Christmas is Over!

This year the record was set: Four people cried on the phone with me during Christmas! The worst year ever! And then I was accused of holding on to a journal from a swap. So...I am pleased to say that Christmas is over and next year: some other strategy. Not sure what, but hey!
In the meantime, I am going to show my latest work: Golden birthday girl, which is a painted transparency collage. I will use it for birthday cards.
Also I have scanned some vintage pages from a nursery songs book and I hope to have them available to upload.
Happy New Year!

Self Help

Since School started, I have been overwhelmed with the frenzy created by one person. But...after much work on my part to calm and center myself, I have begun to return to living. I made an altered book to help me through the journey in the petrified forest and I am now making another one to deal with my other interesting problem. The books are my attempt to make my own self help books. I am no longer going to depend on platitudes of others, but will document my own progress as I begin to go through it all.
To self-help!

Adios Amiga

The Day of the Dead skulls are done for Art Society! But the leader won't be there. Instead, we will be honoring her with our art. Vickie Enkoff died last Friday. Although I had only known her two years, I felt so honored to know her. She was a great artist and a fabulous human being. So the Art Society girls are meeting one last time to do Day of the Dead skulls and celebrate in art our wonderful friend, Vickie. How I wish I had known her longer! Thank you, mi amiga, for all the inspiration you gave me!

More Day of the Dead skulls

This is Blue Boy, another Day of the Dead skull I have finished. The skulls for Art Society are being made now. I managed to make six while watching two chapters of "Pasiones de Gavilanes," which stars the muy guapisimo Mario Cimarro. This is a Telemundo novela, so Kristen Lilly is in it as well. This novela kept me going and entertained while dipping my hands in papermache paste. There is much to say for entertainment by Mario.

Wedding Pictures and No more Fashion Design!

It seems like no time at all since I was in Puerta Vallarta for the wedding. The picture is of the bride and groom and both families. What a cute couple! Usually I go to weddings with this pessimistic view point and kind of guess how long the wedding will last. But these two are very cute and it looks like this might be successful.
This week I had two fashion design ideas. Both of them bombed. No more fashion designing for me! The next batch of skulls turned out better because I switched paste. I used the old flour, water and glue recipe. This is better for the balloons. The good news is that it is so hot, the skulls dry fast. The bad news is that it is so hot. Only 17 more skulls to go!

Bad Vibes

Today I was working on the Day of the Dead skulls and had technical problems. The skulls "imploded." A balloon is the base of the skull and when I poked the hole for the eyes, the balloon didn't burst exactly. So, I had to scrap two of the three skulls I was working on. I am thinking the glue really bonded to the balloon and so I am changing to the paste that Kathy suggests. I will do one with new paste and then if it doesn't work, it's the balloons. The third one I had to build up but it was salvagable.
I attribute this to the fact that right before I went to work on them, my friend and are were talking and complaining. I have tried to be so--well, if not positive, then not negative. And we were just on our merry way complaining like we do. This is what we talk about. So I will try to reverse the bad vibes tomorrow with positives all day! I think it affects my art!

Thrift Store scores!

Got back from Mexico--about which more later when I have time to upload some sweet pictures of the newlyweds--and decided to go to the Community Thrift Store on Arrow in Covina. I truly scored. I got a huge bag of punchinello in silver and a navy(?) for $1.50 and some lace used to make thongs. Another big bag for a buck fifty! There must be 20 (?) yards of pink panty lace. Then there were these front of thong things (for lack of a better term) made with net and ribbon sewn on them. In various colors. And som black velvet ribbon front of thong things as well. I am so naive that I kept wondering what they were used for until there was an actual made thong in the bottom of the bag! I thought the black would enhance a lot of things for me. We'll see about the others.
I also bought a large glass relish tray for $2 to replace the one that got taken by someone else at the last party I brought stuff to. Why I only buy stuff like that at the thrift store.

Mardi Gras Woman

Everyone at Art Society liked Mardi Gras Woman, but me! I liked the other two smaller ones I made--pictures later. Mardi Gras woman got trashed before I left for vacation.

Stress?

This week has been the most stressful of my life---without someone dying. The work continues to be hard and demanding is the name of the game. And I received word that my boss wants me out by next year. The reason? I am not bilingual. No, the reason is I am bilingual--and getting better all the time--but I remind her of the previous boss. And I could be fluent in Spanish and still not be right for her. So I am looking at options.
Summer School is over and testing cntinues. With an added bonus of testing the Kinders on entry skills as well as language. But... one more week and I will be finished for the time being.
I did another skull with wallpaper paste and glue this time. I will paint it this weekend and post. It is smaller than the others. I will need more balloons if I continue to do this project. Sculpting the paper mache has been fun for me and relazing. I need to do more to alleviate the stress. Oh! and find another job.

And another one bites the dust!

Today I heard that another teacher--a true gem!---had been offered and accepted a job a the new magnet school. This leaves us without a sixth grade teacher and a CELDT administrator. And a personal friend. I am truly learning the need to be flexible and to be one of those "door closes, window opens" kind of people.
But... really, the art is all. I have finished another skull but will not upload yet, since i may want to tweak it a little. This one has a lot of glitter on it. And those eyelashes I got from Kelly, they're on there.
School is becoming more successful as I gain the students' trust. They are writing better all the time.
To take my mind off the impending loss of Marlene, Matt and i went to RiteAid where they had cotton candy ice cream and I had a half a scoop. It was delicious! Mood altering ice cream!
And finally, "I remain confident and unaffected by negative attitudes around me." That's my new affirmation. Does that mean my own????

Freedom?

The new principal has begun to change a lot of things at school. This is somewhat upsetting to me, but since (so far) I have not been asked to move rooms or been observed, I am relieved. But paranoid!
On another subject, Matt has been here two weeks now and he is setting into the boredom. He does some chores for me every day, but it is so hot now that I feel guilty asking him to do stuff.
And in the art area, I have completed one Day of the Dead skull. I have downloaded a picture of the first one of what will be many. I certainly like doing these! The instructions are in Kathy Cano Murillo's book, La Casa Loca. Thanks, Kathy!

And More Changes

We have three teachers that were told to pack up their stuff 'cause they were not being re-hired for next year. And they did. And Tuesday they were told they were coming back! Wow! How can a company do that to people? Is that the way it is in the real world????
And Matt and I had a good talk and he is coming over for the month and will stay home. He promises not to be bored or set fire to the house. I will pay him to do chores and stuff. And we will have regular outings somewhere--Not sure where yet.
Summer school is almost ready. Tomorrow is my final day to prepare. Then I intend to take the weekend off and go back on Monday to teach 2nd and 3rd grade English Learners. Today I sent out letters to the students reminding them that they need to show up at 8. There are a couple of kids and their parents who are worrisome to me, but I did teach Summer School two years ago. I hope I'm going to remember what to do! Reading, Writing, Math, right??? Lots of writing! And snacks?
I was extremely frustrated and went home on Monday and made a one page book/shrine "What Would Frida Do?--A book to replace dependence on La Virgen" Then Tuesday I made "What Would Salvador Do?" I hope to go through all my dream team members, reminding me that I have them on my side. Robert Goren is next!

We have a new Principal

Tuesday at the board meeting the new principals were announced. We have Petra Franco, who was predicted by one of my friends about a month ago (she has insider info). She came over to school to visit and told Tina that she has 5 people selected to fill 5 of the (now) 9 vacancies. So she knew she was coming a long time ago. And she is scaring the staff and she hasn't taken over yet. One teacher worked with her at another school and is transferring as we speak. Another is afraid she will have a heart attack from anxiety.
The good thing for me is that I will be assisting her and I am good at "Back-up." She is a real hands on person, and decisive, so I will not have to run the school anymore. I will definitely miss the people I met doing the budget and stuff, but I am looking forward to this year with an emphasis on kids and parents---and good teaching.
So...I am preparing for summer school with Madeline Hunter's seven step lesson plan in full view. And I am hoping that she will let me keep Matt on campus!
Changes! Changes! Changes!

No Pressure!

We still haven't found out who the new principal is! This is nerve racking! I have particular worries because I want to know what the new prin will want me to do--or not do. It seems unlikely that the new person will want me to do as much as I was doing. My main job is to test students and to coordinate the testing of all the students in the school. I am also reponsible for the records of EL students and keeping them up to date. For this I have a master's degree? This summer I am teaching EL's with an emphasis on writing. I am hoping that this class will carry forward to the fall and that I can continue to teach this group on a daily basis. But again, I don't know what the new prin will want me to do. Tutoring groups all day? Records? Cleaning the floors of the bathrooms? I need to know and I need to know now!

On another subject, Matthew and I went out to Round Table in Upland tonight. We ordered the Family Special. We got the parmesan twists and then we didn't get the pizza. After 20 minutes, I asked about it and the counter person asked me, "Didn't you get it already?" I just looked back at him. He checked and they gave it away--to someone, some time ago. He did refund my money for the whole family special even though we had the sodas and the twists. But this is the second Round Table that this has happened. And Chili's! Don't get me started! They never seem to get our order! Is it me? Is it Matthew? Is it the combination of Matthew and me? And I bet they didn't ge† the order mixed up of the guy who had at least 10 piercings!

My Boss's Retirement

My whole week this week was taken up with finishing the prep for the retirement dinner for my boss. We had it at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho and there were 46 people who attended. The group was happy and they enjoyed the Tina Trivia Contest. Tina realized that the prizes were her own tchotchkes from her office after about the fourth or fifth person opened a prize.
The event was like closure for us all. New rules, new boss. And new job for Tina, hopefully resting. This is a picture of Tina trying to get a prize back. But the rules clearly stated that you could not give the prize back.

Altered Postcards

Everybody always says that you must do art every day! So ...I have been altering postcards as a kind of warm up for the more "serious" art I want to do. So here's the newest one: Zen Garden

New Blog!

Although I had a blog before, I wasn't consistent in contributing to it. After seeing so many other beautiful blogs, I wanted to share some of the art work I am doing. My goal was 60 works of art for 60 years. I don't have 60 but I have some. Here are some examples. These are "tinnies" that I made. I just couldn't stop making them after I started! I have them all over the house and I have more tin cans to make into. I am trying to do other things, but occasionally I will sneak a tinnie into my art work.