There's a right way...

...and then there's another right way, and perhaps even another right way! Of course, that's not what we all grew up hearing from our teachers. They said that 'there's a right way to do something and a wrong way to do it.' Rarely did a teacher allow for more than one right way. So when I teach, I often confuse my students, who want to know THE right way to weave their tapestry. I tell them, 'well, you could do it this way, or you could do it this other way...' Not always the simple answer they crave.


I was thinking of that when I reached this area of my cartoon, because I had to choose how I want to weave it. I could use eccentric wefts here, and it would be very organic looking - I love eccentric wefts! Or I could be quite traditional and weave all the way across the area, carrying several dozen wefts bundles back and forth across each of their areas all in one shed change. But I have chosen to just weave each tiny shape at a time, building up around each other as I come to them. Once I made that decision, I could move on with the weaving. Often I make these choices without thinking of them, but I guess I am more cognisant of what I am doing right now, as I am trying to do things in the most efficient way to use my scanty work time well.


New topic: (just thought I'd let you know before you got lost.) One of the things I love about where I live is that we can see the weather coming and going, long before it arrives. We have big sky here in western Colorado. The other evening, as I was driving home from a dinner out with some friends, I watched a storm roll in. The sky was gorgeous, so I grabbed my always-ready camera, and shot some sky through the windshield as I drove (luckily, very light traffic.) Isn't this a wonder? I especially love the area where the light shines through. (I shot about a dozen pictures, but I will spare you, and just show this one.)

Slow progress is still progress...

... and tapestry weavers know that, for sure!

Yesterday I took advantage of every Booker nap minute, and went into the studio to weave. I actually progressed up the warp a bit more than an inch! I have other important things to attend to today, so can't use all spare quiet minutes that way, but hope to do a little bit more weaving, if possible.

The Honduran organization that my husband was going down to work with decided yesterday that things are just too unstable there for Americans to come down right now. So his trip is canceled... again. We had to cancel last year's trip because the airport in Tegucigalpa was shut down, due to a plane crash. I believe we perhaps are being told to turn our good work efforts elsewhere. It is, once again, a disappointment and frustration for my husband and the group he was going with. But I confess that I am relieved that I won't have that week of checking the news every few minutes to see 'what else' has happened in Honduras! We do pray that things settle down there soon. It is a country that is unstable enough in the best of times, and the good people there do not need their government crumbling around them. They have been very proud of their democracy, and it needs to become something they can rely on and be proud of again.

Nerds v. Puppy...

Here's what we did: we checked out the entire puppy raising section of the public library, and I made out an extensive To Do list so I would be organized enough to get 'my stuff' done while raising the perfect puppy.

Here's what he did: raised enough general cane to keep me from reading the books, including needing a bath a day each of the past 3 days, as he now knows where every puddle is for wallowing in, in both ours and our neighbors yards. Chewed up my To Do list.

Guess who's winning?

Illustration Friday: Idle

The IF topic this week is idle. Here is an 8x10 oil sketch of a couple of girls on the end of a dock at Vega Lake, where our cabin is, being sweet summer idle. I'm not sure it is finished, but I am too idle to finish it today... not to mention that Booker is NOT idle enough to allow it!

Things I haven't done....

...since Booker came to live with us:
- weave
- paint
- sketch
- write in my journal
- get a good night's sleep
- cook a decent meal
- go out for coffee with a friend, or go out ANYwhere, really!
- bother with make-up (really, that is pretty far down on the list for me anyway)
- clean my house (ditto above, when I am on 'functional level')
- exercise... HA! Life Is an exercise!
- did I mention 'get a good night's sleep'? It's worth a re-run. As Wallace says (Wallace and Gromit), 'The bounce has gone from my bungee.'

Well, the little terror is napping for a few minutes, so I'm going to go stare wistfully into my behind-closed-doors-studio, and see what I can begin, tho' that seems like a guarantee that naptime will end.

New family member...

We went to Utah today and brought home a new 'baby.' He's a real sweetie! He is an 8-week old English Golden retriever. We don't have a name for him yet, though we're working on it. He and Gussie are very curious about each other, and I don't think it will take them long to become playmates and buddies.

Losing Wooster was very hard for us, and we had to think hard about getting another dog this soon. But we discovered that we are just people who feel like a house is not a home without a dog in it. (A cat is just an added bonus.) So welcome back, dog hair! All of my black clothes and my wood floors have missed you!

Illustration Friday: Tango

The IF topic today is "Tango." I am posting this small tapestry (about 8x10"), which is called "Tango Garden." I created it the summer after we moved into this house. I was, at that time, obsessed with two things; my new garden and Yo Yo Ma's CD, "Soul of the Tango." Those obsessions led to this abstract tapestry. I still hear his tango music when I look at it. By the way, I think it is some of the 'sexiest' music I have ever heard!

I am also going to repost this painting, "Mon Vieux Lucien", as I made some alterations to it to complete it.