Workshops

Gosh I'm cold!!  I've taken to wearing undershirts and my heavy winter nighties ( haven't worn those for two years), but I just can't get warm. We are keeping the house a few degrees warmer than we have for years, but that just makes it bearable.  Well, what doesn't kill us makes us strong.  I'm so very grateful that I don't have to go out to work, every day.

Yesterday, I went to an Advanced Acrylic workshop.  I really struggle in these painting workshops, as it is so far out of my comfort zone, and an excellent exercise of controlling my frustration tolerance ( frustration usually wins).  It wasn't possible to complete any pieces, as every piece reaches a point where you just have to sit back for 24 hours, to let paint dry, but I'm coming away with three pieces with potential.  One has low potential, but will give me a chance to try a couple of things and play a bit.  The other two both benefited from serendipity, so I can't take any credit for the designs.  But serendipity plays a role in just about anything I make.  I wonder if this means that my real skill is recognizing and  taking advantage of opportunity, rather than the ability to think like an artist.  I won't be able to work on the pieces until I pick them up in the next couple of days, as we were allowed to leave them to dry there, rather than trying to take them home in freezing weather.  And if they turn out to be nothing, I think I can live with it.

In the evening, I was very tired after a long day of intense thinking, so lost heavily at poker.  When I realized that I was almost crying in frustration in front of the computer, I understood that I was beyond exhausted, and went to bed, very early.

On the home front, I am still working on samples for my quilting workshops, but have to admit that I probably won't have all that I want in time for the first one in two weeks, so I should just take a break and work on the handouts that need to be prepared.  They shouldn't take too long, if I can just get down to business, and once they're done, they are good for quite awhile.  But then, that's no fun, and I would rather quilt.

Went grocery shopping on Friday for fruit and veggies, and ended up spending  almost $100 on meat.  Somehow  I have to work out a system that lets me continue to do one main shopping trip per month, but then allows a couple of small trips later in the month for fresh produce.  Somehow, I always get trapped and buy things that should really wait.  They had my Glucosamine on sale ( really on sale!) but in a form I have trouble taking.  Well, I had just emptied the bottle, so bought another and opened it this morning.  Then found the two huge bottles in the form I prefer, hiding in the linen closet. Today, I am grateful that glucosamine doesn't get stale dated.