Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Last Painting

Cape
Hi there!

I finally took a photo of the last painting we did in class back in November. Here's my version.
It's of a house on the Cape...I added an extra chimney to make up for mistake I did in making the house too long. Oh well! :)

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Challenge

Hi friends!
It's been such a long time since I've written here! I'm so bummed about that fact. Not much has been going on in my creative life. I did finish that watercolor class back in November...I need to take a photo of the last painting we did and I'll be sure to post it. I enjoyed the course and it was great to get out once per week for an activity I could enjoy just for me. This year I haven't bothered to make any resolutions, but I do like to think about the directions in which I'd like to better myself going forward. One thing? Cooking. I have no clue what I'm doing. I did well in Home Ec back in seventh grade, but that was a zillion years ago, so that isn't much help. I always found it frustratingly boring and then I hated the cleanup afterward. So, when I was single, I stuck with canned food or frozen dinners. Nothing healthy in the slightest. Chris is the chef of the house and he enjoys cooking. He makes wonderful meals and is even able to make things without a recipe. He's very talented. Anyway, I'd like to be more brave about cooking and try my hand at some meals for the family. I know Chris wouldn't mind coming home some nights during the week to a hot meal already prepared. I just have no idea how to clean up meat, trim fat, etc. It's so embarrassing to admit. So, my goal is to find out how to do those things and venture forth. I know, people out there are rolling their eyes and wonder what rock I've been living under...or are saying that it's not rocket science. But for someone like me who survived a long-ass time on Ramen Noodles...well, it's a challenge. My poor Mom always begged me to pay attention to her lessons in cooking as she worked in the kitchen. But I was all "women don't ALWAYS have to be the cooks of the house MOM!" as I gave vague attention. Why didn't I try to pay attention more??
The other thing I want to learn is how to sew. Again, we made duffel bags back in Home Ec, but the teacher did most of it for us and I have no memory of how we did anything. I know how to stitch by hand. That's pretty much it! I have access to a sewing machine and would LOVE to use it, so I'm going to enroll in sewing lessons that are given in the town next door. I'd love to be able to hem my own jeans and pants, create softie animals that I design on my own, make little dresses for Paige, create valances for our living room, and create throw pillows. Not all at once obviously. But, I figure I need to have some projects in mind if I'm going to learn, right? When will I have time to do all of this? Who the hell knows? I'll find it I guess. Other people do it, so I can too, darn it! People don't learn to play a full piano concerto overnight; they learn the scales first. But, over time, they become fluid players. I suspect the same will be true for cooking and sewing...with some time and practice I will improve and be making magic. At least in my fantasy.
I don't have a plan for a CHALLENGE per se. I plan to chronicle my attempts toward my goals here to breathe some new life into things. It's a way of holding myself accountable. So. Was this post boring enough for you? Do YOU have some goals for things you've always wanted to learn? Are there skills you'd like to acquire this year? Feel free to share. I won't judge. I can't cook, remember? But NOT FOR LONG!