Is He Helping?

   Mr. Bat and I arise well before dawn.  He is usually the first to come out of dreamland and, then, he nudges me until I, too, am fully awake.  As a cat, his motive is food.  He wants breakfast!  My motive is to cede to his wishes and open a can of cat food then head to the kitchen to brew a pot of strong coffee. Since the sun does not rise at this hour, I try to find projects to fill the next two hours.  Things have to stay quiet as the menfolk here are still asleep.  Art projects are usually my go-to entertainment.  Bat?  He usually goes back to sleep leaving me to my own accord.  

  This morning, I had a whim to create something utilizing an old glass tabletop from a dilapidated outdoor set.  The idea was to do some reverse glass painting on the bottom then hang the piece in the window so it appeared to be a stained glass piece.  First on the agenda was to make a paper pattern which would make the art work far easier than free-handing it on the glass itself.  Drawing on paper is the way to go, folks!  Anyway...as usual...my work was started on the floor.  The tabletop was set, paper was fitted in the top and the artwork was to begin!  Mr. Bat had other ideas...

  As with any cat, curiosity got the best of him.  Then...as with any cat, he decided that the piece was there for his pure enjoyment.  My artwork came to a halt as the cat sat on the paper then decided a nap was in order.  Well, so much for getting anything accomplished this morning!  Everyone knows that you NEVER disturb a cat that has chosen a special napping spot. Oh, if I was not so fond of this little buddy, I would get so much more done!  Then, again, maybe he thought he was helping.

"Turn It Into An Art Piece!"

   Years and years ago, Mark bought a violin.  His intentions were for Darling Daughter to learn to play.  Lovely!  But without lessons, that is nigh on impossible for a little girl to do.  Actually, she did not have the inspiration to play the violin.  She wanted to play the piano.  No piano was bought but I did find her a great teacher down the road a ways.  She enjoyed that until the teacher started getting Darling Daughter to babysit while she was supposed to be learning.  Lessons over.  Back to the violin, however.  That child-sized instrument soon made its way to a family member who wanted it for her daughter.  The little girl wanted to play but, she never received any lessons, so the violin stayed lonely.  Then Hurricane Katrina came along and tried to play the instrument but just made a huge mess of things.  After the violin floated around in hurricane flood waters for a day, I suddenly got it back.  Well, now.  What do you do with a soggy violin with a busted back panel.  Aha!  I shall alter it!  Well, I received quite the chiding for that idea!  "You cannot mess up a perfectly "good" instrument."  I was told by the same person who let it float in flood waters!  So, I thought perhaps I should not.  The violin sat for ten years in that state.

  Today as I was discarding stuff, I found the violin still in its case.  Hmmm, if no one has used this broken thing in ten years, I can alter it but, to be on the safe side, I asked my "violin expert".  Yes, I actually do have one now!  I sent pictures of the instrument all the way to Zagreb, Croatia and asked a professional violin instructor whether the thing was worth keeping as is.  My sweet friend laughed and said "In perfect condition, the violin would be worth no more than $40.  As it is, turn it into an art piece!"  I told Emily that I had an idea of using it for a clue hunt prop and she had some great suggestions of how to do that.  So, as a project, I shall alter a violin!  I have never done anything like this but I am going to give it a shot!

  Emily is not only a professional violin instructor but, also, an amazing ballerina (which is why she is in Zagreb.)   It pays to have really good friends!  She did not mind giving me advice even though she is one busy lady.  That young lady is going to go far in this world.  She is beautiful, has tons of talent but is genuinely a kind person.  With young people like her, I have hope that this old world will be alright. Thanks, Emily!