Morning Glory Studio

3 on Thursday | 9 november 2017

 

 

 

 Three  furry  friends joined today's weekly Thursday stitch-in. Five of us gathered and had a lovely three hours , starting with  a delicious brunch featuring three delicious salads, homemade biscuits and a delicious Cinnamon Apple Cake:

Recipe: 1 box yellow cake mix; 1 can apple pie filling; 3 eggs; cinnamon sugar in middle and on top. Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes. Easy to freeze. 

It's so good I don't think one would have any left to freeze but maybe make two: one to eat and one to savor...

Two tickets to a concert tonight ...Norman and I are attending ...the concert, one of many performances presented by The Clarice, features a saxophone artist and is being held in a new venue on the U MD campus ....it is both a restaurant and craft bar...promises to be different and interesting...more tomorrow!

 

One more Top This hat approximately 2/3rds done! And speaking of hats: I  am, along with hundreds of  thousands of voters, especially women, ecstatic with Tuesday's election results...so unlike this time last year! Not only were there big winnings and women who won seats in their local governments, I am so impressed with the statistics that show We WOMEN voted! And in celebration I am going to wear my Women's March pink hat to tonight's concert! It's certainly going to be cold enough and the hat keeps me warm. Go Women Go!

I am joining Carole and others with this post. What are 3 things on your list? 

Cheers~

weekending...

 

 

 unwinding after a busy weekend, much it seems, spent driving to and fro Columbia MD both Sat and Sun...about an 80 miles roundtrip, each day...

sipping my favorite beverage: two teas -  a green and Teavana peach tranquility, spiked with peach syrup - yum...

feeling full after a delightful afternoon spent with my Sunday friendstitchers, meeting a special friend from Canada and

enjoying a delicious meal of lasagna, ziti, salad and to die-for lemon cheesecake...

reviewing my notes - on paper and in my mind -  from last night's second Women's March Huddle session. One thing we are doing is writing post cards to elected representatives and the White House; the ones to the White House clearly say: (NOT a Paid Protester) ... and I plan to do one thing everyday, e.g., call an elected representative (House and Senate) to express my concerns. The March 6 issue of PEOPLE magazine has a list of all current voting members of the U.S . House and Senate.  There are also some issues that I want to better understand, such as the school voucher program, so I'll be doing some research... We agreed: we've a lot to learn and we're in this for the long haul...so, We decided to meet again in two weeks - to share our experiences and any ideas, information, inspiration...

hearing a movie on tv that Norman is watching...and the rhythmic tick, tick of the clock...

thinking I am tired ! not a surprise considering the traveling over the past 24 hours coupled with the change over to daylight savings time sooo... 

signing off 'til tomorrow...we're supposedly on tap for a bit o' snow - 2+ inches -  starting early Monday evening.

Cheers~

 

 

 

watercolor wednesday | a pink hat ...

 

Today was bright and sunny. Norman had a doctor's appointment this morning. Once we arrived home, we ate lunch  and caught up on the day's events. Afterwards, we both took a walk. 

I've worn my red shirt and pink hat all day;  tho' the temp was in the low 60s and the day, sunny, there was just enough breeze that my pink hat came in handy and  provided the right amount of warmth.

I haven't heard a roundup yet of the day's events; I do know that many area school systems and restaurants closed. It's about time for the 6 PM news so I think I'll tune in...and maybe turn in early tonight...I'm yawning an awful lot. In fact, I just dozed off for a few minutes. That settles that - early to bed for sure tonight! Off to see the news!

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

memos, mail, me | milestone ...

 

 

 

Today  this post marks My 1000th !!! since I started with this blog on 2009 September 9 to be exact. And I think it must be serendipity that I'd post this milestone on a Memos, Mail Me Monday. In addition to being the number one-thousandth post, this is also the 126th consecutive day that I've posted. Even I have to take off my hat for that. I started in November with NaBloPoMo and challenged myself to keep going until I couldn't or didn't. So far, I've been able to stay the course...and there is a sense of exhilaration connected to this feat...some days I rack my brain to come up with a post that is worthy of hitting the "publish" button. I am the first to admit that those days do cause me to stretch a bit, to be at least somewhat interesting and true to my avowed purpose for doing this - not to say and/or chalk up stats - but to capture and/or jumpstart the stories and memories of my life. In the process of writing each post, I get closer and closer to my goal of getting those stories/memories outta my head and written down. 

Each day I aim to write a post of at least 300 words...some days I do and sometimes I don't. I average 270 words for the most part. Last week, my average was 253 words...But more than the word count, I am aiming to not only share bits -n-pieces of my daily life but also the ideas, information and experiences that I have that make me who I am. When I first started this blog - and this wasn't my first - I didn't want to just write about my life's daily activities. I wanted to document my creative adventures and stories and experiences. Perhaps I've done that.  I hope that I am also culling valuable information from this experience and others as I travel along the road of life. Along with these experiences (one that I had not anticipated), the best  has been the opportunity to connect to many wonderful other people around the globe. Thank you for joining me! And sharing, weighing-in, supporting and caring. 

Mail this past week has been interesting:

I used my Amazon Prime same day delivery $10 off coupon and ordered a new can opener - we were using a manual one with limited success - and a set of Tombow Dual Brush watercolor pens. We've yet to use the can opener - I need to read the instructions through - but the pens are nice...I may use some of my rewards points and buy the 192 pens set...waaay down the road.

Cosi's mom sent me a kit to make fabric postcards for the Sisters OR 2017 annual outdoor quilt show. The cards are sold July 3-8. Proceeds are donated to Sisters' High School students pursuing higher degrees in the visual arts. The minute I opened my kit, - I have enough pieces of fabric to make 7 - I saw a postcard in the making: My mind saw the juxtaposiiton of the butterfly -on a note card waiting to be written - and the black/white fabric...Now to get a few done by April 15.

On Friday, I received the key chain -which I shall proudly use!- from Emily's List 

That sortof wraps up this past week's mail. What surprises did you find in in your post and/or  mailbox? I am joining Sian/From High in the Sky and others again this week...do drop in and visit a bit with them, too.

And  again a BIG thank you for joining me on my travels through blogland and life. 

Cheers~

weekending...

 

 

 

Today has been very quiet...

...watching TCM showings of previous Oscar nominees and winners - this year they're doing a letter of the alphabet a day; today the letter is H; some old; some newer... and this site since I missed the triple play star show Friday night...

...clearing off the flat surfaces in the craft room; aha: room to work...

...catching up on email and blog comments...

...talking to my friend Pat - we hadn't chatted all week; both of us have been kinda lazy this weekend - meaning neither of us has  done any quilt-making or stitching because we each have other irons in the fire: me, yesterday; her, today.

...working with Apple customer service - so.very.good. - because suddenly, the pictures I'd taken with my iPhone stopped transferring to my iMac - yet, photos taken with the iPadPro, were. We were both baffled AND THEN IT OCCURRED to ME: Thursday I'd turned the WiFi on my phone off so I could access the Internet (we'd lost the Internet due to high winds). Perhaps that was the culprit...and by golly, I was right! I turned on the WiFI and voila, the pictures began transferring. Both the customer service rep and I were relieved! Nope, they aren't hiring me ;-))...

(photos of the postcards two of the group brought - we each took several to mail with our own message)

...reading the "minutes/notes " from our first huddle session yesterday. We each chose a topic and did some brainstorming and then shared our thoughts via post-it notes on the walls came up with some good ideas and actions to ponder and or implement; a few FYI: 

• solar power on every roof; 
• decent-pay for jobs—minimum wage at least $20 an hour; 
• continued investment in teacher training; 
• DC has voting rights in Congress; 
• an affordable rational healthcare system that provides preventive and palliative care for all; 
• positive immigration policies that promote paths to citizenship and help families stay together...

These few points - and all the others - we can use in our correspondence with others and members of local, state, and national governing bodies... The points are just a beginning and over time, each of us will undoubtedly champion some more than others as we connect with others, especially current and future lawmakers and representatives of the PEOPLE. Two members of our group brought and shared post cards they'd had printed that we could use to send to elected officials, again on all levels of government. We can all communicate with current and future  legislators, governing officials, maybe even become one. Most importantly, we will make our voices heard! As I said yesterday: we have only just begun...

...and that's a wrap for today! Hope your weekend was a grand one. 

Cheers~

 

We marched...we huddled...

  

     This afternoon, ten of us who participated in the January 21st Women's March on Washington - just three weeks ago! - gathered for our first "huddle gathering" of the first 100 days of the new administration... None of  us knew all of us and the first thing we did was share what motivated us to "march." Specifically we each had a different reason but collectively, we marched because we were exemplifying our personal values and we care about this country's future.

Among the ten of us is a lot of talent, courage and resolve. We know the country is imperfect  -but we also know that we don't want our values destroyed. So we are preparing to 1)make our voices heard and 2) continue to work towards creating the society that is inclusive, supportive and respects human beings.

We have begun. 

currently | on a rainy monday...

hearing the washing machine and dryer, an occasional tinkle of the wind chimes, rain beating against the windows and Norman trying to open the door...oops, I accidentally locked him out!

seeing windows covered with raindrops and tree branches moved by the wind...

tasting hot tea on my tongue...

feeling the hot tea in the mug I hold warm my hand...

catching up on email, blog posts and comments...

being a tad sad - my friend Linda who was here for the March is wending her way home (via plane) to Oregon...

reminiscing about our too brief but amazing weekend...

experiencing chills reading about and reliving The Women's  March...

remembering 1983 and the 20th anniversary of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington. I was among the estimated 250,000 at the gathering assembled at the Lincoln Memorial.  I thought about how I felt during the 1963 March (that I watched on television from home in Toledo Ohio): afraid that the people who traveled from around the country would encounter violence. Fortunately, such did not happen. I wondered in 1983 if there would be any troubles...and no, there were not. For Saturday's Women's March, I had no expectations or fears...I just knew that I was going to be among those who gathered and marched. As I and countless others have written and witnessed, these marches, world wide, were phenomenal. To try to describe the feeling, the atmosphere, the peace that prevailed is almost impossible...

knowing that ours is a tall order... thinking, feeling, that we are on the cusp of something miraculous...