Following my Dreams......

I've been absent from my blog.  I apologize to anyone who is following it.  Retirement is so busy!  I don't know when I found time to work!  But, I'm not really retired.....I've just changed how I'll be spending my days! 


I found a quote taped to the counter in the used book store I frequent and I loved it for it totally describes my life since retirement.....and as I think back, perhaps my life in general: 
I'm sick of following my dreams.  I'm just going to ask them where they are going and hook up with them later.  (Mitch Hedberg)   This quote sums up my life so perfectly I think it should be my mantra! 


My Mum and Dad had a terrible winter....Dad broke his hip and Mum had a heart attack.  I stayed with them for quite a while in February and March, as I explained in previous posts.  However, Dad has asked if they can come and live with us as they are finding the winters where they are to be more and more difficult.  He phrased it like this:  "You are going to build a studio at your new place aren't you?"  He was teetering on the edge of his hospital bed at the time.  I replied "Yes, but not for a couple of years because we have to save."  He then said "If we help you out with that, could we live in it until we kick off?"  I said yes, my husband said yes, and that's why I've been absent!  Needless to say, it has somewhat changed my retirement plans!

DESTRUCTION FIRST!  Removing this part of the deck gave me a one inch hole in my shin from a rusty nail..... Luckily, my granddaughter is more coordinated!

We've been building an addition on the house which will be home to Mum and Dad as long as they live and then my studio when they "kick off" as Dad so eloquently put it.  I've been busy shopping for finishes, cleaning up the construction site, painting tar on the foundation......just generally helping out in any way I can.  Phew!  These people start so early in the morning! 

However, I've been blessed in the designer and contractor that I found.  Denise Mitchell Interiors came up when I 'googled' "renovating a Pan Abode".  Here is what I saw:  http://www.denisemitchellinteriors.com/photo_gallery.php?gallery_id=27  I could not believe my luck when I read about that project and then saw that she is located in Campbell River, about half an hour from my home!  I called her and the rest is history.  Denise and her team got us through the process of designing the addition, getting the permits and all the stuff that would have had me screaming in frustration before anything got started.  I'd have offended the inspector badly enough to not pass any future inspections before we got to the starting point!  I can't say enough enthusiastically good things about my dealings with them. 

And then when it came time to build, she put me in touch with a contractor:  2 Hills Renovations:  http://www.2hillsrenovation.com/  Highly recommended for anyone looking to do any construction or renovations!  This is the view from the front driveway.  I LOVE that piece of driftwood leaning against the house!


Now a combination of teams like this is when you realize that God is looking after you.....they are so good at what they do, so caring about what they are doing, and so thoughtful about who they are building this for that I am amazed each day.  While I expected and had heard that building and renovating can be an experience that invokes stress and arguments..... to date I must say that I look forward to each new step in the process.  Dave Hunt is so incredibly thoughtful about us as the customer and my parents as the incoming residents that I am amazed each day at his knowledge.  Heis such a patient foreman and explains whatever I ask about, Steve  Hills is the contractor.  The two of them have worked together so often that they tease and hassle each other and make each day fun, whether it's hot and sunny or pouring rain!  They often make me laugh at their antics, but they make the entire project a pleasure.

Here is where we are today....a view from the back yard.  I think this week brings roofing.....altho I'm not sure.  I'm just glad that today blessed us with some sunshine after three days of torrential downpours.....at least I think that's what it was...... yellow, warm, bright....no water falling from the sky...that's sunshine right?

And with that little bit of sunshine today....my creative muse is back....look for great things happening!   Hopefully some finished projects! 

Liquitex Playtime on a Rainy Day

Rain.  More Rain.  We've had enough Rain!  But there's a pleasant side effect.  Even here on the coast where we are supposed to be used to rain, we get tired of it....and then we stay inside and do something else that pleases us.  My house is clean, the floors are washed, I baked, and then decided I'd do something in my studio. 

I perused the situation in there.....had a look at a number of different projects on the go.  Several quilts ready to be quilted, but I didn't feel like getting the table cleared and set up for quilting.  One project on the design wall, which is arguing with me so I didn't want to tackle that one.  Some dolls I could finish.  Some mending to do.  Some hand stitching to do.  And amongst all these started projects I couldn't find anything I wanted to do so I started something new!  Well....it's better than retail therapy isn't it? 

So I decided on a journal page.  8 1/2 x 11 for size.  I've had an idea percolating at the back of my mind after seeing all the eclectic funky houses in my Mum & Dad's neighborhood (see my post of March 2, 2011).  I thought why not do a small version of it and see how it works.  Well....it wasn't long before I was buried in scraps and having scads of fun with my machine. 

I had a piece of fabric that I scrunched up, dampened and painted with Liquitex Inks.  The experiment was to see how much differently/the same it worked like fabric paint.  Here are some photos of the results.  It seems it worked very much like fabric paint in this method. 

This piece seemed like a good choice for the background as I wanted to portray bright sunny skies but with lots of snow and ice on the ground.  I used it so that the darker green areas got covered and the white/pink/light blue areas showed.  It has a little bit of Liquitex pearlescent medium in parts, and I hoped that would be the sparkle off the snow. 

Next to the houses.  I used only scraps and most of them in the shape they were already, just trimming here and there.  These were glued down on the background with a bit of UHU glue stick (I'm not a fan of fusing).  From there I proceeded to stitch the pieces down with satin stitch.  It wasn't long before I was trying out the variety of stitches my little machine offers as embellishment.  Here are the results so far.  I should iron things before I photograph them!


I have another piece of fabric done while I was playing around with the Liquitex Inks.  This one was a "mono print".  The inks, thickened a bit with the opalescent medium, were painted onto a big ceramic tile.  When I was pleased with the arrangement of the colors, I put a dry piece of pfd cotton on it and rolled it with a little brayer.  It was left sitting there for about 5 minutes and then lifted.  Here is what came of that experiment: 

I plan to cut this piece and use the brownish red piece on the bottom to add a "sidewalk" to the bottom of my little "cityscape", and then will quilt the little journal page.  When that's done,  I will do a bit of hand embellishing with beads and buttons and whatever else I can find.    All in all, great fun on a rainy day! 

A New Chapter in my Life!

It's not a book yet, but it could be!  I'm setting out on a new chapter in my life.....the one that begins when you retire from your full time office job and start another life style.  I've looked forward to this for some time now, as do many of us.  But it was expedited by the twists and turns that life throws at us. 

First of all, my retirement date was planned for the end of March.....making April 1st or April Fools Day the first day of my retired life.  An auspicious date for such a monumental change don't you think?  So, as always, with "the best laid plans of mice and men" .....things didn't work out that way.  During my Christmas vacation, I fell and broke my foot.  That put me in an air cast, with instructions to keep my foot elevated for a period of time.  But, beyond that, I was unable to drive our standard vehicle, so had to take extra time off work.  Rather than have the office go through training someone for my absence with the broken foot, and then again six weeks later for my permanent replacement, I decided to expedite my retirement date. 

So, I guess if you want to get technical, I retired at Christmas break because I've been away from work since that time!  My last official day on payroll was January 28th, and my first official day of retirement turned out to be February 1st. 

But nothing is ever that clear and concise.  I was sitting here in my chair on the morning of January 30th when the phone rang.  It was my Mum, and she was upset.  My Dad had fallen, broken his hip and was in the hospital.  She asked "Can you come?  I can't handle this alone."  I said I would be there as soon as I could.  I was on a plane within two and a half hours, with the help of my friend who drove me there.  She was great as we put things into her vehicle.  She asked "Do you have your other shoe?  If you're there long you may want it."  So I dashed back inside to get the other shoe that matched the one I had on my "good foot".  Turned out to be a good thing because not only did my stay stretch to three weeks, but the ice and snow was treacherous with an air cast, so as soon as I thought it feasible, I took the boot off and wore my runners, with my Mum's "cleats" attached.  Great invention that one! 

So, my Dad waited 2 1/2 days for surgery, but has pulled through miraculously considering he is 96.  There were some long worrisome days, but Mum and Dad have yet again surmounted the obstacles thrown in their path and Dad is gaining strength and Mum is able to help him. there was a week in the hospital, a week in the rehabilitation center, and then a week at home.  I stayed until I was sure they could handle the shower, cooking, the trips to the lab for blood tests etc.  I didn't really want to leave when I did, but I had things at home that needed to be attended to as well!  One being the pets I had deserted in my rush to get there.  People were looking after them and I totally appreciated that, but you can only let people help you for so long! 

One of the things I did to help out was to walk their adorable and extremely well trained little dog three times a day.  I couldn't help but notice the houses in the neighborhood.  I like unusual buildings and this district was amazing....everything from the heritage home to the ultra-modern....side-by-side making a very eclectic neighborhood.  It was a pleasure to walk around and see these places. 

So now I'm home, adjusting to retired life, checking on my parents every second day by telephone, and planning to go back for a short check-in on spring break.  I'll be taking two granddaughters to see their Dad at that time and will tie in a visit with Mum and Dad.  In walking around in my back yard yesterday, I discovered a surprise....crocuses blooming all over the lawn in our back yard.  A harbinger of spring that was very welcome after walking a little dog dressed in boots and sweater in -37 degree windchills!