Well, I do know - it was school which completely took over my life as I was working on big homework/projects. As a result I not only neglected writing on this blog, the house chores were not attended to and so now I get to spend time cleaning, doing laundry, and getting the place back into a good clean condition.

In review, the semester was very stressful and having assessed the situation I think, for me, taking 3 art classes while trying to take care of a house, a cat, and all the other adult things in life is a bit to much for me. I am scaling back to 1 or 2 classes per semester and this will allow me to enjoy things more and not stress.

As for my grades - I am certainly getting A's in Core 2 and Studio 2, and in Beginning Drawing it could be an A or a B... so I wait.

My plans for the summer are to clean and even purge more stuff. There is still stuff I never gave away last year and having not used lots more things over the past year I feel it's time to pass it on.  There is a second reason for all of this too. I would like to move into New Braunfels. There's several reasons - the first is that the house is now just too big, there are several rooms that aren't being used; secondly being in NB would cut my commute distance to school in half; third I would then be closer to my friends; and lastly the new house would be a single story which is important as we get older and live alone... and being in NB puts me closer to a local hospital IF something would require the use of one. 

I also plan on sewing 2 quilts, one for Elisa of Scotland as she's not been gifted on in over 10+ years. The second quilt will be for my niece's son who turns 1 year old soon. 

Finally I will be doing stuff in my studio - some metal work, possibly some more drawing and coloring.

Here's the last thing I drew and colored for my beginning drawing class - an Amonite​

Here we are at the end of March, on the cusp of April and I am in the wind-down of the semester; and many other things too.

For those other things.. 
The rental is was vacated in January and since then the house has been and is being worked on. Paint the entire inside including the kitchen cabinets, paint the entire outside, install new inexpensive carpets, repair the back porch and step and then paint that too, clean out the garage of left junk and the small craft/office building, and spiff-up the yard since there lots of little schmutzzzz everywhere. I expect the listing to be up soon, PLEASEEE. I also own the empty but small lot next door to the garage and that will also be listed, separately, but both will be cross listed.

Cowboy Boots was taken to the vet for her checkup; she's now an old lady as she's pushing 19 years old. The vet says she's doing great for a cat her age but she does have some kidney function issues which is why she throws-up every once and awhile. Her weight has fallen, some, she's now 4.6 pounds but that's due to age and the kidney issue. The vet said that lot's of little meal, like I have been trying to do, is good as it might help her put on some more weight and lower the chances of throwing up. I also asked about treating her to huban things she like to eat - yogurt, goat cheese, chicken, tuna, shrimp caesar salad dressing, meat sauce from the spaghetti and the vet said YES! but avoid high salt items but if she's interested in eating it let her have it. The last thing was that the cataracts in her eyes have progressed and that she's probably mostly "blind" in the left eye - she can probably see big blobby shapes and see light/dark but no details. This might explain why, when she has some food that's been pushed around in her bowl she meows for more food - she can see it. I have been pampering her but now I really will.

Here's a picture from Boots enjoying the left over tuna and salad dressing from last night's dinner

The past two weeks were stressful for me because for each of the 3 classes I had at school, I had big assignments/projects due.

First I got stressed over the assignments because I was having difficulty grasping what I needed to do for the assignment(s). Then I stressed over coming up with ideas or "concepts" as they are being called.  And then it was creating what was required for the assignments.  This is supposed to fun, right??
I did get them done on time and as the grades are coming in, I am getting A's on them but... For each assignment we did class critiques; I am looking at the other students work and now I am thinking "oh, that's a good idea" or "hmmm, I had not thought of that". 

The gist of this is I am still trying to break out of the stoic, engineer box that I have lived in for the past 40-50 years were I was told not to act strange, crazy or weird or ..... well, you get my drift. Trust me, it's in there and has started to come out of it's hidey-hold but I need more of it.

I am also having trouble getting a grip on the drawing. Once again, I will say, I have not done much creative drawing over my life. Last semester in Studio I I did start to explore it and in Beginning Drawing we are, in the class, spending each session discussing and playing with proportion, perspective, measurement, shading/tone and shifting subjects. It's supposed to be fun (where have we heard this before) but I am putting pressure on myself to draw better than I am currently able to.  ​

After a long drawn out reassessment I have decided that getting the B.F.A is not what's important. To me, learning what I WANT TO LEARN is what is important. I have also realized that THREE art classes at the same time is also too much as the classes are, for 3 credits, over 6 hours of class time in addition to the homework - I actually don't have time for me, Boots, and taking care of chores when home. I have gone through the course work and identified the classes I want which are not just metal but also include Printmaking, Ceramics, Sculpture, and 3D Printing Technology. I am NOT going to take 4 classes in Art History, Modern Communications, 2 classes of American History - Before and After the Civil War, or 2 classes in Political Science - Principles and Function of the American Government. I will sign up for 1 or 2 classes a semester and I might take the summer off if there isn't a class I want offered.  

I feel better already.

Another thing I did this week was to delete my profiles on LinkedIn and Dice. I am not going to go back into the workforce and IF I do, it's not going to be a full time Sr. Engineer so why have that information out there.

I also reassessed what I was watching on the streaming services I have been using since cutting the chord over a year ago. There are several shows that the Shop Elf and I would watch together along with pauses and discussions on what was being presented. For example we would watch the various Gold Rush shows. I have still been watching then but over the past few months I find I am doing something else, and I am not watching nor listening. I decided to cancel my subscription to that streaming service; I can alway come back to it but for now, why waste the money. I also canceled/deleted my accounts to a few other "free services" like Pluto and Sling because I never find anything to watch on them.

Here is a gif I made for Studio II, it is called Surfing with Dust Bunnies - Yes I am in an orange outfit with orange yarn on my feet to aid in the sliding around the floor.

I have thought long and hard <grrrr> about this new year.
The 2nd Yahrzeit (anniversary) of Erich's passing was last weekend; I this point it's a given that he's not coming back (yes, that's a joke). Boots is pushing 19 years old and at night I wake up and touch her just to make sure she's still breathing; I don't know how much longer she has left but let's hope it's until 2026.

School's going good and even though it's just the first week I am enjoying the classes and the teachers.  Last year I took the bus from the parking lot to the LBJ Student center and then walked to the Art building for my morning classes. My afternoon class was on the quad so I would walk there and usually have lunch in one of the dining areas and after class then walk back to the car. On average, per my Fitbit, I was walking 2700 steps, 1+ miles, and 7 flights of stairs.  I plan to walk both ways this year unless I am carrying too much stuff, it is brutally hot and/or humid or freezing or raining. I did this Monday and I walked 3+ miles, 24 floors, and 8+ thousand steps.  I am also NOT going to each lunches in the dining areas... I am packing a sandwich, fruit, veg, snack, and water. I might each lunch or dinner either in a dining hall or nearby restaurant if I forget or stay late on campus. I am also planning on going to the Rec Center on Friday mornings to get in a weight workout; I shall get my walking in as mentioned in the prior sentences. My GOAL is to drop another 10+ pounds, at least. I lost 20 pounds last year.

The rental property is having work done on it. The floor in one room needs fixing, the inside and out needs to be painted, and the entire yard needs work too. Then it will go up for sale. The sale will then fund the purchase of a new, to me, home in New Braunfels. It's after I move in the the new home that I will do some fixes on this home and then sell it. I am in no rush and I have a list of requirements such as a good space for my studio; this could be a home with a workshop, a 3-car garage or a game/media room that would hold the tools and equipment. Another requirement is to NOT be in a flood zone. Realtor.com and Homes.com display the flood risk to I want a 1 of 10 but a 2 or 3 would be acceptable too.

Last year my sleeping was OK but below my goal of 8 hours per night, it was 7.75 hours. During the winter break it was less than that. I have set an alarm on my phone for bed-time with an hour earlier notification to take my meds, fill Boots's bowl with food, freshen her water, push shit in messenger bag for the next day if needed, etc. 

Lastly I am organizing my Things-I-Want-Make list - some things are make a baby spoon, make a new quilt for Eliza of Scotland, master making/soldering pin back, more drawing/coloring/painting, and make stuff to sell through the metals guild on campus to just make and get some pocket *mad* money. 

During the summer, when I took the Easy Peasy Japanesy quilt in to the quilt shop to be quilted, I came across the Klimt fabric. I knew it would be the next quilt so I started buying fat quarter and full yard cuts along with one of the Klimt style panels which was a cat. I knew I was starting school soon so I set it aside for my Winter break project. 
Winter break started on December 13 and that's when I sat down and finalized the block for the quilt which would be for the couch in the family room. I my plan was to everything on 2", 4", 8", or 12" sizes of 4-Patch, Half-Square Triangles, Ohio Stars, Hour Glass, and Flying Geese. Below are all the pictures of the progress. 
I also planned on using some of the extra blocks to create a center panel for the backing. That soon got away from me and I ended up with a second top which is a "quilters casserole". AND I have enough fabric to put together a lap quilt for Elisa of Scotland... which she will get sometime next year.

The semester is over, one down and another 11 semesters to go until I graduate - that's taking a reduced load in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

​How did I do? Let's just say I am beaming because I am quite proud of my grades and the extra work I did certainly paid off! 

But first let me tell you about College Writing I. I really did not want to take this course; despite not being required to take the majority of the Texas State Core Education requirements I did have a Core set of classes as a Post-Baccalaureate student and so Writing I and Writing II were part of it. I found it odd because I did excused from a Foreign Language which was taken 50 years ago in High School. I took English all through High School and I had to take an English class and a Technical Writing class for my Undergraduate degree. Go Figure. Well, I figured I would do the work and just put up with it only to discover the teacher was really good and the majority of the course was learning to write four different types of Essays with little lessons on grammar and MLA style. I was actually enjoying it and spent quite a bit of time on the essays. For the first 3 essays I received grades in the high-90's having lost points on stupid things like missing periods, formatting, and other minor grammer things.  I was determined to get a 100 on the last essay. Oh, the essay was supposed to be about our our career goals but because I am retired and don't have any, the teacher gave me permission to write about what I wanted. I decided to write about my love of learning and how I arrived back at school to get the B.F.A. I wrote the essay the weekend after it was assign and I did 10 revisions on it. The work paid off, I did get that 100!! The final, for the class, was to talk, 4-6 minutes, about our essay with some sort of visual aide but NOT a PowerPoint presentation. I brought in some of the products I worked on, as an Engineer, and some of my metal work. I volunteered to go first because I knew the other students would be nervous and reluctant to be first. Well it went smoothly, and no I did not prepare nor did I have notes, and every one was interested in looking at my items as I passed them around. 

​I have now checked and my final grades are:
Studio I: A
Core I: A
College Writing I: A
Semester GPA: 4.0

Here it is November 25, and it's our anniversary - what would be our 37th.  Well it is our 37th, but half the team is missing.  I think this day is going to difficult every year, from now on.

This picture was taken on one of our many trips to see Mike & Elisa in Scotland. We took the train down to Montrose to go agate hunting. This picture was taken was along the train tracks as we were coming back, we came upon this stone entryway, all by itself. 

WTF, I completely missed posting in October but I did post, over on The Adventurous Silversmith. 

So let's catch up. 
Things are going well with school. The semester is two-thirds done and for each of my three classes I am pulling grades in the 90's; for one I have a 100.  

In College Writing I,  I am really enjoying the class and so far I have had 2 tests, written 3 essays, and done 10 reader responses for various essays, op-ed's, and articles we have had to read.

In Studio I we have done small and large collages, more sketching and drawings. My drawings skills have drastically improved because I am doing extra work during the weekends; I have even done extra work with colored pencils. I have set the water color paints and pencils aside; I will get back to them during the Winter break when I might be able to squeeze in a private lesson with a teacher from the New Braunfels Art Guild.

In Core I, we have moved from 2D and 3D art into 4D (video). I have finished a 5+ minute video that will be critiqued on Friday.

Then last week I registered for the Spring Semester. I plan on taking Beginning Drawing, Studio II and Core II. I figured the sooner I take the drawing the class, the better I will get and correct any bad habits I have picket up and it would be good to take it before I take Painting I. 

Lastly, I found out that my advisor has reviewed my transcripts and gave me a pass on College Writing II because I did take a writing course for my B.S. degree 50 years ago. I don't get credit but that's one less non-art class I have to take, I still have to take 2 History classes, 2 Political Science classes, and 1 Communication class. I plan on taking them during the summer semesters and remotely so I don't have to drive to campus

Here's some bark and lichen I drew and colored today

Let's just say being back at school is interesting. Oh, how things have changed since I started college 50 years ago; did I mention that the day school started at TxSt (Texas State) it was actually 50 years to the DAY!! that I started at Case. 

First, let's set the stage for the three classes I am taking:
Art Studio I:This course emphasizes a hands-on experience with drawing and two-dimensional design. Students engage in a series of short exercises and longer projects that incorporate contemporary art-making methods such as collage, photography, sculptural exercises, digital technologies, collaborative processes and interdisciplinary activities. 

Core I: This course introduces practical and theoretical content in disciplinary and interdisciplinary art and design practices. Through thematic collaborative projects, students will engage various 2D, 3D, and 4D materials, methods, tools, and concepts independently and in relation to each other.

College Writing I: Expository writing as a means of exploring and shaping ideas. Emphasis on critical reading and the improvement of essays through revision.

I have Writing and Studio on Tuesdays and Thursday; Studio meets for 3 hours each day and Writing meets for 1.5 hours each day  and Core on Fridays (4 hours all at once).  

I leave the house 2 hours before classes start since the drive is about 50 minutes long. Note: I leave Boots plenty of food and water so she can nibble through the day. I park in the commuter parking lot on the far east side of campus. Due to all the construction on campus many other lots are closed so they gave us the shitty lot. I then walk just under 10 minutes to get the shuttle stop to take the bus to the Student Center, this is in the middle of the campus. From the there I walk to the Arts building on the far West side of campus. The bus cuts the morning walk in half and a lot of it is uphill. I have time before class starts to get what I need from my art locker and finish the coffee I am carrying with me. After Studio, I walk to either one of the dining halls or the food court restaurants for lunch and I relax before Writing I starts; I have a 2 hour break for lunch and then walk to Writing which puts me about a quarter of the way back to the parking lot. After class I walk downhill and through the park, by the San Marcos river and eventually to my car for the drive home. On Fridays, after Core I, sometimes grab dinner in the dining hall, but walk all the way back to my car.
​
Here are my FitBit stats from last week. Yes it is a lot of walking! At the end of the first week, I fell asleep in the chair, watching TV, on Friday night.  Yes, I am kinda out of shape so that's why I take the bus in the morning; I am aiming to walk both directions in a few more weeks. 

How for my thoughts on the classes and school in general.

I found Studio and Core to be frustrating at first because we are sketching things and some of us in class have NO formal drawing experience; there are students who are making wonderful drawings. I spoke to both teachers and they said we are not getting graded on the quality of the drawings but on class participation, grasping concepts, and getting the assignments completed, participating in peer reviews and more which made me feel much better.  Below the FitBit picture are some of the drawings I have done; the last one is single point perspective which I had no issue making since I learned this back in Drafting and Mechanical Engineering classes at Case. Writing I, which I have to take because it's a core requirement for Post-Baccalaureate/Graduate students, and which I thought I would be bored in is actually quite enjoyable. We are reading various essays and articles and writing responses, summaries, and whole new essays along with peer reviews.

As for home work - in Studio I we have to do 2 sketches, at home, each week and we share them in class on Tuesdays. We do a larger drawing on Thursdays which we have to finish at home and upload into the assignment web page in the CANVAS system ( Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) used by universities and colleges worldwide to support online teaching and learning). Core hasn't really had homework unless you don't finish what we are working on in class and then you bring it back to class. Next week in Core we are doing peer reviews of all the work we have done for the first three weeks (I don't have pictures) such as Cyanotypes, Negative drawings, and Contour Drawings.  For Writing I, we had to read an essay each week and write either a response or a summary. This week we have to write a full essay with sections that are summary, illustration, and response, based upon one of the three essays we have already read. The draft was due Tuesday and the final version is due this week; which we upload into Canvas but have to hand in the draft and the final version too. Let's just say I am busy and glad I did not take more classes.

And finally, here are all my other thoughts.
OH, these kids are sooooo young. There are a few students in my classes that are in their later 20's but most are right out of High School.  Even walking around campus there are very few "older" students. I am even older than my teachers; I overheard one student in Core say "my grandfather was born in the 60's.." let's just say I kept my mouth shut. And on the bus the other day, a girl sitting in one of the front seats marked for disabled riders offered me her seat; I thanked her but declined.  Now, let's also discuss what these kids are wearing around campus; lets just say OY-VEY. I see people wearing long sleeved sweatshirts with hood up but short shorts barely showing below the sweatshirt; tube tops covered in rhinestones or spaghetti strap t's and all sorts of baggy, ripped, shorts and pants; gym shorts, sweat pants; if you can imagine it, it's here. There are crocs everywhere or slippers, flip-flops, Doc Martens, high top sneakers, Birkenstocks and more for footwear.  As for me I wear a T-shirt and shorts with socks and sturdy shoes because with flat feet, I need good arch support for all these miles I am walking. 

It's time for me to get some homework completed. 

I started to plan this trip back in April or May when I decided to attend my 50th High School reunion. 
Day 1 - Drive to Memphis, Tennessee
Day 2 - Drive to Roanoke, Virginia
Day 3 - Drive into Pennsylvania and scatter some of Erich ashes on his father's grave site; continue into NJ. Have dinner with Liza Nechamkin.
Day 4 - Drive to Tom's (H.S. friend) in N.J and hang with him and his wife.
Day 5 - Drive to Long Island and go to the informal get together in town and talk to friends who were not going to the dinner
Day 6 - Pick up Pam (another H.S friend). Visit our old houses, visit with another friend I have knowns since 3rd grade and her mother, scatter some ashes on the beach. Attend reunion dinner and see lots of people I never knew in H.S along with many I did.
Day 7 - Drive to my parents gravesite and scatter more ashes and then take Tom back to NJ and head to D.C
Day 8 - Hang with my sister and go the the Cryptologic Museum at the NSA and a quilt exhibit
Day 9 - Hang with my sister and go to the FBI Experience at the FBI headquarters and another exhibit at Smithsonian which were fiber arts and quilts
Day 10 - Drive from Washington D.C to Williamsburg, Virginia
Day 11 - Hang with my brother-in-law John and take a side trip to Colonial Williamsburg
Day 12 - Drive from Williamsburg, Virginia to southern North Carolina
Day 13 - Hang with my cousin Amy, her husband Andy, their daughter Jen, and her son Conner.
Day 14 - Drive from southern North Carolina to Memphis, Tennessee 
Day 15 - Drive from Memphis to HOME!!
Day 16 - PICKUP BOOTs
Some pictures are out of order; I think you can deal with it