Yesterday was a House Cleaning Day!

Yesterday was a lot like today--unseasonably cool and rainy. Days like that propel me into the cleaning mode. I attacked a closet with vigor and vim! Well, maybe not so much vigor and vim, but enough to pull everything out and start again. I took some items to the thrift store right away. I didn't even want to be tempted to keep them. I sorted through boxes full of memories. I laughed. I cried. I remembered. Then, in the back, way back, of the closet, I pulled out one small shoe box. Here's what I found! Some wonderful little treasures!







It's not finished yet, but it's a miniature quilt I was piecing together a long time ago when I used to quilt. This quilt is called Grandmother's Flower Garden. I only have two blocks left to piece, so I might get back to this during the winter time.






















These are the last two blocks I have to piece. I had the foresight to cut many, many little white hexagons, so I won't have to worry about matching fabric. If my memory serves me right, I started this quilt almost 20 years ago when we still lived in Chicago. I have no idea, now, why I quit working on this small quilt, but I did.























Wrapped up next to that little unfinished quilt were these treasures. I'm fairly sure they belonged to my grandmother. It looks like the lace is tatted and/or crocheted. The spools are wooden. Look at those buttons! They are truly vintage!























These buttons are my favorites! I might take them down with me when I torch. I think they'd make great beads!

Now, it's still raining and cool. I feel the urge to clean. I wonder what I'll find today!

On Cleaning out Closets and Stuff

I haven't painted in about 5 years. This is the last painting I did, and it hangs in my bedroom. I really ended up liking it. It's an abstract painting, as you can tell, but it fits well with the room.













I remember painting as a child. My mother was trying to develop the artist in me. She would buy me a canvas and paints to use. I was cleaning out the closet in the room we now refer to as "Jenny's Shrine." I decided that, after cleaning as much as I could out of the room, Jenny needs to come home and clean out her shrine and take her things home, but that's another story.

As I was going through the closet, I found two things from my childhood. I am amazed that they are still with me. I remember the shock of finding them in the "shrine." I honestly didn't remember them being there.

The memories came flowing back into my brain. I actually remember painting both of these paintings. I was about 8 at the time. I know I spent a lot of time alone. There weren't any children my age in the neighborhood, and my mother had to work full time to support us. I think that was another reason she tried to develop the artist in me.

















This is "Lonesome." I started to look at the details in the painting, and it told me a lot about my life at the time. What jumps out at me first is the horse's name Lonesome. He's in a horse trailer driven by someone. Who knows who that is? His trailer is painted in my favorite colors--pink and light purple. In spite of the trip, Lonesome is happy. Look at the smile on Lonesome's face.

Lonesome is on one road, but to Lonesome's left is a road that forks. Maybe Lonesome is thinking about taking a road less traveled? If you look up in the sky, you can see the Big Dipper and the North Star. I think Lonesome had some plans in mind for the future. What do you think?












I've always loved the ocean! Even as a child, it was a place where the waves pounded and gave me a rhythm in my life. Look at the beach, it's deserted except for a rock that appears to have the moon shining on part of it. Again, in the sky, there's the Big Dipper and the North Star. I think I might try to paint this painting again. I wonder what it will look like when I'm finished? I wonder if there's a bead in this painting?