Thankfully we are at the end of this week. #6 of 19 appointments have been accomplished...with no extra appointments added!!
I am all done with Physical Therapy...my therapist is a gem. I will keep keeping on with exercises!
Our high yesterday was below zero...seems that will be the trend for the next week or so. Our high was -4 F or -20 C headed for a low of -16 F or -26 C eh!
I did not venture out of the house. I cleaned the bathroom and did some laundry and crocheted a bit.
Street Art in Pelican Rapids, MN one day when it was warmer.
Far Side
I always enjoy looking at the Art in The Red Bridge Park. Last Fall I took some photos.
This one is called Nautilus. It is made from welded and painted handlebars. I saw that it was for sale ...if you have an extra $6,695.00 it could be yours.
Our weather has turned cold and windy. Far Guy's infusion went well yesterday, I cleaned the kitchen at the rental and then we went to Wally World and out for lupper (lunch and supper).
Far Side
Back in the Winter of 2022 our daughter Jen was exploring different art ideas. She sent for a tile from The Mural Mosaic Global Roots Project in the Midwest Region.
1500 people painted tiles. As I recall she was asked to paint something mostly blue the color of the sky.
Her tile arrived the same day that her Aunt Jan (Far Guy's sister) died on April 21, 2022.
Jen painted what was heavy on her mind that day.
The mural was unveiled in Port Washington Wisconsin in April of 2023. Jen and Andy visited the mural yesterday.
Here is a link to a photo of the entire mural.
Isn't it wonderful what artists can create together!
Far Side
For many days this winter Jen was busy cutting strips of fabric. Every once in awhile she would say "Lets go to Joannes I need more fabric" so off we would go and she would be busy a few more days.
Her sewing room is upstairs...she took over that room for sewing the day Adam moved out to his own apartment. I rarely go up there...she needs her own space sometimes and I am no help when it comes to sewing. Her Dad helped her cut strips of fabric one day.
Finally she shared her project.
Here you can see that it is strips of fabric.
Art and fabric come together for a masterpiece!
Far Side
Jen is taking a beginning quilting class and had homework to do during retreat. The instructor is apparently very accomplished but unable to write so that beginners can understand what to do to create an 8 pointed star ( which I think is very complicated and more for advanced lessons)...needless to say we had many scraps while trying to create that square. We were supposed to use the tri rec rulers...which proper quilters with experience possibly know how to use. I helped as much as I could with my very limited quilting skills and barely a C in Home Ec sewing class years ago ( the C was a gift...because my Mom finished my sewing project for me...a pleated skirt.)
I admire my daughters persistence...and anyone that can sew a straight seam and make beautiful quilts.
This art work is made totally from wood scraps. Jen designed it and Andy helped put it together.
It is the perfect addition to one of the walls in the hallway at Gather in Laporte.
Far Side
This is a sculpture called Vision 1.
I am not so sure I like it...I do like the color...it was bright and cheerful.
We had a quiet Sunday, for entertainment we watched Andy shovel snow, we got about an inch of snow. Andy made a smoked bbq chicken for supper, I added baked potato, green beans and broccoli....it was all wonderful!
Far Side
This is called "Hidden Treasures"
I would have liked to see the piece of wood before he started carving...is it two pieces or just one?
What is inside? Maybe nothing ...perhaps it is the hands that are the treasure...
We had a quiet day, the snow storm fizzled out we got just a skiff of snow.
Our neighbor Steve had his open heart surgery and is doing well, we are so thankful for all the prayers for him and Jo. Jo said "Surgery successful and the nurses have helped him to sit in a chair with his legs up late this afternoon. We are so thankful this part is over— now to heal and go through the therapy and get home. Thank you all for your prayers - God is good!"
Far Side
I emptied the saddlebags where the Christmas Cards are stored. I read them again. Seemed like a fine thing to do as a fine mist fell outside. It was too warm to snow.
There were 30 photo cards.
51 Cards
31 letters, some hand written. Many of the cards had notes inside...some people send just Christmas letters or photos.
There were 5 handmade cards
Very talented folks.
There was one beautiful long fold out card.
A piece of art that tells a story every year. The picture is painted and then made into a card!
I double checked the list. We sent out 140 cards and heard back from 91 people. A Christmas Greeting is a wonderful way to reach out to long time friends and to family. Besides that Far Guy loves getting the mail in December!
I used to keep all the cards and letters...then I had a whole file cabinet full. Now I keep many of the photos...it is fun to compare them from year to year...and I keep a number of the letters especially those from family that tell about their year. I keep a few special cards. I keep everything in three ring binders. I ordered some special page protectors that will store four 5 x 7 photographs and when they get here I will put everything away. Another paper project for later in the week.
We ventured out to the transfer station with our every three weeks of garbage. The price went up it now costs $4 for a big garbage can. I wave the money out the window ...the fellow grabs it and Far Guy and I unload and drive away. Easy peasy. It used to cost $3.50 so it went up by 14% the first of the year.
Far Side
I am on the fence about this sculpture…not sure if I like it or not.
The base is kinda creepy.
It is called “Eagle Spirit.” The sculptor was a gal from Longville Minnesota.
See those Canada Geese in the background?
The geese have claimed this park as their own. They are raising lots of little poop machines baby geese.
You have to watch where you step…I am certain I looked like a drunken sailer as I went from sculpture to sculpture dodging goose poop. IF I were going to create a sculpture for this park I would make something with a fountain so people could wash their shoes… perhaps this park should be called Goose Poop Park.
I found the new sculptures in town quite interesting.
Sculpture #3 Untitled Copper and Steel the artist is from the small town of Vergas Minnesota.
The copper shines so nicely in the sunshine.
Not sure what the artist was thinking…is it a river? I see movement…I enjoyed the colors. Of the five new sculptures this one is my favorite.
Yesterday we went out for lunch in mid afternoon…just as we were being seated a couple in a nearby booth motioned wildly for us to join them…so we did. It was one of Far Guy’s classmates. The guys had a good visit and I enjoyed listening to his wife…who was a talker.
We came home and I sprayed more Poison Ivy…so much for life in the fast lane!
I have been struggling with ants. We moved an old log bench to a different spot and it was attacked by big black ants. Ants that bite…I know this first hand as they went in one hole of my croc and bit me hard enough that I kicked off my croc. These black ants make huge mounds….and thousands live inside the mounds. I never took an Insect ID Class…but they are most certainly ants.
How about Ants as a sculpture? This is Sculpture #2 at the Park in Park Rapids.
This sculpture is called AntVenture.
I suppose if you were a child you could have an adventure.
I have no sense of humor when it comes to ants. I don’t want them any where near the house or where they can bite Chance…or me. I would use Diatomacious Earth on the mounds…but it rains heavily every few days…I have to wait for a dry spell.
besides plotting to kill ants…I washed the lawn mower….I drew the line at waxing it…but I probably should have waxed it.
I sprayed a bunch of Canada Thistle…and made the rounds to see that what I sprayed a few days ago is in the process of dying. It is…since I am the local plant sprayer…I have most of it sprayed except for an area that I cannot get to unless I am become a mountain goat.
I sprayed a bunch of Poison Ivy too…Roundup for Poison Ivy is my weapon of choice. In Minnesota every property owner is responsible for his/her Poison Ivy along property borders. If you have the Ivy you can be reported to the County Weed Officer…then it gets nasty. Some people especially those who move here from a fancy smancy town don’t like ivy when they find themselves covered in the rash…and report their neighbors. Do not laugh it has happened.
Poison Ivy is a special regulated plant;
Poison Ivy must be eradicated or controlled for public safety along rights-of-ways, trails, public accesses, business properties open to the public or on parts of lands where public access for business or commerce is granted. Must also be eradicated or controlled along property borders when requested by adjoining landowners.
After all the plotting of killing ants and spraying Noxious Weeds
I took some old solar lights and put them in the wildflower area where the Lilacs are…earlier this spring Far Guy mowed them down…but they have come back nicely. We need to mow the perimeter and I wanted to protect the Lilacs somehow.
It was a warm busy day…one project led to another all day long, finally when my hair was dripping with sweat…I gave up…cooled off…washed my hair and read. We had a thunderstorm and got an inch of rain in thirty minutes. What happened to gentle soaking rains…we have had only gullywashers lately. I will have to mow again in a few days…mow …rain…repeat.
Went to town, my eye infection is back again…nope I have not been using eye makeup… I have more antibiotic drops for a number of days. If it isn’t one thing it is another.
Far Guy and Chance went along, Chance had not been for a ride in a few days…he almost refused to go. I said “Lets go to town Chance!” He went to the door of the house. Silly dog.
The Pharmacy had my prescription somplace, they filled it but couldn’t find it… it was filed under C for Connie. Go figure. I think they might be confused since their best pharmacist retired.
The park in town got five new sculptures. I had been wanting to see them in person. They are works of Northern Minnesota Artists. They will be sold next May and new ones will take their places.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Sculpture #1
I wonder what was supposed to be in the pipe? No doubt something VERY relaxing. Is this creature male or female?…it has long hair covering up its feet. I think it is marble…I did not touch it.
Far Guy asked me…What was that green one…a toad?
As far as I can tell this is an unnamed sculpture. What would you call it?
There was an expert on television talking about people who doodle. If you doodle during a meeting you are focused. ( I am bored and want to accomplish something even if it is emptying a pen of it’s ink on one sheet of paper.)
What you doodle says something about you. (Maybe) I doodle flowers (the same old Daisy with rounded petals.) I also doodle arrows, cubes and houses. (Why?) Those are the only things I can draw that look like anything.
I would doodle peoples faces or cartoons if I had a lick of drawing talent in me.
When I was in High School our Art Teacher was Mr. Windahl. He was a nice man, I wanted to draw and learn about pencils, watercolors, chalks and shading and form… I was like a sponge ready to soak up whatever he taught me. Well he liked listening to himself talk and lecture about art, he also liked to paint. I would have loved to learn how to mix colors. I recall making some kind of clay pot. Big deal.
Years later my friend Susan and I signed up for an Adult Education class on how to draw…finally I bought sketchpads and special pencils. WELL..that class was taught by an idiot. We were to look at something and then without taking our eyes off the subject we were to draw it. Everything about that class was a dismal failure…including my sketches.
So yes I doodle…do you? Don’t you love my purple pen? I have a set of pens all different colors!
Notice how large those flowers are but so stylized as I have been doodling them for years. Don’t laugh at my fat arrow either it has texture, and the house well the door is always open so it obviously is not in Minnesnowfreezeyourbuttoffota.
Someone lost their brassiere.
Now that is some over the shoulder boulder holder! Very patriotic! Yes, even a brassiere can be art.
Brassiere..now that is an old fashioned word. I bet if I asked my Grands “What is a Brassiere?” They would reply “What is that Grandma?”
My mother called it a brassiere. When I got my first brassiere when I was nine ( YES NINE) I didn’t know if I should wear my undershirt over the top or underneath. (Yes young girls used to wear undershirts..they were warm in the winter.) I settled for over the top.
I was very self conscious and wore sweaters almost all the time. I was the first girl in my class to get a brassiere. All the boys stared..and not at my beautiful eyes either.
I know without looking it up that the brassiere was invented by some man. In my opinion all brassieres should become art:)
I do appreciate some art..and if it is art that makes me smile..well that is a good thing.
Someone took a spoon..and welded it to a rod.
Then they made a second part using silverware handles. They look like Dragonflies. The two Dragonflies are connected by a rod.
This part balances perfectly on the spoon..even in the wind..the Dragonfly is stuck forever in a balancing zone.
It doesn’t take much to entertain me anymore.
This is the work of an Artist in the Fergus Falls Minnesota area, he or she must be a very clever person. Yes, I splurged on a piece of art..after all it was made in the USA and it looks great in the Daylily bed:)
