I'm Just Talking Silly Talk!

Good evening!  I sure had fun in my drawing class today.  We are studying processes, so I decided to try dipping rocks in paint and throwing them at the canvas:)  I had a pretty good mess when class was over.  Fortunately I had put a drop cloth down, so it was a quick cleanup.  Don't worry, it isn't done.  I have three weeks to keep at it.  Right now it looks a little like Jackson Pollock I think.  But I am going to put some lines in, in response to the paint.  I think I see a jelly fish in there somewhere:)  I really am having fun though.  This photo isn't great.  I had already put it up on the shelf and then I remembered I should get a photo.  So it was quick...and a little at an angle.  It is much better in real life:)
Sculpture went well.  I am feeling a little intimidated in that class, so I am very happy when I get through a class period and all is still well.  My teacher liked all of my hard work.  No one else in the class had made as much progress.  So I looked good:)
Tonight I should redo all of my drawings on the nice proper sized vellum I bought today.  But I hurt!  I think it is the wet weather, but both my knees and my shoulder are really sore.  It is tough getting old.  But I had a nice compliment today.  The topic of my age came up and I said I was 62.  The young man who was sitting across from me looked genuinely astonished and said, "You don't look a day over 40!"  The funny thing was he meant it.  And considering I am limping today, that really was nice.  But I think when you are only 20, 40 looks old.  So he may have just been being kind.
Well, I think I am going to run some really hot water in the jacuzzi and hide in there for a while.  Take care out there in cyberspace!  I am still pulling for you!!!  We're all in this together....(distant drums playing).  HAVVVVVGE!!!  Melody

Scribble Hi

Hello! It's a busy day today. School is going well though. I got through my sculpture class. Next is drawing where I will be dropping painted rocks on a 3x6canvas. Should be fun! I hope your day is going well. Take care and HAGW!!!! Melody

The remains of this day!

Aack!  I am feeling crazy!  So maybe if I write about it I can see how to figure things out.  I have my in scale drawings done, but now I must draw the shape for each layer as a pattern.  How do I do that?  Hmmmmmmm- OK, I got something figured out.  But it took me a few hours:)  Now I am headed to bed!  But before I do...the sign downtown..."Microwaves - poor surfing conditions".  Oh well, they are funny sometimes.  Nighty night!  Me

Rise and Shout!

Good morning!  I am finally up.  I think I am avoiding today just a little.  I have so much to do before school tomorrow!  But I can do this.  And it probably will not take me as long as I am anticipating.  In life I have found that sometimes anticipation is much worse than reality.  But then sometimes the opposite is true.  Oh well, I guess the best thing is just to start in.

I found this photo and it reminded me...:)
When I was young, one of my most hated chores was dishes!  We didn't have a dishwasher of course, so it was a longer chore than it is now.  My mom used to say the hardest part was getting your hands wet.  Of course, it took me a long time before I knew what she meant.  But I am glad she taught me that.  It has helped in tackling many things over the years.  In fact, this is much easier than being a mom.  I can do harder things than I am required to do today.  So that will be my motto today as I draw an in-scale drawing of Half Dome and all of the patterns for each ring of wood.  I should be enjoying this once I figure it out.  I found a cool sculpture online that will help quite a bit I think.  This is the link.  Half Dome
I also have to figure out what I am going to throw rocks at for my painting project.  I am leaning towards a stretched canvas, since it would be more portable than a long piece of wood.  And I have quite a bit of canvas left on this roll.
I had strange dreams again last night.  I woke up with a word in my head....hebeebsis I think.  I was reading it on a poster just before I woke up.  Just for fun I tried to translate it in google translator, but it still remains hebeebsis....maybe I am spelling it wrong:)  Dreams are such strange things.  Sometimes they make me feel better, but most of the time I wake up feeling a little frustrated...or tired:)  Last night in one of my dreams I was watching children again.  The nice thing was I was much younger...and my knee didn't bother me at all!  It does seem to be getting better slowly.  Mel commented that I look like I am walking better:)
Well, I guess I had better get on with things.  I hope you have a gladsome, cheery day out there in cyberspace today.  Keep smiling!  I am smiling from this side.  Life is grand!!  TTTL  Melody

A Carol to My King

Good Sabbath!  It is sunny and bright here.  And there is sunshine in my soul!  I love that song...  on so many levels.  The line that goes, "When Jesus shows His smiling face" makes me think of a smile on one of my grandchildren's faces....sweet Josephine!  And giggly Naia, and sassy Elle....and endearing Hailey....and charming Alyssa...and gorgeous Madeline...and beautiful Cassie and  amazing Shelese....and I can't forget happy Rachel!  And I mustn't forget sweet Amanda or lovely Sarah!  My eleven wonderful granddaughters!  They form a circle of love and sweetness in my mind.  And then I have 16 grandsons!  I always wanted more sons, and I think of their noble characters and I am smiling in my soul today.  How very blessed I feel.  And I am so glad I listened forty two years ago to President Benson when he encouraged couples to have as many children as they were able.  I have never regretted that decision, or resented that counsel.  Of course we have had to pass by many of the luxuries in life, but now that I am at an age where I am sorting and tossing, I am glad that we passed those by.
So I guess I am back to counting blessings again.  They just seem to pile up:)  I am most grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His atoning sacrifice, that makes it possible for me to repent and change.  I hope I am doing a good job of that:)  It would help if I could stop making mistakes in the first place.  Sigh!  And I am so grateful for Mel, my sweetheart for 42 years now.  We met in December of 1969, a month after my 20th birthday.  I remember it was like meeting an old and dear friend the first time we ever talked.  That first evening I told my roommate he was the kind of man I had always wanted to marry.  She thought I was nuts of course. She wondered how I could know that after only talking with him for a little bit.  I felt like we had always known each other.  It was a wonderful thing....and it still is.
And I continue to be grateful for challenges.  I don't always feel grateful when I am faced with them and struggling with them, but I know they are the things that make me grow stronger.  And no, I don't need anymore just now, thank you:)
Well, I guess I had better get going.  We have choir practice this morning.  I hope you have a most peaceful, happy day out there in cyberspace.  Keep smiling!  I am most definitely smiling from this side! HAVVVVVVVGS!!!  Melody

Day Tripping!

 Hi!  I talked Mel into taking me to the mountains today:)  It was so much fun!  The river is the north fork of the Payette River.  It is usually much higher, but it was still pretty.  The tired looking old people are Mel and I of course.  There was a little snow flurry that came in while we were there that I thought was pretty, and the sky was fabulous!
Anyway, I thought you might like seeing a little of scenic Idaho:)  And yes, I am avoiding homework!  Although we did stop at Lowe's on the way home and got a few more colors of paint from the Oops pile.

I love these colors!

The Golf Course

Say "Cheese!"

Hope your day was Grrrreat!  Take care out there in cyberspace!  HAVVVVVGE!!!  Melody

Under Lock and Key

Good morning!  I have been wondering what to write about this morning.  I thought you might enjoy the story of the scissor box.  It is remotely connected to Yosemite.

When my oldest daughter, Michelle, was growing up it became quite obvious that she had inherited the creative gene.  When she drew on the walls, it was not just a scribble, but a whole village would appear!  She had a fine sense for detail and I thought we had a budding artist for sure.  But things started going sour when she discovered scissors!  She loved to cut...and especially her own hair.  It started when she was about three, but continued on well into her kindergarten years.  I have a cute picture of her without much hair where her bangs should be.  Well, cute to me.  I think she doesn't like that photo too much.  Things got bad though, when she started cutting other people's hair!  Her cousin Vicki probably got the worst of that deal.  Anyway, I was frustrated as a mother.  I only had a couple of scissors, and I would hide them where I thought no one would find them.  But Michelle was my child who scaled her crib at 9 months, so the refrigerator top or the highest cupboard was really not much of a challenge.  And then one day when we were in Yosemite with my folks, my mom saw this little cedar box in the gift shop.  And she bought it for me to lock away the scissors.  And it worked!!!  I smile now a little when I think of bad haircuts.  Of course, that didn't end it completely.  Kim cut all of her beautiful ringlets off above her ears when she was only 2!  But that was my fault.  I left my sewing scissors out.  That one happened on my birthday...right before we were leaving for church.  I just sat in the middle of the floor and cried!  I am surprised neither of them went to beauty school!
Well, that is probably a little bit of a silly story.  But you may be wondering what I lock up in my little box now.  I was curious too.  I found an old newspaper clipping of my engagement to Mel, a ceramic thimble, a wooden flag pin, and my favorite article of all time, "I am the Queen, and that is all you need to know!"  It is a funny article about a mom who told her kids that and expected some respect in return.  I will have to copy it and include it here....maybe later today if I have time.
In the meantime, I have a couple of links to youtube for you.  They are of James Taylor when he was first on television....on the Johnny Cash show.  I thought they were kind of cool.  1971!  Oh Suzanna! and   Sweet Baby James.  I hope you enjoy these.  Have a happy day!  I am pulling for you!  We're all in this together!  And a little more Hungarian.... Sok szerencsét  HAVVVVGW!!!   Melody
P.S.  Just saw this and thought it was kind of cool!

Gratulálok

Good evening!   It has been a good day today.  I had fun going to the different paint stores in town and looking at the different colors in the "oops" pile.  So far I have white and gray and light blue and a kind of Prussian blue and an orangey browney color they label "brick orange".  I will look in Boise next, probably tomorrow.  I am getting kind of excited about dropping painted rocks onto some surface....I think it will be a piece of painted plywood.  I am just worried at how heavy wood is.  Somehow I will have to get whatever surface into the classroom.  Maybe canvas would work better on a frame.  Hmmmm...
The other task at hand is still figuring out Half Dome.  I wouldn't worry so much if I was the one constructing it.  I hate to make a lot of work for one of my classmates though.  And it will be a lot of layers the way I have it designed so far.  I am trying to modify it somehow, so that it still looks like Half Dome, but not so complicated.  I want to be able to look my classmates in the eye when this assignment is over:)  But I also want to do my best.  Sort of a quandary I guess.
Did I mention that in illustration we are supposed to make a poster next?   Yep, and I think it is supposed to end up being digital.  I hope I heard that wrong:)  But I think that is what the teacher said.  It's funny how all of a sudden I am noticing every poster I walk or drive by.  There are a lot of them.  I guess I didn't really notice before this assignment.
Well I don't really have much interesting to share....except the sign downtown:)  "Fungi - the life of the party".  I laughed out loud when I got that one.  The other side was funny too, but I forget what it said.  Maybe tomorrow:)  So have a good date night!  We watched a movie I rented...not very good.  It was called "Bed and Breakfast" and I would give it a two thumbs way down!!!  Although there were some pretty scenes of the Napa Valley....at least it looked like it was taken there.  I love when they show scenery that looks familiar in movies!  There was a lot of Portuguese in the movie.  But the subtitles went so fast we had to keep pausing it.  I don't think we have ever had to do that before.  Maybe Portuguese is a fast language.  I don't know.  Anyway, I will sign off now.  GW!!!!!!!  Melody

The Rock that Split

Top o' the mornin' to ya!  It is super to be able to just take my time.    I was going to say nice, but it is so much more than nice!  I love not having to rush!
So I thought I might share my topographical view of Half Dome with you.  It is pretty cool to look at it from above.

I pared it down somewhat from the large map that shows all of the surrounding area.  It makes me a little homesick for Yosemite:)  I love that area, and I have so many fond memories of going there as a child and teenager, and even as an engaged young woman.  Mel came with our family when we were engaged to be married.  We all slept in one big tent...separate sleeping bags of course...except for Joy and Diane who decided to sleep outside the tent so that they could see the stars.  We had to drag them quickly inside the next morning though, when a bear cub climbed the tree right next to them!  Ah memories!  Just seeing Half Dome brings many of them back to me.  It dominates the Yosemite Valley!  Of course there is also El Capitan.  And all of the gorgeous water falls.  Maybe I can talk Mel into taking me there this summer.  Especially if we don't camp.  He has never liked camping the way that I do.  And now that I am old and rickety I am kind of glad:)  Although with an air mattress I could probably tough it.

Here are a couple of pictures, just in case this is not familiar to you.

It is magnificent!  I hope my sculpture works.  I am slicing it up into 38 bits of elevation, using pine I think.  My teacher said no hard woods:(  But it should still be kinda cool....I hope.  At least I am enjoying the process of designing it.  I hope I get a partner that can understand this idea.  Most people in my class are pretty young, and they have not even heard of Yosemite!  Unbelievable I know, but true.  And I even like my idea behind it....that I am "the rock", but I am not gluing it together.  I am going to put it on dowels....like a puzzle that can come apart....the way I can I guess:)  When I told my teacher he said, "Oh, you go home and cry somedays, huh?"  Very perceptive:)
Well, I suppose today I will be drawing vellum slices of Half Dome, finding wood, paint, and other sundries at Lowe's and Home Depot, doing laundry, running errands, and maybe cleaning house:)  And I should go over to the school and paint, but maybe I will save that for tomorrow...or Monday.  We have a day off of school Monday for President's Day.  I am glad for that!
So have a happy day out there in cyberspace today!  I'm pulling for you!  We're all in this together!!!!  HAVVVVVGW!!!  Melody

Quotes for the Day

Good evening!  I am home and sooooo glad to be here.  School was hard today.  I just need a thicker skin...and good quotes from famous sources:)  I am smiling!
In sculpture I am going to tackle Half Dome:)  Or at least I am going to design it for someone else to tackle.  Mel suggested I could use a topo map to figure it out.  I have to have the plans all done by Tuesday.  And then I have to buy the materials for someone else to make my design.  And of course I will get someone else's in return.
 In my drawing class I came up with an idea that my teacher liked.  I am going to drop rocks:)  Actually I am going to drop rocks dipped in house paint  (whatever colors I can find in the Oops paint pile) down onto a long board or plank.  I will have to take a picture of this one in order to explain it.  But I think it will be fun!  And I will feel a little like Jackson Pollock I think...splashing paint every which way.  I will have to do this in our big room at school and even then I will need to protect the floor somewhat.  I am planning to stand on a ladder and drop a few rocks, then move the ladder down and drop a few more.  And no, I don't have some great meaning behind this, although I suppose I could tie it into how much I hate bombs dropping....or how the earth evolves through flood and avalanches.  But I really don't think I should have to come up with an explanation.  Unfortunately, my teacher expects an artist's statement.  So I will have to think of something!  I will have to look up Jackson's reasons for his paintings:)  I remember  an artist in one of the many films I have watched saying, "I'm an artist...it must be art!"  I can't remember who said it, but I thought it was funny.  I really like this better though, by Salvador Dali, "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
Well, I just thought I would check in and assure the world I am still alive and kicking.  And I am glad I am.  I thoroughly enjoy all of the students I am meeting and getting to know.  Each one is so interesting. And I am finding that I like them all.  And I am glad I am not having to compete with any of them!  They are all so talented...and miles ahead of me in many ways.  I hope your day has gone well.  Keep smiling!   Life is wonderful!  Here is one of my favorite youtube clips...art sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy.  Rivers and Tides part one  Enjoy!   HAVVVVGE!!!  Melody

Misty Memories

Good morning!  I sure had a lot of dreams last night.  In one of them I was back on that icy road on my way to school!  That really did scare me.  Another one brought back some memories of San Lorenzo and Hayward that I thought I should record, since I will probably soon forget them if I don't:)  When I was 8 years old my folks decided to move from San Lorenzo to Castro Valley and so they bought a lot and started building.  Of course to do that we had to sell the house we were in.  I don't remember much of those details, but I do remember that after the house sold we had to move.  The first rental was just down the street....about five houses down I think.  I don't remember a lot, but I do remember our cat started having her kittens.  Unfortunately she was a very young cat and things did not go well and she tore something inside so that she was in pain.  I remember her jumping from one moving box to another, and dropping kittens on her way.  My mother was pregnant with my littlest sister and it was especially upsetting to her.  We gathered all of the kittens up and kept them warm.  But we had to take the mommy cat to the vet.  It didn't make it, so then we had all of these little kittens to try to keep alive.  One by one they died.  They didn't used to have kitten formula the way they do now, and we were probably feeding them the wrong stuff.  I can remember milk coming out through their noses.  So sad!  We buried the kittens one by one as they died.  I can remember being sad, but realizing that my mom was even sadder.  I just thought I would record that memory.  My little sister probably doesn't even know the trauma my mom went through right before she had her.
The other memory was in the next house we rented.  It was in Hayward, a couple of blocks from downtown....right next to the railroad tracks.  We lived there for a few months before we moved into our new house.  There was a family next door with a bunch of boys.   There was one my age.  He was somewhat of an adventurer.  One thing I remember doing with him was putting coins on the railroad tracks and waiting for the train to come and run over them.  That was really cool, but probably kind of dangerous.  The other thing I remember is catching bees.  I had a fascination for bees.  We would catch bees by stomping on them in the clover, not too hard, just enough to stun them.  Then we would carefully pick them up and place them on our pant legs and watch them crawl around in a stunned fashion til they finally got their bearings and flew away.  I don't think I made this method up.  I learned it from him:)  Amazingly we never got stung.   He and his brothers also liked to jump off of their roof...which was quite high I think.  I never tried that....thank Heaven!  I wonder where their mom was now:)
The other vivid memory I have is when my sister was born and my Aunt Ida came to stay with us.  She walked all three of us kids downtown to the corner store to get Shasta!  It was warm...Diane was born on June 30, so those drinks were wonderful!  I had never heard of a Shasta before then, so I was really impressed.
Well, I hope I haven't bored you too much.  I thought they were kind of interesting memories.  And now they are recorded:)  And I had better get going!  I hope you have a most wonderful day out there in cyberspace!  Take care and remember I am still pulling for you!  We're all in this together!!!!  HAVVVVVVVGW!!!!!  Melody

Processes

Hi again! I am laughing! Although I didn't actually fall asleep, I did get a little rest.  And then I cooked a healthy dinner...mostly veggies, and even watched a program I kind of like...In the Middle.  And now I am trying to come up with an art process for my drawing class tomorrow.  One of the artists we watched in a powerpoint last class wore a sandpaper glove and drug his hand along a wall....back and forth, back and forth for eight hours I think.  Then he took a picture:)  He also put sandpaper on the bottom of his shoes and walked back and forth on a bridge til it made a path.  There was another artist who entrapped an ant in a metal border and then drew everywhere it went for quite a while..Another artist took a can of green house paint and poured it along Israel's border...Francis Alys is his name.  He is very interesting.

Another time he pushed a block of ice around Mexico City, photographing it until it finally melted.
I must admit I would never have thought this was art.  But what do I know?  Not much apparently!  So I need to come up with a process that is weird too I guess:)  I shouldn't make fun of it.  I really do admire the creativity.  But I have no idea what to do that would even approach this kind of process.  I don't think BSU would want me to pour paint anywhere, and ice wouldn't melt just now.  Maybe the sandpaper on my shoes would be fun:)  Not!  But it might keep me upright if the ice gets too bad.
Sorry, I am being quite silly.  You'd think with this mindset I could come up with something!  Well, I guess I will bend my mind around a few more processes on the internet and then call it quits for today.  I hope your night is restful and quiet and all the good things.  I heard an owl this morning when I was up so early.  I remembered when I first heard one and I thought it was a person outside my door:)  Soooo funny!  Sweet Dreams!  Melody

Flabbering Some More

Good evening...almost.  The sun is doing its transition as I write.  Or maybe it is the earth.  Hard to tell with both of them whizzing through space at remarkable speeds.  Today I have been thinking about what my cousin Steven said, "Every day is a miracle for each of us."  It really is, when you stop to think on it a bit.  The amazing earth, and all that is balanced precariously within its confines that sustains life is truly a miracle.  That brings to mind The Galaxy Song, and then I giggle just a little.  I think it is one of my favorites now.
So I am trying to put things in perspective...can you tell?  I had a most harrowing trip to school this morning.  There was black ice everywhere...and the visible kind too.  It took me an extra half an hour, and I felt like I was sliding the whole way.  I guess I should have taken the Explorer.  It might not have been so unstable.  Anyway, I did get to school safely, although definitely quite shaken.  And I walked into my illustration class a couple minutes late, which didn't seem to matter fortunately.  But then I had to put up my illustration, and although it was not the worst, it was definitely not the best.  And I must admit I like to be at least one of the best:)  My teacher wanted to know what happened:)  I told him I needed a couple of weeks, or maybe months.  He said, "Maybe years!"  Of course, he said it jokingly, but he also kind of meant it.  He thinks we all need to practice our skills.  And of course I agree.  But it was kind of a miserable critique for me.  I think it was for quite a few of us though.  We commiserated after class out in the hall:)
After class I felt rather lousy.  So I drove over to the co-op nearby where they sell the most delicious croissants!  I bought two and ate them both.  I know....bad carbs.  But it did feel very comforting:)  And I skipped lunch after that thinking I had better repent!!   Next I had my oil painting class.  I think it is my favorite class.  Of course I am reminded in there each time about how limited my painting skills are.  But even with that I still love it.  I love painting...even though I have so far to go before I really can paint.  But today I did learn a new technique from my very sweet teacher.   He really is a gem of a nice guy.  He is so sensitive and he really cares about his students.  And he goes out of his way to teach you something you need to know.  It is truly inspiring.  I know that I need to learn to be more caring and kind in this way.   So I ended my school day on a good note.
I really am tired.  Not the good kind, but the wrung out kind.  So I think I need to pay better attention to getting the right foods ...and more sleep!  I am really trying to make a life style change, rather than just a diet.  I need this to work for the rest of my life.  So that when I eat two croissants that I can adapt it into my day and not beat myself up about it:)  I am very serious about not admitting sugary sweet things back into my diet though. I...I....I....  there I go again.  Sorry.  I think I will go take a power nap!  Then maybe I will remember what it was I learned that was so interesting today:)  TTTL  Melody
P.S.  For anyone who has ever had a daughter...you will have to click on it to actually be able to read it.

Applesauce

Good morning!  And it is a lovely morning, even if I do have to take this awful illustration for a critique this morning.  I guess I should have left it black and white, because I really don't have a clue with color.  Although I kept thinking if I had just scanned this and done the color digitally I might have come out ahead.  Oh well, enough self pity.  It is what it is.  And I am still learning....for sure!!!!  So enough whining!!!
Besides this foreboding about the critique I have this morning:) I am feeling pretty good.  Although my next class will be painting and I am still feeling lost in there.  Hmmmm, maybe I am a little tired.  I sure sound negative.  Perhaps because I have already been up for three hours.  Yeah, I woke up at 4 and couldn't fall back asleep.  Sigh and double sigh...and a yawn, and maybe a loud BAM!  That should wake me up:)
Well, the other thing I notice is that I am flabbering away.  Reminds me of a children's book I like...Rain Makes Applesauce.  One of the lines is "You're just talking silly talk...and rain makes applesauce."
Well, I had better go make applesauce...or something for breakfast.  Here's wishing you a great and wonderfilled day out there in cyberspace.  I will keep smiling if you will:)  And I definitely am smiling...even chuckling this morning!  HAVVVVVGW!!!!!  Melody