Art galleries

 

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

There are two tiny birds on wires here.

Gallery at Center for the Arts in Black Mountain.

I'm also going to start posting some photos of the Asheville Art Museum...where I visited last Sunday.

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I woke at 3 am and by 4 decided I may as well get up. There was just this one problem. Light headed upon standing. I heated up a 3/4 cup of left over coffee and walked with a hand on the walls and furniture back to bed, where I find the iPad is great for reading blogs which friends published last night. Well, some are in England and Europe so this is their noon probably (it’s finally almost 6 am). The dizziness is strange because my friend has been complaining of it also, even got Meclazine and a diagnosis of vertigo. Wish I had some right now. But my. Question. Is. - since when is vertigo contagious? I was thinking mine was related to shortness of breath…or taking the heavy duty antibiotic for whatever is in my lungs which shouldn’t be.

But hey, I want to be able to take out the garbage…which means walking a couple dozen feet on the sidewalk! I have a cart, which means I don’t have to lift it the whole way. But that doesn’t give me stability. OK…wish me luck. In an hour or so, that is.

For now I’m drinking a protein shake and lots of water, and staying sitting up in bed.

Today's quote:

When making big changes in our life, it can be easier to break it up into a few small changes to avoid being overwhelmed.

Center for the Arts

 Last weekend was the Art in Bloom affair, the major fund raiser for our Center for the Arts here in Black Mountain. My friends and I attended just the gallery on the second day of the displays. We skipped the garden tours which were going on Friday and Saturday.

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

While people paid much more to attend the opening the night before, and got some wine and snacks for their money, I figured the air conditioning had kept most of the blooms happy overnight until Friday.

Yes, they not only looked great, there was a fabulous natural floral scent in the lobby at the top of the stairs. I may ooze a bit about that again.

My friends and I met for a late coffee, and chatted and munched to get to the art enjoyment.

As we were about to enter the Art Center, I asked them to pose for a photo. Their silliness allowed someone else to get inside ahead of us (which was no problem as the galleries weren't all that crowded.)

OK, that's more like it. Teresa's granddaughter was off school this week, and she took the opportunity to teach her the names of flowers (with some help from Helen (on right) and myself behind the camera.

I took photos of just about all the displays. But this year rather than giving a whole bunch at a time, I'll just post one for the beginning of each blog for as long as they last.

Many of my friends from the community ceramic studio offered vases for the silent auction.

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Today's quote:

Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005)

My silly hat cut into Teresa's face! I get so comfortable wearing it (hat) I forget to take it off when I get home!

Today's quote:

A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.

Rachel Naomi Remen

Cleaning up the balcony

  

An empty pot, made in 2009...don't know what I'll plant in it.

I swear these orchid blooms are just dead flowers sitting on that stem...they opened last winter, and I put them outside with all the other plants when it got warm enough!

Our balconies are really really tiny...so it's just a good place to put a few plants...if I remember to water them, since most are under an overhang.

Letting in the cool morning air (until 9 am)

All the rest of the landscape crew is missing for the last 2 weeks. Here one of the two white guys has dumped and spread the rest of the mulch. I wonder if the Hispanic guys are hiding from ICE. These times are scary.

Barry Bernstein, pottery, 1949

Bounty and Soul brings a lot of fresh produce and day old bread, and even eggs, to distribute to the senior residents here once a week. I only want bread at this point. I've enough veggies that I should be cooking them up. Anyway, I love this sourdough, which had expired a few days before I received it, and it went into the freezer.  

The sources of day old groceries may remain, but the grants for Bounty and Soul, and Mana Food Bank are expiring June 30. That pays for the guys who deliver, and the gas in their trucks. Many volunteers keep things working, but I don't know if they'll still be in existence after the end of this month. Elders are known as being food insecure. Just look at what I had for dinner the other night...no don't!

At our local grocery, I got 4 chocolate croissants that were only $2.98 rather than double that usually. And then I had coffee with friends and paid about $5 for one croissant there! It's helping the economy I figure. I get the chocolate, and a decaf Americano to drink with it!

I received this lovely bracelet last Christmas but lost the details about it. I think someone may have identified the black stones as lava rock (as they have a bit of rough finish, as well as are very light.) Good energy anyway. Seri said it is restful and energizing and absorbs negative energy.

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Another piece of art which I haven't found a good place to post.

Today's quote:

We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

Paulo Coelho

Our political situation certainly is giving us many unexpected events. I'm not pleased, most of the time. I've always believed that people power is so much more reasonable than political powers. That's supposedly what the Congress does.

This and that for Monday!

 

My favorite painting, already sold!

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

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No Kings Day - Durango Co  

My son protested in nearby Cortez CO. He said it was a good feeling to be with others sharing their minds...and only a few anti-protesters went by. Lots of cars honked in approval.

by Yuri Klapoukh Ukrainian Painter.

A sign which didn't keep him from getting elected!

(Note, posted on Wednesday before!) I'd love to go to this...maybe when parking is easy and it's  not too hot and not a huge crowd. OK, probably won't go.

Something I saved from Facebook!

Something else I saved from Facebook. Not going to do it, but it sure looks easy! 

I used to love this glaze...don't have any pieces (wait, one bowl) of it. It no longer does that fun splotching when white glaze is put on over glossy green...thin layers of course. That was because some chemicals were either not available any more, or cost too much, so the studio changed recipes of the glazes.

Today's quote:

Admitting grief does not diminish us, it strengthens us and makes us more compassionate.

Trebbe Johnson --------------- Yesterday I got a zoom pass (from the library system free) to the Asheville Art Museum. Lots of photos coming soon! I was so exhausted I fell asleep when I got home at 5ish. Ate a bowl of mashed potatoes. Ate a warmed up half a brownie with butter pecan ice cream on it. Being all grown up means I can do these things!

Small (what's the word I want for good things?)

Sorry, I wrote this before the US bombed three Iranian sites. I can't think of anything else this morning. But I'll try to reply to comments in kind.

 

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

As you can see, the paintings are already in existence, and the floral artists then make an arrangement to reflect the mood, design, colors, etc with flowers.

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 I had a great tech support person with Apple, who walked me through how to load photos from the iCloud into my blog. It may become easier. For now I have to go through each step carefully!

Here are some old photos that somehow do exist in the PC, and can be loaded "in my Apple computer." 

Never have found a good place to post this...so here it is!

I've got a neurological appointment. They finally called today (last Wednesday) and gave me a February 23 appointment. Ha ha ha.  We talked about how their office is way  north of Asheville while I live east of Asheville. And we talked about the date. No list of cancelations to be called. So people apparently call them every day to see if there's a cancelation. Right. At least I got the 2:50 pm appointment rather than the 8:20 am one!

People with memory difficulties, with fingers that won't behave because of tremors. Every day. Oh, they said, go back to your provider and ask them to send you to another clinic. I made the mistake of telling them the first one wouldn't take Medicare any more...I hope these folks still do, and that I live so long!

Joy of joys...some photos (tiny files) dragged through on the PC via emails.

The postage stamp size of balcony!

Some succulents before the rainstorm that evening.

An aloe which never seems to get very big.

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I'm trying the new med for the shaky fingers, which has side effects of course. Must try taking it a week. So sayeth my doc.

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It was sea turtle day and my friend Teresa had some new turtle jewelry from her friend in Indiana who thinks her birthday is in June rather than January. And a new blouse too!

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Today's quote:

I was wise enough to

never grow up while

fooling most people

into believing I had.

Margaret Mead

Some critters for Saturday

Flowers at Art in Bloom 2025, Center for the Arts, Black Mountain NC

Elephant lovers on Facebook. In case you didn't know, all elephant herds are females and the young. Like many large animals the males are usually solitary until mating season.

Another favorite animal for me is the river otter. Sea otters are also great!

Artists get into the fun too, showing favorites at play.

by Janet Kruskamp "Midnight Mischief"

Last year this exploring bunny came into our lawn. 

Here's something you don't see every day!

Photo by Danny Gilliam at central Florida’s Lake Apopka

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Have fun with your animals...pets and those who greet you along the way. Long days mean hours of sunshine mostly...but think of how it might cut into the nocturnal hunters time!

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Today's quote:

Peace is letting go—returning to the silence that cannot enter the realm of words because it is too pure to be contained in words.

Malidoma Patrice Somé