They are promising inches (maybe even feet) of snow today. There was a buzz at the grocery store (where I might have lost my short vision glasses) this morning as the school (one of a few)had classes with an early dismissal as the afternoon promised the big hit. We will see. Here it is ten,, and it is steadily beginning to come down. We do have milk, eggs, herkimer bread and something for dinner for two nights in hand. Plus, we have birthday cake makings for one of our newest favorite people who is turning 83 tomorrow...and we all have been invited to his party!
Continuing to strike things off my list. Presents gone, cards gone. Guilt is not gone, ah well. Now with my glasses lost, another thing goes on the list. Right now, I have two pairs of speccio on my nose...a real nod to being older...but hey, I can see!. Got the iphoto backed up and have taken enough stuff off the travel computer that we will be okay on the road. Plans for LA shaping up to blocking out our time into thirds--so we are not spending our time traversing the city in a car, not seeing anything. First third Pasadena/Universal City, second third, Hermosa Beach, and final third, Westwood (maybe with a bit in Santa Monica at the end). I am thinking no Huntington Beach this trip. Great for gear and extreme clothing...and really beautiful...but a bit of a trek when northern aspects of the city we have missed in the travel we have had with the kids.
Am working on some leaf shapes with my lovely pens. Murray was right about how I love just the doing of the work. It truly is like going to the mental spa. I love putting the ink down, the blackness, the movement of the ink, and how magically, an image appears all the while I am thinking about the next image or how to add/subtract to the current image to take it further. Should it have color? Not? Reversed? Mashing a reverse and a positive together. Though it feels meditative, it is work--working the ink, working the line, refining as I draw and finally changing the inked piece in the computer by adding color, subtracting lines and overdraws. It is all pleasure because it is me, talking to me about something that is coming from my head, my hand, my heart. I find it hard to want to do anything else (at least in my spare time).
Have wound some Noro (japanese, hand dyed yarn) to make andean inspired ski hats on the plane. Those are the kind that have the ear flaps and machine knit are expensive. This Noro is a silk/wool blend that gradiates in color from a yellow brown to magenta and orange with a brown twist that is consistent throughout the fiber. Should be very cool and handmade looking...and becoming with the skin tones of the people I am making them for. I havent told you about my hats, they are somewhat of a novelty and a thing of desire of the locals. I made a bunch of these Afghan inspired (straight sided) hats with a series of different colorways for a few Christmases and gave them to people who are near (living with me (relatives and friends)) and or dear. One fellow wears his hat from the time the weather gets cool here through the end of April. Every day. He may switch my hat out for another hat I made for him...but its a Q. So, the plane is a good place to listen to tapes and knit...(now that we are not going to hijack the plane with our needles) as I need to spread out a bit to draw (the tray table isnt a great place...what with bumps and jiggles...that doesnt help either.
Gotta go. Things are piling up and the snow has arrived. E. is having car trouble so we need to close out the time for this week.