TGIF

I'm glad it's Friday!  It's been a convoluted week on so many levels and that I'm not feeling all that well didn't help much. One of these days I'll feel really good and I won't know what to do with myself.

Dan was here almost all day and installed some plumbing. Good stuff!!!  He'd been down here three or four times in the past month and finally decided that new equipment was the only solution. Hallelujah! We get along okay and joke a lot and trade stories.  Another reason why I stay here.  And then I got to clean up the mess -- no fun but worth it.

A bit later I saw Bryce sitting on their steps looking woebegone and I said, "What's the matter, Punkin?"
and came over to tell me that he and his girlfriend broke up (which makes all of us grownups glad). So I gave him a hug and we talked about it and I got him to laugh.  He also had good news --  he's made the freshman football team and a very big deal because his high school is nationally known for its program. I promised that I would go to his games and holler for him and he grinned.   When Michelle came home, we talked about his day and offered assistance.  One of the things I do best is attend high school sports.  The Dynamic Duo were both athletes and I spent countless hours traveling to watch them play soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball and water polo as well as swimming and track,  Swimming was my favorite because it meant I had both kids in the same place at the same time -- until college. Sigh.



I just watched another truly excellent documentary.  This one was from PBS' American Masters series:  Alfred Stieglitz:  The Eloquent Eye.  Stieglitz was a pioneer in photography as art and became a  mentor of many of our greatest artists and photographers and was the first to show Pablo Picasso's paintings in this country.  I didn't know much about him until I saw the excellent film "Georgia O'Keefe" with whom he had a long relationship and marriage and this documentary filled in some blanks. It also included clips of of an interview with Ms. O'Keefe, whose work I love, at age eighty-one talking about him and his work. Both are available from Netflix and well worth your time if y'all enjoy the arts as much as I do. 

I'm hoping to take a field trip this weekend -- maybe down to Amish country -- but today is errand day so I'll be off and running.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Soul Searching in the Wee Hours

Y'all know that I'm a Netflix junkie. The range of material in its library never fails to surprise me. Lately, I've been on a history/documentary jag and they offer a lot of excellent material. I particularly enjoy PBS' American Experience Series which delves into the people and events that shaped our country -- from Dolly Madison to Roberto Clemente.

Last night I watched its tribute to Eugene O'Neill -- arguably the greatest of American playwrights with four Pulitzer Prizes and the Nobel Prize to his credit -- and my favorite playwright. I'm not certain why it practically tore my guts out but it did, so here I am writing this in the wee hours. Like most writers, O'Neill draws from his life experience -- and what a painful experience it was for him. The late sportswriter, Red Smith, said: "Writing is easy... just open a vein and bleed . . ." and if any of you have ever read O'Neill's autobiography-based "Long Day's Journey into Night", it will not surprise you that he was completely drained by the time he finished the book.

Why am I boring you with this? Because watching that documentary set off a bout of enlightenment and pain for me. It explained why I can't finish a lot of my writing projects or even talk about others. Will this epiphany make me face my demons? I don't know. What I do know is that knowing they are there is an excellent start.

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Opening Night

It was snowing again last night but not so badly that the opening of the quilt exhibit was cancelled again so I got dressed up a bit and brushed Miss Ruby off and headed downtown to Lynda's gallery where I met with warm welcome from Lynda and her husband Mike -- two of my favorite people -- and some much-needed hugs. {Note: all photos can be 'embiggened' for a better view by clicking on them.}

Armed with a glass of a nice Cabernet and my trusty camera, I wandered around to see the quilts and all the other wonderful examples of art in its many forms. (I lusted over a necklace I loved that, of course, was too expensive. Sigh) The gallery is small so the wall are jam packed with all sorts of lovely things. It's also a working gallery in that Lynda teaches classes for both adults and children and sponsors groups for hobbyists.

Last night, Karen and her quilts were at the forefront. Here are a few photos of my favorites:







Marge, who works with a wide variety of media but mostly creates fabric art, did the interesting portraits below. I missed her opening so I hadn't met her which was remedied last night when she stopped by. She's a really interesting lady and who is retired and exploring all sorts of things and was interested in that I blog. I bought a print of one of her portraits that I'd been wanting. I really want a real one but I have to win a couple hundred in the lottery first. Maybe if I bought a ticket . . .



Here's a lousy but fun photo that resulted when Mike and I played dueling cameras. It also shows that there was a pretty good turnout for a snowy evening.



Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

Saturday Afternoon Sunshine

It's Saturday afternoon and it's been sunny and bright, albeit cold, allllllll day!!!!! It's the kind of day that energizes my soul and improves my morale. I think that getting out of the house last night helped a lot, too!!! At times like this I ask myself why I live here and then the light bulb goes off in my brain and reminds me: "Because you're too damned broke to move/live anywhere else, idiot girl!" Oh well.

I almost didn't go downtown for the First Friday celebration but I shoved myself into some decent clothes and headed downtown. The parking gods were with me and I snagged a meter (free after 5 pm) across the street from Lynda's gallery. I popped over to the Palace Theater for some awesome Irish music and then popped by Lynda's where I ran into several friends and hung out there for a while. I sorta wanted to go home and said, "I can't decide if I want to go home or head to the Arcadia to see Maria and have a beer." Lynda said, "I've got the perfect reason to go see Maria." and she fetched a poster and flyers for her annual fund raiser and said, "Go!!!" So I wandered down the alley waving at the street musicians and stopped to talk Denny (one of the best jazz tenor sax players I've heard) for a minute.

When I got to the Arcadia it was in full swing and I asked a waitress where the boss was and she directed me to the back. I was in shock when I saw Maria. Her head was shaved. And before I could stop myself "Oh my God!" popped out. She said, "It's gonna be okay!" which could only mean that her cancer is back but that's another story about a tough, courageous woman. I gave her the material Lynda sent and she was delighted and told me to sit down and told a waitress to bring me a beer on the house. We talked a bit and enjoyed the musician who sang oldies before, as always, her staff got so busy that she pitched in to help and I decided to head back up to Lynda's and give her Maria's message that yes, she would attend and spread the word. I just hung around a little bit there and decided to head home because I was tired.

Today I woke up with energy and made a list. I'm working to get myself on a proper sleep schedule. I headed to the library a grabbed a bunch of movies -- they let you get ten at a time -- and then stopped at the deep discount drug store to check out the closeout aisle and picked up a few bargains. This is what $22 bought: 2 big fluffy bath towels, 2 matching wash cloths, a bath mat, a car charger and an earphone for my cell, paper plates, furniture polish, 2 pairs of embroidery scissors and an umbrella. Good stuff, huh? That store has been a godsend to me on my tight budget! The hard part is that when one sees something, one had best buy it because it probably won't be there when you come back.

Tonight will be movie night which means I'll be needlepointing a lot. Good stuff!!!! Tomorrow is supposed to be nice again and I'm going to grab my quarterstaff and go to the park to walk a bit.

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!

Kay

I Wish Catchup Came in Bottles Like Heinz!

Yet again, I am kicking myself in the asker for not keeping up with my home work (read: housework). AND, as usual, I'm swearing on my prayer book, rosary and Bible that I will never ever fall behind again. I'm also swearing that I can hear Jesus, Mary and all the saints laughing at me. They've heard all this before.

However, I did get a lot done today. I always do the kitchen and bath first because these are the rooms I hate the most. After those, the rest is easy or at least easier. I worked in other rooms while I was waiting for floors, etc., to dry. It never ceases to amaze me what messes a so-called adult can make. Living in an ancient house doesn't help -- I swear there's dust from the '30 that keeps creeping out. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be 95% finished barrimg unforeseen circumstances.

* Alex and Jeff invited me to dinner tomorrow night -- I'm betting that it will be catered. Neither can cook worth a damn. Then again, maybe they want ME to cook. I wish them lotsa luck. Until this place looks fit for humans, the only thing I'm making for dinner is reservations or sandwiches. (I wouldn't want to mess up my nice clean kitchen, now would I?)

* I'm hoping to go see Jamie Foxx in "The Soloist" over the weekend. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Who knows? Depending on what's playing, I might do a film festival here again!!!!

* My friend Lynda is having a fund-raiser for her gallery Friday night and I'm trying to muster the troops to go. It's called 'Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!' And in addition to some wonderful cakes to taste and judge, it's going to feature some paintings by former Cleveland Indian Omar Vizquel who is a very accomplished artist. He doesn't usually allow his paintings to be shown but the owners told him about Lynda's work with children and he was pleased to okay the showing. Cool, huh?

And oh yeah, I didn't work my you-know-what off without musical comedy. Today's selection was the movie version of "My Fair Lady" and yeah, Julie Andrews got robbed but I do love Audrey Hepburn and I really thought this scene and song fun!!!



Hopefully, I'll be back tomorrow with something fun!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Weekend Thoughts

It's Sunday morning and I'm thinking back on the week and looking ahead to a new week. On the whole it wasn't a bad week but it wasn't a stellar one either. I'm okay with that. Next week I see Doc Smith my thyroid guy and hopefully, some decisions can be made and I can stop feeling so damned tired. I also have a round with bureaucracy scheduled which is never any fun. (I have to remember to take my panic attack meds before I begin to talk to them.)

* My paychecks from the Census Bureau are still screwed up. I know it will be straightened out eventually but in the meantime, I'm a bit short and determined not to take a nickel out of my savings. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for money to come out of your savings and how hard it is to put money into your savings? It's one of those cruel jokes of life.

* I bank online and was surprised to see a deposit for $125 credited to my checking account yesterday. I can't figure out where it's from so I tried the 800 number and got confused with all the you-know-what they wanted me to punch in so I guess I'll wait until Monday and call my branch and talk to a live person.

* Isaac was by last week and I guess he is doing okay. I miss him being around the 'hood. He told me he owes me some help around the house because he swears I overpaid him last time he helped me. What a kid!

* I actually started denting the disorder I call home. It's a miracle!!!! And I hope I can keep up the good work.

* Friday night Marcia and I went to the Cultural Center. We finally got to see the magnificent exhibit at the Art Museum. It's called "Kimono as Art: The Landscapes of Itchiku Kubota" and it is absolutely breathtaking. It's truly an honor for our little city to have it here because the only other time Kubota's work has been to the U.S. was in 1995 at The Smithsonian. What's interesting is that he uses silk kimonos as his canvas and his techniques is absolutely fascinating. I'm going back to see it again when I've more time. You can see and learn more here. Taking photos is not permitted. After we got done seeing the exhibit, we went over to the theater to see a play inspired by the exhibit. It was written, produced, and directed by Marcia's cousin who I call "the queen of local theater" as she has been involved in and promoting theater in our county seemingly forever. It was a pretty good play and we enjoyed it very much. Afterwards, we were starving -- neither of us had had dinner -- and decided to treat ourselves to good stuff. I had really wonderful crab cakes -- yum!!!!!

* Saturday night was symphony night and, as usual, it was excellent. The theme was Wagner's influences on the French composers. So the programme included Debussy, Chausson, and several others and the Overture and Venusberg music from Wagner's Tannhauser. It was a truly splendid performance. Afterward the concert, I was starving --again!-- and headed to my version of "Cheers" (everybody knows my name -- and I know theirs) for a sandwich and a beer. My friends Tim and Joe were there so I grabbed a stool by them and ordered and wound up staying a while. The conversation was, as usual, about guns but it turned to movies and comedians and actors. And a friendly argument broke out over Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" and I was charged with finding out who was right (Joe) since neither of the guys has a computer. Our discussions are always interesting because Joe is pushing eighty, I'm in my 60s, and Tim is in his 50s so we each represent a different point of view. The good news is we respect each other's opinions so it never gets nasty and it's always fun.

* Today I'm going over to Lynda's to drop off some stuff and get caught up on things about the neighborhood association after I run a couple errands. I'll probably wind up staying for dinner. One of these days I have to get it together and have them here because they're always feeding me.

Hope y'all have a great week ahead!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!

Symphony Night

Last night I went to our outstanding Symphony's performance. I am, as some of you know, a season ticket holder. It is one of the bright spots of my usually boring life. It's a chance to get dressed up and get to see people which is a nice break from my mostly solitary existence other than work and volunteer work.

It was another deep freeze day and inspite of my leaning toward hibernation, I dragged myself to the hairdresser because instead of just having the occasional "bad hair day", I was having a "bad hair life" and she actually managed to get my baby fine locks looking good. I usually leave a hairdresser disappointed but not this time. The best part is it's easy to manage. I wish I'd had someone to take a picture because I'm told that I really looked nice.

Saturday night at the Symphony is a "puttin' on the glitz" night. The rich ladies turn out in their designer ensembles and mink coats are common -- especially on a truly frigid night like we had. I can't compete with that but I do try to make a good showing. I wore a black long-sleeved beaded lace top with a long black velvet skirt and my dressup coat: white wool with black velvet collar and cuffs accented with a hot pink scarf for a touch of pizzazz.

One of the first people I saw was Ruth Mary who is nearly 90 and was a friend of my late mother-in-law and I know her children and grandchildren. Her daughter, Paula, owns a resale shop where I shop frequently and Ruth Mary helps out there. She grinned and asked where I got such a fabulous outfit knowing full well where I bought it. I complimented her on her really lovely sable coat. I don't usually like fur coats because they're so dreadfully bulky but hers was just perfect.

The programme was excellent. It opened with Berlioz's "Roman Carnival Overture" -- a really fun piece which set the tone for our guest artist. I like Berlioz a lot usually and this performance was no exception.

Our guest artist was Naoko Takada. She is a lovely young lady who performs concert marimba and has been playing it since she was eleven years old. I'd never really heard of (much less seen) concert marimba so it was a new experience in music for me. It was amazing listening to her as she performed "Prism Rhapsody" by Keiko Abe who is considered the pioneer of concert marimba and is also Ms. Takada's teacher of many years.

I was truly amazed watching her play with five(!) mallets and at the beauty of her performance. Our orchestra's accompaniment was outstanding as they met her energy note for note. I understand why she won the Young Concert Artists Prize in 2002. Our audience, as always, was appreciative and welcoming and the post concert comments were very positive. I hope we have her come again.

After intermission, the orchestra performed Richard Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben, op. 4" which featured our handsome young concertmaster in a truly stellar performance. I hope this was taped for his resume. Then again, I don't -- I don't want to lose him. Yeah, I know that's selfish and yeah, I wish him well as this performance showed that he is destined for greater things and i wish him well. I really loved this piece -- and I think the orchestra did, too, as it was (in my opinion) their finest performances of the season. I could tell Maestro was pleased because he looked positively ecstatic at the end. We in the audience gave them a well-deserved, very enthusiastic standing ovation. It was another night that reminded me how much enjoyment I get from the investment I made in my season tickets.

Afterwards, I met my friend Linda for a sandwich and a beer after she finished her day at work at the Sheriff's department at our (and everyone else's in town) favorite neighborhood pub. It was nice because she doesn't get out much. Her husband is a paraplegic from an industrial accident and she spends most of her non-working time with him.

It was a good Saturday night. I hope all you had a good Saturday night, too!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Update & a Couple Notes

I woke up this morning feeling like hell and decided that I had best make a list and do all the essential errands before I headed to the doctor. It seems I have an upper respiratory infection. It explains why I haven't felt well. I went to the doc and he gave me a scrip and told me to rest (what's that?) today and tomorrow and that I could go back to work on Wednesday. When I went to pick up my scrip for antibiotics, I stopped by for my favorite thing to eat when I am ill: Wonton soup and egg rolls from my fav takeout. I call it Chinese penicillin and it works a treat. Even better, it's right next door to my pharmacy. Cool, huh?

* One of best and most intelligent pieces I've read on the passing of the bailout bill can be read here in Congressman Ron Paul's weekly column. I like Ron even if I don't agee with him 100% but he does love the Constitution and often makes a great deal of sense. It angers me that our letters and emails to our senators and congressmen fell on deaf ears and that makes me very cranky. Bush's scare tactics worked and that, my friends, is so very sad.

* Last night I ignored not feeling well and attended the opening of our symphony's season. With what it costs for my season tickets (my favorite present to moi), I have to be in the hospital or dead to miss a single minute. It was a wonderful programme that opened with Leonard Bernstein's overture from Candide -- a whimsical delight! Next was Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 61 featuring the beautiful, nationally acclaimed violinist, Jennifer Frautschi, who received a standing ovation from our appreciative audience. I was interested in her violin because it was made by Antonio Stradivarius when he was in his 90s as those of us who attended the "prelude" -- where Maestro Zimmerman discussed the programme -- learned before the concert began. It's always a wonderful learning experience. After Intermission, the orchestra presented an excellent interpretation of Brahm's Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Opus 73 -- forty minutes of pure beauty. I'm no music critic but I loved this programme and if it's an indication of things to come, it's going to be an awesome season!!!!

* I posted this Jack Cafferty video a while back and I think it bears repeating although Hillary's out of the race. It points out our weaknesses as citizens and calls John McCain exactly what he is. Whaddaya think?



Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

Random Cranky (& Otherwise) Wintry Thoughts

It's been an interesting week. The weather has been nasty -- in the last 48 hours we've had snow, sleet, and freezing rain not to mention single digit temperatures. I am ready for some Spring. I want to go play in the park, dig up my flower beds and and get my front porch looking nice instead of windblown. I want to try out my new photography toys as I wander around the city. I'm tired of sweaters and bulky coats and boots. I want to stop replenishing my supply of sidewalk salt. Oh well -- today we're supposed to reach a balmy 34. Sigh

* I went to an Artist's Reception at the Art Institute last night. It was the opening of a very interesting exhibit by a local artist, Larry Pulka.  He builds beautiful, intricate, hand-carved models of historic ships from hardwoods. I was fascinated by it -- probably because the sort of patience required for such an undertaking is anathema to me. That there were a couple dozen of these magnificent models astounded me. 
I also took time to see another exhibition I really enjoyed by Cincinnati artist Eileen McConkey.  She calls herself an artist of space as her paintings are inspired by photos produced by astrophotography. I always have fun with that sort of thing. I call it participation art because to truly appreciate it, a body has to move around and look at it from every angle to get the full understanding of it. I'm sure some people think I'm nuts but it works for me. As usual there was a lovely wine and cheese buffet for the meet and greet with the artist. I find it interesting that the bulk of the attendees are elders. Don't young people appreciate the arts?

* Good news from Blogger!!!!! According to their Known Issues page, "Check Spelling" now works again. I gave it a trial run and it appears to be true. I am glad.

* The Ohio primary is coming up and I still can't decide who's going to get my vote. I might go over and put my two cents worth in at Obama's headquarters just for fun. Hillary snubbed us and put her office over in Massillon despite our city being the county seat. Funny because when I was a kid "winding up in Massillon" was not a good thing. It was the home of a state mental hospital that has since closed. I have no idea if McCain has set up shop anywhere in the county yet. If he has, it's a secret. Ron Paul hasn't an office but he has four groups of supporters who are making him known.

* I surprised myself at the office this week by walking in and switching to Spanish mode without even thinking about it.

* Speaking of the office, did you ever voluntarily take on a project to make someone else's life easier and find yourself buried by it? Guilty as charged. ;-)

* Kudos to the State of Ohio's excellent user-friendly OPLATES website. I got a notice in the mail that my license plates would expire in 90 days and discovered that I could renew my plates online with my debit card so I did immediately. No more standing in line at the BMV. Hallelujah!

* I think I've mentioned that I was been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a year ago due to nodules on my thyroid. My doctor doesn't seem to do or tell me much so I keep wading through the thousands of web pages about it. I finally found a page that actually lists the side effects of this crapola. Out of the 15 listed (of which one has not applicable) I have eight that I notice. They explain why I feel lousy and have for so long. I'm due to have a procedure done in a few months that will hopefully make me feel human again. In the meantime while they've been jacking me around, I've paid a price for it mentally, emotionally and physically and I'm angry. My next trick is finding a web page that tells me how to counteract these things.

* I found this video at YouTube and I hope y'all laugh as hard as I did!!!! Have a great weekend!!!!!!!

 

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay