Taking a Break from the Grandmothers

I need to find a couple of photos in the storage box that I want to share with you. So my grandmother saga is on hold for a brief time.

Instead, I'll tell you a bit about my week. I signed up to take a class from Ali Edwards of Designer Digital called "A Week in the Life." One is supposed to record the ordinary goings on in one's life for this week, and so far it has been quite a blast.

On Monday I went with two friends to a rehearsal of the local Chamber Music group that has an annual festival. There was a talk beforehand, and then we were treated to the most wonderful music! It was Opus 1 from a Hungarian composer I had never heard--or heard of-- before, and I must say I have been missing something! It was a Piano Quintet, which doesn't mean five pianos, but one piano, two violins, a viola, and a cello.

This is the piece and the cast of musicians, from the program  for June 25

This music is amazing, and the musicians certainly did it justice. I was really glad to get to hear them! 

I saw a T-shirt in the gift area that I later decided would be perfect for my viola-playing grandson. Of course I didn't think about actually buying it (I did take its picture) until we had left. But one phone call to my friend who had suggested we go to the rehearsal, and who had a ticket for the concert, and it was arranged! She e-mailed me that the deed was done; I'll pick it up at our regular meeting next Monday!

The T-shirt for my grandson

Tuesday was a full, but fun, day. I had planned to go to ArtWorks, where I teach, to "play" with my friend Meredith, and to exchange tips and tricks on antiquing with metal salts and solutions on various surfaces with my friend Tonnie. We had a wonderful time. Tonnie brought her Vagabond (an electric die-cutting machine designed for Sizzix by Tim Holtz) and lots of metal to run through it with texture plates. I brought the antiquing paints and solutions. We spent a happy three hours making samples and pieces to use in our art. Meanwhile, Meredith was tarting up a nine-foot umbrella she had agreed to contribute to a local Junk-o-rama. We did manage to squeeze in lunch.

Meredith is hard at work on the umbrella; Tonnie is in the background

Some of the samples Tonnie made were awesome--I mainly spread some gels out to make skins and worked on experiments with the antiquing stuff and heavy interfacing.

A piece of copper Tonnie embossed and antiqued

My antiqued interfacing

I also stenciled some antiquing stuff on gessoed canvas; it will eventually become a book cover, I think.

Stenciled canvas; rusted iron and patinated copper

After that, Meredith and I went to Seattle to our regular Belltown Book Arts group meeting. We had dinner first at the BellThai, which is a routine with us now. Then we went on to Uptown Espresso for our meeting. Unfortunately, the city of Seattle has seen fit to jack up the parking prices and keep the meters in force until 8 PM instead of 6, which covers most of the time we meet. This means we may have to find a new meeting place--after six years. Most of us are barely able to pay the current fee.

Belltown Bookies Meredith, Liz and Michael

Today was interesting. I didn't go anywhere (imagine! I stayed home!), but the Xfinity man was coming to re-do our internet and phone lash-up  So I had a few re-arrangements to take care of in the computer room, so he could get to the wall and an electric outlet. He was right on time, and I got his permission to photograph him for my Week In The Life project. I also photographed his truck.

Here is the Xfinity Guy, drilling a hole in the wall

This is the hole; that's daylight in the hole

And this is a sign on his truck.

It took him awhile, but he eventually got everything installed and working. And of course, as soon as he left, it stopped working. Luckily, I still have my connections, but my poor husband is still frantically trying to solve his problems. Isn't technology wonderful?

Here is my frustrated husband, trying to get things working

But it works for me!

I hope he gets the problem solved before too long--he is very grumpy when having technical difficulties!

Bye for now!  Nan