One of my favorite things

This sculpture is in the public library in Statesville, NC, the town I used to live in.  I never tired of seeing it.  Everything about it is happy.  It is alive with curious children and nurturing adults.  I can feel the excitement of the piece each time I look at it. I marvel at the activity and warmth present in a work made from 'cold gray steel'.  And though the figures contain many straight lines there is no stiffness to them.  It is all very relaxed, comfortable motion,  don't you think?  And it conveys the real excitement  of discovery too.  Why, I can just see those wheels turning as everyone learns.  It's just plain fun ! 
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*The pictures and and information below are from the Iredell County [NC] public library web site.
This sculpture is located in the main lobby. It is the work of Pittsboro, North Carolina artist Steve Cote. Cote visited the library while it was under construction to get a sense of the design of the new building. He spent about five months creating the nine feet tall, and seven feet deep sculpture. Some of the material used in the project is steel that was donated by Gordon’s Steel of Statesville. *

The sculpture is presented by Martha Drum Hazelton and the Iredell Friends of the Library. Ms. Hazelton generously donated the sculpture to honor her parents J.D. and Marion Drum. Hazelton notes that this is a “once in a lifetime opportunity to make this kind of lasting donation to my community.” *

Halloween Terror and Smiles

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JACK-O-LANTERN FUN

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Another Purse....

I am making this bag for Toni.
 I like the way the variegated cream and brown yarn's color blended during the felting process,  but I am very disappointed in the shape of the bag.  It is lopsided.  I have been trying to  mold it into proper proportion as it dries but that is not working as I had hoped it would.  While it was in the hot water wash the i-cord was caught around the agitator and it stretched the whole bag out of shape.  Totally my fault.   I thought I would be smart and not put the bag in a pillow case while felting it.  WRONG!  Don't ever make this mistake...No matter what the pattern directions say.  I think tomorrow I will use the steam machine on it and see if a few tugs here and there will improve its disposition.  If not it will be in some very hot water again !

This is yarn for a few more bags and the material I will be using to line them with.  Maybe after I have made these I will have the process down to an art and the bags will be up to snuff.

CLEOPATRA

Toni was all ready for her trip down the Nile when she left for work this morning.

Of course,  she is as beautiful as ever.  She should be a big hit with all of her clients.

A few pretty pictures

Let's enjoy some summer time beauty.

  

These pictures were all taken in Margaret's yard.

Except this old shot of Foo taken when we lived down stairs.

Morning Glory

We've received some late night rains and cooler weather which should bring the Fall color in soon. I'll be trying to take some nice photographs if I can get out to catch the change.  In the mean time, here are a few shots of a morning glory still wet with the night's rainfall.

 

 

 Rain drops gather on each leaves waxy surface. 

And a spider's web holds the rain's bounty.

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

  I just had to take pictures Vincent took of Sophia as she played dress-up in her mommy's wedding veil and put them together with a few photos made of Toni on her wedding day in 2003.  Mother and daughter, two beauties.

I'm going to take advantage of Vincent here and use a few pictures he  made  earlier this month for this post.

A little bit of Fall.....

The nights have not been cold enough to coax forth any but the easiest and dullest of Fall colors, and the ever present damp has caused black spot and mold to blemish those.
The morning sun has produced the longer shadows of Fall but lets the heavy dew linger well into the day.

The wild rose is a mass of string like, knotted  branches.
And the blackberry vines, like so many of the other plants, have been fooled by our Indian Summer days.

The maple's are trying to dress appropriately but the rag weed is still the gayest and brightest of Fall's fashion set.

The pine tress are dropping their needles as if critically ill.  I am afraid this little road front break will be gone before long.

The forsythia are beginning to act as if it is Autumn,  though they do not believe it.

And, some flowers are down right confused.

Playing at Camping

I set the tent up in anticipation of a few really nice days.  The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny this week and I want to play outside as much as possible before the long wet winter sets in.  I tied pieces of material on the tent's 'guy wires' to keep the kids from running into them...it did help a little,  they  pulled on the ropes  rather than running into them.  After a few trips around the tent the ropes were sagging, the tent stobs pulled  several inches from the soft earth, and there was a definite sagging to the tent itself.  But, the kids did not get hurt running into the ropes so, mission accomplished!.  

We ate our lunch outside, then Sophia made a pretend fire pit with pretend rocks she carried from the woods edge. She built a imaginary fire and we ate pretend marshmallows which we  browned to perfection.

  Sophia took my picture as we all relaxed in the warm sunshine before heading in for our naps.  WHAT A FINE MORNING!