Lordy… it’s been a minute, hasn’t it?
Life has been… I mean, to say okay isn’t a fair assessment. There have been challenges. We’re still here and still functioning.
My sister is in chemo again, second round. She’s obviously not doing well, because chemo is never a good thing. But she’s enduring. They’ve already warned her with her type of cancer, she’ll have go undergo chemo periodically no matter what. They’re just hoping there’s a longer interval before the next one. This time it was only a few weeks between.
Our youngest grandson is long-term in Phoenix Children’s hospital after a spectacular meltdown in public. We’re hoping his time there will get him a more in-depth (and accurate) assessment and get his meds dialed in. For them to keep a seven-year-old as an inpatient for mental/behavioral issues is unusual and reinforces he needs more help than we can offer. I’m glad someone is finally taking his situation seriously. My poor daughter is exhausted to the point of collapse, trying to care for him alone. I hope this gives her a break and some genuine help.
Our youngest son lost his job earlier this year. He’d worked for them from the time he was about 18 (he’s now in his mid-40s). He wasn’t fired, but refused to transfer to yet another location. They’re known to require transfers across the country on virtually no notice. That’s not fair to anyone, especially not someone with small kids and whose wife is a manager at a big bank. So he took a respectable severance package and they moved from Colorado back to the house they already owned in Arizona. His wife was able to transfer in her job, so they’re good
While it clearly wasn’t ideal, it was a save of a different kind. They arrived to a water leak that took out virtually their entire kitchen and a couple of other walls. Thankfully their insurance covered everything, including a stint in a motel. Eating every meal out had gotten mighty old, and they got tired of having the house torn apart. The repairs were done yesterday — my son just shared a photo today — which I’m sure is a huge relief. He’s also working again. Not in the software division, which is what his degree is for, but at least he’s got a full time job and a foot in the door with another big cell provider.
When the same youngest son was here a few weeks ago, he convinced me to start painting and drawing again. (Given their dismembered kitchen, I made them a home-cooked meal and sent them home with a whole lot of leftovers. By that point they at had a working fridge and a microwave so they could warm things up.)
The sketch at left was done with colored felt-tip pens. It’s a mediocre doodle, but it’s a start.
Sincc I did such an unimpressive job, naturally, I ordered a set of watercolors, brushes, etc., with the determination to try to paint again.
There are tens of thousands of photos on my computer for inspiration. It remains to be seen whether inspiration translates into anything worth the trouble. My hands aren’t as steady as when I was a teenager. However, thanks to practice with the camera, I’m more steady now than a couple of years ago. So, maybe?
Paints, brushes, and paper arrived, and… ouch.
The techniques are still in my memory. Hoo boy, though… out of practice doesn’t BEGIN to describe it. My first painting was more a caracature (to put it kindly) that looked like it had been painted with a broom. A small broom, but a broom nonetheless.
Theoretically, if I get a chance to practice, there’s a possibility of improvement. The question is whether I can make time to practice and if I want to dedicate the time, when I have so many other things to do.
The photo at the top of this post was taken early last month. We were graced with two weekends in a row where the light and the skies coordinated. There were no clouds in that particular snap, though there were clouds in most of the outdoor shots. What’s more, we had what was for us fairly mild daytime temperatures – highs only around 100ºF most days.
The photo below was also taken last month, before Mother Nature cranked the outdoor oven to broil.
This isn’t my first photo of this structure. It is, however, a significantly better anglet han my earlier pictures, and is massively better technically than the ones I took back when. It reminds me of how far I’ve come as a photographer.
These days, ambition far exceeds time and physical stamina.
Over the weekend, I got the oil changed and a new battery for the car. The price of the battery took my breath away — and the repair facility put a significant scratch on the side of the vehicle. The manager took photos and said he’d reach out to his insurance company. I haven’t heard from them yet. I’ll give them a few more days before I call. My calm and understanding will fly out of the window if this turns into a marathon.
While waiting for the work to be done on Stormtrooper, I drove my power chair to the thrift store and bought four yards of dark brown rayon fabric.
Y’all. Rayon is EXPENSIVE – I’ve seen it high as $20 a yard or more. So I was thrilled to find four yards for under $5. Not $5 a yard – four dollars and some change for all four yards, combined. For anyone who sews, you can get patterns online these days for free or cheap, and I had one I’d wanted to make for a while. The pattern has been printed, assembled, and cut out. I ordered buttons, thread, and trim from Amazon and they’ve been delivered. Now I just need to get the actual FABRIC cut out, which is the most difficult part for me, by far. Fingers crossed it gets done this weekend. There are literally only four pieces to cut, maybe six or so if I get fancy-schmancy and add a ruffle or flounce at the bottom.
I look forward to the actual sewing – but rayon is also a temperamental fabric to work with, both to cut out and to sew. Therefore I may end up using a litany of swear words before it’s all said and done. Plus I’m doing some significant modifications to the pattern, turning a blouse into a dress, adding gathers where the pattern doesn’t have anything. Honestly the changes I’m making in theory shouldn’t be difficult. “Shouldn’t be” doesn’t always equal “won’t be”
Wish me luck.
Girl…
different set of issues, but I feel you on the “…if it isn’t one thing, it’s another…” ride.
Good to know muscle memory may need poking to reinstate, hehe.
And, post pics of the dress! Rayon is a PITA, but does have a decent drape.
It has definitely been a year, and then some.
I’ll try to post photos of the dress once I get it finished. I still need to do some mending on another one I made that I wear pretty frequently.