Monday was mostly out of the house... a bike ride to the post office saw my assorted tax forms mailed, then a long transit trip downtown to deal with the arts tax paperwork. Their website is no easier to understand than the form itself, but the pleasant folks in the office were very helpful, and there was only two other people with questions on line there, surprisingly for the day taxes were due. By the time I finally made it home, I was exhausted, though, and needed a lie down.
Later, after cooking dinner, I dealt with Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore, and the house was partially returned to a calmer more functional state of being.
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Today I saw this very small bright blue flower underneath the Candytuft growing all along the retaining wall at the end of the block. According to the internets, it is called Lithodora. I rather love it, and maybe some could come live at my house sometime in the future? That blue makes me happy!
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The dining table is still
This week I will be tidying it all, the taxes can go into the file storage zone, and most of the scribal kit can go back into the wooden tote box. I am going to leave the slant board on the table, as I still have quite a lot of painting left to do on the Pelican scroll. Which I am feeling rather better about today than I was yesterday.
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Today I saw online that there are some people who make miniature plants using embroidery! Most of the miniature plants I have seen are either polymer clay, or paper (like the kits I made a few years ago). I think it would be fun to try that kind of embroidery, at least once. There are quite a few online tutorials; it is called "stumpwork" and dates back to the 17th C.
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April SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | tiny angora print | computer zone lamp | persimmon prunings |
| 2 | 5th God bag | blog template | forsythia prunings |
| 3 | scroll calligraphy | grey turtleneck collar | yard waste bin |
| 4 | - | indigo bunny art | recycle bin |
| 5 | - | taxes done | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. I think I fixed my FB feed, by signing up for a mini things group that is very very active. I still don't see most of what my friends post (of course I wasn't seeing them before this change either), but rather than seeing 75% useless adverts all the time, I now see maybe 70% posts about dioramas and dollhouse miniatures, with a smattering of adverts. Much less stressful!
2. After much online encouragement, I decided to send in my information and images of the unfinished scroll for feedback. Why the change? Because even though there are things I wish I'd done differently, I can be an example of how Laurels can try new things, can do things in a less than perfect way, and can still move forward. After all, I keep a bin of all my failed enamels to show students, to prove how many tries it takes to get even one finished piece to be pleased with... And I am not a scribal Laurel; this will always be an art form I have fewer years of experience with.
3. Bill stopped by here to pick up the tiny heraldic enamels, while he was on his way to do other errands here in town, so I got to have a short social visit, and see the current Eduardo project he is working on, and also the amazing iron spindle whorl inlaid with cherry blossoms in silver and gold. I wish I had remembered to ask for a hug before he left...
Time of Isolation - Day 1381
