Noel Studio

Here I am at Noel Studios in Zionsville. Yes, I'm that little old lady clutching her purse (who IS that?!). Marty and I met at the Eagle Creek Coffee Company yesterday and then went to an open house at "The Sanctuary", where the artist Nancy Noel had some of her pictures displayed and some for sale.

Let me tell you about the coffee place first. It's on a corner on Main St., which if you know Zionsville at all you realize that its location is a prime spot, right on the brick road that runs through the most attractive part of town, and where many small shops are located. It is fairly large and cozy at the same time. At 11:00 am it was nearly full of people of all ages sitting at small and larger size tables. Customers go to the counter to order breakfast, lunch or a snack, and one of many excellent coffees or other beverages. The waitresses are young and welcoming and take their time, calling out your name when your order is ready so you can pick it up or they can bring it to you... let me tell you, though, this is nothing like a fast food restaurant. Marty had a breakfast burrito and coffee (Mr. Healthy), and I splurged with a coffee mocha and a blueberry scone, yum.

From there we walked half a block to The Sanctuary to check out the open house. It is an old First Methodist Church, completely restored and brought up to code. The building is a wonder in itself and a "must see" if you are ever in the area. The walls were covered with Nancy Noel's art, some of the pictures huge and all beautifully lighted. She has a large collection featuring Amish children, another of angels (mostly small children with wings... you have to see them to appreciate), another of African women in tribal dress, and one of animals. Many of her prints were on sale because they were being discontinued.

Whoever is in charge of marketing for Noel is a wizard. Her website for online ordering is excellent, and she generates both email and newsletters on a regular basis. Besides originals and prints, one can buy notecards, personal calendar/journals, or books, and framing can be done on site. We saw her as we were leaving; she had arrived to sign prints that were purchased that day; she's a lovely woman in her late 40s or early 50s.

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day in Zionsville, the first one in a while, and spending time with Marty is always fun. He's always excited about something and/or learning something new, and yesterday it was his new wide angle camera lens. After a leisurely look at just about everything there was to see, Marty went home to football games and I drove back south, stopping at the WalMart in Bloomington, where everybody in southern Indiana was working hard to help the economy and bring up the value of WalMart stock.

Injury Time Out

I have an elliptical exerciser, one of those things that looks like it is part treadmill, part stair-stepper, part bicycle, and that comes close to simulating cross country skiing motions. In an attempt to get some muscle tone back, I decided to increase the tension levels and time spent. I went from tension setting #4 to #6 and from 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a week to 30 minutes twice a day. It was too much too soon and as a result I damaged something in my right ankle that brought everything to a halt. After a week of wearing an ankle brace and being very careful I am almost pain free. I'll be very conscious of exactly how and where I set that foot down for a while. Naturally I self diagnosed from the internet, decided what it was not (a break, a sprain, an Achilles tendon) and what it probably was (a muscle and/or ligament strain from overuse).

The elliptical itself was also a cause. The foot pads had loosened and were slipping forward as I walked (the right foot side especially), causing me to use my feet to hold them in place. I was wearing non-supportive slip on shoes. Then too, the exerciser was very close to the wall on the right side, which probably caused me to distribute my weight awkwardly. See top picture above... even the picture leans to the right ;-) Also! I always read while using the exerciser, holding the pages down with one hand or another, which probably caused an additional imbalance.

So today I moved the exerciser so it faces north, which will put my legs and arms away from the wall into a more open space. See second picture above. I removed the footpads and inserted a temporary cover over the remaining adhesive. I determined to wear supportive shoes while exercising and to make sure I was well balanced on the elliptical, not using one leg more than another, not turning my body at all and facing forward. I will, however, continue to read while exercising. After all, one of the major selling points was that it had a book rack.

Quilting

Yesterday I started a new project. Quilting. Over the years I've learned how to sew, knit, crochet, do embroidery, needlepoint and cross stitch, and have made everything from tiny doll clothes to huge comforters, but this will be my first time trying the quilt thing. My great and loyal friend, Catherine, has encouraged me to try this, and after seeing her wonderfully organized quilting room full of fabrics and supplies, not to mention her finished and in-progress quilts, I couldn't resist giving it a go. Even so, it has taken a long time for this project to grow legs and get started down the path. I've lurked around a couple quilting shops, not knowing what I'm looking for nor what I'm looking at, but fascinated nonetheless. Along the way I've picked up a cutting mat, a couple sizes of quality, razor-sharp fabric cutters, some patterns with detailed instructions and some fabric.

Finding myself between knitting projects, I dug out all that stuff, did some math, laid out my ideas on graph paper, and finally started cutting some squares. After a few stacks of fabric had piled up, I decided that I had gone beyond the fun part. It seemed like such a mindless effort, all that precise cutting. The next step would be to sew all those pieces together (more precision work, and likely to be frustrating considering my tendency to decide that close enough was good enough). Maybe the math part and the choosing fabrics part were the only best parts?

We'll see. Today I lay out the squares in the pattern I constructed, stack them up in rows, and finally start sewing. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a picture to post. One thing for sure, I'm going to have to put some music on to keep me awake. Right now it looks like a pretty boring exercise. :(

Lucas at 13 1/2

Lucas at 13 going on 23. Eric in the background. Both watching Notre Dame football. (Actually, it's a more thrilling game than it looks from this picture.) Hard to believe the grandsons are growing up so fast. I think Lucas is an inch or two taller here than he was a month ago... I have to go see him before it reaches the point that I can't recognize him!

Excellent Friends

Good friend Wilma and I, plus husbands, went out to dinner last night at a highly recommended but somewhat out of the way restaurant. The food was very good, but the company was the best. We started laughing before we got there and were still laughing when we got back home. Mike and his camera captured the spirit of the evening with this picture.

Excuse My Rant

Sorry, but I just have to comment about the economy. Personally, when Brian Williams or Jim Lehrer spends a half hour talking about how horrible things are I simply walk out of the room. Don't we already know how bad things are? Have you looked at your 401K or your IRA lately? Is there any wonder we are cutting back on our spending? Imagine working all your life and religiously setting aside money into savings that you couldn't really afford in order to have some semblance of a fund for your retirement years, only to watch those savings dwindle to half or less, finding out that after all you are going to have to keep working until you are 106 years old or dead. Forget watching sunsets from a desert isle (much less from a bathtub); you still have to get up and drag yourself to work forever and forever; that is, if you even have a job.

Economists are crying over the decrease in consumer spending; well, duh. Our local grocery store seems to be down to less than half of their usual customer base; at least when I am there the aisles are echo chambers. People are shopping sales and going to stores where you can get staples for much less, and a pretty good choice of brand and generic goods. The produce leaves something to be desired, but if you get there on delivery days it's not so bad. The dollar stores and St. Vincent's are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. St. V's is hurting for enough donations to fill the demand, which means people are reluctant to pass on what they have in case they are going to need it themselves down the road.

We got used to driving around less when the gas prices went through the roof. I think this encouraged less spending across the board; at least it made us aware that we could economize without too much distress. More people are shopping at WalMart stores, they say, but the last two times I went there it was not nearly as busy as before the "economic downturn". Those new WalMart shoppers will soon discover that the food prices are not that much less, not even enough to offset the gas burned to get there. Of course, I still have to go there if I want to get barley or our favorite rice or some of our favorite condiments, but it's easy enough to put those trips off for another week or two.

I find that I am shopping with a carefully constructed list, made after planning a week's meals, and if I find that something on the list is not available I just cross it off. If the broccoli looks yukky, I don't buy it. If the enchilada sauce cans are rusty or dented (and this is happening more and more as the retailers try to limit their own expenses!) I go back to making my own enchilada sauce or change the week's menu.

Remember the days when we would not buy any meat that cost over a dollar a pound? That's a joke now, for sure. Fortunately, Mike and I know how to stretch a dollar, we know how to cook from scratch, we like soups and stews, and we have always believed in "make do or do without". Now I can see that it is going to be a challenge to include all those expensive fruits and vegetables in our diet that is supposed to keep us healthy. They don't tend to be very filling, and the temptation is to fill up on starches and desserts.

This is a generalization, I know, and perhaps a little like a Pollyanna statement, but I believe that the American public is tough and resilient and capable of making changes (there's that word again... change) that make them proud of themselves rather than making them feel sorry for themselves. The sky is not falling; the world is not coming to an end; we shall overcome.

But that's just me.

Mike & Miki in B'town

Here's Mike, all aglow and very happy to be minus the nasty pain of a molar that was pulled by Dr. Howell in Bloomington. This nice doctor called last night to check on how Mike was doing, so I told him that Mike was doing well and that he was a tough old bird, which elicited a chuckle.


...and here is Miki, all sparkling and beautiful, our first-born, who took Mike out for breakfast at Bloomingfoods after the extraction. She is multi-talented and brilliant, of course, employed as managing editor extraordinaire at IU Press. She and Kevin are preparing Thanksgiving dinner for the family this year. Yea!

Backing Up

Mike came home from Bloomington today with this 400 gigabyte external hard drive, which he will use for a backup. It is also portable. Will wonders never cease? My nose is just slightly out of joint.

Some months ago, I bought this external hard drive for use with my computer. Even though it is bigger in actual size, it is only a 150 gigabyte, and would be awkward to lug around. I never thought I would need one with a higher capacity, but have used 36 of the 150 gigabytes already and am considering compressing the data to make more room. By the way, in case you're interested, I use software from Karenware called Karen's Replicator for backing up, and am quite happy with it. I also have two very portable 2.0 gigabyte USP flash drives that I use to back up Quick Books Pro and Quick Books Point of Sale... and other stuff I consider important. Ah, where would we be without our guru, Marty? Still in the dark ages, that's where. I have always considered Danielle to be our backup guru, and have no doubt that both Miki and Eric have outdistanced us by now.

Puzzle

Five days ago a bug sneaked up on me; whether it was a flu bug or a cold bug I'm not sure, but it laid me low in a hurry. After dragging around coughing for a day, I pulled out a new puzzle I had found at WalMart, thinking I might get back into a long-ago hobby. There was a time in my growing up years when a puzzle in progress could frequently be found on the back of the piano (it was a baby grand, so there was plenty of room for just about any size puzzle). Not wanting to exert any more energy than pulling out a new kneenex, working this puzzle was just what the doctor ordered (plus lots of liquids, sleep and Tylenol). For two days running, I could be found sitting at the table working on this puzzle. Just because my body and brain weren't working didn't mean that my eyes and fingers couldn't operate with efficiency. When I felt like living again, there were only a dozen pieces left. Mike couldn't resist and sneaked over in the middle of the night and finished it! Now I'm reluctant to put it back into the box; it's such a great picture of Times Square. Bet I could find another puzzle at the store, just in case I ever get sick again and need it.

I, Me, My, Our, Us

It was probably older son Marty who sent along a fascinating study about how many times people (bloggers in particular?) use personal pronouns, referring to themselves rather than to others or to places, things, ideas and so on. It has made me self-conscious about all communication, not only blogging but talking as well. It also reminded me of the unfortunate day when my mother said (not knowing it would stay with me forever) that I was the most selfish person she had ever known. Ouch. Once during grade school one of the good nuns saw something in me that prompted her to require me to write 100 times, "Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine." Ouch again. My apparent lack of humility was solidified when a friend told me that "it was always about me". Triple ouch.

So okay, I'm old enough and strong enough to start denying the power those comments had over me. After all, my blog is supposed to be about me, right? Right. The assumption that anyone even reads my blog or that they might give a hoot is selfish in itself. I think I've probably spent much of my life trying to be accommodating and self-effacing and humble in order to live down what felt like others' bad opinions of me.... and probably it's time to stop doing that.

I just counted 20 personal pronouns in this post. Oh, well. ;)

Colors

Aptly named, the burning bush provides splashes of lush red in Autumn, and never ceases to amaze as we glimpse it in passing. These bushes serve as 150 yd. markers on our golf course; our neighbor has a huge burning bush in his yard; we have three smaller ones.

The delicate pale gray-green of the herbal sage plant is one of my favorite colors. I matched the color when I painted the master bedroom, and it is very restful, seeming a cool color in summer and warm in winter. (Now if it only had the scent of true sage, which grows in the foothills of Idaho where I grew up, it would be perfect.) The blossoms on the herbal sage are a sweet shade of lavender.

Who doesn’t love the brilliant yellows and oranges of marigolds? They seem to thrive anywhere and are touted as good companion plants, and as bug deterrents as well. What’s more, it’s simple to harvest the seeds at the end of summer for assuring another crop next year. The garden was full of them this year, and they looked fabulous next to the lavender and purple blossoms of the volunteer cosmos, both of which thrived in spite of the lack of rain. Flowers far outdistanced vegetables in production and general health this summer.

After the dry summer, we didn’t expect much in the way of colorful leaves this fall, but were granted instead some of the most beautifully muted, soft and luscious colors. The maples tried hard to provide their usual yellow and red, and all of the native trees did their best, managing to come up with sensuous golds and tans and rusts that made this Autumn very special after all.

Though I wasn’t sure if it would survive in this zone, I planted a crape myrtle on the south side of our small metal shed several years ago and placed an old window pane behind it, hoping that the sun would warm it and keep it alive year round. It’s growing slowly and really needs to be transplanted to richer soil, but just look how the shadows play against the shed and what a lovely color the leaves are!

The two dwarf azaleas that grace the railing around the back patio have leaves that darken in the fall to a rich, deep purple. One of these bushes blooms a delicious rose pink and the other a delicate shade of red orange. This profusion of color is a welcome delight in the spring.

After the official closing on our Loogootee house, the previous owner mentioned bleakly that she hoped I liked gardening as much as she did. At the time I consoled her with “Oh yes, I do like to garden,” fervently wishing she wouldn’t hold me to it. After 25 years of painstakingly tilling the soil and trying to live off our land along the Lost River, it was not my wish to do more of the same. Later I found that she had planted perennials and ground cover around the house, most of which were in some shade of pink, lavender or purple. It was a charming touch to a wonderful house. Gardening in lavender definitely has its appeal.

Change of seasons

Mother Nature seems to be right in the swing of things, being the originator of "change", which is the catch word of this election season. It's been a weird year altogether, weather-wise, what with climate change and all. A wet spring, a dry summer, and now we're enjoying Indian summer, one of my favorite times of year.

Our apple tree went berserk this year and Mike is still picking perfect apples off the ground. For a while, he had them strung along the patio railing. In spite of the weather my flowers thrived, and the scraggly rose at the southeast corner of the house is still blooming like there was no tomorrow. I keep thinking I've seen the last rose of summer but then lots of new buds arrive.

Concentrate on the simple gifts of sky and trees and flowers, small children and animals, and try to calm your mind before you go into the voting booth on Tuesday. ;)

Chapter Coordinator?

After my last visit to the Indianapolis chapter of Project Linus, the coordinator contacted me and asked if I would like to start a chapter here in Loogootee. She knew that I drove 2-1/2 hours to and from her meeting place, and she had received phone calls and emails from people in Evansville and Vincennes who were looking for a chapter closer to home.

Oh, boy. My first reaction was a groan. Second, I checked out the website and discovered what was involved with starting a new chapter. Third, I talked it over with Mike who was excited and came up with all sorts of ideas and a huge pot full of encouragement. I almost succumbed. We make a habit of "sleeping on it" whenever there is a decision like this to be made, so I slept on it for three nights.

The details of starting a new chapter were daunting: raising start up money and annual expense money, recruiting members, finding a storage facility and a meeting place, contacting and establishing a relationship with recipients (hospitals, shelters, etc.), inspecting blankets and attaching labels, delivering to organizations and facilities in need, meeting annual goals, submitting quarterly and annual reports... it all began to sound suspiciously like a "job".

So, even though I was flattered and honored to be asked, I declined the offer. It's just too nice to revel in my new-found freedom to do what I want when I want to do it, or to simply do nothing at all except watch the grass grow, the flowers bloom, and the birds at their feeders. I'm just not ready yet, though it is curious that as soon as I considered volunteering, here came an opportunity plop in my lap!

Heifer International

There are so many ways to donate our time and money. Lately, the presidential candidates are begging for my help, but I'm trying to recover from "election addiction", mainly by refusing to answer the phone and by severely limiting my reading of election headlines, and also by concentrating on other worthy causes.

Some years ago, I discovered Heifer International, through which one can "buy" a share of a farm animal (cow, goat, pig, duck, chicken, rabbit) that will be given to an individual or a family, and this gift "makes it possible for... (the) impoverished around the world to feed themselves. That kind of self-reliance leads to self-respect, and a future worth living for. Heifer International isn't just about sustainable farming, they're about sustainable lives." It sounded good to me, so all those on my Christmas gift list that year got a card showing that they had bought, for example, half of a goat. "What??!!", they exclaimed.

Though it's still a worthy cause (providing aid to Albania, Peru, Kosovo, Tanzania, and Cambodia, to name a few), I was then and I am now thinking there must be some equally needy people and worthy causes right here in America. "Google it!"
Maybe look up 501(c) organizations?

Project Linus

Project Linus is not exactly a household term, but there are still many people who know what it is. If you recall, the cartoon character Linus had his very own special blanket that he carried everywhere. When his mother put it in the washer, there was no comforting him until it was back in his hands. Project Linus is an organization that makes blankets for children, youngsters, teens and even adults who are ill or who have been injured or traumatized in some way. There are chapters all across the country that organize the members and collect the blankets for distribution to hospitals and shelters or anywhere they are needed. Hundreds of blankets from Project Linus went to the victims of Katrina, for example. You can imagine the need when you think about the many people needing comfort, including families of injured or deceased soldiers.

For several years now, I’ve been making blankets of all sizes with flannel or fleece or yarn, and next I will try quilting. On Saturday there was a meeting of Project Linus volunteers in Indianapolis, where I met new members and became reacquainted with those I met last year. Over 200 blankets were turned in that day. One member showed us how to make a “tied quilt” and others sewed on labels. Donated materials were there for the taking. It was a very informal meeting with several conversations going on at the same time, people coming in and out, with cookies and chips and soft drinks making the rounds. We exchanged patterns and ideas and website information, and came away richer by far.

The sense of belonging and of accomplishment I get through this organization is amazing. It’s totally non-profit, there are no production guidelines or deadlines, no demands or requirements or quarterly reviews (!) from the “boss”. The local chairperson, for lack of a better name, reminds us of certain quality and safety standards, organizes the distribution of the blankets, and hosts a meeting a couple times a year. Another unexpected reward is the thank-you notes from recipients. Some are heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Receiving a special, personal blanket at a time of pain or grief can make a huge difference.

Check it out here

TED, a documentary

We watched a wonderful documentary from Netflix the other night entitled "The Future We will Create: Inside the World of TED", which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Filmed in 2006, it showed how 1000 people from all over the world attended a 3-5 day meeting which is held annually, some of whom had been invited to deliver an 18 minute presentation about what they had done, or learned, or caused to happen, or become interested in during the previous year. Some of the invitees had been there as many as 15 times but most were there for the first time. The focus is on how the world is growing smaller and we are all one family.

There was a fascinating visual presentation of data on poverty, wealth and family size that showed how the countries of the world are becoming more similar. A presenter from the Bronx talked about how her community got together and created a magnificent park in what had been a slum area. A poet delivered an amazing poem about changing the world for the better. A woman spoke of a new, sustainable smokeless fuel made from natural products that can prevent the death of children around the world who would otherwise die from inhaling the smoke of indoor cooking fires. An 11-yr. old Chinese girl played her violin exquisitely, moving many of the audience to tears. A man told of housing that is made from local materials and designed for temporary use by people around the world who have suffered displacement because of natural or man-made disasters. New technologies were presented, many of which were very new in 2006 but are in use now in 2008.

Most impressive to me was the imagination, enthusiasm and resourcefulness of these very special people who were gathered together in one place to share their passion for changing our world. Not only did they "think outside of the box", they created without a box at all. They not only shared their own ingenuity, they also learned of others with whom they could join forces, who were on the same track and had the same desire to improve every level of our lives. I was thrilled at the concept, and inspired to get involved somehow in projects where I can participate in this excitement. Perhaps locally Habitat for Humanity is a possibility.

Another way to help improve others’ lives around the world is through a group called “Kiva”, in which son Marty has been involved for several years. A small donation helps an individual organize a business that can help them sell a product or service that will provide them with an income, as well as provide needed assistance and inspiration to their community. Go here for more information about Kiva.

Dentistry

This goes into the "learning something new every day" category. My six-month visit to the dentist today revealed a problem called "tooth resorption", so I just googled it and sure enough, the dentist was right again. The cells around one of my teeth are dissolving it, "reabsorbing" it back into my body. The condition is rare, but lucky me has it. There is external resorption (which I present) and internal resorption which starts inside the tooth. Mine can be thwarted at least temporarily with a special filling; if it were internal, a root canal would be necessary. No one was any more surprised than my dentist, who in 20 plus years has not found so much as a single cavity in my mouth.

I learned that before a child loses a baby tooth and gets a permanent tooth, the roots of the baby tooth are partially or completely reabsorbed into the body, and now I know why baby teeth have no roots! So, anyway, I get to go back to see the dentist in December... his first open appointment... amazing.

Since going to the dentist has never been my favorite thing, I always balance out the experience with a treat, and since I love ice cream it is usually a small milkshake. Today I splurged and got a medium sized one, Jamocha flavor no less. Yum.

GrandGirls

 
 

Look at these darling cuties; they're Danielle's daughters and MY GrandGirls, Leah 3 and Naomi 4. Both of them brilliant and spunky and vibrant and so excited about life they never want to miss anything. They have two very different personalities, and I treasure them both.

GrandBoys

 

Grandchildren are wonderful. Here's a picture of me with Ian 8 and Lucas 13. We had gone out to breakfast in town and our next stop was the golf course, where Lucas and I played 9 holes and Ian watched cartoons on TV. It's impossible to explain the depth of love I have for these guys; what's nice, though, is that I think they both know it. Being alive and well and able to watch them grow is pure gift; perhaps my heavenly reward on earth. Lest I wax philosophic, just let me say they're really cool kids.

Differences

Each of is different and unique, and usually things work better that way. Who would want everyone to be the same? Mike and I were talking about our own differences, our different parenting techniques, our different outlook on life in general, and how that's worked in our lives together. Sometimes we agree to disagree (trying not to be disagreeable in the process) and sometimes we actually manage to have a mutual admiration society going. It's always seemed to me that he has a special knack for seeing his life as a series of adventures, and when the kids were little he encouraged them to make whatever they were doing fun. When I brought that up, he said, "Yes, it will get you to the next rock." Now here's an example of how different we are: When he made that comment my first thought was of the Greek myth about Sisyphus whom the gods condemned to ceaselessly push a rock to the top of a mountain, only to see it roll back down. "No," he said, "I mean like a rock to use as a stepping stone."

Vive la difference.