Bring On August

Just a handful of days to get through July. July isn't been good. Honestly, the things I complain about started in June. 

HHH Weather--we've had three heat waves this season. Plus, several poor air quality days.

Gastric Issues--I haven't been 100 percent since early June.

Let's look at August.

The Sono Arts Festival is next weekend. It shrinks each year, but I still enjoy going. I called my friend Chris today, and we made plans to go next Sunday. 

Jace's two-year anniversary with us is on August 25. He seems to finally be comfortable when we leave him.

We're going to visit friends in Baltimore in August.

Bring on August.

An Artist's Studio

Today I visited the studio of Mari Gyorgyey, who is part of Firing Circuits Artists' Studio in Norwalk. Mari was my instructor for a mixed media/collage course I took in 2020 in the days of social distancing. Here's the class she's teaching now. I would love to take a book-making class, but it's not a good use of money right now.

Mari showed us some of the things she was working on, especially some books. We also visited two other artists who discussed their techniques.

The main idea I took from today is that art is fun. I'm supposed to play, try things. 

Maybe after I finish unpacking.

Creative Block

I've been disappointed with myself over my lack of writing. I had recently started journaling more frequently. I hoped that would jump start some writing for me. 

On Sunday, I sat down in front of the computer to write about Sylvanus Merwin. I had started a new chapter about a month ago but couldn't open the file. I wasted at least an hour trying to figure out what to do. Finally, I gave up. The file was about 200-300 words, so it wasn't that great a loss. But since it had been a month, I had to go back to my notes and then pulled out two books to check a few things. Needless to say, I didn't get much written. But I can't let up.

It's not just the writing. Lately, I've been reviewing some copies of Art Journaling. Yet I can't seem to get myself to bring out my art materials. I'm too tired, or I don't know where to start, or it's too messy. You get the picture.

I just have to give myself permission to write and make art, and then do it. 

Monday Musings about a March Weekend

Saturday, I visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC with my brother and his girlfriend. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day--the woman checking our membership said the museum is always packed on rainy days. I found the people taking pictures of the art and of each other in front of paintings very annoying. We probably would have stayed longer if it hasn't been so crowded.  I enjoyed the art especially Van Gogh's Starry Night and Dali's The Persistence of Memory. I also liked Hopper's Gas, and Monet's Water Lilies.  I impressed myself with how many of the other artists whose work I could recognize: Picassso, Klimt, Pollock, Mondrian, Seurat. We had a nice pizza lunch afterward in a restaurant we had to ourselves.

Yesterday was the 22th anniversary of the day that Spike came to live with us. He is often in our thoughts, especially on his birthday and anniversaries. We'll always miss him. In the past 22 years, we've only been without a dog for eight weeks: four between Spike's death and Lola's arrival, and another four between Lola's death and Jace's arrival. 

A week from today is April. Hopefully, April will bring warmer weather for good. April also means the year is one-quarter done. I need to take another look at my goals. I continue to fail at writing. I need to figure out just what is wrong.

Tuesday Snow Day and Other Miscellanea

We're currently dealing with the biggest snowstorm of the season. Today is my day to care for the birds at New Canaan Nature Center, but I didn't go. I feel guilty about it, but it's better to be safe. At least winter is half-way over.

I made sure to go food shopping yesterday. ShopRite was crowded, but not as bad as I expected. I focused on things for tomorrow--Valentine's Day. we're having filet mignon, shitake mushrooms, scalloped potatoes, and creamed spinach, a gimlet, and Faithful Hound wine. We'll even eat by candlelight. I can't remember the last time we did that. 

It's been over a week since I last posted. That's pitiful if I want to maintain a presence here. I started a post about TV shows that we've been watching. I had been hoping that blogging would kickstart some other writing for me. So far, no good.

At least I've done some creative things. I've been working/playing in my art journal. I may not have much to show for it, but it makes me feel better.

2024 Goals

I've been avoiding and/or procrastinating about goals for this year. I guess I'm hung over from 2023 failures. 

I'm two-thirds through my version of Dryuary. Going forward, I'll drink less during the week. (I know that's not specific enough to be an effective goal, but it will do for now.) I'm going to be more mindful of what I drink as well as of what I eat. 

I'm going to continue with my gym goal of 150 gym visits for 2024.

I'll stick with the reading goal of 40 books for the year. Maybe I'll have better luck in 2024. I read an article recently that opined that the type of books read are more important than the number of books read (to be continued in another post.)

Write 150-200 blogposts. I fell short of my goal of 200 posts for 2023. I guess three to four posts weekly is fine. 

Other writing--here is the hard part. I don't want to overthink this. Let's start with writing 200 words a day. 

Art goals? Let's start with something this week in my art journal. 

Maybe the time is right.

2023 Goals Review

I achieved only two of my annual goals.

I am proud that I finally made 150 gym visits for the year. I figured that goal was reasonable based on three visits a week. Last year was the first time I even got close at 143. I realized at the beginning of December that this could be the year I achieved my goal. And I did it, even though I had to go the gym the last six days of the year to do it.

The second success is my version of Dryuary. I didn't drink from January 2nd until Valentine's Day. A side goal was to drink only on weekends. I didn't succeed there (especially around the year-end holidays) but I am drinking much less often during the week, and I'm happy with that. 

Now onto my failures (sigh): reading, blogging, writing, and making art.

I wanted to read 40 books this year: I only read 29. I read 33 in 2021 and 35 in 2022. I'm disappointed that I regressed, but I feel a little better after reading this. Apparently, I'm in the 90th percentile of book reading U.S public. Not too shabby.

Another goal was to write 200 blogposts; I wrote 148. I find it easy to let days go by without posting. I read somewhere you should post at least three times a week. I barely missed that. 

Let's move on to writing and making art. I failed miserably here. My writing goal was to spend at least two hours a day writing, editing, researching, blogging, journaling and in that time produce 200 new words. I did this--maybe--a handful of times.

Another goal was to spend two hours a week making some kind of art. Another big failure. 

I need to continue to think about 2024 goals. 

An Artful Weekend

Yesterday, Jeff, our friend Cynthia, and I went to an outdoor art festival at Third Place in Stamford. It's in the same building as the  Loft Artists. The art show was much smaller than I expected, and was disappointing. We did like drinking beer in the beer garden. It was a beautiful summer day. 

The Sono Arts Festival was also this weekend. I met my friend Chris there; we had actually parked two cars away from each other. The Festival seems to get smaller each year. I was happy to see Joanie, who makes the pocketbooks I like. She recognized the one I was carrying. It's a relatively small pocketbook, but holds everything I need and then some. Chris bought some card cases (there is probably a better word) and some earrings. We stopped for fruit tea. 

I'm happy to have summer things to do when the weather is nice.

Edward Hopper Exhibit: A Visit to the Whitney

On Saturday, I returned to the Whitney Museum of American Art to see Edward Hopper's New York with my brother and his girlfriend.  We were disappointed that "Nighthawks" wasn't included in the show but really enjoyed the exhibit. I especially loved his use of windows.

The only problem was that the museum was very crowded. It definitely detracted from the experience. 

When we returned, we picked up Jeff for a late lunch at Sedona Tap House. It was a nice day. 

2023 Goals

Here are my 2023 goals. 

Stop drinking from January 2 to Valentine's Day: I'm already one-third of the way there. It gets easier each year. 

In addition, I want to limit my overall alcoholic consumption for health reasons. I think wine enhances meals. It's easy to get in the habit of pouring a glass (or two) with dinner, but it's not something I really need. My brother asked me why I don't quit completely, but I enjoy wine, beer, and cocktails. Also, as one doctor in the linked article says, "We did prohibition, it didn't work." I'll limit my drinking to weekends (except for special occasions.)

Reading: my goal is to read 40 books this year (last year's goal was 35). That amounts to less than half a book more each month. 

Go to the gym 150 times: I came close this year with 143 visits. I just have to keep plugging away. I also want to exercise for 30 minutes on days I don't make it to the gym. 

Write 200 blogposts: This is a doable goal even if I haven't done it the last two years. 

Now for the goals that are harder to measure.

Writing: I didn't get around to setting any kind of writing goals last year. I was disappointed in my writing production last year. Is it cause and effect? Could be.

On Friday, I decided I should spend two hours each day writing, editing, researching, blogging, journaling. In that two hours I have to write 200 words of new material. Friday was the only day I've managed to hit the goal. 

Art: I want to spend two hours a week making some kind of art. Right now, I'm thinking of art journals and artist trading cards.

There's work to do. 

Return to the Met

Saturday, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with my brother, his girlfriend, and her son like my last visit.

I hadn't researched exhibits ahead of time and was psyched to see a Tudor exhibition.

We walked in and I immediately recognized a portrait of Henry VII. It was fascinating to see originals of portraits that I had seen in books. I especially loved the miniatures and quickly recognized Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII's illegitimate son. 

In addition to portraits, the exhibit includes tapestries, suits of armor, furniture, cups and bowls, and beautiful Bibles and prayer books. 

My only disappointment was the lack of Anne Boleyn--there was only one drawing of her by Hans Holbein the Younger. But Henry VIII had her images destroyed, so that explains it.

Midweek Miscellanea

The heat wave is over. Temperatures remained in the 80s today. And looking at the 10 day forecast, nothing is coming up in the 90s. Yay.

I went out for an afternoon walk today. It was nice when I was in the shade and a cool breeze was blowing. It was a bit uncomfortable in the direct sunlight with no breeze. 

It was nothing like Sunday. I went with a few friends to the Sono Arts Festival. Originally they suggested walking from one of their houses, thinking there would be no parking available. On my way to the house, I saw plenty of parking, so I drove us. It was well worth the parking fee. Just walking the few blocks of the festival in the heat was exhausting. 

The Mets had an afternoon game today against the Reds: the Mets won 10-2 for their sixth straight win. Now they're headed into a tough part of their schedule against the streaking Phillies, the second place Braves (seven games behind the Mets) and the faltering, but still dangerous Yankees. LGM.

We have one week left in our summer writing class. Our homework assignment is to write a first person story based on a true crime. Our instructor Kim selected a case for us: a man who died of a heart attack in his backyard while burying his girlfriend he had strangled. We each select the point of view narrator. 

I had an idea for a narrator even before Kim finished discussing the assignment and quickly wrote the opening scene. It will be challenging to tell the story in just two pages, though I've done pretty well with shorter stories lately. I've written a little over a page and don't know what will happen. The story will have to tell me.

More on Art Journaling

About two weeks ago, I brought my box of art journal supplies into the living room to file new clippings I had made. I didn't put the box back into the second bedroom closet; last night I finally worked on the journal again. 

While I didn't create any new pages, I added to some, mostly using some leftover contact paper I found while cleaning the closet. It was too folded to work well on a window, but it was perfect for my art journal. 

This is my third art journal. When I first started, I didn't really know what I was doing. In many ways, I still don't. I lost my second art journal for awhile; it's sitting in the closet now. I think I did a few pages on Casablanca and Bette Davis.

In my third and current journal, I prepared some pages for the first time with a variety with gesso, acrylic paint, watercolor, stamps, and miscellaneous collage elements. Some pages are blank. 

I recently mentioned that I had two pages I especially liked. Looking through the journal last night, I found many pages that I liked. That was unusual.  I experimented with different materials--I even used a short, narrow piece of tile (?) that I found in the elevator. 

I just stopped writing because I decided my pages of Nicholas II and his family needed some religious medals. It just so happens that I have a grab bag of religious charms and added a few to that page. 

It's weird, but as I work in a page, I sometimes think about what I can do in my next journal. Maybe I should appreciate this one. 

Another Photo Post

I have several photographs on my phone that I haven't shared yet. 

Here we go.

Lola is on one of her last outings to Taylor Farm.

Lola and I saw this deer on our last visit to NRVT. 

Lilies of the Valley down the street from us.

This dog caught my eye at the Westport Fine Arts Festival. I heard a couple call him Maximus. I asked if he was the same Maximus from the Stamford Loft Artists group who ran for President? Yes, it was him. I think I have a post that mentioned him. Hope to edit that later. 

Yesterday I said hello to two neighborhood friends I haven't seen in a while. 

I love Dylan.

Here is Dylan with his younger brother Jack.

Jack howls

Back to Merwinsville

One of the things I was too busy to do last weekend was to go to the Spring Arts Show at the Merwinsville Hotel, so Jeff and I went on Friday. We looked at jewelry, paintings, photographs, pottery, and glassware. I bought two blank cards--one with a photo of a red shouldered hawk, another with a photo of a snowy egret. I also bought a mini painting of a black bird with red wings. 

In the non-art category, I bought Rail USA Museums & Trips Eastern States. This is an illustrated map and guide to rail-related museums, depots, historic sites, etc. I don't remember seeing it before and figured I'd regret it if I didn't buy it. I'm trying to immerse myself in railroad lore of the 1840s.

We had lunch at The Old Oak Tavern. We ate sandwiches at the bar and talked with the bartender and another patron about beer and dogs.

Georgeanne, one of the hotel volunteers, had asked if I had seen Merwin's grave. I hadn't, but had noticed Gaylord Road on our way to the hotel. After lunch, we drove by The Little Red Schoolhouse, and stopped at the Gaylordsville Cemetery. I found the gravesite (this photo is better than the ones I took.) We ended up taking a detour--a bridge was out--and found ourselves near White Silo Winery. We may have stopped there, but we still have a few bottles of wine from our last visit. 

It's always good for me to go to Merwinsville. I have to get back to my research and actually start writing the book. 

A Visit to the Met

Yesterday, my brother, his girlfriend, her son, and I visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We walked through Greek art displays as we headed to Egyptian Wing; unfortunately the Temple of Dendur was closed, but there was still plenty to Egyptian sculptures, paintings, and other things to appreciate. We saw a small exhibit of Faberge eggs originally owned by the Romanovs. I had misunderstood a description of one piece and didn't see the egg I had hoped to see (it's on the cover of the book I'm reading  about the lost fortune of the Tsars) but they were all beautiful. 

I was psyched to see a gallery of Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Seurat paintings including Van Gogh's "Self Portrait with a Straw Hat", "Irises," and "Sunflowers." We saw Monet's "Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies" (I am looking at a reproduction now in our living room) and other paintings of water lilies.

We visited a Winslow Homer exhibit, "Crosscurrents." I'm not familiar with his work except for "The Gulf Stream." Later we saw abstract art including Jackson Pollack works.

On the way out I saw a portrait of Joan of Arc by Jules Bastien-Lepage. I remember seeing it when I visited the Met in high school. I had sat on the bench, stared at it, and felt that Joan was staring into my eyes. I didn't get the same effect from the painting in its new location, but I was happy to see it again. 

Of course, we couldn't leave without a stop at the Museum shop. I got a few postcards, a set of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism magnets, a Monet Bridge and Water Lilies catchall tray, and Frida Kahlo lip balm.

After lunch at Bocado, we headed home. It was a great way to spend a beautiful spring day. 

A Weekend of Nature, Art, Music, and Cocktails

There were so many things to do this past weekend, I couldn't do them all. In the previous month, I only had one listing in my engagement calendar (I sound like someone out of a Jane Austen novel.) 

First I went to an Earth Day celebration at the New Canaan Nature Center. I showed my friend the birds that I help care for (more on that in a future post.) We spoke with people from the garden club, Conservation Commission, a bird of prey rescue and rehabilitation group, and a beekeeper. We also listened to music from School of Rock. We watched the release of a red tail hawk. Unfortunately, two other nearby red tail hawks weren't very friendly. Luckily, the released bird wasn't hurt. 

Our next stop was the open studios at Wilson Avenue Loft Artists. We saw works of about a dozen artists and talked to some of them.

On Sunday, Jeff and I went to the Hempening at Sono 1420. We had cocktails and tacos, and listened to music by Residual Groove. It was sad when the bartender asked about Lola--we had always taken her with before.

All-in-all, a nice spring weekend.

Art Journaling

I wasn't sure how long it had been since I last posted here. I opened this page and wondered just what have I been doing since I last posted. 

Since I tracked my time last week, I could easily find out. Based on a quick look t my excel spreadsheet, I spent a lot of time watching TV, doing word puzzles, exercising, and cleaning. 

I also spent about five-and-a-half hours working on my art journal. Most of that time was also spent watching TV, but I'm glad I finally worked/played on the journal. I've been frustrated because I don't have a good workspace. Some art journalists say you can work anywhere, in any corner, etc. I worked in the living room on a tray table covered in a cheap plastic tablecloth. I pulled some clipping folders from my file box in the second bedroom closet. I didn't use any paint this time. I especially liked two of the pages. I had pasted an ad with a sophisticated woman in a black dress walking against a backdrop of city scenes. I colored in some of the buildings and advertisements, the woman's pocketbook, and a pair of swans. I added some embellishments including a heart, a cross, and a Mary medal. On another page, I pasted photos of Tsar Nicholas II, his family, and some Russian peasants on a gold foil paper. I apparently didn't use the right kind of glue, but I liked my idea.

I first learned about art journaling from someone at a writer's retreat (I had earlier learned about artist trading cards from people in the same writing group.) I've kept the Art Journaling magazines I've bought over the years  and re-read them often, seeing new things each time. Jeff got me a two-year subscription for Christmas, but I haven't received an issue yet. I'm looking forward to that. 

I need to give myself a gift of time to play more in my journal. 

The Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel

Today Jeff, Cynthia, and I visited the Christmas Shoppe at the Merwinsville Hotel. On our way there, I gave Cynthia a summary of the hotel's history and how Jeff and I first found it. Oddly, the way I remember first approaching the motel just doesn't make sense. My memory is faulty.

One volunteer Georganne decorated beautifully including a village with a railroad, nutcrackers, and amusement park ride models from her own collection. One of the bedrooms is decorated with a Hanukkah theme.

Items for sale included jewelry, paintings, pottery, glassware, ornaments, and shrubs. We liked that many items were reasonably priced. We bought ornaments, wooden gift tags, t-shirts, jam, honey, wine glasses, and a zip pull. 

It was a nice day for a drive, although coming home in the dark made it feel much later than it was. We got home a little before 5, and it was fully dark by then. Tis the season. 

Lazy Weekend

I had the lazy weekend I didn't even realize I needed. The most ambitious thing I did was go to the gym Saturday. I went to the art supply store Friday as I mentioned in an earlier post,  and I took Lola for walks. Other than that, I mostly stayed in: I read, did spelling bee puzzles, played with my art journal (but not my new supplies) and watched TV/movies. We ate Thanksgiving leftovers for Friday dinner and Saturday lunch. 

Tomorrow is the first Monday in months without a writing class: we're off until January. It's hard to believe it will only be a week since my last class. It feels as if it were much longer. I need to do my own writing.

Driving around, I've noticed more lights and other Christmas decorations. Oddly, I haven't seen any Christmas trees tied to the top of cars. My first sightings of the season are usually over Thanksgiving weekend. 

It snowed this morning. Luckily it didn't amount to anything, but it wasn't a welcome sight. I'm not ready.