Morley's Dog

Today I am having a rare bout of Johnstown-itis. It's not often that I really miss Johnstown- for the most part, well 99.9% part, I am glad that my road took me elsewhere. Not that I don't love it, in all it's strangeness, but I would of turned out to be a completely different person had I never left. Not so self-confident and open I suppose- Johnstown was not good for self-esteem.

Enough of that, though- I suppose this bout was brought about by last nights auctions (Stover's first- disappointing, then Angels- fun) and the constant litany of glassware: fenton, fostoria, westImoreland.... not the others last night, just those. We grew up visiting glass factories, and all of us still have relics of them- Suzy's milkglass, the apples, various odd pressed glass plates/compotes/goblets and my little glass birds. I remember one of the last times I was home we all (Mum and Daddy, Barbie, Grendel) went to the glass factor in Jennerstown (or Jeanette?)... We bought our pumpkin candy dishes there, and goblets- dark blue, green, pink. Grendel got to see how glass was made- the same tour I took countless times as a kid. Never grew tired of the beautiful glow of the glass, how it is formed and shaped and molded. Like all of us from that town, industrial but fragile, precious out of our range.

This got me thinking- I really want to see Johnstown again, show Charles all the relics of my past (though I know they are not the same, but still), take a zillion photos, ride the incline plane and have some raisin cookies. Gobs. A sub from Clark's (with hot peppers). See Morley's dog (he is a French bloodhound- and he looks like Bear! by the way- it's bear's "bear-thday" today- she is two) I've been dreaming about Coon Ridge road and Northfork Dam, the Easy grade and the arch to nowhere. The Ship on the Mountain (it's gone now), Storybook forrest, the mountains and endless railroad tracks winding down the valley.... anyhoo, I was thinking of the giant yardsale thing they used to have at Riverside in June, where the whole neighborhood from the river to the base of Eisenhower would be filled with tables of goodness. I was wondering if they still do that- had a little fantasy of going up home with the manz, hunting out fenton/fostoria/westmoreland to bring back to sell here. Up there it was like dimes- everywhere- down here they preen over ruby laced milkglass and would do flips over some of the more unusual stuff... I know the factories are long gone, but I am sure it turns up regular like in yardsales....even if it doesn't, it would be a good adventure and I could tell the manz endless stories about nothing much and coax him to try new food....

Today I should be focused and at work by now, instead I am noodling about, distant, dreamy. I feel weird (it's not just the nyquil and pamprin, though that is part of it) it is spring fever, a tiny cold, and just that urge that comes with Easter time to travel back to the land of hostage bunnies. (They decorate for Easter by tying inflatable bunnies to trees....but at least they decorate). I miss my Mum, I miss my Daddy, I miss walking with Grendel up to Oshea's for Easter pigs, licorice whips and ginger drops. I miss my sisters, (even Barbies insane passion for BBQ Lima beans), beer sold by the case, Grandview cemetery and the way the flower barn smells back in the green house (the one with the fountain). I miss the birds in the big cage at Greengate mall, Horseshoe curve, Auntie Lou's slips, Popop's yard, Granny Wrye's pigeon hole and the cuckoo clock with the bird with the plastic cherry in it's beak. I miss being little enough to play with buttons (in the golden shoebox) and pokerchips (in the metal box with angel's on the top). Lilacs, snowdrops, Headacher, Picken' Chicken and Bethco. Hunting Easter Eggs at the club. Summer time and going to sister Sue's house in Pittsburgh. All those things.

But I don't miss them in a bad way, or a sad way. Just nostalgic. My Johnstown is long gone- grown over with new faces, names, stories. Bits remain though, and I would like to visit them sometime- just to say hello.

signs and wonders

Saturday, and the first sign of Spring flowers blooming- a few daffodils in the front of our yarden. I am trying to change, be more active- I had been working on homework all morning, completed two assignments for Virtual Reality (I love that class- I neglect it because I am spending so much more time on the thesis), then was working on a web page. Lots of typing and editing and spell checking then I hit the wrong button and screwed it up beyond repair. (I know- I tried to repair it but just made it worse and worse- all tangled up).
Then it was balancing the budget time, which is never fun... by the end of that I was tired and stressed. Manz was off to get manz supplies (we are out of eggs, among other things) and I was going to take a nap (sure cure for stress)... but all I could do is think and think all in tangles and I was just getting wound up tighter.

So I got up and put on my beloved plaid chucks, headed out the door with the camera to look for Spring. Actually, I was going to take Max for a dog-walk, but it is still to cold and windy for that. Instead I roamed about the yarden and found a few flowers- deep breaths and a bit of a walk and I am ready to start again.

More Art~

A marionette of 'Bottom' from Midsummer's Night's Dream that I made as an example. I think he turned out fairly well- most of this year's marionettes are. They are made out of basically nothing- paperclips, masking tape, tin foil, scraps of fabric, a tiny bit of sculpy and a tad of paint.

I didn't begin with intending to create Bottom, but when I was demoing how to make animal heads I really liked his donkey-head. For those with rusty Shakespeare, Bottom was a main character- a rustic travelling actor- who was bewitched by Oberon (the fairy king) into having a donkey head. The fairy queen, Titania, was then given a love potion- she fell head over heels in love with Bottom. Many years ago I played the part of Titania- my singular speaking role in theatre as an adult. It was tons of fun...

I like making things with the kids- of course I have to, part of the job to make demos, but it's one of the best parts of the job. Even though we have had tons of budget cuts, I'm basically ok with it as I am good at making something out of nothing- I've been doing it so long that I don't know what I'd do with 'real' art supplies (and I don't think they would actually work any better than my budget supplies). The crafts class has now moved on from marionettes and we are making mandalas out of old vinyl records- 'upcycling' is the trendy word for it. I'm going to bring in some of the manz sculptural bowls and flowers he made from records- he is very creative and talented, especially in sculpting and constructing things.

This weekend is more homework, more working on my endless webpage- if anyone out there has experience with flipbook java programs I could use some help! My flip book works but is *still* an ugly green color that just won't go away....rather like the face of the witch in 'Wicked'.

OoooOOo... someone from foods 2 just brought me yummy potatoes- mashed with a crust of cheese and bacon. so much for the diet!

Home Sweet Home

Every time I give the kids a sketchbook assignment, I do it to. The rationale I give them is "If I have time to do it, you have time to do it. No excuses!" truth is, I just like doing them and sharing them with the class. It's art, but also group therapy and bonding. A good thing.

This weeks assignment is "home sweet home: what is it about your home that is sweet?"

It is our tumble-down cottage, how it makes me feel more than how it looks (even though it does have bright green flower boxes and a distinct lean to one side). Cheerful and comforting, exciting, cosy and full of good magicness. Chicken feet like Baba Yaga's hut allow it to go anywhere. The swirly front yard is full of mud and water, big flowers growing all around. Road of different colors over on the right, the star above the door and all over the sky- beauty and peace and magic and love and everything I could ever want.

It's not perfect, our home. I've slacked off (waaaay off) on cleaning, the manz works hard so it will keep standing up and be weather-tight (so far so good!) and right now everything outside is a muddy mess. But it is our home, and it is sweet to come home to after school or work or adventures. Right now all that matters is that it is our place, a place for the boy to come home to, a place for the doggs and kitty, a place that can be anything we want it to be.

I've lived in many places, many houses- once a boat and once a bus- but this house is my favorite of them all. It forgives me when I am to tired to clean (other houses get cranky if you don't clean- they start letting you know in no uncertain terms that they need attention!) never seems to complain about anything. It may sound silly, but I do believe that houses have very distinct personalities- some are cranky and ill tempered, prone to breaks and disasters... some scary, some easy-going, some like to be busy and shared, others prefer to huddle alone on a hill. Some houses are plain unfriendly- it has nothing to do with the people who are living there, it is the house. Makes you feel unwelcome, uncomfortable.

This house has a good personality- it is a kind house, rather like a well-worn tshirt that is incredibly soft and fits just right. I like that- all is well, home sweet home.

Box of Amazing Stuff!!!

At the auction, sometimes there are things that no one wants. This past auction there was a lump of leftovers.... and I was told that I could have this old box that was full of vintage fabric (yay!). I finally got around to bringing the box to school today and we unpacked it- discovered that it was full of treasures!

Included: quite a few sections of nice vintage fabric, the yo-yo spread (pictured) it only needs 3 small connections- looks like it fits a double bed, quite nice.... the apron Ariel is modeling (I let her have it- it was *tiny*) a nice section of heavy white satin (Neena claimed that), old tea towels partially embroidered with "it's an art", stencils, fabric treatment paint, glitter, stickers, nice scrapbooking collage paper, a random sea bean and a wooden paddle shaped like a hand and inscribed " To Mrs. Brown from Reggie J." I'm guessing Reggie J. was not exactly a model student. I'm thinking I'm going to repaint one side of the paddle (it has a rocking horse decal on it), save the original inscription and turn this into my hall pass. Cool stuff- useful, amusing, artsycraftsy- Christmas come to visit all over again. I'll take an abandoned box o'stuff anyday!

Treats!

The manz always knows how to make my day better. Even though he was feeling awful, he made breakfast this morning (yum!) and my lunch...tucked in a surprise of black jellybeans.

I love black jellybeans best of all....few people do (the manz, Melissa, Barbie, Daddy) but they have such a nice bite to the sweetness. Overall, I'm more of a fan of the old-school spicy jellybeans- licorice, vanilla (Mum's favorite), cinnamon, clove, mint, lemon- than the flat tasting cheapy fruit kind. The good fruity kind is nice- starburst and the like- but Grendel eats all of those. I do like Jelly Belly's (especially popcorn, sweet tea, coffee) and even some of the Harry Potter kind (grass and dirt are my favorites! go figure~)

Jellybeans are one of those things that lurk around all year, but are best eaten in the spring. A seasonal (fruit? vegetable? seed?) they form in colorful plastic eggs that hatch into sugary goodness. The proper way to eat the jellybean is to nibble off the outside (you do this by putting the whole thing in your mouth, otherwise your hands turn jelly-bean color) and then enjoy the squisky middle. mmmmm..... of course the black jellybeans turn your lips, tongue, teeth a lovely shade of zombie-gray.

Right now the sky is zombie gray and it is pelting down sklish- which is kinda thick slushy rain that is not quite ice, but wants to be. It's cold, I have class tonight, and all I can think about is hot tea and garlic bread. I could live on that sometimes.

Mad March Hare!

Hellos all- I must explain my absence for the past few weeks. It was the end of winter, and I was bogged down in the sticky mud of Feburary- everything here has been brown and grey and covered in mud, cold... normally things that I am ok with, but with the combination of stress (work work work) and the cutting down of the little woods across from our house (to build a waste water pump station) I got kinda down in the doldrums. Nothing bad, just to the point where I was just mono-focused, feeling like nothing was being accomplished by me... tired, cold, wanting to just rest and eat and sleep. Which gets nothing much done, except adding to the bleah attitude- a self defeating cycle.

But sometimes those times of backwash are needed- I just hermited away (sorry I haven't been more social) and let the manz take care of me (he takes excellent care) and pushed along. Work. School. Pepper's Wedding- grendel came home for it, and it was beautiful- but I was feeling kinda blue, with the boys growing up and all. Charles is down with a horrid cold, then on Sunday- minutes before taking Grendel to Raleigh- the computer (Sophia) broke. Just refused to turn on- supposed she is having her time of doldrums as well.

But last night there was a rabbit moon- a beautiful bright rabbit moon to wish on for the changing of the seasons. Spring always begins for me on March 1, and with a new brightness and hopefulness for moving along. The air is cold still- we may have more snow tomorrow- but the forsythia in the back yard has a few blooms on it, and there is hope.