Say What?

Tammy and I have gone vegan—sort of. We've been attempting to go without meat and fish for the past five weeks with good success. I've said from the outset that I would be happy if I was maybe 80% in adherence to the diet but so far I'm closer to 95%. We're still trying to figure out what works for us as we've had our share of failed experiences with some different plant-based meat substitutes. It's important to not let those bad experiences dissuade us from pressing on and finding enough alternatives that work for us. I think we're doing pretty well. I unexpectedly took an extended break from my glass studio while piddling around with some other alternative style designs, mostly Art Nouveau, but mostly I was experiencing a designer-block of sorts. I was able to come up with several designs  (an example) but nothing fully fleshed out. I switched gears and settled on  this design instead. I liken it to a modest Japanese style contemporary home. Here's...

I've been neglecting my stained glass art for the past 5 weeks as I find myself enjoying our Minnesota winter like maybe never before. It began when I studded the tires on my fat-bike and took to the trails; something I've not been able to do the past few winters because of ice and a promise to my doctor that I wouldn't get too crazy on my bike knowing that head injuries and coumadin don't play well together. It also helps that we've had some very reasonable temps for being outdoors—just a few degrees below freezing for the most part. I woke up this morning to see that we were living in a snow globe. It was beautiful! This winter finds me looking forward to snow in the forecast, whereas recent winters not so much—even the 8" (20 cm) variety of snowfalls we received overnight and today is perfectly fine with me. I waited for the snow to stop before clearing our drive and walkways then I suited up to snowshoe the river trails. I arrived to see that several ...

Sue, my brother's wife, and life partner passed away in their home with family at her side late this morning at 11:00 Pacific time after a nearly 5-year struggle with cancer. They were married for more than 47 years and together for more than 50. I was just a boy when she came into our family. I've added two videos at the end of this post from those early years where Sue can be seen in her early 20s. I admired her for her never-wavering faith and for her kindness toward others. Sue also had a keen eye for design and turned that into her profession. She was always such a sweet and beautiful presence to be around. Tammy and I took a trip out west to see Sue and Bryan (aka Dave) where they live near Portland in the spring of 2018 while Sue's cancer was in remission. We had such a nice time and are so thankful for having made the trip. We will miss her greatly.

I got word last week that Mark Kooiman passed away just weeks after his 60th birthday. Mark and I worked together in the late '80s to early '90s but our paths then diverged and we saw very little of each other after that. That wasn't uncommon working in the kind of 24-hour facility we worked in. Mark was a quiet type who mostly kept to himself. I didn't know him well but still, it was shocking and sad news to learn. I've looked for Mark's obituary but I haven't been able to find it. I was out riding on Monday and feeling like I should've stayed home. My adrenal gland was still in its prednisone induced slumber and I had so little energy since coming off the drug 6 days earlier. I tell myself that by forcing my body to workout, I'm encouraging my adrenal gland to re-engage. I doubt it works that way but it's what motivates me to get off the couch. I was back down riding the trails again Wednesday afternoon and I felt so much better. The old me h...

I received a message last week through my Etsy account from a couple in Michigan inquiring if I'd be interested in making 4 smallish stained glass panels for them. They gave me some ideas of what they were after based on some examples they found on my Etsy site . I opened my DeltaCad program and proceeded to sketch a design  that I thought might appeal to them. It did. We exchanged a few more messages to iron out the details and then I got busy breathing life into their request. I've had other inquiries for custom work through Etsy but never one that resulted in someone commissioning me to do a project for them. It was a good experience to walk through the process of putting an order together, completing it and sending it off. Honestly, tho, I have to be careful about commission work because it's not the same as when I'm producing work that I'm moved to make. I don't suppose I have much to worry about in that regard. I can't say enough good things about ...

I'm on a sardine kick lately. I know, I'm weird. I hadn't had a can of sardines in dozens of years until a few weeks ago. I was strolling the aisles at Cub Foods when I spied the sardine section and for whatever reason, I placed a few cans in my cart. Tammy gave me a sideways glance when she saw my purchase after returning home. Fast-forward to a few days ago when I was back at Cub to replenish my disappeared sardine supply—I think I must've had 20 cans in my cart. I'm at the checkout bagging my groceries when the guy ringing up my order yells down to me, "What's up with all the sardines!?" "I like 'em!" was my quick reply. And I do! I'm glad I wasn't buying 20 packs of condoms. I continue to add to  my inventory  of stained glass sun-catchers (my  most recent creation ) but I think I'm about to focus my attention on the openings above our  main-level cabinets  and come up with a design for stained glass panels for them. The...

I've come to appreciate more than ever the beautiful red barns and stately trees I pass on my gravel rides—and I'm not alone, at least when it comes to admiring trees. A friend recently began a challenge in a Facebook cycling group—the challenge being to post photos of lone trees (preferably with a bike in the photo —thank you, Bruce!) to see if others can identify the location of the tree. How one marks the location of the tree is quite unique. It's done using the  what3words  app. Check it out. I'll have to wait until springtime when I'm back on the gravel roads near Northfield before I can play along. But until then, my current location is: economies.music.plot. What 3 words mark your location? And speaking of mapping: Google Street View made its rounds of our neighborhood again this past year— May 23rd to be exact while our roof was being reshingled. I can't publish this blog post without making mention of Trump* being impeached along party li...