A Great Etsy Customer and Feedback

You never know who might request a custom painting. I have an Etsy Shop that specializes in custom digital art. My favorite requests are of the furry kind - dogs and cats. Julie wanted a painting of her Westie. Then she challenged me with three more that had little to do with animals and more about people. Each painting was as interesting and fun to do as the Westie. Much of what I paint are personal gifts requested for friends and family members. I love the photos the customer sends me of how the jpeg file is finally used.  The reactions expressed by the intended recipients are so heartfelt. It is very encouraging to receive such positive feedback when the work is done. A lot of my art is hanging on a gallery wall of sorts at the Wagtime Shop on Capitol Hill. Lisa Schreiber, the owner, has so kindly provided the space. I'd be very interested to hear your feedback if you ever happen to be in town. Or just check my Etsy Shop - LITDigitalPaintings.  

The Glorious Month of July

Obviously the month of July had special meaning for me. It was my parents 64th wedding anniversary on July 4th, my grandson's tenth birthday, and the most time I have had off work since surgery eighteen years ago. It was documented on four calendars - at home and at work - and no matter which one or what format I looked at, I did not work a full week for five weeks, including the end of June. After looking at these calendars today and looking ahead to August, it became clear to me why I'm having such a hard time adjusting to this extra long week. Going to England for ten days really messed up my routine clock, but putting in a full week after so many not so full weeks explains it all. I don't think I would find it hard to adjust to this kind of thing all the time. Can I have a schedule like that every month?

English Signage Etiquette

Having just returned from a ten day trip to England visiting friends and traversing the countryside with more friends, we came upon some interesting signs. Some were safety related - looking to the right just doesn't jive with my brain - while many more were doggie related. (By the way, the dogs we met were well mannered, well trained, and always on a leash). What I found most whimsical were those warnings about human behavior - with very specific consequences. These posts are obviously meant to remind folks that a polite society is not only expected, but enforced. Do you suppose they are intended more for the locals or the visitors? 

The Best Use For Magazines

We have embraced the digital age. We no longer have bookshelves with hundreds of books that collect dust, nor piles of magazines on every flat surface in the house. Both my husband and I have iPads that we use for everything. The only magazine I kept was the issue of the New Yorker that coincides with my 2012 Eustace Tilley win. The hard copy of The Hill Rag gets changed over every month and is used as wall art in our tv room. The most recent edition of a magazine cover that will remain unnamed is used for an even more practical purpose. Rather than wear eye shades, it is used as a head cover of sorts during afternoon nap time. It's just the right weight and keeps out the light. When it gets worn it is replaced by the next copy. Who would have ever imagined? 

Vacation Photos

I love photos. I take them all the time with my Iphone and use them to help describe a blog entry.  Sometimes it is a challenge to organize them all, especially after coming home from a ten day vacation - this time in England with friends there and with friends from here joining us there. What that means is about 4-5 people's versions of images they saw while they were there. What I like most is that some are more interested in the things, while others are more in tune with scenes, and others with people. Some of the best photos of my husband and me together are taken on these trips, and I really value them all. The unposed ones are the best! What I don't value is getting them transferred from a thumb drive to my almost eight year old lap top, and trying to figure out how I can transfer my iPhone photos to someone in bulk without emailing five at a time. Because the wifi connection was so inconsistent while we were traveling, the photos did not all sync with my iPad, which makes it even more confusing. Luckily it all works out in the end, and it sure beats having to take the rolls of film to get processed and waiting for them to get developed. 

To Hell With the Trees

The electric wires hanging in Alexandria are past ridiculous. And the theme continues when you head out in the opposite direction toward Great Falls and beyond. Whenever there is inclement weather, which seems to be more routine than not lately, the number of people who lose power is remarkable. It doesn't seem to matter what the season is - the ice and snow do as much damage as the wind and rain.  One of the main reasons are all the trees that are sculpted around the above hanging wires. Many of the wires have years of vines growing across them. But people around here love their trees. So much so that they refuse to have them cut until they are blown over, taking the power lines with them, directly into the roof of a house. We learned our lesson well while living in Milwaukee. All it took was one incident and anything that even looked vaguely like it might hit the house was removed. Luckily we have underground lines in DC. So I'm not going to worry about it. But someone else should. 

Junior Fellows Projects at the Library

It's always nice to break up the work day with an event or presentation at the Library. I never had this kind of experience working in health care. The Thomas Jefferson papers, the newly illustrated Shanameh, and Jill Biden's children's book are the most recent sessions I attended. It's even better when they are held in the beautiful Jefferson Building, which is by far one of the most distinguished structures in the city. Every summer, the Library hosts about 40 junior fellows from all over the country who spend ten weeks working on projects of common interest. It also provides a great connection for future opportunities. My interest in seeing the projects is to talk with a few of the students and learn about their interests and career goals, see the glitter in their eyes, and remember how I felt at that age. Deacidification projects, cataloging music and newspaper photography, copyright materials, Gettysburg hand drawn maps, the Lincoln life mask, and many more items and research were on display and talked about with great enthusiasm. If you don't have kids in your household, and if you ever have any doubt about the young people in America, this kind of event completely restores your faith in the future.