Cheers

Excess, for Illustration Friday. Mixed media Clay, collage, paint, digital. By Mary Stebbins Taitt. Have a great holiday season without TOO much Excess, LOL!

This, like much of my work, is an ongoing project. I don't work as fast as some people seem to. See earlier drafts. See detail.

The Dead of Night

Because I suffer from insomnia, I am often up in the dead of night.
Sometimes I take pictures, but I decided not to include those.

These pictures, for Photo Friday are:

1)Industrial Night (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). Taken on a very cold night with a tripod.
2)The Dunes by Moon and starlight. (At the Pinery) I have lighter versions of this but I chose one of the darker ones for DEAD of night. The longer the time exposure, the more like day it looked.
3)A postcard I made of a farm at night
4)Biker Buddy and Piano Boy arriving home at night.

(all by me--click images to view larger.).

Cat Mischief

Monday, August 21, 1961

First, Taffy peed on the mantle and the paint came off.  Mom was mad but I laughed my head off.  Then, she peed in my prize cactus.  I was furious and there stood Ma, guffawing.  Taffy chewed a hole in a bag of potting soil and spread dirt all over.  And that was just the beginning.

The Grownups Code of Laws

September 30, 1961 (from Mary's Diary):

1. All grownups must curb a child's natural curiosity by saying "don't be fresh" to anything he says.
2. All grownups must never allow a child to have anything he wants even if the grownup shall want it too.
3. All grownups must accuse children of doing things they didn't do and then not allow them to defend themselves by saying, "Don't be fresh."
4. All grownups must try their best to poison children by feeding them garbage like rotten bananas that cannot be eaten without gagging. (Grownups need not eat anything unless they want to.)
5. All grownups must force kids to go to bed at outrageously early hours, even on weekends.
6. All grownups must be slave-drivers. It is necessary to make kids work, especially if they have other plans.
7. All grownups must not allow children to have any responsibility and must constantly remind them of their jobs even though the children are capable of doing them without prodding.
8. All grownups must remember never to be impartial and must always favor one child over another and be strictly unfair to one of them.

by Mother Dear and Father Dear

Gibby and Fender

I wanted to be home yesterday by 3:25 or earlier and thought I might be able to do it, but there was a weirdo in the woods and I took a long cut to avoid him.  Heard some dogs barking in a distressed way.  Shortly later, when I came out on the street, a woman on the next road over yelled over to me to ask if I'd seen two beagles. 

"No," I said, "what should I do if I see them?"

"Take them to the police station.  Their names are Gibby and Fender.  They're harmless."  After she'd driven away, I remembered the barking I'd heard--but she was gone.  Anyway, could have been anything,  Someone else's dogs, guard dogs etc.

I walked back the long way all the way around the old closed zoo--and kept hearing the distressed dogs barking--from inside the zoo fence.  I went to the fence and called "Gibby, Fender."  They stopped howling and began yipping excitingly.  There was a bunch of scrabbling noises, but no dogs appeared.  I kept hearing them all around the zoo.  But I never saw them.

When I got back to the car, I drove all around the Island to the police station and told two people about the woman who'd lost two dogs. 

"Did you see them?"

"No, but I heard two dogs inside the old zoo."

I was afraid they'd say they had guard dogs int here, but they were very happy, said there were no guard dogs and said they'd call the woman.  She'd been there to report it.

I was late getting home and never found out what happened.  Was it Gibby and Fender--named apparently after guitars--and were they okay and did they get reunited with their owner?  I hope so. 

It reminds me of two other stories I don't have time to tell.  Two other unresolved stories--unresolved for me.  I wish I could hear a happy ending.  Three happy endings.

Meanwhile, hope you're having very happy middles!

Multitasking with ADHD

I decide to make some quick whole grain pancakes for lunch, but the rice milk was still on the table from breakfast (DOH!), so I went to get it but when got there I saw the laptop remembered that I had promised SC I would send him something so I started quick to do that, but the power went out and destroyed what I was writing and turned off the wireless upstairs so the internet wouldn't work so I ran up turn it back on and there was billows of smoke up there--YIKES!  I had turned the burner on to heat for my pancakes!  I had to run down and start all over.  This reminds me of a forward that was supposed to be funny only sadly, it was real.  YIKES!

Bear Block

I'm getting fewer emails and fewer comments on my blogs. I think people are busy with the holidays and their lives, and also that the internet may be tarnishing a little. Or, nobody loves me any more,. Maybe that's it.

I've sure been busy. I've created a pattern, transferred the pattern to a black and carved this block which I hope to be part of my Christmas card. What--I'm not happy with the painting I made? (I am.) Why do I need to do a block print TOO? Sigh. I'm crazy, I guess. I made them for years, first with my friend Rebecca (Becky then) and then with my friend Judy, who has also passed, and then with Heidi (who moved away). It's more fun to do it with other people. I have no real friends in Auto City! Wahn.

I haven't printed this yet. Have search boxes for my old ink or drive out and get new ink.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday season and doing fun things with friends and family.

Easy as pie: Bumbleberry X2

I had three Thanksgivings this year, one in Snowstorm City and two in Auto City. I made a form of Bumbleberry pie for each, but the first was really more apple cranberry. If you happen to like pie--and I do--you can make yourself a pie any time, not just at Thanksgiving.

You know the saying, "Easy as Pie?" It is pretty easy.

The hardest step is the crust. (There is a nice recipe on crisco cans or oil crusts are good too). Getting the texture just right and rolling it out does take a little practice. BUT if this is too hard--you can buy premade crusts in both the refrigerator and freezer sections of most grocery stores.

Once you have the crust, the rest is truly easy, if somewhat time consuming. You simply peel and cut up whatever fruit you want to use. For bumbleberry pie, use apples, and whatever fresh berries are available. I used strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries. Add 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (cloves opt), a dab of butter or a little oil, cover with another crust or lattice, and bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes. Set the timer for 30. Cover with foil and remove at 30 minutes, then bake 10-15 more until it browns and bubbles. Voila, pie! If I can do it, ANYONE can!

Sorry these pix aren't that great, it was a dark day and I didn't want to use flash.

Stealing my own Thunder: Happy Holidays

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Joyous Solstice and that 2008 is your best year yet.

This is my holiday painting for 2007, so now you know. It comes with my best wishes.

This has been a multi-day project making the art and designing the card. Click image to view larger.

Mary

Grandbaby and me

Yesterday at the Third Thanksgiving. Photo by Biker Buddy.

Roses again

These are the same roses ML picked on Thanksgiving Day two days later at our next Thanksgiving. Click images to view larger.

The Bumbleberry Pie

I took a series for a recipe session, but it's on the lost camera. So
here is the pie just before going in the oven and just before eating
yesterday (for our third thanksgiving). It was delightful--found some
good respberries so it had apples, raspberries, blueberries,
cranberres and strawberries. Yum.

G is for Girl

The meme/alphabet book continues. This is my granddaughter, soccer girl.

I love my granddaughter. YAY!

Months Meme

From Nix via Joy.

All the highlighted words is true I think, that's what I feel

Rules:

- Pick your birth month.
- Bold the 5-10 that best apply to you.
- Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months. 
- Tag 12 people from your friends list.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally (used to be cute). Firm Standpoint.(sometimes) Needs no motivation(If interested.).  Easily consoled (sometimes, if you know how). Systematic (left brain)(But also very right brain.). Loves to dream. Strong (some) clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. (have bad arthritis and pinched nerve in neck, also neck pain from tight muscles) Good imagination. (Pretty) Good physical. Weak breathing (have asthma and hay fever). Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. (but sometimes easily distracted!) High spirited. Spendthrift (occasionally, but more often frugal!).

I don't think I am hard-hearted!  (I hope not!)

I'm tagging: Berrybird, Nadine, Blue Rose, Coffeypot, and YOU if you are reading this.  (jo(e), who prolly has better things to write about!)

****************************************************
JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Two

Two Roses picked outdoors on Thanksgiving Day in spite of the snow, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. Taken after our Thanksgiving Dinner at ML's. Click image to view larger. For PhotoFriday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hope you and yours have a great day and have lots to be thankful for.

I'm thankful that the pie and cranberry salad came out good, but the
cookies arenb't so good--they came out too flat. :-( I hope they
taste OK and all your food is good too and if you don't celebrate,
have a great day anyway!

Cooking today

I'm cooking today to get a head start on tomorrow.  That is, if I ever get away from the computer.  But first, a yummy omelet and some blueberry pancakes.

Along the Grindstone Marsh Trail

No Polar is supposed to be my "Master Blog" by which I mean it's theoretically my main blog, but I prolly post as much or more to some of my other blogs. To see some of the birds (and squirrels) I posted to Silk Creek Portal from our recent trip to Hamilton, click here. (A single click away, LOL!)

The Last time I saw Rebecca

Three shots from my last visit with Rebecca (who used to be Becky).
This goes with yesterday's post.

A Paint Daub Orchid

I made this orchid in Photoshop, not using the paint daub *FILTER* in Photoshop, but
by applying "paint daubs" one daub at a time.

Hamilton

This is from 2005. When we went back this year, there was no water at
this falls. WHY? Global warming? Or?

(Of course, you can't see the water in this shot, but there was some!)

The Floodgate Corner

Biker Buddy and I, visiting in another city, just drove past the corner where Becky got mugged almost exactly thirty-eight years ago. It's no longer considered PC in some corners to mention race or ethnicity when describing a crime, so I will just say that she was surrounded by a number of youths whose skin color and manner of speech was different than her own. She was in tears when she came to our apartment, a block away. They had reached inside her bra, looking for money or copping a feel. Or both. They had taken what little money she had. We weren't rich. Every penny was important.

I made her a cup of tea with oranges and gave her a homemade cookie. We lived in a sunny basement apartment with large windows and large windowsills. We filled the windows with plants. Becky made salads and I made brown rice and oatmeal cookies. She swept the rugs every day with a broom because we did not have a vacuum cleaner.

Becky was an art student at famous orange university. I was a wildlife management major at small green stumpy school. I liked to draw and she liked nature and we both liked boys so it worked out great. We got along famously. She liked my friends and I liked hers. We had lived together before at the hippie house in Waterfalls Town.

We walked to school up through Woods-Hill cemetery where another girl our age was kidnapped, raped and murdered and lay all winter in the cemetery just a few feet from our route to school. We didn't see her. But we got the willies when she was found there. I had stopped right there to take pictures of the old barn that served as a storage area for cemetery equipment, grave diggers and tractors.

One night, Ray and Jean came over and we all of took pictures with new macro lenses of eyes and lips and noses and nipples and flowers. I still have those pictures. Becky had such pretty eyes. Such perfect eyebrows.

Becky went off to the Boston Museum school of fine arts, to New Denver and then to Victoria BC. It was during the Vietnam war and she joined a group of friends fleeing the draft and the war. She became an expat, a landed immigrant in Canada, a Canadian citizen, and an exceptionally good artist. We stayed in touch for over thirty years and I went out to visit her recently. She was as vivacious, energetic, talented and sweet as ever. We climbed around on rocks at a waterfall, flirted with a man we met driving to Vancouver, walked all day in the Botanical Gardens. She seemed the very picture of good health, but shortly after I returned home, she died of cancer. I was bereft.

Funny how a nondescript corner in a city where I no longer live can set off so many memories. Names and more names come flooding in: Lou Chagnon, Phillip DeWitt, Ray Curran, Jean Kilquist, Mark S, John Morrison, Chris Burnett, Joli Greene and Craig Greene, who we also lost to cancer (another story for another day). And on and on, floodgates of memory thrown open by a simple corner. A nothing corner.

Sunday, November 18, 2007, Mary Stebbins Taitt

joining the freeze your buns campaign

I've been on the freeze your buns campaign for years, but when I moved in with Biker Buddy, he and Piano Boy were cavorting around the house in their skivvies--in the WINTER. Horrors, how unenvironmental! Needless to say, things changed around here, and every winter, including this one, we've lowered the temperature a little. Biker Buddy is happy with the financial savings and I am happy to think we are adding the minimum amount to the heat pollution and general pollution of the world. Also, I think it is healthier to minimize the difference between internal and external temperatures and summer and winter. Too hot in the winter and too cold in the summer is environmentally stupid and physically unhealthy.

We are also shifting more and more to organic local foods. Organic means fewer toxins in the body and fewer poisons in soil air and water and local means less fossil fuels burned and fewer pollutants produced moving the food. We compost and recycle and do as much as we can in other ways, too.

B is for Boy

B is for Boy--the second in my new Meme of things I like and love from the alphabet. I love this boy, my sweet Grandson. He's a real darling boy and I am not even prejudiced or anything! He's a sweetie. Click image to view larger.

S is for Sun

Remember that meme I started working on with the letters of the alphabet? If you don't, I don't blame you; it was a while back. I was working backwards and got stuck on X and then I was traveling to Hamilton and NY and never got back to it. I decided to do it out of order--on a whim. By my delight. AND if I complete it, I am going to make a little book out of it for my grandchildren. So some of the pictures will have them in it. Here's the first of the new series. I
want them to be "works of art" so to speak, since I want to make a little book out of them.

OH, for the meme, I was supposed to say things I liked and I do like sunshine and sunflowers. Especially in the cooler weather (the sunshine, that is.) It's warming and cheery and pleasing. I love the cheery sunshine and the cheery sunflowers and I love the way the sunflowers follow the sun. And I love the spiral design made by the seeds in the center of the seedhead. As always, click image to view larger.

I also decided not to necessarily confine the book to one page per letter. Here is S is for Squirrel.

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast

Yesterday we had our family Thanksgiving at Daughter 1's house.  Daughter 2 was there too, and daughter 1's partner.  And Biker Buddy.  We made the whole traditional meal:  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, cranberry sauce, cranberry bread, various wines, beers and sparkling grape, two kinds of apple pies and pumpkin pie.  We cooked all day and were so busy I didn't take a single picture.  This morning, it's pumpkin pie for breakfast.  Why not?  Eggs, pumpkin, rice-milk, sugar, flour.  Mmmm.  Delicious.

the wastebeds

These are the wastebeds from the Solvay Process in Solvay, NY, covered with the first good snow of the year. We went hiking up here yesterday in search of the rubber face of a dead lady with a rat coming out of its mouth for an artist friend, but we couldn't find it. The snow didn't help. The mask-like rubber face was from a Halloween event at the fairgrounds and we'd seen it on a prior trip but didn't get it because we didn't know anyone wanted it.

assistance with the apple pie

I started cooking for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Feast today. I got some
help from Rhea. Photo by Biker Buddy.

Winter Outing with jo(e)

We met for breakfast and then took a walk in the snow going from the warmth and happy companionship of eggs and homefries to the blustery wind and pelting snow. But we talked and talked and talked and walked further than we intended. It was so nice to spend time together and we had so much to say to each other. The wind and cold and snow didn't stop the warmth of love and friendship.

At my opening

I had a great time at the Westcott Community Gallery tonight visiting
with the wonderful supportive people who came to see me.

1)Me and my work.
2)Ann Ballard and me.
3)Jackie, me and Jacob.

I'm still in Syracuse and my internet access is very limited. Photos by Biker Buddy. Click to view larger.

Stupid distractions

I have ADHD and cannot seem to concentrate on doing what I need to do
no matter what. I'll be working away and have an idea and I go off
on a tangent. If something didn't bring me back to earth I might be
lost out there in la la land forever.

A while ago, while visiting, I made a little clay face. I
photographed it and then later, I gave my cloy face a forehead--as he
didn't have one. Today, I gave him eyes and dorked around with his
beard. Did I need to be doing that? Absolutely NOT! Aiee. OK, off
to the store, we have nothing for dinner! And I need to get sandwich
meat to eat in the car tomorrow. Long Drive! Bye now.

I'll be gone til Monday, may not be able to get on-line.

down

leaves keep drifting down past the window and it looks like it's snowing

An Invitation

If you just happen to be in the Syracuse area on Thursday evening,
stop by for an opening. Six of my pictures will be showing. YAY!

This is sort of hard to read so I made a new one here.

fluid time

I have about an hour and a half before Piano Boy gets home from school.  I like to be here when he arrives to give him some direction and guidance (e.g.:  GET TO WORK ON THAT HOMEWORK!) and then about an hour and a half before we have to leave for another hour and a half plus to take him to his piano lesson.  During each of those time slots, I have a long list of things I need to accomplish and things I want to do!  AK!  Remind me, please, to stay off the computer of I will NEVER get anything done. AK!  Blogging is time-sink hell!

The time is fluid, expanding and contracting depending on what I am working on.  But when I start blogging or reading blogs, it all runs down the drain!

The Melancholy Season

November is deeply beautiful in a melancholy way. I love the fall
colors, even the fading ones, and the newly bared trees. They are so
beautiful it makes my heart hurt.

I took these in Hamilton. Now we are home, but leaving Thursday
morning for upstate New York to attend an opening at Westcott Gallery
that contains six of my paintings. While we are there, we will
celebrate a sort of thanksgiving and visit with various family
members, friends and bloggers. We'll be back again next Monday.

Click images to view a little larger.

A Postcard from Hamilton: The Grindstone Marsh Trail

The animals along the Grindstone Marsh Trail are very well fed by the
people who walk there and thus are very tame. I was fascinated by the
huge wake left by one duck.