Sunday, June 28, 2020

sunday's get to know you questions

 
let's chat!

1. If you could be a Muppet, which would you be?
A: cookie monster... can't just eat one it seems


2. Why is a chicken crossing the road in the first place??
A: to avoid answering any silly questions?


3. What's your favorite muscle?
A: all of them that make my hands work


4. Cheerios or Rice Krispies?
A: cherios for sure. First of all they keep babies busy and quiet, my dogs love them, and rice crispies taste like air


5. Is summer ever going to get here?
A: It's been here a while now, with intense heat, storms like our hail storm day before yesterday where I thought our windows would be broken. You have to be hardy to live in Colorado! We've noticed here, the temps don't matter, it's all about the sun... shade cools temps about 10-15 degrees!


6. Have you ever had a utility turned off by mistake or some other reason besides weather or nonpayment?


A:Our power went out in Maryland so often I wrote to the company asking them to do something, their response was "it doesn't go out" then went on to say if it was off less than 10 min that didn't count. What? I had to reset every stinkin' clock and listen to computer back up alarms? It blew out our AC capacitor many times... 

Just saying something doesn't make it so... 

7. What was your "last day" of something?
A: each time I left a job the last day was a pure joy! It's good to start a job, and for me a joy to leave them each time!

The last day I lived in Canada was very sad and I hated to leave. Last days... sometimes you don't know what they mean til the next day... your new normal begins and you choose look back or forward...

8. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose?
A:Easy! Gilmore Girls... I'd be Lorelei's best friend next to Sukie, sit at Lukes all day, and crack wise with Kirk. 

Or
Seinfeld... yes... I can keep up with quirky with the best of them

9. Did you have any type of class trip, band trip, etc in high school? Where did you go, what did you do?
A:Our band traveled from Florida to Washington DC to march in the Cherry blossom parade. It was wonderful... very little adult intervention with a group of teens exploring... a long train ride and eating in restaurants, staying in hotels. Lovely. We had to sell a lot of stuff to make the money to go, candy bars, wrapping paper, fertilizer!!! door to door, like little band beggars. 


10. Do your feet smell?
A: of course not, a lady's feet NEVER smell


11. Do you know how to french braid?
A: of course, a lady always knows how to french braid hair


12. Two guys are walking down the street. One drops his hat and reaches down to pick it up, the other kicks him in the ass. Do you laugh?
one laughs at surprise endings... at least a bark of laughter, then you pull your decent self back together and say, how dreadful!


13. You wake up one morning and dogs are meowing and cats are barking - what are fish, elephants and crocodiles doing?
A: where the heck did I fall asleep? The zoo? 


14. You are going to your high school reunion. What award are you going to win?
A: they probably wouldn't remember me enough to award me for anything! 

The one most likely never to go to a high school reunion probably!

15. You find yourself stranded on a deserted island. Soon you find a laptop with a lifelong battery & internet connection, then you find a cave with an endless supply of food and a spring of fresh water. A cruise ship comes along to save you - do you get on it?
A: no way! Too much chance of corona virus on ships!


16. How many shortcuts do you have on your desktop?
one too many


17. I offer you a pie... the most delicious pie you have ever seen. You either have to eat the entire thing in one sitting or allow me to slam it into your face, which do you choose?
A:oink... eat it, I hate wasting a sweetie!


18. Are you a pen stealer?
A:apparently. 

I find random pens all over the house... hey... it could be the work of my dh

19. A dude from China comes up and offers you German chocolate cake, French fries and a Boston cream pie... what color is your car?
A: I never figured that out... the official color is sage green, but it's that obscure silvery non color of most cars and old.


20. Sometimes you just have to tap your foot to your favorite song - which tv series season finale are you watching?

A: I would sing the theme from Parenthood for days after seeing it each week, and still love  the words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11hBvTO4jUo

Linking to
https://sundaystealing.blogspot.com/
all seasons

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Saturday 9 more get to know you questions!

 
my latest mandala

Saturday 9: Beautiful People (2019)
this week's questions are from the above link party

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.






1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have?
A: to me the song was about being okay with not fitting into an alleged popular group...
...but I have envied people, not pretty but honest. Mostly I envy people without so many chronic invisible physical issues, since they limit me so much. People never seem to understand and get frustrated with me because they can't see the spinal problems, the chemical allergies, the pains and instability of joints that I guard against and deal with daily. I envy people who have loving families and belong with them. I was adopted into a family that is rejecting. For example:
my own family doesn't understand my food allergies and wants me to just eat whatever they do.
 

2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because they're "just ourselves." Who among your close friends do you find it easiest to be "just yourself?"
A:  Oh thank you for this! A chance to remember the good... I have a small number of people who like that I feel and think deeply, they accept me, I can express the positives and negatives of life... and know they hear me, and love me. To be a good friend you have to be trustworthy with those things, I have to trust that you see me and won't judge me. Humor and intelligence are present in those few as well. 
We can start each conversation from a base of understanding. For me it's all about the trust and equality of sharing.
When I have to pretend to only be happy with people, it drains me. 
I enjoy honesty and depth... so if you have that and a wicked sense of humor, sit near me!!



3) The lyrics refer to Hummers and Lamborghinis. What's your dream ride?

A: a private jet with pilot, or a Bentley with driver. My dream ride is not to have to drive it. Or an elephant that is willing to carry me... a true dream ride is being light enough for my husband to pick up...( bwaahahahahaha that ship sailed)

4) Ed believes in giving back. One cause he supports is No Cold Homes, which helps ensure that everyone in the English city of Bristol has the fuel needed to keep their homes safe and comfortable. Here in the United States, he's raised funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Is there a cause that's near and dear to your heart?
A: We support the ACLU and human rights, and animal rights organizations

5) Ed's arms are covered in tattoos, so clearly he doesn't suffer from trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. How about you? Do you look away when the doctor gives you a shot?
A: heck yeah! ewwww. 


6) One of Ed's tattoos is a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. What condiments would we find if we peeked into your refrigerator this morning?

A: bbq sauce, organic ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, hot pepper jelly, mayo, relish, Heinze 57

7) Ed is a natural redhead, a trait he shares with only 2% of the population. Does red hair run in your family?
A: nope but then I'm adopted who knows what's back there!!!
 
8)  In 2019, when this song was released, the FDA recommended the approval of a drug for treating peanut allergies in children. Do you suffer from any food allergies, or sensitivities?
A: so many! The worst is chemical that cause ocular migraines. Food allergens include egg yolk, corn in any form (starch, syrup, actual corn) soy (found throughout prepared American foods like bread, tea bags, chocolate, dressings, etc) beef, pork. Again, it makes it hard to accept dinner invitations. 
To my family, I didn't choose this affliction, and if I could wave a magic wand and they were gone I'd have done that already. 
Life's hard enough!

9) Random question: What of these do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success -- hard work, luck or talent?


This is not an either/or in my eyes. 
I think many talented people just go undiscovered 
I think many talented people aren't aware of their talents or are beaten down by parents teachers and sometimes the way they look (too brown, too fat, too old) or their self belief that they don't matter
I think some eeejits have a lot of good luck (un justly so) or are in the right place at the right time then begin to think they are "all that" 
So...
Hard work comes first as it can overcome luck and talent in many circumstances
Then talent, as you need to know your abilities and cultivate them, nurture them with practice and learning, not hide them from yourself or others, acknowledge them without bragging since we all have them in some field.
Then luck, the final and sometimes I'll admit the tipping point. 
I'll add in timing here... 

sewing Saturday, I'm in the pink!

Welcome to this week's sewing round-up! The color of the month as RSC is pink, and I love it!
This week I sewed improv, irregular log cabins with all shades of pink, all shades of white
I start with the color in center, then go round and round and round til it's about the same size as all the rest.

No measuring

just fun sewing


using up skinny strips and bits, I kind of want to sew just these blocks together now! I like the shape and setting! What do you think?











I finished the little pinwheel piece this week, all quilted and sequined! It is so pretty on our family room credenza

can you see the silver sequins?
simple quilting
Once that was done, I turned to #3 in the painted pink flower series... the one printed in full color on fabric. I wanted to do an abstract sort of log cabin mix of green and pink
the quilting has begun!

I just sewed til the book on disc ended, then sewed the little blocks together in two rows, trimmed them down to put on two sides of the flower.
before the bits were trimmed and sewn to the flower
I started a new pair of socks for dh, this time in blues... I finished his first pair, made a pair for me out of the leftover yarn, and now the blues are so pretty...

Aside from watching Laura Waisolowski on Bluprint this week, and a how to fix kitting holes video, I have been doing more posts,
Thurs  I Like list
Friday Paint party Fridays
Sat  sewing
Sunday  meme questions that are really fun

I fill in with videos of baby elephants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSn99C3r1eM

LINKING TO
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays  
https://www.shabbyartboutique.com/
wendysquiltsandmore peacock party (quilts)
http://frombolttobeauty.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.inquiringquilter.com/ Wednesday wait loss
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
Pink Saturday!
 scrap happy Saturdays











Friday, June 26, 2020

Paint Party Friday

Ahhhh watching paint dry...
I was inspired by a recent video set in France, of their fields of flowers, and by my own yard of flowers
to paint this.
I used KOI paints, my wide flat brush dragged across green and blue at the same stroke, to lightly color the background.

then in with two shades of yellow, the green fineliner pen, and Posca white pen.









I keep paints and paper near the computer so when I'm jazzed with an idea, it's all there.
It's not often I love my paintings but I love this one in person, the photo doesn't do it justice!
I decided after doing the latest mandala with my more intense paints, that I might just prefer the KOI that other people say is powdery.
I like them.

continuing with my mandala series, which really is about the process more than the finished product, I mixed some of the more intense colors, blue and cherry red, to make purple, loaded the flat brush and started with that outer ring.
It's more intense in person too. I turn turn turn the painting as I add details, I removed paint with the flat brush blurring edges, I added detail with the brush tip marker Pitt artist pen. I feel out of control using that one, as it lays down an uneven thick line. The last thing added was the very center dots!

I host a blog party on thursdays for people doing lists of things they liked that week, and the inspiration for a cardinal was from Canadian Needle Nana's post. I did a sketch with pencil first
then started putting in a purple gray I mixed not my fave Paines grey, as shadows
then began daubing on color... gold, orange, red, brown green... all mixed slightly before putting them on. The blue kind of melded with the red but it's under the wing.
My husband looked and said, "awe, he looks sad" when I showed him Jocelyn's photo he said, hmmmm maybe cardinals look sad, he is just like the photo!"
It's a small piece, I'm more comfortable doing small works at the moment, but I just love him! I went back and looked again at the photo to see the differences, and my bird's head is tilted differently, but I like it!
So three small works for the week... not bad, it's good to watch paint dry

LINKING TO
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 25, 2020

I Like Thursday #199

I like robins!
Welcome to this week's list of likes! Remember if you do a post, just tell me in comments!

1. I like growing things...I hate to waste food, and we had a tomato on the counter that went fast... I sliced it and planted it in the empty raised bed. Our growing season is short, so I doubt it will make tomatoes for us this year, but I will be able to watch it grow.
Like wise, like the beans in "into the woods" I saved and dried from last year's meager crop, I sprouted them in water and planted them in the other raised bed container. We put in the cut stump of our lettuce too after a few days of sitting in water and it's making lettuce for us!
... I like to see things growing in a garden.
I also like the idea that I was the one to touch them if it comes to a harvest and I hope it does.

2.I only painted a few pictures this week.

KOI paints, pens, brushes, imagination!
They don't all work out, but I love this one... more tomorrow on paint party Friday

3.I am listening to a book on disc in studio as I sew on pink scraps...  by Tasha Alexander and it's quite well written and read out loud.
 A woman in turn of last century in Greece solves a mystery about her deceased husband.


4.I watched a video on blueprint, Jennifer Raymond,  on fixing holes in hand knitted items, pretty good, give it a 6/10 for clarity of image, but she never told me how to repair a hole in older (sort of felted edges) socks. Still she was better than most tutorials I've seen.

5.I watched a class on blueprint by Laura Waisolowski on fusing, and I've done a lot of fusing but she does it slightly differently than I do, and I know her so it's fun to see her again. She fuses big pieces of fabric first, and uses the transfer paper with ink line of the piece to mark where to cut.

6.The grocery stores are empty here again, but dh found one loaf of buns and they were good, and scored one tube of ground turkey (no ground chicken or sausage or other poultry) no lasagna noodles. I wanted to make lasagna again, so I'm substituting bowtie pasta they had, using the turkey to make a bolognaise tomato sauce, layering best I can ricotta cheese, meat sauce, pasta, mozzarella to bake. I might put in some seasoned panko bread crumbs to sort of try to meld it.

7.I liked joining some questionnaire blog hops this week , one on Sunday and one on Tuesday. It's like going to a social and chatting with friends... see post here

8.Our pool reopened in the 'hood... grrrr..... and there's nothing to like about that...
( not on your life would I enter that petri dish!!)
but one day I saw a mom and two girls headed for it... wearing masks! Yea! So far in a 'hood of 1000 homes, I've only seen 5 other people wearing masks in the last 3 months, the rest blissfully spreading their germs as they walk/'run/bike by.
I can't express how good it was to see another human actually wearing one!
(BTW, some hairdressers who were working on lots of people's hair, came down with the virus and because they were wearing masks, the people they worked on didn't get it.... yet....)

9.I liked the zoom meeting with my fellow I Like posters last weekend. There were only 5 of us this time but we had a nice communion of spirit between us. This kind of sharing will get us through the general insecurity of our times

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sib-U2Np7G8

this is the best video I've seen on unusual embroidery stitches...I had to fight blogger to embed the youtube video, OMG I am so frustrated with the changes in blogger! 

11.This video explains how animals communicate, and that they are very in tune with humans, we're not quite as tuned in...it starts and ends with a cat who visits the grave daily of his long time human friend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgccOPOfB1M

I liked this quote in the video by an anthropologist:
Man is not the only animal that thinks... but he is the only one that thinks he's not an animal" Pascal Pique

12. I took this personality test and it was fascinating! It's kind of like the Myers-Briggs but the results were very informative, so much so that I thought... there must be other people out there like me!!!
I'm an enfp on Myers briggs and this too, but this went into detail about why I fell like I do.
On this test I'm the Campaigner
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

13.This was kind of funny...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZMJdhe4xhQ

Milo's Moments
poor octopus getting surgery!

Heyyyyy give that back Mama! No fair you get to play with my toy and I can't!
Mama: I'm just repairing it Milo

Milo: you're undoing all of my work!!!
Mama: wouldn't it be nicer to have a toy to play with, instead of eating it? It's not an animal
Milo: you're right about that, it doesn't have much flavor but it's filling!
Mama: that's because you're eating fluff

Milo:  It's fun to tear up toys! That's how I play!
Mama: I don't get it, you're so happy to get a new toy and tear it right up!
Milo: think of it like this mama, you go shoppy-shop to buy fabric, then tear it up into little pieces!
Mama: but I make something with them!

Milo: details, details... just think of it this way, "it's a dog thing" "you wouldn't understand"

Mama: There! Finished! All sewn up and ready to play with
Milo: fine! The next sound you hear will be R IIIII P!
S I G H.... let's just go outside now

Editor's note: currently it is a Tri-o-pus instead of an octopus if you get my drift

Please visit these people keeping their own I Like Lists this week
craftscaviescontras
  https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
http://littlepenguinquilts 
http://homesewnbyus

https://www.mmmquilts.com/  
https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
  maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com 

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com  
 
http://daybyday12101.blogspot.com/
https://lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com/  
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/   
https://quiltschmilt.wordpress.com/ 
https://100sweets.blogspot.com/ 


part of the group but might not be posting today:
http://www.piecefulthoughts.com
https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/  
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/ 
  https://www.justletmequilt.com/


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

a set of summertime questions to answer


















1. What activities did you enjoy as a kid in the summer?
being free not to go to school was heaven. I used to pack a lunch in my metal lunchbox, with thermos of koolaid, get a blanket and some paints and go outside to play. I'd ride my bike all day, ride down to the library or pool about a mile away, play inside with my barbies when it got too hot, on Saturdays I'd go downtown with the mother to get her hair done, and eat at the local drive in burger joint. I took classes once I started high school, like typing and driver's ed.

2. Did you go on vacations? Where did you go?
We had property in Maggie Valley NC and went there for most of the summers. I picked blackberries on the side of the road, walked a lot, played in the cold creek, had tea at a local Japanese tea house sitting on the floor, went into Waynesville to the 5&Dime for comic books each week and read those outside. I put together puzzles, and imagined what it would have been like  a couple hundred years earlier.
Sometimes we went from FL to GA to father's family reunions, and it was fun to stay in hotels
We rarely stayed at the beach but it was nearby

3.Do you have a favorite summer time dinner? Share it with us please?
you've reminded me of our family dinners of real home made fried chicken, mac and cheese from scratch, potato salad, strawberry shortcakes. Our family went to the fields in summer to harvest our own vegetables to can later, beans to shell while watching TV. Back in MD we went to a take out diner for enormous Greek Salads with chicken... a very good summer dinner.

4.How often do you sit outside and enjoy an iced tea or coffee?
I try to do it daily but have really REALLY obnoxious neighbors on all sides that take up more than their share of space, have big smoky fires, are having parties during the pandemic, drive such loud cars they vibrate our whole house. I don't go out as much as I'd like.
I have very fond memories of spending entire spring and summers on our screened porch in MD... I would get a drink, a pad of paper and pen, the poodle and go out to write stories. Seeing my fountain full of birds taking baths, the ferns waving, and oak trees was like balm to my spirit.

How about all of you?

This was from the link party: https://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Getting to know you



I think these are the hardest questions so far, they are like "this is your life" questions. These would be Actor's studio questions if we were on TV. Or Barbara Walters questions.

1. If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why?
A: OMG it's hard enough to walk in my own shoes...and while I'd like to be in charge of the country for one day at least, I'd say instead maybe, Oprah. She has lovely homes, nice friends, lots of money with which to have your needs met, great dogs, power to help others, people around her that like her, influence on others, and a chef.
 
2. Which celebrity gets on your nerves the most, and why?
A: people that are famous for being famous, and throw their names around make me sick. I used to think of how much money athletes made, and how little I made as a social worker putting my life in danger daily trying to keep kids alive... well...any Kardashian annoys me.
I stopped watching Dancing with the stars which had been a favorite show, when they put "Lying Spice" on as if he was a celebrity. A person who lied to the American public for power and money. I do not appreciate a lack of integrity on anyone's part. 

 
3. If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it?
A:I would only put things in that I wanted to remember... nothing about the pandemic or American horror story of today. 
my obsolete IPAD as doing things online is essential now, a copy of my first year's blog posts in book form, a paint brush, a worn out pair of contra dance shoes,  my latest quilt, "life is messy", a bit of toilet paper, a pnoto of our wee family of three (husband poodle and I)  a flamingo, cow, and elephant as they make me happy, a fountain pen, and something with glitter on it, so glitter will get on everything!
 
4. What is your saddest memory?
the day I had to take my dogs to a vet to say goodbye, tie for that... my lab had osteosarcoma and was tired, and I think wanted to go. I mourn her still as I didn't feel it was right to make that decision about my best friend. 
Then Cole our standard poodle had anal gland cancer, there was no treatment and we'd been giving him pain meds all the time. When he begun to bleed all the time, the vet virtually begged us to let him go. He didn't want to, he fought the shots, we were so bonded and looked into each other's eyes as he passed. I still can't stand to remember his eyes going blank, and having to be the one to make that decision.
 
5. Would you rather be in your pajamas or a suit all day?
A: I've done both, and like doing both. Reluctantly I choose the suit as it means I'm doing important work. No! I choose pj's as it means I can choose what to do that day.

Now if you'd have asked what I like to wear, it is comfort clothes. I am an artist so they are unique and unusual but stretchy and comfy. And barefoot in the house! 
The image is a quilt I made showing me in a suit as a social worker, and me in pj's as an artist.
 
6. What’s the strangest place you’ve ever gone potty?
A: well... as a young 20 something, we used to put on our glad rags, high heels, and feather boas and visit Ybor City in Tampa. It was the place of the artists, musicians, and gay people. We often went dancing in a gay bar, and watched drag shows, and in the ladies room were always male performers, and it was okay. I mean we could close the little doors for privacy then all put on our lipstick together! (my mother would have thrown a fit)
 
7. How old were you went you had your first kiss?
A: 6. First grade. Ricky Puleo and I at the fence in the playground shared our first kisses and loved each other. After that year, girls and boys didn't like each other til about 6th grade. Funny but I can't remember the first real romantic kiss... I remember many kisses though, most really nice. So weird I can't remember an official first date although I went on so many dates in my long single life, but it was high school. I do remember a fellow band member, also a church friend, who gave me a lot of practice... we both learned from each other. 
 
8. Do you have any strange or unique phobias?
A: how much time do you have??
if I forget something and have to unlock the door to go back in the house for it, I have to sit or it's bad luck. When I was single and young, we believed if you put your hands on the car ceiling while going over railroad tracks, and lifted your feet, you'd find love. I have so many fears, doctors heading the list, or they were til 3 years ago when a new fear took stage. 
 
9. If you could bring back one toy from your childhood, what would it be?
A: lite brite for sure... and I had a cool pedal surrey that carried three other kids with me. I also loved a toy that melted crayons onto your paper. Yep, no seat belts, and playing with hot wand toys. Parents used to pack us a lunch, hand it to us as we were pushed out the front door, and told to be home before dark. We were resilient. 
 
10. If you could be any Disney villain, which would you be?
A: cruella de Vil has cool hair, the Queen of Hearts had great make up and a fun dress, funny but I can't really remember the villains. 
 
11. If your life was a novel, what would the title be.
A: This is the hardest yet... can we ask who'd play us? (Judy Garland) or the Genre (absurdist) ? 
" Well, she tried....maybe the next life..."
 
12. What do you need more of in your life?
A: peace, security, belonging

13. What are your top 3 quotes?
A: Time flies whether you're having fun or not
B:"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
c: do unto others as you would have them do unto you

14. What do you want people to remember about you?
A: She was so smart and funny, and talented! Why she could just about do anything!
she cared... about nature, people, the earth, our purpose here, and meaning of it all. 
She made a difference. 
 
15. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made? 
A: really? that's how we want to end? I'm guilty of regrets and thinking too much about what I should have done, but trying not to do that any more. Now I realize I am a good person who tries to do and say the right things, a person who does not ever want to cause another person pain. I make choices, and each one has consequences, and I cope with those.  

Linking with