The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. My new (on sale) jacket arrived. It has 20 pockets as I hate carrying a purse.

2. We have thoroughly enjoyed David Tennant and Michael Sheen in Good Omens available on Amazon. Tennant and Sheen play off of each other so well. The show is based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett.

3. Shopping and Five Guys lunch with The Young One. Not Keto, but Oh, so good!

4. Enjoying Andy T. Fish's online Pitch class. Learning productive techniques for the business side of art.

5. A colleague is moving on. I'm very happy for her, but I'll miss her.

 How was your week?

2019 Graceful Envelope Contest

The Graceful Envelope Contest winners have been announced. This year's theme: Put Your Stamp On It. The contest celebrated the 25th anniversary of the contest and 125 years of commemorative stamps.

Color me disappointed as I did not win, place, or show. My entry celebrates my maternal grandfather, and how he put his stamp on his new country. The concept is a timeline starting with his leaving his home country, Italy, signified by the grapes stamp and coming to his new country. Colored threads of the Italian flag (green, white, red) transition to the colors of the American flag.

The timeline begins in 1917 with Grandpa signing his World War I draft card. He couldn't read or write so used an X to make his mark which was then witnessed by the official. He proudly served his new country, (I honestly thought the use of the WWI stamp would have gotten me an honorable mention as it was a perfect tie in. The only aspect of the contest I don't like, is you are not notified if your entry has been received. Makes me wonder why the contest rules ask entrants to put their email address on the back of the envelope. Oh well, spilled milk). After the war when he came back home to America, he put his stamp on his family. As pictured, my mother, brother, and myself are his legacy.

The Graceful Envelope letters are meant to be the flag of Italy (green, white, red) alternating and blending with the colors of the American flag.

I am very pleased with the simplicity of my design. I did not know Grandpa as he passed away 12 years before I was born. From the few stories I've heard about him, he was not a complicated man. While in the service, a fellow soldier (an Irishman) taught Grandpa how to write his name so he could sign the payroll ledger. I don't know if he ever learned to read or write English. Though he had a fourth grade education, he was not stupid. He worked hard as a laborer and bricklayer to provide for his family.

You can see the fabulous Graceful Envelope Contest winning entries here.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion of WWII. So while we pause today to remember those that fought for our freedom, let's not forget those that came before, like my grandfather, who paved the way for the freedom of the Greatest Generation.

Wordy Wednesday

T Stands for Travels with Hiroshige

Travels with Hiroshige was an exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum of  The Famous Views of the 60-Odd Provinces, a series of landscape prints by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858). 

This print is my entry to the T Day Party

"In his portrayal of Mount Asama, Hiroshige depicts travelers pausing to enjoy teahouse refreshments and the spectacular view of Ise Bay..."

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Paper Storage

Space in a dollhouse is at a premium. Years ago when I first started out in an area under the basement stairs, I had no space for large ( 24 in x 36 in) sheets of paper. Himself was swamped with teaching days and nights and couldn't help me with a project I had in mind. His brother was between jobs and agreed to help me out.

I wanted a box that would hang on the wall and open up like a secretary desk. He said it could easily be done and he had most of the materials that he needed and could get the rest. So he made a wall secretary. He added two wood straps (one of them is an old yardstick) to hold the paper in place. I hadn't thought of that.

The unit folds up and is closed with hooks and eyes on either side.  He had thought about adding a hook and eye at the top, but correctly figured I might not be able to reach it even though I am tall for a Hobbit. The unit folds up and out of the way, and the depth of the box is approximately 3 inches deep. He even added a sheet of cork so the front can be used as a bulletin board. 

Bringing the paper storage up to the new studio/office was another project that never seemed to get done. I asked the handyman who cut the shelves for the bookcase and is painting the house if he could hang the storage unit for me. He did, and I'm happy dancing.

Second on the Second

From 2. June 2008: What Color Is Your Mind?

Your Mind is Blue

Of all the mind types, yours is the most mellow.

You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles.

Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.

What Color Is Your Mind?

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:
Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Hidalgo (2004), Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif

If you haven't seen this movie, it's available for rent at Amazon and YouTube.