2/3/12 - A new friend

A friend of mine had an art show, and Jim and I decided to attend. While there, we met up with another friend of Jim's. I think Jim might have actually been included in this friend's blog or vlog or whatever, but I really can't remember his name, or I would have added a link.

2/4/12 - DVATA

Jim and I attended the annual DVATA (Delaware Valley Art Therapy Association) Conference in Malvern, PA. He was excited to see Myra Levick speak, as she's an Art Therapy superstar. Super!

1/28/12 - The 435 Cliffs

Because it was a mild winter, Jim and I were able to do some hiking when my friend Sarah came to visit. Sarah loves to hike, and Jim loves to explore, so it was a good, happy day. We decided to hike with a group to the Cliffs above Route 435. You can see Route 435 in the pictures I've included in this post.

Sarah and Jim got along well, despite Jim's constant requests to stop to take photos with trees and rocks and sticks and such along the hike up to the top of the mountain. I finally had to tell him that if he waited until we got to the Cliffs themselves, I'd take all the pictures he wanted. At the top, even Sarah wanted a picture. It really is a great view, even in the middle of an unseasonably warm and dreary-looking winter.

It was windy, and I was a little afraid to take this second picture of Jim, so close to the edge of the abyss. I was afraid he'd get caught in a gust of wind and be blown over the edge, perhaps to be subsequently flattened on Route 435. Oh, but wait. He's already pretty flat. No worries, then.

6/12/13 - I miss Jim, but not that much

About a year ago, a friend of mine named Art came for a visit. He had moved to Portland following graduation from a Master's program at Marywood, and he came back to Scranton for a visit. Art drove all the way here and didn't really want to drive that whole way home alone. Neither I nor another friend could accompany him, so Jim offered to be his companion for the journey. I told Jim to promise to take lots of fun pictures for me, and to come back with lots of stories, and to not annoy Art too much.

It's been a year, and I haven't really heard too much from them, so I'm assuming that they're getting along well. Or that perhaps Art killed Jim because he was so, so annoying, and Art is avoiding contacting me because he feels so guilty. Or maybe somehow Jim killed Art, on accident and he can't figure out how to use Art's phone or computer. I really could see either of those two scenarios. Let's face it - ever since he got lost a while back, Jim really hasn't been the same.


Needless to say, my life has been very quiet since Jim's departure with Art. Many of Jim's friendsandrelations  have stuck around, but they're good folks, for the most part. Violet and I have gotten especially close. She's a very sweet alien, and very friendly. I've included a picture of her because I think she may agree to allow me to write about our adventures, and I wanted to introduce her to you. So, here she is!

1/17/12 - Seeing Scranton

Early into the new year, Jim requested a trip to a "scenic overlook" of Scranton. He said that he wanted to "view his domain from above, like a king from the top tower of a castle." Ever the obliging host, I drove Jim to a look-out. It was a rather cold and dreary day, and there were no leaves on the trees, so the view was somewhat depressing for him, I think. So much for the king taking pride in his kingdom.

Giving Back (a year in review) - 10/2 and 12/10

Looking back on 2011, it's clear that Jim and I had some good times. He bounced back from his disappointment at the move to Scranton, and we ended up having a great year - traveling, being out in nature, meeting new friends.

We also had opportunities to give back to the community through volunteering. Jim was reluctant at my first mention of volunteering, but we ended up having a lot of fun. In October, he and I worked with some friends on a large painting for The Wright Center, and helped neighborhood kids to decorate it during their fall festival.

He and I also helped to sort donated toys and to help children choose toys for EOTC's annual Toyland Workshop. During this event, children aided by EOTC are invited to "shop" for their siblings and parents for Christmas. Volunteers help them choose and wrap their gifts, and Santa even came for a photo op. Instead of Santa, Jim wanted to be photographed among his new, cleaned, stuffed friends.

12/29/11 - Dinosaur

Jim enjoyed his Dinosaur Barbeque experience so much that he requested to go again to celebrate New Year's. How could I refuse? He once again requested to be photographed with the sauce. He really is a big fan. He asked me if I thought he would make a great spokesalien for the franchise, but I told him that he didn't look enough like a dinosaur to make sense to the general public. Jim - "But, I'm green." Me -  "Yes, Jim, you are definitely green. But you aren't a dinosaur. Being green doesn't make you a dinosaur." Jim - ... "Maybe they could change the name to Alien Barbeque?!"

12/2/11 - Friends for sale

MUSATA, the Marywood University Art Therapy Association, had a show for members at CityLights Church in downtown Scranton for December's First Friday. I showed some work I'd done during the past semesters of which I was very proud, and others showed other work that was meaningful to them. It was a fairly eclectic show, and it was interesting to view everyone's unique artistic expression.

The show also provided an opportunity for me to try to sell some of Jim's friendsandrelations. Even though he wasn't for sale, he asked to have his picture taken on one of the hand forms because he thought it would be funny. He is pictured below with several of his friendsandrelations - L to R: Winnie, Jim, Ophelia, Penny, Gus, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Violet. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Jim's friendsandrelations was going to go toward providing art supplies to people through World Vision's gift catalog, but I ended up only selling one. Jim was actually happy to still have all of his friends around. I think he may have actually sabotaged sales by whispering to people not to buy them, thus freaking out potential customers. Jim is pretty good at freaking people out.

11/30/11 - studio two-eighteen

Near the end of my Studio class, my classmates and I had an art show of work we'd created while in the class. As this represented the culmination of a semester's worth of work, it was a good feeling to share this with the greater community. A lot of parents and significant others showed up to the opening, which was really sweet. Jim enjoyed meeting everyone and viewing the art. He especially liked the hanging sculpture a friend of mine made with tissue paper, glue, and paint. My artwork, he couldn't have cared less about. So, he asked to have his picture taken nestled in the colorful discs. Super!