Faux leather...

This is my most recently finished art project.

A faux leather belt made of painted Bristol board (paper).   

 We had to pick colors from a natural object to create a manufactured product.

I chose this beautiful stone/pendant the Legal Dude gave me. 

I so love everything western and thought…why not a belt? 

 It took days to complete—

v Creating my color inventory from my stone and then deciding which of those colors to use

v Mixing paints to match those colors

v Applying paint after paint—four coats to each strip of Bristol board, of which there are three

v Embossing each piece

v Deciding how to put it all together  

Plus I worked hard to make it reversible...

The Legal Dude and I had a conversation about how art class—and my projects—should be fun and not stressful.

I told him I wasn’t stressed—just contemplative and intense, trying to figure out how it would all piece together so that the adhesive holds, etc.

 

I mentioned this during my critique.  My Prof said that it’s not stress, but “compulsive” behavior.

He thinks it’s a good thing!

If you’re an artist—compulsive behavior is good.

What about those of us who aren’t? 

Is it then considered compulsive bad behavior?

As long as it gets me my A’s—and I have fun in the process!

“Outed”or the "Way We Were"

[Outed: To reveal some previously secret part of someone's life, as in Valerie Plame who was "outed" by the Bush Administration as a CIA agent—Urban Dictionary]

I like [need] to maintain anonymity on this blog.

Family and friends who read this blog know who we are and what we look like. 

My cousin M.H.C., however, recently “outed” me on Facebook, so I figure I have no choice but to post these here… 

Fishing with my older bro...or two members of the "Little Rascals" who have gone AWOL   

With my late cousin Rick, who looks like he's about to "whack" me with that racquet

 

 

With mom, dad, and younger bro, probably in Grant Park

With several of my many, many cousins at one our many family gatherings at the "kid's table"

With mom and one of my many, many aunts--just gotta love those glasses!

With one of my many, many uncles--when we were both much younger!

Thanks coz M.H.C for the memories...

Bragging rights…

Do I have them?

Count them--four!

Can I be proud and boast my straight “As” again, this semester?

Being a student is hard work, even when it’s fun.

4 courses, 12 credit hours, was a lot for this “non-traditional” student.

Here’s to hoping I can maintain my perfect score…

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Cheer to all!

We didn't make it to my folks in the Midwest this year to celebrate Christmas with them and the rest of my family. 

We're disappointed, but with the thick fog that has rolled in, we're glad to be cozy in our house this evening.

I tried to get photos but alas, this is the best I could do

 Although our little family doesn't celebrate Christmas, this is what we had roasting this afternoon (plus all the trimmings)...
 

 We figured we would be eating this at my brother's house, so why not here in little ole Laramie.

It was the smallest bird they had, but at 13 lbs, I think we'll be eating turkey for some time to come.

Stay safe, be warm and be happy!

Midnight Musings...

[Written—but not posted—Monday, December 20]

It’s snowing tonight.

Not anything unusual for up here on the high windswept plains of Laramie, Wyoming.

The snow is “of easy wind and downy flake” a la Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

The soft and downy flakes are falling gently against the dark and empty night. 

Stepping outside, with the Medicine Bow National Forest to the East and the Snowies to the West, one can almost hear the snowflakes gently falling. 

Laramie is deserted about now.

Everyone is gone—or soon will be—to points elsewhere around the lower 48.

I would love to be in Yellowstone, or the Tetons, “to watch the woods fill up with snow.”

Then again, this past spring I wrote about feeling “almost” lost up in the Medicine Bow National Forest on a May day. 

It was gorgeous and I had that “if a tree falls in the woods” sense of isolation.

I’m hoping to have more “adventures” this coming year.

Tonight is the last lunar eclipse until 2014. 

Alas, I missed it. 

With the snow and cloud cover, I don’t know if it was even visible from Laramie. 

Hope someone out there got to see it. 

Birthday boy…

Today my baby turns 14.

Hard to believe, especially since some days he acts like he’s, two.

Happy birthday to my teenager, who as of today, really is a teenager!

A year old(er)…

My blog is one year old.

Actually, it’s been one-year and 16 days since my first “(Almost) Due West” post.

A lot of time has passed—and a lot of life has happened—since that first post.

I was traveling, without my laptop, on July 11, so I didn’t get to write my anniversary post, which would have gone something like this...

“During this past year, I’ve adjusted to...

A dearth of trees

Constant wind, which I now refer to as a “breeze”

Wearing jackets on the 4th of July

The three seasons in Wyoming—June, July and Winter

Snow in September, April, May and June

Shoveling, not once, not twice, but sometimes thrice on any given day

Learning to drive not just on snow, but on snow and ice packed roads

Ice covered parking lots and learning how to walk like a penguin, so as not to fall

Periods of negative 35 below temperatures

A fairly consistent and shinning sun, warming even the coldest of days by 10 to 15 degrees

College kids wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals, in 30-degree weather

Having my windshield nicked on the beautiful Wyoming roads, and then crack when the temperature hits below zero

The fact that my windshield may very well get nicked, and crack, again and again

Igloos on wheels, as apparently no laws about cleaning snow off the tops—or sides—of cars seem to be enforced in Wyoming

Shopping at Wal-Mart and a piss-poor Kmart

Driving an hour to shop at Whole Foods, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Sam's club, Target or any other big box stores

Traveling two hours to the airport

Five and six year olds biking, or walking, to school, all by their little lonesome

Ominous clouds rolling in off the mountains on any given afternoon and strong winds whipping up as late afternoon thundershowers roll in

The sky clearing and the sun shinning 10 to 15 minutes after said late afternoon thundershowers—just like it never happened

Lighting, one can see for miles and miles

Amazing cloud formations, one can see for miles and miles

Blue sky, one can see for miles and miles

Snow capped “Snowies” in the Medicine Bow National Forest, visible from our living room windows

Sightings of sheep, lama, goats, horses, and pronghorns (with elk and moose being more elusive)

Learning how to spin roving into yarn

Traveling 30 MPH everywhere, in town

Not eating out

Eating better because home is so close to work and school, so there’s more time to cook healthier meals

Being a student again and having to learn how to study, all over again

Having school and work all within a four minute drive from home

Biking to and from work and school

Making new friends

Missing our friends back east

Trying to learn how to write

Trying to learn how to keep an online journal

The realization that we’re not too old to make major life changes

The realization that life can change, dramatically, and still be good

No Diane Rehm, Kojo Namdi, or Michelle Martin

The realization that WPR is every bit as good—if not better—than WAMU

The realization that I now want to live my days in the shadow of a mountain

The sad realization that I probably won’t get to live my days in the shadow of a mountain

The happy fact that I love living in this beautiful state and this small, but welcoming town, though I still can’t say “why,” only that I do.”

Thanks to all who have stayed with me this past year.

I wish I could say “this blog is for you,” when in reality it’s been for me—but I’ve appreciated the support and comments.

Thanks for being here for me...

Bar Mitzvah Boy

Be still my heart!

My baby boy seemed so at ease, and displayed such a commanding presence, on the Bimah (stage/pulpit) this past Saturday.

How very proud I am.

All these months, he’s been dreading the prospect of standing in front of people to recite Shabbat morning prayers and blessings and read his Torah portion, in Hebrew.

All these months I’ve been worried how he might stutter and stammer, lose his place, and be all nervous and embarrassed.

It seems we both worried for naught.

My baby seems to have some “public speak” in him.

He looked so handsome up there.

He looked so calm.

He looked downright comfortable!

It’s been a long, and often difficult, journey –years of tears and fights during Hebrew school days back east—to reach Bar Mitzvah day, and I can’t believe it’s finally over.

I thank his Hebrew tutor, for giving my baby boy the encouragement, the courage, the confidence and the ability to be so cool-headed and at ease on Bar Mitzvah day.

The Rabbi said blessings over the Challah and wine at the start of
 Shabbat on Friday evening

Blessings also said over wine and Challah after Shabbat and
the teenager's Bar Mitzvah service

Cake made for the teenager by the Sisterhood ladies from 
Cheyenne, Mt Sinai Synagogue

Now my Bar Mitzvah boy deserves to enjoy the rest of his summer break…

Happy Father's Day...

to all the fathers out there.

Hope you have a great day!

Peter and the Wolf

The Laramie Ballet Company 7220—the number represents Laramie’s altitude—performed at the UWYO Arts & Science building this morning.

The production, Peter and the Wolf, was a special showing for all of Laramie’s elementary school students.

I went because a friend’s daughter—the friend who moved here from VA last August with her kids and whose daughter goes to school with the teenager—is a dancer with the company, which is mostly adult and college-aged dancers and performers.

What fun!

And what a great opportunity for my friend’s daughter, who wouldn’t have these same dancing and performance opportunities in a larger city.

Just another one of the benefits, of small town living!

Love, from my teenager…

I know I shouldn’t do this, but—

There are some posts, that really should not see the light of day, and I usually keep them under wraps.

However, this is one post that I love too much to keep to myself, and would like to have for “Blog posterity.”

Whatever you do, however, please—please—please, never tell the teenager, or at least not until he becomes an adult.

The reason I LIKE my mom

I like my mom because
Because she is funny and knows some
Stuff

I like my mom because
She likes to have dinner parties
That makes me hide in my room

I like my mom because
She has know it all syndrome
And it is funny to watch her

I love my mom because
She is sweet and kind
And has a big heart

I love my mom for all of those reasons
But mostly because my mom is so nice

I love to love my mom

Remember...not a word to the teenager!

Mother’s Day Brunch

We tried this for Sunday brunch…

Our attempt at Herbed Baked Eggs
a la Ina Garten

Our Herbed-Baked Eggs may not look like Ina Garten’s, but my-oh-my, are they ever delicious.

Barefoot in Paris Cookbook

Even the teenager liked them and said, yeah—he would eat them again.

Ina Garten's Herbed-Baked Eggs from
Barefoot in Paris

Try them!

They are truly delish and I do not think you will be disappointed.

Some things never change…

I've spent a lot of time at the teenager’s school these past two days, helping with appreciation week.

Today I got to work with the littlest kid-lets, helping them write little love notes to their teachers.

Reminds me all over again, just why I am going back to school and why I love working with that age group.

Standing outside the cafeteria, trying to snag the oldest kid-lets to write little notes of ‘preciation for their teachers, I managed to snag some of the teenager’s friends.

Later, one of them told the teenager, "you look a lot like your mom."

Aw—I love the kid who said that, because I don’t hear that very often.

Then there are the teachers, some of whom do not yet know me and whom I don't want to know that I'm the teenager's mom—because then they'll know and I'll know, what we both know, which is that we just do not want to go there.

Happy Earth Day…

I was going to stick around, take some photos and help out.

















Unfortunately, it started to pour—although I’m sure the hardy frontier folk didn’t let a little thing like rain stop them.

By the time I made it to my car, I was soaked.

Who knew I would need an umbrella, here where the sun shines 300 plus days—snow boots and shovels, yeah, but an umbrella?

Now go unplug all those electronic toys you aren't using...

Turquoise and Fry Bread

The Legal Dude and I stopped in at the Powwow.

It was raining steadily and there were several other functions going on yesterday afternoon so attendance was small, which was disappointing.

I forgot my camera, which was a real bummer.

The dancers and their outfits were something I really wanted to get on camera.

There weren’t as many vendors as I had hoped, but I found a nice belt buckle, which the Legal Dude bought for me as an anniversary present.

We didn't haggle, which we probably should have. Oh well.

I've had my eye on a sweet pair of boots downtown that I thought I might "hint" about—but there is my birthday coming up in a few months...

In addition to the belt buckle, we bought mugs, ate an Indian Taco on fry bread and brought home a piece of plain fry bread for the teenager, who promptly poured honey on it and said, “mine!”


The fry bread is kind of like mom’s buñuelos—only thicker and just as unhealthy—and just as de-lish.

The 29th Biennial Powwow

is taking place at the University of Wyoming this weekend.

[University of Wyoming Photo]

Drummers, dancers, artisans, vendors and food---all under one roof!


[University of Wyoming Photo]

I can’t wait!

Hoping to take my own photos…