September Scenes

Posted on September 26, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Okay can this year go any faster? Last year at this time we were moving my mother-in-law from her home in Oregon to an assisted living facility also in Oregon. It was the start of the big relocation project but we didn’t know that then.

This year the September Scenes have been quite different.

I did a pop-up show at our local mall. Did not do well at all but there were some mitigating factors – it was Labor Day weekend so folks sometimes go away and the next town over has their big art and wine festival that weekend so I’m sure many people went there instead. I did use my new sign though and I am happy with it.

My daughter and I went to our last Giants game of the year. We won, but sadly they have not been playing well and probably will not make the playoffs. I’m a fan no matter what! And, we got new beanies as the 415 giveaway!

The next night was Rick Springfield, the Hooters and Tommy Tutone at the Mountain Winery. We had not seen the Hooters before so that was nice. Rick Springfield continues to make the girls swoon at 74, especially when he came out without his shirt! He did go through the crowd again and I got another handshake! Isn’t the venue behind us cool?

And in between all that I helped our daughter move out! She got the keys to her apartment on September 1 and last night we moved the last of her stuff out of the storage area she was renting and her room is empty (well not quite, we have a friend moving in – LOL). It is crazy the rent they charge around here. She is in a studio and it is $1995 a month. My house payment is only $1500 and we have three bedrooms. No wonder there are homeless people. She is happy though and actually has more room now than she did when she was here as her room is 100 square feet and her apartment is 450 square feet. I will definitely miss her as the balance of power has now shifted. I am the only female in the house with three men. Still, I think I’ll get my way most of the time.

And some other scenes from September – I’ve been adding things to the Etsy shop getting ready for another pop-up this coming Saturday. Hopefully I’ll do better at sales. It is in a different location so that may help.

I’ve also seen some interesting bits and pieces of nature’s beauty. Dew drops on leaves, the lights on the trees at the Winery, sunsets and sunrises and a really cool almost full moon.

So those are my scenes of September. What have you been looking at?

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And Now August is Almost All Gone

Posted on August 26, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Wow, I’m on a roll here. More than one post in August. It was actually because Linda’s SoCS happens to be a word I can write about…tune. (Side note, can I tell you how bothersome it is to use links here lately because I want them to open in a new window and you have to go through hoops to get them to do that. Why WP, why?)

Anyway, back to TUNE – yep it is concert time again. We went to see “Tina” the play about Tina Turner. It was very nicely done. Lots of tunes left out of course because she has so many hits but I thought they did a great job of using many intertwined with the story line.

I love going to the old theaters in San Francisco. We had decent seats in the front row of the balcony. It is a little harder for my hubby since his legs are long but if I can get the front row and an aisle seat, it gives him a little more room. Naturally you are not supposed to take pictures during the show, which I didn’t until it was the very end. I figure they’re not going to kick me out at that point. I don’t think I learned anything about Tina Turner that I didn’t know and I read that Tina had been pleased with the way the play was done. Sad that she is no longer here.

And then there was Foreigner and Loverboy. Foreigner is on their “Last” tour. The only original founding member, Mick Jones, has health issues and doesn’t make every performance and even when he does, he only comes out for a few tunes. He did not make our show. The bass guitarist, Jeff Pilson, has a back injury and had to sit the whole time, which I’m sure is not fun for him because he was a pretty active musician. Anyway, the band has said that they are done after this tour. While that has been said before by other bands, this one really might be the end. In any case, they are one of our favorite groups so we had to see them. Add Loverboy as the opening act and it was a no-brainer since they were the groups we saw at our first concert together at Day on The Green in 1982!

I was a little disappointed that one of my favorite Foreigner tunes, Urgent, was played without the sax. The long-time member who used to play that instrument, Thom Gimbel, left the band around the time of the pandemic and the synthesizer they used just didn’t quite do it for me. Glad I got a video of that song at one of their other shows. This tune, “Feels Like The First Time,” is another great one.

Thanks again, Linda, for the “tune” prompt. We have another show next week, Chicago, at the Mountain Winery. Maybe I’ll actually get one more post in this month! Have you seen “Tina?” What’s your favorite Foreigner or Loverboy tune?

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And Now It’s August!

Posted on August 17, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

We went to see Peter Frampton the other night. He has IBM (Inclusion Body Myositis) and needed a cane to get around the stage, where he sat through the whole performance. Do not let that fool you. He definitely could get those fingers moving on the guitar strings.

As he tells it he had started a “Final” Tour shortly before Covid hit and he wasn’t able to do the European leg of the tour because of lockdowns. He wanted to finish so he decided to try going out again and when he discovered that his fingers would still cooperate with him, he talked to his promoters and set up this “Never Say Never” tour. I know how much my husband likes him and I was able to get us pretty good tickets for one of the last few shows on the schedule.

It was at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, which is a smaller venue. He did a slide presentation of his early years as he was coming out on stage, maybe so that we wouldn’t notice too much the fact that he couldn’t walk unassisted. He still has his wit and while he performed 17 songs over a 2-1/2 hour show, there was quite a bit of chatter in between songs, which was fine.

My camera broke so these are all from my cell, which is going to have to do until I can get another camera. I got a couple of pictures of some things I considered interesting along the way, like the reflection of the lights on the ceiling, the purple tip of Grace Cathedral across the street as we were leaving and the City Hall. Oh yeah, hubby and me. Kinda cute huh?

He did a really good rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” for the finale. I did get a video of that but it’s 7 minutes long so here’s a bit of “Show Me The Way” and you can get a little idea.

We have 3 more shows coming up this month. We’re seeing the play, “Tina” and Foreigner next week. We got the tickets to Tina before she passed away and I’m glad we did. Foreigner is billing this as their farewell tour since they are pretty much over it all. I know Mick Jones has had health issues for years and he is the only original member so…Then we have Chicago at the Mountain Winery.

What are your plans for the rest of August? Share!

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Jubilant July – 2023

Posted on July 29, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

One more post is probably all I’m going to be able to get out this month unless something spectacular happens that I just have to share (like if I won the lottery or something).

But I happened to be reading a post from “the other Janet” about her Lens-Artists Challenge so I decided to play along because I think I’ve taken a few unusual shots. The theme is “Overlooked” and it is to show some photos that may look different than what you would expect to see. Here’s my take:

This is a reflection of the tail light of my husband’s truck in a puddle by the curb.

There is a window on the side of our house overlooking the driveway. It is close to the roof of the garage. It has a screen on it but we have numerous stray cats and a few raccoons that like to rummage around and I think they use the screen to get a hold up.

Was walking our dog, Benny, the other day and saw this on the sidewalk. I’m not sure what it really is, maybe some paper that got wet, but to me it was a friendly ghost.

I’m always looking at the sky and I see cotton candy here.

This building has an unusual shape. Because of our earthquakes, it looks like it is in the middle of one.

Finally, again while out on my walks I have to keep an eye out for these critters so Benny doesn’t get his nose bit!

I hope I’ve followed the rules of the Lens-Artists Challenge. Make sure to go see Janet’s pictures too. They are cool.

And I’ve also managed to get into Linda’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday with one/won! Have a great rest of your weekend!

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Jubilant July 2023

Posted on July 8, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

So I guess one post a month is about all I can manage. Since I am still working and have become the primary caregiver for my MIL and want to work in the studio, my “spare” time is spent on other stuff. I did take a minute to go through my vision cards for this year to see where/if I’ve made any progress on my goals.

To refresh, these are the cards I made for this year – Travel/adventure; finances; the studio life; keeping connected; healthy me and home sweet home. I use vision cards instead of making “resolutions” at the new year. That way I don’t get upset with myself because if I even do one thing in each category I consider it a win.

The only one I haven’t done anything about so far is our home. I mean, basic cleaning and stuff of course but I have so much I want to do with the backyard. I did get a new office desk (my office is in the kitchen) and a new cabinet to help organize but other than that it’s pretty much as usual.

I went in the wrong direction as far as my healthy habits go and put on about 20 pounds. I did just complete a 28 day exercise challenge and will be starting another one but I have to stop thinking I can eat anything I want with no consequences. We have our 50th high school reunion coming in October so I have a goal.

Connections has been getting a boost because I am on the committee for planning the reunion so I’ve been communicating with lots of folks I haven’t talked to in a while. That on top of going to a scrapbook event in May and visiting my sister has pretty much filled this category.

In the studio, I’ve tried some new projects and am trying to get a new website started. I have also done a pop-up and have another one coming this month. I have made a few Etsy sales and have some ideas for new offerings there.

Financially speaking it’s been pretty hard because my typing business has been so slow. Fortunately we are getting a little help from my MIL but I’m hoping to get more business as the year goes on.

Lastly, there is travel and adventure. I’m counting the trips to San Francisco for my A to Z post as an adventure! Also, we went to Las Vegas and have been going to baseball games. Concert season is really heating up. We have 7 more shows coming up!

There you have it. I think I’ve done actually pretty well on most of the areas of life I wanted to focus on this year. How about you? Did you make vision cards or set some goals for yourself for 2023? Have you done a half-year check-in to see where you are? Share!

Oh yeah, Happy 4th!

15 Comments

Just Jammin’ June

Posted on June 26, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Well another month is almost gone. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun. That’s what’s been happening for the most part around here.

Starting with a couple trips to the beach with my daughter to catch the sunset. Unfortunately there was a cloud cover close to the ground so we didn’t really catch a full sunset but it was pretty nice anyway.

I love the smell of the sea air and hearing the crash of the waves on the beach. We went down to the edge and let the water come and tickle our toes.

Then hubby and I went to see Ms. Diana Ross at the Mountain Winery. He wasn’t enthused at first but I think he had a good time anyway.

She changed outfits about four times and sang most of her hits.

And then my daughter and I went to a couple Giants games. We won one, lost one and got a free Hawaiian shirt and Kruk and Kuip tiki mugs.

But the most exciting thing is that I WAS ON TV for about 30 seconds! Unfortunately my daughter wasn’t up and dancing with me at the time so she didn’t get on camera.

I started getting texts from my son and friends letting me know they saw me. It was quite fun.

And in between all that I made some things for my Etsy shop and did a pop-up show at the local mall. I didn’t do very well but it was good exposure anyway.

We still have a few more days left this month but I think this is about as much excitement as I can take for now. Let’s see what July will bring. How’s your June been?

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My Goodness It’s May 28, 2023

Posted on May 28, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I haven’t posted much this month, as is my usual after the busy April A to Z, but it’s not because I’ve sunk my teeth into anything new, just because I sank into the “I don’t have anything exciting to say,” mood. However, I do have something fun to talk about now so here goes.

May 20th was our 39th anniversary. I’ve written before about some of the anniversary adventures we’ve been on and we went on another one this year.

We have a really good friend who had timeshare points to use or lose so he gave them to us. We went to Las Vegas for a few days and it was so relaxing. We stayed in a place called Tahiti Village and it was just as if we had gone to a tropical island. My favorite part was sitting by the “river” reading. I finished that book in two days.

Here’s my hubby floating along. I did it too but I didn’t take my camera with me because I was afraid I’d drop it.

We did drive up and down the strip a few times and went to the Gold and Silver Pawn shop but we didn’t sink a fortune into the slot machines. In fact, we only gambled for an hour and a half. That’s pretty good I think for being in Las Vegas. We also didn’t go see any shows. We were trying not to spend a ton of money.

I did notice one thing as we were walking through the SF airport that would have fit perfectly into my A to Z light show from last month:

I’d have taken a longer video but we were on our way to get our bags and had a friend coming to pick us up from the airport. I did some research and it is called Spirogyrate, designed by Eric Staller and installed in 2014. There are 12, 66-1/4 inch circles that spin and light up. Per the website, “Stallerā€™s artwork utilizes light, space and motion to delight and surprise the public.Ā SpirogyrateĀ is an immersive and interactive installation composed of graphic spiral patterns and light that change and respond to peopleā€™s movement through the space. The result is a whimsical environment to be enjoyed by travelers of all ages.”Ā 

See, I’m always on the lookout for things to astound and amuse you with! It will probably be a while before I have anything else to say as we are back to the same old routine. Happy Sunday!

Linda’s words for yesterday’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday were sink/sank/sunk. I’m a day late but thought I’d play anyway.

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A to Z – 2023 – Reflection

Posted on May 1, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

Another A to Z successfully completed! My theme this year was the Illuminate SF project where I went to find the different light installations throughout San Francisco. Here are my posts in alpha order in case you missed any.

A is for Archipelago

B is for Bayview Rise

C is for Caruso’s Dream

D is for Day for Night

E is for Entwined

F is for Federal Building and the SkyGarden

G is for Grant Avenue where you can see the Lantern Stories

H is for Hope Will Never Be Silent

I is for Illuminating Facts and Finds

J is for John F. Kennedy Drive where you will find Psychedelic Photosynthesis

K is for Joseph Kosuth who designed WFT

L is for Love Over Rules

M is for Monarch

N is for Ivan Navarro who designed the Ladder (Sun or Moon)

O is for Olafur Eliasson’s Seeing Spheres

P is for Point Cloud

Q is for Quotes on Anima

R is for Reading the Language of the Birds

S is for Seeds

T is for Traxon Technologies who created the lighting sequence for Coding

U is for Untitled

V is for Valencia Street where you will find the Handsignals

W is for Wind Baffles

X is for the EXploratorium where you will see Buckyball

Y is for YUD

Z is for Zuckerberg San Francisco General where the Ethereal Bodies are

I think my personal favorites were the Entwined, Buckyball and Ethereal Bodies just because they have so many lights flashing. My least favorite were the Bayview Rise, Coding and SkyGarden. Kind of boring.

I did not visit as many new folks as I probably should have. I did go a few times to see what others were writing about but to be honest, some of them weren’t interesting to me or when I did stop by they were not really doing the challenge or were so many letters behind that I figured they had dropped out. Totally understandable as it is a commitment. I suppose I could have just said, “Hello from the A to Z,” but that seems kind of lame. I did respond to everyone who commented on my posts and I visited my regular sites. I also had trouble with folks who wrote very lengthy posts. I understand that you may have a lot to say on a particular subject but it is just too hard to read something several pages long. I tried to keep mine a reasonable length.

I think honestly this was one of the easiest challenges I’ve done. I had drafts of all my letters in the beginning of March and as I took the corresponding pictures I uploaded them right away. I did the writing at least the day before so that I only had to give a final check and then hit publish on the actual day. I will say that even though I had mapped out where I needed to go to see the lights, I should have been just a bit more careful in checking addresses and in actually reading the description of what was supposed to be in the installation as there are a few that I want to go back to, like the Language of the Birds to read what is on the ground around it and the Conservatory of Flowers to see more of the Psychedelic Photosynthesis show.

For sure I will be watching for the Illuminate SF Light Art Festival in November so I can see what new lights will be there. I’ll also make sure to post if I go back and revisit any of the ones I did this year.

Thanks to Arlee Bird, J. Lenni Dorner, John Holton, Zalka Csenge VirĆ”g, and Jayden R Vincente for their hard work to keep us all organized. I do have to say that I was not a fan of the graphics this year so I just didn’t use them. I think they were too hard to read, including the trophy for finishing. Thanks to everyone who stopped by my place. Appreciate it.

I think I have my theme for next year already. It’s one I have done previously so we’ll see if I can pull it off. For now, back to our regular programming – LOL.

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A to Z – 2023 – Z is for Zuckerberg SF General where the Ethereal Bodies are

Posted on April 30, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

I’m kind of grateful to Mark Zuckerberg for donating so much money to San Francisco General Hospital because I’ve been able to use it as the “Z” letter in two of my A to Z Challenges.

I first went to ZSFG to get pictures for my “A is for Archipelago” post so it is kind of fitting that I end there with the Ethereal Bodies. On the official Illuminate SF site the description is of something else, which is too bad.

In any case, when I went the first time it was a little too early to see either the Archipelago or the Ethereal Bodies in their full glory. This is what I saw on that visit. The lights were just starting to come on and even that was kind of neat. It looks like there is a fire in the bottom.

When I went back to get the night time views for Archipelago, I was so excited to see the changing colors in this sculpture. It was designed in 2015 by Cliff Garten who also designed the Monarch. The stainless steel rods “gather sunlight by day and interact prismatically with the LED lights by night which are activated by motion sensors.” Accordingly, the vision changes as you drive around the circular driveway. The tallest point is 21 feet, 8 inches high and it is 19 feet wide, 15 feet deep overall.

I pulled over and was able to get this video without leaving my car, just in case an emergency came through since it is right in front of the emergency room entrance. Fortunately it was a quiet night, at least while I was there. It might be kind of nice to have this light show to focus on if you are a patient in one of the rooms facing the courtyard.

Best Viewing: After dark in the driveway of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Room entrance, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco.

And with this we have come to the end of the A to Z Challenge for 2023! I hope that you have enjoyed my trek through San Francisco to find the unusual exhibits that make up Illuminate SF. You can bet that I will be on the lookout for the opening night in November this year to see what new installations they have. Maybe it will be enough for another A to Z! I will be doing my reflection post next week sharing more of my insights on this fun experience. See you then and thanks for coming along this year!

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A to Z – 2023 – Y is for YUD

Posted on April 29, 2023 by scr4pl80 (Scrap Lady)

“Y” is another one of those letters that can be tricky to find something to fill in the A to Z Challenge. You can bet I was excited that there was an installation in the Illuminate SF project called YUD.

Finding said YUD was a little more difficult. It was on the list with the “Love Over Rules” exhibit and we know what trouble I had finding that one! You would think that a 60-foot cube would be easy to spot but it is actually down a tiny street called Yerba Buena Lane. It is attached to the Contemporary Jewish Museum and you can visit it during business hours with a paid admission.

It was after hours when I went so I couldn’t get inside and there were some people walking around the plaza that I was unsure about (they were yelling at each other) so I didn’t really walk too far away from my husband and our car. Still, this is pretty impressive, don’t you think? There are 36 diamond-shaped windows around the cube and it was designed by Daniel Libeskind in 2008. Inside, the space can be used for parties or other events and there was a video project done in 2017 that you can read about here.

Best Viewing: After dark stand in the museum’s entrance plaza. The address is 736 Mission Street but it is actually on Yerba Buena Lane.

One more day in our A to Z! We will have a rare Sunday post to finish it off before May starts on Monday. See you tomorrow with what I consider the grand finale!

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