Leaping through the Sunset

Leaping Through the Sunset, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, a variation on
Leap (for Illustration Friday). Click image to view larger.

Geraldine, 1958

3 unfinished sketches (versions)

Wordless Wednesday: On Ice

(click images to view larger)(for Wordless Wednesdays, see more here)

ABC Wednesdays, F

F is for

1 & 2: FORD, Ford Rouge Plant, Edsel and Eleanor Ford Gatehouse. (See more rouge plant pictures.)
3: Fun, people waiting for their scores at laser tag
4: fingers
5: food, and what better food for happy kids than pizza?
6: feet
7: fishing

Please go to Mrs. Nesbitt's place to participate in the ABC Wednesday project.

Weekly word challenge 24: Wood and Metal

A newly made wooden barn, a tree--now that's wood (lol)(Obviously an archive shot--from Oakwood in Syracuse), the Ambassador Bridge, the Ford Rouge Plant.

Want to join the fun?

Another weight Loss! YAY!

Another weight Loss!  YAY!

In four days since my last weigh-in, I lost 3.2 pounds, in SPITE of going to a party on Sunday and significantly overeating.  Or, maybe because of it.  I got very sick and was sick Sunday night, all day yesterday, and am still sick.  I didn't eat much yesterday and lost a lot of what I had eaten.  But there is a silver lining to certain clouds.  Instead of gaining weight, which I probably would have, I lost weight, which is good news.  :-D

Savoring

Savoring

Every time PB sits on my lap or in any other way acts like my "little boy," I am afraid it is the last time.  So whenever, few and far between, I have an opportunity to be his "Mommy" again, I really savor the experience.  Yesterday, we went to a party for SB who is home on leave.  It was a long ride in the car, and on the way home, PB slept, first on my shoulder while Paul was still in the car, and then on the seat with his head on my leg.  My hand was draped down his side.  When we dropped ML off, BB wanted me to come up front and PB wanted me to stay in the back.  I stayed in the back with PB, not knowing if I would ever have the chance to hold him again.  One of these times may very well be the last.  I savored every second of it, and am pleased with my choice.

I lay beside BB last night in bed--notice I didn't say slept beside him, because we were both sick and neither of us slept.  And tonight, I sat close beside BB while he read to me.  I savor every second of that time, next to BB, too.  But BB is always willing to give me a hug or a kiss.  PB is stingy with his.  I have had no other chance to touch or hold my son.  He's locked in his room with his headphones on.  He'll be 14 in less than a week.  He's taller than me and his feet are bigger. Hugging his Mom is pretty low on his list of priorities, way below hanging out with his friends, music, video games, TV etc.

Spring?

Well, there may still be snow on the ground and frozen puddles, but it
is spring at the Village Market, anyway. Lots of tulips.

My Art Book

Click here to view this photo book larger.

leave

Soldier boy gives BB a ride on a dolly at a party celebrating his
presence here in the good old US of A.

Silly sitting

My Grandbaby today.

The camera setting wheel got turned and I neglected to turn it back. :-(

Water Lily Art Piece from Slovenia

Water Lily, by Mary Stebbins Taitt. I made this digital composite smudge painting tonight from a water lily taken in Slovenia on our honeymoon. Click here to see the progression of my work on this. Click image to see larger.

Mini-blog: Imagik--Images by Mary Stebbins Taitt 2

No Polar Coordinates is supposedly my "Master" blog. But I never have time to post links from this one to the others. While most of you either don't care or don't have time, for those few who might occasionally be curious, you can scroll down the sidebar and view what I am doing in my art and photo blog, Imagik. I may add others as well. Not all of them but a few. One is all and quite enough (or too much) for now!

Storm over Greenfield Village

Storm Over Greenfield Village at Sunset, Smudge Painting by Mary
Stebbins Taitt. Click image to view larger.

Inside the Ford Museum

There were whole buildings inside the Ford Museum. This is a real Texaco Station imported from somewhere, darn, I forget where.

See some car shots from the museum here.

A Bit of silliness

The Love-leaf Plant, by Mary Stebbins Taitt, watercolor, colored
pencil, pen and ink, a card for Leaf Lady for her birthday.

Clair de Lune--eclipse over Lake St. Clair

I posted a longer version here.

It was CO-OLD! But we enjyed it. :-D

Wordless Wednesday: Ice on Lake St. Clair

(click to view larger.)

Leaves for the Leaf-Lady

Leaves for the Leaf-Lady, by Mary Stebbins Taitt

a hand=ainted card I made for Gail's birthday which is Feb 24.

Bullets of Small Success

Bullets of Small Success

I am happy because:

• I lost a little more weight.
• I wrote a new poem this morning, part of the Geraldine Cycle.
  
• I finally made a doctor's appointment that is long overdue.
• I got some new art supplies and played with them a little.
  
• I took piano boy to an important appointment
• I made a fabulous curry dish for dinner tonight.
  

The Wienermobile at the Ford Museum

MMMm, wieners.

Up from Jericho Tel, by E. L. Konigsburg

Up from Jericho Tel, by E. L. Konigsburg.  4.5/5.  This young adult novel is interesting and different.  Not everything interesting is good, but this book is good.  Jeanmarie, who doesn't like the clones at her school, becomes friends with Malcolm when she finds and buries a dead bird with his help.  This becomes a ritual for them until they end up underground with Talllulah, a dead actress with a dog named Spot.  Jeanmarie wants to be an actress.  Tallulah has a crime to solve.  Malcolm becomes involved even though he's not sure he wants to.  Tallulah has lots of advice for the youngsters who enjoy their adventures doing Tallulah's bidding.  They are looking for dishonesty, and, unfortunately, finding it.  They learn some valuable life-lessons in the process, and it is entertaining to see how.  We meet "buskers," or street performers trying to make it into the world of theater.  To be an actress, Tallulah says, you need three things:  talent, timing (or luck) and one other--that you  have to wait until the end of the book to learn.  It's a good one, but I would add a fourth.  It does come up in the book--and that's persistence or stick-to-itiveness.  One of the characters has persistence but no talent.  The book is a mystery, but not a normal one.  If you are tired of formulaic novels, read this one.  It is definitely different.

I'm turning into my mother (and blogger awards)

My mother died 13 months ago and I really miss her. I wonder if that explains why I'm doing certain strange things that my mother used to do. For example, I find myself picking up discarded objects. I've picked up a number of artificial flowers, which I don't even like, and
couldn't bring myself to throw them away. I put this group in my car to make it feel more "friendly." Others I tuck away in various hidden corners. Weird. OK, I know, I'm crazy. But we already knew that.

But getting crazier? It's a little scary!

Dick at Eye on Texel gave me an award for my photography and I am
passing it on to three people:

1)Coffeypot for his humor
2)Mike for his blog Unseen but not Unfelt
3)Clarice for Dieting with me (even though I've been bad at keeping up) and for her great recipes!
4)and Blue Rose for her creative artwork (OK, so that's 4 four--I
can't count well!)

Ford Museum

We went to the Henry Ford Museum today--it was rainy outside but lots
of fun inside.

Coleus sketch

I started this sketch last night and finished it this morning. It is
colored pencil, pastels, and pen and ink. It's a small sketch, so
when blown up you can see all this little mistakes, lol!

infinity

Looking down at the ice at Pier Park with infinity stretching
away--for Photo Friday's "infinity" theme.

I love the lake, it changes every day.

One of my valentines

I loved them all, but this one I will sahre. :-D (Click on it to
view it larger.)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S Day!

Hope you have a LOVING happy healthy day!

I am sorry I am so far behind on commenting etc. I was at the
doctor's all day yesterday having tests etc and it's been one thing
after another.

I haven't forgotten you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

May you be happy and full of joy and love

and happiness and good health.

card by me (Mary)

Senufo Cloth Art Workshop at the DIA

We went to the DIA* today. It was very cold and windy and the sidewalks were icy and there was blowing snow, so we walked at the DIA and then looked around. I participated in a workshop on a Senufo African artform done on cloth. I joined near the end, so didn't have as much time as the others to either learn about it or do a good job, but I had fun anyway. Here's a one (a turtle, by a 7th graders, not at my workshop.) Here's a bird, also by a 7th grader. Here's a real one done by an African Tribesperson.

Detroit Institute of Arts

What is this: Polar Coordinates

This blog is called No Polar Coordinates, but these three pictures were made using the Polar Coordinates filter in Photoshop. Moths, leaves and stems, and equisetum. For Photo Friday. Here's another of these.

Walking in Circles around the House

Walking in Circles around the House

We had an ice storm yesterday, and then it snowed on top of that, and then we all went down and shoveled the snow off the ice.  And now I can't walk anywhere.  Because of my fibromyalgia, I am supposed to walk 45 minutes a day, and it really does help--but unless I drive somewhere and go mall walking, there's no safe place for walking 45 minutes.  I can hardly walk 30 seconds down the driveway without killing myself.  So I am walking in circles around the house.

It seems hot in here, hotter than usual, probably because I'm working a lot harder physically than I usually do.  Puff, pant.  I prefer to do my physical work outside--if it's not icy, that is, puff, pant.  At first, I try to accomplish something.  I carry things upstairs that have been waiting to go up, I carry things downstairs that have been waiting to go down.  I pick things up, I move things around that need to be moved.  But the next layer down is more complex.  I carry junk mail to the recycling.  But soon I reach a point where the tasks require sitting and writing something, or sewing something, not just walking around.  I'm hot and want to go outside, but I can't.  I'll fall down and break my neck on all that ice in the driveway.  So I walk aimlessly around around and 'round in circles until I can't stand it any more.  I've only walked 15 minutes, but dang.  I'm taking a break, not because I am tired but because it all seems so pointless.

I'm in a bum mood anyway.  Piano boy came home and announced we had to cancel his piano lesson because he had a choir rehearsal tonight.  Surely he knew about it before 10 minutes before he was supposed to be there!  I make a phone call and am told it's 4 to 6 so I don't cancel the piano lesson at 6:30, but then, after I drive Piano Boy somewhere I have no idea how to get to for his rehearsal, he calls to tell me it's 4-7 and I have to cancel the lesson and make new plans.  I apologize profusely to his substitute teacher. 

When I look for some note about the rehearsal and concert in PB's backpack, I find two bad report cards that he never gave us.  The concert is not on the school calendar and we have received no note.  PB says it's Saturday evening, but he doesn't know when.  What if we've made other plans?  Sometimes I almost understand why some parents strangle their kids.  PB would be a good candidate for that.  I don't believe in corporal punishment, but couldn't we just stick pins into him or something?  So round and round I walk, Trying to think of something to cheer me up after all the stress of dealing with the kid.  I think about eating chocolate.  That would help, but I'm allergic to chocolate.  A glass of wine?  Round and 'round, 'round and 'round.  Are we having fun yet?

Ice and Snow!

We had a thaw with lots of rain that melted most of our beautiful snow, followed by freezing rain that left a layer of ice on everything, followed by more snow. BB and I shoveled last night for 23 minutes together. He started at one end, I started at the other, and we met in the middle. Around us, we could hear snow-blowers churning out noise and fume and scratched our heads. Why would anyone want to ruin the silence of a snowy night with all that noise and stink? I could understand it if we had a lot of snow, but we only had about 4 inches and it was pretty light. But still snowing.

We went out for a walk and took a bunch of pictures with the camera on the tripod.

This morning I got up and there were two more inches of snow on the ground. Some people still hadn't shoveled. Which is okay with me. I just went out and shoveled again. It took me nineteen minutes to shovel the driveway, the walk,and the path. Got some fresh air and exercise and luckily, no one else was out making noise and stink, so I got to enjoy the birds and squirrels.

The picture of a local church was one of the ones we (I) took last night. Click image to view larger. See more images from last night here and here. The red color is a result of the street lighting and red color reflected from businesses off the sky.

At the Beach at Pier Park, sand and snow for Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Pier Park Beach in Winter, Sand and Snow