Be Back in a Couple of Days

Just taking a wee break.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!!

xoxoxo

Deb

A Sneak Peek Inside Our Barn

This is what we've been working on all summer up at the cabin.

A sweet little studio space for me to work and teach from, and a sleeping loft for our grandkids and their parentals.

I'll have more pix later in Sept.

Good or Bad?

Plant or weed?

These are coming up everywhere.

I'll let you know.

So Much Better than Going to the Gym

Hard physical labor, I'm LOVING it!

Lost 3 pounds this summer working my butt off up here at the cabin.

I'm pretty sure I sweated it off  LOL

We had rain again this past week.

YES!!!

This time it was a steady gentle rain that really soaked into the ground.

But because we are still in a drought, the pine needles are dry and dropping like crazy.

So I started cleaning it up first in the pail but it got to be overwhelming so I switched to the wheelbarrow.

I filled up and spread 11 loads of needles.

My right side was super sore when I went in that night.

Ibuprofen please!

These are vinca shoots that I dug up and re-planted along the side of the house.

They are related to the periwinkles we have down at the bottom of the mountain.

They are great for keeping down the weeds and holding the hillside in place when they fill in.

And they hold up thru the freezing winter months.

But they are thirsty.

So I took some of the pine needles and lined both sides of the hill where we've been doing a lot if planting this summer to help keep in the moisture.

While I was at it we have an area that flooded really bad during the first rain this summer, so I've taken it upon myself to build a dam with logs that I drag home from my walks with the dog.

I dug a little deeper as I was getting under the pine needles for this section and picked up the richest mulched soil imaginable.

I dumped all this over my logs and I'm hoping it will hold the water back in the next heavy rain.

Below you can see where the water will flood too if I haven't done a good job,

my little barn/studio we built this summer.

Hopefully we'll have lots more rain so I can test it out. 

Puppy Love

Sneaky is as Sneaky Does

I'm not supposed to plant anything in our complex's common area, but how could I not??

I planted this miniature rose about 3 years ago in front of our downstairs patio and it's reached epic proportions.

This stalk is about 3 1/2 feet tall and resting itself on top this shrub.

Luckily I know when the property managers walk the complex so I'll be able to tuck it under the bush that day.

It's so much fun being sneaky when the payoff is so aesthetically pleasing.

Tah Dah!!!!!!!!!

Asparagus!!!

Yup, I grew this, and it's so delicious that I've been picking them and eating them raw.

I'm harvesting about 4-5 a week right now from 6 tiny seedlings that I planted on Mother's Day.

I'm so excited.

I think I'll plant lots more next year. 

They are sweet tasting like pea pods.

Additions

So last weekend when we were up at the cabin I see Jim bringing over more branches to the arbor and I asked him what's up.

He tells me he isn't quite done with his Arbor.

So he fiddles around for about an hour and lo and behold it looks even better.

He wove the thinner branches thru all the openings to give it more strength, and it looks even cooler than before.

And the birds love it!

I put all their feeding goodies on different sections and the chickadee family play amongst it all day long.

Happy wife, Happy Life!  :)

Senior Tribute 2014 - Part III - Finale

One of the greatest challenges about doing these farewells is not leaving anyone out.

So please know that I had so many of you seniors that wanted to come back to art but couldn't fit it in your schedules this year but know that you were not forgotten.

Kaya, Ashley, Tristan and Beah, I so wanted to work with you four a second year.

Just know that your junior year we spent together was a blast, and I loved, loved, loved getting to know you all.

And sadly, I just didn't take enough pix for this year, that's all there is to it.

Not enough planning ahead on my part.  :(

But know I tried really hard to fit as many of you in as possible.

So just because I didn't mention you, know that I saw incredible skills and designs from you first timers like John G., Catherine C., Alice C., Kavya, Jackie (OMG crazy talent!), Akash, Annie R., Dhruvi., Tiffany K., Julia K., Sam K. (make me proud), Vinisha, Jasmine L., sweet Maryann, Ema, Karen, Neha (clay woman), Priya (designer extraordinaire), Lacey, Allison T., and Minette (another clay woman), and yes even you Cole, when you tried  :)

I feel so gypped that I didn't get more then one year with all of you

And to see Jinnie C. and David E., Tim C. and Saaika come back for a second go-round, that was so cool  and it made me ridiculously happy that you wanted to do it all over again.

Michaela Platt, you as well had to make a choice. 

I was devastated not to get you back for a 3rd year in 2-D.

I've adored you since the 7th grade.

You have such a big heart and so much goodness, and talk about artistic gifts.

You are truly blessed.

But I do have a confession to make.

There should have been an art award for you from me at Senior Awards Banquet Nite.

But because I was so wrapped up in the seniors from this year, I sadly overlooked you at this very important event.

I'm so sorry, know that in my heart you should have been up there with Anne Allan, Cathy Luo and Jasmine Zhao.

I hope you know it wasn't intentional.

I look forward to seeing where your creative energy takes you so

please keep in touch.

Before I continue,  I've got to give a shout out and a great big thank you to one of my  favorites from this year, senior Josh Berger.

As I get older it seems to get harder and harder for me to take care of all the prepping connected with teaching the arts.   

No matter how hard I try to get everything done there is always so many more things on my plate needing attention.

And thankfully, Josh was there to lend a helping hand, often reading my mind about things that needed doing.

Josh had 2 periods with me this year as my Teacher's Aide, and also got a chance to teach a couple of units to my 3-D students on woodworking.

He is a natural born leader and teacher and super intelligent.

He's taught me so much this year about working on the computer.

He's saved my ass more time then you could know.  LOL

 I've asked him to come back next year as a paid part time assistant because he's spoiled me is what he's done, and I can't even imagine not having him around.

You are a wonderful young man Josh, and you've made your parents and I so proud of you!

THANK YOU for all that you've done for me!!! 

GRADUATION

You all cleaned up real well for this momentous occasion.

For you all, I wore my most artsy-fartsy shoes since that's really the only thing that shows.  :)

In the sleeves of my robe I brought along my camera, school keys, Kleenex, lip stick, gum and peanuts.

You probably felt something smack you in the back when I was hugging you.  LOL

My arms weighted a ton  

LOL 

I was so proud to watch all of you walking in to take your seats.

Jasmine, you were especially stunning with your gorgeous hair and make-up.

Alyssa Wakamiya, who knew you could sing like an angel, everyone but me apparently  LOL

Shows I've been stuck in my classroom too long  :)

Your sweet voice and song choice touched us all.

Thank you for that beautiful gift as well as the incredible pieces you produced in my Beginning 3-D class.

Your craftsmanship was exceptional! 

(sorry pix isn't better quality) 

Erin Sun, 

Class of 2014 President, 

(gosh I wish I had a pix of you)

you really started the tears with your heartfelt farewell speech.

 I was so proud to have been the teacher of one with such a huge heart and amazing insights. 

It was the perfect end to a wonderful year.

Thank you Erin for your beautiful words.

Another favorite moment for me was when all of you stood to sing the Alma Mater, and you put your arms around each other.

So many tears were flowing by all as your sweet voices filled the air..

As the streamers flew into the air and the sun set that night on the back of the school on room 18, I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful group of young people to teach the arts to.

I know that this will be the last time we are all together,

and some of you will never walk this way again.

May your journey be full of crazy, wonderful adventures,

 life-long friends made,

 and may you find that one great love to share your life with.

I wish you all so much happiness and joy like you have brought to me.  

And now,

I want to end the farewell with you James Cho.

I bet you thought I forgot you, huh?

Nope, just saving the best for last  :)

You just never know who you will connect to in this life, 

when all the stars align,

 and you know that you have made a deep and lasting relationship for life.

That is how I feel about you James.

I've only worked with you for two years in Ceramics I & II, 

but in that short time we have established such a strong bond.

I love and care about you as if you were my own son,

your happiness and health mean everything to me.

You are truly one of the best people I've ever  known, 

your goodness is a rare and beautiful thing.

Probably only the 7th graders knows this, but I want all your classmates to know that you stopped by every single day 7th period to see if I needed any help with those spirited young ones.

That meant so much to me James.

I know how you shy away from compliments,

but I only hope to be as good as you when I finally grow up (which seems to be taking me forever  :)

Your strength of character inspired me everyday.

Just try not to let life and all the bad get you down.

I know it's very hard,

 but what I have come to find out is that you have a very strong spirit that keeps you afloat.

I believe you were put on this earth to show others kindness, gentleness, and goodness. 

And hopefully one of these days through your examples we can become a gentler society and move towards more random acts of kindness.

I love you James.

I love you Class of 2014, 

now go make me even prouder than I already am.

Senior Tribute 2014 - Part II

One of my favorite memories from graduation this year was how when I walked into the gym so many of you swarmed me and wanted to take our picture together.

Damn that made me feel GOOD!!!

You all have no idea how much that meant.

It's the best possible feedback that you could have given that you enjoyed yourselves in my class.

To my 3rd period Beginners,

I'm really going to miss how easy going and chill you all were with me.

How when I goofed up or made a mistake you all were so kind and non-judgemental.

It's your class that was the most challenging for me because I had so much to teach and demo. to you in such a short time.

And let me tell you that tempera demo. was a killer.  

Not sure I really pulled that one off.

LOL

And you were always so very patient with me as I had two other classes to juggle at the same time.

And the camaraderie and encouragement you all gave to each other was a beautiful thing.

Thank you all for making my job such a pleasure!

Yoo-Bin Han, first let me tell you that I so wish I'd had a better pix of you, so sorry.

It just kills me that you waited until you were a senior to take my class.

You have amazing artistic talent and skills and I so hope you will go on in the arts to explore your potential.

Plus you are one of the coolest cats I've ever met.

I want to be just like you when I grow up  :)

To my 4th period 3 -D Beginners:

You seniors were a breeze to work with, most of you anyways, it's those juniors that gave me a run for my money.

LOL

Thank you for always being so considerate and careful with all the expensive supplies that we needed to make this class happen.

I hope I have given you some of the basic survival skills needed when you go off on your own, like how to iron your clothes and sew on a button .

  :)

Esther Woo, you are the whole package.

Both smart and beautiful you are going to move mountains when you get out there on your own.

And don't let any man tell you different or hold you back!!!!!!!

You also have a lovely heart, I hope you use it to do great things for others.

Speaking of goodness and smarts, that is so you Rebecca Tjahja.

You are a go-getter and I was so very impressed with your design skills.

I love how you dived into every assignment and gave it everything you've got.

You also are going to make a huge contribution to society because of your warmth and kindness.

To my 5th period Beginning Ceramics,

you were by far one of the most spirited, hard working and wonderful ceramics classes that I've ever had the pleasure of teaching.

You all turned out more beautiful, impressive works then I've ever blogged before, and you had Ceramic teachers from all over the U.S. writing to tell me so.

I had more fun with you guys, and all of you were so very patient and respectful as I did those crazy demos. in clay and glaze.

What a cohesive group, I will miss you terribly.

To my 3rd period 2-D Intermediates,

it will never be this good again where I have so much artistic talent in one group of kids.

All six of you blew me away with the effort and thoughtfulness you put into each and every assignment.

You have set the bar very high indeed!

Anne Allan, so very gifted in so many areas of your life.

So I'm especially thrilled that you chose the arts as your area of focus you will be continuing in.

I've never met anyone like you, so much confidence for one so young.

So many life experiences.

And you made this very difficult class look like a walk in the park.

I truly admire you.

Catherine Luo, one of the hardest working, most dedicated students I've ever worked with.

I adored every piece you created this year.

You are gifted in so many areas of your life, yet I see how hard you work to stay at the top.

And that's what sets you apart, you've figured out what you need to do to be the best at such a young age.

That focus, attention to detail and persistence will take you far.

  And even though you don't think so, you are fearless.

Underneath that quiet and shy exterior is a woman made of steel.

Don't ever forget that!

You chose some of the hardest designs to bring to life and you never quit. 

I respect and admire you so very much.

Jasmine Zhao, I love watching you create.

Designs, colors, patterns and techniques flow from your fingers.

You create MAGIC.

I've known and worked with you since you were an extremely shy 7th grader.

And it's been a joy to watch you grow into the exceptionally brilliant and confident young woman that you are.

I'm so excited to see where life takes you.

I believe that you were put on this earth to make a difference.

I am honored to have been your humble teacher.

Please keep in touch.

Heather Warner, you have blown me out of the water this year.

You came back to me not because you wanted to major in the arts but rather because you simply enjoyed it.

And I'm so happy that you did.

I know  I've said it before but you made tremendous strides this year in your skills and designs thru the endless hours that you put into this class

You are a remarkable young woman, and I know you'll be back to visit.

I want to hear all about your next journey, I'm so jealous.  :)

Alexander Lee and Justin Hwang, you both put up with a lot of nagging from me, especially you Alex.  :)

You both already had your plates full when I talked you into coming back to me for a second year.

And I'm so glad that you stuck it out.

You both have incredible artist talent and it was always a treat to see your finished work.

To my 2nd period Ceramics II,

what an awesome way to begin every morning with your sweetness and positive energy.

First I have to say thank you so much for hustling to be on time to class for me, because you knew how important it was to me.

Secondly, your work was exceptional, your designs inspirational.

It was always such a pleasure to show off your work on the blog.

Thank you all for giving me 110 % everyday.

I will miss you guys so much, and I'm so glad we were able to take this pix together before you graduated, because who knows when we will ever be together again.

I love you all so much!

Carol Oh and Shamara Mustafa (top two left), you two were a trip and a half.

So playful and fun, so very beautiful on the inside and out.

I love the bond you share, the encouragement you gave to each other, your positive energy.

The both of you made so many lovely pieces in 1st and 2nd year.

I am so blessed that I got to work with the both of you.

Tahnee Thanthrong, what a sweetheart, you are such a beautiful person.

Your kindness and positive attitude sets you apart.

Your sensitivity and impeccable skills with the clay was something very special to watch. 

I especially want to thank you personally for making it to class on time, you had a killer drive from Irvine every morning.

I can't wait to see where your next journey will take you.

Aditi Ramesh, wow, you were a powerhouse with the clay.  With amazing focus and design skills,  lovely craftsmanship, and a tremendous work ethic, you nailed all the assignments and so much more.

Your kindness and tranquility on a daily basis was so soothing to me.

I could always count on you for a special greeting every morning.

I really appreciated how genuine you were with me, and how thoughtful.

You are like an old soul in a young woman's body.

You will do great things in your lifetime because of who you are.

I love you so much!

And Aman Patel, master of all the arts.  You, like Megan, have had so many classes with me and have proven yourself time and again to be an extraordinary designer and craftsman.

We've been working together since the 7th grade, right?

2 years of 3-d art and 2 years of ceramics.

Did I leave anything out?

It has been a gift being your teacher, you are the most sincere, respectful and genuine person.

And I know your parents are so very proud of you.

And speaking of gifts, you are multi-talented in the arts for you are an exceptional drummer as well.

It will be so very interesting to see where you go with both of these talents.

Love you to the moon and back young man!!!

Senior Tribute 2014 - Saying Farewell Part I

In my 34 years here at Whitney High teaching the arts, this was by far one of my favorites with the kids.

And I've got wonderful, funny and heartfelt memories to last me a lifetime with this group of seniors.

Ok you guys, here we go.

Brutal honesty is my motto, right!

LOL

Let me start with you Jarick Simbol.

No, let me start with your daddy, Patrick.

Your dad was one of my top art students back in the day when I was a brand new teacher and showed me great kindness and patience as I struggled to figure out this teaching thing I'd gotten myself into  :)

So when I found out he was your father, I was thrilled to be working with you.

I was trying to remember when you first took one of my art classes, was it in the 7th or 8th grade? 

I think 7th.

You showed promise and interest and you came back to me for a second year in what, the 10th grade?

And then your sweet, beloved father passed away unexpectedly and you and your family were devastated.

So was the entire student body and staff.

We all knew, respected and loved your father.

It was a horrible time.

But you hung in there Jarick, you stayed strong for your mother and sister.

And you thrived this senior year, not only for me in your 3rd year of art but in your other classes as well.

You have no idea how proud I am of you, and how confident I am in your abilities as you continue on your path in film making.  

I've eavesdropped a couple of times on your conversations with your fellow students while you plotted out your film assignments in my class during lunch.

You have a brilliant mind and you will do great things Jarick.

And you know your daddy speaks to me sometimes, I've felt him near so many times this year, wanting me to tell you how proud he is of you.

And I have, haven't I?  :)

I love you Jarick, and I feel him right now as I write you this letter.

He sees the strong and confident young man you have become.

I will miss your sweet smile, and your kindness and patience with me.

You are your father's son.

So seniors, let's first take a look at the incredible artwork you produced for me;

the culmination of all the years you spent trying to please me by staying in right brain and not talking to your neighbors during class, working your butts off the night before an assignment was due, letting me torture you with all my right brain music, those same songs over and over.

You loved it, right??  Ha Ha 

Megan Yeu and Anne Allan are enjoying all of their and your pieces that Alyssa Olea put up for you on Senior Awards Banquet Night.

Did you thank Alyssa for doing such a wonderful job with the display?

Of course you did, she told me  :)

It was such a strong body of work.

You all should be so proud of yourselves, and it was a pleasure showing off your art to your parents and relatives.

Thank you Alyssa for making this happen and making it flow so well.

You are a treasure!

For those of you who don't know, Alyssa has been my paid assistant for these past two years.

Before that she was one of my top Ceramic students for two years in her junior and senior years here at Whitney.

She is a valuable asset to our Fine Arts Dept. loading and unloading kilns, mixing glazes, taking pix for this blog, and most importantly, managing my grade books.

I am a lucky woman to have you at my side Alyssa.

I can't thank you enough.

The incredible memories started for me this year with Josh Berger building the succulent garden.

I hated this ugly piece of dirt that nothing would grow in next to my classroom, so I asked Josh if he was game for an adventure in gardening.

The garden became his the first moment he put the shovel in the dirt to turn over the packed rock-hard earth.

At one point he even had to use a pick ax it was so hard going.

The results have been stupendous with him planting and nurturing this plot of land with succulents and bulbs.

He kept it going all year long and I can't wait to get back to school in Sept. to see how it's grown.

Josh has received so many kudos from students and staff on his garden, and his work has inspired another student to start a garden next school year outside the science classrooms.

You've left your mark Josh, and positively impacted others in the process.

Doesn't get any better then that!

Another favorite memory for me this year was watching the kindness and encouragement that my students show towards each other.

Here we see favorites James Cho and Aman Patel as they are learning to throw on the potter's wheel and giving one another a helping hand.

And then kudos on not collapsing another pot. 

And just look at these 3 cuties below,  Tim Creasy and Alex Arias helping out Cole Mesa with the tricky binding tape on his portfolio.

Teamwork is a beautiful thing here at Whitney.

I find that these kids have more heart and goodness then at any other school I've ever been at.

And watching you kids, Andrew Rim and Young Song (below), try so hard for me learning a new right brain skill like spinning yarn.  

You make my heart so happy.

All right brain skills are difficult to learn but once learned you have them for life like riding a bicycle.

Then they become pleasurable and you want to do them all the time because they relax you.

Below, Tristan Eddy loved spinning yarn so much that she borrowed one of my spinning wheels and took it home so she could make lots and lots of yarn!

Damn that makes me smile!!!!

You didn't know I still had this pix of you, did you woman??

For me, teaching a young one art and watching them take off with it is a powerful memory.

And that's what happened this year with Alex Arias who found thru the art class that he has great artist potential.

And his peers looking at him with newfound respect is powerful too!.

It will be interesting to see if you chose to do anything with it Alex, let me know  :)

Your future is so bright!

And this impacted me as well, watching Vivian Dinh Dang put on safety goggles to keep the pastel dust out of her eyes so that she could participate in an activity that she was allergic too.

These kids are fearless!

And Cathy Luo, you cracked me up when I would see you standing on a chair to work on your pieces.

I always tell my drawing/painting students that you need to stand above or away from your work so that you can see your proportions.

 Who knew Cathy would take me so seriously??  LOL

This second year drawing class (6 students) was in with another 28 beginners as well as 2 advance kids, so there was never enough room in my class to spread out.  

So above you see Cathy and Jasmine Zhao working outside my door, and below Heather Warner is with them in the textbook storage room that connects to my classroom.

All of them are so deep in right brain they have no idea I'm taking their pictures. 

Is this going on at other schools?

This incredible focus, this disciplined work ethic, this striving to be their very best, I wonder.

I think Whitney High is a very special place and brings out the best in our students.

And like I've said many times on this blog, I'm a very lucky woman to teach here.

And Megan Yeu, I could write a whole page just to you.

You have been a trip, one of my most unique students ever!!!

So playful, so much fun, so very talented in the arts.

How many years did we spend together with how many classes??

Three years right?

Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced 2-D Art, Ceramics I and Beginning 3-D Art.

WOW!!!

Plus all your outside Art classes.

Thank you for putting up with me, all my nagging, and boy oh boy did I nag you!

And all my scary faces, you know what I'm talking about.  LOL

You were always such a good sport especially when I'd bug you about all the food you'd eat during class.

I only wish I had your metabolism  :)

In her years with me Megan had to put up 3 Open House walls.  

All of them works of art!

You are the sweetest person Megan with such a big heart, and you bring joy and fun and fearlessness everywhere you go.

Your art talent will take you far.

It was a challenge and a pleasure being your teacher and it's going to be so interesting to see what you do with your life.

And remember, it's all about discipline and time management :)

Love you girl!

And I will never forget the day you crawled into the clay bucket.

What a great memory!

You crack me up and go where no one else has gone before.

But you weren't the only one with a fascination with that clay bucket.

I don't know who loved digging in there more, Darren Fang or Derrick Lin  LOL

And Jocelyn Kim, you had it made, those boys did the digging for you  cuz I don't think you could even reach the bottom  :)

And Norris Khoo, like Jocelyn, that clay loved you both.

You both created magic with the clay and glazes.

What a pleasure it was for me to watch you build your incredible designs and then to grade them.

I hope you both continue to work in ceramics.

Darren Fang, loved your gumption, your positive attitude, you never giving up with that damn clay.

LOL

This was my first year to work with you and you made me smile everyday.

So respectful, so sweet, such a good person.

I completely enjoyed being your teacher.

And Derrick Lin, I want to end Part I with you,

because you are such a special young man.

Not only to me, but to your friends, your school and your family.

It was an absolute pleasure working with you for the past two years in 3-D Art and Ceramics.

You showed me so much kindness, respect and gratitude.

I have never known another student like you.

Responsible, attentive, self-motivated, focused, it's like I'm writing your recommendation all over again.  :)

You are the whole package; smart, stylish and a go getter with goodness in your heart.

And so willing to learn and use those"Critical Thinking Skills"

LOL

All of this will take you far in this very competitive world.

I already know you will make me proud.

I will miss you so much, your daily greetings and partings, your positive attitude and energy, especially when that clay or yarn wouldn't quite respond to your coaxing.  LOL

You could always put a smile on my face.

Thank you Derrick for making 2013-2014 so memorable.

I send you off with so much love.