tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42536568998596211202024-03-14T05:08:52.057-04:00Suzanne ThompsonArtist musing on the Way Things Are and the Way They Ought to Be and the Journey BetweenSuzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-4662042626100898582013-11-11T23:35:00.001-05:002013-11-11T23:35:27.694-05:00I Love New York!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvQGrJtj1kc/UoGvk3Tb6EI/AAAAAAAADQ8/dyqtMIQYItk/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FvQGrJtj1kc/UoGvk3Tb6EI/AAAAAAAADQ8/dyqtMIQYItk/s320/IMG_0850.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love New York. I love the constant assault to the senses. I do not love the smell of roasting (burning) chestnuts or old urine in the subway. I saw my first NYC rat yesterday, scurrying along the subway rails (far enough away from my feet to be interesting as opposed to frightening) and survived Macys Super Saturday with a smile on my face.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P3VP5FVeZs4/UoGu3GSJOvI/AAAAAAAADQw/7yfnDbFdZZA/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P3VP5FVeZs4/UoGu3GSJOvI/AAAAAAAADQw/7yfnDbFdZZA/s320/IMG_0882.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I purchased a cookie sheet for my BFF and spent 45 minutes returning a top that I never bought. (I purchased a top the day before, but when I looked in my bag later, I found a more expensive and conservative-yikes!-top in lieu of my intended purchase). I made a (successful) effort to be smiley and kind to everyone I met in Macys, even the young man in Housewares who did not know what, or where, a cookie sheet was. I swear this is true. In each of the two lines i was part of, a customer was more helpful than an employee. I am assuming Super Saturday was a dress rehearsal for new holiday workers. I do not think they are ready for Broadway or Herald Square yet.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_Gor6WFHW8/UoGrjt_TflI/AAAAAAAAC90/azA89NlN87I/s1600/IMG_0917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C_Gor6WFHW8/UoGrjt_TflI/AAAAAAAAC90/azA89NlN87I/s320/IMG_0917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-69792831464611428162013-10-29T18:19:00.000-04:002013-10-29T18:19:27.126-04:00I'm Baaaack<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Sometimes I’m afraid to make the first cut into a piece of fabric. It only happens when I know exactly how I want it to cut it. I find myself verging on a panic attack, sometimes it takes days to gird my loins and put blade to fabric. Funny, because if I’m improvising in any way I never hesitate, not for a moment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake. It’s rare that I have a perfectly clear vision, and I have lots of experience making errant cuts when I am designing as I go. Trial and error is the way I learn and create, so if that’s the plan, I have no problem. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Here’s my point; I have a clear vision of where I want to go with my blogging, and that fear to make the first cut has kept me from starting. Wait; I am not being completely honest, with myself and, by extension, with you. My “clear vision” is for one direction this blog can take; towards the theological and spiritual. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Another direction is art-centric. I understand that the most popular blogs solve a problem. I am not the most technically advanced or creative, but I am a good teacher of concepts. I have been given the gift of explaining things. I have to know WHY before I can understand HOW, and that’s how I teach. I want to help artists “find their voice” and I believe I can. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Yes, I did finish the piece I was working on IN JANUARY! I also had a successful show even tho I left my ironing board up as a performance piece! Proof:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_W1hBMt_kwQ/UnAzrY4xmSI/AAAAAAAAC84/0CRaloECfHw/s1600/Trust+But+Verify+2013+SThompson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_W1hBMt_kwQ/UnAzrY4xmSI/AAAAAAAAC84/0CRaloECfHw/s320/Trust+But+Verify+2013+SThompson.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ-28BcvrqI/UnA0M-FRbYI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/9XTtLZdiXFw/s1600/StJoan2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jZ-28BcvrqI/UnA0M-FRbYI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/9XTtLZdiXFw/s320/StJoan2013.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-18775230922634899082013-01-27T03:46:00.000-05:002013-01-27T03:46:12.180-05:00What Color is the Mississippi?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Just so you don’t think I’ve forgotten to keep you “in the loop,”
here is my Sally (yes, I’ve decided to name her) as she is this evening. I’m
actually much farther along than it looks; I’m struggling with how to do the
river. When I built such big design walls, I never thought I’d be overlapping
like this. It’s reminiscent of a handbag; no matter what size, it is always
full.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0nLAiV_-dw/UQTpMiOuxMI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/0nvKXSWmpiE/s1600/rivertest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0nLAiV_-dw/UQTpMiOuxMI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/0nvKXSWmpiE/s320/rivertest.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-28961553779504114182013-01-20T23:46:00.000-05:002013-01-20T23:46:28.275-05:00Foraging for Food and Fabric T-62 days<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Time to stop
being so pleased with myself having the nerve to cut into the banquet cloth and
get started finishing the piece. As I thought this thought, I realized I don’t
know which direction to take. Our heroine, as yet </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">unnamed, </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">is standing o</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">n a widow’s
walk looking out over the river. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I’ve known that since my first sketch, but
haven’t thought any more about </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">it. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">What time of day is it? What season is it? Is she waiting for someone to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">come home or
watching them leave? After dealing with
Saturday’s mail, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I flipped an envelope over </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">and came up
with some of the answers.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRTQLftEgTI/UPy6uuTuX8I/AAAAAAAAC3o/iYLvPpgw_qg/s1600/IMG_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nRTQLftEgTI/UPy6uuTuX8I/AAAAAAAAC3o/iYLvPpgw_qg/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">While that’s
happening (have I mentioned that</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">when I
moved here I stacked my full-sized washer and dryer in the kitchen?
Love-love-love them there), I return to the stash to ferret out other fabric.
Not so much luck this time. I have no green for treetops, and nothing for the
river. My plan for the river is to pole-wrap and discharge or dye or some
combination of both.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now I have lots of
water-colored fabric, because it’s my favorite, but none of them are close to
any color I’ve seen in the Mississippi.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Aside to the reader: Every time I type the name of this river that is
starring in several of my new works, I giggle to myself because it is proof
that some things you learn in school are actually useful; M-I-crooked letter
crooked letter- I…you get the idea, unless you're in a country where you dedn't have to learn to spell Mississippi, which I know some of you are.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I put the
blue in the dryer and head the 35 miles to JoAnn’s. I also need to go to the
grocery and get other fabric for other works-in-the-works. Here’s part of what
I got; the shiny silver stuff may become chain mail for St Joan. I am tickled pink (pink I have a lot of!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dI2J9m5PX_s/UPzFoE4mjmI/AAAAAAAAC4A/QjkU_KLyEbY/s1600/more+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dI2J9m5PX_s/UPzFoE4mjmI/AAAAAAAAC4A/QjkU_KLyEbY/s320/more+green.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I think I'm ready for tomorrow and pine trees, deciduous
trees, and that crazy river. Now I'm going to finish beading a barrette I've
been working on for two evenings so I can put our heroine's hair back in a
suitably beautiful way. </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-13228867023747841212013-01-17T13:47:00.001-05:002013-01-17T13:47:55.056-05:00A Rose by Any Other Name; T-65 Days<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Time to settle
on a title for THE SHOW. I thought I had one, but I was given a short lecture
(in a good way) on naming a first solo exhibition. My first ideas were too w</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">ordy, and I'm glad someone was helpful enough to tell me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Time out for an Old Testament reference. In
Genesis, God names man,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> and man </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">is His.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yqbe4CXKq14/UPgvKfaDGRI/AAAAAAAAC3A/jc4zWt91pHc/s1600/Michaelangelos-Sistine-Chapel+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yqbe4CXKq14/UPgvKfaDGRI/AAAAAAAAC3A/jc4zWt91pHc/s320/Michaelangelos-Sistine-Chapel+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">It’s a
principle that is used frequently; you name it, you take </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> responsibility
for it. God changed Abraham’s and Sarah’s names from </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Abram </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">and
Sarai, and makes them his. Man gets to name the animals, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> and takes </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">dominion
over them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">You get the
gist; I name the show, it’s mine. Have I put this off intentionally? No, but
maybe subliminally. Advice I have received includes: two words is
best, have the title should clearly represent the works so potential visitors
know what to expect, include my name in the title (as Alyson Stanfield writes, "Your name in the title screams Solo Show!")</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Also,
because this is my first full show in my new hometown, I should use it to not
only introduce myself to the region, but particularly to local artists. WOW!
That is really good advice that I had not considered. After all, the arts community is one of the
reasons I moved here. I am forming personal relationships, and some artists
have seen some of my work, but this will be their first chance to see a
professional presentation of my work. Noooo pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Your help is requested (as in, PLEASE HELP!), help me brainstorm. My </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">current plan is to show some really old and sort of old work that relates to </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">my new </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">work, to illustrate the progression. The really old (you know, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">35 years) I'm including I see as a prologue; it's important to the story, but </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">not of the </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">story. </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">I will have lived here 6 months at the opening, so I can still consider </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">myself a newlywed who can unashamedly share hew wedding </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">ph</span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">otos, or in </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">my case, </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">the story of how I chose Sainte Genevieve from the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">whole world. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">So, the story </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">is about how I came to be here and what I've done since my </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">arrival (most have </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">the river as an element) with a little </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">background </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">as an </span><i style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 19px;">amuse bouche.</i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iOdG_u7VTq0/UPhD3jeRswI/AAAAAAAAC3U/jXPtwkLodvU/s1600/amuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iOdG_u7VTq0/UPhD3jeRswI/AAAAAAAAC3U/jXPtwkLodvU/s1600/amuse.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Your turn now. My best thought is,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Suzanne Thompson</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Getting Here</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">Please share your ideas. Thanking you in advance...</span></span></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-74045822175738770952013-01-16T01:01:00.000-05:002013-01-17T14:15:18.740-05:00T-66, Another Good Day<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Oh,
the joy and rapture of a fresh blade in a rotary cutter!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Life
is good.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jaZiHD1FxM/UPXh6qo-DFI/AAAAAAAAC2s/Dlm-MVUhirw/s1600/Fresh+Blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jaZiHD1FxM/UPXh6qo-DFI/AAAAAAAAC2s/Dlm-MVUhirw/s320/Fresh+Blade.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Black cotton batting is also good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This is the first time I've used it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I washed it first, following the directions,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">because I did not want it to shrink if I </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">put steam to it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ask me how I learned this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-40984558865835237112013-01-15T01:10:00.000-05:002013-01-15T01:10:01.501-05:00T-68 I Obviously Miscounted Last Night<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Today has
been a really good day. I’m getting a routine going that I think will work. I
do any paperwork, business, meetings, shopping, hunting and/or gathering,
during the day. Any work I do in the
studio is accompanied by my Pandora Celtic Thunder channel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I returned
from my errands just before dark. After
dark I have the peace that comes when the pharmacy, doctors and insurance folk
stop calling to tell me or ask me something. This happens about 5:00 CST, and my adrenaline
starts to work. Celtic Thunder still in
the background, and I get to work in the studio. I know some of you like to work in the quiet;
it makes me nervous. When I can sing along, my creative mind wanders around in
its part of my skull as it likes, every now and then surfacing with the answer
to a problem I wasn’t sure I had. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Today’s
solution was about hair and how to represent it. What color should it be? I was
about to rummage through my stash when, right there on my work table, was the
perfect answer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxHwcInUS40/UPTuZS1eu8I/AAAAAAAAC2Q/AK9G3aHn3ZE/s1600/IMG_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxHwcInUS40/UPTuZS1eu8I/AAAAAAAAC2Q/AK9G3aHn3ZE/s200/IMG_0496.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It's the perfect reddish brown, and will be glorious when I've embroidered and added coppery highlights. I really have no clue how it got on the table; it was probably on top of something I was looking for and I forgot to put it away. I sure don't remember buying it, but that is nothing new. I turned on my $6 "dry" iron, attached fusible web, and will be able to use it tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I take a break, eat, and read my email. THANK YOU ALL for the kind notes of
support. I appreciate and treasure every
syllable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I forgot to mention that about 8:00 the music gets changed to the Harry Connick, Jr channel. Right not Glenn Miller's orchestra is playing "In the Mood" - if I can sing it, I like it. Oh! Now Bing Crosby. Reminds my of my mother. So, that's it for today. I hope to have more interesting posts, but it is what it is, some boring days, some exciting, some tragic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Oh! I forgot to share that last Thursday the city fathers (aldermen) approved my request for a special use permit (this involved all kinds of paperwork, public posting, Planning and Zoning) to open my studio to the public. It's because I'm in the residential part of the historic district. Anyway, this has been my plan ever since I decided to move here, so it's a very good thing that I've been approved. This also means I can get promotional help from the Downtown Development folks, and I'll let you know when I get more scoop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Look! I'm done for the day and it just became tomorrow. Last night it was 4 am. You know, if I'm not going to come to work until dark, I'll have to make a few adjustments. In case you're keeping track, Frank Sinatra is singing "Witchcraft"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Goodnight and Happy Tuesday!</span></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-35988919057892990022013-01-14T03:11:00.000-05:002013-01-14T03:11:10.787-05:00Here We Go; T-72 If You Count Yesterday<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I am
counting yesterday because I just realized that today (1:10 am) is not still
yesterday. So, big official news, I have
a solo show scheduled to open 3/22/2013-aren’t-you-glad-someone-mis-understood-the-Mayan-calendar
at The Hayloft Gallery in Sainte Genevieve, Missouri. This is my first solo, so I am, quite
understandably, freaked and pumped at simultaneously. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I thought it
might be fun to share with others, those who have many solo’s under their belt,
and those looking forward to their first, the “bumps” I am sure to have in my
road. I also hope anyone between St Louis, Cape Girardeau, Columbia and anyone
in Illinois that can make it will “save the date” and try to come to the
opening. You come, I will give you wine.
It will also be an “Art Walk” night, so if you get bored, or we run out
of wine (not happening), there will be other great art to see and artists to
visit. I will even provide a map.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">First, let
me say, I have the entire gallery (about 50x25 I think) filled in my head,
mostly with new work. Unfortunately, I am having trouble translating my sketches
(see, I am doing something) into , you know, actual artwork. I considered,
briefly, filling the space with the sketches, saying, look, this is what I
wanted to show you! I am, however, not DaVinci, so I’m sure next to “lead
balloon” in the thesaurus, would be a link to my website. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Every
morning, as I structure my day from my horizontal thinking position, I make a
plan, and proceed to do a tiny bit of it and piddle away the rest of the day.
This evening I told a friend I thought I might be turning into a vampire
because I don’t seem to accomplish anything before dark. In my defense, that is
before 5:00 pm here, but it means I’m still up until almost dawn. On the other
hand, who really cares what time I go to bed? I am a grown woman, hear me roar.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In addition
to this wonderful exhibit opportunity, I also have several juried shows I want
to enter, each having a looming deadline. I know I am not alone here; this
happens to me every January. Since I have all these pieces in my head I think,
logically, I should complete the ones I want to enter in other shows (it’s a
local venue, so I think I’ll still be legal to enter some of the more strict
shows). Good thinking, right? Yes, but I
can’t seem to do what is smart. BIG surprise. This morning, I decided to work
start a piece that has no deadline, except March 22. I did it! I have worked
most of the day and still have a grin on my face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I have been
saving an heirloom banquet cloth for years, waiting for the spirit to move me
in some way. Throughout the centuries, it has not been cared for properly, so I
gave myself permission, the last time I packed it, to use it in my work. Today
was the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Here is the
cloth and my wonderful new pinking shears and a close up:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pv0GO9ghTI/UPO5kWGKe6I/AAAAAAAAC04/5leMajEhs38/s1600/IMG_0486+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pv0GO9ghTI/UPO5kWGKe6I/AAAAAAAAC04/5leMajEhs38/s320/IMG_0486+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3-pHZN3Xgo/UPO5xd459PI/AAAAAAAAC1E/VO1bGSBU_kg/s1600/IMG_0489+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3-pHZN3Xgo/UPO5xd459PI/AAAAAAAAC1E/VO1bGSBU_kg/s320/IMG_0489+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Pretty, right? And scary; really scary. I mean, once I cut into it it will no longer be a banquet cloth. On the other hand, I have no children to give it to and admonish about not leaving it folded in the same way all the time. So, deep breath, and snip...it's fate is decided. It's going to be a beautiful dressing gown for a heroine on a widow's walk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">All's good until I realize how fragile the fabric is. My first clue was that it was already damaged before I touched it. Oh yeah, that's why I gave myself permission to use is. Duh. Good news! You know how sometimes you buy something, get it home, and it's not what you thought it was? I found some featherweight interfacing in my stash and it was perfect to back the lace.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdNm9su7w-8/UPO71S3FaQI/AAAAAAAAC1g/o5vSo38jRZI/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdNm9su7w-8/UPO71S3FaQI/AAAAAAAAC1g/o5vSo38jRZI/s320/IMG_0490.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> I had a few stupid setbacks, like putting the interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric (will I never learn?), but the skirt turned out great.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ac0eSb3awvI/UPO8Y4IHwKI/AAAAAAAAC1o/ZKX2WefxyMI/s1600/IMG_0492+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ac0eSb3awvI/UPO8Y4IHwKI/AAAAAAAAC1o/ZKX2WefxyMI/s320/IMG_0492+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Yes, I need to work on the bottom, but I didn't back the edging, and I need to. And...drum roll, please, here are all the cut pieces ready to assemble. You'll just have to come to Ste Gen to see it complete. She is going to be beautiful.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UriJ9qFE6jY/UPO9Q01Ak0I/AAAAAAAAC10/EkxQTumRWn0/s1600/IMG_0495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UriJ9qFE6jY/UPO9Q01Ak0I/AAAAAAAAC10/EkxQTumRWn0/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now you know why I still have the big grin on my face. Inertia enabled. YEA!</span></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-19402965206350589252013-01-03T19:02:00.000-05:002013-01-03T19:02:30.111-05:00A Quiz for Fiber Folk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What is this?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rOjgZMM9dK4/UOYaTmPd7CI/AAAAAAAACyQ/sTddMmaOLYQ/s1600/alien2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rOjgZMM9dK4/UOYaTmPd7CI/AAAAAAAACyQ/sTddMmaOLYQ/s320/alien2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's a Hint:</div>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3cTUQQE970/UOYaWSvEk1I/AAAAAAAACyY/TVA8AxLAPcg/s1600/lint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3cTUQQE970/UOYaWSvEk1I/AAAAAAAACyY/TVA8AxLAPcg/s320/lint.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the answer, in the form of a question, is:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What do you get when you wash (to get rid of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a stinky smell) 10 pounds of jute?</div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-28752755840596093562012-12-12T11:34:00.000-05:002012-12-12T11:34:14.161-05:00In the News - Literally!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> OMG! My
picture is on the front </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">page </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">(below
the fold) of the </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sainte
Genevieve Herald</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> I'm going back to read the article</span></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"> Sorry about the OMG-thing; it seemed appropriate.</span></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-12984168085172928012012-12-07T17:19:00.003-05:002012-12-07T17:19:49.221-05:00My 108-year-old Ste Genevieve Home<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now
that I can actually see the surface of my work table, I am going to post the
photos I have been getting requests for.
My plan is to show a “before” and “after” picture of each area so there
will be a frame of reference. This will
also help when people ask me what I’ve done to the house. So, make sure you have your ticket where you
can reach it because a conductor may be around soon to punch it. Here we go…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3NYhnYJwHMs/UMJOjVcY7NI/AAAAAAAACus/4To9llmRGek/s1600/December42012+183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3NYhnYJwHMs/UMJOjVcY7NI/AAAAAAAACus/4To9llmRGek/s320/December42012+183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is the before picture of</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">my amazingly cute Queen Anne house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The after picture has a few adjustments, </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">like </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">the shrubs I planted and the leaves, hanging</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">plants and </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">realtors' sign are gone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">And there are more places to sit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpqJ7s8zt4M/UMJQslVQLgI/AAAAAAAACu0/yvCfPkQlIas/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpqJ7s8zt4M/UMJQslVQLgI/AAAAAAAACu0/yvCfPkQlIas/s320/IMG_0343.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is what was left from the previous<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">owner. It’s okay, I just kept adding<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">to the pile until someone removed it.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDsWkQWWpnw/UMJRVuibEHI/AAAAAAAACwE/rta_hR-wqcM/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDsWkQWWpnw/UMJRVuibEHI/AAAAAAAACwE/rta_hR-wqcM/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Convenient and
expeditious,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 16px;">Like Powdermilk Biscuits.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WfAQ8yJUJVg/UMJQ1sTcdxI/AAAAAAAACu8/wdZJ6MafRE8/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WfAQ8yJUJVg/UMJQ1sTcdxI/AAAAAAAACu8/wdZJ6MafRE8/s320/IMG_0330.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">And overnight,
some weeks later, </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> the leaves
turned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first thing we did…wait, I said “we” and it was. I had the awesome help of woodworker extraordinaire,
Masterful Mark “the Magnificent” Grither.
After I closed on the house I placed my new baby into the hands of
Mark. Because he is so kind and
respected in the community, I was able to move into the house in two weeks!
Yes, that’s another “M” word; miracle.
He continued to organize and work (including replacing the main beam
under the house) after I moved in. When
he was not shaking his head at my questions, requests and suggestions, this was
the look he most often directed at me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oR70E7_of1c/UMJRs0ZyLTI/AAAAAAAACwU/eyvoiR9Hijg/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oR70E7_of1c/UMJRs0ZyLTI/AAAAAAAACwU/eyvoiR9Hijg/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Thank you, Mark, for lightening the load.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">I know Mark didn't do it alone, but he's the only </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">one I have a picture of. I intend to have </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">everyone over for adult beverages after Christmas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">and will get a group photo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Plasterers, Electrician, Plumber,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Painters, sundry helpers, and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Terri and Logan Grither,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 14pt;">THANK YOU!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc1O8t1z8v0/UMJRc_iS7DI/AAAAAAAACwM/wIEEqyInfKw/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc1O8t1z8v0/UMJRc_iS7DI/AAAAAAAACwM/wIEEqyInfKw/s320/IMG_0308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before anyone chastises me for </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">covering </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">fireplaces, don’t. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Neither was a real.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">One was electric and the other </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">was </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">made from a 9’ door that </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mark had </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">to, um, adapt </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">another door so all my </span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">nice, </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">warm air would not escape</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">to the attic.</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JToNCus_alQ/UMJdC5xOCGI/AAAAAAAACws/6CSH7UoRA0A/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JToNCus_alQ/UMJdC5xOCGI/AAAAAAAACws/6CSH7UoRA0A/s320/IMG_0355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EjGj8mIpoKo/UMJiYs0ULPI/AAAAAAAACxA/HQ88Rw0SXy0/s1600/IMG_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EjGj8mIpoKo/UMJiYs0ULPI/AAAAAAAACxA/HQ88Rw0SXy0/s320/IMG_0310.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ItkrMG-P_U/UMJkeG3Zb8I/AAAAAAAACxI/9wqtJj4v0BU/s1600/IMG_0107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ItkrMG-P_U/UMJkeG3Zb8I/AAAAAAAACxI/9wqtJj4v0BU/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ooooo! Pretty folded fabric</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">where an electric fireplace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;">used to be.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rimZ8G1U8so/UMJRRD-_yXI/AAAAAAAACv0/NYcNmLIDdCY/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rimZ8G1U8so/UMJRRD-_yXI/AAAAAAAACv0/NYcNmLIDdCY/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jV1GC46ufmI/UMJm5LuY6vI/AAAAAAAACxc/AXfDG2Qu_lc/s320/studio+1.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Living Room…ahh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRSKyDw8dMw/UMJQ4umC8WI/AAAAAAAACvE/jQF844unXdk/s1600/IMG_0345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NRSKyDw8dMw/UMJQ4umC8WI/AAAAAAAACvE/jQF844unXdk/s320/IMG_0345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQLlH0YBfmY/UMJRDLAAA4I/AAAAAAAACvk/QxBL-vjKokE/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQLlH0YBfmY/UMJRDLAAA4I/AAAAAAAACvk/QxBL-vjKokE/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">STUDIO! What’s
wrong with this <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">picture? I
know…I’m not in it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">working. So,
tata for now;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Keep those
cards and letters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">coming, and
thank you for all the <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">positive
energy you’ve sent this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I feel it and
it feels warm and fuzzy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-3143933785351545312012-11-12T21:45:00.002-05:002012-11-12T21:45:31.207-05:00I Promise You a SmileIf you can spare 18 minutes to watch this, I promise you a big grin...or your money back! We must celebrate our generation's accomplishments and keep them fresh. I believe we can still change the world. This video, like us, gets better as it goes along. I am now returning to the blog I was writing...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/Z6y_zxGuFbk/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z6y_zxGuFbk&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z6y_zxGuFbk&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-52184549099858879142012-11-11T18:56:00.000-05:002012-11-11T18:56:40.704-05:00What I Have Learned the Hard Way This Week<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today, I give advice. (snort!) I have always given advice, requested or not. I usually give it hoping to save someone else the pain of learning something the hard way. For the first fifty years of my life, I insisted on learning things the hard way. With age comes wisdom, right? (double snort!) After much "learning" I have been considering advice. No, I did not say I was always accepting advice. Sorry, I'm off on another tangent. Back to the advice, given with love, to everyone as they mature (remember, I have learned this through trial and errorerrorerror)...</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">REDUCE THE NUMBER OF THINGS YOU TRY TO DO SIMULTANEOUSLY. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After all, in what I thought at the time was a political statement, Lily Tomlin wore a lanyard with a notepad attached in the movie 9 to 5. I now conclude it was not a political statement, but a life lesson I was not yet ready to learn. If you have too many plates to juggle at one time, write them all down. I promise, it will be quite satisfying to mark them as complete with your favorite highlighter. You will also avoid the I-know-I-came-in-here-for-a-reason syndrome. I could not find an image of the fabulous Ms Tomlin wearing the lanyard, but I have found the lanyard.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2S3ej6iDcoM/UKA6Q8-OibI/AAAAAAAACtE/4u_O9xfQjOk/s1600/notepad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2S3ej6iDcoM/UKA6Q8-OibI/AAAAAAAACtE/4u_O9xfQjOk/s200/notepad.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-6055491104155467392012-10-21T01:08:00.000-04:002012-12-12T11:39:07.602-05:00The Rest of the Story (So Far)<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I knew when I found my new home. There have been way too many coincidences to
ignore; as a matter of fact, a few too many to believe, but I suppose sometimes
those omnipotent beings need to hit us upside the head before we accept what's
staring us in the face, you know?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Fcfxyw3_s0/UIN7l7wcHzI/AAAAAAAACsM/_fSP6_XqPyk/s1600/doh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Fcfxyw3_s0/UIN7l7wcHzI/AAAAAAAACsM/_fSP6_XqPyk/s1600/doh.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I visited all four of my finalist cities twice, looking at houses
each time. I had ruled out the Pennsylvania towns and was concentrating on
Hannibal and Ste Genevieve, Missouri. I let my head lead my heart and had
decided to settle in Hannibal because the arts community there was, by far, the
most organized, progressive and successful of all that I had researched. So,
off I drove to Hannibal again to find a house (I had only seen one on my first
visit, and it was haunted, but not in a bad way). I revisited the haunted house
(the ghost only showed herself on major holidays and then just as vision coming
down the stairs as if to join the festivities) and a few others. They were all
over my $100,000 limit, and I wasn't loving any of them. Honestly, the haunted
one came closest...what does that tell you. It was 107 degrees when I got back
to my motel room. I looked around at the shabby room in a town that was touching
my head but not my heart and said out loud, "I HATE Hannibal." What a
relief to admit it. I got back in my car and drove 3 hours south to Ste
Genevieve, calling on the way to make an appointment to see "my"
house again Sunday morning.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had done a little more research and found an Episcopal mission
(meaning no full time priest). Turns out there is a full time congregation and
they meet in the cutest historic building that had been moved from somewhere to
the grounds of <a href="http://www.chaumette.com/" target="_blank">Chaumette Winery</a>. You gotta love the Episcopalians, we will get as close
to alcohol as possible! So...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9:00 am: I walk in this house and all I can think is, why have I
been looking anywhere else? Truly, I felt as if I could breathe for the first
time in a month. It was as if the house, like a puppy, jumped up and said,
"Where have you been? I have missed you!" Well crap! Just typing that
has brought tears to my eyes. I still didn't write a contract because I still
needed to be hit over the head, remember? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11:00: I drive out in the beautiful rolling hills to the sweetest
little church. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZypmR2ApSo/UIN8HrIcTSI/AAAAAAAACsU/z4EdWAgs188/s1600/chapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZypmR2ApSo/UIN8HrIcTSI/AAAAAAAACsU/z4EdWAgs188/s1600/chapel.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sidebar***I don't think I told you, but my realtor (another coincidental
story for another day) on my first trip had arranged for me to have lunch with
several of the local artists. It was perfect! Four vibrant, interesting, well spoken and
welcoming women.*** Well, back to church; the service was nice and I decided I was going
to have to go to coffee hour. I'm shy in that particular situation for some
reason (maybe someone dropped a coffeepot on my head as a child?), but this was
important, so off I went...to the WINE TASTING ROOM! Hot diggity dog (refer to
the previous note about Episcopalians and alcohol)! Wait, there's more. Lunch
is served, prepared by the winery's fantastic chef. Wait, there's more (do you
hear the pounding on my head yet?)...At this communal meal, everyone is as
pleasant and welcoming as can be and they tell me I must talk to Barbara, who
knows everything about Ste Gen's historic district. So, I wander around to find
Barbara. Also a lovely lady. A woman joined our conversation, asking where I
was from. "Kentucky," I said. Barbara asks, "Are you an
artist?" "Yes, why?" I've heard all about you; you had lunch
with my good friend Lulu a few weeks ago!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let's go back to that first checklist: 1. Community (Arts...check;
church...check...small town...double check!)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I know, this is long, but I'm on a roll. Sooo...wait, there's just
a little more...When I returned home, I cranked up the computer and turned on
Pandora. The first song I heard was by a group, Son Volt (never heard of them
before I started this quest), singing a song titled "Tear Stained
Eye" - here are some of the lyrics:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We'll hit the road, never looking behind<br />
Can you deny, there's nothing greater<br />
Nothing more than the traveling hands of time?<br />
Sainte Genevieve can hold back the water<br />
But saints don't bother with a tear stained eye<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cross my heart, it's true. Spooky and blessed at the same time,
right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Coincidences” like these are why I know that if you open yourself
up to the improbable, and listen to that "still, small voice" or, in
my case, the bullhorn blaring in my ear, the answers do come. You just have to
listen and believe what you think you hear.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay, that's my story. I hope there weren't
so many typos that this rambling story didn't make sense. It's the story of my
little miracle. Since I've moved, every day holds another and when I go to bed
at night all I can think is, Thank You.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And, oh yeah, thank you for these pictures because they're just so darn
funny!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6D7YwCGQS2Q/UIOCpHMXJpI/AAAAAAAACsw/S5XE8wNk3vw/s1600/clinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6D7YwCGQS2Q/UIOCpHMXJpI/AAAAAAAACsw/S5XE8wNk3vw/s1600/clinton.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8lVS3RHhZyI/UIOCKegdYvI/AAAAAAAACso/N6GzfHnnuhc/s1600/clinton2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8lVS3RHhZyI/UIOCKegdYvI/AAAAAAAACso/N6GzfHnnuhc/s1600/clinton2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-46570854465854053672012-10-12T18:59:00.000-04:002012-10-12T18:59:01.565-04:00A Good Elf is Hard to Find or What I Did This Morning
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Things I Have Done Today</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">aka the "To-Done List"</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Made coffee for the first time in my new house;
drank and added a 200-calorie <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>donut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yum.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watched a new, dark green, waste receptacle
delivered</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rolled receptacle to rear of house, put it
next to bright blue receptacle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Called Republic Services for a how-come-why
re: 2 (above)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While listening to the Republic phone rep
researching the surprising addition of a second trash bin, I attempted to open
my email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been experiencing a
connectivity problem that seems to be with my router.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Elf Geek Squad did not fix the problem
last night, so I re-diagnose the problem and begin to reboot modem and router.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rolled my bright blue receptacle to curb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No answer available for 4 (above), so I was
allowed to choose which to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
kept the green in deference to my neighbors as it is camouflaged in the dark
green back yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blue? Not so much.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the last (very noisy) rolling, I
decided to start this list so, at the end of the day, I’ll know how another day
slipped through my fingers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plugged modem in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waited for all the lights to start. I will
now plug router in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hung a few things on my peg board.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Found laundry essentials brought from KY that
I have not been able to locate. Needing to do laundry, I replaced the
essentials last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say it together, “Of
course you did!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dealt with email. Was sidetracked by email
from the Met, watched their video, downloaded an app about altering
photographs. HEY! It’s my job; I’m a visual artist!</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spent 5 minutes with the app, which is cool
and free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s called “Faking It” and I
recommend it for fascinating reading (after you take the quiz which, of course,
is the hook), it’s the other photos and the how and why they were retouched is
the most interesting part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to stop
myself of I would have read about each of them and frittered away more of the
day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opened snail mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YIKES!!!!! There is a letter from my
insurance agent the Travelers has inspected (I haven’t seen any inspectors) my
house and re-appraised the replacement value from $233,000 to $403,000, which
will be an annual increase of about $700.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let me say this again, YIKES!!!!! I called the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>agency and reminded them that I paid $75,000
for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the house and it is not logical for
my insurance premium to be higher than my<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>mortgage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My representative was
out, but she had already questioned the inspection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spoke with the head dudette and she agrees
that $403,000 is too high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She will
request a copy of the inspection and get back to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may canvass the neighborhood for comps. Someone must have told Travelers' that my house now looks like this:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmhTjEG_sVQ/UHie7YKK9JI/AAAAAAAACr0/cV8_CugsL-U/s1600/castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmhTjEG_sVQ/UHie7YKK9JI/AAAAAAAACr0/cV8_CugsL-U/s200/castle.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">I
give!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s 10:00 am and I’m worn out
from keeping this log.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can we just
concede that I am busy but not doing what I had intended to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why I am not unpacked. Phew! I’m glad
I can show this to all the guys that have been working on the house and rolling
their eyes every darn day at the unpacked boxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh! Here comes the FedEx man with another
box!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woo-diddly-hoo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked if FedEx had gotten the Amazon contract and Mr FedEx said they
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am glad I solved that
mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, on to the mysterious MIA
geek elves…AHA! Another mystery solved!</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lJlN_nJGwY/UHifC1JM1hI/AAAAAAAACr8/MtoZEe62aTc/s1600/madelfbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lJlN_nJGwY/UHifC1JM1hI/AAAAAAAACr8/MtoZEe62aTc/s320/madelfbox.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-60111922006659496602012-10-10T16:44:00.000-04:002012-10-10T16:44:11.205-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the words of Robert Hunter,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sometimes the lights all shining
on me,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Other times I can barely see<br />
Lately it occurs to me<br />
What a long strange trip it's been</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Marketing Your
City/Company/Organization<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Because of my recent experiences researching many locations, at
this point I’m going to make a few suggestions for this kind of marketing in
general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tailor the information AND its
presentation to your audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
case of artists and engineers, if anything has a date on it, keep the date
current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A letter dated 2008 will be
noticed, and you will be judged for “uncraftsman-like” behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, if you are promoting opportunities,
don’t include a brochure touting an annual event that is not current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes one wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One more thing: answer the questions you are
asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do not understand the
question, ask for clarification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
asked the same question again, assume you did not answer sufficiently the first
time, do not sigh and repeat the original answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this happened to me, several times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can imagine, it is very frustrating to
need information and not be able to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s an over-simplified example:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A: Why is the sky blue?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>B: We often have rainbows here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A: Cool; why is the sky blue?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>B: Not that it rains here that much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">So,
the arts group is not the best (YMMV), but the town and its residents are
pretty darn cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oil City lost most of
its major industry in a very short time, so there are lots of buildings and
houses available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started thinking
that I might buy a storefront and make an apartment to go with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To cut to the chase, I put in an offer on a
two-storey brick house that had been zoned commercial/residential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a fantastic florida-type room facing
the street and a huge adjacent dining area that could be combined as a
studio/gallery/store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house needed a
little work, but the asking price was $59,000. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up withdrawing my offer for various
reasons; it didn’t meet all of my listed needs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style;"></span> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Serendipity
Raises its Hand</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">I
drove to Oil City; it was about 6 hours, so it seemed reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last town you pass through before Oil
City is Franklin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OMG! It is one of the
cutest towns you have ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a
little like the Truman Show town, but not creepy at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6P9Uq8e_rio/UHXW9zAh-mI/AAAAAAAACrM/f3vdDAZ9ZQc/s1600/409redcaranddowntown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6P9Uq8e_rio/UHXW9zAh-mI/AAAAAAAACrM/f3vdDAZ9ZQc/s1600/409redcaranddowntown.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">The
first person I planned to meet there was with the Chamber of Commerce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I walked up the steps to her office, she
was escorting a visitor out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
introduced to the visitor who just happened to be the realtor, Dawn Beith-</span><span class="screenname3"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themecolor: text1;">Caiarelli</span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">, I had an appointment with
later in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dawn was a veritable
fountain of information; she had grown up in Franklin and moved away to
recently return, so she saw both sides of the town and, as almost everyone I
met, was a grand supporter of Franklin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>BIG rivalry between Oil City and Franklin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We toured the town and a few houses I was interested in and she walked
be a few blocks to City Hall to meet the one-woman force of nature that is Ronnie
Beith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that Franklin is
known as “a small town with great festivals?” </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71EX25tenmE/UHXZ-zpbyvI/AAAAAAAACrk/cJQQ3ljT620/s1600/Franklin1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71EX25tenmE/UHXZ-zpbyvI/AAAAAAAACrk/cJQQ3ljT620/s1600/Franklin1.bmp" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">From what I understand, that is a result of
the efforts of Ronnie and her late husband and their support of the arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone I spoke with in the county (yes,
even in Oil City) asked me if I’d met Ronnie Beith yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, back to my check list; community? Check! </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bfvhmCSS-U/UHXYtxCYfsI/AAAAAAAACrU/5j7MMyMIoGY/s1600/farmers%2520mkt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bfvhmCSS-U/UHXYtxCYfsI/AAAAAAAACrU/5j7MMyMIoGY/s1600/farmers%2520mkt.jpg" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">AND, the
Episcopal churches in both cities have Tiffany windows.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oK2uoKHbek0/UHXZHw_7CoI/AAAAAAAACrc/aaoZljdEVcg/s1600/St_%252520John%2527s%252520%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oK2uoKHbek0/UHXZHw_7CoI/AAAAAAAACrc/aaoZljdEVcg/s320/St_%252520John%2527s%252520%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Next,
I research a few other places, just in case I might have missed something…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</span><br />Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-51856989811709977832012-10-05T19:11:00.000-04:002012-10-05T19:11:18.703-04:00"Before Pictures"Several folks have asked, so, if you'd like to see my new home before I started making it really "mine" here is a link: <br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.marismatrix.com/Matrix/Public/PhotoPopup.aspx?tid=1&key=24999811&n=15&mtid=1&L=1" target="_blank">http://www.marismatrix.com/Matrix/Public/PhotoPopup.aspx?tid=1&key=24999811&n=15&mtid=1&L=1</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The previous owner also owned a <a href="http://www.marismatrix.com/Matrix/Public/PhotoPopup.aspx?tid=1&key=24999811&n=15&mtid=1&L=1" target="_blank"></a> bookstore; you'll understand why I tell you this when you see the photos. He's now off to sail the world with his dog, Sophie. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Everyone has a dream; what's yours?</span></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-89904012252134705412012-10-05T16:02:00.000-04:002012-10-05T16:07:34.159-04:00Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">The Great Search<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">(Continued
from my July 1 post)…As I made my many notes and lists, I narrowed and
prioritized my list of “must-haves” so I could consistently judge the places I
was taking a second look at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course,
everyone will have different criteria, but this ended up being mine:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to live <u>with</u> others, not apart
from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know what I mean; many places
are gorgeous and fun with lots of things to do, but you would always be a
visitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might be a resident, but,
without a lot of really hard work you would never be an “us” you would always
be a “them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every community has
neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The neighborhoods I
looked for were not geographic, but social: arts, town, and church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Affordable housing.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZDrum-j5a8/UG8tgKidKKI/AAAAAAAACqE/fSqPeEB7_bM/s1600/Bilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZDrum-j5a8/UG8tgKidKKI/AAAAAAAACqE/fSqPeEB7_bM/s200/Bilt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Artistic opportunity and
acceptance.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WaUYG5ide8c/UG8w1guK5kI/AAAAAAAACqU/YNE0XAPZ7gA/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WaUYG5ide8c/UG8w1guK5kI/AAAAAAAACqU/YNE0XAPZ7gA/s200/kiss.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Within 2 hours of an ocean.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ9ExHynvGE/UG8vc100DdI/AAAAAAAACqM/x4bwCYCa4u4/s1600/Maine+Coast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJ9ExHynvGE/UG8vc100DdI/AAAAAAAACqM/x4bwCYCa4u4/s200/Maine+Coast.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Close to a major airport.</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5IbNwKF9F18/UG87zaYaiKI/AAAAAAAACqk/QQ5ypBDrmn8/s1600/air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5IbNwKF9F18/UG87zaYaiKI/AAAAAAAACqk/QQ5ypBDrmn8/s200/air.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">You
know how, when faced with a stack of resumes, your first pass is eliminating
those that don’t meet your criteria?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did it with locations, based on #2, affordable housing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list was based on artistic opportunity,
so housing would cut the widest swath through the list, and boy, did it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truthfully, I did not expect “affordable” to
be as affordable as it actually was.</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Reconnaissance</span></b><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">I was
browsing on Trulia when I input Oil City, PA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oil City has a well-publicized artists’ relocation program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The program’s description includes
low-interest loans and notes that there are many available inexpensive homes
that need a little TLC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an
understatement; livable, sizable houses are available for less than $50,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you move up to $75,000, you get more livability and less to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s the catch?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bathrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For this price you generally get one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the other hand, for this price, you can add a second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More money, more house of course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">So, it
was time for my first field trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made
contact with the artists’ relocation program and in a few days I got a package
in the mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Stay tuned for the next installment and make sure you have your permission slip signed....</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-19335163343058580542012-10-02T17:01:00.000-04:002012-10-02T17:01:28.503-04:00Psalm 84:3, The swallow has found herself a nest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ArcNYtrq1Uk/UGtNNRs1SXI/AAAAAAAACpU/_9HUqZ1CbeQ/s1600/Frames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ArcNYtrq1Uk/UGtNNRs1SXI/AAAAAAAACpU/_9HUqZ1CbeQ/s320/Frames.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here I sit, in my new home, fascinated by the play of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
colors I chose and architectural elements that are some</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of the bones of the house. It is unfortunate that in this view </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I also see the fewest unpacked boxes. I feel guilty that I have not</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
kept everyone informed, but I have realized that I have apparently</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
reached an age after which only one major thing can be done</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
at a time. For instance, I can write or I can unpack.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For two days I have forced myself to unpack, not so you'd</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
know it. I have a soon-to-be-glorious two-room studio:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ctPPe0I22U/UGtRffms-oI/AAAAAAAACpk/xto-3ihbnuI/s1600/studio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ctPPe0I22U/UGtRffms-oI/AAAAAAAACpk/xto-3ihbnuI/s200/studio2.jpg" width="200" /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLWvGmIsLBc/UGtRkyyT3GI/AAAAAAAACps/_hWZakROsGA/s1600/studio+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLWvGmIsLBc/UGtRkyyT3GI/AAAAAAAACps/_hWZakROsGA/s200/studio+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></a></div>
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I do have an excuse for the mess; the movers dropped my inexpensive</div>
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particle board cabinet that held all of my folded fabric. BOOM.</div>
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No more cabinet (and no insurance because it had not reached</div>
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the truck). The most challenging part of this episode is,</div>
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how do I arrange it all so that it works even better than before?</div>
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I really am just touching base with all of you. I still intend to share most</div>
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of the adventure, but for now I must go to the kitchen and rearrange</div>
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stuff so the plasterers can finish. The wall color is actually in the plaster,</div>
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and it is lovely. Wow, I just looked at the second studio picture; it</div>
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looks like one of those find-the-urn or where's-waldo puzzles.</div>
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Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-63249037742265589082012-07-08T22:43:00.001-04:002012-07-08T22:43:49.765-04:00Aaron SorkinI love Aaron SorkinI and his new HBO show, The Newsroom. Tonight is the second (I think) episode and the opening now has music very similar to The West Wing. Hmmmm I suppose if you keep using the same actors (where are you Allison Janney?), familiar music is OK, too.Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-65625772958340985772012-07-01T23:05:00.001-04:002012-07-01T23:05:57.437-04:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
researched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember when you first
found the internet and started clicking on all those underlined words and
phrases, each of which led you somewhere new?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s how my research started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
started with housing costs in cities I was interested in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I could afford $1000/month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started with areas I’ve been to and liked:
Boston, other places in New England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New
Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you
know heat must be included in the rent in Massachusetts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I researched taxes (more good info from
MA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real estate, sales, income; all
different, all important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About
this time my BFF asked how wide I was casting my net (in so many words).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great question; I cast wider. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ireland; hamlets, cities, what the heck has
happened to housing prices in Ireland?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are UPUPUPUPUP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back to the
US where I understand about the taxes I read about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I don’t have to calculate foreign
currency into dollars and cents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">New
research tack…google “artist relocation” shall I wait while you do it,
too?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, I’ll hit the highlights;
Paducah, KY, several places in the western half of the US, Cumberland,
Chattanooga, Covington, Cleveland, Collinwood, Oil City, Johnstown,
Lowell…golly the list is long!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I throw
out Paducah and Covington because they are in Kentucky and so am I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Relocating means, to me, out of my current
state (physical and mental).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lowell
leads the pack on so many points, not the least of which is that many fellow
fiber artists put it on their short list. And so, I started to look at each city/town, borough, hamlet...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g39725-Paducah_Kentucky.html%22%3E%3Cimg%20alt=%22Paducah%20Photos%22%20src=%22http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/a2/23/97/paducah-ky.jpg%22/%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cbr/%3EThis%20photo%20of%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g39725-Paducah_Kentucky-Vacations.html%22%3EPaducah%3C/a%3E%20is%20courtesy%20of%20TripAdvisor"></a><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g39725-Paducah_Kentucky.html"><img alt="Paducah Photos" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/a2/23/97/paducah-ky.jpg" /></a><br />This photo of <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g39725-Paducah_Kentucky-Vacations.html">Paducah</a> is courtesy of TripAdvisor<br />
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<br /></div>Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-22822512624046305962012-06-23T20:04:00.000-04:002012-06-23T20:04:10.458-04:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So,
did you think about where you would move?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How you would start a new life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would you be careful, organize what you have and plan the rest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plan your life, live your plan?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
started at the end and worked backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where did I want to be at the end of my life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What memories did I want to have?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already have a spectacular collection of
memories; I have had a great life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have been places and done things people write (and read) books about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DU4zbQE_2Zw/T-ZZSBJrwZI/AAAAAAAACpA/WDsc7p4Fq3A/s1600/Backyard+deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DU4zbQE_2Zw/T-ZZSBJrwZI/AAAAAAAACpA/WDsc7p4Fq3A/s320/Backyard+deer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
memories are divided into two piles; before and after marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if, looking back, I directed
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference was the focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before, I it was all about me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I was self-centered and selfish, but my
parents told me I could be anything and do anything I put my mind to, so I was
and I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also independent and
self-sufficient. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father did buy my
first car (a $400 Dodge Coronet), and my mother fed, clothed and sheltered
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, Mama and Daddy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Long
story short (hahahahahaha), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was born
to be a politician or an artist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Way too
many skeletons in my closet for a political future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skeletons are, on the other hand, a firm
foundation for any creative life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Art,
it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-62346669073472475252012-06-15T19:52:00.000-04:002012-06-15T19:52:50.768-04:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I have been given an amazing gift; the
opportunity to change the direction of my life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you had the chance, what would you do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you ponder this, come with me as I
decide the what, where and how of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What will the soundtrack be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have already begun my BIG ADVENTURE (BA for short), but I am going to retrace
most of my steps to catch you up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I’ll start with a brief recap of the
events leading up to the BA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>2/14/12 Dear husband of 32 years calls from another state to scream “I want
a divorce!” This may seem harsh, but it was actually in response to my abruptly
terminating a pretty contentious argument by pressing the “off” button on my
phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure you can picture all the
pain, anger, sadness, relief, surprise, blah blah blah, so we’ll skip
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is about my new life, not
about how I got here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>3/16/12<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The divorce is
final.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, couldn’t the court have
moved a tad slower so that it would be St Patrick’s Day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, it started on one Saint’s day, a
little symmetry would be poetic, don’t you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll just have to find poetry somewhere
else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As Part 1 of the BA comes to a close,
I suggest you listen to Gaelic Storm’s version of “Scalliwag” – Oh goodie! I
found the YouTube video with the lyrics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enjoy if you have a mind to: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozWYjLRI2P4"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozWYjLRI2P4</span></a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I almost forgot - your homework assignment is to dream big; what would you do if you could? No, winning the Lottery is not possible. Work with what you have.</span></div>Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-88111542062713482222012-06-03T04:42:00.000-04:002012-06-03T04:42:09.220-04:00Now<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Four a.m. </span></div>
<div id="yui_3_2_0_20_1338711081903122" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span id="yui_3_2_0_20_1338711081903120"> Birdsong drifts in o</span><span id="yui_3_2_0_20_1338711081903108">n a cool breeze</span></span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_2_0_20_1338711081903125" style="text-align: center;">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_20_1338711081903113"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> Through the open window</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAP5MguZw5M/T8si4k44vlI/AAAAAAAACok/PqCu5R0jsL8/s1600/Studio+Windows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAP5MguZw5M/T8si4k44vlI/AAAAAAAACok/PqCu5R0jsL8/s200/Studio+Windows.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4253656899859621120.post-1584093867631052662012-05-05T17:35:00.000-04:002012-05-05T17:35:21.702-04:00Hebrews 12:1<div align="center">
</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A cloud
of witnesses</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">surrounds
a race run.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Run with
perseverance.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3n3wXICeJI/T6WctTXUqVI/AAAAAAAACoY/T83AQgRc5mY/s1600/Churchill-Downs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3n3wXICeJI/T6WctTXUqVI/AAAAAAAACoY/T83AQgRc5mY/s200/Churchill-Downs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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And Happy Derby Day from</div>
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sunny, hot and humid Kentucky!</div>
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</div>Suzanne Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11380056667924750347noreply@blogger.com0