I am working on a series of voodoo boxes for a show at the Plymouth Coffee Bean in October and November. This is my first finished box, it is dedicated to Baron Samedi, a loa of the dead. The loa are much like the Catholic saints. I am making boxes dedicated to several of the loa family. Baron Samedi (french for Baron Saturday) hangs out in cemeteries. The box is approximately 10″x10″.
Yesterday was a very busy day. It started in Eastern market, then down to the Riverfront, where there is a map of Detroit in the pavement. The map doesn’t quite make it out to Plymouth, Mark and I had to settle for Livonia.
First stop was Eastern Market, where we met up with friends and relatives, bought produce, and had an enormous breakfast at the Farmer’s Restaurant. We would need that food/fuel later.
Then on to a long architectural bike tour of Detroit. This tour was 15 miles, and took about 3.5 hours. I would tell you of all the sights we saw, the majestic buildings, the different styles, but every time our guide stopped to talk my thoughts turned from architecture to “how did I get into this and how do I get out of it?” I am not good on a bike. I am awful on a bike. I was having thoughts like “If I were to pull out in front of a slow moving car could he hit me hard enough to get me off the tour but gentle enough not to cause any permanent damage?” I should add that of the six of us that went on the tour together, five of us enjoyed it very much. If you want to talk about how wonderful the tour was, talk to Mark, his brother and sister-in-law, and their friends. If you want to know how much my butt hurts, talk to me.
Then on to the Heidelberg Project, where they were having a big party. 
They were celebrating the art of Tyree Guyton.
I love Heidelberg street! You can walk it easy, no bicycle needed.
Every place you look is more interesting than the last.
Though this house is covered with polka dots, it wasn’t the polka they were doing.
It was Michael Jackson’s dance from Thriller, by a group of very pretty zombies who invited us all to join in!
After this, an elegant dinner in Detroit, then on to the Bizarre Bazaar hosted by Theatre Bizarre!
Entertainment, artwork, and exceptional people watching.
We didn’t get home until after 1 in the morning, a very full day! I’m gonna take it easy today.
Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places Lynn Krawczyk spends her life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. If you’d like to join her by posting a photo on Sunday of places you’ve been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on her Sunday posts telling her where she can find you/your photo and she’ll add a link to her sidebar so others can find you. I am one of those that Lynn has badgered into joining her, I have changed it to “where I stood”, because right now I’m sitting in front of the computer, not standing anywhere.
Last time Mark and I were in North Carolina, we bought a big metal face to hang on the peak of our front porch. The other day, Mark decided it was time to get the face up there.
I thought we would just hang it, but Mark had a vision. He saw red and orange behind the face, and asked me to paint it. Try as I might, I could not see his vision.
So Mark started painting. When he first started with the red, I wasn’t at all worried, because I knew it would be easy for me to paint over it. Then he continued with the yellow, and I started to see what he meant.
Once Mark added the orange, I thought maybe this would work.
Then Mark held the face in place, and I knew he’d done the right thing.
Here she is, all finished and waiting to greet you.
I’m very happy with our big face.
Walking the nature trails of Rotary Park in Livonia. Someone walked before me, with lots of spray paint.
Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places Lynn Krawczyk spends her life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. If you’d like to join her by posting a photo on Sunday of places you’ve been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on her Sunday posts telling her where she can find you/your photo and she’ll add a link to her sidebar so others can find you. I am one of those that Lynn has badgered into joining her, I have changed it to “where I stood”, because right now I’m sitting in front of the computer, not standing anywhere.
Daffodils were blooming in Indiana,
and I’ve colored the eggs. Ready for Easter!
Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places Lynn Krawczyk spends her life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. If you’d like to join her by posting a photo on Sunday of places you’ve been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on her Sunday posts telling her where she can find you/your photo and she’ll add a link to her sidebar so others can find you. I am one of those that Lynn has badgered into joining her, I have changed it to “where I stood”, because right now I’m sitting in front of the computer, not standing anywhere.
In my new shoes! Of course they didn’t look like this when I bought them.
They looked like this! I have been having problems with my feet, and I knew my walking shoes had no padding left and pinched my toes, so I thought new shoes was a good place to start. I was also pretty sure I would have to spend some real money on them, something that pains me greatly. I walked into Running Fit, and the sales lady was like no other sales lady I’ve dealt with. I told her my problems, and she told me how this was gonna work. I was to take off my shoes and roll up my jeans so she could watch me walk, then she would measure my feet and study the bottoms of my shoe for the wear pattern, then I would try on shoes. It turns out I’m a half size to a full size bigger than the shoe I’ve been wearing. I suppose that alone should help quite a bit. Then the lady pulled out six pairs of shoes and said “This is how it’s going to work. You put on two shoes from two different pairs, walk around the store, and one is the winner, and one is the loser. The loser goes back in the box. Then we test the winner against another shoe.” Well, we went on like this through all the shoes and bought the most comfortable pair. She wouldn’t talk style or price at all. We just talked comfort. I’ve never bought anything like that before. When Mark told her I wanted shoes with skulls on them, she replied “That’s what markers are for.” So that’s what I did, I decorated the expensive ugly shoes (I think all running shoes are kinda ugly, nothing against this particular brand) with markers. Oh, and the googly-eyes were the saleslady’s idea!
Yes, they are helping a lot!!
That project I eluded to on Sunday? Well, it is three stools that I painted, and I just finished them!
I’m very happy with the way they came out. They make me smile.
Yesterday Mark and I were trying to find a certain color paint. We have a paint room deep in the bowels of our basement. Mark was looking at the paint on the top shelf, he was standing on a five gallon bucket of paint so he could reach the shelf. Well, the lid of the paint bucket gave out, and Mark’s shoe was immediately covered in a pale blue-grey. After uttering a not very nice word, Mark stood with his one foot above the paint bucket while I ran to get rags and tried not to laugh too much. I managed to sponge off a lot of paint, get his shoe off, and then wash the shoe thoroughly. We sponged off the little bit of paint he got on his shorts, and he found different, paintless socks and shoes to wear. Later, when Mark and I were walking the neighborhood, I realized I had quite a bit of paint on my legs, though I wasn’t near the bucket when it happened. I came to realize that I am an empath. I take on other people’s paint.
In way too big brewers boots! These boots were made for brewin’…..
My friend Jim the brewer asked if I’d be interested in painting his boots, you knew my answer. I painted hops growing on a ladder for the wonderful beer that will be made.
The skulls and snakes are voodoo to ward off bad batches of pale ale and stout. The gold star shapes are the shadows of pentagrams to help with the witchcraft that is brewing.
There’s even gold in the tread to send energy up from the feet! Excellent beer will be brewed in these boots!
They’re done, Jim, come anytime and pick them up!