Another Visit With Uncle Harry And Aunt Mimi Together in New Home

On Saturday I had an absolutely beautiful sunshiny day to travel the hours ride to where my aunt and uncle live. It's a back country roads drive which I enjoy very much. DH had a bad cold so had to stay home. I did not mind doing the drive by myself. I drove by llama's, sheep, cows, and a very long horned Brahma bull...well it looked like that to me, I won't swear to it. They have moved to "Assisted Living", a much smaller apartment of one long narrow living area room with teeny tiny kitchen corner (a college student fridge, and small sink); and a large bedroom, and very roomy bathroom (with no door). Pull cords with big signs saying pull for HELP were on all the walls. Windows look out to trees and gardens. The interior of the outer space is big and roomy and VERY CLEAN and modern. Very attractive. I stayed for lunch and the food was tasteful and plentiful. The staff is on target (a young woman noticed when we were ready to leave and went immediately to get my uncles wheel chair to take him back to their apartment.) My aunt is of course confused; dementia is not fun. At lunch she looked around and said: "Look at all the old people here, look at all the white hair! I'm glad I'm not that old." Then I had the audacity to ask her what color her hair was. She didn't know and asked me. I said:" It's White! Very pretty and attractive too." She was in disbelief! Maybe dementia isn't all bad if you can retain a younger version of yourself in your own mind. ;-)

They have been married sixty four years!

I made my uncle a birthday card from my Hebrew Letters. He loved it of course. He and I both have studied Hebrew in our lifetimes and he could recognize most of the letters. He loved the art. This says Birthday!

and this says Mazol Tov!

No end to what I can do with these right?

Artzy Lynn Was Busy Yesterday!

This is my first Hebrew Letter done as quilted fabric!

I enlarged the small atc sized drawing to 8" X 10",

and then printed it onto a paper backed cotton page.

I used a free motion foot on my sewing machine to

thread paint the black around the color on the printed cotton, which was

sandwiched with batting and backing.

Perhaps enlarging the picture on your computer will show off the thread painting done

in all the black areas. Try it. The orange and blue areas puffed up nicely

from the stitching.

First idea...a success!This is the enlarged glossy print.

and another

and another

Twenty two or three Hebrew letters all started as 2 and half by 3 and half inch

drawings, enlarged to 8" x 10" glossy prints, which I will put together in a

book form for my grand kids

Hebrew Alphabet Book!

I can't wait until I see them on Sunday

and they can READ IT TO ME!!!!

;-)

Hebrew Alphabet

I probably am cheating by posting this here, as these are ATCs I am making for our ABC ATC swap on another blog. But I am so delighted with how they are coming out and I want to do way more than the ATCs with them. I plan to print them out in size 8" x 11" pages and put them together into a big Hebrew Alphabet book for my grandchildren who are presently learning Hebrew (written and spoken) in their school.

I've also thought of quilting some or all of them in book form too. And now that I see my collage the idea of quilting them and sewing them together this way seems to me would make a lovely wall hanging.

My brain never stops! I have four more letters to make tonight to complete the set. For now these are all on little 2 and a half by 3 and half inch cards done on light weight art paper and glued to card stock backings to be given away. What fun this is.

Wishing you a happy Friday and a lovely weekend ahead!

Grateful Thursday; Art in The Making; Recovering Kitty

Some of this art has been sitting on my desk for sometime waiting patiently to be posted. The first card is from Soulbrush in London/UK thanking me for participating in the Artysoulsisters traveling art books blog she started. Let me tell her and you that it was quite an honor for me to be putting my art in amongst the likes of Soul and the others. She sent along this precious ATC of her rendition of the group of us women artists! Thank YOU Soul for starting the book, all the work you put in to maintaining the blog and for your continued sharing and friendship. I welcome you all to go to this blog to see all of the art done so far. There are still a few books out being worked on and finishing up. I'll post mine as soon as it returns to me.

This lovely lovely collaged art card by Suki came to thank me for the art I contributed to two of her traveling art books...Artysoulsisters and Girlfriends. Again both blogs can be seen full of wonderful art by many terrific artists. Love the card Suki and your warm words inside.Thank YOU.

As part of our ABC ATC exchange, Lisa sent me her watercolor of this beautiful butterfly. I cannot say enough times how much more vivid the art is from these photos in person. But this is pretty too...and even the textured envelop she sent it in is lovely to see and touch. Thank you so much Lisa, I love both very much. Go to Lisa's blog to see more nature art!

I also loved the note paper and envelope she sent them in. They could be used for future collages should I decide to cut them up and upcycle them at some point. Humm?

I've been working on some new art projects...and this is the start of a portrait in fabric I did. I love my new see through box for forty spools of threads...and liked how the colors of threads went together so nicely with the colored marking pens behind them... Last night the sky was all ablaze after a sunny spring like day... and the moon was full seen here behind our naked fig tree.

&&&&&&&

Henry seems to be doing okay.

He left some spit ups of yellow soft cat food on the landing in the morning.

They looked like spilled paint splatters...kind of artsy and pretty...

but he seemed to keep down what he ate the rest of the day

unless he dumped it outdoors when he went out to

stalk the things he could see in the grass

that I couldn't see.

Thanks to all who sent their good wishes for my healing.

It worked. (signed: Henry V) I hope he's back to normal.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Henry is home and he is fine. After two days of grueling tests that was not his most joyous experience to date, he was released with "we can't find anything wrong with your cat, but please pay us $485! So I did. And I took my well cat home. He is on soft food and rest, yeah sure, he does not want to rest. But okay on the soft food. He will be so mad when the kibble comes back out this weekend. Well, dad bought enough soft food to last him another week or so...so he may be happier longer than just a few days. He and I thank you for all your heart felt caring words of concern.

And here is Uncle Harry come home to Aunt Mimi this morning! They could not be happier.

Harry will be 91 next week!!! What a happy birthday this is.

Welcome Home Harry! Mimi is beside herself with joy and so is Harry.

The bride and groom are back together again.

20 Years Ago This Month and Henry's Health Report; And Harry & Mimi Update Too~

This photo was taken at my graduation from the University of San Francisco 1988

where I obtained my Masters Degree in Counseling/ Psychology I must have been smart, look at the size of those glasses!!! (& btw now you know my real hair color!) LOL

It just dawned on me that twenty (20) years ago this month I received notice that I passed my two huge exams and was duly licensed to practice psychotherapy as a Marriage Family and Child Therapist (or MFCC) in the state of California! I am now called a Marriage Family Therapist or MFT. I was so surprised and OVERJOYED beyond words when that letter was in our mail box in January 1991.. It's amazing that I did not faint on the spot. In fact, I kept fearing they had made some dreadful mistake and would call to ask for it back. But that thank goodness never happened. It was a long haul...six years of university study, 3000 supervised internship hours and two grueling examinations. I remember being in a study group near the end of it all and saying to another woman in line that NOBODY besides those of us who had taken ourselves through all of this would have a clue as to how much of our lives we had sacrificed to become a counselor. Well maybe that is a tad strong, however, we did find it quite grueling and trying to say the least! So...all that said, I am very proud looking backwards at this career of mine. In 1991 the people I knew who had 20 years in the field under their belts were OLD. I never thought I'd see the day...and now I am laughing, as I am one of those OLD people with this wonderful feather in my cap! *****

HENRY SAID: "This is what I think of this vet!"

Henry V got into see the Vet today (Monday). He had a problem eating starting we think last Friday. He would take a bit of kibble, choke and spit it out with a bunch of white saliva. As a result he didn't eat for three days, but kept trying in fits and starts. He seem lethargic. This morning the Vet said he'd need to be sedated and x-rayed to see if there was anything in his mouth or throat or intestine or stomach causing this problem. Because he had eaten some soft cat food without problem Monday morning, they'd have to keep him there and wait six hours for him to digest that food to start the process. So I bid Henry adieu and went to work. The doctor called me at 5:30 PM to tell me that the x-ray showed nothing untoward, no foreign objects anywhere. No thread in his mouth. Next step? Could he send in a blood sample to look for possible pancreatic distress? Yes, sure. It's only money. So Henry is spending the night at the animal hospital tonight. The test results won't be back until late tomorrow afternoon. If it's pancreatic whatever...they may want to keep him there longer on fluids and antibiotics. If not I'll go get him and put him on soft foods for several days. Keep your fingers crossed.

The US has a health care problem. I never considered getting health care for my cat. Want to know what the bill looks like so far?

Initial exam: $43.

Sedation: $50

X-ray: $150

Hospital stay per day: $30

Blood test: $140

Total so far: $368 US

Had he needed surgery? $2000

More care? Don't know yet!

Lucky kitty...we love him so we will pay.

But health insurance for kitties? That is the question.

* ******************

One more good thing!

Uncle Harry moves from Rehab Center living today to Assisted Living where Mimi has been holding down the fort in their new apartment there. Harry told me that he felt like a nervous groom. He said he is looking forward to moving in with his lover! He told his son that he might just spend the whole day in bed with her! ;-) Being apart this past month was hard on him.

He's concerned he might become overwhelmed again living with her and dementia. I assured him they would have all kinds of new help at Assisted Living, but if he did start to feel over whelmed in the least little bit he was to call me and I would make sure he got the help he needed. He promised me he'd call.

In the meantime, I am hoping for a let up in the rain so we can go visit them on Saturday in their new home.

Busy Sunday Cleaning Up Studio; Traveling Sketchbook Page Made

I completed Katie Janes' Last Page for her ArtySoulSister's Traveling Sketchbook, which I'll mail to her tomorrow. Go there to see more wonderful art from nine artists who are participating. I used the new nature stamps, as her theme is nature...and continued more of the leaves I quilted yesterday for my larger piece.

Sewed them down to card stock and wha-la it was done!

Last photo is the back of the page.

Her book is 5" X 7" and she will bind it when it

returns to her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& then she cleaned up! I love calling my family room mess my studio. It sounds so...well artzy! LOL I have this new huge project upon me, must get started...the commissoned art quilt wall hanging from a lovely woman from New York. I will refer to it as the NY Project for now. So I needed to finish up a traveling sketchbook page (which I did); and then CLEAN/SORT/THROW AWAY/PUT AWAY STUFF that covered three surfaces: design table (another artzy term); sewing machine table; and card table! It is down to a low roar! Not what anyone could term really neat or clean, but way tidier than it was. A good start. Let the wild rumpus begin!

**************

I hope to get Henry V into the vets Monday morning with a desperate call.

He has tried to eat several times today, again, but each time he takes a few timid bites

and immediately barfs them up again. Not good, not good.

I need my kitty well.

A Hail of A Day including Burnt Charms!

You may have read that it is raining hard in California. Yesterday we had a sudden deluge that perhaps lasted all of fifteen minutes if that but come down hard it did...here you see it in our backyard... and on the street out front of the house...

and this my friends is hail on the back patio cement...

a little flooding down the side of the house in front...

hail on the patio table where I did my outdoor painting last summer...

hail on the patio furniture seats...

flooding on the patio floor...

and then sunshine! I looked for a rainbow, but couldn't find one.

So then I got busy with my new Polymer clay rolling out

charms for embellishing art quilts and other mixed media works of art!

I followed directions to the letter

but remember

I cannot cook!

and so do not know my stove very well...

I turned it on to 275 degrees F.

set it for 15 minutes as directed,

but neglected to move the oven tray from the broiling position

to the much lower baking position

and proceeded

to

burn

my

charms

!

Something I suppose only I could do. They were lime green clay when they went in

and

BLACK

when they came out!

But I did my best to save them.

I painted this one with gold sparkly glue and wrapped it in

jewelry wire,

not too bad I think

! I tried to find the butterfly that was stamped on this one

using acrylic paints...

And the green leaves here with dark green acrylics...

a tad of varnish maybe or more light green on top might

fix this one even more.

I'll try later today.

But this one stamped with the fern stamp

is the best I think.

;-)

I won't give up my day job yet!

And I will keep trying. **************

I must also tell you that I let the stove top slam down on my middle finger of right hand while

attempting to get some gunk out of a groove on the front.

I will live, but it did hurt and bleed for a while.

I'm wearing a band aide now.

;-(

*******************

And Henry V has not been feeling well

for two days now.

We should have taken him to the vet yesterday

but thought we'd watch him.

He's not eating.

Spits up saliva.

Cuddles on my lap

A LOT.

I hope he gets better soon.

Send kitty prayers please.

Thanks.

!

I Wasn't Going To Post Today...

I wasn't going to post today, but found my self sitting in front of my computer with a feeling of inertia. So here goes: Yesterday, Friday, I spent most of my day at my design table and sewing machine. First I made this sheet of strips of fabrics in what I hoped would be "fauna" colors, as I was making a quilt with a "fauna" theme. I put the torn strips of commercial fabrics on a sheet of card stock and sewed them down. Not at all happy with that I remembered something I just read on Judy Wise's blog about taking art you didn't like and cutting it up for something else...so I did just that...I cut it into leaf forms and lo and behold, I liked them much better! Now the quilt is finished but I cannot post it! I have to WAIT until the challenge I made it for is due the end of March I believe. I hate this part of that challenge as I always fear if I don't post it and write about it I will have forgotten my entire process in a few months time.

I will give a few more hints. I went to Michael's yesterday too and bought some goodies with my Xmas Gift card from Patty (in part)... the things used on the quilt are some of the stamps and the Archival ink pads. These turned out to be a real boon as they printed really well on light fabric and did not smear!

The little socks for $1 are for my grand kids' Valentines' Nesting boxes...the clay is so I can play around making art that you bake and use as embellishments on mixed media pieces. Maybe for those cigar boxes I got a few weekends ago? Oh, and I love the stamp I found that says "Mazol Tov"! Enjoy your Saturday!

New Art Quiltlet and Thank You Studio Lolo For an Abundance of Art Materials

I made this small fabric art quiltlet with cotton scraps, free motion sewing, fabric crayons and beading yesterday. Last week the mail lady brought me a huge box!

I was not expecting a package.

Was I ever surprised when I opened it and found

Hebrew Library cards~

Wonderful collection of papers and fabrics... incredible old photos and paper napkins

and all sorts of art embellishments

a wonderful gift from our own

Lolo of Studio Lolo

who was cleaning out her studio

and felt I needed these things she was

parting with for my own art making!

Thank you Lolo...I love your slightly "out-of-alignment" card too!

And I hope you will like the raven flying to you now

in the form of that quiltlet at the top of this post. Hugs from Lynn

Grateful on Friday

!

Helping Haiti in a Heartfelt Artful Way

My Heart for Haiti

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