Art to Reduce Stress

Did you know that it takes a gallon of water to produce one almond?  I didn't. Did you know that agriculture uses 80% of our state's water?  I didn't realize it was that high!  So if I cut my showers to half the time I do now, it isn't going to have that big an impact. I'm okay about not growing grass.  I do understand the need to cut back. It seems we have a much bigger problem because the water is going to run out. The water underground is being used now by agriculture. That took millions of years to develop. It hasn't taken long to use it up. Okay, end of my rant on our water situation. What I now want to figure out is what can I have instead of grass. I did get three waist level gardening units that I have to put together.  But it is small and I am going to grow my own veggies. My friend Barbara does this we will talk about each of us deciding on some veggies and sharing them.  My daughter Shelley is doing her vegetable garden too.  Now, they never did put in a backyard, but her picture is a little scary.

Kevin and Shelley's Vegetable Garden

It goes before the city council  to put in a watering schedule. If your street number ends in an even number, you may water your lawn Sunday , Wednesday and Friday. If your street number ends in an even number, your watering days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  Businesses do not have limitations. Now if this is a serious drought, why would they not be included?  This seems very scary,  but, they are acting too casual.  Why is this?  Okay, end of my rant on our water situation.  If all the grass died, which it should with this, I want to think about how to make my  yard inviting without it costing a ridiculous amount of water.

My oven now works. The element I ordered did the trick. I called a plumber to see about the water getting to the fridge for water and ice in the door. Water comes to the door. Still have a problem with the ice maker. I left a message with the appliance repairman about coming back for that.  Next week the plumber is coming back to replace the pipes attached to the house. But, he needs to know where the emergency shut off valve is. I don't know where it is.  I messaged the water company. Their message is I need to call and make an appointment for them to come and turn it off, then turn it on. They got back to me too late. I'll call them Monday morning 

Major events happened this week.  My great-grandson Conner turned one and his sister Coco turned three. My friend Marykay's daughter Rachel (named after me) had her first child, her daughter Eva Ramona. I also had friends who married. I'm so happy for them!  And life goes on. 

My art class, called Healing Art with Nina Landgraff at Bakersfield College was good.  We stood up with our hands in a prayer position our eyes closed and noted which way we leaned. She then had us do a drawing exercise to help get ourselves in balance. She first had us drawing the number 8. She asked us to determine if the upper part was the same size and shape as the lower part.  So we turned it sideways still drawing over it to make them be more in line. Then she had us do it with our non-dominant hand.  Then we did two eights next to each other trying to keep the same proportions. Then we drew both eights at the same time using both hands at the same time. Then we outlined the eights at the top and where they join in the middle to make a heart. She said to do this daily until we could stand without being pulled any direction.   Mind and body interact with each other and the idea is to get them working for you instead of against you.  I love the idea.  I recommend this class for anyone in the area.  

Then we did a finger painting selecting two colors and white. I've included Nina's (she's our teacher)  and mine. Then she had us do a background with several colors, then draw some squiggly lines to make grape vines, then with our fingers put in grapes and then more squiggly lines that the vines use to hold the grapes. Also a couple of grape leaves. The ocean and lighthouse pictures are done by  spraying water over the paper and then making a white circle and come back with the bright color around it until it is only the bright color.  The dark color goes around all of this following the circle at the top and going back and forth at the bottom.  Then work in white for the reflection and come back on the sides for the rocks and lighthouse.  Then perhaps put a boat in the water and birds in the sky.  Fun!  I'm going to do more of this.  Only one more class, but I have really enjoyed it. Learning how the body and mind work together to help or hinder us can be helpful to get the resources on our side. I appreciate having that knowledge.  I liked practicing it too because you get a better sense of how to do it.  I will take it again if I am not overwhelmed with other events.  I have to pace myself.

Nina Landgraff's Finger Painting with  Acrylic

Nina Landgraff's Finger Painting with Acrylic

Nina Landgraff's Finger Painting with Acrylic

This is My Finger Painting with Acrylic

My Perspective is Way Off!
My Lighthouse is too big!  But it was supposed to be Fun and it was!

Class with Carol Bradshaw went well. I find it helps to watch her do it, though I feel I need to see it more than once. So we went over the graduated wash and then worked on a variable wash. She also gives wonderful tips to make our pictures even better. One she said was to go back to the mountain range and drop a little more color at the top of the range, but not solidly. It will make it look more real.  By the way, she recommended Mastering the Watercolor Wash by Joe Garcia.  Very helpful.  I think I am ready to frame the green peppers and the seaside port.  I'm still working on my butterfly- perhaps nesx weekend.

Carol Bradshaw's Layering Flat Washes

Carol Bradshaw's Layers of Gradated Washes

Carol Bradshaw's Gradated Wash Using Two Colors
Coming From Each Side

My Painting-Seaside Port

My Painting-Green Peppers done in Hooker's Green

Trees on a Flat Wash with Some Color Removed from Trunks

Trees on a Gradated Wash with Some Color Removed from the Trunks

So a birthday party was held for Conner and Coco. It was a nice event.  It was held outside.  Very windy and when in the shade, quite cool, but I couldn't handle the sun.

Conner, One Year Old and Coco, Three Years Old

Conner Enjoying a Birthday Cupcake

Billy and Conner Going Down the Slide

Picture of Billy, my grandson and Conner, my great-grandson

Father and Son

This afternoon Barbara and I are going to a matinee put on by the Bakersfield Community Concert Association featuring Los 3 Ortiz.  A Cuban/Venezuelan harpist, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz will be performing with his two daughters.  They do folk, popular and classical music from many countries.  I'm looking forward to it.  Then we are going back to this great little Chinese. restaurant called Ching Yen which is so tasty.  With Barbara I usually go vegetarian and have found it delicious!

This is an article called "How Do You Want to Die?" From Nextavenue.org   

http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2015-04/how-do-you-want-die?utm_source=na_socialmedia&utm_medium=na_socialmedia&utm_campaign=na_socialmedia


That is it for the week.  I hope you are doing well and finding things to enjoy in life.   See you next Sunday.                   Rachel

Helping One Woman Dinner was a Total Success!

Wow!  I loved the Helping One Woman dinner at the Marriott In Visalia. It was for me and there were maybe 60 people there. I knew so many of them from different times I worked. Of my family my grandson Billy Lane (father of my great grandson Conner), Stephanie Jerdin my daughter-in-law and her daughter, my grand-daughter Meghan Jerdin were there.   The setting and the food were great. There were great vendors, women sharing their businesses with us. I gave a short talk about what I've learned going through this which ended up being good.  One comment many people said to me was that it was fun attaching faces to the names they had read in my blog.   There were many pictures and I selected a few of them.

Deanna (from Central Valley Life & Style with Deanna) and me

Martha Hense (who was there for me when Paul died
and lets me stay at he home when I'm in Visalia) and me

Mike and Marykay Feit (Mike helped me set up blog and
Marykay is a longtime friend and top notch artist) and me

Billy Lane (father of Conner) and my very good friend Barbara Long

Susan Ackermann Price (my friend who is so sweet and makes a t
errific breakfast)

My daughter-in-law Stephanie Jerdin and her daughter Meghan Jerdin
(who have so much going on and still took time to come up for this event - thank you!)

There was a woman there, Margie Van Veen Smith who puts together books (among other things) from the photos and write-ups you do on your computer. In the end, she puts it on good quality paper in a bound book which you can give to people. I'm thinking about this for family and close friends upon my death. She offers guidance along the way by phone.  Her site is www.cmyphotobook.com, her email address is mdutchgirl@hotmail.com or call her at 559-618-0555.  Of course, it isn't just for end of life, but that is why I'd be interested. 

As a result of talking at the Helping One Woman dinner I got an invitation to speak at a fundraiser on March 7 for Avon's fundraiser regarding breast cancer at the Lamp Liter Inn in Visalia  (3300 W. Mineral King) The cost for a lunch ticket is $25. There will also be auctions and drawings for some great items like a homemade quilt and a weekend getaway in the small town of Oakhurst (It is 14 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park in the foothills).   If you are interested in a lunch ticket, call Carol Nava at 559-967-0914.  My daughter Shelley Schmitt will go with me.  Maybe I can talk a couple of girlfriends from Bakersfield to join us. 

Several of us went up to my room to continue talking. It was all wonderful. I got a suite so my friend Barbara Long and my grandson Billy Lane could be with me. Nice suite, but really too expensive for me.  It didn't used to be so expensive.  I would say even a single room almost doubled in price from what I used to be charged. 

The next day, we hit Main Street which was lots of fun. I had in mind particular stores I wanted to go to while visiting Visalia.  We went to Pacific Treasures and Gourmet - it has kitchen supplies and many other fun things - premium quality. Another place I really enjoyed was p.s. i love you too. What a great little store. Many things would be great gifts for weddings and various showers. But it is broader than that. You'll love it.  Say "Hi" to the owner Mary Beth, a lovely woman  No time to go to Brown's Shoe Fit Company. What I like about it is that my feet are wide, I have high arch and instep and thick ankles.   I have told people I have Platypus feet (not quite though).  I'm always looking for shoes that are sensible but also look good. I do well here. It is costly, but they have annual and semiannual sales. We also went to The Discovery Shop for The American Cancer Society. Now here the items are in very good shape and the prices are right.  There is also an excellent one in Bakersfield, actually a little larger.  Keep in mind that many of these stores are not open on Sunday or have limited hours.    Check ahead of time.    

My grandson Billy was a sweetheart. When I told him I didn't write a speech, he said "Speak from the heart grandma, speak from the heart," putting his fist to his heart.  He works a night shift and took it off so he could go with me for some "bonding time" as he described it and that is what it was. 

..................

So my art class with Carol Bradshaw started up again. Wayne and I are the regulars. While I did no watercolor painting since we last met,Wayne brought a beautiful painting of an old Japanese boat with nets and poles from the dock with mountains in the background. Now he did it from a picture, but I was so impressed with what he did. What talent!   I'm still working on my picture, another hot air balloon using different colors for red, blue and yellow..

I went to have chemo and I'm waiting to be called. This man comes up to me and hands me the sheet you give to the nurse. I look down at it and see his name on it. I say "This isn't mine."  He snatches it away. On the other side of the end table is his wife and in a very general sort of way, we look alike. That was a good laugh for all of us.   When I left after treatment I noted that it was very light in patients that day, which is usually not the case. My nurse said "shhhh!"  Yup. Like I've noticed. We've all gotten into magical thinking!  If only that really worked!

I read a book recommended by Carol Nava who is a vendor for Avon at the Helping One Woman dinner. Very funny and I identified  with a lot of it. It is Bald Sweaty Bitch With One Tit: A Memoir,  A Pink Ribbon Journey by Jane Kay Cisneros.   I downloaded it to my Kindle.  I recommend you read it if you haven't.  The more I read about others’ experiences, I'm struck by how universal a lot of our responses and feelings are. 

Yesterday I cooked up a pot of pinto beans after rinsing and soaking them for over a day.  I thought this would help in cutting down the gas.  It is really good that I live alone!  The beans are really tasty, so I think I just will spend more time alone on those days after eating.

Today Barbara and I are going to another Bakersfield Community Concert.  This one is Alex Depue with Miguel Dehoyes.  As I've said, all of the concerts have been great and a good deal for $80 for the season (8 performances).  If you bought them individually, they are $40 each.  This is the 5th one.  If you are interested in getting a season pass, let me know and I will give you the information to do this.

I want to correct an error from last week.  I told you about this wonderful Indian Restaurant in town.  I had the name wrong.  It is called Zaika Indian Cuisine.  They really are excellent and whether you eat meat or not, you will love the choices and the dishes they serve.  They also have a full bar.  Their address is 5123 Ming Avenue in Bakersfield.  If you want to make a reservation, call 661-836-0100  If you go to their web site you can see the whole menu.   www.zaikaindiancuisine.com.

This is a very good description of the feeling of grief from The Grief Toolbox by Bonnie Borel.  I always described it as a roller coaster with the ups and downs. This one is more complete. 

http://thegrieftoolbox.com/article/howdoesonedescribegrief

Here is something to consider when facing your fears. I did this. I have found the more I deal with fear, the less I'm overwhelmed by it. 

 

CONNER, my great grandson loves standing. He can walk when holding on to something. 

This has been a very busy week.  I'll be seeing my primary doctor this next week about some medical issues I've been having. I stalled seeing her in case this took some time to deal with.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Have a good week and I'll see you next Sunday!     Rachel