Sherri Woodard Coffey

With all the painting and floors completed, everything moved back into place, and even kind of “decorated,” it was not totally unexpected to have a letdown and a bit of time-wasting going on. At least that’s what I told myself during the first week. The second week I began to wonder, and by the time I got to the third week, I decided that maybe I needed to see my doctor. Unfortunately, she is moving into new offices and is only taking a few patients a day right now. She’s not even ready for records to be sent to the office. So, I postponed making an appointment. Finally, though, I decided that enough is enough! I will be seeing her this week. Here’s hoping that a somewhat “normal” day and week will soon be here.

I did scrape up enough energy to take care of one issue. After walking through the back porch to the carport that is half full of stuff, I decided that I’m done with that. I checked out both Home Depot and Lowe’s for sheds, but those sheds are designed for those who will be doing their own construction. No help there! Then I checked Angie’s List, found someone with good reviews, and discussed it with him. The new shed will be constructed the first part of September. Fingers crossed! I’m looking forward to sorting through all the stuff outside and a few thousand more trips to Goodwill. And it will be nice to get the lawn and gardening equipment somewhere else.

If you’ve been wondering why the picture of an inkle weaving book is at the top of this post…I just ordered it. Since I don’t knit, I’m always looking for something to do with my hands when I just want to sit and vege out in front of the TV. Maybe this will work. I have an Ashford Inklette that I like much better than the regular inkle loom. I got mine locally, but they are available at Halcyon, where this picture came from.

I’m a reader. A book goes with me wherever I go. Errands and then lunch with a friend? A book is in the car just in case a wait is necessary. And these books don’t have to be quality literature. I’m a great fan of escapism. Sometimes I choose really cheap books to go on my Kindle, but lately I’ve chosen some real duds. One was a tale in which the main character was in a domestic abuse situation. Not only was that topic uncomfortable to read, but I also kept waiting for something epic to happen. Imagine my surprise when it turns out that the character’s life events were all just dreams while she was in a coma for ten years! For some reason I felt cheated at this turn of events. But on the other hand, it has made me think. What IS going on with someone who is in a coma? Maybe that’s what good literature is. What do you think?

The color of this piece just grabbed me. I had to learn more. This came from an ArtDaily article, which has mentioned this particular dig before. It’s located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, but I’m not sure where exactly in relationship with the city of Oaxaca. I wanted to know more about the color itself. Here’s a quote from the article:

The red pigment with which it was painted is one of the more distinctive characteristics of the piece. The painting can be fairly appreciated by its degree of conservation. This pigment might have been obtained from cinnabar or from the hematite.

Do you find it amazing that these colors have survived so many long decades, centuries? I remember the first Mayan ruins I saw, which were on a cliff above the east Caribbean. The colors on the walls were still visible in parts. Absolutely amazing!

Source

And, while I’m on the subject (kind of) of Mexico…..Honestly, this is

not an advertisement for Pier 1, but I love these margarita glasses.And totally off the subject of Mexico, except that history in interrelated…I also found this in ArtDaily. The headline for this article seems interesting. They are going to freeze dry this three-centuries-old ship found in the Gulf of Mexico and reassemble it. How ‘bout that? The ship was discovered in the area of Matagorda Bay.

I wondered, though, why they would be doing this at Texas A&M. Seems that this ship changed the history of Texas. This French ship was unable to bring supplies to LaSalle and his men, which left the area wide open to Spanish explorers. Another how ‘bout that?

This fashion piece got my attention in the Wall Street Journal. Is it the 70s again? The pieces above are not so bad, but the slide show that accompanies the article—well, you just have to judge for yourself. The pink and black plaid or checked or whatever they are? You decide. And there’s a picture of an apartment chock full of geometric prints, a place where I could never relax. Where does one rest the eyes?

Geez, it’s already the middle of August! On the one hand, I can’t believe the time is going by so fast. On the other hand, I’m looking forward to fall and cooler weather.

Besides the house stuff going on around here, I have been designing and printing invitations for a bridal shower. Being the party animal that I am (joke!), it’s a good thing I have sisters! The aunties are giving a kitchen shower for our niece. I used the above scanned paper to make a border for the invitation card and the recipe card—we’re asking the guests to contribute a favorite recipe. I enjoy the technical part of doing something like this, but I definitely have not inherited the thinking-like-giving-a-party gene. Oh, well…

I live close to a city that is reducing funding for the arts significantly. I know that some choices have to be made, and everyone wants to have a smaller budget, as long as it’s not smaller in THEIR favorite thing. Cities all over the country are having problems. But one does have to wonder about cutting funds in an area that the city touts as a tourist draw. In a city with world class museums where they don’t say Fort Worth is “the city of cowboys and culture.” So, what’s a city to do? How do we try to improve homelessness, repair streets, and still fund the arts? I don’t have answers, only questions.

My house is slowly becoming livable again. The goal for this week is the studio area. Somehow, things that had to be moved from the main area have to find homes or go somewhere else to live. So, there!

Below is what I am calling the TV wall, for lack of a better term. The old wooden box that holds the TV now will be replaced with the turquoise piece below. The blue print chair will get reupholstered at some point, as will the couch.

This is the window wall in all its glory of paper shades. Those will stay until decisions are made. The hassock or whatever you call it, will get new clothes. The walls in this picture read more yellow than they actually are, but the color changes during the day, sometimes looking more yellowish, sometimes having a peach glow. And do you notice that this space cries out for a rug?

The area in the center of the bookshelves will have some staggered small shelves to display my black Oaxacan pottery and other art.

And here is the red wall which will be home to my series of black and white wrestling pictures, taken back in the 70s, when rasslin was “real.” Right now I’m afraid to hang any pictures—don’t want to mess up the freshly painted walls. Oh, and notice the rug—the colors are right, but I’m not sure about the size. And the table is a Target special. I’ve never had drawers in the hall before. What a concept! There’s a place for the flashlight!

The china and silver is back in the china cupboard. Of the twenty plates of fine Oxford bone china, I have kept eight and given away the rest. The cups and saucers are going to Goodwill today. Who uses china cups and saucers nowadays?

It’s been a busy week. This was discovered under the carpet when it was ripped up. We had a tornado back in the 80s, and maybe I should be embarrassed, but the carpet was put down then. It actually held up really well. Anyway, I’m pretty sure this little gem of a picture is by one of the kids, probably my daughter. Made me smile!

I love watching experienced, efficient workmen. Here he is nailing down the new floor. Yes, nailing down, not gluing. It was hard for sales people to get that I wanted real, 3/4 inch wood to match the existing wood, not manufactured or laminate. I’m not sure I’ve adjusted to the white bookshelves yet. I may have to go back in on the back and paint some colors, but first I will refill them with books and see how I feel.

I’m feeling the same way about the red wall in the entry. I thought my black and white wrestling pictures would look good against a red background. At a later point, I will be having the kitchen floors and walls redone. If I’m still not sure about the red wall, I will change it then. Maybe that orange that I wanted on the walls in the living room?

I am not a shopper, but I have been out looking at stuff I never look at. Curtain fabric, upholstery fabric, furniture…you name it. My friend says that once you start something like this, it never ends. I did put down one of my pieces to check color on the new floor. I love it. Now, if only it came in an 8 x 10 size!

There is so much “stuff” to put back in place that I made one of those executive decisions today. I NEED to get the studio back into some kind of order. I NEED to weave. So all the stuff that has been stashed in there will be put away. Then I can work on the next project. And, with all this, I have learned once more that I am not a multi-tasker. One track mind, that’s what I have.

It’s been really hard for me to have so many people in the house all the time. Crazily, I thought I could get work done while they were here. Instead I just holed up in my room and read. It’s looking really good. The floors should be here next week. The wood has to acclimate for a couple of days before they install it. At least the installation only takes a day.

Subfloor repair—As soon as I sent a message to my painter, she messaged me back that it would be okay, she had someone to do the repairs. And it didn’t cost an arm and a leg! Whew!

Now, a little about the painter and her company. Yes, her. The company is Finish Line Décor, so if anyone is local, keep that information. She is definitely hands-on, keeping everything on track. Carine came to the United States from Belgium and is very good at her job. I really liked working with her.

The first morning they were here, the guys took the wooden shades down from the window. The sunlight coming through the east window was blinding, to say nothing about the heat. Carine suggested something I’ve never heard of before. Paper shades! Who knew? They are available at Home Depot and probably other similar stores. Link here. They’re like a giant Post-it note. These will probably be on these windows until they fall off or until I get the sofa done.

Here’s the area where the floor was repaired and up into the wall.

Prepping the bookshelves.

I now have freshly painted walls and bookshelves. And one of those walls is red! I’ll post more pics after the floors are in. One of the guys will be here again today for a couple of hours, then freedom for a few days. I am not moving anything back into those rooms until it’s all finished.

Mexican archaeologists discover three 1,000 year old tombs near Monte Albán in Oaxaca
More Information: http://artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=56687#.UA9QD_WwXM0[/url]
Copyright © artdaily.org

Today the painter came to finalize details and look at the disastrous subfloor. She doesn’t think it’s too terribly bad. She texted a picture (aren’t smart phones wonderful!) to her “wood” guy, who gave a not-so-bad ballpark estimate. He and the painters arrive in the morning bright and early. They are scheduled for three days. It’s going to be hard to have strangers in the house for three whole days! Then the wood for the floors should arrive. It has to acclimate to the new “climate” before it can be installed, but at least that’s only one day. Then I get to do all the packing stuff in reverse. I’m thinking another two weeks, maybe some weaving will get done. I’m hoping I can use the time while they’re here to sort through some more stuff, load the car for more trips to Goodwill, and maybe work on some designs.

In the meantime, I’m mulling over options for juried shows, etc. And since I like all things pre-Columbian, take a look at the article about the above picture. This was discovered near Monte Alban, fairly close to the city of Oaxaca. If you ever get a chance to go there, take it. Nice city, outdoor cafés, lots of culture, and a great market. Might even see costumes like those of the Mayan Barbie.

Believe it or not, we’re setting heat records here. It’s always hot in Texas, so, really, temperature records? 107 on Friday and Saturday. The picture has nothing to do with temperatures and heat record—I just like it. Maybe those guys just got really hot and thirsty. I also don’t where it originated. I found it on the Facebook page for Texas Hill Country, where they were asking for captions.

I have recently entered and been rejected from two art shows in which I have previously had work. I know that jurors have a vision for the show and that sometimes your work just doesn’t fit with the vision. Or it may not fit in with the rest of the entries. Or whatever. But still, it’s rejection, which never feels good. Not that I’m going around moping or anything, but it does cause me to wonder if my work has taken a wrong direction. And since I have no direction at all right now, along with all the other stuff—see below—, no weaving is getting done.

As part of the house renovation, I have been busy boxing up stuff off the bookshelves and tabletops and moving some of the furniture. When I moved one piece of furniture, I noticed a problem where there had been a roof leak many, many years ago. Evidently the floor did not dry like I thought it had. So, I ripped up the carpet to check things out. Well, guess what? A bigger problem than was immediately visible. Subfloor has some issues on this pier and beam OLD house. Not being a carpenter, I have no idea what’s involved in repairing this, but it’s right at the wall. Doesn’t sound promising, does it? This right after I signed the papers for the floors, painting, AND bought a buffet I’ve been eying for three months. It’s only money.