So far.....
The house is filled with many piles and pieces for an upcoming art show.
We have too many decisions to make in not enough time.
We see how low some "best seller" pices are, and wonder if there is time to re-fill stock.
The dish-washer flooded the kitchen floor.
The on-line tax adventure continues.
We still have to frame 2 - 3 pastels.
On the other hand.....
Todd brought in a package of great caramels from Mom.
Pat Methany is playing great calming guitar from the iPod.
Life is OK.
Sue
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Feb.1
The three jade plants are standing guard at the patio door, Grandma Rowe's African violets that I inherited after she died in 1976 are still living, and I'm crossing my fingers that the grey squirrels and hungry moles will have left us a few of the hundred tulip and daffodil bulbs we planted last Fall.
I admire gardeners and gardens but I live a plant and pray life. I apologize each Spring to the peonies for not transplanting them - again. It's been sixteen years now. They still tough it out in the shade of the lilacs and bloom as best they can. The lilacs tough it out in the shade of the giant pine trees and the pines just tough it out.
Saturday I re-finished, as in finished again, a bear head thought to be finished in 2007. He is a mid-sized pastel, begun in Hudson, Wisconsin, at a Thursday painting session at The Phipps Center for the Arts. We named him "Franz," he was matted and brought up to Pottery at Best Gallery in Hayward, Wisconsin, and we hoped he'd find someone to live with. Nope. Not to be. So after a while he came back to Stillwater to lean up against the wall and take up space.
This past week old Franz got a pastel make-over. Hip hooray! About the only evidence left of his original self are his basic facial features. But he is a much-improved
bear, with markings both more subtle and pronounced than originally drawn. Sometimes it pays to admit a piece is dull and boring but is yet worth the effort to rip put of the mat and attempt a re-do.
We are happy with the "new" Franz, and he appears pleased to be set in his new red frame.
On to the next grand adventure - low to the ground as it is!
-Sue
I admire gardeners and gardens but I live a plant and pray life. I apologize each Spring to the peonies for not transplanting them - again. It's been sixteen years now. They still tough it out in the shade of the lilacs and bloom as best they can. The lilacs tough it out in the shade of the giant pine trees and the pines just tough it out.
Saturday I re-finished, as in finished again, a bear head thought to be finished in 2007. He is a mid-sized pastel, begun in Hudson, Wisconsin, at a Thursday painting session at The Phipps Center for the Arts. We named him "Franz," he was matted and brought up to Pottery at Best Gallery in Hayward, Wisconsin, and we hoped he'd find someone to live with. Nope. Not to be. So after a while he came back to Stillwater to lean up against the wall and take up space.
This past week old Franz got a pastel make-over. Hip hooray! About the only evidence left of his original self are his basic facial features. But he is a much-improved
bear, with markings both more subtle and pronounced than originally drawn. Sometimes it pays to admit a piece is dull and boring but is yet worth the effort to rip put of the mat and attempt a re-do.
We are happy with the "new" Franz, and he appears pleased to be set in his new red frame.
On to the next grand adventure - low to the ground as it is!
-Sue
Monday, January 11, 2010
Books While "Biking"
It's the time of year that I am "spinning" for an hour or two a day down in the family room on the old SchwinnAirdyne. Todd found the beast on the side of the road this past summer, fixed 'er up a tad, and found a spot for it at a good angle in front of the TV.
It may save our sanity this cold and icy winter, and keep us in some sort of better shape than we usually are this time of year.
A pleasant surprise is that I can peddle and read at the same time! Current little book I am re-reading is titled "Try giving Yourself Away." It was written by David Dunn and published in 1947. His advice is to try the hobby of doing a good deed, offering a kind word, suggesting an idea to a business - all without care of getting anything back. I have been trying to follow his lead this past week. It's fun to put a smile on a young girl's face when complimenting her on her nifty argyle socks. It's time to write a real letter to someone instead of typing out a few quick sentences online. I'm going to do that right after finishing this post......
While peddling today I read a short article on the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Maybe it was the blood pumping into the brain at a faster rate than usual but I found it easier than usual to retain the facts learned about the man. I sorta kinda wish more of his feisty kind were to found nearby these days. He was not universally appreciated in his day - he spoke his truths and went on his way whatever the consequences.
So on to the evening's tasks and good deeds. Tomorrow holds breakfast in the big city of Minneapolis.
Happy New Year!
Sue
It may save our sanity this cold and icy winter, and keep us in some sort of better shape than we usually are this time of year.
A pleasant surprise is that I can peddle and read at the same time! Current little book I am re-reading is titled "Try giving Yourself Away." It was written by David Dunn and published in 1947. His advice is to try the hobby of doing a good deed, offering a kind word, suggesting an idea to a business - all without care of getting anything back. I have been trying to follow his lead this past week. It's fun to put a smile on a young girl's face when complimenting her on her nifty argyle socks. It's time to write a real letter to someone instead of typing out a few quick sentences online. I'm going to do that right after finishing this post......
While peddling today I read a short article on the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Maybe it was the blood pumping into the brain at a faster rate than usual but I found it easier than usual to retain the facts learned about the man. I sorta kinda wish more of his feisty kind were to found nearby these days. He was not universally appreciated in his day - he spoke his truths and went on his way whatever the consequences.
So on to the evening's tasks and good deeds. Tomorrow holds breakfast in the big city of Minneapolis.
Happy New Year!
Sue
Friday, December 18, 2009
A Brave attempt at Catching Up
Greetings-
The Christmas Letter is finished at last - thanks to a lovely cup of real coffee at Stillwater's The Bikery - the best mix of coffee-shop and bike shop in these here parts. It made for a great place to follow Lance Armstrong's Tour de France adventures this past summer.
It's not summer anymore - although this morning's temp is a toasty twelve ABOVE zero at present - 8 AM. Hardly took any time to defrost the Buick's front window - simple pleasure.
The Christmas Letter is finished at last - thanks to a lovely cup of real coffee at Stillwater's The Bikery - the best mix of coffee-shop and bike shop in these here parts. It made for a great place to follow Lance Armstrong's Tour de France adventures this past summer.
It's not summer anymore - although this morning's temp is a toasty twelve ABOVE zero at present - 8 AM. Hardly took any time to defrost the Buick's front window - simple pleasure.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Season's Over Season's Starting
Greetings -
We are still unpacking from our last show of the year. It was the lovely Landmark Center Holiday Bazaar in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. No blizzard, no ice, great music, wonderful customers and friends. The lighted trees in Rice Park are always a delight each evening as we headed for home.
Now the bears are bunched upstairs in our booth at American Gothic Antiques, 236 S Main Street, in Stillwater, Minn., where all this fuzzy fun begain. To think that a single not-good pencil drawing in October of 1997 began the torrent of bears that we've made is still quite mind-boggling. Take advantage of any inspiration - ya might create a whole new life for yourself.
We have more bruin goodies in Minnesota at Duluth's Blue Lake Gallery, and in Bayfield, Wisconsin's Eckels Pottery. We are thrilled that the colored reproductions of the "pretty" bears are going over so well with customers. And next year, cross paws, we will offer our first ceramic pieces, starting with a standing "Larry" Bear.
I've vowed this season to eat less and exercise more, so will quit typing and head for the spinner. We've hidden the chocolate-covered cherries from me - Thanks, Todd - and there's lots of turkey soup left.
On to all of our grand adventures!
Fare-thee-well,
Sue
We are still unpacking from our last show of the year. It was the lovely Landmark Center Holiday Bazaar in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. No blizzard, no ice, great music, wonderful customers and friends. The lighted trees in Rice Park are always a delight each evening as we headed for home.
Now the bears are bunched upstairs in our booth at American Gothic Antiques, 236 S Main Street, in Stillwater, Minn., where all this fuzzy fun begain. To think that a single not-good pencil drawing in October of 1997 began the torrent of bears that we've made is still quite mind-boggling. Take advantage of any inspiration - ya might create a whole new life for yourself.
We have more bruin goodies in Minnesota at Duluth's Blue Lake Gallery, and in Bayfield, Wisconsin's Eckels Pottery. We are thrilled that the colored reproductions of the "pretty" bears are going over so well with customers. And next year, cross paws, we will offer our first ceramic pieces, starting with a standing "Larry" Bear.
I've vowed this season to eat less and exercise more, so will quit typing and head for the spinner. We've hidden the chocolate-covered cherries from me - Thanks, Todd - and there's lots of turkey soup left.
On to all of our grand adventures!
Fare-thee-well,
Sue
Thursday, November 26, 2009
After Thanksgiving
Now through the Holiday Season we will have a great gang of our bears downtown Stillwater, Minnesota upstairs in American Gothic Antiques,the shop where they all began.
There are also some piles of older pieces downstairs here at home waiting to be sorted through. Most are smaller 8 by 10 things - some will probably be stripped of frame and mat and spoken to kindly with the usual sad yet truthful, "Sorry, old pal, but you didn't make the cut....,"and, sigh, ripped in the ritual four quarters and tossed gently in to the waste basket. Some will be rescued, and some will hang around to inspire further pieces. A few will graduate to be new cards and magnets - if not offered as Art.
We bought some baked goodies for this weekend's Open House at the shop, but also got out the recipe cards and whipped up brownies and dream bars from scratch. it's been a while since eggs, flour and sugar have been beaten in our kitchen. the new oven is much more the pal than our last one. I can trust this beast to do what it says it's going to do - sigh,
So, on to the wonders of black Friday (I'm not venturing out till daylight) and the coming weeks.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all-
- Sue
There are also some piles of older pieces downstairs here at home waiting to be sorted through. Most are smaller 8 by 10 things - some will probably be stripped of frame and mat and spoken to kindly with the usual sad yet truthful, "Sorry, old pal, but you didn't make the cut....,"and, sigh, ripped in the ritual four quarters and tossed gently in to the waste basket. Some will be rescued, and some will hang around to inspire further pieces. A few will graduate to be new cards and magnets - if not offered as Art.
We bought some baked goodies for this weekend's Open House at the shop, but also got out the recipe cards and whipped up brownies and dream bars from scratch. it's been a while since eggs, flour and sugar have been beaten in our kitchen. the new oven is much more the pal than our last one. I can trust this beast to do what it says it's going to do - sigh,
So, on to the wonders of black Friday (I'm not venturing out till daylight) and the coming weeks.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all-
- Sue
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Simple Pleasures
Recent simple pleasures -
!)Fixing the muddy sound on the good old stereo Record Player by daring to play around with the wires in the back.
2)Receiving a forwarded e-mail picturing a black bear sow and her five cubs - wow.
3)Appreciating the recent warmish weather, with no snow on ground yet. Still time to cover the flower bulbs with wire to fend off the chomping rodents.
4)Having a near-forest of thriving large jade plants now that Todd and his sister, Linda, split up Mr. Jade this summer.
5)Cub grocery store having their butter on sale for $.98 a pound for two weeks in a row.
6)Having work to do and the ability to do it.
7)Finally figuring out our Christmas card design at 4:10 A.M. this morning.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all -
Sue
!)Fixing the muddy sound on the good old stereo Record Player by daring to play around with the wires in the back.
2)Receiving a forwarded e-mail picturing a black bear sow and her five cubs - wow.
3)Appreciating the recent warmish weather, with no snow on ground yet. Still time to cover the flower bulbs with wire to fend off the chomping rodents.
4)Having a near-forest of thriving large jade plants now that Todd and his sister, Linda, split up Mr. Jade this summer.
5)Cub grocery store having their butter on sale for $.98 a pound for two weeks in a row.
6)Having work to do and the ability to do it.
7)Finally figuring out our Christmas card design at 4:10 A.M. this morning.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all -
Sue
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