kernology - where laurie and learning meet
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Pictures
    • Art & Craft >
      • Temari
      • Yubinuki
      • Quilting
      • Weaving
      • Lapidary Work
      • Metal Work 2010
      • Metal Work 2009
      • Classes - 2010
      • Classes - 2009
    • Boots
    • Views of Texas
    • Views of Scotland
    • Travel >
      • Bunny Bravehart Road Trips
      • Scotland 2012
      • Maine 2011
      • New Mexico 2010
      • Scotland 2008
  • Oh, the places you will go!
  • Contact Laurie

..And Bam! Grief hits you

1/23/2023

0 Comments

 
Well, I had my "GwtW" moment the other night.

I was watching Finding your Roots on PBS.  I won't go into the details of exactly what the episode was about but suddenly I found myself mad, crying. upset, and saying out loud - WHY NOW !!!

Coincidently my sister texted to see how I was doing, which as you can tell wasn't great, so she called and we had a great chat.  Somewhere during this Boots came into the room and settled on my lap so that also gave me comfort.

I know this will go on for a while but now I feel like I can start to move forward and take care of business.

Enjoy these pictures of the Shop Elf that were taken through the years during various trips we took
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Gone with the Wind

1/15/2023

0 Comments

 
I can't watch this movie at the moment and  no women in our family can watch it without tissues being at hand. 

Why, well sit back and I will reveal the reason.

Back in my early teen years Gone with the Wind (GwtW) was going to be shown at the local movie theatre with a 2 hour intermission for lunch. It was on a weekday any my mom said I would not be going to school that day so she could take me to see it. Note 1: I like going to school but when your mom says it's a girl day why argue. My sister had done this with my mother several years earlier and before we left she said " make sure mom has tissue"; was confused as to why and this statement went in one ear and out the other. 

The day arrives and we head into town and we get popcorn and settle into our seats and soon the lights go down the curtain was raised, the opening music starts and the intro credits start to scroll. Within minutes I hear my mom sniff and as the movie went on she was sniffling more and eventually she got up and then came back with a wad of toilet paper. Note 2: It was that thin Soviet Union type of TP. Intermission soon arrived and over lunch she did not explain, when I asked about what was going on but said she would explain on the way home and that I should just enjoy the movie. During the second half the sniffling changed to actual crying. I can and do acknowledge there are sad and emotional sections I still could not comprehend what was going on with my mother. By the time the movie was over and we headed to the car her eyes were very red and her nose was raw from that toilet paper in lieu of tissues.

On the way home, I again asked what was going on and she said something like "You might not understand now, but you will when I am gone!" - WTF MOM??!! Note 3: Being a young girl in the 60's I did not actually think that but you get get it. Then she proceeded to explain that HER mom had passed away when she was 12-ish and that she had seen the movie (released in 1939) around then; I do not know if she saw it with her mother or she saw it after her mother passed but every time she watches the movie all the grief and pain wells up and she can't NOT cry. Oh, and that is how I learned that my grandmother was her step-mom making her my step-grandmother and that my uncle was her half brother; it was a very strange day.

Years later, when GwtW was released to TV (1976) my sister and I made sure she had an entire box of tissue ready.

Then my father passed in 1988 and my mother passed in 1992 and NOW I understand; I was watching a movie yesterday, it was NOT GwtW, and someone died in the movie and I started to cry and changed the channel. 

I will NOT be watching GwtW any time soon.

Picture of Carol Burnett in the curtain dress from the the famous Went with the Wind parody (1976).
Picture
0 Comments

A Relaxed and Easy Thanksgiving

11/25/2022

0 Comments

 
​Thanksgivng was a success - Here is the run down

Gylver and Joan were set to arrive around 2pm and at 1:30 pm I put the baking potatoes in the oven at a slightly lower temp so it would be over an hour for them to be done.

I then pulled out the large platter and laid out a charcuterie board: summer sausage, cured/smoked ham, smoked cheddar, cranberry goat cheese, camembert, fig jam, sour cherry jam, assorted crackers, green grapes and strawberries and a nut mix of cashews, pecan, hazel/filberts, brazil, and almonds. 

I also took the key lime pie I ordered out of the fridge and put it on the counter, it arrived last week and had been in the freezer. 

On the counter I laid out 4 of each small plates, large plates, wine glasses, forks, knives, spoons.

Gyl and Joan arrived at 2:30 with the BBQ which we put in the oven with the potatoes to warm up and we sat and talked for a while.

At 3:30-ish we moved to the table and played a crazy game called FLUXX (you start with one set of rules and as you play the rules change as does the goal to win); I have 2 version one based on Doctor Who and the others is H.P. Lovecraft's The Elder Scrolls and Cthulhu.   Some where after the first game which was longer so everyone else became familiar with how to play... I brought over the charcuterie, Joan and I opened the wine and Gyl and Erich had sparkling cider. 

At 6 pm we cleared the table and served up dinner - BBQ brisket and pork roast, coleslaw, potato, butter, sour cream, more wine, water and cider along with LOTS more talking and discussions about stocks, finances, wills, trusts, being in snow storms, etc.

THEN IT WAS TIME FOR PIE and Coffee!!!!. Joan has a love of Key Lime pie which is why i researched and then ordered a pie from a place in Key West, Florida; it is one of the best to get mail order and IT WAS SOOOooooooo good.

At 9 pm we called it a night and we packed up the pie was left over (half) and it went home with Joan as well as half the leftover BBQ. 

I was in bed and asleep by 11 pm. 
And that was my day.
Picture
0 Comments

There Goes another Month

10/31/2022

0 Comments

 
AWhere did October go?
I completed another enhancement to the Tooling Tracker and then took a long break. The shop elf and I started to binge watch some spy/mystery/action movies and series on Amazon:
  • ​Jack Ryan - movie and Amazon series
  • The Terminal List - Amazon series
  • Jason Bourne - all movies
  • Reacher - Amazon series (not the movies)

I rested and read 4 books in less than 4 weeks.

​AND I to played in the studio again. I have been slowly acquiring tools to use with the hydraulic press (thus the diversion with making the Tooling Tracker) and I spend some of each day making sample pressings of the various impression dies and texture samples using the rolling mill, of the texture plates and practiced making some small dishes with texture and impressions to learn how best to do that. Along the way I also semi-disassembled the rolling mill to clean and recalibrate it.

​ I am not done as I have to make some boxes, cups and dishes with texture and impressions.
0 Comments

About "That Thing"

8/17/2022

0 Comments

 
Last time, I wrote about working on "a thing"; well it's almost ready for the world. 
BUT WHAT IS IT ???!!! you ask
Sit back with a cuppa and get ready for a long tale.

Several months, even before the BIG WALK, I started pondering a database where I could track the tools, I own, for the hydraulic press I have trust me; there is a never ending list of things to purchase. Yes, it's for metal geeky stuff. Some items come with a part number on them but some things, like the rolling mill texture plates and the impression dies do NOT or it's written in marker that eventually wears off. 

To solve my dilemma I started a MS Access database what would have the information I wanted and I could put pictures of the various items in the record. I won't list the fields I settle on but let's just say it's the basic info about what was bought.

After I returned from my month long vacation, somehow in the PotterUSA Facebook group (a.k.a PotterPeople) a discussion began on how do everyone keeps track of  their stuff because many people have bought things two or three times!  Some use Excel, others Word or other text document and of course the question arose about pictures to identity dies that don't have numbers or the number wore off.  I eventually chimed in with my little database application which raised many questions as most members (9.5K+) don't know me or that I write software for fun; crazy eh??  

Some people asked if I would give them "my app" but when I questioned if they knew how to use MS Access (or if they used a Windows PC) I got crickets!

Over the next week I thought about it and I realized that there was a need for an application so others could keep track of their stuff too. I put several polls in the group regarding what devices (desktop, laptop, phone, tablet) and operating system (Winx, Mac OS, Linus, iOS, Android) and oh the confusion that resulted was amazing.  I decided that this application would have to be web-based otherwise I would be spending most of my time providing installation support; upgrades would be a nightmare.

Since I work mostly with Microsoft technology the tech stack I chose is MS SQL Server 2019 with MS SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio 2022 as the IDE for coding with the following: .net (Core) 6; ASP.NET with Razor Pages; Entity Framework (for db operations); Bootstrap for the styling; jQuery/javaScript for front end stuff; and various other packages for all sorts of functionality. 

It took about 2 weeks to all this out and then I sat down and created a clean Virtual Machine (VM) on my  development laptop so I could then begin installing all the software I would need. 

To cut a very, very, long story down to just a long story; I resurrected a framework I built 2 years about and upgraded the various backend software to be the most recent. Then I started the real building of the database tables, configuring the UI with a menu, logo and other static pages; then on to the pages where all the user interaction would take place as well as pages for me, the admin/webmaster would manage the site. I also had to make it so a user would only see their stuff - including adding, editing, deleting, viewing and printing. 

This week, the majority of the code was complete so I bought a domain and setup an account with a hosting provider; configured the email system; setup PayPal, Buy Me a Coffee, and Stripe for donations. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that the application is DonationWare - I am hoping to cover operating costs. I also have it so sample data is seeding into each user account so a user can see how it would work. 

It's now been 3.5 weeks, I have been working on it EVERY DAY of the week, since I started and I just pushed the Alpha version to the remote server and I have been working on/with it to find things that need to fixed. 

During this time I have posted pictures of what the app will look like, in the Facebook group and I have some very excited people looking forward to it. I have a long list of things yet to do to make some parts of administration easier but that can be worked on after I do the first release which I hope will be next week. 
0 Comments

Last and Only Post for December

12/30/2021

0 Comments

 
No, I am not doing a 2020 recap. 
I thought I would end out the month and year with a recap of how this was my year of electronics. 

First my phone started to act up so I replace it with a Moto Razr, which is one of the newer folding phones. I do like the smaller form factor when it's folded and the screen is great when open.

Then my personal development machine refused to boot. The SSD drive some how died. Not only did I get a new drive put in, I went for almost a Terabyte of space because the cost we not much more. 

THEN my fun laptop decided to also start acting up. I replaced the battery since it was over 5 years old but the internal power charging would work somedays and not others. I then bought a new model and sold the old one off on eBay with full disclosure.

AND THEN I realized I needed/wanted a new FitBit because the one, I can't see the display when I am outside.

AND THEN my mini-tablet (android) that I use for an e-book reader truly died; it's deader than a brick. I found a nice 7" tablet on sale which is actually a smidge smaller then then old one but has a bigger screen.  

Note: before moving to Texas, my mac died and was replace AND the shop elf got a new computer too and so, with luck next year we will NOT be purchasing any electronics!
Picture
0 Comments

Last Day.. Of November

11/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Yup, the last day and I figured I should write something to get a post this month. 
Much has happened.
  • I got my COVID booster shot and was not feeling well for 4 solid days and it took a full week for me to feel ok. I had head aches, light sensitivity, all over aches, fever, and chilllllls plus lack of appetite. Then there was the pee-ing. I do drink at least 2 liters of water a day but I think I was in the bathroom once per hour even though the night thus pissing more than I drank.
  • I fell behind on the walking training because of the down week from the above booster shot. I am almost back on schedule; I am currently walking about 5 miles and not feeling completely wiped out afterwards.
  • For my big walk, I bought my rain gear, pants and jacket, for the trip as I need it now so I can still go for my walks when it rains. I also bought a few other things like an emergency whistle, blister/foot first aide kit, a small vacuum bottle so I can carry a cuppa coffee with me for a break in the afternoon, and a midge net to put over my head so they don't go up my nose, in my ears, eyes, or mouth. I still have many other things to gather which I won't go into here.
  • Also for the trip I found I CAN use my mobile phone in the UK for a small fee, daily which won't have extra long distance or international fees. Thus I will be able to call home or Mike and Elisa of Scotland; which allow me to check in daily. 
  • Though I have stopped the pandemic stats, I have read 4 books this month but made no progress on the quilt for my niece.
Here is a picture of the Craigellachie Bridge which crosses the River_Spey. I will go over this bridge on my second day of walking.
Picture
0 Comments

Ponderings of a Polyhistor and the Joy of being an Artisan

3/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
So what is a POLYHISTOR?  I am a polyhistor!  But I do not think I am a polymath since there are areas of learning that hold no interest to me such as philosophy.  And because of my age I am a Opsimath too.

Please refer to this image of the definition of a polyhistor, then keep reading for more background and understanding.

​
​When the Covid-19 pandemic started, I was doing some metal work and temari; reading. After a few weeks into the lockdown I was still making temari and started a weaving project; the metal work was set aside. Now one year into the pandemic I have set aside the weaving and I am spending my evenings mostly working on temari and yubinuki. 

It was during this past year I began to ponder my penchant for learning which to me was a bit odd considering I did not enjoy "school" as a child. That's not to say I did not like going to school or all of the things I was told I had to learn; what I did not enjoy was some of the things I had to learn and the more I thought about it I realized I did not enjoy the subjects where the learning was difficult due to my then unknown dyslexia.  The subjects I did enjoy were home economics, physical education, art, poetry, the sciences except the heavy math parts, and many after school activities like stage crew, (more) sports and Girl Scouts. It was the math, spelling and learning French - all for a while until I learned, on my own, how to make a game of learning and mastering the rules. 

What can be even more confounding is that I chose to pursue an engineering degree after high school.  I decided on the degree because I am a "natural engineer" and my father was one too and he said I would have a more difficult time trying to follow my dreams without a degree, like him, than with one (being female in the 60-70's being the other).  College was extremely difficult and my undergraduate grades where crap (gong to a very difficult school did not help) but I did graduate. 

NOTE: A natural engineer is NOT a person who engineers nature or natural resources. A natural engineer is someone who is an engineer but has no formal training and exhibits the ability to see and solve problems at a young age. I was telling my father how to fix things, he was working on, starting sometime around 5th grade.


Since then I have had this desire to learn new things - embroidery and crewl work, weaving and spinning, quilting (which is very different than sewing clothing which I do as well), knitting, temari and yubinuki, metalsmithing, raising and sinking vessels, constructing boxes, chasing and repousse and learning to make the tools for metalsmithing - all subjects that are, in a way mathematical and engineering related while allowing the person doing them to be creative. I say they involve engineering and mathematical aspects because all do require the use of math, some more than others, and they have a technical aspect to them; when you know the basics there are challenges and problems to be solved when an idea presents it self.

As I said, I realized this past year that I like learning and specifically learning where I can solve problems or processes. When I find a subject that piques my interest, I am ALL IN.  I find ways to learn at my own pace, I acquire the books, tools and other aqutromonts to master it. Many of the skills I have listed I really enjoy and have done for 30, 40 or more years And yet.... I realized that for some of these other subjects, which I also enjoy(ed) I have set aside and never come back to.  So do I enjoy the learning and gaining the understanding MORE than the act of doing it?
​
I present to you as an example my 10 year foray into Metalsmithing, shall we. I first learned how to cut and polish a cabochon, then I moved into basic jewelry so I could wear what I had made. I enjoy making the odd piece of jewelry but it did not inspire me to make more.  I like working with metal because of the underlying science and engineering which most metalsmiths have no interest in. From there I tried chain maille which I found boring after a while and from there I moved into raising and sinking of vessels - now that challenged me and continues to do so.  To do more with the vessels I made, I then learned chasing and repousse; to color my work I delved into the alchemy behind patina and the construction techniques of making boxes and hinges. 

Throughout all of this I realize that I am very good at the technical aspects and can make some wonderful things many of which are my own original ideas. What I lack is the continuous flow of creative ideas that would make me a true artist in some things I have learned but not in others.  I am OK with that which is why I am an Artisan not an artist.  

I know I can find a subject I enjoy, learn it, become proficient in it and make and be creative and sell these items as a polyhistor and an artisan.
0 Comments

Refinement and Simplifying

8/11/2020

0 Comments

 
As a child I learned embroidery, crewel work (embroidery with wool) and to sew which I really enjoy. As I got older I learned and became quite good at quilting while still sewing clothing.  

And with a love of fiber, I learned to knit, spin (but not really enjoy) and weave. I can weave rugs or "fabric" to then use as the basis of a garment. 

Along the way I have collected many things - Fraternal Organization pins, Scandinavian Enameled Jewelry, early 1900 chain maille purses used by the flappers as well as collecting gems and minerals.  Along the way I learned how to "cut" a cabochon and eventually how to set them in metal of copper, brass, silver or gold (very rarely) and then how to make jewelry, raise vessels, and do chasing and repousse. 

10 years ago I started learning about Japanese Temari and Yubinuki.

I have  plethora of books covering all of these subjects.

With the pandemic and being home for 170+ days I have been looking at all I do and I have come to the conclusion that I need to simplify my life

Let's start with the sewing. I have a good sewing machine which is big and bulky and a smaller machine which is good for workshops. I don't do a lot of workshops these days so I think it is time to sell the portable machine.

I had/have 3 looms - a rigid heddle, a 8 shaft 30" wide table loom and a large 8 shaft 40+ inch wide floor loom. At one point I also had a 4 shaft folding floor loom which I sold to my friend Yuko when she returned to Japan plus a 16 shaft table loom which has also been sold. Recently the rigid heddle loom has been sold and the 8 shaft table loom will be traded/sold this weekend.  I want a small portable loom for sampling so I don't have to setup the big floor loom and I settled on the Ashford Katy Loom which has a 12" wide weaving width and is 8 shafts plus it folds. I put the table loom up for sale and found someone who wants to buy it and she mentioned that she had a Katy which she thinks is too small. I suggested a trade and she went for it. 

Some of the knitting, quilting, and other books will also go. 

Some of the antiques I have collected over the years will also be sold.

It all comes down to do I need this stuff anymore?
Picture
0 Comments

Winding Down 2019

12/25/2019

0 Comments

 
Here I am almost done with December and 2019. 
Earlier this month I was down with the flu, for about a week and then recovery took just as long. I canceled a metal workshop I was to teach and just slept, read, and zoned. I had not caught the flu or other bug that floats around during Winter in several years so I guess my time was due.

The year has flown by. 

We have been here for 2+ years now and we have settled into a route of sorts - I go to work weekdays and Erich takes care of the house, the cars, Cowboy Boots and me; on weekends he relaxes and I am in my studio.

Friends from California are getting ready to move to the area, early next year which will be nice as we have know them for as long as we have been married. 

I am planning my retirement from the day job - 2 years and counting. I will work for a while to take advantage of medical insurance, socking money away in the 401K, and of course the extra income. Eventually I go to part time work so I have more time to do what I want while still having some extra income coming in. 

​Here's a calm view, from the studio back door that I took last month. 
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    About Laurie

    Laurie lives in central Texas with Erich, a.k.a. "the shop elf", her hubby of 35+ years and Cowboy Boots, the cat; her metals studio including 100+ hammers and 300+ chasing tools; her sewing studio which has a sewing machine, a closet filled with fabric, hundreds of skeins of embroidery floss and perle cotton, silk and other materials, and Mrs. King the dress dummy; two weaving looms, assorted knitting needles, tubs of yarn; lots of books; plus a plethora of geeky tech gadgets, computers, and more.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    August 2009

    Categories

    All
    42
    Android
    Boots
    Bunny Bravehart
    Codesmith
    Comic-Con
    Covid
    Day Job
    Family
    Fencing
    Fiber
    Health
    Hike
    Jewelry
    Knitting
    Laurie
    Metals
    Minecraft
    Pandemic
    Photography
    Quilting
    Retirement
    Road Trip
    Scotland
    Sources
    Spinning
    Temari
    Texas
    The Big Walk
    Weaving
    Web
    Yubinuki

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.