Just When You Think You Can Get Back To Work On Your Art...

I hadn't posted anything for so long and I wanted so badly to catch up with my friends, but life always seems to have other plans. But my mother has been delivered more of a blow. 

Mom and I were having one of our ordinary days of doctors appointments, grocery shopping, and regular run of the mill adventures of missing freeway entrances and getting lost. I was getting ready to go home after getting her hearing aids fixed for the third time when we were getting out of my car and my mother tripped on the curb and fell. She had hold of my arm, but did a ballet move I hadn't seen before and fell on the sidewalk on her side. She smacked her head hard, and I had horrible visions of my mom dying in front of me.

Mom insisted that we not call an ambulance, but I would not  hear of it. At 92, or any age, you do not smack your head on the sidewalk and refuse to call an ambulance, especially when you think that you may have other injuries also. 

I won the argument, as I knew I would in that instance, and off to the emergency room we went. She had a broken wrist, and they did a CAT Scan. Luckily, no brain damage, or fractured skull. 

By the next Thursday, the fall was Friday of the week previous, she couldn't get our of bed as her back was hurting so badly. By the next Monday, it was July 4 weekend, we were in the doctor's office.

 After tests, we were surprised to find that Mom had very low oxygen, a high erratic heart rate, a fractured disk, COPD, etc. She was admitted to the hospital that Monday and now it is Thursday. She is still there. 

Tomorrow she will be released to go to a skilled nursing home where she will work on walking while on pain pills, and  breathing with oxygen and inhalers. She may not be able to return to her current residence.

What's my point? Live life to the fullest and be thankful for every moment of health that you have. Take care of yourself, and don't take health for granted. Watching Mom go through this is no fun. Take care of those you love and don't ever take them for granted!!!

If you have a queasy tummy, don't look at this picture, it hurts.

The Garment That Hides The Flaws

 I began making this top about a year ago and my friend Helen was gracious enough to model it for me. She is a lovely, tall redhead and makes it look fantastic. This is a top that can make any of us look more thin, as I can attest. I have put on several pounds in the last few years and I can wear this without feeling uncomfortable.

 

The flow of the chiffon fabric gives it an ethereal look. The drop of the fabric on the one side causes the eye to notice to beauty of the arms, neck and shoulders of the wearer.

 

 
 

This is a very graceful garment that has been very popular with women in the gallery. It is also a lot of fun to wear. Though it is felted with a small amount of merino wool, it is very light weight and perfect for summer evenings.

It can be either sewn on the side or left entirely open with a blouse, or tights under it. The top is very versatile and lends itself to many different ways of dressing it up. It can be dressed up or down.

 

 

I would love to hear what you think.

What To Do Now?

So now that I have left the art gallery, what do I do next? Sure, I have many interests, like the flower gardens in my back and front yards that you can see pictures of below. But will that be enough? I need to be making things, using my imagination. Sounds pretty compulsive and I think that I need to take a rest. Some of the artists from the last gallery already want to start a new gallery. I'm not sure that we are ready. 

Bits and pieces of my back yard.

I am enjoying taking pictures and playing with them in Photoshop. If you haven't had a chance to take a class from Kim Klassen do so. This is an area in which I can be creative for now. As for a gallery, we'll have to see what develops.

Some delicate beauties.

Poppies this year were fantastic.

I AM BACK TO BLOG

I have been an off and on blogger for a while and I left this site a while back after my father died. I am going to try to be a little more faithful. I was a member of an art gallery for 2 years and had a wonderful time with many great artists, but am now taking a break from that for a while. I need to spend more time with my 92 year old mother. She lives in Portland, Oregon which is about an hour away from me given the traffic.She relies on me to take her to doctors appointments and shopping. 

Mom lives in a great retirement home on the 15th floor, where she can see the mountains and the river flowing through the city, but she still calls the place, "the institution." At 92 she is still in good shape, goes places with me, and has a great sense of humor. I enjoy her company. I can tell from her pictures as a little girl that she was a character. There she is in that crazy old buggy.

Mom and her sister in a buggy.

When I left the art gallery I still had many felted garments. This shrug is one of them. It doesn't show very well, but it has fabric painted cheese cloth in it, and it looks great on.

This coat took forever to felt. The wool is beautiful. I'll have to take more pictures.It has inlaid silks throughout and several different wool's.









The two coats below have sold, but they are examples of garments that can be made in somewhat similar fashion. I never make anything the same again. It is too much fun to make different garments each time.





I am looking forward to visiting with some old friends again. I hope that some of them drop by to see me now that I am back.