new supplies, ready to go!

I've recently procured a Cherry-wood cradled panel. It's varnished, bringing out a little of the red in the wood. My grandfather has donated two more vials of his used strips for the next few sculptures, and I will be making a series of three on wooden panels. Half of the work will be chain-mailled with copper and hung on the panels. Some of the work will feature an epoxied collage effect. I'm hoping to show off the beautiful metals in the strips. That's all for now, work to do!

doing what works, and keeping at it!

The third trimester has begun, and all is well within! As the first-time-moms, and even some veteran moms (BTDT = been there, done that) are taking, and failing their Glucose Tolerance Tests to screen for Gestational Diabetes. Seeing their panic and reactions have reminded me that I was once as panicked also. I've been at this for a while now, and I have a good idea of what to expect. It took a lot of work and perseverance to get here though.

The help I've received through the Center for Health Promotion at St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare has been fantastic. As I've confessed to others recently, I wish I had this information, advice, and help during my first pregnancy. What a difference it has made so far! It really does work, and so far I'm still able to stay away from insulin. This is a big success to me.

Sometimes, though, when I get a craving, or recently when I'm super-tired... I stray slightly from my plan. I always think twice before going way overboard with a 'treat', but there are days when it's difficult to stay motivated. Then I look back at my numbers. My glucometer numbers are better now than when I'm not pregnant! That's enough motivation for me to keep it under control, or at least get right back on track with my diet.

The frequent testing on my glucometer has built up a store of medium to use in the next few sculptures. Now as things wind down toward some maternity leave, I find myself thinking of ways to use the strips and try out different techniques. I'm looking forward to being able to put the ideas to action - but I also remember how difficult it was to do with a newborn, or even in the last few weeks of pregnancy. While I have no control over how that will play out, I can keep building up my stockpile of strips, and playing with the ideas in the interim.

Either way, it's working so far, and I'm very pleased that it feels like Gestational Diabetes is well managed this time around.

'bye Lisa, I miss you already

A great artist, fashion designer, and friend has left the world. I am so happy to have been acquainted with Lisa Nguyen, friends at CSULB in the Art Department, and she was one of my tech gurus: helping me at the computer lab - even on the days when I was wheeling my son (then an infant) in a stroller to sit with me as I worked.

I almost wish it were some random jack-ass that took her life, someone I confess that I want to hate for taking her from the world. The circumstances are far more wretched than that, and I mourn not only her, but her family. My prayers are with her, her mother, her father, and all whom are left behind.

A constant inspiration to all, Lisa's text from New Years reads: "To all loves. Joy! To all in pain... let it go. To all my lazy friends... get off your ducking ass and do something! HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

working it out

I'm getting closer to unpacking the box labelled "in-progress art works". I'm working each day, every few hours, to keep my blood-sugar levels consistent: not too high, and not too low. I collect the new used Aviva strips from my new meter by AccuChek and marvel at the difference between the strips I used before, and the new ones my Grandfather and I both use. The new strips are more stout, wider, thicker, but more jewel-like and potentially more delicate. there are many possibilities I've been trying to figure out for their use in upcoming works.

Baby #2 is a healthy boy according to the very comprehensive ultrasound. We're all thrilled to add another man to the house here. The pregnancy is very mellow so far: just testing on the glucometer, and a few small oddities arise here and there. We're almost half-way there.

My students remark to me about how odd it is to have a pregnant teacher. I imagine most things are odd to a 16-year-old when your teacher has a real life outside the classroom. One said today that "Everybody" is getting pregnant at the school, "what are you guys all doing?" After a short joke about "well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much..." I reminded her that for some women it's a really big deal to get pregnant and stay pregnant. I told her that I was told that If it were possible that I'd ever conceive (due to the PCOS) that I'd probably never carry the pregnancy to full-term, I'd miscarry. My chances of having kids at that time (age 20) was almost none. It wasn't until another 8 years when I started having hypoglycemia and saw an endocrinologist that things began to change. I was trying like crazy to avoid getting Diabetes.
At 28 it was a changing landscape with PCOS, but I was also developing Diabetes at that point. I wonder if my Dr. at my age 20 had all the current information: but as I look back, he did. It's no matter now: I can sit with regret at every high-carb snack I've ever had, or continue embracing self-awareness, and nurturing myself and my family.

Ambition and Continuance

At our new-to-us home we begin wrapping up the year 2010. We're living among boxes, unfinished floors; some plywood, and the dirt and grime of however many people lived here prior to our purchase. They never cleaned, so the floors have been scrubbed many times, and my husband was kind to take out all the filthy carpets. The dirt and grime are reducing as we work on it, as are the boxes as we unpack.



We have had quite a year in our household: purchasing and moving into this house has been the latest huge adventure, but I'm also 18 weeks pregnant! The pregnancy is going great, but I did fail my Glucose Tolerance Test. I'm familiar with this territory, so I'm not terribly concerned, but it is a concrete reminder to me that Diabetes doesn't just go away. I had my A1-C numbers at about 5.2, 5.4 or so over the last two years. I've stayed on my meds, and done a fair job at managing my diet. The little creature in my belly has thrown off a few hormones: insulin being the one we're concerned with here.



I attended a program recently that pregnant women with Gestational Diabetes attend to get educated on their diet and meds: also for insulin management and supervision if necessary. The educator was awesome: especially once she found out that I was a self-aware patient, active in advocacy for the ADA, and I use my art to view Diabetes management as a process. When we talked about my art, the educator asked if I was so-and-so's daughter. She had seen my art work!



My grandfather (in his 80's now) finally crossed the line from Borderline Diabetc to Diabetic. On a long enough timeline, most people who survive into advanced age become Diabetic. He had managed his Borderline status for over 25 years without medication or testing on a a glucometer. I'm amazed at his success, and he's a role model for me. Anyway; when he attended similar classes with the same educator, he brought along images of my sculptures and paintings that use my glucometer strips as my medium. The educator was the same for us both: and she was terribly excited about my art. It was humbling to see that someone had been touched my something I made again, years after its creation, sale, and "buzz". That was a happy little prod to get back to the work.



As I unpack the boxes and set up house, I can't wait to set our 4th bedroom up as a family activity room. The floor is plywood now, and will need a resilient covering for art supplies, toys, and the traffic of moving in and out of the backyard. It's also going to double (somehow) as a dining room. I have great anticipation as I get nearer to the boxes containing in-progress art projects, some of which are sculptures incorporating my grandfathers' own glucometer strips. Now we share the same model of meter, and our test strips are the same in appearance also.



As this new little one grows, and I make my dietary adjustments to keep him or her healthy, I'll be piling up about 5 to 7 glucometer strips per day to use in the new work. I can't wait to get back to it. In the meantime, I am sketching out a few ideas. The work is evolving to resemble adornment or jewelry of sorts. There is great beauty in this fabric that is made from old blood.

My uncle Drew helped us move in and make some repairs to this very old house. I asked him if we were crazy for buying it in a moment of complete exhaustion and over-whelm. He said, "ambitious, not crazy." It seems ambitious to get back to creating more art in the middle of all that is moving and changing at home. I commented to him that I wasn't feeling much ambition (toward the house and all the 'projects') a few days after he returned home from helping us out. I got the best response I ever could have from Drew: "you'd better get ambitious."

Pick up the pencils, we're Into a new routine!

It's been almost a week that I've been in a new daily routine; my son began Kindergarten, and I have been teaching only part-time. I have been wanting to implement this change for quite a while. I'm very lucky that the opportunity arose.

I pick up my son directly after school, and we get some play/exercise time. After that it's homework or reading/drawing time. I encourage my son to draw as often as he wants to. He has probably filled as many sketch-books as I have at this point - real sketch-books, like the ones I used in college and beyond. His drawings have evolved from primitive 'mandala'-like bicycle wheels (representing people) to complex and detailed narratives of space aliens coming to Earth to destroy all the cats and make pizza out of them. Sometimes he asks me to draw with him!

I have said many times to my own students that you learn to draw before you learn to write your own name. The focus shifts in Elementary school to writing and reading. Some students claim that they don't know how to draw at all once they reach high-school. It's really too bad that the research linking drawing to better reading and writing in school isn't publicized at every pre-school. I'll include a link to some of the best case-studies in this area - the information is very interesting.

So that's a focus that I need to improve upon as an artist. I can definitely use more time getting some old works completed, and also creating drawings. I used to be good at it once I got over the "fear" of "not being able to draw". The new schedule allows for some time here and there for practice. I am taking one or two evenings each week for much needed peace and solitude. Now the hunt is on for public places to draw. Again, I'm lucky to live amidst beauty.

Links:

Dr. Susan Rich Sheridan's Marks and Mind

Making the Drawing/Literacy Connection by Judy Potter

UMich study of the relationship of Drawing, Writing, Literacy, and Math in Kindergarten Children, Steffani, Selvester

back to the keyboard

I've neglected the blog far too much lately. It's amazing how quickly time can slip right by. I am an Art Teacher, and on summer break; spending lots of time at home and around town with my 4 1/2-year-old. I have been soaking up each minute with him before he begins Kindergarten, and before the daily routine begins again, with the long commute.

I have been able to work on some of my paintings, mostly older works that were put on hold. I have some photographs of a VW repair shop in Arizona, just outside of Jerome. I took many shots while waiting for the final tune-ups on my engine rebuild. I've been able to paint a few of the shots, and more of them will be printed and signed to place up for sale. I think the light at the time the shots were taken was a little mysterious. It doesn't capture how biting-cold it was that afternoon, and how dry the air is. I'm struggling to find a way to visually express that. Living back home in California now makes it a difficult memory to capture.

The sculptures are continuing, and I have my grandfather to thank for supplying me with his strips in addition to my own! At a recent visit with my doctor, I found myself asking to set goals and deadlines for management of my blood sugars or weight. I seem to operate better with deadlines. Then again, I intended to post each Wednesday to the blog. Maybe I should get back into the routine a little early? Before school begins again, perhaps an early start to the day?

There's so many different ways I want spend my time: family, health, professional career, art, my new dog Hazel, and of course, connecting with friends! I will have to stick to the support of a routine if I am to spend my time wisely.