Spring and Summer of 2011

I can't believe it's been so long since my last update! Time flies with occupation. It was a busy Spring and is shaping up to be the same for Summer.

We had our fullest classes ever at YEStudio this Spring. It was very fulfilling. Then came the first Summer Camp. Finally, we got a chance to take a very short trip to Charleston, SC. It was wonderful as usual. We all three love that city.

We stayed in a nice hotel on Savannah Hwy, a Sleep Inn. It had an outside pool. Very clean and fun. It was 12' deep on one end. That's a rarity these days.

We discovered that Savannah Hwy is a very convenient location with easy access to our favorite places. We crossed over the new Cooper River Bridge. They old one is now gone. It was a terrifyingly steep and rickety-looking thing. We crossed it anyway, but were apprehensive while doing so. Not so with this beauty! What a lovely piece of architecture! Wow. I am posting a couple photos of it now:

Approaching the Cooper River Bridge

You can see the strength of this bridge. No worries!

The bridge took us over to the Isle of Palms. We got there just in time for free parking (6:pm). Yay! We went out and walked on the beach for a while. We were tired from the trip, so then went to eat at Shem Creek Grill. We had She-Crab Soup, Shrimp, and one Corona Lite with Lime. Kassidi had a steak and potato sundae. Weird, but delicious! The bridge was even more lovely coming back after dark!

Back to the hotel for some relaxation. Next morning dawned bright and sunny. Very HOT! We went downtown Charleston after having breakfast in the hotel. (free). We went to the Charleston Waterfront Park. Large beautiful fountains. One was interactive.

The interactive fountain.

 

 Lots of sailboats, flowers, an art museum and much more. We toured the museum and I did a photo shoot of Kassidi for her school pictures.

Kassidi at Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC

Kassidi at Charleston Harbor.

 

 

Framed by an Angel.

 When touring the Museum, we saw two installations. Since FAB is doing an installation, based on Cindy's Illuminated Lilies, we were very interested in those. They were nothing like ours will be but were fun to see all the same.

Beautiful Foil installation! 

 

The other installation is colored, stiffened fabric. Hmm. Interesting.

Pineapple Fountain on Waterfront Park.

From there, we hopped on the trolley and went to Market St. A large part of the market has been air conditioned, but we didn't make it that far. So much to see! I finally purchased my first sweetgrass basket! I have always wanted one. My little basket is so cute. Very small, but lovely.

Cindy and Kassidi on the trolley!

For lunch, we found a very fun and interesting place called Gilligan's. Wonderful food! We had fresh shrimp (peel and eat). Yum! Tiny hushpuppies that were the best I ever had. Fried pickles, Kassidi's choice. Sweet tea too. The hushpuppies were free, served like some places do rolls. Cindy had Low Country Gumbo, her favorite. We all shared. It was lots of fun. Turned out, the manager was from Knoxville. We met several people from TN while we were there. A little touch of home.

Interesting decor at Gilligan's

We walked for miles around the Market St, East Bay St and surrounding areas. Went back to the hotel, changed clothes and drove to Folly Beach. We spent time on the beach there. Cindy and Kassidi jumped waves for a while. Back at the room, we had a pizza for supper. What a day!


Next morning, our last in Charleston, we took the time for Kassidi to enjoy the hotel pool. We went in search of the Angel Oak. I got some great pictures of the wonderful old tree. The other Live Oaks were fantastic too.

There's Kassidi. It's her first visit to the tree. She was amazed!

 

 

Kassidi and Grammy with the old Angel Oak.

Three Angels! Cindy, Kassidi and the Oak.

Then we crossed back over the Cooper River Bridge, this time to enjoy Mt. Pleasant. Of course, we ended up at Isle of Palms Beach again. We shopped in some special shops there, talked with Bubba, the 16 year old parrot. We had visited with him before, years ago.

Soon it was time to head back to Maryville. We drove through the mountains of NC and E.TN in the dark. I wouldn't recammend it! There were long lines of trucks traversing the steep, winding curves. Egad!

We have another Summer Camp next week. We plan a trip to IL for a few days. When we get back, we have a trip to NC with the girl scouts to a camp in those mountains. Then Kassidi is attending an Apple Camp in Knoxville.

Fall Session begins on August 9th. Whew! Oh well, that's what we want, a busy and very full life. It is wonderful to be able to fill our lives with art and wonderful people! Hope your summer is wonderful too.

See you next update! Bye! ;-)

These busy times... October is a whirlwind of activity!

Time passes so quickly these days. It's hard to believe that October is more than half over already! I guess that is because of all the Fall activities. Festivals, Halloween, classes in graphic design, art classes for Fall session. Just to name a few!

We had the Foothills Fall Festival from October 8th-10th. Cindy and I prepared for that for a couple of months. I made special items using sea glass, beach glass and shells. It was an entirely new craft for me. I found sea glass to use, which was not an easy task in itself. No, I didn't get to find it at the beach, taking leisurely walks. (sigh). I had to do research online and search for it in many stores here in Maryville and Knoxville. I used round wood frames, aqua, green and white sea glass, some really good glue, pearl beads, shells and glitter to make these pretty treasures. I made one of them into a mirror. I also made some tiny votive candle holders, using the sea glass and pearls. It was fun, but very labor and time intensive.

I also made some frames using shells and crushed shells. This was a challenge but that is what makes them so special. All that remain of these are upstairs at ArtSpace Gallery of Wearable Art and Antiques. I think they will make wonderful and unusual Christmas gifts. All my frames and votives are 'one of a kind' works of art.

I did a shabby chic candle set. It is a candle holder, a candle ring of aqua beads, with a lovely candle. I included two lamp shades in the mix as well. One is white with blue and aqua sea glass, and the other is gold silk with shells.

  

The Long, Hot Summer of 2010

I know, right? Every year, during each Summer and Winter, we always wish for either cooler or warmer weather. We never wish for the 'eggs will fry on the sidewalk' heat or the 'tears will freeze on your face' cold extremes that we are having lately!

Please, we need some mild weather!  There was a news clip that showed a cookie sheet in the back window of someone's car with BAKED cookies from just the heat outside! Some of the cookies were actually burned! That is a little ridiculous, I think. We are only frail humans here, after all.

But, this too will pass and we will have Fall, which is nearly everyone's favorite season. We look forward to the changing of the colors in the Smoky Mountains. Of course, so do millions of others. Literally! Millions of visitors arrive in October to enjoy the vivid, multi-colored peaks and the cooler breezes of the Smokies. Hikers, campers, canoeists, kayakers, and just tourists in general will crowd the roads and parks in the Great Smoky Mtn. National Park.

Kassidi has found a fun way to pass some time creatively, under the A/C. Taking her pattern from a disassembled Earl Gray tea box, she started making small boxes with card stock and decorating them with a theme. She made smaller ones and then changed her pattern to make different styled boxes! Above are a few examples of her box project. 

Some schools here in East TN. are already in session. It's so good that schools have air conditioning now! I really don't know how we were able to survive when we were kids. For one thing, we didn't start back until after Labor Day. That gave the summer heat time to cool a bit. Still, there are memories of being pretty miserable for a few weeks.

When I was a kid in Illinois, I rode my bike to school each day. It didn't matter how cold it was either. My Dad insisted that it would make me stronger. I had a weak immune system and bad tonsils. He was so right! I didn't even have a cold for many years. The strength that ride to school gave me lasted well into my adult years! The ride was 13 blocks long. I went to St. Stephen's Catholic school,  in Flora, IL. When I arrived, I would go to Aunt Zelma and Uncle Glenn's house, across the street from school and put my bike in their garage. Sometimes I was almost frozen! It was very good for me in the long run, but very hard at the time.

These hot summer days, Cindy, Kassidi and I are just trying to stay cool. We get out a lot, but have quit taking our walks in the parks for the time being. We plan to take our walks inside the mall for a while.... just until the weather cools a bit.

Cindy is working on a fabulous new art piece. It involves canvas, acrylics, and dura-lar. Should be fantastic! She finished her Shasta Daisy piece and it is pictured here. She is being juried with this piece and several others for an exhibit in the Knoxville Convention Center. More on the results of that later...

 Cindy is busy with the "Let's Make a Book" class this week. Students at ArtSpace are writing and illustrating their own books. Kassidi's book is work of fiction about a 5th grade class accidentally going into space! Her illustrations are very good!

Cindy just returned from a visit to IL. where she painted a "Night Sky" mural on the attic ceiling at the Booth house on North Main. There are no pictures as yet, but Alex is planning to take some and send them to me. I am excited to see them!

Cindy and I just finished our adult class in Mosaics. It was so much fun! I did a tropical fish mosaic and Cindy did a bird and started a seahorse. She was teaching the class, so didn't have time to finish her seahorse. Kassidi was there and she did a version of mosaics that included glue and acrylic paint as her grouting method. We plan to do another one of those classes soon.

Fall Session of YEStudio classes is about to begin! We are having four classtimes this Fall. Calls are coming in now and people are signing up online and by email. These classes begin on August 10th and 11th.

Our newest endeavor is an art class for homeschoolers! It is scheduled in the afternoon during regular school hours. The time is 2:30-3:30 on Wednesdays. This class will meet the requirements for credits that home-schoolers need. We are attending a sign up meeting this evening for home-schoolers, where they pick and choose their classes for this year. We hope to fill our one class and will be happy to open another class for them, if necessary.

Just 'talking' about it makes me feel like I should get busy! Check back for updates. I have been having computer troubles, but hopefully that is fixed now.

See you soon!  ;-)

A Memorable 4th of July, still celebrating...

This year marked the second 4th of July without our sweet Mom and Grandma, Lois L. Purdy. Did we celebrate? Of course, we did! Cindy, Kassidi, Sheila, and I celebrated the occasion here in Maryville. We had burgers and shrimp on the grill. They were awesome! If you want the recipe for the sour cream burgers, email me. We had shrimp, sweet iced tea, and... are you ready? Home made ice cream!! Yummy!. In the Midwest, other factions were also celebrating. Marc, Jessica, Alex, Tina, Olivia, Pat, and the babies gathered in Flora. I imagine that they too held memories of their dear Grandma Lois in their hearts.

When I was a little girl, I thought the 4th of July was celebrated because of my Mom's birthday. All the family would gather at Mom and Dad's house for burgers on the grill, corn on the cob, Mom's special slaw, potato salad, deviled eggs, sweet iced tea, Texas Cookie Sheet Cake and yes... Mom's home-made ice cream!! Oh My Goodness! How good can anything be? For years, we used an old hand-crank ice cream freezer and it was glorious! The kids got to sit on the freezer when it got hard to turn. They all loved that. Then years later the kids got to help ladle in the ice and rock salt. Then came the electric freezer. It was very different, but made things go a little faster. We were all for that!

We were the luckiest family ever! We always had a place to gather and there was always room at Mom's table. That backyard in Cisne always had lots of chairs and visitors were served iced tea with love and hospitality. So, is it any wonder that we, although in smaller groups and maybe in different locations across the Midwest and the South, still gather and celebrate the 4th of July? Sure, it means more to us than to most people. This is not to say that we don't celebrate the U.S. of A freedom festivities with the rest of the country. We so do!! Many of the men in the Purdy and Simpson families served in the US Armed Forces and helped to make this country the wonderful place it is today. However, it also means that we still remember and hold dear, those days of love, hospitality, and family strength  brought about when we gathered to celebrate the birthday of our beloved Mother, Grandmother and Mother In Law, We love and miss you Mom! We'll continue to party every year on the 4th of July!

I plan to add more pictures of the Cisne house. I need to scan some in. Check back soon!

Cindy has completed another beauiful piece of art!

These days, Cindy is always looking forward to the evening hours, when she can paint. That makes me happy. Kassidi and I love it when she is working on something beautiful. Since she started working in acrylics, there are endless subjects and not nearly enough time.

When Cindy works, Kassidi gets inspired and goes on painting jags too. So much fun!

This latest canvas piece is called 'Moonlight and Fireflies'. It is dramatic, romantic and mysterious.

Cindy, Kassidi and I are keeping VERY busy these days. We just hung our YEStudio Kids Art Show in the upstairs gallery at ArtSpace. We are now preparing for the first annual Chalk the Walk event. In June we have two summer camps and there are two weeks in July for "Let's Make a Book"  Whew!

Ah, Summer..... Our summers used to be so slow and easy. Now the time is all used up with events and goings-on. I remember going to Cisne to Mom and Dad's and sitting in the back yard drinking sweet iced tea. Very nice. They always had the time to visit with us. We would be sitting out there and some more of us would show up. What a wonderful memory! The house in Cisne was our mainstay. Even the exes found it a welcoming place to stop by for a glass of tea. Mom and Dad loved all of us and all the ones we brought into the family.

The finest thing our kids can wish for is a house with a welcoming back yard and loving parents/grandparents to make them feel at home. We all know what that place in Cisne with Mom and Dad meant to us. We'll always treasure those memories. We love you Mom and Dad!

Wonderful trip and visit to IL.

We have just returned from our Easter visit to family in IL. The trip there was quick and uneventful. That's good for travel. No problems. We arrived on Friday evening. Went to Alex,Tina and Olivia's place first. We visited for a while, then Alex got some pizza from DiMaggio's. Yum! We do love that beer crust and wonderful cheese! We just relaxed and talked until time for bed. It was so good to see them!

Marc, Jessica and the kids were delayed on their way to Flora, Saturday morning, by a car accident. A lady pulled out in front of Marc's car and it wasn't possible for him to stop in time. Thankfully, Marc and Jess only sustained minor injuries and the kids were not hurt. Still, it was very alarming and they were shook up, sore and dazed for a while. We are so thankful that they decided to come on to Flora, for the Easter weekend. They said they could be sore there as well as at home. Good attitude! Gabe just talked and talked about it.

Earlier, on Saturday, we went to the Ridge Rider's Club to join the Lewis's for a family reunion. It was so much fun. We got to visit with Reada's and Don's family and meet all the new babies. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Alex. The singing was awful! ;-) Alex loved it!

After eating lots of wonderful food, we had an Easter Egg Hunt. Eggs were hidden and people paired up to hunt. One would be blindfolded and the other would guide them to the eggs. It was funny!

Cindy won some DQ coupons in the egg hunt, so we used those on Monday morning as we left town. We do love that DQ! I had my usual chocolate shake,(best ever) and Cindy had a strawberry ice cream soda, Old Fashioned kind, thanks very much. Kassidi had a chocolate cone with rainbow sprinkles, also her usual. Wish I had some DQ right now! Out DQ here in TN closed down. We don't know why.

Saturday evening, to celebrate Alex's (40th) birthday, we went to Pat's to have steaks and baked potatoes, a wonderful salad and the trimmings. This was topped off with TX cookie sheet cake, Alex's favorite. All the Booths were present. Very nice time.

Easter Sunday, after church, we met again at Pat's for Easter dinner. Tina cooked up some great sides and desserts, while Alex and Pat grilled huge BBQ pork chops. The kids played hard and shot hoops. Kassidi and Olivia played with the little cousins, Gabe and Ayla, all day long. They all had a great time. Sunday evening, back at Alex's, we visited until we could no longer hold our eyes open.

Then it was Monday and time for us to head back to TN. After swinging by the DQ in Flora, we stopped on our way through Fairfield to get some Prairie Farms cottage cheese. We love that stuff and can't get it here in TN. We bought three cartons and it is almost gone already! :-(

It was a great visit. We made some very good memories that weekend. We are hoping that some of the family will visit us here in TN soon. Pictures above are from that memorable visit in IL. Enjoy!