New Art and What's Growing

I have started on a new fabric collage of my three cats. Here is the photo inspiration of them on my headboard at the window. This picture was taken several years ago, when they didn't mind being close to each other. Rahrah looks like she is telling Tarbaby something and he is reacting. Elizabeth is being her sweet self, ignoring the conversation. Tarbaby's solid dark black fur will call for some innovative fabric choices. 

Tarbaby, Rahrah, Elizabeth

My rough pattern

Beginning with Rahrah

 I had a fun day making 4" x  6" little postcards today. They are always a good transition between larger projects.

4" x 6" 

There are interesting things growing in my yard, not only in the flowerbeds. After enjoying an ear of corn on the cob, I tossed the cob out onto the compost pile. A couple of days later I discovered this little new growth on it. I find it fascinating to think that each silk is connected to a kernel and if fertilized will cause that kernel to develop. Now it seems that each of these little kernels was trying to make a new plant. The wonders of nature!

Elizabeth relaxing knowing that visiting pup is gone

An invasive but lovely vine

Not so lovely if it takes over

Mushrooms

Linda's Retirement and a Puzzle

    What a busy week! The Readers Theatre Program on Tuesday was fun and well-received. Then on Thursday we celebrated daughter Linda's retirement from her 14-year job in tech services at USM's Cook Library. Her colleagues hosted a lovely party with a rotating slide show of her activities. It was an enjoyable time with many friends gathering. Here are a few of her University Baptist Church friends who were there at the same time. Others came later, along with Madison friends, Jackie and Wayne Watkins. 

Back row: Dick Conville, Denise and Woody Ratcliff, Lisa Jones, Gena and Russell Lott
Front row: Martha Ginn, Linda, Barbara Ann Ross, Bettye King, Mo Conville

    Son Mark and his wife Melody came from Dallas to be with us. Little white dog Willow also came with them. She is no trouble, but the cats don't believe us when we tell them this, so they avoided her. 

Mark (Willow) Melody

Willow 

Rahrah in the top of my closet

Elizabeth and Tarbaby (the lump under the quilt)

    Some friends and I had been working on a challenging puzzle for several days and it was still on the table. Melody added her skills and helped it along. The books were fun to do, though tricky, but the upper white background finally defeated us. 

Mistakes (see girl's face) above Bernadette

Corrected

Progress

Books all finished, only white left

Melody was persistent

But we finally gave up here

Readers Theatre Program--We Did It

    Our Readers Theatre group Salute to Carol Burnett was a huge success, with a full house plus some in the balcony. Sherri Marengo directed the eight of us in five scenes from Carol's original scripts. The event was possible with the generous support of the Hattiesburg Arts Council and the new executive director, Alehandro Wooten. Thanks to Steve Coleman for taking the pictures.

    The audience laughed at the appropriate times and we had a wonderful evening of fun. After fifteen months of staying at home and missing live music, theatre, in-person gatherings, a night of laughter was a treat for the cast as well as the audience.

Sherri Marengo

Full House

Martha Ginn in The Coffee Commercial

Betty Reid in Gone With the Breeze

Dallas Gorbett in The Coffee Commercial

Eric Weill in Gone With the Breeze

Patrice Seal in The Coffee Commercial

Sandy Whitacre in The Wallflowers

Steve Clyburn in Passion on 10th Avenue

Old Lady:  Can I borrow a cup of sugar?

Pam Powers in The Welfare Worker

Senior Readers Theatre--Salute to Carol Burnett

 After the very serious and moving Meistersingers concert of Dan Forrest's tribute to COVID victims and health care heroes, next week will be filled with some light-hearted fun events. Sherri Marengo has been leading a senior readers theatre with the Hattiesburg Arts Council, and we are presenting a free program on Tuesday night, June 22, at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center. Eight of us have been working on five Carol Burnett scripts, hoping family and friends will come out and have a good laugh.

Betty Reid, Martha Ginn, Eric Weill

Dallas Gorbett, Steve Clyburn, Patrice Seal, Pam Powers

Betty Reid, Pam Powers, Steve Clyburn, Martha Ginn, Eric Weill,
Sandy Whitacre, Dallas Gorbett, Patrice Seal

June Is Festival South Month in Hattiesburg

    Hattiesburg is THE place to be in June for Festival South! Quoting from the program, "FestivalSouth is a division of The Hattiesburg Concert Association (HCA). The mission of HCA is to present high-caliber and diverse artistic and cultural events that enrich, engage and educate our community and state . . . ." They definitely fulfilled their mission.

Brochure cover art "Reemergence" by Andrea Kostyal

Program of Events

    Many events were live-streamed in addition to being in-person. I especially enjoyed the art exhibit featuring Andrea Kostyal's paintings and Allen Chen's pottery, Night at the Opera, Impromptu Trio, singing with the Meistersingers with Dan Forrest's moving compositions. There were morning coffee concerts, a Broadway night, International Ballet Competition, other music programs as well as events for children. These events were especially enjoyable after 15 months of missing live performances due to COVID. 

    My quilt guild, Pine Belt Quilters, resumed in-person meetings at our June meeting. Show and Tell was a real treat when people got to share the quilts they had finished during this 15-month period we could not meet. 

    What's growing? Hostas, cherry tomatoes, coleus, hydrangeas. My hostas have put on beautiful blooms. 

June is Bustin' Out All Over

Borrowing this line from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, it is perfect for all that's happening. After being fully vaccinated for four months, we are seeing events opening up that have been sorely missed. We were treated to a concert of sacred music and hymn arrangements by Taylor Hightower (baritone) and Zhaolie Xie (pianist) this week. They lead us in worship every Sunday at UBC, but this hour-long concert was a special treat. 

Taylor Hightower and Zhaolei Xie
Xin Zhang turning pages

I am enjoying my flowerbed and watching the growth of hostas, hydrangeas, even tomatoes!, herbs, and begonias. 

Hostas

Parsley, hoping for caterpillars

Basil so tall it became a bouquet

It was time to change the art in the living room. Interleave Symphony has been hanging over the fireplace, but Elizabeth, My Almost Perfect Cat is back in her place of honor.

Elizabeth, My Almost Perfect Cat
34" x 25"

Interleave Symphony
34" x 31"

I enjoy sending cards of my artwork, so I had these four designs printed. The hydrangea is a photograph from my yard, while the others are fiber art pieces.

Note cards

One of my granddaughters and her family visited me this week. Kiesha Baker is a midwife and her husband Robert is a photographer in Dallas. We had a great time and I could brag on the sweet children. They were introducing their new baby girl, and I could see why the brothers adore her!

Their pug Olive came with them, which caused Tarbaby and Rahrah to retreat to the top of a closet. Elizabeth wasn't very happy to have an interloper in the house, but she handled it better than her buddies.

Brody making friends with Elizabeth