OK! I'll play

Paradigm:  a typical example or pattern of something; a model.  For 15 years 5 different schools I have always had lunch between 11:00 and 11:30.  Well that paradigm has shifted.  I now eat lunch at 12:30.  All alone.  Ummm I used to eat with other teachers and we would solve the world problems or solve a need that a child would need.  But it makes the afternoon go really really fast.  My paradigm has shifted.  I keep missing attendance:  I think I got another 90 min.  My paradigm is off.  I no longer get to solve the world problems:  And, I'm so flippin' hungry.  I got to remember to bring munchies.  Have you heard about "Mary's Papers".  Found in archives in an old quilt.  A diary from the 1640's right before the Salem Trials.  Going to have to research that.  Started reading "witch child" by Reese.  The author did the research and is staying true to diary.  They hung her grandmother as a witch and sent her to America to guard the secret.  Now she dresses in sad grey clothes.  Worth the read.  I'm only on page 29.

ok! I'll play.

Our 15 year old washer has bit the dust.  The belt is hanging on by a thread.  And, the last time it got fixed $125.  So its time.  She has had a good life.  See an add in paper.  $449.  But it's $499 if I don't by its mate.  Ok.  The newest and greatest front loader energy efficient and water conserver is $699.  Ok.  I'll play.  Give me that one because I can put 3 blankies in at one time.  $100 tax.  $80 to deliver and $300 for warranty.  Now its $1200.  I looked at the guy and walked out.  82 days left.   Have 2 big art shows coming up in spring.  Can't wait to tweek everything now that I had my last 2 classes.  Went to pick-out fabric with a friend yesterday.  Lord!, help me.  I just love to fondle fabric.  Guess I will attempt to clean my sewing room and fondle my own for a while

signed the forms

Signed my first set of forms for retirement.  Now I know why you have to start at least 90 days prior.  Have to get a certified copy of mine and George's birth certificates w/ state seal.    George has to prove how old he is as a spouse.  Then I have to have a notary prove that I am me:  so I can pick a date to retire.  Then I have to have a bank official sign the document saying that if I die my beneficiary is not allowed to cash my checks.  Went to online Vital Statistics:  $84 to get a birth certificate.  Wrong place.  Went to Iowa health and human resources.  $20.  Yikes just to prove I was born:  copy of copy not acceptable.  Then its additional $13 to use a debit card.  So I have to send a check to save $13 and the check and application have to match:  but it has to be notarized to prove that I am alive and was once born.... 

What a perfect day

Stayed home from work yesterday and today. I had my jammies on for 48 hours.   Woke up yesterday and told George I didn't feel right.  I was right.  20 min later:   Aching, cold, and fevering.  Good thing I got that flu shot.  Know just who gave it to me too.  Test day last Weds.  A little tiny one asked to run to the restroom.  Lo and Behold.  When she came back she puked.  Yup!  Little tiny thing.  Tried to be polite and not shoot for distance.  She puked on her shirt and chair.  Stayed home rest of week.  Me.  Pushed chair outside to get cleaned.  Sent her to nurse and then used her desk. Did I say:  used her desk??   Should have sterilized the desk.  Darn it. Darn it Darn it.  Should have brought out the big guns:  lysol, alcohol and the wipes.  Won't make that mistake again.   Wait:  I won't forget the next  83 days  to use the big guns

waking up to daylight

It is such a pleasure to wake up to daylight.  Daylight makes me un-crabby, un-moody and not tired. Lunch today at a Japanese restaurant.  Can't wait.  I bet it will have a Texas flair.  I remember living in Hawaii: sampling lots of Mexican restaurants.  Once you lived in the Mexican Border states its hard to find great Mexican food unless you go to an old established Mom & Pop restaurant on the border.  Nothing compares to the pride they take in their food.  Found one in Dallas by the zoo.  Locals and Cops were there: ummm ummm good.  But, back to Hawaii.  Never did find one because I swear they used soy sauce in preparing the meat and sauces.  I guess the Mexican Food had an Asian Flair.

 Is it selfish to think about spring in January?  We have a beautiful spring like day today while the rest of the country is digging out from snow.   Even Houston and Louisiana got snow.  Not us.  We are in an emergency dangerous drought.

Spent 62 minutes on hold

Have you ever had to wait on hold for a government official or prescription service.  I cleaned out my email.  Fed the pets.  Ate dinner and watched the news.  Then I get this women who is more worried about getting me off the phone than answering my questions.  I  caught her on 2 mistakes.  Good thing I didn't have to answer a survey afterwards.  But then I got the ambiguous information needed and whined for 40 minutes about what oh what I should do.  Oh well.  I have 133 days to decide.  Can't wait.  Working on my cowboy this weekend and finishing up another t-shirt quilt.  Need to get some UFO's going so when I sit down to work on something I have choices.

I'm going to jail

or maybe::   I've never been caught.

As a public school teacher I confess I have lied, stolen, cheated, begged, grovelled and whined to get what I need for my students.  I can honestly say I have become emotionally attached to items/things I use daily and annually in the classroom.  And, I am proud to say in my younger days some of these items had been stolen.  But, my students grew and learned from these projects.  OK!  So I have no character or integrity but my students loved me.  87 days and then I will really have to pay attention to the laws.............nah!  we got the internet now.

From the copyright lawyer:  I'm going to jail:  but a cowboy is a cowboy and a cat is a cat and a fence is just a fence:  or is??? it stolen art work.

Francine,

Your question brings up several potential issues.  Technically, any copying of a creative or artistic work created by another is a violation of copyright.  Copyrights are created upon the creation of the work but not enforceable until after they are registered with the copyright office.  The registration may take place after the violation has occurred but the violator is only subject to actual damages as opposed to statutory damages.  Statutory damages are only available for violations occurring within a short period of time after creation of the work or any time after the work has been registered.  Changing the form, medium or arrangement of an original work can still result in a violation.  A changed work can result in a new copyright for what would be called a derivative work from the original.  For example, Vanilla Ice created a new song in Ice Ice Baby but sampled a portion of the song Under Pressure by Queen.  The sampling was a violation of the Queen copyright but the new song was also subject to being copyrighted.  I would guess that the subject of for profit or commercial use has been debated.  In essence, a violation is a violation.  There is an exception for something called fair use which usually relates to small samples or references to something, accrediting the original source, and not for commercial purposes.  For example, showing a slide of a painting to a class in a comparative art class is not typically considered a copyright violation.  As a practical matter, public showings that expose the copied work to larger audiences and commercial ventures including selling of your quilts would be more likely to result in legal action than non-public, non-commercial violations.  More specifically, if you take a photo of something created by another like a painting or photo, you are copying their work.  However, the closeness of the final result to the original image would be relevant to determining whether the copyright is being violated.  This means that determining a violation can be a very fact specific. 

painting, thread painting, quilting

Just can't decide what to do.  Finish quilting an art quilt:  start a new thread painting project, or work on my cowboy....what to do as I stare at peter rabbit, a zebra, baby liz, another white tiger, I'm just too tired.  Got to start going to bed like I'm a working girl and not retired.  How many days left?  Lets see:  100 -4, -5, -3  =  88 days.  From snow flakes to flowers:  last weeks quilt class:   class w/ Susan:

not the way my mother did it

Ran out of quilt spray.  Ran to local store and discovered it had doubled  in price.  Yikes!!!  When mom made quilts : her and her mother would spend hours getting the top, batting and bottom straight. Then another hour putting in safety pins so the darn thing wouldn't wiggle.   Not anymore:  I just use basting spray and no pins.  This new stuff:  Sullivans:  talked about a few  classes ago   is repositional and re-glues itself by steam.  Also doesn't stain.  Worth the investment.  Took 1/2 the time to straighten and get out wrinkles.  Maybe I need stock in it.  Man!!  when am I going to learn to put away my cables.  Have photos.   Back in 10 or 20 min  when I can find the frickin' cable  for camera to laptop.  Found in the darn camera bag:  lesson:  don't clean sewing room.  After class came home and shaded tiger.  He looks like coming off fabric and my own photo.  Going to mount in frame.

courtesy:  Susan Brubaker Knapp:  I love you Susan:  Tiger thread painted.  Snow flakes:  thread painted and painted:

did a workshop in my jammies last nite.

Did a workshop last nite in my bed.  Watched Judy Coates Perez paint and make an art quilt.  Maybe I will have to get used to a little more technology in my life I can't wait to try it.   She did the entire workshop w/out a drop of paint on her.  Me.  I'm covered in paint.  Shirt, pants, shoes and fingers.  Sometimes my lips get stained.  I've got to quit sucking on my paint brush.  Interesting tidbit.  She put down her paint w/ sponge brush and every color but the final color.  That way the final color doesn't blend into background.  Who would a thunk?  Have a great weekend.  Monday I have 139 calendar days left.

 Samples of quilts made by my last 2 teachers:  Laura Wasiloski and Susan Brubaker Knapp

 I have been honored to suck their brains.  Amazing women who have been able to support families with their artistic talents

Today is the last time of my first time.........

Arrived at school today in the daylight.  Yesterday was the last day I have to drive into a school parking lot in the dark.  Ummm  I should feel sad.................nah!  142 calendar days or 90 school days:  Daylight!  daylight!!  daylight!!  Now I can start coming home and sitting outside reading everyday after school. 

Great lesson:  shoot photos of quilt.  Cowboy washed out.  Can't see horses.  Damn!!!! redo background.  Good thing I love the background:  gonna put butters and cats on it.  Didn't hit the trash yet.

Days like today I feel very very old

Have another funeral to go to.  A darling woman I work w/ at school :  her daughter died unexpectantly.  Complications from a surgery. Can;t think of much worse...burying a daughter or burying a daughter w/ children and not being able to say good-bye.  I don't think I have recovered from Jill, Abby, Emy or George's younger sister.  I used to be able to count on one hand how many funerals I've attended and now  I no longer have enough toes and fingers.  I feel very very old today.
More photos of New Orleans:

so is it copyright violation if I shoot a photo of someone elses artwork, flower or photo and turn it into a quilt??  Wouldn't the above photos make lovely quilts. 

more photos from new orleans

too many photos on a blog more photos to follow.

Yesterdays photo you can see my attic apartment I lived in 30 years ago.  Did I say 30

New Orleans is a truly amazing place. Audobon: bugs & butterflies. Poisonous fish and art

30 years ago before I started college I lived in an attic apartment 1/2 block off Bourbon street for a few years

Sometimes I amaze myself.

I truly am amazing. Sitting here working on my cowboy. Have my paints out. Plastic cup with water to keep brushes clean. Lights on. Brushes dirty. Both a dry and damp towel wishing I had a coke...but drinking water instead. Watching that good looking boy from PBS: Horatio Hornblower. Then the most amazing thing I did this week or maybe month..... truly amazing: I just drank the cup of water I've been using to rinse my brushes. I'm going to glow in the dark. I just know it. From eating sardines last weekend and dying 100 yards of fabric sometimes w/out gloves. I know the chemicals are dangerous that they make the dye from but all info says once it touches water : the dye becomes safe and it can be disposed down the sink. ummmmmm. Maybe that's why I see a slight aura around the drain and my ears. I use gloves but the water and dye seep down them to my fingers anyway.

My week in New Orleas:

how many secure passwords do i need???

Found cable to camera. George went to download and then had to create an account and answer about 13 billion security questions about my camera. Statistics? or tracking......scary??? More Amazing I had to look up some of the frickin' answers to the questions and make others up. Next time I will put the cd that comes with the electronics back in box. Let my phone run out of battery. Just found it. Can't even phone myself to find the darn thing with a dead battery. Photos to follow all this week keep checking back.

My quilting folder

My quilting folder is lost forever. Now to start over. So sad. So very sad. My last quilt class I learned to paint on fabric. Have been experimenting for years. Can't wait to do the cats and dog. Learned about depth, shading, color and tone. Now my quilt animals will come alive and look more 3 dimensional. George downloaded my Canon Software so i can download my photos. But lo and behold the camera has to be hooked to camera with cable before the software will leave cyber space and enter my laptop. One more step and few helps to customer service and serial numbers and and and.... I want to start painting but we have no water. George is attempting to fix a faucet/pipe that was not leaking before he fixed the faucet that sort of leaked. Ummmmmm I wonder if I will be able to shower tomorrow? There is no way i'm paying for a plumber on a Sunday when I gently asked him to wait to fix the faucet//pipe he discovered leaking after he fixed it. I wonder if I will be stinky. Photos to follow if I can get him to crawl out of the cabinet under the sink.

oh! so tired.

Went to the gym today. 2nd time this week. Unbelievable how much strength I have lost. Actually swam two laps. I was doing a quarter mile 3-4 times per week before all the mishaps. It doesn't matter how much money you got or how important you are if you don't have your health. Illness takes no consideration for size, race or gender. Prayers are the only equalizer. Speaking of size: I was looking at my threads today. Polyester and cotton. There is plain thread, varigated thread and twisted thread. The sizes go from 20-50. 50 being the thinnest. Well darn it!!! I've reached 50 and am certainly no longer the thinnest. I usually use 40 wt but this class I'm taking wants 30 or 50. Surprise in my bo of threads I actually have 50 wt cotton. hmmm. Good thing I bought it on sale. Now I will learn how to use it. Can't wait to try the weight on my cowboy quilt.

sometimes it pays to be poor

Just finished watching movie "Mud". Excellent. Thriller. Unexpected ending(s). We don't have tv. Just 2 stations. I refuse to pay $85 + for tv. But after 3 years I broke down and got Netflix. If you want to save on tv: drop cable or your dvr and go for netflix. With that savings of $85/month = $850/year that I get to spend on fabric. Sometimes we are so poor that I have to be creative and dig out scraps that I have been saving for decade(s). Never throw anything away. I have boxes and bags of stuff I never will take to the dumpster. And, then: I look and I look. Then I remember my scrap bags. Everything I need is in that box. Isn't life great when you are poor? But, give me a rich man any day and I will be just as happy. 99 days to go. Yesterday was the first day of my last semester as a kid teacher.

oh no! lost a few posts....

O where did they go!!! Must not have been too important..... Just finished watching Saving Private Ryan again. What a great movie. makes you think how precious life is. how short life is. I hope people think I am a "good" person. Life is very precious to me. You never have enough time. Watching Tom Hanks from 1998 and then 2013: my oh my has he aged. that means I have aged too. I was doing just fine and then getting ready for bed at 10:30 at night... I just set my alarm clock back to 6:00 am. Knowing that 6 am is just around the corner has made me feel really old just now. I have a quote on my desk for everyone to read: it goes something like this: You have only one life: don't waste it. I hope getting up at 6 am for the past thirty years has not been a waste,