Images That May Influence Something I'm Making

Well, although I said I was going to use this blog for all the sewing and artsy-craftsy things I've been doing lately, I still take photos of stuff that catches my eye that I use for artistic inspiration or to spur my creativity.  Recently, inside the GAO building on H Street I noticed all the decorative embellishments all over the doors and walls. There's a castle of some kind of shiny metal on the marble walls that I think is used as a symbol by the Army Corps of Engineers. There's eagles in the parquet wood along the tops of the panelling in the elevators. And then on the elevator doors are stamped metal images of all kinds of American motif things, such as corn stalks bending in the wind.  I'm not exactly sure how these images are going to inspire or enhance my sewing or other projects but I think they all go into that vast visual imagery software in my brain and that somehow some of them will find a way to influence whatever I'm doing.

Very Shiny PT Cruiser All Decked Out

I couldn't resist photographing this very shiny PT Cruiser with the miracle of my cell phone camera while we stopped off at a restaurant in Pennsylvania recently. It had a shiny spoiler, the moon window and trim all over the place that was shiny metal, including all around the wheel hubs, the running board, on the front hood and just about anywhere where there was space for some more decorative metal bits. It was parked in a "handicapped" parking space and I think there was a Vietnam Veteran sticker somewhere on the back. A guy limped out of the diner a few minutes later and got into the PT cruiser and drove off with his girlfriend with a smile on his face. I think this toy gave him a great deal of pleasure. You can probably tell I like PT Cruisers too and in fact own a couple of them myself.

Hubster Kills Computer

The crashing and banging sounds emanating from the study upstairs, and that were paired with masculine oaths and thudding sounds, caught my attention from the downstairs living room where I was calmly and quietly catching up on Facebook entries. In some alarm, I called out "what's going on up there?" Hubster yelled back that he was "sick of this da** computer" and that the email had frozen up on him "one time too many times." In response to my further concerned inquiry, through gritted teeth, as he whacked the computer with our heaviest hammer, he said "not to worry, I'm killing the computer."  Once I opened wide the study door, there he was, Computer Axe Man demolishing an e-machine, shards of plastic and metal flying about as he tore into what was a desktop computer. "I've been looking forward to doing this," he said, as bits and bobs flew and landed against the far wall. I knew things weren't going well with this particular electronic device as I have heard him previously invoking various well known Anglo-Saxon epithets at the screen of this computer. It does -- did -- seem to freeze up a lot, you know, just when you're downloading a critical IRS form or that email from the boss or the plane ticket confirmation, all of which disappear forever and which will require you to execute a repeat of at least an hour's worth of computer entries to get to where you were before the computer freeze-up occurred.Clearly, it's time to buy something new and shiny and fast and loaded with tons of memory. And time to make sure the hammer gets back in the tool box.

We Love Our Watha T. Daniel Library Books and DVDs

I went to return my library books and a movie DVD on my way to work the other morning and lo and behold all of the book return boxes were jammed full of returned books and DVDs at the Watha T. Daniel DC public library. In fact, returned books and DVDs were practically spilling out of all three of the return book slots! So my good intention to get the books back early was foiled by the sheer number of other readers and free movie watchers in my neighborhood who returned their materials before the library opened that day. Perhaps, like everyone else, I'd taken out a lot of books over the holiday and we'd all decided to return them that Monday morning of the New Year, getting off to a good resolution start, i.e., avoiding library fines!  So I lugged them over to the Watha T.Daniel library the next day, although I did note that there's one errant book I missed and I'm trying to remember where in the house I put it. This is a newly built all shiny metal and glass library building in the Shaw section -- that cost close to $12 million and is solar powered LEED certified not to waste energy! -- and that replaced the old 1975-built concrete edifice of similar shape but very dissimilar design that used to be there. And this new library has a modernistic lighted glass sculpture out front that -- so far -- has survived pigeon bombing and local graffitatos. (I'm also hoping someone will tell me in the comment box below who Watha T. Daniel was?) Thank God for positive change in our neighborhood!
Read Washington newspaper story on the opening of the library.