paths while spending large chunks of time with our grandchildren.

I just hope we the people can manage to elect a president and congress who can work together ... perhaps then some of our more intractable problems can begin to make progress toward workable solutions.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

- Three Rs

Retrospective (12-3)

Patch #307 Reading, 'Riting & Retired


Original Post

Reading ...


and writing ...


Nothing like having retired educators for grandparents, right G?

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

- Hanging around

Retrospective (12/1)

Patch #306 Another month ahead


Original Post 

Don's latest wood-grain landscape ...


made it onto the wall ...


but not without the obligatory (for us) multiple attempts to set the monkey hook  ...


After which we gave up and used a standard picture hook.

Then we headed to Austin to see G. Our after-dinner walk yielded up a nifty metal washer, perfect for Don's latest assemblage project (a Texas longhorn) ...


As we walked on, G tossed the washer, watched it roll to a stop, then repeated the process ...


I'm quite sure I never would have had the patience for the stop-and-going-ness of such a walk when I was a young parent. However, as a grandparent I found it utterly delightful.

Monday, October 31, 2016

- Happy Halloween

Retrospective (12/1)

Patch #305 The driest month ever


Because there can't be anything drier than 0" of rain.

Original Post 





Sunday, October 30, 2016

- Watching for fall

Retrospective (11/6)

Patch #304 Southbound


Original Post 

Sandhill cranes are on the move ...


and spiders are aweaving ...


Summer may yet depart the hill country.