You
might have noticed I haven't been writing about the travesty that has
befallen this country in the form of it's present president (and the
GOP in general) lately. Several reasons for that, the most obvious
the flooding from Hurricane Harvey at the end of August and the
demolition and continuing reconstruction that has followed. Another
reason is that it's time consuming to collect one horrible incident
or appointment or tweet after another and write them down and right
now my time is divided between the remodeling going on and trying to
get the 7 pieces we did manage to get cast finished in time for the
open house the first and second weekends in December and time is
running short. Probably the real reason is that for the first time
in my life I've had high blood pressure recorded at all the doctor
office visits this year and had a freaky bout of rapid heartbeat that
spanned two weeks and to tell the truth it's just getting more and
more depressing to keep up with it. This country is going to hell in
a hand basket and while I will continue to vote and voice my opinion
that's pretty much all I can do so I've succumbed to cynicism and
accepted the fact that I'm living in the end times of this country.
Once I get my house put back together I'm going to work on getting
the shop fixed up and then my gardens or maybe my gardens and then
the shop and I'm going to just make stuff whether anyone wants to buy
it or not.
Like
this one. I'm almost finished with the edge work on this one and
I've been pondering how to present it, either on a stand or mounted
for hanging on a wall and I finally decided to have a stand made for
it. Unfortunately, Chuck, the metal artist that creates my stands,
is also consumed with work and the aftermath of Harvey and though his
house didn't flood, his shop did and no way he can make it for me in
time for the open house. So I will still show it with a sign that
the stand is forthcoming. This is a stand for something else (Chuck
did not make this one) but I can gerryrig it a little better to at least display this
piece.
When
it first came out of the kiln and was de-molded, with all the plaster
chunks and residue still on it, it looked as if the piece had failed,
that the amber was too dark and it didn't glow. It's always a crap
shoot since I only do one of a kind pieces these days.
One
more decision to make re my studio in the house...paint.
It's hard to keep up with living our lives and trying to make sure others are listening to the mess around us. I too have decided I love my family more than I hate the politics of now, so like you I'm concerning myself with me, mine and my community. This piece is gorgeous. xoxo Oma Linda
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about our current "leadership". My blood pressure is having some highs lately, so I am, like you, resigned to be a spectator to the travesty ahead.
ReplyDeletenew to your blog. And I get it re the state of the country. It's raised my already elevated bp, it's given me ulcerative colitis for the first time in my long life, but I rant occasionally on my blog (and more often on Twitter) because to me to be quiet is to be complicit. I can't rant in real life mixed company, but I can do it online. LOL Then, the rest of the time I just blog boring stuff. ;)
ReplyDeleteWelcome. Trump's ignorance and vindictiveness has been a regular feature but I just have to give it a rest for now. too much other stuff to deal with.
DeleteLike your moon, there is a nice feel to watching it when it peeks through the trees.Paint colors take me forever, I get close and change my mind.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that a segment of the population still considers women secondary to men, considers education an elitist and unnecessary venture and a luxury for the rich, considers "rough" language at the 3rd grade level normal for a world leaders, considers accumulating money by bankrupting others and working with criminals something smart, and finally that guns are more important than free speech. Who are these aliens and what part of the universe rejected them to this planet.
ReplyDeleteand the christian right that thinks nothing of pedophilia or sexual aggression. they elected a man who bragged about being a sexual predator.
DeleteWe have to deal with our lives first and stay sane. The noise is so loud and so trying on our being, that I have decided to stay local and do what I can to change what seems possible. We have elected more women in our county than ever before and I totally believe that much of the change came about when women went for a stroll in January and said that we and our voices mattered.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes sense to focus on your life rather than the state of the country and the world at large. We all need to be knowledgeable enough to vote, but there's no reason to simmer in the outrage all the time. I've mentioned taking news breaks -- that's another version of the same idea.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I love the moon -- even with the temporary stand. It looks great!
DeleteThat moon is just lovely. Even though the moon through the branches is something that I particularly love, Mike always calls it "Ellen's moon." :)
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ready to write my annual Thanksgiving poem for our family gathering. I know that about half of the people there voted for Trump. I usually DO mention politics in a low grade way, but I'm trying to decide how far to go this year. Probably shouldn't push it, but oh it is hard!
"Ellen's moon", how cool. it is his photograph I used for that piece.
DeleteI second and support Arleen's voice, 100 plus percent. In case anyone forgets, she was out there in January, as were many more. We must keep making noise, and not keening. The noise in the air since last January has been a moving force. Every new source of noise, like MeToo, helps defeat the misogynists, the Luddites. You're in it too. Women in the vanguard of all the new electees. My pressure is bonkers this year, too. I try so hard to keep my eye on the prize.
ReplyDeleteAnd, the moon is as beautiful as I expected.
I'm not stopping resisting but I need a break from being immersed in it.
DeleteIt's gorgeous, it looks perfect to me and the stand seems just fine.
ReplyDeleteYes, Ellen - do what ever you have to to keep that bugger down. More yoga may be called for and seed catalogues for the garden. Gardening is your happy place. I'll look forward to hearing that it's lowering it's self steady but sure!
The recent state elections gave me back some hope, so I think the tide will change...I sure understand taking a break, I rant on Facebook in short sentences..and my blog sometimes becomes a rant where normally it's my DIY projects, birds and travel. The moon is very cool!
ReplyDeleteI really like this piece. It reminds me of an updated version of many arts and craft pieces I admire from the twenties and thirties.
ReplyDeleteYour moon is beautiful. No way I could buy it, but if I had gazillions of dollars and walked into a gallery where it was displayed, it would be mine. You're so talented -- it just makes me happy to see your house and such coming together, and to see you creating again.
ReplyDeleteIt just makes me crazy. The last thing I saw last night is that he lifted the ban on importing elephant parts. No doubt so that his deranged sons can go to Africa, kill elephants and bring back trophies. Never in my life did I think this nation would come to this. It is a very good time to be old.
ReplyDeleteright? he embodies every single thing that is wrong with human beings.
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