This is a photo Mercer took of me at the William S. Hart Ranch a week ago, surrounded by the winter green our rains have sprouted. We are supposed to have another storm this week, so we revised the tarp deployment yesterday to try to prevent further seepage into the garage-office…argh.
We’re getting excited because Whitney is coming to visit on the 10th – for 2 weeks! Of course, she’ll spend the last 5-6 days driving up and visiting friends in Portland, flying back to Chicago from there. Mercer is taking her up so he can visit old friends Eleanor Sitea and family. I wish I could tag along, but I’ll stay home to dogsit (and work).
This is the last week of first semester – finals are Wed.-Fri., and final grades are due Monday. Classes resume on Tuesday – hopefully my rosters won’t change much – only drawing will for sure. That’s the one period I don’t have a specific program population, and students sometimes only need one additional semester to complete their art credits. Of course, my 9th grade group will rotate, so I have to learn that new batch of names/faces, and repeat for the 3rd time this year that 10 week foundation skills class.
Meanwhile the sewing squares are flowing in – will post more photos when they are all done.
We are so much more appreciative of this sunshine after the deluge, especially with the brilliant greens and splendid skies we now enjoy – well, at least for a few days. I did get some photos of the snow-iced mountains, and also a brilliant sunset, and thought I’d share. 
Then I also have some photos of the first finishers in the student sewing project, always fun to see what they come up with. This year they could do applique or embroidery or a combination, but had to include blanket stitch and button. 
What a week – more wet than SoCal has seen in years – since that long-ago El Niño winter, in fact. Today is bright and shiny clean and the surrounding mountains are dusted with lovely white icing. I want to go take photos! I really appreciate the Eddie Bauer duffle coat I traded Cathy for – it has kept me warm and dry in all the rain! The recently seeded grass in our front yard is tall and lovely green, and puddles still stand in all the low spots…including around the garage/office! Our tarping saved the front area, but on the side and back, water leaked up from the ground outside into the floor inside – yuck. Then today there was an ant invasion of Mercer’s computer desk area – guess the critters are tired of their soggy sod and found somewhere warm. Mercer hasn’t lost it yet, but I wouldn’t blame him if he did (so happy I moved my operations inside!)
The photos above are from our group visit to Pacific Museum of California Art on Jan.3rd – great exhibits, interesting building, crystal clear day. I even saw a “fire rainbow” on the drive home and grabbed the shot here out the windshield.
We have 7 teaching days left of first semester, then 3 days of finals and on to Spring semester! Each year goes faster, but the second half always tends to drag with the anticipation of summer break. My drawing class is enjoying their sewing project – photos to come. My 12th graders’ Hamlet posters were surprisingly OK, and now I’m pushing the 11th graders to improve their “Self Brochure” designs to acceptable levels. Art history will be entering areas of greater familiarity to me soon – I look forward to the Renaissance!
Yesterday was the third of four sketching trips for a salary point class I’m taking – and the destination was a new locale for me: Angel’s Gate Peace Park. This spectacular overlook in San Pedro features a focal point of Asian beauty: the Korean Peace Bell, gift to America in 1976 for our bicentennial celebration. The ornate painted pavilion with its huge bell tops a bluff with a sweeping 300º view of the Pacific Ocean and Coast Highway, Catalina Island, and the harbor cranes and ships of San Pedro harbor. A major rain storm was about to open the gray clouds so we sketched and escaped, driving back the 40 miles to the Valley in the first showers of a predicted week of rain.
We spent Saturday trying to tarp the garage against the many inches we expect by storm’s end – 
removing the old disintegrated sand bags and reorganizing the storage that we have no room for inside. The rain is much needed – but wish it would come in smaller spaced-out increments.
Now I hav
e to hit the Hamlet posters uploaded by my 12th graders Friday – two layouts required per each of 32 students! And I have 28 short essay exams for my art history class, plus printmaking assignment from my drawing class…guess a rainy day is perfect for my tasks at hand! (but I wish I could sew instead…)
Today is my mother
’s official birthday – 90 years young and such an inspiration to me and all who know her. She keeps smiling through the struggles of aging, and rises above all incapacities of the body to share her caring spirit with everyone who crosses her path. Thank you, Mama, for all you’ve taught me by your example. I love you very much.
I’m up, packed and awaiting the shuttle to Richmond airport – at 4 a.m.!! The grand 90th party yesterday was a big success, and all guests who were expected arrived on a sunny, cold (35º) afternoon for socializing with the honored lady. It was great to visit with the relations and meet some of Mama’s friends from Charlottesville who traveled the distance to be here.
The art project was also a lovely gift: a book about Mama’s life with wooden cover by David, fabric pages by Cathy, and text written by me, with paper dolls by Devon. We fastened the pages inside the cover after David arrived yesterday, using a drill in Daddy’s shop. I’ll post photos in a Picassa album, but these shots are the snow that dusted the area for a few hours on Friday!
I flew into Richmond yesterday and am comfortably ensconced this evening in a guest room at Covenant Woods, downstairs from my parents apartment and debating whether to grade, read, blog or watch TV. In fact, I just read two chapters of a school book, am now blogging with the TV on, and yesterday I did some grading in Dallas between flights!
My folks are doing amazingly well for 90 years young, and it is great to be close by here, enjoying their company. Tonight we even had a surprise guest for dinner: Pat came up from South Carolina a day early, in time for supper in the dining hall with us. She had planned to come tomorrow, but was worried about the snow forecast for tonight – she’ll hang with us tomorrow but then leave before dark for her gallery in Rehoboth. I spent most of today over at Cathy’s working on materials for the big party this Saturday, driving myself across Richmond (with only 2 mis-turns) in my father’s minivan. We are enjoying crafting and designing together, including contributions from brother David which will be combined with our efforts on Saturday. Details cannot be divulged yet in case my folks are reading!! Devon had a big part in the concept/creation.
Here is a picture of the new antique day bed in her room at home – we can now sleep guests in greater comfort, and she even sold the loft bed through Craigslist! 
It has been a very relaxing break, but I go back to work Monday – unless I get stranded somewhere enroute home by inclement weather on Saturday night/Sunday. Shall we all pray for snow???
The end of ‘09 and launch of a new decade – Time is warping ever faster and what seemed like the distant unimaginable future is now history. Bizarre! We are keeping our new year’s tradition, staying home with champagne and movies. Devon has gone to Madeleine’s house to keep her tradition, and will come home tomorrow to catch the third showing of the Rose parade on our big screen. I’m bummed that more than half of my break is over already, but busy working on the joint project for Mama’s birthday party next weekend. 
I took Devon and Danny to the tar pits and LACMA Monday, and we came home through Griffith Park to show him the Old Zoo area. It is larger than I’d realized, and we strolled along several trails, including an overlook of Glendale in the bright evening “golden hour”. Tuesday Danny flew home, and I had a “salary point” class in the evening.
Then yesterday we had Julie and her family with us on the only dismal drizzling day of break – too gray for sightseeing but we decided to take the Metro to Universal and show them City Walk. Eli and Lily loved the subway – he’s a big train fan – and then we rode the shuttle bus up the hill to the colorful tourist shops and restaurants. They all had a good time, and got some photos with King Kong and the Hard Rock giant guitar. I cooked lasagna for dinner, and the kids held up amazingly well sans naps! Julie and Zack are great with the kids, and it was really nice to be able to visit with them in the comfort of home…even Yoko cooperated and didn’t complain about being on a leash all day.
Today Devon and I spent several hours on the 90th birthday project – she had a great creative concept which I’m assisting her with. Cathy and David are also working on portions, and we’ll put it all together next week when I fly out – can’t wait, except that will then signal the end of break. Sigh…have to do some school grading and prep before I go to Virginia, I guess.
We had a lovely group of friends and family over yesterday for turkey and all the fixings. There were 12 of us when the meal started, then Ali, Emily and a friend arrived mid-feast. And with all the abundance of delicious food, there are leftovers for the next week – my favorite part of hosting! Thanks to Flo and Paula who helped in the kitchen, to Mercer who did lots of the clean-up before and after, and to Devon for baking and decorating cookies ad infinitum. We had a nice last minute addition to the group when the Marshalls called in the morning to check our plans, and we included them in the party. Missing were sister BJ, and friends Helen and Sue who often participate in this annual event. Hopefully we’ll see these folks another day during the holidays.
We had planned to get to the first screening of Avatar today, but sleeping in was too sweet to interrupt. It’s overcast and chill, so maybe we’ll head out later in hopes it won’t be too crowded with others of similar thinking.
Happy Boxing Day! See more photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/dk.mercer/ChristmasDay09#
Merry Christmas everyone! Devon is sleeping in – not the traditional “up early to check her stocking” gal we fondly remember, but she’ll be more cheerful after a good rest, and we’ve already had breakfast, read the paper, and are about to take our showers. And as soon as she arises, it’s “decorate all those cookies we baked last night” time!! Madeleine came over to help, but entertained the baker instead, while Danny read his book. We do have dozens ready now for the artistic part, then gift-bagging for company.
I have a 22 lb. turkey to prepare, and several side dishes and pumpkin pies to make, so off I go. All the best to one and all – Peace and Joy, Spirit of Giving, and don’t eat so much it hurts…
