Category: Paul J. Sumberg, Sr.

I just finished ironing clothes. Something I should have done when I was married but never did.
I know, you think I’m a little nuts for ironing my blue jeans. Perhaps I am but I want people to know that however casual I am dressed I still wish to be neat.
While I was ironing clothes, I thought about my mother. When I was very young, she ironed nearly everything. She ironed pillow cases. I don’t remember I’d she did sheets as well but I bet she did. She ironed handkerchiefs and she ironed tablecloths and napkins. I mean, she ironed nearly everything.
You know, the amount of work a “housewife” did 7 days a week back then was incredible. She also always prepared a hot breakfast, packed a school lunch and we always had a proper supper.
Amazing!
Today’s, kids are luck to get a hot meal. And if it is, it probably came out of a microwave.

Thanks Mom.

While I’m at it, I should say that Debra (my ex) kept a neat house, cooked everyday did laundry (including ironing) and held down a full time job. Damn!

With overnight lows in the upper 50s and daytime highs not reaching 80, along with mostly sunny days, the past couple weeks have been outstanding.

A neighbor cut down 2 large red oak trees and offered the wood to me. Well, a lot of cutting and a whole lot of splitting later, I added a little over a cord of firewood to my woodshed. That will make some really nice heat winter after next.

I built a tool to help me make good miter corners on picture frame mouldings. Tis week I made my first barn wood frame for a piece that was selected for an upcoming exhibit.

Here is the piece.

Well, that’s it for now.
Cheers.

I find my ever wandering mind coming to rest in an altogether too uncomfortable spot these days. Perhaps it’s the general and overall state of unrest in the world today coupled to Mr. Obama’s forced health care. Maybe not, because this particular thought doesn’t include the rest of you.
I keep wondering about both my physical and mental state over my remaining years. I mean, I feel the aches and pains of abusing my body repeatedly over my lifetime. Mind you, I’m still a wizard at ignoring the pains and working through them. Heck, since winter I’ve cut, split and stacked firewood from probably a dozen hardwood trees. And while I try to limit the time I spend on hard labor, on several occasions I’ve put in a good 6 to 8 hours in one session. In this same period of time I’ve also dismantled a barn at a friends place, moved it here and used the materials to build a woodshed (mostly by myself). I’m not complaining but some of my muscles and joints are.
Now, I’m not concerned with my timely or untimely demise. You who know me know this. The end will come when it comes! However I am beginning to wonder just how long I will maintain my good health and cobweb encrusted mind. I mean, what if I manage another 30 years (not entirely impossible). How the hell will I manage to cut firewood then. Ha ha, will I even remember to light the furnace. I don’t mind being worn out at the end. Heck, I think that’s the goal. But being by myself and seeing other “loners” deteriorate has me wondering.
I’ve a neighbor who’s mind has pretty much gone off around the bend. When it became obvious (in a fairly dramatic way), I spent several sleepless nights thinking about his plight. It is tremendously troubling. He lives alone and doesn’t even reliably remember how to operate his toaster or microwave. It troubles me! Like I said.
Some days I find myself unable to recall a name (ok, I’ve always been bad with names) or the date, time or era of something thar occurred in my past. Yeah, it usually comes back to me later on. But, it leads me to worrying about that time when I go off entirely around the bend too.
Well, until then I’ll keep riding my Harley and chopping firewood and enjoying these beautiful North Georgia mountains.
Cheers.

We’d had a day of rain already and yesterday started off the same. We had flash flood warnings and a heck of a lot of rain But, I can only be shut in for a short period without getting a little antsy. So I headed toward Ducktown and visited with a neighbor from Florida who moved here 6 years ago. It was good to catch up. Then I went to Blue Ridge and visited with a cute artist at the Art Center. It was a great way to spend a rainy day.
The sun is out this morning and its a beautiful day.

The app on my iPad I use to post here had a problem.
It seems I’ve fixed it.

I think she’ll be 10 year old this summer and I guess all these years of running, jumping and playing is taking it’s toll on her.  She injures herself way too easily these days.  last year it was a broken toe while fetching a ball.  Yesterday was an injured leg while “attacking” her rope.  Perhaps it’s time to put the toys away and limit her activity to walking and hiking.  Oh, she won’t like that.

Seriously, if you want to check on what I am doing with my photography, you really should visit PaulSumberg.com for the full picture.  (pun intended)

After visiting with Becky and Matt Larson over the holidays and working on a salt print with them I have become interested in this 1830s era photographic process.  So, I am making salt prints and having a ball doing it.