The Rest of the Story

 

It's been a while since my last blog post. I was telling you about the roadblocks I was putting in my own way. I had a project to do and I was procrastinating.

An acquaintance that I see occasionally told me about an art contest being put on by the Rideau Community Health Services. They wanted artwork that would help them celebrate and promote a welcoming, inclusive community. They mentioned such things as diversity, equality and advocacy . I immediately  had several ideas so I thought I might take a stab at it. This idea of entering contests is new to me this year, and while I never expected to win anything, it still gave me a target to aim for.

I would have told you all this sooner but I wanted to post the results. There were three prizes. I didn't win but I also have no idea who did. I even inquired about the results but got nothing but an automated response saying they received my message and would get back to me. They never did.  All I do know is that I am the only one who entered from this area. It would be really nice to see the winning entries but I will, at least, show you mine.  

I may not have won this contest but I feel like a winner anyway. I dared to do something I have never done before and am apparently the only person in a village full of accomplished artists who even submitted an entry.  I'm proud to have taken another step forward in my art journey, and I did have fun, once I got started.

Roadblocks

 Do you ever get excited about a new project idea and then never get it done because you have created roadblocks for yourself?

A couple of months ago I thought I had at least a fair chance of getting a piece of my art into a local show. There was a theme that I really identified with, and I had an idea that I figured would be different from everyone else's, so it might stand a chance. I set about creating a piece, thinking I might make as many as three. The first one was going very well, and then I hit a snag. I had to make a decision on how to finish it.  The piece was done in black and white. Was I going to leave the background the blank white paper? Quite possibly. I also had to add one more element in order to finish it. But I liked what I had accomplished so much I put up a roadblock. I couldn't finish because I was suddenly afraid to ruin what I had done so far.

Now I have been given the opportunity to get in on something I consider even more important than a local show. If I managed to create a successful piece it would be shown in a place that would be uplifting to people in need of some sort of encouragement.  I got a couple of ideas on how to handle this project. I settled on one that excited me the most and did the prep work. Suddenly, for some strange reason, I seem to be busy setting up all kinds of roadblocks. This feels like far more than simple procrastination. Instead of my usual, full steam ahead and thinking the journey is more important than the destination, I'm almost afraid to put that first mark on the paper.  Maybe it's because this time I actually have a destination for this thing in mind. I'm not sure I can climb over this hurdle, but I still have more than a month to give it a try.

Normally I'm the one encouraging people who wish they could draw or paint to just do it. Don't be afraid, just have fun, I say. I even encourage those who do art, not to hide it. Put it out there, I tell them. Goodness knows I post everything I do, no matter how badly I think it turns out. Strangely, the pieces I'm most ashamed of seem to get a better response than the ones I'm actually proud of. Go figure! So, I should just get busy and attack this project...have fun with it, and just see what happens. Maybe tomorrow I will find the strength to move that roadblock out of the way. Wish me luck.

The Occurrence

 Something occurred in my tiny village recently that many people have not discovered yet. I only found out about it because of a message I got from a long-time cyber buddy who lives in Bancroft. 

Those who live here are aware of a construction project on the north side of the river that has been underway for several years now. While a couple of units have occupants the rest of the building remained empty and even had a broken window. The west end of the building now contains a puzzle factory and shop.

When I found out about this, I went to explore the shop. The puzzles are bright and beautiful, and the owner is delightful.

Brigitte Gall and Michael J Bainsbridge got this idea to create puzzles in 2018 while living through a cold snap in Haliburton. Michael is an award-winning mineral photographer so they picked out some of his photos and had their new business up and running just before the pandemic hit.  I'd call that perfect timing. He now works at the Museum of Nature so they moved in this direction and settled in Kemptville. While looking for a suitable place to set up the factory and shop they found this spot in Merrickville  at 105 West Broadway Street. 

I was lucky enough to be shown how the puzzles were made and packaged up, as they do everything right there on the premises.  The pictures, glued to their backing, are placed on a sturdy foam rubber and run through a press that exerts 7000 pounds of pressure. This compresses the foam, allowing precision steel blades to cut the picture into puzzle pieces. It only takes seconds. The pieces are then manually scooped up, bagged, and boxed. Only high-quality materials are used and a total of 150 puzzles can be produced in a day. 

The company states its goal is to appeal to fellow science nerds and like-minded art geeks. They not only have puzzles made from photos taken by Michael, but they also have some fascinating ones representing various towns. Multimedia artist, Alice Hinther has produced pieces containing a conglomeration of recognizable buildings. There are puzzles representing Perth and Westport, for instance.  Rumour has it there will be one of Merrickville soon too.

And just in case you would like to make a puzzle out of art of your own, they do that too.

The new business is called The Occurrence and they are having their grand opening on July 27. Go check it out!

Not All Changes Are Good

 What's going on with the Fast Food industry?

First, Tim Hortons got sold and the first thing that happened was that nothing was the same but the name.  And just like that, many people started going elsewhere for their coffee and treats.  Why the new owners killed something so iconic is beyond me.

McDonald's suddenly had McCafe, which turned out to be cheaper than going to Tim Hortons. And since my Dutchies disappeared and tea in pots got replaced with swill called Steeped Tea, we moved ourselves to McDonald's. The muffins there were great.

Then our favourite lunch spot, Wendy's in Brockville, closed down and built themselves a new, much smaller venue. The food was still good, but suddenly the ambiance was gone and, if we were able to get a seat at all, there was no privacy to discuss things. 

Most of the newly built fast food places, no matter which franchise, have opted for one or two unisex toilets instead of the usual separate rooms with multi stalls. This creates lineups and gives women a better idea why men's rooms used to have urinals. Now we have to be more wary of splattered seats and floors. 

Recently our local McDonald's closed for renovations. When it reopened it was a shock to my system the first time I walked through the door. It was totally unrecognizable. Then we discovered another McDonald's in Stittsville that was a carbon copy. The order desks are not visible from the entrance. There is nobody at the cash and it takes time before we are even noticed. (Normally it's faster to tell someone what you want at the counter than to stand at the machine and poke numerous buttons).  The new furnishings can only be described as utilitarian and I have no faith in them holding up for very long. The tables are not spaced for privacy anymore so I figure maybe five could be used at a time without practically sitting with strangers. The TV's are gone but suddenly there is loud music being piped through speakers. That makes it difficult for people with hearing problems to carry on a conversation, and I'm sure people with sensitivities to sound would just not be able to stay at all.

Ah, maybe that's what all this is about in Wendy's and McDonald's. Maybe they just want drive through and pick up orders instead of people actually meeting up for lunch or snacks inside their establishments. They won't have to clean tables or sweep floors as often, so the staff can be busy making food.

I see Tim Hortons is, at least temporarily, bringing back the Dutchies, SourCream Blueberry Fritters, Walnut  Crunch and Cinnamon Twists again this summer. I have also discovered it is now possible to get my tea in a pot if I ask for it.  I guess it's time to switch back.

Originals

 I'm enjoying this spring as a lot of the old events are returning and I am finally feeling that I can go to them without worrying as much about Covid 19. This week we went to visit the Originals Craft Show in Ottawa. It was always a favourite place to see interesting creations, spark my imagination and pick up a few treats. 

I guess not all the vendors are feeling quite as safe yet as there were several booths used to showcase what you could find at other booths throughout the room. 

I went in intending to pick up a couple of treats we have not had over the past few years, and I got them, along with a couple more. Needless to say, we had charcuterie last night.

I specifically wanted Deb's Crispy Cracker Seasoning Mix and a visit to Little Shop of Lobster. I went with the Crab Mousse this time. I like taste-testing what's offered and was completely sold on Crosswind Farm's Cranberry Orange Artisan Cheese!  It's fabulous! Dear Hubby got to pick something out too. He really liked Carmichael's Bisson meat but brought home the Honey Garlic Pepperoni instead.  It did go well with the cheese and cracker platter and wine that evening.

One of the vendors was a lady who makes dresses out of t-shirts. My brother passed away recently and he had so many cartoon themed t-shirts that he likely could have gotten through a year without ever repeating which one he wore (if he wore each one for more than one day). I got her card as she will make a custom dress for me for the same price as the ones she has already made. I just have to give her the five shirts required to do so. Now I just have to decide what colour I want and start sorting. 

The other thing I wanted the moment I saw it was little shelves made out of logs. I wracked my brain trying to figure out where I could put one. I have a small house and it just won't hold any more furniture, but I thought his simple Burnt Log Designs were wonderful.

The only thing that would have made my day better would be if I had not forgotten to pick up some lemon squares from BC before we left!

Shrinkflation!

 Happy Easter.  

Have you noticed the Cadbury Easter Cream Eggs are almost 13 percent smaller than usual?  They might even cost more this year, due to a worldwide cocoa shortage.  I'm okay. I got a few tiny free ones at a local social gathering this week. That will do for me.

I went grocery shopping this week and found a lot of bare shelves in the salad dressing section. I was looking for coleslaw dressing but that wasn't the only one missing.  Kraft shelves had more empty spaces than product, at more than one store. I was starting to wonder if they were going to stop selling in Canada. At the third shop we finally found what I was looking for and immediately understood the problem. Kraft has redesigned their bottles. There is now 50 millimeters less product in them than before. Shrinkflation strikes again!  

I guess the stores want to get rid of all their old stock before putting out these new bottles. People might not notice they are smaller if they don't see them side by side. Ya. Right. 

Now, if I could only shrink by as much....

Bigger Isn't Better

 This past weekend we did something we have not done since before the pandemic. We went to a Home Show. Actually, we went to two of them.  The first one was held in the community centre in Prescott, Ontario. The second was a huge affair at the EY Centre in Ottawa.  Both had displays promoting businesses and products, but that's about where the similarity ended.

I had looked forward to the Ottawa show as it's a Home and Garden Show, which usually has great displays of gardens and landscaping and sometimes even tiny homes. It also has just about any product or service you might need if you are thinking of updating, repairing or renovating your home. This one had an over-abundance of fence and rail products. If I were in the market for such a thing, I would have found it hard to make a choice. The thing this big show definitely had, and I could have lived without, was a lot of high-pressure salespeople.  I did discover that if you looked even slightly interested, they would keep lowering the price and throwing in extras to reel you in. I wasn't biting, but it was amusing to see, and I now know that I would definitely hold off on buying until they reached their best deal.  Hey, one even offered to let me buy the product at a "dealer price" after I mentioned that I often write reviews. She figured I might be good for her business. That would only work if her product worked for me, and I wasn't convinced that it would.

The Prescott show was much more low-key, and the people presenting there were most interested in just letting the public know they existed. There were no high-pressure sales pitches, but there was a lot more swag.  The presenters were quite happy to talk to you, make recommendations, even if it was for something other than what they had available, and most of them had things for you to take home. Some even offered you swag even if you looked like you were about to walk by without giving them a second glance. 

There was an entry fee to attend both these events. The Prescott one was less than half as much, even though I got the Ottawa tickets at half price for buying early. I felt like I got my money's work in swag at Prescott, but all I really got out of the Ottawa one was a bit of exercise from walking up and down aisles in a big hall, and a bunch of pamphlets to take home. The Prescott show was more fun, and more worth my while. They didn't have any dealers with the one product we were looking into though. The Ottawa one had a couple. Still, I think we would rather deal with businesses closer to home. I'm not sure I'd bother going back to the Ottawa Home and Garden Show unless I had some major project in mind. 

I did enter a lot of contests, and can now expect to field a lot of phone calls, I suppose. I have a much better chance of winning something from the Prescott show though, as there would be a lot less entries. I've won several things from past shows such as this. Wish me luck.

Art and Found Day

Have you ever found a rock with something painted on it? You know, the ones you are allowed to pick up and take home.  They could be anywhere and you just accidentally come across them. 

Years ago, a local lady who made glass beads, decided to leave little necklaces around town for others to find. I found two but, to be fair, I decided to relocate one in another town.

Now I have discovered we are about to celebrate Art and Found Day on March 12.  Artists all over the world will leave something they created somewhere for someone else to find and take home. I want to take part and have encouraged some of my friends to get in on the fun too. I have been working on a painting of a friend's horse that I will place where, hopefully, it will be found soon. With any luck, the finder will share it on social media. I may drop more than one.  They may be just bookmarks. We'll see....

If this is of interest to you, go to www.artandfoundday.com to learn more.

Painting Project

 Our local Ladies Club decided last fall to start creating a rock snake that will be installed near the library, here in our village. We gathered once a month to paint rocks with any design we chose. Three of us actually painted the head of the snake at the first meeting, so it will be interesting to see how those get used. As there were a few rocks left after our last meeting, we were invited to take them home and finish them up there.  Well, I have lots of paints so I made off with one.

I was one of the ones who had previously painted the snake's head. I had found a rock that just told me that was what it was. I put a penguin on another and finally, I painted a face on the last one. So what would I put on the one I brought home?  

I placed it on my desk and waited for it to suggest something. I turned it around and still, it didn't suggest anything in particular. Then I remembered one of the other ladies had stood a rock on its end and I wondered if this one would do that. As soon I placed it on end, I knew immediately, that this rock was a dog! 

I searched internet to see if I could locate a picture similar to what I was imagining on the rock.  I found a couple that were very different from one another but had features in the right place to fit on my rock. Even as I started painting I was not sure which way I would go. I decided to place the nose and eyes. The shape of the rock defined the snout and ears. After that, I just let go and let it become whatever dog it wanted to be.  The great thing about painting with acrylics is you don't have to worry. You can always paint over anything you don't like.

I could likely refine this a bit more but hubby says, "Don't touch it!"  What do you think?

Forced Phone Upgrade

 First, let me assure you, I am not a phone person.

I hardly ever use a telephone if I can get out of it, so my cell phone is just a tool. I only use it for emergencies or when I need to locate someone I get separated from in a mall or large store, or when I'm at an appointment or meeting and need to be picked up when it's time to go home. Even then, I tend to text, not call. I'm hard of hearing and until just recently my hearing aid wasn't capable of having a Bluetooth connection with a phone. My old phone probably couldn't do that anyway. It had no memory and got so I couldn't even update the software. Then my provider decided it was time to update their network. That means my phone is not going to work at all within the next couple of weeks.

My old phone was a simple thing. It cost under a hundred dollars when it was new. I have never had a data plan and pay just $10 a month to keep it operational. At one point I had over $600 worth of credit racked up. They let me use that up but I'm not allowed to accumulate it anymore.

I was shocked by what it would cost me to replace the darn thing. The prices on today's phones are outrageous!  Worse than that, my hubby needs to replace his too. He did some research and asked a lot of questions everywhere they sell phones before coming to the conclusion that we would go for the Moto G Stylus 5G. The 5G won't work on my pay as you go plan, but that doesn't mean anything to me anyway.

It has a lot more memory, a superior camera and even a stylus. I  can apparently Bluetooth it to my hearing aids so I might actually be able to hear if someone does call me. (We'll see about that). It also has a virtual assistant. I was about to set that up and got to the part where Google was telling me to say, "Set the timer for two minutes" but before I could speak a voice from the other room was speaking to the cat. He said, "Are you making a mess?" And instantly, Google popped this up as a response.

(click to enlarge)

That definitely gave me a much needed giggle.  But then I had to wonder if Google just learned to recognize the wrong voice.  It's okay.  I just tested it. 

I discovered I can make a grocery list right on my phone. Big deal, you may say, but this is all new to me! I also decided to test the stylus since the existing list has little boxes to check.  I don't usually draw digitally so excuse the mess while I figure this out. 

Oh, maybe Google was right.  I might have a bit of fun making messes.

Guess What Time of Year It Is

 It's that time of year again. 

Many of us are taking stock of our lives, making plans for the coming year and making promises to ourselves that likely won't be kept. It's a time when we traditionally start over and then fizzle out of our new ways long before we should. So is it worth it to even try?

My main goal for the coming year is to cut down on e-mail. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters but there is no way I have time to read them all, especially if I start watching the art videos that often come attached. I spend more time deleting e-mail than actually reading it each day, and still, it piles up. My current method is to do a search for whatever comes up first and delete all the old stuff. A lot of that may be unread, but it's old now so it can disappear along with the newer editions.  My new strategy is to unsubscribe from the ones I find that are mostly unread. I can make a list of who they are from and the subject matter in case I ever want those back. 

If I want to keep up with what certain artists are doing, I can probably just subscribe to their YouTube channel and look to see what's new when I'm in the mood.  

Making a list of authors and unsubscribing from their e-mails for the time being would also be a good idea. Sure they offer me free books to review, but I have several years worth of reading material stacked up waiting for me as it is. I don't really need to add to it, no matter how new it is. The one author whose books I could never pass up past away this year.  Rest in peace Matthew Mather. You will be missed.

Most of what's left would be from retailers, offers for free stuff and samples and of course, surveys. I might as well get rid of the retail e-mails as many of those require apps these days anyway. I'm keeping the surveys and e-mails that offer me free products.    I love getting new products in the mail when all I have to do is tell the rest of you what I think of them. I don't even have to pretend to like something. Fot instance, I recently got three products all at once. They are meant to work together but you could use any of them individually. I love one and have no use for another. The third one is okay for this time of year but not something I would ever buy. They are full sized products and I will happily tell the truth about what I think of them when I do my reviews. The surveys provide me with enough mad money to buy things online when I want something. 

This e-mail elimination is going to take longer than many of you imagine, but if I sunsubscribe a few each day I might win this battle eventually.

The second thing I want to do (the first, actually, but if I do it first, then I'll never get around to the job mentioned above) is to get back to making my own art.  I have slipped into learner mode. I have been painting and drawing along with instructors. I must be getting better as I have had several requests from people wanting to buy things. Because they were done as part of a course, I was not at liberty to sell them. Also, I have been working mainly in sketchbooks the past couple of years. I plan to buy a new block of watercolour paper in a size larger than what I have previously used. They are not cheap so I will spend some of my survey money on that. I have already built a file of pictures to inspire me.  Wish me luck.

I think these are worthwhile goals. While I may never totally eliminate the excess e-mail, I can at least put a dent in it so I will have time to paint.

Oh, and who knows, I might get back to blogging more often too, now that life is a little more normal and I'm back to doing things.

May you all have a very happy new year.