I'm good, I'm very good! Peter has been on vacation for most of December. It is wonderful to see him so relaxed and not carrying around work all the time, even though work does make life sweet most days.
We've been enjoying coffee together in the mornings, and grandkids, watching tv, and listening to music. I'm actually looking forward to him being able to retire if the "creek don't rise".
The other thing I've been doing is reading like a mad woman! Thanks to the Kindle Fire Peter gifted me. Some months ago I downloaded Kindle for the PC...it was okay and I like reading between surfing, but still was somewhat lukewarm on getting a reader, etc. The best thing I enjoy is the back lighting which doesn't require lamp light for reading in the dark. The 2nd best thing I enjoy is not buying a hard copy book of books that will not get a 2nd read from me...there are some books that are real treasures to me, but there are some that once I've closed the book, it is over! Not all reference books require physical space, even if they are art related. This morning I downloaded Digital Art Wonderland and I just finished reading a book on African American Rootwork and Sacred Symbols of the Dogon. Although informative, (Sacred Symbols was not quite what I expected), I was reading them to inform some visual ideas I had...somethings struck, most didn't right now...but 1. I didn't pay full price and 2. neither book will occupy space in what is already very limited space and 3. multiple titles are portable. So I'm a convert to book readers.
Its been about 2 weeks since I've been in the studio. I did bring a study piece home to work out some hand embroidery on the "boats". It boiled down to "yeap, the thread work and colour choices make the boats pop even more which translates to 'gonna take me more time to finish'.
I'm considering trapunto, which I've never attempted, to make the boats stand out more. The embroidery will only be through the top layer. The blue section will be quilted by machine. Each boat is around 3 inces across...the actual top has about 150 boats. This is what I'll be working on when I stay home from the studio (i.e. too damn cold).
No further revelations have come to me about this piece in addition to it being my response to Troy Davis' execution.
I don't like reading on the computer, so I know that I will not like that Kindle thing that I've heard so much about.
About the books though I've decided that I'll read no more fiction after I finish the Grisham novels I have. I promised to give them to my daughter in law. Also I'm borrowing the other non-fiction books that I want to read that are not already in my over- abundant library, from the public library. In life now for me "LESS IS MORE". Here's praying for you a HAPPY NEW YEAR and the joy of living to see Peter retire. Love
Posted by: Carol | Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 08:16 PM
Oh I am so glad you get to enjoy a Kindle! I have to admit to being a reluctant e-reader. I use Kindle on my IPad and though. Several months ago I became a real convert too - it'so much easier to read in bed (whilst lying on your side) and simply swipe a finger across the screen that have to prop up and tangle with large books! Now, I use Kindle more than "dead tree" books - something I never, ever thought I would do! Enjoy!
Posted by: Marie | Sunday, January 01, 2012 at 10:16 PM