Travel Tales

I've ventured into the world of t-shirt design

2011-12-11T12:48:00.000-06:00

Spreadshirt Market Place Design

Airplane_If you have time to spare

Apostle Islands Trip

2011-11-19T20:32:00.008-06:00

We spent a few days camping on Madeline Island in Lake Superior at the end of September. Chilly for a night or two, then warmed up a bit. We had Big Bay State Park almost to ourselves. Madeline Island is the largest of the 22 Apostle Islands and the only one that it not part of the National Lakeshore thus people live on it.

A beautiful tree-lined island with upcropings every now and then of pasture. Discovered the recently opened Madeline Island School of the Arts which might be a good place to study writing in the future. Hiked every day. Enjoyed talking to the locals about their experiences living on an island which is expensive to get on and off (ferry boat only) except during a small window of opportunity when an ice road is created to allow residents and visitors to drive the 2.5 miles to the mainland in the winter.

A great 5 night get-away. Beautiful leaves also throughout Wisconsin on the way up to the lake.

Mexico

2011-07-14T13:11:00.007-05:00

Spent two weeks in Mexico in May. Visited the Presidential palace in Mexico City, the crafters in Oaxaca, parasailed in Acapulco and walked the winding streets of Taxco. Plus, of course, visited lots of ruins.

New York City

2011-01-06T13:38:00.005-06:00

Yes, I went to New York City over Christmas and got in on one of the heaviest snowfalls there in a while. Just kept plowing through the snow though because, as you know, the subway runs almost non-stop--as long as it's below ground.

Had the privilege to go to Marjorie Eliot's apartment on the upper west side to hear jazz/gospel on Dec. 26. Visited standard traditions like Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building and Staten Island also. Plus had great Turkish, Indian and Caribbean food.

Great to be back in the city again!!

Utah

2010-11-19T21:59:00.003-06:00

Yes, I have been negligent about writing again. George and I traveled to Utah last month to Canyonlands, Momument Valley and Arches National Parks. Camped for 5 nights. B&B'ed it for one. Hiked every day. Really enjoyed ourselves. This is a view from our tent in Momument Valley during sunrise. We hiked around the "mitten" --as this monument is called--the night before.

MIni tales

2010-05-26T22:30:00.002-05:00

I've been so involved with my new life in SE Iowa, that I've completely forgotten about blogging. I have been on some mini weekend vacations though. Discovered Oakland Mills County Park and Geode State Park. Oakland Mills is right on the Skunk River, has hiking trails and a cool new swinging bridge. Plus camping, fishing from the dam or shore and a remodeled nature center.

Went kayaking last weekend at a small fishing lake (Gladstone Lake) in Illinois. Have visited the Villages of Van Buren County, watched a barge and tug go through Lock No. 18 on the Mississippi, discovered new restaurants and generally had fun. Here's a photo taken in my backyard.

Jack Frost

2010-01-08T16:10:00.006-06:00

Just got back from a short walk. Very refreshing! 5 degrees with lots of snow drifts. Loved it. Of course, wore my Yak Traks which prevented me from slipping. This photo is from Jack Frost's visit last weekend.

Flight of Passage

2009-10-24T12:49:00.002-05:00

I finished reading "Flight of Passage" a memoir by Rinker Buck a couple of weeks ago. A great read if you're looking for humor and adventure. It's about two young men who fly across the United States during the summer of 1966 in a Piper Cub.

Love and hate

2009-09-13T21:38:00.006-05:00

I am having a love/hate relationship with my new life.

Some days go like this:
1. Sleep in until 6:30-7:00 (ha, ha, to all those people who work in the real world)
2. Check email to see what job possibilities have come to me overnight
3. Head to DMACC for classes
4. Class
5. Work out
6. Class
7. Head home for a short break
8. Back to night class
9. Follow up with homework the next day

Yes, I'm back in school as well as still job hunting. Love the classes!

Work at 181 Gallery online exhibit

2009-08-07T15:00:00.010-05:00

Check out this link: an online exhibit that includes one of my art pieces:
http://www.design.iastate.edu/30/alumnishow.php#id=alumni09&num=121

Also, check out the rest of the art there. 30 pieces were chosen for the 181 Gallery studio show which is open now in the College of Design at Iowa State University.

One of my facebook friends, Chris Martin was accepted into the "real" show. His piece is here:
http://www.design.iastate.edu/30/alumnishow.php#id=alumni09&num=114

If these links don't work properly, just go to the Index and scroll to find the artists' names.

Also note that Chris and Tammi Martin's Peace Corps link is listed on this page as one of the blogs that I'm following. They have just completed their first year in Ghana. http://chrismartinfurniture.blogspot.com/

Be sure and read their post about seeing President Obama in Africa. Very cool.

Work for sale

2009-07-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

Some of my artwork is for sale at Vintage Home and Garden in New Virginia, Iowa. Check it out.

I love this shop. It is open the 2nd Saturday of the month.

The Middle Place

2009-06-08T22:00:00.004-05:00

Just finished reading "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan. A good read. Very funny and insightful. See her website here: www.KellyCorrigan.com. I saw her at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines a few weeks ago. Read her book to the light of my headlamp in the tent while in Wyoming.

Magical Yellowstone and the Tetons

2009-06-02T21:50:00.006-05:00

We hiked to String Lake in the Tetons.

This was an early morning shot in Yellowstone. The hot springs and a formerly burned area of the park.

The wild, wild west.

2009-06-02T21:18:00.004-05:00

This bison was right outside of our tent at Norris campground in Yellowstone National Park. I'm shooting this video from inside our tent and that is the tent flap you see flapping in the wind back and forth.

National Parks special

2009-05-15T22:47:00.004-05:00

On May 1, George and I heard Dayton Duncan, speak on his upcoming public television series on the national park system. Dayton is originally from Indianola and is an award winning writer and documentary filmmaker. The lecture was held at Simpson College. A great pleasure to hear him. Got us interested in using our parks pass again this year before it expires so will be headed west in the near future.

South America

2009-04-04T15:54:00.011-05:00

Oh, how I love South America. PBS is having a South American blow-out today. All of their shows are featuring that continent. With my job lay-off, I don't know when I'll be able to go back. So, I'm putting a few of my favorite photos here.

Assemblage Show

2009-03-30T21:21:00.005-05:00

Some of my work is being shown at Instinct Gallery in downtown Des Moines. The opening reception is Saturday, April 18 from 7-11 p.m. Instinct Gallery is located at 1408 Locust St. Hope to see you there.

More blogging

2009-03-30T21:19:00.005-05:00

I was invited to be part of a blogging group for WHO-TV, Channel 13 related to unemployment/job searching in Iowa. It's at: http://whojobseekers.blogspot.com/. Be sure and check it out. At the bottom of each blog, it says who it was posted by. Mine will say, "Posted by Sheri"

The keys

2009-03-29T18:50:00.002-05:00

It's predictable that you will have mixed emotions about leaving your job. What was interesting to me though was what triggered these emotions. The first trigger I had was my keychain. It was immediately lighter in weight. I had to give back three hefty, old-fashioned keys to the building I worked in. The lightness of my keychain was a trigger--both good and bad. Not only did it signify a cleansing, a new beginning, a chance to start over with my life--it also brought great sadness to me. No more would I be able to roam the hallowed silent halls of my workplace as I worked in the early hours or into the evening when other workers had long gone home or would I be able to hear the laughter of students and colleagues filling the bustling building during work hours. Still, one month later, when I pick up my keys, I think of what had been such a part of my life. I know the sad memories will fade though and the positive will prevail. A fresh start is ahead of me. I don't have the weight of those keys to carry around any more.

Is it a bird or plane?

2009-03-29T18:47:00.002-05:00

I had a job interview last week. One of the questions asked of me was: "If you were to describe yourself as a bird, would it be a woodpecker or hummingbird, and WHY?

I loved the question. I have no idea which was the "right" answer, but I picked "woodpecker, as I said that woodpeckers are persistent. That they keep pecking at the tree until they get the job done. Was that a good answer or bad? I have another interview tomorrow. Can't wait to hear what I'm asked there!

On the west coast

2009-03-10T22:14:00.009-05:00

Right before I was laid off I made a trip to Los Angeles. Glad I did that before my income dropped. Here are a some photos. Had a great time visiting my son and his wife. Hiking, beachcombing, walking the Venice canals every day, watching surfers and talking to fisherman on the Venice pier. Plus an art show opening and receiving a bottle of sake as a gift.

This chicken was just strutting across someone's yard in Venice.

View from The Getty Museum

Venice Canals. I liked how the birds were all lined up.

New adventures

2009-03-10T22:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm having new adventures now. Having been laid off from my job for just over a week now, my adventures consist of searching the web for jobs, networking with real live people, searching the web for jobs, networking with real live people, searching the web for jobs, and oh, did I say, networking with real live people!! Quite a travel adventure.

Octagon Art Center show

2009-02-04T12:18:00.000-06:00

I went to the Octagon Center for the Arts last week for the opening reception of their annual show. One of my pieces is being exhibited. Here's a photo of its placement in one of their galleries. There were around 200-300 people at the reception. Quite an impressive turnout.

Free Rice

2009-01-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a recent slide show that I watched at the retirement home where I volunteer, I learned of this site:

www.FreeRice

Besides donating rice to developing countries, you will increase your knowledge, math and language skills. And have fun doing it!

Upcoming Show

2008-12-24T14:04:00.000-06:00

One of my art pieces was recently accepted into the 41st Annual National Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood National Exhibition to be held at The Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa. The show was juried by Gib Neal from Hastings, Nebraska. Mr. Neal served as the chairman of the Hastings College Art Department for 17 years, is a professional artwork conservator and an artist.
The show runs January 30-April 5, 2009.

MyFaceLOL

2008-12-19T22:58:00.001-06:00

Click here to create your own video

The band

2008-12-09T09:02:00.001-06:00

George got together with "the band" and jammed on Saturday night. They sounded really good. I forgot to take my camera so here's a pic from an earlier jam session in the machine shed.

Crossroads Conference Art Exhibit

2008-12-06T12:46:00.001-06:00

Attended the Crossroads Conference extravaganza on Thursday night. A young, hip event. Luckily my friend, Susan went with me so I didn't feel too out of place. My artwork was hanging in a good spot. Very visible at the top of the stairs right outside People's concert venue. Everyone made me feel at home. Even got a V.I.P. gift bag!!

San Antonio perspective

2008-11-16T22:18:00.000-06:00

Just got back from San Antonio. A wonderful time. Attended a workshop on creativity. I was really impressed with the Riverwalk. Nothing like I imagined it. I thought it would be similar to walking on a path next to a river. Instead it is somewhat like a small canal that runs basically beneath the city streets. Aged patina walls and tropical plants line the walk. I especially was enamored with the Alamo also. I enjoyed hearing about its history. Here are some of the sights of the city.

Has it been that long?

2008-11-02T19:34:00.000-06:00

Yikes, has it been that long since my last post?
Had a fabulous vacation in October. Traveling and hiking at the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National parks and around Lake Tahoe. Were lucky enough to see salmon swimming upstream, the barn in Kanab, Utah at the Parry Lodge where Silver and Scout used to hang out while filming westerns and the beautiful hoodos in Bryce Canyon.

Weekend by the Mighty Mississippi

2008-09-10T21:31:00.001-05:00

I spent last weekend in Dubuque attending a conference. Found a B&B to stay at in the historic Langworthy district. The conference was at the Grand Harbor Resort which is located right on the river. I happened upon an art gallery opening on Friday night which I enjoyed, then took a ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator. A lovely view from the top where you can see 3 states. Wisconsin, Iowa and Illionois. My group practiced tai chi on Sunday morning outside on the riverwalk. A fun but tiring weekend. Stopped at the Field of Dreams Movie site on the drive over on Friday and also in Grinnell which has some beautiful Louis Sullivan architecture.

Meals from the Heartland

2008-09-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed volunteering last week for Meals from the Heartland. I got placed in a group of 10. We traded off throughout our shift, changing jobs to give us all different experiences with the routine. Our group packaged 720 meals in our 2 hour shift. Pretty amazing. I enjoyed seeing all of the volunteers also. Women coming straight from work, standing on the hard cement floor in heels or men wearing white shirts and ties; high school football players wearing their team jerseys; and 8 and 1/2 month pregnant mothers-to-be. Quite a show of support.

Meals from the Heartland

2008-08-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

I've signed up to help package meals for the Meals from the Heartland program which will be at HyVee Hall in Des Moines the week of Sept. 1-9. If you'd like to join me, here is the website. Be sure and watch the video.

Art Show

2008-08-20T21:35:00.001-05:00

I got accepted into the Crossroads Art Showcase which will be held later this year in Des Moines. Watch for more details to come.

Sleep Deprevation

2008-08-20T21:11:00.001-05:00

Between the Olympics, bringing work home from the office and planning my next vacation-- sleep has been lacking at my house. And what about Shawn Johnson!! She is awesome and of course a native of my city.

I did the fair

2008-08-11T20:15:00.001-05:00

Just got back from an afternoon at the Iowa State Fair. Exhausting yet fun as usual. This year I discovered a few new things I never knew existed or perhaps they haven't been there before?
Also ran into 5 people that I knew. That has never happened--especially with a daily attendance of around 100,000 people.

Top 10 things I did:
1. saw the winner of the "biggest pigeon contest"
2. watched a woman make "art" from barbed wire
3. ate Indian fry bread
4. saw an old refurbished "beach" jeep that looked like a toy I used to play with as a kid
5. watched a "one-woman band" perform in Pioneer Hall
6. toured the usual animal barns
7. signed up for an estimate for getting new gutters put on my home
8. looked at the baby animals that had just been born
9. cast my vote for president at the WHO-TV booth by putting a kernel of corn into a pint jar
10. looked over the fantastic photos and artwork in the Cultural Building.

Took the bus from the State Capitol to the fairgrounds as I do most every year. The afternoon was topped off with a screaming baby on the bus. Was especially long as we had to wait for a train to pass also. Was a relief to get home!!

It's a Miracle?

2008-08-08T22:02:00.000-05:00

I should have had my camera with me today. Bought gas for ONLY $3.33/gallon. Would have liked to have a photo of that sign. Then I got home and found I had received my notice for this year's property taxes. My taxes had gone down by $200/year!! Of course, last year my accessed value of my home went down by $5,000 even though I had just spent $12,000 in renovations!

Question also: Why is it then that as I visited the grocery store this afternoon, two of my favorite store-brand products had each gone up in price by about 40 cents? That is a big jump in a couple of weeks. Perhaps they will go back down as the gas did??

ArtFest

2008-08-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

George and I participated as art vendors in our first Art Show. There were about 25 artists present. It was a hot day with a breeze that at times burst into gigantic gusts that blew my pieces off their stands. We met a number of interesting artists and visitors and I collected quite a few tidbits regarding art shows, should we decide to do another one.

After paying for rented tables, sacks, gas, etc. I think we might have broken even with the few sales that we had. The crowd definitely was not large. I don't believe it was very well advertised. It was the 1st Art Show this group had put on before. Overall, though I had a good experience, learned a lot and had some interest in my work. I was disappointed though that I had to miss my yearly family reunion. There's always next year!

Magical evening

2008-07-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

George and I spent last night at the Fourth Annual McKinley Park Festival in Creston where he played his sax with Big Al's Blues Busters. There was a good turnout, beautiful weather and best of all--no mosquitoes.

After the concert there were fireworks. Fun since we had missed July 4 while we were in Colorado. The usual oos and ahs from the crowd indicated that they were a crowd pleaser.

Then to top the evening off--upon arriving back to George's place, the sky was lit up with stars and the Milky Way. George, of course, sees this spectacular star show every M-F night when he gets home from work at midnight. Me, being from the city, I only see the show at his place if I stay up late enough!!

Africa calling

2008-07-18T18:24:00.000-05:00

George and I had a lovely first-time meeting and lunch with Tammi and Chris (Peace Corps volunteers) in May before they took off for Ghana in Africa and their first Peace Corp assignment. I've thought about joining the Peace Corps since my high school days and the idea has been haunting me more and more lately. I found Tammi and Chris by accident as I was looking through Iowa State University's web site so asked them to lunch. They were very kind to meet with George and me in between their busy packing schedule. What a delightful couple of hours we had with them.

I've been looking for a blog from them and the internet has prevailed. What an adventure they are having. Check out their blog here .

Garden delights and more

2008-07-16T22:08:00.002-05:00

I picked my first tomato and cucumber today when I arrived home from work.

I did a search for Mark Cesark after meeting him in Colorado. He is the husband of a friend of mine. I found this video web site. What a creator he is. I have a lot of respect for him and his work.

Tales from the ranch

2008-07-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

Back home to realty. What a shocker. After being around so many creative souls, I'm on a real downward spiral. Here is a photo of some of the work I did at the ranch.
The main reason though it is such a downer to be home though is because of this photo. This is the view out the back door of my friend, K's house. Who wouldn't want that view?

The sweet smell of encaustic

2008-07-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

Oh, my gosh--what a day. Learning new techniques and working on new projects. I've gotten 7 small boards done, all quite different. Met some great people also.

Tonight 3 lectures all fantastic. Amy Arbus is teaching a photography class. Check out her work here. Stephen Hogbin is teaching the class that George is taking on conceptual woodturning. And Nathan Lynch is a sculptor who gave an extremely funny presentation. I love his bird images. He also did very funny wheel project where he drug a wheel around different cities over a period of 4-5 years.

Painting at Anderson Ranch

2008-06-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

I survived my first day of encaustic painting. Am ready to hit the sack and start all over again tomorrow. Learned some great new techniques. I completed 4 small paintings that I'm happy with. They are all just experiments though.

Hives

2008-06-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

I came home from work yesterday, scratching all the way. As I peeled off my clothes, I discovered that I was infested with hives!! I could just watch them popping out. Bizarre! Applied cortozone cream and took Benadryl. I was out of it all day today also as that drug really wipes me out. The hives are gone though now.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center

2008-06-17T20:13:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to get ready to head off to Anderson Ranch Arts Center at the end of next week. I have lots of things to pack up. Last year George and I drove his little Miata and I ended up riding home with a box of my artwork squeezed beneath my feet. This year we're taking my car. I had to borrow supplies from fellow artists also last year. This year I'll be prepared. Besides taking a heat gun and electric pancake griddle, I'll take the usual supply of glue, paints, brushes and collage materials.

Check out this video of Anderson Ranch. Parts of this were shot last year while we were at the ranch. There are a few glimpses of George on it.

B & B weekend

2008-06-15T21:31:00.001-05:00

George and I drove to Burlington, Wisconsin the last weekend in May to spend time at the Hillcrest Inn and Carriage House bed and breakfast. This photo is from our first breakfast there. We took an interim bed & breakfast innkeepers workshop throughout the weekend. Mike & Gaye were wonderful hosts/instructors. We throughly enjoyed ourselves and learned lots of information. Stopped at Shake Rag Alley arts center in Mineral Point, WI on the way home. I had originally signed up for a class there that weekend but have postponed that.

Des Moines flooding

2008-06-15T21:28:00.001-05:00

George and I went to the ArtDive for a gallery opening last night then because we were so close to the river, drove around to check out the flooding. We hadn't heard that the levy had broken near Birdland Park so were quite surprised to see all the water there. Surprisingly though very few sightseers. I learned my lesson after the flood of '93 and got my basement waterproofed and 2 sump pumps installed. So far, so good. No water in my area.

NBA Biplane Expo

2008-06-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

George and I took 4-day weekend last weekend and drove to the NBA Biplane Expo in Bartlesville, OK . We had planned to fly in his classic Cessna but with all the bad weather we've been having in the midwest, that was not an option.

There were very few planes at the Expo but we kept busy on the drive to and from by stopping by the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, Kansas, the Little House on the Prairie homestead site near Indepenence, Kansas and Woolaroc Ranch, Museum and Wildlife Preserve outside Bartlesville. This is the country estate of the former Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum Company. I especially enjoyed Laura Ingles homestead and the Safari Museum.

Sex and the City

2008-06-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Just saw Sex and the City with my good friend, Susan. Makes me really miss my old group of 4 friends.

Something that had never happened to me before happened tonight. As I was giving the theater cashier my money, she said, "We have a senior discount for people 55 and older." I was so caught off guard that I said, "Oh thanks, I'll remember that in a few years." I kept thinking about this throughout the movie though as I watched all the glamour and glitz. I know I don't look anything like those girls!!! but I just had my hair done this week and didn't think I looked that bad!!! The other part of me though wanted to revel in the fact that I was close to reaching the age where I could get a discount!!