5 days planting

5 days planting, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Summer temps arriving quickly here - into the mid and upper 80's every day. So....I had to jump on the replanting of the front beds this week.

Always in the overgrown state since we moved in 6 years ago, I had cleared the waist high and higher shrubbery a couple of months ago.

At last the right combination of inspiration and willingness to exert myself occurred. I spent the better part of 5 mornings (when it's shady) digging, soil enhancing, mulching, watering. (And the better part of 5 afternoons collapsed in an exhausted heap on the sofa)

Yay! it's done....

(and we're down to 7 hamsters - quiet happy dance!!)

So I've Processed...a bit

Back now a week from the New York trip over Mother's Day weekend. Time to think back at what lingers in the mind, what impressions stick out.

"So, Jackie, what art did you see?"

Why, thanks for asking! (a stalling tactic as I gather my thoughts - beating back the mild panic that sets in when asked for specifics)

Sound related art lingers. In Bryant Park on our second visit we chanced across Kate Gilmore's  "Walk the Walk" performance installation. A giant yellow cube with 7 or 8 identically dressed women stomping about in pumps on the top. Entering the cube you felt the sounds magnified while reading the artists' statement about women, working life, ...(panic setting in again - I remember the sound, the visuals. , The words - not so much as they were grabbed in a momentary glance at the wall while watching where the rest of our family had wandered) (That's a video link BTW)

Then a visit to the Guggenheim museum. Not to see any specific exhibit, but to experience the building and its spiral for itself. "Haunted" was the dominant exhibit - and the sound installation by Susan Phillipsz looping at the base of the entry lobby has STUCK! A haunting woman's voice singing that echoed throughout the viewing of the other visual displays. Check out the video on the Guggenheim link to hear  a snippet and a few of the artists discussing their work.

New York weekend

ny5, originally uploaded by jckirner.

A lucky trip away to join the family in Manhattan for the weekend.

Never been there before and happy to have my sister to tour guide/escort us around.

A weekend of intensity - sensory input overload! So much to take in visually, constant sound, constant awareness.

Yet even downtime in the hotel room I was compelled to keep looking out the windows. Familiar sights, unfamiliar in details, puzzling out the hows/whys of city life.

I will be processing this for weeks!

When friends come to play

When friends come to play, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Sharing our snippets of know how - things we've done together in April include basketmaking, flour paste resist, glue gel resist and doodle drawing on fabric.

Nothing better than creative time with friends!

miami seaquarium

miami seaquarium, originally uploaded by jckirner.

They sold oodles of cookies and earned an overnight trip to Miami Seaquarium! All 14 of our Girl Scout troop made it to the outing and had a grand time.

I like the 50's era Miami Seaquarium. More intimate, low key and animal focused than some of the Orlando area theme parks. And those cross bay views of Miami with lights at night can't be beat!

We toured the park in the pitch dark and peeked at the animals at night in their exhibits. We fed the manatees, touched the (barbless) stingrays, held parrots and got splashed numerous times by dolphins and Lolita the whale.

It was a good trip!