Accomplishing Goals

This four-day weekend has been FULL of activity at the Betz house! Randy has been off, which makes my honey-do list come into play. My list and I have annoyed each other for months. Mostly cleaning pesky, hard-to-reach, full-to-the-max cabinets and closets.

The Church yard sale is a month away -- a shot in the arm to get things done. Corner cabinets in the kitchen ... CHECK! I was actually afraid of what we might find in the nether reaches of those deep, usuable spaces. But, thankfully, no funky surprises. Just old pasta and some even older spices. Funny how, being the only person on earth who cares one whit about those cabinets, it can make my day to know they are fresh and orderly.

Next, the linen closet...CHECK! Oooh Nooo! (Like "Bill" the clay guy on Saturday Night Live used to scream.) The door would only shut with serious coercion, so I haven't used it much in the last couple of years. It is now ready for public viewing! The door shuts like a dream. And three huge bags of good-but-never-used linens are on their way to the yard sale. Does everyone keep all of their Waterford boxes in case they move some day? (see my problem?)

The cats have been trying to keep up with all of this industry, but usually collapse each day for a long afternoon nap. Sam and Doodle are our cats. Both are adopted and have made us laugh every single day. "Sam" is a perfect name for our older cat. He's rather elegant, quiet, not too curious -- just enough. "Doodle," admittedly not a very high-falutin name for such a marvelous creature. started from a string of names beginning with Angus The MacDoodle (a wink and a nod to the Isle of Man for our little manx marvel), moved through Loki Doodle (Loki being the name of the Norse god of mischief), and now, he's just Doodle. Actually, I was having second thoughts about calling him Loki. I thought that perhaps we were invoking the god of mischief...NOT something you need to do when you're already living with two high-energy cats and one only a kitten with a personality as big as all outdoors!

After losing two big, beautiful Bernese Mountain Dogs -- Matisse and Heidi -- we are now "cat people." So be it. I receive so much love when Doodle walks across my desk in front of me and loves me with his cheeks and purrs so loudly that I wonder how he keeps from choking. Such love! At 3:00 a.m., it's a little bit of a nuisance, but I still love it. Love is a gift in whatever form it takes. And I never turn down good love!!

No studio time this weekend. Four whole days just looking out there every now and then and having my muse "harrumph" when I do. But, tomorrow, that will change. I have so many new ideas, that I simply must plan on some studio hours in the midst of all that fabric and all of those beads!

I'll post some pictures within the next week of a few works in progress.

Have a blessed week!

New Leaf

It's nearing the end of summer. It's always special to realize that we are nearly finished with the heat and humidity that makes being outside pure torture. Soon enough, we will have fresh air, cool breezes, color in the trees, and that sweet smell of the earth in autumn. Wishful thinking? Sure. I have been very busy and having fun in the studio. The pure number of UFOs has shaken me into finishing some pieces. Well, that, and the serious need to create order and make additional space!

Our Fiber Art Fusion group put the Transformation Show on exhibit at The Art Place in Marietta from July 24 through August2 22. What a lovely showing of our work! (If I do say so myself) Such a variety of techniques, media, size, textures...as varied as we are as creative individuals in a group.

More on finishing (with pictures to follow soon)...I finally added sleeves to two pieces that were finished over five years ago. Isn't that shameful? (Not the new sleeves, but the length of time these pieces were sleeveless!) A gift for a friend is nearing the home stretch. I'm using her favorite color (yellow), which is quite a challenge for me. But something finally clicked a couple of months ago and I actually like the piece. Also, I have finished a little CQ block for my redecorated bathroom. I noticed that my house was missing CQ and had to fix that situation!

I've been reading voraciously this summer. More than normal (which is saying something). Lots of religious history and Papal encyclicals (try these some time...they are brilliant and quite educational). Also, a lot of fiction. Two friends recently shared a list of the books they have read. I printed the lists, hoping to use their list-making abilities to jump-start my own list.

I've always kept lists -- favorite things, favorite books/movies/quotes/names, things to do before I die, etc. Seems in order to try to list the books I have loved. I also keep journals. Have always done so. I remember my first diaries. I didn't edit what I wrote. Mom found them, and that put my diary writing on hiatus for a while. Then, when I started again in college, I edited what I wrote. But, thankfully, I edged out of that tar pit (a writer could get stuck and sucked into the depths of dark ick), and now write as I think...freely, hopping from topic to topic, writing poetry, writing prayers, assessing today and feelings and thoughts and fears and hopes and dreams. I also keep a creative journal with sketches of little things or special designs that impressed me, ideas for future projects, etc. Also, I keep a journal of my spiritual journeying, my delight in the Grace of God, and my musings of my deepest self in knowing and loving Our Lord and serving Him, and my unending gratitude for blessings and God's gifts. A recent convert to Catholicism, I have had a LOT to write about!

So, come journey with me.

First Posting

Well, my first (test) posting to a brand new blog. I don't know if this will ever feel natural, but I'd like to try. I enjoy reading my friends' blogs and keep up to date on family and fun. Also, there's an online class that I'm eager to take, which requires a blog. So, here I go!