European Family Radiometer

Immortality is really desirable, I guess. In terms of images, anyway.
Damien Hirst

Those of you who know me know that I was born, raised, and escaped Buffalo when I went away to college in the last millennium.  When I left, jobs were drying up from the grain elevators and steel mills consolidating and eventually closing.  Most of my high school friends got summer jobs in the steel mills, arranged by their relatives who had been there for years.  Several of my friends had their weddings in the management clubs for the executives, so they were a central part of the city for years.  By the time I got out of college it was all gone.  My parents remained staunch supporters of Buffalo until their deaths and my clean-out of their house included all sorts of Buffalo-related stuff:  jackets with buffalo all over them, jewelry with buffalo charms, Buffalo Magazines saved from the beginning and tickets stubs from all the Bills games they went to-  my dad never missed one, my mom though, in her 70's, decided half games were enough in the biting cold and snow drifts.  The huge stadium in my home town was built after I left, though on occasion I also got to see some games.

The point of my walking backwards down memory lane is that I just read an article in the newest Economist on how Buffalo and Rochester went into their declines and are now posed for a major economic upturn.  One can hope, but frankly things are so bad there that it will take years to rebuild.  I'm watching this with anticipation though, hoping that after 40 years of waiting that the area can indeed come back.  30% unemployment is not easy to fix, we'll see.

Yesterday in the studio I wrestled the twins quilt to the floor yet again-  seems every time I do this they are winning.  I fixed their hair somewhat by simply fraying the edges to loosen it up, and then I found a dresser scarf right on top of my box of embroidered laces-  hiding in plain sight- and perfect-  I mean PERFECT for the ruffle around the bottom of their dresses.  I mean the length was perfect, the color was perfect, the design was perfect and there it was all the time lying there trying to get my attention!  So that was fortuitous and I hope today to start doing their dresses.  

(Synchronicity:  when important things appear at the exact moment you need them to!)

I'm still on the fence about adding paint, but if I can't get the fabric to do what I want it to, paint it will be-  it's just that it leaves so may openings for major irreversible error with little payback even if it works.  We'll see how things go and hope that stitches are enough.  Would love to send off the two big twins quilts as a set somewhere.  Some day.  Anyway I bet the old industrial park will be pretty empty today so I'll hit it early and hope that I can make some headway.

Since I've been making fun of Pugsy the last few days I though maybe I should give 'em a plug-sey!  They have other quite funny shirts besides Pugs, like these:

The only problem that I can see is they might reinforce the uni-boob look in some cases.

 Also they have many scary animals, like snarling bears and rabid raccoons and those ever-frightening hamsters.  See the wolf to get an idea.  There is also a mastiff and a few things that are hard to identify at first glance.

For your Fourth of July celebration the eagle is appropriate enough, but it's kind of late to order for this year.  It's OK to stockpile for the future though, and meanwhile order the bunny to the left just because.  Anyway. get them HERE, they're about $14

And my parting picture is of my favorite monument on earth, Stonehenge, on solstice in the rain.  Doesn't this look ridiculous and miserable?  This is the place to visit all by yourself!

Just ask the crows.

 

(me at Stonehenge, almost all by myself)