Class lists

So I took a peek at the class lists for the next school year.  Photo II & III periods will be smaller but waaaay more PIII students.  And I have re-vamped how and what I plan to teach.  Super excited.

Also working on photos on CS6 and liking it so much.  Much more than I expected.  My computer is dying a slow death and it moves like molasses when I open Photoshop Elements!  Now that is pathetic.  I have tried all I can to improve it, but hubby is getting me a new tower for my birthday.  At least I can recycle this one by giving it to my dad - his is problematic too - or by recycling with Dell.  Yes, I do not buy Macs.  So expensive and why bother when I don't have a Mac in the classroom?  I have the work iPad and my sister's old iMac anyhoo.

Oh, and can I sing the praises of my new Epson V600?  Holy crap, what a scanning dream!  Scans my negatives so quickly!  I want to get one for the classroom if we can budget for it next year.  Love it.

Stuck doors...

So I do not know what the hell is wrong with our brains.  But this time, when dad and I measured and cut, things did not go so well.  However, I refused to spend all Monday refining.  So, today, in this heatwave, I am sanding the doors in situ.  I am using my handy-dandy Dremel to lightly, gradually sand down the parts of the doors that are keeping them from closing easily.  And it has gone surprisingly well!  I know there will be more to do, but I will wait until the humidity lessens to sand more off.  The sawdust is sticking to me like glue.

I cannot tall you how much I LOVE the sound and feel of the solid doors opening and closing.  I hated the cheap-o doors with such a passion.  The last two are leaning on the garbage cans.  The temptation to kick them in is so great.  But then we lose our temporary garbage blocker.  Yes, for the first time in 8 years, our garbage was knocked over and rifled through last week.  My guess is a raccoon.  The bears and deer stick to the fruit.  They also leave evidence - scat, aka poop.

I also purchased a new scanner.  I have so much art to work on and needed the scanner.  My hp was not working at all and I refused to purchase yet another overpriced USB cable.  So I bought the Epson V600.  No warm-up time... scans negatives... and came with Photoshop Elements.  I had to dump CS - too old.  But I cannot upload CS6 b/c my computer is only 32 bit.  So I thought the Elements would be a fair trade-off.  We shall see... then I can upload images onto the Google Documents account and work on them on remote access CS6.  Oh the joy.  But, here's the great thing... I scanned three sheets of negatives - one 35mm and two 120mm.  It moved so fast and the scans were so good.  I cannot wait to work on those images.

The other project I have going involves my felted objects.  I made a bunch of little pieces with bone and resin-embedded insects.  Had no idea how to present them.  I had a brainstorm over the weekend and look to work on that today and tomorrow.  Super excited that the doors are near complete so that I can return to making art.  Once the school year starts, there is not a minute available for that...

Doors

So i hated the doors that were in the house when we bought it over eight years ago.  Today, with dad's help, they are now all replaced.  As we found solid pine, six panel doors, Dave and I would buy them.  I stain and seal coat them after my dad and I cut them to size. Now, they are all installed.  We just didn't replace the closet doors in two bedrooms.  But they sure look good.  I think I may just walk around opening and closing them, just for kicks.  Sigh...

So for the to-do list this summer I can cross off replacement of interior doors, replacement of pool ladder (know anyone who wants to buy our old one?), teaching myself CS6 new tricks, tending the garden.

Things I still have to do:  finish genealogical research, make art, get real good at CS6 before September, start my guerrilla gardening project, enter my art into shows again.

And of course reading is on the list.  It always is.  I read three books last week.  They were related to the genealogical work I am doing on my father's family.  I am currently in the first section of "The Medieval Reader" and the fascinating thing about it is that I like visualizing the activities in the places I have been.  It makes the book seem so much more alive.

And other things to do... look into Historic Preservation programs and costs.  Never a dull moment.

So I still have not been approved for participation in the Guerrilla Gardening site but that will not keep me from forging ahead with my plans....

Nothing stops a girl with a bike, a basket, a bottle of herbed water, garden tools and a mission.