Morning Glory Studio

july 4th memories...

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt takes us on a trip down memory lane. My childhood Fourth of July celebration memories and favorites were generally spent in Muskegon, MI. On the Fourth,

1. We ate hot dogs and ice cream bars - back in the days of my childhood, they were a real treat...

2. Spent the day on the beach...

Oftentimes it was right chilly; in fact, I vaguely recall snow flurries one July 4; really!

3. Lit sparklers ... it was always fun to watch them sparkle...

4. Watched parades, though I must admit they are a vague memory.

Fast forward to my adult years...

5. I've spent a goodly portion of my adult life in Washington DC and each year, I watch fireworks on the National Mall in Washington DC on tv - it's actually the best seat in the house and generally much cooler...occasionally I have gone  the Mall to see the fireworks...

6. In 1976, on our country's 200th anniversary, we spent all day (from very early ~ had to in order to get a spot) on the Virginia side of the Potomac. The day was absolutely perfect: weather-wise and company wise and though every square inch of ground was covered with people, I remember how civil and relaxed everyone was...

7. In addition to the fireworks and the general ambience of the day, we were treated with a very close look at the under-belly of a Concorde (at the time, the plane was a marvel) as it was coming in for a landing at National airport. That was a sight to behold...

8.Another memory I have involves a very rainy July 4...we played monopoly most of the day.

9. On some holidays, I've been on travel, visiting friends and family on the west coast and/or attending American Library Association conferences in various cities around the country...

10. This July 4 I'm creating a new memory: attending a week-long quilting extravaganza and classes in Sisters, OR...I can't wait!

Have a safe and fun-filled day celebrating our nation's 235th birthday!

Cheers~

 

 

bloom...

Honoré here: Remember this from last week's post?

Well, this is what it looks like today...

Beautiful! And it looks like there are five more days of beauty in store. Hooray!

reading matters...

Honoré here:  A lot of what I read is inspired and motivated by my  interests du jour: art journaling, knitting, quilting, scrapbooking and/or are relevant to what I'm doing, like the online proposal-writing course I teach (and is currently in its last week)  with the local community college.

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt is on reading, especially books you would recommend to others. Carole shares what looks like a great list of fiction titles.  Since I'm not much of a fiction* reader, I'm going to share what's in my current reading stack and why:

1. Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows - this is becoming a big help as I work towards accomplishing photo freedom...
2. Two books by Henriette Anne Klauser: Write It Down, Make it Happen and Writing on Both Sides of the Brain - both are in my personal library, were recommended by a scrapbooker, so I thought I'd re-read...
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and Packing for Mars by Mary Roach and Lisa Scottoline's Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog . (Recently, along with two colleagues in Delaware, I facilitated a two-day training session introducing a  different kind of library book group, one that is adaptable to a variety of age and interest groups.  I culled these titles from that training.)
4. Browsing blogs, magazines, bookstores and the public library - both online and brick & mortar - are great sources for reading matter. From these, I've added Do More Great Work by Bungay Stanier and Jon Gordon's The Seed  (a bit outside my usual reading).
5. Journaling is a nearly daily MSQT activity with me. One of my OLW goals is to  incorporate more visuals in my journals. In the stack are several new magazines (Create With Me - aimed at adults creating art with children - and Art Journaling) on art journaling plus a new book (just received yeaterday) Artist's Journal Workshop by Cathy Johnson.

For years, my normal, reading [comfort] zone has been non-fiction. Another OLW goal is to read more fiction. *I'm not really sure what type of fiction I want to pursue. The last major fiction title I read was Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterman. I loved that book and I sortof concluded that it was so beautifully done that I'd never find another quite like it. So, if you have any suggestions, know that I'm willing to try.  What's in your reading stack?

Cheers~

 

 

my dad and the steeple...

Honoré here: On my walk earlier last week, I took a photo of this...

Everytime I see a steeple I am reminded of my dad, Joseph L. Francois...

(The above article appeared in the Community  Orbit, the then newspapaer of the Economic Opportunity Planning Assn. of Greater Toledo, Inc., in Jan 1970.)

...for this:  About two years after my father retired, one morning he drove  my mother and me  to work (we both worked for the public library and had a meeting that day). On our route, we passed a church with a brand new steeple. To which my father said: "See that steeple on that church? I just finished building it."

My mother and I were speechless (only momentarily) and incredulous...not because we didn't think or know he could build a steeple - my dad could do almost anything when it came to building, among other things ... but  moreso  because he was about 72 years old! What was he doing building a steeple at that age?! And I'm sure you can imagine that we peppered him with a litany of other questions.

Whenever I see a church steeple, I am reminded of my dad. The memories are great and I can't think of a better way to be uplifted.

Happy Father's Day to all dads!

Cheers~

photo freedom...

Honoré here: In 2006, Stacy Julian, founder of Big Picture Classes (then it was Big Picture Scrapbooking), offered a 10-12 week online course on  organizing one's photo collection. I (along with  my friend Kathy), was one of those who took the class and have signed on as an alum in every class offered, since. I am doing so again this year. 

When I first took the class, I lamented (as Kathy, I'm sure can attest) that I just didn't have any photos to organize: neither the old-fashioned kind or digital. That's not exactly true - I did have a smattering of each but certainly not enough, or so I thought. Nevertheless, I was determined (perhaps hopeful is a better word) to organize the photos I did have and set up a system I could trust, using Stacy's course as my North Star. I did not set up said system (she  whispers).

Fast forward to today: 17 June 2011. Oh by gosh by golly, according to my Photoshop Elements 8 Organizer I now have 6579 items, dated Feb 2006 -June 2011. And most of those photos have been acquired since I retired the end of January 2010. Many have appeared on this blog or my other, OurTrivista, that Kathy, Laura and I share, and I've also had many printed. But I still have a lot of photos to review, purge, and organize. You think?

I've spent the better part of this afternoon trying to get my head wrapped around this daunting yet exciting task...and making sure I understand the ins and outs of Photoshop Elements 8. This project/activity falls under the goal number 5 I wrote about here several days ago: "create and implement a plan for tackling long-term projects." Obviously, if I am to accomplish the goal of attaining Photo Freedom (the name of Stacy's course this year), I'll need to tackle this project slowly and deliberately. And obviously I can't rely on the excuse that I don't have any photos.Not anymore.

This is a photo I took of me in May 2009... along with 17 other versions. There are a lot of these kinds of photos: snap, snap snap of the same subject. Obviously, I won't need all  - if any -versions...

(I think it's interesting that I got the  t-shirt I'm wearing from the Creating Keepsakes scrapbook magazine booth at a scrapping expo I attended in 2007.)

I best get back to my project but before I do, I think I'll take a walk. I think it'll help.

Cheers~

PS. And I'm leaving all cameras at home.

40 minutes...

Honoré here: I had recently read in one of those newsletters I receive periodically from an annuity insurance company that a 40 minute walk, unplanned with no destination and no other purpose (e.g., power walking) than to walk and stretch muscles was good for  brain health. These seemingly aimless, meandering walks encourage and facilitate new connections in the brain..keeps those synapses strong and healthy.

Yesterday was another  rare June day (and today, too!). Since I had a few next actions to accomplish, I decided to take an extra long walk - 40 + minutes  - early in the morning. Armed with just my iPhone, I set out and walked easily an hour, portal to portal... not knowing where my path would take me and not caring...

On my route I saw clumps and clumps of day lilies...

Seems I'm seeing those everywhere but in my yard.

I foget how hilly Washington DC is until I see a staircase such as this... 

or I find myself facing an uphill climb...

When I got home, I checked to see how my day lilies are thriving. They are late bloomers and some have bitten the dust when the lawn got mowed...oh, it looks like there is a bud about to bloom...

Energized, I had a really productive day and as a treat, decided to buy a geranium for the front porch. I think it  looks right at home and the pot serves as a handy flag pole in honor of Flag Day.

Since it's such lovely day, think I'll  go for another brain healthy walk. I encourage you to try it and I guarantee you'll like it!

 

Cheers~

Honoré here: Today we're having another one of those rare June days. What a treat! Especially after record-breaking heat (102 degrees) last week. And here is another treat from Camp Sherman, Oregon.

As we (my friend Linda and I ) were leaving Sisters after our 10 day quilting retreat/stay, we drove to Camp Sherman, approximately a fifteen-minute drive. The day was just as lovely as this photo depicts and to add to our fun:

a pair of old-fashined and working gas pumps (too bad the price per gallon didn't match the era)...

and this wonderful bear, outside a general store and post office, next door...

...if you look closely, you can see Linda's image in the photo, too.

And now I must scoot...gotta get ready for my quilt guild's annual picnic (indoors, unfortunately). Enjoy your day.

Cheers~

ten on twelve...

Honoré here: The folks who particpated in Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers class decided to share their take on ten things on the tenth of  each the month, starting this month. Obviously, I missed the debut post since today is the twelfth of June but I decided it's never too late to join in on the fun...plus, I didn't get my One Little Word  Friday update posted this week, either.

Anyway, back to my ten things on the 12th (we'll pretend it's the 10th). Our May OLW prompt was all about documenting our goals for these last six months of the year. My goals are:

1. move more, especially walk
2. eat more healthfully ~ primarily more salads and veggies
3. resume my weekly review so I can make more deliberate progress on my goals
4. determine and take the next action on my various and sundry projects
5. create and implement a plan for tackling long-term projects, such as decluttering
6. broaden my reading selections ~get back into fiction
7. incorporate more visuals in my journals
8. document movement towards accomplishing these goals
9. have fun and
10. express gratitude...

...this is a photo of sunrise in Sisters, OR. I am so grateful that I've found this place. I left my heart there and soon, I shall return for another lovely week.

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




cool, clear water...

...don't you just want to dip your toes in?

Stay cool~

inspiration...

Honoré here:  This morning, sitting here in my studio, I am inspired by my surroundings: the morning light and the shadows it creates; a cool breeze - soon to become a memory (forecast: H-O-T, 100+ heat index; high humidity - ugh); my many projects, in various stages of beginning and ending; the colors of fabrics, papers, pens and inks, pictures, my pc monitor and all those knicky-knacky things that have spoken to me over time. They, in and of themselves, are of no historical or rare value but they are sortof like comfort food (Kayla thinks they are pretty cool and fun, too).

 Ideas and inspiration come to me from all sorts of sources:

1. books, magazines and blogs I read 
2. walks I take
3. my friends (and even strangers)
4. Mother Nature
5. family
6. color
7. photos
8. other people's creativity shared via exhibits, concerts, events, travel
9. my own memories and experiences

I wrote on my OLW April note to myself: "you're thinking you need to be better organized, more focused and deliberate, discerning about what you put on your plate"...I often describe myself as a magnet, attracted to too many ideas. Indeed, I've written on more than one occasion including on this blog, about my many ideas, projects and assorted other inspirations.

No doubt I could just tell myself NO and/or exercise more won't power - I won't take on another project; I won't sign up for another online class; I won't  buy or borrow this new quilting or knitting or art journaling  book or magazine; I won't jot down this idea for a life memory to document; I won't go down this reading/learning path; I won't...

But yet, I know that I will continue to be inspired and collect ideas.  And here comes the good part: I am OK with that. I can no more stop being inspired than I can stop the night turning into day. All of these ideas and inspirations are one source of my focus this year on my one little word: accomplish. Some I will and some I won't...and that is OK too!

Today, my inspiration comes from this photo of Oregon's Mt. Hood, taken May 1, 2011, on my way to Sisters, OR. About a foot of snow had fallen the week before. Not that I'm wishing for any snow or even temperatures conducive to snow...just sayin' I'm tryin' to stay cool (without turning on the A/C; we'll see how long that lasts)...

What are your sources of inspiration and how do you stay cool ?

Cheers~