Art Corner - Leaves!

 So, I've been retired almost 6 months now. I was so very busy for the first few months as the house got painted, and we moved everything and then (mostly) moved it back. I have done many "big" sorts, and organized and donated, and put away. There are still more "little" sorts as I continue to organize my craft room, but I've had time to visit with friends, do some crafting, and do some more crafting. And it is time that I continue my journal of crafty efforts, which is mainly what I consider this blog to be.

Of course there is sewing going on. And crochet. And cross stitch. Each of which will be topic of future entries. Today, I want to talk about how nice it is to have time to experience some of the other areas of Cruces Creatives. Like the Art Corner!

The Art Corner is open for guided exploration every Tuesday afternoon at 1 - 3. That there are knowledgeable guides is a wonderful part of this. I can "play with some new toys" as we have been saying during these explorations. It isn't a class, it is an opportunity for discovery for all of us. I've been exploring acrylic paints and techniques, with a little foray into embossing. A couple weeks ago, I brought a leaf from the mulberry tree in my yard to the art corner, remembering that Raine and I had painted some leaves one fall, and it was an entertaining activity for both of us.

We tried embossing the leaf onto some paper, which I tried painting, with disappointing results. The water in the paint played havoc with the embossing. So then one of the others painted the leaf, then embossed it. 

Inspirational leaf - so cool!

So, yesterday, I picked up a few smaller leaves from the yard, and took a pack of blank notecards that I had, and thought I could make some interesting fall leaf cards to send out for Thanksgiving. While mulberry trees turn yellow in the fall, IF they turn any color before the first hard freeze knocks them from the tree (most of the leaves are still on my tree, and most of them are still green, even now), I wanted more of a fall palette, so I picked some orange and yellow and red along with a light tan, and I think three different shades of green. Then I practiced painting and pressing the leave onto paper. I did not use the embosser for my cards.

The practice leaves

At first I used very wet paint, and put a lot on the leaf to then press to the paper, but although I liked the amount of color I was getting, the amount of paint overpowered the texture of the leaves. I really wanted that texture! Oh, and painting the BACK of the leaves seems to be part of the process to get the impression and texture I wanted. Now that they have had time to really dry, more of the texture of those wet leaves is showing than I thought, although there are also some blobby bits, too. Maybe more paint is OK, just not as wet - something to try out another time. At first I was pressing them with just my hand, but then I started using a paper towel between my hand and the leaves. I think that helped some too.

Eight Leaf Cards

So here are my leaf cards. Overall, I'm happy with them. Some are better than others, but as a group, especially, I think they work well! Now, to get them signed, sealed and mailed! Of course I don't want to keep them all... I don't have space for that!

Finally, I want to remember my dad today, on his birthday. Love you, Dad. Miss you.

Wait, What? I've got a Blog?

 I glanced at my list of blogs and stuff, and there was mine, at the top. How long ago since I posted??? What happened to pandemic journaling? Life. I guess. Life.

Here I am in May, of 2022. Happy Birthday, Mom. Miss you. 

May the Fourth Be With You.

I'm retiring this year. That the pandemic isn't over has contributed to that, but it isn't - of course - the only thing. I've had a student teacher this semester. It was lovely. She was lovely, and did a fabulous job. I hope she gets hired at OMHS and loves teaching as much as she seems to. More even. Today was her last day as a student teacher. She'll come back after the semester ends and help me clear my room by taking what she thinks she will use of my teacher stuff. Goodness knows I don't want to store it, and I know the next teacher who is in that classroom won't want it.

So, let's talk pandemic for a paragraph or so... The variants keep coming. Carl finally got COVID last week. I've managed to dodge it so far. I've been vaccinated, and boosted, and will probably get boosted again by the end of the summer. We are working on making COVID life the new norm, which I guess is how the pandemic actually ends. Not because it goes away. Not because we get some magic immunity.

Since Dec of 2020, school opened, at least for those who chose to go back, in early 2021. Raine finished up her senior year, and graduated. There was an actual ceremony, and Ron's family came out to help celebrate. It was held on the district football field (Field of Dreams) in the open air and the sun. Now there is talk that will be the site from now on. Pity the schools that get the 1PM slots each year. BUT, as I said, the new norms.

May 2021 Graduate

School this year has been sort of normal. As normal as very lax attendance policy and 50% as the lowest grade can allow. As normal as students (OK, AND adults) needing resocialization into crowds and in person people-ing. There are challenges. But there will be graduation, and graduates, and students will matriculate, and school will be more "normal" next year. I mean changes will happen. Don't they always? 

And I will move on to my next thing as well. My own personal new normal. What will that be? Well, at first it will be about some self care, at various levels. Personal self care looks like lots of walking, preparing healthy meals and taking the time to work on my own health. Family care that supports Raine as she prepares to "launch" into her life as an adult. Caring for my home, which has been neglected and could use some care as well. My mental health and well being will benefit from time to work on my crafty projects, and my life-long learning will often steer in that direction as well. There are plans! YES there are!

The Last Supper cross stitch, 2/3 complete

Looking forward to traveling a bit, and being in nature some. Visiting with friends, and enjoying some old friendships and strengthening some newer ones, and those more recently in reach. Reaching out to family while they are in reach. All those things. I may even post here now and again. You know, since I've been reminded that it is here.

at Carlsbad KOA

Social Distancing/Pandemic #50

 Saturday, December 5, 2020

So, here we are in December. There are 2 more weeks of school in this semester, and it seems to be going so quickly. Take a deep breath!

We had a lovely, quiet, private Thanksgiving, I did the cooking, and we timed dinner so that we could eat together when Ron got home. I made 3 pies (yes, for 3 people), turkey with stuffing (because _I_ like it), mashed potatoes, and green beans. It wasn't a large turkey, but with only 3 of us, we have also had turkey corn chowder made by Ron, and turkey noodle soup, made by me. The pies were a hit, especially the cherry pie, which turned out particularly good, if I say so myself, but I didn't have to. It disappeared first.

The Christmas tree is up, and decorated. I would have loved to add the novelty lights I had collected over the years to the pre-lit tree this year, but last year, after years of not bothering to add them, we tested them to see if they still worked and ended up tossing the lot. Sadly. Particularly sadly because I would really have enjoyed them this year. Sigh. But the tree is lovely, as they are. We included the old decorations that I have kept from my parents, who are gone. It felt nice to put them on the tree this year.

Side view, lots of white and red this year.

I also uncovered a quilted wall hanging that my mom and I had worked on the blocks for. I think it was my first attempt at quilt block building, and today when I looked at it, I could tell. But it also reminded me of us working on it and planning it. We made one for me, one for her, and one for a cousin. It had been packed away for a while, with some Christmas fabrics that I had basically forgotten about, so it was definitely a win for me today. Now to figure out where and how to get the wall hanging up for the season.

Our idea for it was going through the snowy forest
to the Christmas house mine is sketchy on the snowy part.

I have to admit to enjoying a little nostalgia this year. Remembering the past, on the way to the future, really.

I got Christmas cards ready and in the mail during the Thanksgiving break. I also got a nightshirt/robe sewn up for Ron. It was our anniversary during that week: 20 years. Parts have flown by, and other parts, not so much, as I'm sure with most couples. For the most part, I believe we are happy with each other, and pretty well suited to the other.

Social Distance/Pandemic 49

 November 14, Saturday

The pandemic has been taking an upswing, and the governor of NM ordered Shelter in Place again, for the next 2 weeks. Mostly, I'm sure, to discourage large Thanksgiving gatherings. I get that. I really do. I know there are people who will ignore the guidelines, but the hospitals are getting to the point of being overwhelmed.  

We had planned a get-together. Damon is almost done with his kitchen remodel, and wanted to christen it with a Thanksgiving get together. I was looking forward to it, as were others in our smallish group. I think it is going to have to be a raincheck at this point, however. We can celebrate everyone being able to stay healthy.

I personally have plans for sewing. There are Christmas gifts I want to work on and get into the mail. I might even get my Christmas cards ready to send out. (WHAT? So early??) I made a quick trip to Joann's before the shelter in place to pick up supplies for Ron a flannel nightshirt/warm lounge-y layer. I was definitely masked appropriately and socially distant from other customers.

The trip through Albertson's was more crowded, but I wanted to get a few things before the shelves were picked over too badly. Picked up Brats and sauerkraut while I was there, and put them in the crockpot with a couple of old apples that I peeled & sliced, half an onion, potatoes and carrots. YUM.

As usual, I've been taking my walks around the neighborhood, and looking for nature. I walked past a roadrunner sitting on a fence. I stopped and took a picture, trying not to scare it off, but I was within 8-10 feet of it just sitting there, giving me looks. The homeowner drove up while I was taking pictures and said it had been hanging out for a few days. He wondered if it was after his pecans. I wonder if it was after something that was after his pecans...

When a roadrunner isn't running...

Social Distance 48

 November 1, 2020  Sunday

This has been a week. After all my talk of still feeling the summer, even though nature has been showing me the signs of fall, we got snow on Tuesday. The earliest recorded snow in Las Cruces. And it wasn't just a flurry that didn't stick. It was inches. about 4 in some places, more in some others. I think we got 3-4. It snowed most of the day, even though the snow was melting, too...

Snow falling at 5 AM

So, you may ask, why was I up at 5 to see the snow? Well, it was the first time our new heater ran, and it blew out all the coatings and stuff, and set off all the fire alarms in the house. Those footprints were Ron's. He was in the car, ready to leave and I waved him down and made him come back in. We made sure there was no fire, and he took down the alarms and we opened doors for a little fresh air and let it vent, then warm up the house. Of course I did the last part after he left for work. Not the best way to wake up, actually, but I did enjoy the snow. No snow day for students or teachers, though, although there were power outages around town off and on. 

Snow in October!

In true New Mexico fashion, it was gone by Wednesday. Still, no doubt, winter just made a little preview in the last week of October.

One of the other amazing things I got to see this week, was the full moon rising behind the Organ Mountains. I noticed a glow behind a couple of peaks, and it was so beautiful and amazing, that I took pictures even though I knew my phone camera couldn't do it justice. Still, I couldn't NOT take them.

The glow

coming up over the Organs

Beautiful

There was a couple coming down the street as I was walking up it, and I called out to them to look, and they even said thanks for telling them, because they thought it was beautiful, too.

Then there was Halloween, that wasn't much of a Halloween, really. I mean I walked around the neighborhood, as the sun was going down, when the little kids should have been out and about, but they weren't. Neither were the older ones. I sure hope that the parties were small, and all that, because the numbers are threatening to overwhelm our healthcare here. El Paso has run out of hospital beds, and has some tents set up, and a temporary hospital set up in the Civics Center, downtown. Hospitals in the surrounding area can no longer send patients who need more care to the bigger hospitals/cities because there is no where to put them.

Social Distancing 47

 Saturday October 24

I keep thinking I will write more. I keep letting the time slip past, although I have been gathering topics... and pictures.

I'm still walking through my neighborhood most evenings, and I still want it to be summer, but the evidence keeps amassing to the contrary. Oh, the warmth is here, although not the heat of summer. Most of the leaves on the trees are still green (the yellow ones get blown off the trees) but there are signs. Shorter days, for one. It gets dark by 7PM now. I love the long days of summer, and I miss them already.

Of course it is October, and even officially fall at this point, so I guess I must expect that. Here is some of the other evidence from around my neighborhood...

pecans weighing the branch down

cactus fruit - it makes good jelly...

even the lantana in the fall is pretty

The COVID numbers are up this month. We have been setting records for positive cases across the state, and here in Dona Ana county. Even so, El Paso has been having a higher daily number than all of New Mexico. It is worrisome because so many people from El Paso work here, and so many people from Cruces work, shop and visit in El Paso. 

Several schools have had staff and faculty become ill. Sometimes those people are working from home, but sometimes not, and the school has to close for cleaning. Now, if a business or school closes due to COVID, they will be closed for 14 days. Picacho Middle School opened for some Special Needs students on Monday, and on Wednesday had to close. We did do SAT testing across the district with seniors on the 14th, and although I was waiting with rather bated breath, I haven't heard of anyone turning up sick afterwards. LCPS is hoping to go hybrid in January, but I just don't see that being possible, or even wise.

I'm thinking more and more of retiring this year. The time and effort and weirdness have started taking their toll. It helps to go outside, and notice that the seasons are changing, and that there is simple beauty around, and neighbors walking as well, but it may be time for that step. It may be.

Social Distancing #46

 Sunday, October 4th

My intent is to write in this journal at least once a week. Some weeks I've been good about it, recently, not so much.

Here we are in October already. The school quarter ends on the 14th. Quickly followed by a short fall break, Halloween, election day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We have plans to camp in Silver City again, for New Years. The time, as usual at this time of year, is flying by. The days are getting shorter and it has cooled off some, though no sweaters required yet. We often don't feel the cool until Halloween.

This week President Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID. So has his wife, and others in his circle as well. I don't wish him ill, however I am concerned that should he lose the election, things may get ugly in this country. He is - perhaps - just petulant and childish and spoiled enough not to want to hand over the White house to the next president. Then we face the choice of revolt and civil war, or becoming a different kind of country. One where a dictator can name himself leader for life. If he is fighting for his life over COVID, that may be a moot point. On the other hand, if anyone in this country is going to get the earliest, best, most up-to-date care for it that is known, it is the President. 

I also feel like it is just consequence for flouting the epidemic, and mocking those who take mask precautions, and - although he also has the right to - living like it doesn't exist.

What is the old curse? May you live in interesting days. Well, the times get more and more "interesting" as they go.