All my week-ends crashing together

Hubby says when we get our lives sorted out, we will live 6 months in Idaho and 6 months in Texas, and he wants to do so forever. Hands down the 6 in Texas will start with October...  That is when the serious festivals begin. The ones we like anyhow.  There are festivals of some sort here year round, but the ones we go to all happen in October and November.  The main reason for that is that it is starting to cool off. 

But this year, October has plain flat worn me out.  Every week-end we have had something to do.  Sometimes I just want to stay home.  Hubby keeps saying, but we have always done this or that or whatever it may be.  It's tradition.  Well here are some of our traditions.  October 11th we went to a mask making workshop at the Mexic-Arte museum for the masks and large bat float.

The following week-end was the actual parade.

Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead

Parade and Festival October 18th

Next up, the 35th Anniversary celebration of a store we have been shopping at for about 20 years. The owner Marcia leads trips to Mexico and also imports wonderful arts and crafts from there.

We usually buy at least one important piece from her each year on our Anniversary.  I admired a couple of things when I was there, and later saw Hubby sneak by with a package and take it to the car. It is in the living room now, and I haven't peeked once. Our anniversary is on Monday.

 

 

The lovely lady in the center photo and with the mariachis is Marcia Lucas. You can read her story and see some of the kind of folk art she carries in the store.  The blurry photo of the lady in the pink skirt and cowboy boots, is Lucinda Hutson, local cookbook author. She was moving about so fast I never did get a good photo of her.  She has the coolest clothes, jewelry and cowboy boots.

 

Same week-end, (25th and 26th) we also attended the Texas Book Festival, at the capitol grounds. I was too busy shopping to take many photos.

Hubby with capitol in background

Looking down one row of tents with books, authors, music, merchandise, food.

 

 

Next up...beautiful cool fall day for the Grand Prix of the Americas. If you've been reading for awhile you've seen my race car photos, so I'll keep these to a minimum.  Just some highlights. Like the Navy skydivers, and when my favored to win driver led the race for 24 laps and then his team mate, Hubbys favored to win overtook him on lap 25 and stayed in 1st place to the end. The two guys in the photo are Alberto and Hernando, they are from Mexico City, but live in Austin now.  I've decided doing the collages on Picasa is the best way to go when I have several photos instead of stringing them out.  

 

 

Almost forgot to mention, after the races Kid Rock was playing in the 360 Ampitheatre stage. We walked over and listened for awhile.  There were a few other concerts going on in the area, so there were a lot of competing sounds.

The Festivals of October

I cannot believe I am so far behind in posting about all the fall festivals.  But just going to them all has kept me so busy that I believe I may be suffering from what might be called Festival Fatigue.  The entire month of October, every week-end was spent attending some kind of event. I had started this story several times, but today just deleted it all.  I'll post some photos of a few of the places we went. 
 First of the month, local Museum Day, when all the museums have free entry.  We made it to a couple of locations then went to Mexic-Arte for a sculpture demo and make and take. Fun, but challenging, lots of laughs from those who had not worked with this clay before. Some of us had experience as children with clay, but not a lot as adults. The guest artist Angelica Vasquez was so interesting and helpful to everyone.  She actually made the tiny flowers on my hat, so I just used them instead of continuing my efforts to make my own!

 Mine, the lady in green(forgot her name) and Hubs on the end.

The following Saturday, we went to another make and take, a carving demo. Once again, I had not done any carving in so long, I was at a loss.  Hubby jumped right in and did the Heart, and I struggled with a fish.  The young boy across from me did the shark and we traded a print. The main reason I am posting these photos, both of the carving and the clay is this...  When you don't do something for a long time, you forget how. At least that seems to apply to me, as I have gotten older.  When you continue to do it on a regular basis, you get better at it and can see progress.  So my juvenile attempts were pretty humbling, but gave me the challenge I need to try to improve in both of these mediums.    

 
Dia de los Muertos came the next week-end.  The Mexic-Arte festival used to be held at the end of the month, closer to the actual date ( Nov1 and 2nd) but they have moved it up the past couple of years because of conflicts with so many other festivals.  This is the first and traditional one, read about it here.  MexicArte-fest  This holiday has become very Anglo-cized over the years.

  

 

 

One hundred Catrinas were stenciled on the outside wall, in honor of the 100th anniversary of JoseGuadalupe Posada, the artist who created the original la catrina blockprint.  We had one done in memoriam for Hubs Mother, who passed two years ago.

 

We have also gone to a couple of music events, the Texas Book Festival, a football game, a convention for work, another art festival.  I must say I am worn out from all the activity.  I am getting too old for this constant running around. I know you are thinking, well then just stay home!  Ha Ha.  There are so many tempting things to go to, that it is difficult to resist.  November has begun with a bang as well, and the month is filled with things that have nothing to do with the Holidays.  I am planning some serious sleeping and relaxing at home over Thanksgiving.

Farewell to September

How quickly time passes, regardless of whether you are having fun or not.  Slow days have been my September.  Being kind of lazy some days, whirling about other days.  A lot of sitting, thinking, watching, planning.  Oh yes, procrastination at it's finest!  I've been noticing the shadows, the way they change in September.  Finding it harder to wake up since it's darker longer in the morning.  Wandered downstairs the other morning and was struck by the light shining through the back door curtains. 

 

I've started gathering up things for Dia de los Muertos  coming up in awhile.  This link is to events from 2012. If you look closely you can see the skull hanging on the bakers rack to the right. It's a new one I just bought.  The local parade is being held this year on October 19th.  A bit early, as they usually don't have it until close to the actual days...November1st and 2nd.  At least, in years past, it was closer to the original date.  Not sure why they have moved the local celebrations earlier in the month, but have noticed the past few years it is earlier.  I am determined to finish a couple of the things I started last year and let fall by the wayside.  I seriously seem to have become the Queen of Unfinished Objects the past couple of years!  Not even going to try to analyze that, just attempt to make things right, at least in my own mind, for this coming month alone.

 

 

 

Blue Skies Above and Fall Festivals

No matter how life is going, you can always look up and the sky is still there. Lately it has been such a brilliant blue. I love how the sky looks in the fall. The clouds are crisp, even if the air is not yet. In Texas it never feels to me like FALL...We go from hot hot hot to an ice storm, usually. It has been cool in the mornings, but not crisp like I prefer fall to be.


At least it's cool enough to start baking. I've made Pumpkin Scones last week, and these are Cranberry. Both were pretty tasty.


The world keeps turning. It has now been 10 days since Hubby's mother passed. It does not seem possible. Some days it seems like it has been longer, some days we speak of her and it seems like yesterday. Hubby is doing fine, it helps that he is in close touch by phone with his siblings, and knows he can talk whenever he feels like it. I had the weirdest feeling the other night, when it struck me that never again will I have to, or be able to, remind him to call his Mom. He used to get so busy that a few weeks would go by and I would always say "please call your Mom".

I had thought it might be too soon for us to go to the Dia de los Muertos Festival this past week-end. He said it was okay, and I think it may have been therapeutic. Too soon for a shrine for his Mom though. Probably next year.
I'm a bit disappointed in this years photos. For some reason the settings on my camera went a little wacky. I didn't get many of the parade at all, the streets were so crowded. I did get a few costumes and make-ups that I'll share. I totally loved the girl in the pink hair, because she was wearing a little golden antler on top!

Perfecting my Disorganizational Skills

Some days I feel like I spend half my time searching for things. Doesn't matter what it is I need, I have to go on a search for it. No wonder I rarely get any artwork done. By the time I have uncovered everything I need for a project, I am so exhausted I don't have the energy to create. There was a time many years ago I was probably one of the most organized people on the planet. That is what is so baffling about the problems I am having now. How and when did this happen? Well, I suppose part of it is just amassing so darn much "STUFF". Living in the same place for 16 years has contributed to it as well. When one moves every 3 to 5 years there is a constant cleaning out of things to lighten the load. Being able to indulge in my passion for all things paper, as well as my shiny magpie nature, has led to gathering way too much. I haven't had to make many choices over the past few years, just gather whatever suits my fancy. Gather it in faster than you use it up and pretty soon you have a problem. I was thinking I might be a hoarder, until I actually saw an episode of that show. Well, what a relief to find I am NOT. Of course it is just one of the many jokes among us creative types, that yes, I really DO need 27 pairs of scissors. Actually if you ask the hubster, he would probably say I have more than that. Sigh. Well, what prompted this ranting and raving, you ask? Once again, I have misplaced something that I have spent days searching for. My lovely Frida Kahlo necklace that I made for Dia de los Muertos several years ago. I didn't have it for the parade last Saturday, and it appears I won't have it for the actual celebrations this week-end. It is very important to me, so why don't I put it back in the same place twice? No, I lay it down wherever I happen to take it off, and then it gets buried with something else, or swept into a basket when I am "tidying" up. And that is not the only Dia de los Muertos jewelry I have misplaced, so it must all be hanging out together someplace. Even though I did have a few things to wear, I really need and want my Frida necklace. The hubster wants the shrine I made for him a few years ago too, but says he understands...Odds are I will find it next week when I am searching for something else.

The small collection I was able to find to wear.

It was a fine night for a Parade

One of my favorite events of the year, among all the Festivals and events, is Dia de los Muertos. Even though the date is not until Nov.1st and 2nd, the parade and party was on Saturday the 24th. Colorful, lots of good music and wonderful food. The weather was cool and so comfortable. Some years it's so hot it doesn't feel like fall. Y'all know how I feel about HOT weather...ick. I'll be putting some more photos up on my Flickr site, but here's a few for now.