Day 2719: How to be spoiled.

"Mission Inn": photography, altered collage, digital.

Want music?

 

Click here for Charlie Puth, Done for Me

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

Saturday, Brandon had scheduled to come to my house and help me with my computer cord jungle. I had a big printer, scanner, and speakers from 2006 (which is antique in tech stuff) and need to unplug and re-organize. My office/studio is 12x12x16' and is 

filled with 15x15' of mainly art stuff. The high ceiling helps it look a little better. Brandon hooked up my big cinema display monitor to my laptop. So great to have two screens for detail work.

Brandon's wife Courtney, and daughters Noelle (8) and Nova (6) came along. 
The girls went out to the yard and started cleaning up!

Craig, Nova, Noelle & Jean

Then Craig and Jean, Brandon's parents came 
and started working in the yard.  
Craig and granddaughter, Nova trimmed plants.

Nova and her Grandpa Craig

I had given Nova blue gloves that were too big, she said that's okay.

Noelle

me, Nova and Brandon

Looking into my office from the yard, you'll notice 
Nova visited both groups. She's constant movement.

me & Nova, all family photos by Courtney

 Around 5 pm, we packed up and went to Rock and Brew, Tustin
a new restaurant that people have been raving about. 
They were right, it is good.

I am still overcome with gratitude to these families spoiling me so.

Spending the day with some of my very favorite people 

on the planet, and getting so much needed help. 

Thank you Nomura's, I love you all.

A smile for Monday ...

Day 2433: See ya tomorrow.

free sample: digital collage

Want music?

 

Click here for Al Green, Love and Happiness.

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

Having a slight bout of vertigo, see ya tomorrow ...

A smile for Monday ...

Day 2379: I hear laughing!

5 kid pony: Aunt Vonda, Aunt Fern, Uncle Pete, Aunt Martha & Aunt Pauline: old photo, collage  & digital

Want music?

 

Click here for Dave Brubeck, Take Five.

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

Sleepy, early this morning, I was on my MacPro laptop. 

Apple messaged me my storage was full on my Icloud.

It gave me the option of buying more storage,

(I already pay a monthly fee for extra storage)

or to manage.  I picked manage. I hear laughing.

A couple more clicks and poof, all my photos are gone!

And, everything on the desktop, except the dock!

I remember seeing that it will be stored in archive.

Where is archive? I wanted to cry. but I didn't.

I will call apple support and some kind genius will help me. 

So I just finished a lunch of leftovers and will call soon.

I hear laughing.
A call to 1-800-my apple, and Katrina helped me.
 I upgraded to 2T storage so am safe for a while, 
but now paying $9.99 a month. 
All is good with help. 

I hear laughing.

I have several blogs that I follow faithfully, 

really enjoying their take on art or life.
One is John Arbuckle, Seattle artist & good friend's here. 
Besides his own talented work, he features a video on art.
Today he introduced me to Njideka Akunyili Crosby.
I am now a fan, and really captivated by her work. 

Njideki Akunyili Crosby was born in Nigeria in 1983 

and moved to the United States at the age of sixteen, 

where she has lived and worked ever since. 

Drawing on artistic, historical, political and personal references, Akunyili Crosby creates densely layered figurative compositions that conjure the complexity of contemporary experience. 

Her cultural identity combines strong attachments to the 

country of her birth and to her adopted home, 

a hybrid identity reflected in her work. Winner of the 

 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the Genius Grant.

Beautiful Ones: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

5 Umezebi Street, New Haven, Enugu, 2012: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Wedding Portrait, 2012: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

 

"Mama, Mummy and Mamma": Njideka Akunyili Crosby

"The Beautyful Ones, Series #1c," 2014.: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

In case you too are interested, John's video is here.

And I found another, here.

What do you think?

A smile for Wednesday ...

 

Day 2328: What a great day!

Ruby: tissue, sewing patterns & joss paper collage on canvas.

Want music?

 

Click here for Jack Johnson, Good People

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?








On Sunday afternoon, it is our practice to go to the 4:30 service at Eastside. We go then, because all three Grandhunks are off work by then and we can all six go together. As I have mentioned, I could drive and meet them there, but instead I drive to the house on the hill and ride with them. I love the family chatter to and from.
Our church is affiliated with Missions of Hope International,

We had the opportunity to sponsor a child, from 3,000 profiles and pictures posted on the walls. SM & WW  sponsored three, and I was thinking about it. Then I saw Maryann Akoth Otieno and she melted my heart.  
Born 11/11/2012 she is at Bonderi School, Nairobi, Kenya. "Maryann's favorite subject is art, and she would like to be a teacher when she grows up."

Already a very special day.

After church we all went to dinner at Rodrigo's. I didn't realize it was a dinner for my birthday, since that's not till Tuesday. But everyone will be working and so we celebrated together Sunday. I should have taken pictures, but I was caught off guard? After we ordered, they handed me two beautifully wrapped gifts. I had no clue? They said open the bigger one first.

It's an iPad Pro, my dream gift!

And, the Apple pencil, a stylus for the iPad Pro.
 

Grandhunk # 1 will come over tomorrow to help me get set up.
I have to be the happiest camper in SoCal! I am so blessed.
Thank you Superman, WonderWoman & Grandhunks!

A smile for Monday ...

Day 2311: It happened.

Things happen: acrylic, collage on 40 x40" canvas

Want music?

 

Click here for Trois morceaux en forme de poire

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

It happened. 

Thanksgiving eve, as I was preparing Thursday's blog #2310.

I was selecting music when the screen went black.

The usual unplug, reboot etc. did nothing to revive.
The chord that sounds when starting the Mac ...
sounded over and over but no life, like a final signal.
I had to climb under, among the cords and unplug. 

My "significant other", since 2006, faded away.

He's been failing for some time, slowing painfully.

The once state-of-the-art MacPro with maximum memory.

Big, a huge tower that I can't move or lift.

No longer able to upgrade, termed a relic by Apple.

I took everything off the desktop to lighten his load.

 I waited as he struggled and he kept on for a long time, slowly.

I purchased a new MacPro laptop two years ago.

Lightning fast, mongo gigabytes, more speed 

than my skills need, but I stayed mainly with my old guy.

Using the new guy mainly for travel. 

Brandon, my brainy guru tried to get me to make the switch.

He patiently invested time to help me transfer information

to my new laptop, which is surely a blessing now.

I have probably lost the recent work that I hadn't transferred

to my laptop, but I am more sad losing my friend.

I am sure this might sound silly to be attached to a thing? 

Anthropomorphism:  the attribution of human characteristics 

or behavior to an animal, or object. Do you do that?

A smile for Friday ...