The Adventures Of IndeMoJo: Falling Into Winter
Fall has wound down like a clock with a rusted spring, and winter has blasted us like Killer Frost with a bone to pick—with sub-zero temperatures and even a few snow days. Both November and December have past, and we’re half way through January. And I’m just waiting on spring!
What kept me busy all sumer long has also wound down. With winter upon us, that energy turns inward—and I don’t mean in an existential way either. Okay. Maybe a little.
The outdoor projects needed to come to a close and I had to find ways to not go stir crazy being cooped up in the house all winter. There have been a myriad of indoor projects, from ordering large canvas prints of my art photos to adorn my walls, to making kitchen curtains to soften that window looking out onto part of my garden. I’ve also been scanning slides of my family from back in the 1950s—before I even came into the picture. Pun intended.
I even did something I haven’t done in years: sent out Christmas cards! I also included a “newsletter” I created to update those who might not know all that happened this year—complete with color photos.
Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent alone with the cats. Nothing fancy. Maybe a little Christmas music here and there. But Christmas, New Year, and even my birthday will now always be tied to my Mom’s passing. Still can’t believe it’s been one year (January 3, 2022). It really put a damper on my spirits. But I got through it. And (my) life goes on.
While I was at it … I also remortgaged my house. I had only been in it six months. Paid off half, and wanted to decrease my monthly payment. So I remortgaged the house for another 30 years. Why not! The $300.00+ a month I will save will really help out, and decrease my stress. I also just figured out if I DID want to decrease the length of my loan by adding only an extra $100 a month, I could pay the loan off in 15 years. It’s a thought rattling ’round this old brain of mine.
What’s funny is I’m already planning early spring projects and plantings. Just had a NYC friend of mine call me a “pioneer” today. She said: “…it sure takes guts to move from New Jersey to the Midwest! And all the stuff you’ve done to that cute little house! Amazing!” I’m not sure about the pioneer part … but it sure did take guts to make this move, and do love to “create”. Whether it’s creating flower beds & gardens, or the future fencing project I have kicking around in my brain. I’m already planning to buy the tools, lumber and cattle fencing I need to do yet another DIY project come the first warm days of spring. Yup … it’s all quite amazing! Not only amazing—but fulfilling. I take comfort in the knowledge that this is now MY home. Thanks, Mom!
So here are the dribs and drabs of my Facebook posts to try to get caught up to the present. Enjoy!
Making it more MY home …
Took this IKEA unit turned it horizontal, added wire legs, secured it to the wall & started giving objects more permanent places. All made kitty-proof with earthquake putty. Also hung my Trevor Toney “Citrobot” between two of my ancient (circa 1980-ish) collages. 👍
There’s a major art explosion happening in my home… and I ❤️❤️❤️ it!
#theresnoplacelikehome #theresnoplacelikehomedecor #myhome #myhomevibe #artwork #art #homeowner
This past week we got so much rain the clay soil is saturated & it’s supposed to rain & or snow pretty much all week, and temps into the 20s & 30s.
So I just put a fork in it. I want the job done right, with no curing additives, plus the fear of not curing fast enough before low temps & rain coming in the next week.
Oh well … waiting until next spring. Maybe concrete prices may come down too. Or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So I opted to find somewhere online that could print large sizes to canvas. I had never tried this before but I thought if I wanted “art” it should be on canvas. Yes? No?
Anywho … all three of these photos I took many many moons ago in Vancouver BC. I always loved the art store “color swatch houses” I stumbled upon. I took the original image, saturated the colors a bit & “cartoonized” it in Photoshop. It actually gave it a more painterly feel—which I really liked.
The triptic was the same window from a building on the property of the Edgefield Hotel in Troutdale OR, which is on the outskirts of Portland. My then partner Chris and I had been there a few time.
I love the juxtaposition of the images with & without leaves. I also wanted canvases that were “doublewide”, so I mirrored the images in Photoshop & created the new longer images—which I also really love.
I double canvas printed the leafy image because I thought it would look better as a “sandwiched” triptic. I do LOVE the results.
I knew exactly where I wanted each photo to hang, so I made the canvas sizes fit those places.
I am SOOOOOOOOO pleased with the all the results—especially hanging where I had envisioned them.
The only drawback was I didn’t know the online company was in INDIA! Yikes! Even though, the process was pretty quick, the canvases were “reasonably” priced, & delivery by Fedex was not too bad either making the journey from India.
Now I have new art for my home & there may be more in store. We’ll see …
#photography #photos #photoshop #photoshopped #photooftheday #art #wallart #joPhoto
With the trimmings of all my IKEA curtains I decided to finally make curtains for the kitchen sink window.
Can’t make the outdoors beautiful… then I’ll turn that energy inside.
Jack of all trades …. sewer of some. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#itscurtainsforyou #curtains #kitchen #joProjects #IKEA #ikeakitchen
One of the last things on my list for winter was furnace whole house humidifier.
That job is now done! My skin and lungs will thank me. Plus no more shocks or sparks petting the kitties.
#humidifier #kittysparks #airmoisture #humidity #humiditycontrol
I broke out my ancient 6.1 MP Nikon D70 to see the AF S 18-200 mm 3.5-5.6 G II zoom lens & figure out if it was worth buying the Z to F mount adapter for the New Z 6 II.
I’m looking at 2 prime S-style Nikon lenses: The 50 mm f1.8 S-style, and the 20 mm f1.8 S-style.
I had to wait a few hours to charge one of the D70 batteries & just pop my head out my front door to snap a few quick phots.
It’s been a VERY VERY long time since I used this DSLR for anything. My iPhones over the years have been quite enough.
But there’s something about owning a dedicated “newer” mirrorless Nikon camera, that appeals to my “old photographer” sensibilities. Makes me want to go out and explore my city & the metro area.
But … I also have to make sure I don’t forsake things I or my house needs.
I tell myself it’s my Christmas & 66th birthday present rolled into one. And I get to do something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time—buy a new camera.
Guess we’ll see!
#joPhotos #photographer #Nikon #Nikkor #mirrorless #camera #digitalcamera
I just bubble wrapped and duct taped the basement windows from the inside. Even if it helps keep the basement a tiny bit warmer, that’s a good thing. Don’t want no pipes freezing even though they are wrapped with insulation.
Can’t be too careful.
❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️
Hot Damn! It’s COLD! It’s a frigid -5º & feels like -28º. WTF!!!!!
We got maybe 2 inches of snow. Now it’s just windy & way too cold!
The kitties are hanging near the heat vents … I wonder why. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️🥶❄️
#damnitscold #butitswarminside #bombcyclone #bombcyclone2022
Funny thing is, all these images are from my time living in Seattle, and trips taken from that point to Vancouver BC, La Jolla, CA, and the Glass Museum in Tacoma, WA.
The neon parking sign photos were in Vancouver, BC. The Hot Coals photo was taken in La Jolla. The Glass Volcano is from the Glass Museum in Tacoma, WA.
As old as these images are, I still love them! They make me smile!
#photography #photos #photographs #LaJolla #VancouverBC #TacomaWA
My mama always told me when I was a young boy, if I didn’t stay in school I would become a ditch digger.
Um … I have 2 college degrees & lots-o-education. But Mama …. I’m digging ditches. How can that be?
😂😆😂😆😂😆😂😆
With the new gutters in & new cement driveway happening Nov 10-11 I had to dig trenches to bury the gutter drain pipes so they wouldn’t just dump out on the new driveway.
It’s hard work, but my new 2.5 lb pick axe is helping a lot. 👍
Have to finish this tomorrow because rain is coming the next few day.
#homeprojects #drainage #drainagepipe #gutters #downspout #rain #rainwater