Here Comes Winter!

 

It's about time, isn't it?!? I'm not winter's biggest fan, but we're well into the second third of January and... what? No sub-zero temperatures, no snow (or hardly any) as the above picture suggests. We've had a miserable amount of chilly, dreary days. And rain! (In case you hadn't noticed.)

It was just Monday that we had snow and most of it had melted by this morning. Today's promised rain/snow/sleet "event" (with high winds!) was largely a no-show (no-snow?) Yes, we now have a 1/2 inch of white stuff that will disappear later tonight- when the temperature rises to the 50's.

Here's one of Bob's sculptures, enjoying the winter weather. You will notice the grass is actually turning greener. Okay so my mixed feelings run like this: I'm glad for mild weather as I have an opening for my show on Friday and it's supposed to be pretty nice: sunny and in the upper 30's. But another side of me is scared that we're so far along the Climate Change curve that we're at a point of no return. (*1) January should be cold, dark, snowy and yes! Miserable! It shouldn't be masquerading as late February or March.

So... can we (ironically) cross our fingers and toes that nasty weather finally finds us? It's a mixed hope whatever comes our way...

(*1) And don't get me started on the fact that the so-called Dooms Day Clock is closer to midnight than ever before.

A Remembered New Year's Resolution

 Aha! I recall my New Year's Resolution, mostly in time for the so-called Chinese New Year (*1). So it's to absolutely ban all GMO foods from our house! We have done a generally good job in avoiding this biologically engineered plague from entering our mouths, but I have slipped up a few times. Yes, thanks to Vermont, they are required to label GMO or suggest that there may be a bio-engineered ingredient (typically corn or soy products) but I had been under the mistaken idea that Vermont BANNED all GMO products. Nope- they just have to be labelled.

Which is no doubt why suddenly everything seems happy to proclaim they're GMO free:

I love seeing that little insignia. Surprising things claim to be non  GMO... like Domino's sugar. Hard to believe but I'll go with it.

Sneaky companies print the inclusion of bio-engineered foods in tiny hard to read lettering; this is why it's easy to slip up occasionally. I am such a crank at the supermarket. I read everything. We've been avoiding high-fructose corn syrup and their treacly friends for years. But it seems suddenly, the GMO crowd is pretty rampant. I know there are many who insist that there's "no difference" or that some genetically modified foods are better (in that they may keep fresh for longer or they may be more packed with vitamins etc) but I want to avoid Frankenfood that is Monsanto inspired and full of harmful forever chemicals. Look at Round-Up ready crops! Corn! Yuck! People are winning law suits and getting seriously sick and yet these dandy bio-hazards are winding up under you slice of cheese or in your breakfast bowl.

So I say: eat what you want! If downing a chemical-laden breaded coating or drinking milk that comes from cows treated with BST makes you happy... go for it! But our household is not buying! Happy Lunar New Year!

(*1) I believe it occurs this Sunday and it's the year of the Rabbit. Supposedly a kinder, gentler year as befits a bunny. Last year was the year of the Tiger and obviously it was a ferocious tiger!

It's (Almost) Show Time!

 

I have to admit, it's a great way to begin the New Year... with a really terrific 2 person show (with my friend and fellow fabulous artist Lydia Viscardi). It's opening... sometime in the next two weeks. We were busy installing yesterday... and I discovered I had forgotten (oops!) two of my pieces at home. (*1) No big deal as we're making another trip back to Westport to install two of Bob's sculptures, too. Plus it gives me another opportunity to tweak my parts of the show...

So above, you'll see one of the pieces I was finishing up for inclusion. And like the ridiculous joke sign that used to be available in gag shops (*2) the "P" is missing. So I was so close to completing this piece and I was thinking "great!" because I didn't have a whole lot of time... when I noticed the "P" was oh so slightly crooked. It really bugged me, like there was no way I could leave it like that.

So I painstakingly pulled alllll those minute stitches out and resewed it back on. Fun! (Not! But an artist's gotta do what an artist's gotta do. Chances are, no one else would have noticed.) But would you look at the lovingly faux-alligator texture; I adore pleather and fabric like this. A true bitch to sew- thick and nubbly- but looks so good!

Here it is, in all it's glory with the "P" restored and the crocodile tear fringe and the snake-head metal hanger realized for me by Bob. A triumph of artistic genius.

In case you're wondering (or even if you're not as you're a captive audience reading this!) The phrase comes from a discussion that I had with a good friend and fellow artist. We were talking about how petty some artists can be and instead of congratulating other artists on getting shows, or good reviews or grants, they get snarky and seek to belittle other artists accomplishments. I said, "It's like they're diving into the envy pool" and he responded, "That sounds like one of your pieces". Challenge accepted!

(*1) I neglected to bring them because I wrapped them up in a white garbage bag, not a black one. All the others were black and so stood out against the white table. They were waiting for me when I got home. 

(*2) Granted, this is a bit obscure. There were these novelty signs that read: "Welcome to our "OOL". You'll notice there is no "P" in it... and we'd like to keep it that way." We can all groan now...

Where Does The Time Go?

 Okay! Let's end the old year (2022) on a happy note; and here's Ganesha to help us out. I think he's associated with removing obstacles and ushering in wisdom and understanding. And do we need that now! (*1)

What a year! We don't even need to go back over that... let's just look forward and hope that "things" get better. I guess they couldn't get worse, what with wars in Ukraine (and elsewhere), year three of the pandemic, inflation, and gun-loving right wing white supremacist MAGA goons... oops! I wasn't going to go there!

I am happy to report that at least one of my two New Year's resolutions from this past January came to fruition. I had vowed to find a gallery to represent me, and Lo! and behold, I am signing a two year contract with a commercial gallery and participating in a two person show this January... so that makes me happy. I wasn't quite as successful with my other New Year's resolution... (*2) but one outta two ain't bad. (To paraphrase Meat Loaf).

So as we sally forth into the new year, I am trying to remember what I thought of the other day as a really appropriate resolution. But I'm forgetting what it was so we'll just leave it there for now. So onward and upwards and into the future we go.

It is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese Horoscope; a year supposedly "lucky for families"and a gentler kind of year... we can only hope. Happy New Year!

(*1) And yes, this particular representation of Ganesha is interesting in that he seems to be wearing bright red long-johns.

(*2) My other resolution was to not pick things up off the floor without first identifying what the thing is. I wander around without my contact lens out and I often mistake nasty things (dragged in by us or Robin the Good) for innocent things.Like I picked up what I thought was a leaf and it was a slug. Eewww! Or I picked up what I thought was a small piece of cardboard and... no, you do NOT want to know!

Lullaby of Dreamland

So if you happen to be one of those individuals who thinks discussing dreams is boring or self-indulgent, read no further! Although this post is not exclusively about my dreams...

The above drawing is to (sorta) illustrate an image from a recent dream. I won't go into all the various details except to explain that I was staying at some beach-side resort and was called outside two different times by two different family members to view the very odd clouds that were forming in the sky. One of the family members was my/our long deceased father (aka "Daddy"). He was pretending to hold the clouds up by extending his arms high into the sky. I attempted to photograph my father and the clouds but the camera wasn't working... maybe because Daddy is/was dead? Who knows! But in this "waking life", I tried drawing them but they were hard to capture. They were vaguely geometric and superimposed over the conventionally cloudy sky.

But this leads to a brief consideration of several quirky dream comments. The first is that I have dream motifs that reoccur frequently... and no, they're not your classic like flying or being naked in a odd setting. I often dream about trying to locate something to wear in a huge heap of clothes. I mean, I have this image really often. No idea what that's about.

The second frequent story line is my having to pee but either there's no bathroom available, or there's some weird issue like there is no door on the bathroom, or there's a whole bunch of people hanging out, interrupting my need to piss. Or it's out of order and only a hole in the floor. Not sure where that comes from...

And the last one is setting. I am often at a school or college. Lots of classic brick dormitory buildings or cafeterias. And then I dig through a pile of clothes and need to pee but the bathrooms been moved...

Hahhahaha! I made you read all about my dreams. But the last thing I'm going to mention is how Bob and I frequently have dreams that have the same things in them- not identical, like we've changed the locations but have some piece of the dream the same. I mean, we are sleeping with our heads only a foot or two apart. F'rinstance, Bob will say, "I was wearing a bright red jacket in my dream". And I'll say, "I saw a person wearing a red jacket". Or I'll say, "I was in a small boat on a pond in my dream". And Bob will say, "There was a person painting a boat in mine!" You get the idea. I asked a friend if this ever happened to her and her husband. She replied, "All the time". So I guess it's not out of the ordinary, but just strange if you think about it.

Dear Rita Valley...

It's always lovely to find an award-winning cow with your name! This is what happens when you google yourself... be prepared for the results. (*1) I also have a number of vineyards in California bearing my name. On that one I'm a saint. (*2)

In any event, besides being a heifer, I'm a bit behind blogging as our monitor on the desk top computer decided to blow a fuse or shit the bed or whatever accurately describes a computers self-immolation. I turned on the computer the other day and !!SNAP!! there was a sharp crackling noise and a weird smell of burning electronics as the screen went black. Granted the monitor (and keyboard) were a million years old. We had replaced the tower several years ago (oh sure, that's probably "old" now too in computer years!) but I guess we weren't prepared for screen meltdown. It being the weekend- and the Xmas holiday shopping season- we opted to wait until a weekday to buy a new one. We also purchased a new keyboard as the letters were all wearing off, leading to many accidental typos. But the one we bought had strangely pale letters on it that made it effectively no better than the old one so that one's going back to the store when we get a minute.

So what else is new? My pony is on a diet as she looks fat to my farrier and others. (*4) I am supposing that having a month off work because of Lyme disease (*3), loosing her pasture mate Maggie (and therefore not moving around as much) and the weather being so terribly wet and muddy (*5), she's chubby. My friend Sabina (a one time riding instructor but general horse mentor) said she thinks it's fine that Neko is going into the winter a bit rotund, but I don't want Neko suffering weird equine health issues. 

And speaking of weather, a little Climate Change anyone? It's December and the ground is not frozen and it's been relentlessly raining- not snowing- and I have flowers blooming! Yes, our mutant primroses are blooming in the shade border. Really?!? Additionally, bulbs are sending up leaves... they should be dormant. Gardening is really becoming a gamble. Looks like we'll be harvesting something in time for Xmas. 

 (*1) Fortunately, she IS a lovely cow!

(*2) Santa Rita Valley: there are a number of vineyards offering a Pinot Noir. We should try it.

(*3) I just read a study where 25% of horses tested in Pennsylvania were positive for Lyme disease or anaplasmosis and  another tick borne illness! Ugh! They live outside, they roll in the grass; what are you supposed to do?!?

(*4) I saw a picture of Neko when I first tried her... she looked so much thinner! I was shocked.

(*5) Too slippery to actually ride; all you can do is plop around in the muck.
 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I wonder if anyone else's mother made a pineapple into a turkey every year?!!? Mommy did, and I inherited the felt turkey head that she constructed. I will never know if she "invented" this pattern or if it was in some woman's magazine of her day. All I know is that it was a feature on the dining table every year. (*1) I was so traditional this year: I located the turkey head, made a note to secure an actual pineapple and I even rested it on a bed of Easter grass. As I mentioned to Bob, there are few displays that aren't improved by neon Easter grass.

 Here's our real turkey:

 Of course it is/was frozen and they take days to thaw so we're already working on that. This picture is expressly provided to alert certain family members (they know who they are!) that we are proceeding forward with Thanksgiving celebrations whether they attend or not. The weather looks good- sunny and in the 50's!(*2)- so we are accepting no excuses. Be there (or here) or be square.

We also have cranberries and pumpkin and potatoes and all sorts of food in the works. And we have weird food surprises like the classic butter truck seen here, fabricated by Bob.

Yes, holidays are fun here at the BobnRita Ranch.

(*1) Last year, I forgot to get a pineapple so I jammed the head on a lump of wood. Or maybe it was an odd squash. I don't remember. The year before that, I couldn't find the felt turkey head and Thnaksgiving just didn't feel like Thanksgiving.

(*2) But our family being our family, we are NOT celebrating Thanksgiving on the actual Thanksgiving Day. We are entertaining family on Saturday (as my sister Cathy works on Thanksgiving). We often push holidays around. Whatever. On the actual Thanksgiving, Bob and I are having a non-traditional meal and entertaining a friend.