Tag Archives: short stories

Oct6

The Older I Get…..

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The Older I Get…..
The photos of me at the end of 6th grade wouldn’t load, so art is what you get!

When I was at the end of sixth grade, I thought I was pretty darn grown up. Then I started what was then called “Junior High,” and things really changed. I no longer thought I was the cats pajamas because I now was a small fish in a big pond.

Fast forward to high school…..

Again I thought I was going to be the cool one in school because I was entering a new phase in my life, High School! I went to Van Nuys High in the San Fernando Valley. In those days VNH was the place all the kids from families that were in the film industry went to school, and I was going to school with them. Natalie Wood, Stacy Keach both went there, but I didn’t know either of them. High School wasn’t quite as glamorous as I thought it would be, but there I was trying to be a cool kid, and still keeping up with my grades. That wasn’t easy since I was basically majoring in “Boys!” To be honest, the boys situation was a bit discouraging as well. There wasn’t the selection I had anticipated, but what was available had to do!

Faster forward…..

Once out of high school, again I thought my knowledge was primmer and with nothing more to learn, I tried my hand at a local community college. The thought of studying literally made me sick to my stomach, so I decided to once again major in “boys!” There I had a much better selection, however still not quite up to my expectations.

My next door neighbor was just entering a university, and invited me to go to one of the groups of interest she signed up for. This one was a skiing club, and reluctantly I went to her first meeting with her. Wow, now this was what I was talking about!!!

BOYS…

They were everywhere, tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, stocky ones. There was a boy for every occasion. They looked at both of us like they had never seen girls before, and we were in seventh heaven! Conversations were easy, not like those lowly high school boys. They hadn’t learned how to talk to girls yet. Before we knew it, we were both invited by the boys to go skiing with them, and hang out. My friend wasn’t intimidated, but I was passing myself off as a college student, and I wasn’t. So after the meeting I quickly disappeared into the sunset, not to be heard of since. I lived out my days in high school quietly, and as quickly as I could.

After graduating I thought my life was my own. I’m free as a bird, with nothing to stop me! Sure that’s what I thought, then reality set in. My parents were very strict, and I still couldn’t go anywhere without their approval….I was humiliated! I was an all knowing, graduate, and adult now, how could they treat me that way? I know they were just trying to do the best they could, but at the time I couldn’t understand why their job wasn’t finished.

Me at “21”

The following year, I met the love of my life, we married soon after, and started our family. First a son, then three years later another son. By five years later, I had divorced, remarried, and had a daughter. I was a young, all knowing mother of three with one divorce under my belt. Boy was I cool!

Fast forward a few years!

Almost seventeen years later, my kids are getting big with two boys in high school, and a daughter in elementary school. My hands were full, and I was running a business., and holding down a full time job. As I look back, I wonder how I found the energy, or the time to do all of this. But I did, and it worked. I had a lot of energy, and of course I was all knowing. That helped! I knew exactly what I was doing, and where I was going. How cool was I?

Then the stuff hit the fan…..

One day my husband came home and told me he was dating a blond waitress, and because I was so cool, he knew I’d understand & be OK with it. I certainly was OK with it! I guess I figured it was time… and so I decided since I knew everything there was to know, it was time for my children and I to go. And we went…

It was a struggle, but somehow we did it. The kids and I had a Charlie Brown Christmas , and ate hotdogs & baked beans for some time, but we did it, and we were better for it. My dad use to say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger!” “Thank you Dad, I hate to admit it, but you were right!” How true that was… We have all grown, and become stronger, and better people because of this little bump in the road. Looking back, that’s all it was, just a bump in the road.

Many years later in the middle of working my second job, I met a local man, we dated for a while, and decided to marry. They say the third time is the charm. Apparently they were right, because we are now going on thirty years of marriage. Everyone is doing well, and we are all happy.

The point of this entire story is this, I have learned by trial and error that the Older I get, the less I know! Yup I was cool then, and slightly cooler now.

As most of us do get older, and each day I learn something I didn’t know, and each day I reflect on how much is in our world to yet learn, I’m curious, I want to know things, and I learn every day. But every day I’m on this amazing earth, I realize how much there is to learn, how much it has to offer, and we only have so much time. It’s undetermined, Don’t waste it!

With much love, I thank you for stopping to read Stone Soup.

See you next time, Karen

Jul18

Never Give Up

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It’s a strange thing when you can’t give up on something you’ve started. Is that a Type A personality? Determination? Stupidity? Or maybe a little of all of those things.  The hats I’ve worn are many, and I know things.  Just enough to get me into trouble sometimes.  But, if I don’t know something I research, read, network,  I get my information, and I get whatever it is done!

This is a little off the easel, but when my bathroom faucet started leaking, I foolishly thought it needed a washer. I’ll just run to Home Depot and pick them up.   Little did I know the newer faucets now have cartridges, and thinking about it why not?  Replacement washers are maybe 69 cents, while cartridges it turns out are $70.00 plus.  I guess I’m not keeping up with the times.

Anyway, when we remodeled the bathroom,  I put in all German Grohe  faucets. I didn’t think anything about metric. I loved the designs, that’s really all I cared about.  ……Now the fun begins.

After watching multiple videos on YouTube, it seemed simple enough to me.  I haven’t repaired any faucets or appliances in years, so this I knew I could tackle without any problems.   Are you starting to see where this is going?

We have a small bathroom with a vessel sink, and the faucet is nicely placed in the back corner.  On thee back of the handle there is a  plug covering a recessed  screw  with barely enough room to hold a small mirror to see what you need to do.   I however did get the plug  out easily.  The screw, well that’s another thing all together…

This is going to be a piece of cake!

Oh, I realized I needed  an Allen wrench to remove this screw, no problem, we have lots of those…….   I was sure we had the right allen wrench!

Several minutes later we are in the car headed for, yep…..Home Depot!

It was a good thing Home Depot was open on Sunday because that was my free day for projects.  Fortunately, Ron helped us and knew exactly what I was trying to accomplish.   He sold me metric allen wrenches, and just to be on the safe side I took his advice and bought a small can of Spray and Release just in case.   God bless Ron, he didn’t steer me wrong!

After spraying everything just for good measure, and waiting the proper thirty minutes for it to work.  I was able to get behind the faucet with a metric wrench that actually unscrewed, and allowed me to remove the handle.  We’re just getting started but so far so good.  Now taking off the handle…We decided to give the handle a spray since it had been everything  else had been difficult to undo earlier.  This time we had lunch, and gave it another quick spray for good luck.

All rested up and ready to go, I went into the bathroom to finish the sink, my husband following behind me with suggestions on how I should best tackle the next step.   I referred to the instructions which were conveniently written in German…..I had no idea what they were telling me.  The schematic was barely more helpful, but it did have metric measurements written on the parts, and that did help.  The handle finally came off with a little coaxing and tugging.

After  waiting two weeks for the part to be shipped from Grohe East Coast, the only Grohe distributor in the United States, I hated the thought of ordering another part from them.  I’m determined to find a metric wrench to get into the recessed area to remove the large hex shaped nut so I can actually change out the cartridge.   Les and I went all over, but then it was Sunday and the real plumbing stores are closed.

Monday morning after a cup of coffee, I started calling, reading, researching on the internet without any luck..   I even asked them, ” if they were installing this faucet what would they use? ”   No answer!  They had no idea what they would do, but I knew they wouldn’t give up the hefty hourly price they would charge me if I gave up and called them.

Last resort,  Amazon, Ebay, Grohe……  

I couldn’t find what I was looking for on Amazon or Ebay,  believe me I was disappointed, but I have a motto that says….“Never Give Up!”    The other motto is,  “Fake it ’till you make it!”  I’m not a plumber, but I’m determined not to pay  $100.+ for something I can do.

Finally, I went onto the Grohe website, and after searching all over I found the part I was looking for.   GASP!   Grohe wanted $50.00 plus shipping for this simple metric wrench.  What a rip off, it’s just a simple metric plumbers wrench.  After the shock wore off I went back to Amazon, this time finding a Grohe wrench at a slight bit more.  The price was a few dollars higher, but I could get it in two days.   Finally I put it in my basket, and waited before I purchased it.   I was still in shock, and admittedly angry.  Angry because I knew there must be something less expensive available somewhere I just hadn’t found it, or hadn’t thought of it.

I sat for a few minutes looking at my cart, silly me,  I don’t know what I thought would happen but before I pressed buy, I backtracked to look once more.   Scrolling down just for digestion purposes,  there it was …….  

Another option for the wrench, the wrench to install, and as an another option, the same wrench from Grohe.  Was I seeing it correctly,  Grohe was $50. the knockoff $14.99.  The Universe is blessing me with another option.

All the reviews mentioned,  they had used the less expensive wrench on their Grohe faucet, and it worked fine.  I’m still in shock, but I’m much happier.   With a satisfied feeling, I can now sit back and relax while waiting for the wrench to arrive.

Thank you Universe!

Thanks for stopping by to read Stone Soup.   It was a little outside the box this time, but that’s life!  See you soon.

 

Jun26

Working With Cold Wax

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Last year I bought some cold wax to play with.  A friend of mine uses it on her oil paintings, and being a rebel, I decided to try it on watercolor and acrylic.  I had no idea what i was doing, and couldn’t find any instructions for using it.  Maybe I just didn’t try hard enough, or….maybe the timing was off, and i really wasn’t ready for cold wax.  Either way, it sit on my shelf with all the other products that I had to have proudly waving at me from time to time, making sure I don’t forget the possibilities it holds.

This morning I was looking for something else on YouTube when I ran across this video.  After watching it, I now have a better idea of the possibilities, and I do love possibilities.  You know I will be experimenting with cold wax very soon, and maybe one of you will want try it, experiment with it, or even decide it is the perfect effect for what you are creating.

Either way,  I hope you enjoy the information, maybe try it out, and let me know how it goes.

Thanks for taking time to check out Karen’s Stone Soup.  See you soon…

May24

Joyious Monday

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Monday is a day I rarely leave the house. Instead, I paint, create in different ways, and yes I do make my bed! It’s a wonderful day that I have by myself, and without distractions if you don’t count the cat and dog wanting attention.

Last Monday was especially joyous for me. I was feeling so much peace, and tranquility. There was Hawaiian music playing in my living room, and Brother Iz was filling my heart with sweet sounds of the Hawaiian Islands.

We are all thinking of the volcanoes, and earthquakes the big island is going through now, but that doesn’t stop my heart from loving the islands, the culture, and the incredible joy I feel when I spend time there.

A long time friend who lives on Maui once told me to take off my watch, I was on vacation and didn’t need it. He also told me to make sure I put my toes in the water as soon as I arrived on the island. That trip I did just that, and I haven’t worn a watch since. Another trip I forgot to put my toes in the water at the beginning of our vacation, and you know I just wasn’t as relaxed as I expected. On the last day of the vacation, my husband and myself went to the water’s edge, and walked in the sand and surf. It was at that moment we realized what a disservice we had done to ourselves by not taking our walk on the first day there. That will never happen again!

I started a copper painting with all the things I could gather in my studio. A few ideas I took from the “Copper Workshop ” I had completed that Richard Hawk gave. I haven’t been able to purchase the supplies needed to work like Richard taught, but I still need practice. It also helped with that itch to create at any cost. So on a crinkled copper sheet, I started a painting that is my first alone. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have.

May22

What To Do When…..

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Abstract face

You Don’t Know What To Do?

Since I’ve been so inspired, I can also get full of myself too.   In my hear this was just perfect, In reality, not so perfect!  But, while it didn’t turn out as intended, I also didn’t give up on it.   Letting it sit for a couple of days seemed like the right thing to do.   I needed to digest the painting, and think, let it talk to me and think about that.

So I picked out what was working first. Chuckling  as I thought, “not much is working.”  But, I liked her eyes, and even though I wasn’t finished, it was a positive.

The next thing is noting what wasn’t working….another chuckle,  everything isn’t working.  But, as I remembered my time with artist Cathy Carey I realized this painting was perfect for working in opposite colors.   At that point, I knew exactly what I would do with her.  And do, I did!

May18

Sketching Each Day!

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Abstract Iris

Simple?  Yes!  But each thing we do counts even if it’s so incredibly simple.  There are some days that we aren’t feeling especially creative, but we need to do something.  This was one of those days.

As I sat with my Diva Sisters wanting to do something, but not feeling very creative, I pulled out my iPad and did a little sketch of an Orchid that had been a gift.  Somehow, I hit a key that colored the picture, and this is the end result.  I liked it, so I saved it.  It’s a reminder of how simple things can be at a time when things are a little overwhelming.

Thanks for checking in on Stone Soup.  Always feel free to leave a message, and let me know what you are thinking.