Puppy in the offing, Art Shaped start, winnowing, and other excitements

Yesterday a couple of calls from Gary mainly about my getting some food supplement items from his fridge and delivering them across the street to unwell neighbor struggling with chemo. No problem, done. 

Then he called with the other news: a new puppy in his life from tomorrow. French bulldog/Boston terrier mix.  Whenever he gets back I'll get to meet my new seven week old neighbor. Can't wait. Especially since he gets to train and care for it, I get to visit and play with my grandpup. 

Yesterday's winnowing was dull and vital. Paper files. Auto insurance dating back six years, different car, agent now retired.

I'm very good at filing in the right place, not very good at updating though. That mass of paper I soaked in soapy water till nearly pulp, drained, recycled. Much easier than hours shredding, and none of it very sensitive.

Today though, I decided on a mystery basket in a bottom drawer. And found, look at that: useful cardboard and tubes. 

Originally for spinning and plying, now exactly what's needed for the current artwork in progress.

Out of it this is now offered on Freecycle

Speaking of art in progress, it looks as if my freezer and kitchen island are the current studio, tall enough to stand at, good light, near water.

So here is the beginning of the beginning of what I think, hope,  will be a big piece. 

The circular pieces are coffee filters dyed, left from when I was spinning paper and weaving it, making miniature book covers.

 

Cut One, here we go, using the mailer the book came in 

 Then bend, add and tape the scraps to create eyes and nose, then cut off and reattach the bottom part to create a mouth.

Covered with the coffee filters, now drying before probably painting tomorrow, after a couple more changes to nose and mouth.

Then I'll create a head, attach the face and more things will happen.

At this point I was about done in. Partly there's a lot of physical effort which you don't notice at the time, then there's the constant mental exertion and multiple decision making, all great and all very expensive in energy. 

Darrell, who wrote Art Shaped, is into it

Meanwhile, the jigsaw puzzle is done

And I have lab work Wednesday in the building next to the puzzle library, so I'll return this one and see about borrowing another.

Another kind of winnowing is planned for. Friday, knitting group day, different library. Meg our Leader, would like to populate the library with plants. And I just happen to have a candidate I grew from cuttings

So if she wants it, and I can get it in the car and the weather's not too cold, and I make it there..

Last night I took out some recycling and, clear night,  looked up and caught the Moon, Venus and Jupiter in a straight line, very cool display. Nice to go to all that trouble for me.

Before I forget the Haggard Hawks puzzle answer

BAG BEG BIG BOG BUG!

I see these similarities: all three letters, all with initial B final G, vowels in alphabetical order. Any more?

Have you seen this beautiful swords into plowshares artwork?

Happy day everyone, look for whatever constitutes a sunflower in your life, even when surrounded by shell casings.

 

Poor but happy, future art exploits, and other news

 I notified my knitting group leader that if the weather, raining, lashing, sloshing, gurgling down all day, eased up, I'd come to the group. If not I'd do my taxes.

It didn't, so I did my taxes and found, as suspected, that my income from all sources, is below the filing threshold. But I had to go through all the numbers to establish that and to complete the Freeze forms for the real estate tax refund. 

To be honest, if I had more money, I'd probably give it away anyway. I live so happily on what I have.   Income continues to exceed outgo overall. 

Result, as Mr Micawber would say, happiness. He had found out the hard way, by being slung into debtor's prison, so he should know.

And I set up future art adventures, using scrap cardboard and papers a la lovely Darrell Wakelam. I ordered his book Art Shaped from an indie bookseller who includes shipping to the US, yay. I've shown you some of his ideas using paper plates, and I think some grandchildren might have been introduced to his designs.  

Consider the decks officially, not cleared, but pre-cluttered 

Darrell's happy. He agrees with me though he teaches children, that it's not the number of years in the child, but the amount of child in the years. 

Meanwhile look at this. New photographic approaches are allowing researchers handling ancient manuscripts and other items to detect for the first time, images and messages added to them by pressing into the surface without marking. 

They're now finding them on medieval manuscripts. And here's another application of the technology, a copper plate, one side used, but look what's on the other side

Waste not want not. Copper's expensive.

I needed something for lunch and I remembered years ago having a wonderful mac and cheese, at the convent where I send the gloves and socks, to be exact. I asked about it at the time, and found the sister cooking that week added a couple of cheeses, not just cheddar.

So I did

I was short of penne, nearest I had to macaroni, so I added in broken #8 spaghetti. And no green vegetables, so it was carrots.

Good for several meals. It needs a touch more salt, so I'll add as I go.

And, smug at having disposed of federal and state tax requirements all at once, I had a celebratory afternoon cup of chocolate with a slice of cinnamon toast. 

Perfect for a cold wet grey February afternoon.

When in doubt, a slice of cinnamon toast will do it.

Happy evening everyone! May all your toast land butter side up.