A New Chapter: Catch up time

Power lines at sunset

And you thought I forgot how to write a blog, right? It's been a long time, and I'm starting to wonder about that myself. So bear with me as I play catch up...

Mike and I started a second jewelry class at the Indianapolis Art Center. Since the class started about a month ago, I've finished several pairs of earrings and a necklace.

Silver sawed earrings

Brass lentil beads(textured and hollow inside) made into a necklace and earrings.

Brass textured earrings with beads

Our instructor encouraged us to enter the Annual Student Art Show. I was shocked to find out that I won a $100 award for the spinner ring I made last semester!

Spinner ring

Spinner ring in display case and Rio Grande Award.

We received the Art Center Spring Catalog in the mail last week. Since we were already taking a class, I almost tossed the catalog. For some reason I decided to see what jewelry classes were offered, and I was quite surprised to find a picture of Mike in the catalog!

Mike sawing silver earrings.

And as you might expect, I've worked on a few craft projects. I visited mom recently, and I came up with a project we could work on together: making wreaths out of fabric. So with a supply of Styrofoam wreaths, fabric, felt and pins in hand, we set out to make wreaths. In a typical fashion, we got a bit carried away, and by the end of the weekend we were sick of wreaths!

Mom working on a wreath

Mom with finished wreath

Green version

Orange version

Gold and white version

Recently I got to babysit for my great nieces Alice and Violet while their mom went to a doctor appointment. They started the afternoon with naps, but of course that didn't last long. We spent most of the time reading books and more books and...well, you get the idea. It was a blast!

Me and Alice

Violet and Alice

After a long winter of being a slug, I started my walking routine again. The first thing I noticed was that my feet hurt. I researched how long you should keep a pair of walking shoes. Using statistics from my Fitbit, I was able to determine I had walked about 500 miles on these shoes, and it was definitely time to replace them. The recent warmer weather and new shoes that feel like I'm walking on clouds add up to steps, steps and more steps. And it feels great!

Yesterday I found a crocus in bloom in my flower bed. Today it's 70 degrees , and I was able to head out for a walk without a jacket. It's amazing how much this nice weather just lifts your spirits...