Weekly Wrap Up 3/26/21-- Stain glass projects

While on spring break I have completed two more stain glass projects.  I worked on another commission project which I just put in the mail this past weekend.

they wanted a sun and moon pattern after seeing my guitar lamp of sun and moon.  They chose a slighting different design for the moon which was an easy change for me.  This is a picture right before I framed it. 

Next I finished another guitar lamp!  This one was done for my husband as he is a huge RUSH fan.  

I ask someone to help me create a pattern using this picture (not my strongest area) 

He did a great job and I loved the pattern, however I made a few slight changes because that is just what I do;)

The finished bass drum lamp.  My husband is very happy with it.

I still have one more drum to work on but I haven't figured out what design I want to use for it yet!  I need some inspiration before I tackle the four and final drum lamp. 

IN one of my stain glass groups someone posted a piece using a bike disc rotor.  I thought it was pretty.  So I order a few and finished them.  The size is 203 mm and I added  crystals and glass nuggets.  It is also a great way to use up scrap glass.  

I am now going to work on my second Tiffany dogwood lamp which will be used as my husband bedside lamp.  I recently purchased a second hand lamp soldering stand which I hope will make soldering a bit easier for lamps.  

 I hope it makes soldering a lot easier and that I don't waste as much solder 

While cleaning out my studio I found a projects that I never completed so I brought them out and plan on finishing them

These are some boxes that I had cut out a few years ago. I am going to assemble them and add some pewter embellishments. I however made a glass box in over 20 years so I need to find some videos on how to make a hinged glass box.  

Weekly Wrap UP 3/19/21 -- School and vaccinations

 It is an exciting time in our home and for extended family as we have all had our first vaccination! Some have even gotten their second dose by the time this blog is posted.  While we are still taking precautions, it is nice to be able to think that we might get back to normal and maybe even plan a vacation this summer!  Only MarioFan is missing the vaccination as he doesn't meet the age requirements at this time.  He is at the lowest risk so we should be ok.  It will be nice meeting up with friends again!

We had  to drive over 2 hours from our home in order to find a place that had appts. Firedrake got her first dose while home on spring break and she has an appt at her college town for the second dose, for the first week of April!  

MarioFan is taking his Chemistry class online and has finished the second part and is now taking part three which the teacher says makes this chemistry course more of an honors class for public high school.    We have been very happy with this online course and the experiments that can be done alongside the teacher at home.  I am considering doing this teacher's physics classes for MarioFan's Senior year, next year!

They are working Gay-Lussac's, Charles and Boyles Law

We used our Fondue hot plate for this experiment  so we had a bit of a problem getting it to work exactly as our hot plate switches on and off.

Even the teacher had a little bit of problem with this experiment 

we got so so results:)

They also did one with a soda can but we could get that to work at all so I didn't take any pictures!

Next...

Placed two mini marshmallows into a syringe 

Next he held the tip closed and pulled  the stopper out and watched the marshmallow grow larger.

For Literature we are in the process of reading Rudyard Kipling's book 'Kim', which is set in India and deals with British colonization and the Great Game (which is a period of that time that I do not know much about). Again I am changing the book that the Lightening Literature program suggested, which was Rudyard Kipling's book The Complete Stalky and Co.  which is more of a series of short stories.  I chose the book 'KIM' as it is considered Kipling's best book. 

 For his writing assignment he will be do another research paper on the British Raj in India.  he still needs to narrow down his topic a bit but he is looking through these books to see if there is a section he wants to research more and write a paper on.    

More books about the British Raj to look through

Some basic books to understand the culture of India and look at some of the places mentioned in the book

MarioFan is continuing to work on his soldering and electronic projects.  Recently he finished an electronic dice kit.  If this interests your child you can order projects from this site.

Found this kit at an electric store but it can be ordered online

I downloaded the directions from the web and we watched the video as well before getting started 

reviewing the parts

this was a much smaller board so it was a little trickier but it is all a learning process

since the components were smaller soldering was a bit trickier and we are still learning to use only a tiny amount of solder and to get it as flat and even as we can

Adding the based after completing the soldering and adding the electrical components

It works we now have an electrical dice!

If you drop it on the table it changes which lights lite up so you can use it as a dice for any game.  MarioFan learned quite a bit with this one.    

the next project is even more complex with even smaller components but he must challenge himself in order to improve his skill level. 

Weekly Wrap up 3/12/21--medical procedures

We had a great week as our oldest was home from college and we were all together, although Firedrake spent most of her time online with her friends:). She managed her first flight by herself with no issues.  I was the one who worried the most about her flying alone, lol.  She leaves on Saturday with her Dad to drive back to college with her car and my husband flew home on Sunday after getting her settled back in her dorm.  Firedrake and her college roommate have already made plans to room together next year and signed up at college already!  We are so happy she is doing well and thriving.

 We have some great news!  My husband after spending many evenings searching the area my Mother lives in, was finally able to secure her first covid vaccine appt. 2 weeks ago!  My husband received his first dose and receives his second dose this week.  While home from college, Firedrake and I both got our first vaccine dose!  Not a single person had any issues taking the first dose.   It is good to feel like progress is being made for the family and we can finally get out of our house!

MarioFan had to have his wisdom teeth removed  Friday and it was the first time he has ever done any type of real medical procedure!

Waking up from the procedure in which he was pretty cranky wanting water and chap stick.  It was pretty funny actually, luckily he doesn't recall any of it.

ON our way home before stopping to get a milkshake which the Nurse recommended at the dentist -- while he looks horrible here, his recovery has been very smooth and he recovered pretty quickly 

Lastly, our poor dog, Luna had to have surgery to remove a growth on her paw.  MarioFan had taken her for a walk a few weeks ago and the dog came back bleeding profusely from her back paw.  I rushed her to the vet where they found inflamed growth hidden between her foot pads that had somehow gotten cut.

What my car looked like after taking her to the vet.  Blood everywhere. 

The vet wasn't sure if it is a cyst or a tumor growth.  She needed surgery but had a wait due to a backlog of surgeries.   So she came home from the vet looking like this, poor dog, she was not very happy

I found keeping a bandage on her foot impossible so I sent my husband to the pet store to buy dog booties as it was suggested that that might help.  Also I wanted to get the cone off as she whimpered and looked so sad:(

Poor Luna hates her bootie but it made all the difference and she was able to stop wearing the cone of shame while we waited for surgery.

I had to change the bandages morning and evening and she had to wear this little bootie everyday!  At least she was no longer able to get at the foot and left it alone.

After surgery we brought her home and she looked so sad for a couple of days.  She did have pain meds to help but she was pretty needy for extra love and attention.  Which of course we gave to her.

Luna curling up on the sofa wanting to be near me on her day home from surgery

 

  Luna has returned to her usual self and we are still awaiting the biopsy's results.  Hoping it isn't anything more serious.  

 Lastly we lost another little pet:(. MarioFan's guinea pig, Marie, was found in her cage dead.  She was at least 7 years old and GP can live 6-8 years so it wasn't completely unexpected, but still sad for MarioFan

this picture is almost 5 years old

We still have Firedrakes' GP, Millie, and she is just as old so we aren't expecting her to live to much longer.  As a family we decided we were not going to get any more GP's as the kids are getting older and really don't have as much time to care and play with them.  We are making an effort to spend more time with Millie so she isn't lonely as GP's do better with a partner.  

Weekly Wrap UP 3/5/21-- 11th grade

 We are taking next week off from school for spring break as Firedrake is coming home from college.  So this week we tried to wrap up as many loose ends as we could so we can just spend time as a family since we will all be home together.

MarioFan just completed reading a Charles Dickinson Novel

The literature program we are using suggested Great Expectation however I hated reading that book in high school so after doing some research we decided to read Tales of Two Cities instead.  

For his writing assignment MarioFan is researching the French Revolution and will do a research paper on the causes of the revolution.  Here are a few books I found at the Library.  He is not going to read them all only the sections that pertain to his research paper.  

Chemistry continue to be an online class MarioFan recently completing a limiting reactive lab

adding various amounts of baking soda to vinegar

Find the circumference and diameter in order to discover the volume of the gas produced

All of his online classes are taking next week off as well.  The only thing on the schedule for next week is to pick up our daughter from the airport and MarioFan has an appt to removed his wisdom teeth at the end of the week!  Poor thing:(