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Friday, 05 December 2008

  • and I quote...

    More student quotes:

    Counting a "short-short-long" rhythm: "Quota, quota, haf noat"


    Identifying different rhythmic values of notes:
    "And THIS is a pur-ple and it's REAL name is seventh note." 
    (me: "Eighth note") 
    "Yes, an EIGHTH note.  And THIS is a wrestle." 
    (me: "A rest, like taking a break from making sound") 
    "I know, it's a res.  And THIS is a half-quarter-note-dot!" (just to cover all the bases!!)  "And THIS is a quarter!"
    (me: "How many beats does the quarter note have?")
    "Two!  Three?  One!!!"  (Bartering for beats doesn't work...)


    "What if you had a song with your arms crossed sooooooo far over each other..."


    "Oh, Beethoven!  I know that dude!"



Friday, 26 September 2008

  • two little kittens with plenty of mittens

    Two little black and white kittens with white mittens on all eight feet!  They are about seven weeks old tomorrow, both boys, but from different litters.  One is three days younger and significantly smaller.  Their names are not yet settled on, but I'm pretty keen on calling the smaller, short-hair with semetrical white socks and gloves Maestro or possibly Micestro.  He certainly has a singing voice!  The other is more enigmatic - long-haired, he looks a ruffian, but has this knack for the pounce, the stalk, and the "scared cat in an alley" look.  He's daring and a bit of a loner.  I thought "Sinbad the Sailor" was a fit at first, Papa suggested "Duster," since he looks like that household tool, or "Smoke," "Smog," or "Spook" for his gray-black-brown long coat.  Maybe "Hawkeye"...  We'll see.  They are in the mud room for the time being, but their vocation will be mice-hunting Barn Cats.  First they need to grow big enough to be predators, not prey...

Tuesday, 12 August 2008

  • Tuesday

    I went running again this morning, down past the gas station and into the woods on a trail.  There's a stream back there, lots of ferns and massive trees.  I saw three white foxgloves and plenty of pink ones, but their season is almost over.  It was foggy this morning (it's burned off now), making the woods even more mysterious. 

    More practice on the painting - two colors today!  I think my 5/8" wide flat brush is my favorite.  Hearts and three-stroke leaves are my favorite shapes to do right now. :)

  • strokes

    nope.  this is not about Michael Phelps.  i'm talking about brush strokes, specifically the ones you use for a type of decorative painting called "tole painting."  my grandmother is teaching me how and yesterday and today i've been practicing the manuevers of the round brush comma stroke.  not much progress yesterday, but after a good night's sleep and a run this morning, i filled the rest of yesterday's second  huge sheet of freezer paper and started a fresh page.  i'd been experimenting on the other two pages, but it hadn't looked like anything very pretty.  but on page three, something seemed to click.  it is so neat how God makes brains and hands and people and gifts and all the stuff that goes into being a creative human made in God's image.  so i painted three flowers with strokes from the tole painting book (plus a few improvised ones).  the hard part is controling your hand so the brush comes up slowly enough to make a really thin point at the end of the stroke.  when i painted before, i just made as many strokes as necessary to fill the space; tole painting uses the right brushes and strokes to get that shape on one pass over.  it has a much smoother, cleaner look.  lots of fun and more of it tomorrow!!!

Saturday, 09 August 2008

  • Lights on the water

    That's what I can see out the window of Grand Papa's office.  Because of fuel prices here, most of the traffic on the Sound has been sailboats. 

    I'm here!!  I left home at 5:21 am, drove to DIA, flew to SeaTac, took the Kitsap Airporter, met up with Gami and G-Papa, and arrived Port Ludlow this afternoon. :)  Gami and I looked through folk/Bavarian/Tole painting pattern books because she's going to teach me how!!!  We all watched the first act of SoMus and feasted on pork and mango chutney with blueberry cobbler (fresh from Uncle Chris' blueberry bushes) and ice cream for dessert. 

    I'm so excited to spend the next few days with my grandparents. :)

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Monday, 14 July 2008

  • Hair today, gone tomorrow...

    New do as of Friday.  It's been fifteen years since I cut it this short and the first time someone besides my parents ever cut my hair.  The natural curl comes out with the shorter length and a little help from mousse.  The extra 12 inches are going to Locks of Love. :)


Saturday, 05 July 2008

  • Hunt for Helen

    Today we went hiking.  Not at $$ Seven Falls as originally planned (an atrociously long line of slow-moving cars at the entrance was quite persuasive), but rather up Mt. C-something (a local favorite on the cooler northern face of the canyon).  The trail was well-built, not too steep, shady, with beautiful views.  You could even see Seven Falls from one of the lookouts.  Then the more tourist-y Helen Hunt Falls, which had a water feature, but was also more crowded, steep, and hot.  So I recommend the Mt. C-something hike, except it's undergoing a lengthy trail remodel starting Monday.  Photographic evidence of our trip:

    L to R: Evan, Sarah, and Colorado Springs


    Seeing Seven Falls (behind me) for FREE!!!



    Sarah and Evan



    My adorable younger sister, Christa!


    Water rushing toward Helen Hunt Falls

Thursday, 26 June 2008

Tuesday, 17 June 2008

  • I miss

    Marie.  She left yesterday.  She stopped by for a few days on her way cross-country from Vancouver, BC to Georgia.  It was great to see her again.  God has blessed me with wonderful friends.

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