Sunday, June 5, 2011

It's All a Walk in the Park

  It only took 6 months but I have actually just imported my first photo from the camera to the computer (made a real actual factual folder for it) then from the computer to my blog with the help of some terrific and very patient people in my real life and cyber (Quiltart List) life and the Ann Arbor Public Library (thanks Katie).  I feel like I just won some big award and I want to thank my husband for supporting me, my son for the new lap top, Gwen, my personal computer trainer,    and Crystal for her words that resonate in my mind every time I think I can't do something,  "If you would spend as much time practicing as you do whinning about what you can't do, then in a month (or 6) this conversation would be very different.  Bingo I win.

In my world or art, where fiber and glass have colided,  It has been a very good year.   Normie and I  were a little burned out after 6 holiday shows in  6 weeks,  so we took the bootie and fled , literally, to the Pacific Northwest to visit our son on Whidbey Island, Washington.  We spent days visiting the art galleries on the Island, then a short ferry ride over to Port Townsend to take in the art shops, fiber shops, bead shops, well, you get the picture.  They humored me and I came away from these days with sensory overload, lots of yarn,  beads and fun local materials for embellishment, not to mention enough memories and praise for their patience to last a life time, or the next trip, which ever comes first.  I sincerely hope it's the next trip, as we plan to drive  to Washington in  sis weeks.

     On Christmas day the weather was so perfect 62 degrees (that is perfect when you come from Michigan)   so my son said "let's go for a ride"  Silly me, I am in the drive way waiting by the truck as the garage door opens and the roar of the Harley was deafening.  I was so excited, but the three year old pelvis fracture wasn't sure this was such a good idea.  Well long story short> it was a great trip around the coast of the island.    The North Cascade Highway on the bike is on my bucket list, so I will ask my doctor for some thing a bit more effective than motrin (like vicodin) and give it  my best shot in July.  The ride wasn't so bad. The scenery seemed to have an analgesic affect, but getting off that thing and trying to walk into the house or sleep that night was a different story.  The good news is that we went to Morton's Cove in the morning for a walk and collected drift wood (even a piece that makes a perfect walking stick with more character  than my Dad had.  May he rest in peace.

     After we got home there  were classes to teach,  two retreats, one a quilting retreat with some wonderful  and very talented quilters from the Northwest Ohio region.  It was a perfect time to quilt for the fun of it.  The other retreat was a quilt/spiritual retreat.  There I took a Mariner"s Compass class using Judy Mathieson's technique.  I am not a paper piecing person, I have enough trouble following directions head on, make it backwards and it is a real challenge.    Normie and I took a couple more fused glass classes to get ready for the shows and commitments  we had for spring and summer, oh  and the  landslide  of fall festivals  that we will do. 

     We just survived a very interesting show at Michigan International Speedway for the Great Lakes Winery Fest.  Thirty six wineries, a bunch of food vendors,  and  twenty four artist participated.  Quite an interesting experience.  It is the strangest thing, bling, (dichroic glass jewelry) and quilts with a wine/grape theme  are a real hit after people have spent a couple of hours tasting wine.   It ended up being far better than any of the Holiday shows where people are in a rush to do some Christmas shopping.    But that can't compare to the wonderful opportunity to meet the proprietors of the wineries and talk about business opportunities.  Some of them have gift shops or events that we  have been invited to become participants with. 

    Time to run and count my blessings, if you have  been able to  plug through all of this rambling then you may count yourself among my blessings.    Oh, oh (sound like Gunther Tuttie)  I forgot to mention my little quilt called  "Quoth the Raven"  will be part of the Sacred Threads in Washington DC.  After July 6th you can google Sacred Threads Quilt Show to see it.

Thank the Cyber Gods this is THE END