Paper Plates, Paper Cups and now…. Paper Curtains!

Browser won’t allow photo upload and I don’t feel like fussing with computer stuff any more today – Sorry!

March 12, ‘13

Life is starting to settle down to where I feel a sense of ‘normal.’  I feel an emerging  sense of routine and daily rhythm.  With each passing day we’re that much closer to Spring; every little sign of Spring lifts my heart.

With warming temperatures and stronger sun, it’s time to take the bubblewrap off the windows.   Aside from providing excellent insulation against the cold the bubblewrap also served as Instant Café Curtains for me since I first moved here.   I need this  kind of curtain here, for light to pass through and give me adequate privacy in a ground level apartment.    

For the windows on Culvert St I went to a lot of expense of time and materials to make very stout curtains with a heavy & insulating lining.  I planned to be a long-term tenant there and wanted curtains that would hold back drafts in the winter and lessen the impact of the sun in the summer – and wear like iron.  They worked there and to a certain degree, they work here.  But, since I previously lived on the 2^nd floor, I had no need to block the lower portion of the window for privacy, like I need to do here.

I want to go to the expense of time and materials for curtains here about as much as I didn’t want to have to move in the 1^st place.  Which mean, not at all….  I’m only half un-packed (or half packed, however one wants to looks at it) and  feeling ‘temporary.’  Committing to the expense of buying material and the time drain of sewing curtains isn’t something I want to do in a place where I feel temporary.   However, for the amount of time I plan to be here I want to replace the bubblewrap with something relatively attractive.   

Somehow, I came up with the idea of using Rice Paper.  The idea intrigued me so I went online in search of Rice Paper, which I found easily and also found some On Sale.  For $23.00  I purchased 2 rolls, which should be enough to cover  all these windows.  I was hoping that the paper was going to be flimsier and more transparent than it actually is, but that’s about my only complaint.  The price was right and the rest was easy.  Measure, cut, fold the edges, fold the hem, cut slits in the top, string the curtain onto a Spring Rod, hang….  Minimal Cutting,  no Ironing, no Sewing! 

I have to admit that while these curtains look crisp and white and were certainly easy to construct, they also look about as exciting as a table set with paper plates and cups and plastic eating utensils.  Unless we’re at a picnic….

I’d thought to decorate them in some way but have decided first things first.  Get ‘em hung. 

In the meantime, my Work is going well.  I’m pleased with that aspect of my Moving here.  Less time spent on housekeeping and nesting, more for The Work.

 

CABIN FEVER – March 13

 

March 8, ’13

We had a snow storm last night that started later than expected and left a few more inches of snow than was predicted from any forecast I previously consulted.  I’m hard at work in my mind to lighten dark thoughts that pass through – thoughts about being fed up to here with snow and how, goddammit,  I need to adapt my plan for today to the change in the almighty weather.

In my mind, I sound cranky, irritable, unreasonable….

In my house is the sound of kids who don’t have school today.   (Use imagination.)

********

Life in the new apartment is starting to feel normal.  I’ve been hard at work – working out my unhappiness at having to move here – letting it go, inch by inch.  Working on these old paintings that seem to be my reason to be…..

Some days are good, some not so….

Overall, hope springs eternal.

*******

The driveway was blocked yesterday when I came home from work, blocking me out instead of in.  I parked on the edge a bit up from the street instead of way out back behind the house and as a result,  I have very little snow to shovel in order to back out  into the street.  The only snow I need to feel responsible for now is on the sidewalk in front of the house.  I’m postponing that chore until later on this afternoon, when the snow is predicted to stop.

********

I’ve figured out an inexpensive and (hopefully) artful way to make curtains to cover the bottom half of my many 1^st floor windows.  I’ve decided to make them out of rice-paper and have purchased a roll of rice paper for $23.  I’m looking forward to working on my plan for quick and easy no-sew, inexpensive café curtains that will offer privacy and still allow the light to come in.  It’s still too cold to remove the bubble wrap insulation so I have plenty of time….    I like that I have a loose-plan for curtains and that Spring is coming soon because I’m super-tired of looking out on the world through bubble wrap.

********

I heard many red-wing black birds calling out yesterday when I went to see a friend who lives near a marsh, which is the preferred breeding ground.  The sound was sweet to my ears.  If the red-wings are here,  Spring can’t be too far behind….

 

Striving onward….

Feb 22, ‘13

A picture is not about a subject, the subject is merely an impetus to give voice to the problem or experiment the artist selected to be solved, the personal challenge.”

– Skip Whitcomb, Plein Air Magazine, January 2013, page 24.

 

I came across this quote a few days ago.  It had such an impact on my awareness ….

The picture isn’t about the subject, it’s about me the Artist and my life and my own personal challenge.

The absolutely best thing about my new apartment is the light in my studio from morning until late afternoon and that’s about it.

 Other than the light and the work I’m doing on my series, I’m not a happy camper.  I’ve ceased all unpacking and have filled the miniscule bedroom with boxes and crates as if a storage room.  I’m sleeping on the couch – in my studio/living room.  I have a a strong and pervasive feeling  telling me I want out of this apartment, that we aren’t a good match after all…. 

Seeing as how I’m totally disgruntled and disturbed by the events in my life of the past 2 months, I’m planning on resting here, for now.  I’m healing and working like crazy and will give it another month or 2 before I make any kind of further decision.  In the meantime, I’m open for change and increased awareness.

 

Seek No Further Revisited….

Feb 11, ‘13

I’ve reached the stage with this painting where I’m adding quite a lot more fat to the lean.  I’m pleased with how this painting is growing.

I’m pleased that with all that’s going on around me, that I’m finding time and space to make this painting grow as well as a few others.  A week ago, I began working on this series after my recent Move to this new house. 

I’m pleased that with Weather craziness and Moving craziness that there’s a spot for me in Time and Space and where I live where there’s balance, peace and reflection. 

I sat down to paint in my newly designated spot near the bay window as if at Southford Falls or out in White’s Woods or in my Garage last spring – or any of the hundreds of other places I’ve sat to paint.

No matter where I go, there I am….

The rest of my house is not in order.  I’m settling for disorder, now.  Accepting it, reveling in it!  I’m in the process of making decisions about all the Stuff that must wait until further notice, perhaps when the weather is better.   My house looks like a junk shop.

I’m hunkered down for the winter in my living room.  I’ve created a warm spot that’s centered around my coffee table, couch and an oil-based electric powered radiator.  I’ve place my folding screen, a clothes-drying rack and the bird cage on a bench in a semi-circle with a 24”opening – all covered with quilts, blankets and scatter rugs that makes a mildly affective draft barricade.  It reminds me of making forts, when I was a kid.  My friends who have seen my draft barricade call this spot my cave.  I’m bundled in layers of clothing and even wearing a beret and a scarf.  A trip to the bathroom or kitchen is like a trip outside and best done rapidly. 

The first really good day I had since I’ve moved here was this past Friday, the day of the mega-storm we experienced here in the northeast.   

Snow Day!  Leisure time!  A time to be grateful for The Power of no power failure….  A time to gather together a good book or 2, a bag of M&M’s, bake some lasagna, talk on the phone, do some wash and then settle down in a warm spot, pull up the down comforter and watch the snow fall while playing games or reading or doing a jigsaw puzzle and maybe even take a nap. 

Most of us had a 2^nd Snow Day on Saturday due to 24inches of snow, a cold temp and very high winds.  It was a sunny day and I got a lot of work done on my paintings and also finished the Lasagna.

Yesterday was warm and sunny and not much of a wind, so definitely a Snow Removal Day.  I spent much time shoveling which seemed an impossible task.  A friend of my new upstairs neighbor came along with a snow blower and relieved us all of a great deal of impossible shoveling.  We helped by breaking up the snow to be blown and cleaning up spots of snow with our shovels.  That took hours as where the snow fell there were 24” of snow to remove.  Where the snow plows deposited snow from the roads, three – four times more snow to be shoveled to clear a narrow trail for pedestrians where the sidewalk may have been.  It was a warm and pretty day and it was good to be active and out of the cave, for awhile.  Had that man not come along with the snowblower, today would have been another Snow Removal Day….

When I came inside after shoveling yesterday,  eager for some coffee and hot food, I discovered that the power was out.  Through all that storm and wind, the power hadn’t even flickered but on a warm and mild day – poof!  Gone!

By the time I heated coffee and cooked some soup on a Sterno Stove, the power had come back on.  Huge sigh of relief not to have to go through the rest of the day into dark with no power.  Huge!

 

 

 

Seeds of Possibility

Feb 4, ‘13 

All problems contain the seeds of opportunity, and this awareness allows you to take the moment and transform it to a better situation or thing. 

Depak Chopra

 

This morning started with leaden-gray skies and a chilly temp of 14degrees F.

Since this past Thursday and #35 C St. officially History, I’ve been feeling low and blue.  I think that I’m in a healing place from all the stress of moving and that feeling low and blue is part of The Process. 

For the past 3 days I’ve spent much time under blankets on the couch keeping warm with Albert, playing Free Cell on my laptop, aimlessly and repetitively.  When I’ve warmed up and/or had enough of Free Cell, I arise from my warm place and bustle about this new home in an attempt to create a sense of Order.

I’ve also taken a long nap every afternoon since Thursday.  When night comes, I’ve been going to sleep early and have slept long and deep.

Around 9 this morning I sat down to meditate and then set to work on a watercolor sketch.  I started to draw the little bit of the house and sky across the street that I can see through the top of my front window.  While I was working on the design, the sun broke through the cloud cover and flooded the front room with warmth and light.   The sky turned bright blue over the house across the street. 

It was a moment of light and clarity, a Zen moment….

A germ of an idea came to me for a class I’m hoping to teach this summer.l.

I completed the sketch and then got up and went to complete a few tasks I’d set for myself that would make a few changes in the nature of the chaos that surrounds me. 

And now that Changes have been made things look even more disorganized.

The sky has turned back to leaden gray.  It’s time for a nap.

 

 

“Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today. *

Ground Hog Day, Feb ’13

Today is a day with strong sun, strong shadows and a bitter (but not wicked-bitter) cold temperature.; 16 degrees — & rising to 26– at 9:48a.m. EST.

According to the News: the Ground Hawg says we will have an early spring.  That may or may not happen; it was sunny with strong shadows, here;  I quickly retreated to the warmth of my burrow, thinking that we’ll have a good bite of winter for the next 6 weeks.  The official ground hawg report and mine don’t seem to agree…..

The good news for me is that  we’re at the mid-point in Time and Space, that we have 6 weeks until Spring.  Today marks the light at the end of the dark tunnel of winter – the hope of Spring made visible in the form of a faint light in the distance….

*The title of this entry is a quote from the movie Ground Hog Day, starring Bill Murray

Inch by inch….

Jan 30, ‘13 

Inch by inch

Life is a cinch.

Yard by yard,

Makes Life hard….

(Unknown)

The best thing about the weather yesterday and today is that the temp was and wil be above freezing.  Right now, the temp is 46 degrees and projected to rise to 54.  Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for this afternoon, evening  and overnight with Alerts for the possibility of flooding….  Heavy fog hangs heavy, gray and dripping over all.

I’m grateful for rain as being better than snow.

I’m happy to report that The Move is 99% Fait Accompli.   I estimate that I’ll need only one carry-carton to remove the last of the few items remaining – mostly cleaning supplies.  I’ve notified the Utility Companies that my name is to be removed from account s pertaining to my former address.  I’ve notified The Bank that Jan 31 is my official ‘Vacate’ day. 

I’m planning on returning to my former home late this afternoon so I can put out the trash bins for removal tomorrow morning.   My friend and I left a pile of unwanted furniture on the curb for removal; seeing it so abandoned fills my heart with sadness.  I’m almost overwhelmed with Stuff and Sadness for my former life in my former home and am looking forward to the day that this present Move is History.

My friend and I made a Herculean effort yesterday to remove everything that remained.  We had to take a few days off at the end of last week and this past weekend as the cold & wind was too bitter and intense.  Waiting to finish The Move until yesterday was the right thing to do and we accomplished much.  Due to the mini-thaw, I was even able to remove my Compost Pot and the pot full of roses and other plants that I dearly wanted to bring with me to the new place. 

The Stuff remaining in my car, on the 2 porches of my new home and in a few of the rooms containing un-packed boxes and bulging Contractor Garbage bags full of stuff looks like a set for The Hoarders. 

Before I sat to write, I unpacked a few boxes and distributed the Stuff they contained.  I emptied 3 of the Contractor Disposal bags and hung all my clothes in the closet.  Inch by inch, I’ll  attempt to create order from this chaos.