grinder

implements of destruction

fun at work

This is hilarious. Apparently, some bookstores know how to have fun. Don't get me wrong, we did have some fun way back then. It did not involve Stormtroopers, however. At least not while I was on the premises. How hard would it have been to arrange for some costumed folk to show up and start swingin' light sabers? Really.

These fellas showed up at some location to promote the DK Lego Star Wars visual dictionary. Aside from a private jet, this book is the only thing I want for christmas. Have a nice weekend! Wish you were here.

happy halloween

Half my halloween day was spent on my bike riding around lucky town in this weird semi-summerish weather. It's not totally summery, just warmish for what you'd expect. Anyhoo, I've been meaning to make my way to Mount Olivet Cemetery because local cyclist types have been encouraging me to do so. I fully expected to have to ride on Market and then down sorta towards the mall thus having to deal with car traffic but, that was not the case. Mount Olivet cemetery has an entrance at the end of Court Street. How freaking easy is that?

The cemetery is sort of on the large side and it's situated such that you can see the Costco and Harry Grove Stadium as well as other urban sprawl. Interred there are both Francis Scott Key and Barbara Fritchie as well as Francis' parents and other notable local dignitaries. It's got a visitor's center and chapel but I didn't make a study of those things. Alls I did was ride around and look for decent shots in this lousy light. Found a few but nothin' much. I'll be back though. Have a spooky holiday! Wish you were here.

twinkly lights

Hi. Okay, clearly this is a place holder. It's not even a picture taken by me. This picture was taken by Miss March when she made off with my camera at a party. I'm a fool for twinkly lights so finding this picture on my camera was nothing short of delightful. Plus, it was taken inside Ande's house which makes it even more delightfuller. A person could do an entire blog on the interior of Ande's house. It's located no where near Frederick but she would love it here so it's allowed. Have a grand and glorious day. Wish you were here.

even more metal

Anyhoo, here's another thingy I made on Wednesday, October 21. It's an example of what's called a hot twist. That first silvery thingy (in a previous post) was done by way of the controlled twist. The hot twist is all blacksmithy and such. You take a torch and make metal red hot in one spot only, then you can twist the hell out of it because it's so darn soft. The rest of the metal does not twist as it is cold, relatively speaking. So, you see how part of it's twisty and part of it is less twisty? Well done. Teacher's pet.

The ends are curved slightly and flat. Much like the junior high version of myself. The flatness is achieved by means of hammer and anvil that sits atop a tree stump. This is true. There are several tree stumps in the classsroom. They're set upon carpet squares. An anvil on a tree stump on a carpet square makes for quieter hammering and less annoyed administrators on the floor below. Have a jolly day. Wish you were here.

more metal

Here's more show and tell from jewelry class. This is the stuff I made today (not the little leaf ~ I made that last week.) Techniques pictured include: taking a straight piece of brass wire and turning it into a spiral; making serpentine-type curves without the use of a jig; making a pin and clasp on a spring; flattening the crap out of wire; pounding texture into flattened wire; twisting two wires together to make one long strand from which you create other things; flattening said twisted wire; fashioning one bracelet from the aforementioned twisted/flattened wire ~ and wearing it home.


The cool thing about that bracelet up there is that a person could make one of those from stuff you can easily get at a hardware store. In about 10 minutes (not including the shopping.) All you need is the wire, a sturdy door knob, one pencil, a hammer, and wire cutters. I guess when I look at the picture again, it kind of looks like something somebody made from stuff from a hardware store. But hey! Whoohoo for metal!

metal

One of the benefits of working where I work is that I get to take classes for free (provided the class isn't full.) Intermediate Jewelry had one available spot so, guess who took it. Not that I am, by any means, intermediate ~ the instructor figured I was pretty okay at cutting things so she let me in. So far, I have learned to cut metal with a saw. Behold my tiny oak leaf half liberated from a slab of copper.


And here are my feet, safely encased in proper footwear lest an anvil or pot of acid drops on them. The wooden contraption gets clamped to a work bench and allows you to support your chunk of metal with one hand while you saw up and down with the other. Kind of like a sewing machine except things come apart in the end rather than get put together.


Anyhoo, in addition to the metal cutting, I've also learned how to melt metal into a puddle using a propane torch, poke tiny holes through metal using a drill press, and buff the crap out of metal using a flexible-shaft dremel-esque drill. Yay metal!

street party

Saturday was one big street party and this is what the end of 4th street looked like all day. Market was closed to traffic from the creek all the way up to 7th. Thank the gods for off-street parking. Anyhoo, I spent the entire day taking pictures, some of which you can view---> here!


The weather was stupendous as were the food smells wafting about. I ate my lunch at home, however, and saved my cash for another day. Next year, my plan is to not run around so much but to sit around and enjoy the music. Oh, and to not work in the evening.

open

It's been just about a month since I stopped posting to my little blog to myself. Thank you for not stopping by! I do believe that I'll post some pictures and just quit taking breaks.

closed

It's been just about 3 months since I started my little blog to myself. Thank you for stopping by. I do believe that I'll take a break and just go out and take some pictures.

going home

Strolling home at night is one of the best parts of my day...so, yay me.

blue skies

It's starting to feel fallish in lucky town. Not that the weather is cooling off all that much but kids are back in school and the words "end of summer" keep popping up in storefronts and other random signage. Sitting around watching movies is more on my mind. And sweaters. Some one sent me a "save the date" art show postcard recently that had a pumpkin on it. Anyhoo, have a happy Wednesday. I hope the skies are blue over where you are.

food again

This is (was) my salad. I've decided there's no such thing as too much spinach. Or shrimp. Or garlic. Today, I'm on a quest for free dirt. The plant that Deana gave me as a housewarming gift is in serious need of dividing and the clipping that I stole from upstairs neighbor guy has roots as long as my arm. The gardens at the old mill are a work in progress and I doubt they'd miss two or three yogurt containers worth of top soil. There, it's been decided: more stealing. Happy Monday! Wish you were here!

ten dollars

There's a tiny farmers' market on East Street every Thursday from 3 to 6 pm that I've managed to miss on a regular basis. The farmers themselves are normal size, it's just that there's only four of them. I took ten dollars there to see what I could get and this is what came home with me.


I skipped the piles of zucchini because, quite frankly, I'm not a fan of zucchini. Tomatoes are missing from this collection also as a coworker recently sent me home with several from her garden. Anyhoo, all of the above was sliced, diced, and frozen and will be eaten by me during the winter when said market is long gone. I've sworn off convenience eating.

That little loaf of whole wheat brioche was baked by Cakes for Cause. Pictured below is Elin, executive director of Cakes for Cause and her helper friend whose name I forgot to ask. Clearly he has moxie.

art exchange!

First of all, I love getting mail (that isn't bills.) Maybe that's one reason for my free art giveaway promotion currently underway in lucky town. The first person to take me up on this fabulous offer was one charming young lady from Minneapolis who happens to have the same name as me. Never in a million years did I expect the self-addressed stamped envelope to contain artwork! It did, however, and now I am the proud owner of the delightful little pencil drawing pictured below. Recently, I joined Kelsey's Australian mail art adventure. My name and address are going on a list emanating from Brisbane and I'll be painting envelopes and mailing them to creative persons unknown to me who will, in turn, send me painted or otherwise decorated envelopes, too. I think. Then the task is to throw them up on flickr at some point for the world to peruse and marvel at. Hello Kizzle.

lucky winners

So anyway, I was digging through art supply boxes recently and found a bunch of small collages from days gone by. They're nothing to write home about but, hey, some persons might get a kick out of getting one or two in the mail. So, I instituted my free art giveaway. Send me an sase and I'll drop one in the mail to you. So far, I've got no takers. I'm sure I'll be inundated with envelopes any day now and be sorrier than heck. Or not. In which case, I just may mail stuff off randomly.

cleaning day

My apartment is now the cleanest apartment on the planet. Wednesday witnessed a frenzy of vacuuming blitzing and spider web eradication as well as some throwing out of some extraneous cardboard. Anyhoo, in the midst of all this, I found a file folder that contained random papers that I assumed had been thrown out by me in some former frenzy as it had been missing till now. Flipping through said folder I found page 1 of an exhibitor's contract for a group show that I vaguely recall agreeing to participate in. By the way, I really have no problem ending sentences with prepositions. Just so you know.

Be that as it may, it wasn't until the next day (yesterday) that I decided to check my emails from group show organizer figuring I had missed the boat completely. Holy Shit! Said group show starts on Friday, August 7 and final drop off is Thursday, August 6 which is yesterday, the day I was currently in. This meant spontaneous driving to Baltimore was about to occur. Not what I was planning but, hey! Below are pictures from the Irvine Nature Center.


Art was delivered on time and under budget and, rather than jump right back in the car, I decided to mosey the trails a bit as I had never been at this place before in my life. There was a convergence of moseying and I found myself walkin' along with a gaggle of kids who were super excited about nature. It's nice to know that the world is still producing kids who will squeal with delight when they see nothing but a big bunch of grass.



This place offers 116 acres of walking and moseying opportunities that include benches and gazebos and vistas and views of all sorts. I'll have to go back when I have time because it's now one of my new favorite places. And my art is hanging somewhere in this building until September.

Lucky I found that folder.

i like food

To anyone who knows me, it should come as no surprise that I like food. Food is good and eating is fun. Handmade food is preferred. I lived this entire past winter on frozen pizzas and soup so, I'm not opposed to processed food. But hey, if you got a bakery within walking distance, walk to it and buy their stuff and eat it.

This is some of what the inside of Stone Hearth Bakery looks like. They're situated at 138 N. East Street in Frederick at the corner of 2nd. Fine fellows one and all. I went in the other day to perform my own personal cookie taste test. Mostly, I just needed a cookie because I was bummed ~ so I turned that into my quest for the perfect cookie. Plus, I needed a loaf of bread.

The bread was picked out and sliced for me. Then I proceeded to point to delicious things while the kind fellow dropped them in a bag. Three cookies and one coconut scone in addition to the bread came to $9.50. It was at this point that the baker guy realized that his credit card machine was on the fritz. I had no cash. Presently, another baker guy emerged from the back room and said, "It's okay, she's a regular. Just jot down her name and she can pay tomorrow." I've been there a total of four times. By the way, I did not buy the cake below. I merely fell in love with it. I'll be back for it on my birthday.

squiggly line

Went for a walk in the woods but I took no pictures of me so I can't prove I was there actually.

big foot

Time for another shadow picture of me on play equipment. I found two things: a bakery and a small farmer's market. Both are on East street and 2nd or thereabouts. The market materializes like Brigadoon on Thursdays at 3 pm and then fades back into the mist a short while later. The bakery bakes stuff but I have not been in there yet to see what exactly. The guy who owns it (the baker, I'm guessing) is said to be a heroic holdout to the forces of evil that endeavor to gentrify Shab Row. I guess it used to be quirky and welcoming and is now all hoity toity with it's high rents and kicking out of the common people. Then again, some folks say it used to be dirty and dangerous but, that was before my time. Said baker certainly benefits from the increased foot traffic so, who the hell knows. I'll go for a loaf of bread later and report back with my findings. Have a sunny Sunday!

spin saturday

It's time to wash a bunch of blankets and towels and bulky stuff so one of those big-ish front loaders is the way to go. Getting this stuff down the street may be tricky. Perhumps multiple trips are called for. My neighbor has a wheelbarrow. That just might work. Then there's the issue of quarters. Tomorrow is Saturday and the PNC is closed and I'm all outta ones. Time to raid the ashtray-parking-meter-fund that resides in my car. Happy Weekend to you. Wish you were here.

adventures in cooking

So, I'm a pretty okay cook when so inspired, though I lack certain utensils and equipment. One saucepan serves as tea kettle, soup maker, wok, leftover reheater, and egg boiler. Today I found out that it is also a fabulous omelet maker. Enjoy your lunch!

positively 4th street

The stretch of west 4th between Market and Bentz is nothing if not quirky. It's happily shabby and does not think too much of itself as it just is what it is: a transitional strip between commerce and wealth. It's no east 3rd or west 2nd where life begins and ends with this month's Architectural Digest but it does have it's own quiet charm. I'm lucky to be here.

This has nothing to do with sidewalk happenings but, this morning I stood on my cafe chair and cut off the tail end of my neighbor's hanging plant. It's a philodendron of some sort that's gone long and leggy and dangles from the balcony above. He'll never know the difference. My stolen cutting is presently growing roots in a jar in my kitchen. A couple of days ago I was stuck in car repair hell and ventured over to Home Depot's garden center to wait it out where I was overcome with the desire for an additional houseplant. Plants, like air and water, should really be free ~ and I am a girl with a scissor collection.

Have a grand day! Wish you were here.

go dog go

The car debacle is now behind me. Two nifty new tires, brakey brakes, and the little red light is now off. I was not out of there in 15 minutes but I was able to accomplish much photo tweaking for subsequent posts, so ha! It's now the middle of the day on Wednesday which is the middle of the week and practically Friday. Can laundry day be far behind? Since my day is pretty well shot, I'm off to take arty pictures of my street that I've been planning in the back of my mind but not executing due to ensuing battles with Michelin men. Having vanquished those bastards I'll grab my camera and go dog go.

adventure no. 4 ~ ice cream instead

Car shenanigans continue as parts fail to arrive so I opted for an ice cream cone. I've had a hankerin' for ice cream ever since Sunday when I saw scads of people walking about with drippy cones. There's this mom-and-pop type place on Market called Pizza & Pretzel Creations that serves up scoops twice as big as Ben & Jerry for about half the price, so I headed there. They also make killer pizza according to the guy upstairs, but that's a taste test for another day. After satisfying my soul with chocolate swirl, many pictures were taken for uploading and sharing purposes. I'm pretty sure my next adventure of the day will involve napping.

adventure no. 3 ~ finding stuff

So, Frederick Memorial Hospital is on the corner of Trail and 7th. If I break my arm or get shot, I only need to drag myself three blocks and collapse on the lawn. They've got a little tree lined park there with covered picnic benches and barbecue grills. Least of my concern when suffering gunshot wounds, but there you have it. Down the road a piece is the Safeway. To get there from my place it's just a leisurely bike ride through Hood's campus and out the entrance by the pool on to Magnolia. Plenty of shopping is to be had right there at the corner of Magnolia and 7th. Anyhoo, going north on the bike will continue as there's much to explore and find and see. Now I gotta go see a man about a car...

adventure no. 2 ~ bike north

Here is my plucky bike given to me by my big brother Chris. This is my bike on it's way out the front door. See you when I see you.

adventure no. 1 ~ beach breakfast

Today will feature a string of small adventures to balance out the last few days and the baloney contained therein. First order of business is breakfast ~ always an adventure when enjoyed on the beach. This is not an actual beach, I realize, but a beach in the mind: brick sand, sea of grass lapping at my toes, etc. And it's another day of gorgeous weather. I hope it's as nice where you are as it is where I am.

stuff to do

Now that I look at it from up on the balcony, it occurs to me that this backyard would be perfect for bocce ball. The grass might need to be trimmed first and I'd need to acquire a bocce set up but, hey, other than that it's perfect!

shed shadow

I've decided to get rid of my couch. It rarely gets sat upon and it's taking up space that can otherwise be occupied by a work surface of some sort. Plus, the upholstery fabric of it is like nails on the blackboard of my brain so I cover it's hideousness with a blanket. Out it goes. This picture has nothing to do with the couch. In fact, you can't even see the shed from the couch. Happy Monday!

when the lights go down in the city

Early evening in lucky town affords many a fine picture snapping opportunity. The majority of facades are downright sculptural and brightly painted to boot. There is a certain point at which golden light filters through the trees and is nothing short of magical. These are pictures that I took upon my arrival in lucky town last year. My block, though lovely, is less grand and better described as quirky. It deserves it's own post. As do the small mosaic tiles embedded in the brick path down by the creek. Be that as it may, I wish you a super trooper day wherever it is you're spending it! When the lights go down in your city, fire up a sparkler and write the word "lucky" in the night sky.