Hammock Time

I was inspired by Sarah of Brit' Gal in the USA to find this old newspaper Blondie comic strip I've had for many years. Thirty years ago I sat in a lawn chair and watched my father, my big strong cool father put up a hammock that my mother wanted. He finished the task and proceeded take it for a test drive. He carefully sat his bottom on the side and was instantly catapulted feet over head and landed on the ground in front of me. I was 7 months pregnant with our first child and I laughed so hard I thought I would have that baby right then and there. If he had been hurt I could not have gotten up to help I was laughing so hard. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen and still is. Daddy still laughs about it. So here is you go...

Still digging through old stuff

I've been a scanning fool for the past few days, finding pictures that evoke an Ahhh or Ohhh, a sob or a smile. Hope you don't mind if I share a few from my past.

This picture is of my sister with our beloved dog, Paisan. This was the sweetest little dog and he dearly loved we kids and would protect us to his death. The only problem was that when he walked into the house he would hike his leg on the hot water tank nearly every time. Had to keep an eye out for him. He was also the most tender little dog. When our cat Susie had a batch of kittens he treated them like they were his, gingerly taking them in his mouth and moving them to a better bed. Great dog.

Now, this is a picture of our Granny and Grandaddy (in the hat). They were attending a KVOO shindig honoring Purina Feed store owners that had helped to increase the company profits. There was a BBQ dinner and awards. The feed store was an awesome place for us kids to visit. He always had baby chicks in the store and the smells of the feed was intoxicating. He had a turkey farm at one time in the outskirts of Tulsa and delivered fresh turkeys to the doorstep in Midtown Tulsa every year for Thanksgiving.

This picture is of Granny's parents, Greatgranny and Great-Grandaddy at our favorite place to visit, Rattlesnake Hollow. This was G-Grandaddy's old truck that he would take us in to get eggs at the chicken house or to town for groceries. You took your life in your hands when he was at the wheel. Pretty scary driver. In the summer he would back the truck up to the house like this and they would drag a thin mattress out of the house for the bed and we would sleep under the stars right next to the open windows where we could SCREAM if we were scared. It was awesome. I found out in some of my digging that my Great-Grandaddy was a Justice of the Peace in Arkansas. He also used to be a post master somewhere too. Amazing people.

Here is yet another picture of my wonderful broken leg. Check out how high up the cast went. Boy did my leg itch and when we finally took it off there was a forest under there. Yeah, my first introduction to a razor. The fat fluffy cat in my lap was our sweet Pagliacci, as in the opera, but we called her Polly. My mother loved opera and named her. She was one of the daughters of Susie (later) and Mother thought she was so ugly that no one would want to take her but she turned out to be one of the most beautiful cats we ever had and so fluffy. She was smart too and loved saltine crackers. I taught her to roll over for a saltine, Polly want a cracker. Mother used to get her down and brush her and vacumm the hair. What a fluff-ball. Not going to say anything about my hair, our aunts were beauticans.

Here is the aforementioned, Susie the Cat. The picture was taken December 25, 1966 and we were in our quilted Christmas P.J.'s. Sweet Susie was my Daddy's cat. Susie was our little Momma cat. She had four litters of kittens for us. The first three litters she had three kittens but the last one there were five and Mom said that was enough so we had her fixed, finally. She was an awesome momma kitty and we loved to watch her give birth in Daddy's sock drawer every time. She also had no bottom teeth. When she was a kitten she had some kind of worms and an abscess in her jaw that my Daddy took care of but she lost all the teeth and so her tongue always slid out and drooled when she was happy and purring. She also was a great mouse and rat killer. Momma wrote a story about it one time and sent it in to Reader's Digest but it was never published.

The newspaper article was from the Broken Ledger, October 16, 1952. My Momma is the 2nd from the left. They were honoring the Golden Jubilee (Momma called it the Cotton Jubliee). She came in 2nd place. The Golden Jubilee evolved to what is now Rooster Days and the Miss Chick contest.

This picture is of the Union Consolidated Schools (Union Public School now) High School marching band. My mother is somewhere in there either playing the piccolo or riding in the car as the Band Queen. All it said on the pic was she was there. It was downtown Tulsa and notice the Saied Music Company store.

Now I have to give a shout out to where we went to dinner last night. We were heading to Ciao on Brookside when I mentioned that we had not eaten at Hibiscus Caribbean next door. So we went there. YUMMY! Robert had some jerk shrimp that were to die for and a mixture of collard greens and cabbage that I could have had a whole plate of. I had a grilled salmon that was of course covered with a spicy sauce. Again, YUMMY. I also had fried plantains that were delicious. I highly recommend going there and trying anything. The owner Vincent came over and we had a nice chat and I said I would mention it here. For something really different try Hibiscus Caribbean Bar and Grill.

Check, check, check

My check list so far is getting shortened. I've really got a lot done the past few days and it feels really good. This weekend I will start assembling my clothes to make sure I have everything I need, do washing and possibly clean out my closet a bit. I'm a little anxious, mainly during the morning when I feel like I have a lot to do. This morning at the personal trainer place I started walking on the treadmill and thinking, bad thing. My stomach started knotting up and my blood pressure on the handles started rising a bit just because I was anxious. I'm so not a good traveler. I decided I needed to run so I amped it and ran for about 5 minutes and it felt really good. It really eased up the nerves a bit. In fact I had a great workout. I'm going to hurt tomorrow.

Last night was not too good sleep wise either. I had a very scary nightmare. The kind where there are ghosts and monsters. I felt like a little kid. It happened about 1 am and left me with my heart pounding and wide awake till about 2:30. I hate that. When I finally fell asleep the TV alarm was going off at 4:45. I'm a little tired but still anxious. It may be this way till we leave. I attribute the nightmare to drinking a caffeinated drink late in the evening. I usually hold my caffeine to 2 a day, early.

Check Make keys for house sitters who will stay in our house while gone
Check buy sample meds, Dramamine, Aleve, toothpaste
clothes
Check pickup travel documents, passports
Check camera, digital disks (find the one I already bought)
bird food (one less-lost Neo yesterday)
Check finish organizing my room (today!)
Check buy travel guides and maps of Ireland
measure suitcase
Check Kindle - charged and books ready to read
Check IPOD - charged and music ready to listen too
endless bullets that I can't think of right now.................................
Check Power of Attorney for my Daddy and his legal papers for his surgery

Messy Room

DONE.

Lists, lists, lists...

We are now 10 days on the countdown for our trip and I've got so much to do.

• Make keys for house sitters who will stay in our house while gone


• buy sample meds, Dramamine, Aleve, toothpaste


• clothes


• pickup travel documents, passports


• camera, digital disks (find the one I already bought)


• bird food (one less-lost Neo yesterday)


• finish organizing my room (today!)


• buy travel guides and maps of Ireland


• measure suitcase


• Kindle - charged and books ready to read


• IPOD - charged and music ready to listen too


• endless bullets that I can't think of right now.................................


• Power of Attorney for my Daddy and his legal papers for his surgery

My mind is just full of stuff right now, so much so that I can't even put a thought together. Today I will stay home again and "hopefully" finish my room organization. Tomorrow I need to go get the temporary power of attorney for my daddy to give to my Bro for Daddy's surgery. Daddy will have his post-op next Tuesday and then two days after we leave he will have his hip replaced. I'm trying not to dwell too much on that. It will be bad enough that I will be gone, don't need to make myself crazy about it. He will be in good hands with Bro and Sis.

On a good note! Next Thursday is my birthday!!!! YEAH!!!! JUNE 4th!!!! Not too keen that I will be 53 but that's okay. The main thing I want to do is eat sushi at In The Raw! Love sushi and I've done that since I turned 50 on my birthday. We might go see Better Than Ezra at Flytrap too but will play that one by ear as I have seen them before. I don't want to do anything too stressful that day. I will have my nails done, hair done and be ready to relax, if I can two days before travel. Might be a little antsy. I was reading the travel stuff and realized that I may have to deal with some high places, but I think I can do it and I want to. I may cry and have a little mini-breakdown but I need to do it to show I can, to an extent. Heights are not my friend. It was not pretty at the Eiffel Tower.

Is it just me or is Blogger having some issues! I'm getting kind of tired of it.

Playing with Camera

Finished playing with my camera it was time to finish the book I started. The nasty little stains were from my snack of Baked Cheetos...Yummy!

Memorial Day Weekend

There he is, Mondo the Wonder Dog, as B&B2 call him. I call him granddog. B&B2 have come to join us for the holiday weekend at the cabin and of course the little, uh...big boy is a part of the equation. He is so excited to be here, to run free and bark, bark, bark. He is the most vocal dog I have ever seen except for Bucky's Schnauzer, Jasmine who yodeled. Look at him sitting there. I just couldn't help but snap a pic of the little darling, resting his behind.

The floor is wet, not because of the several hour long rain but because we cleared off everything on the screened porch to wash the pollen off the floor. I was having problems just sitting there, choking and coughing as the pollen laden floor was stirred up. It's nice that we had help and it didn't take long. I was afraid I would have a horrible headache after we were through but I'm fine. It's too bad this is the last weekend we will be spending here until close to the end of June when we get back from our trip.

Now on to the clematis. I was reading up on my camera, a Cannon A620 PowerShot and realized that I can do macro on it. I also found out I could get lenses to help with that little task. So I am playing around with the lens and the little button that says macro. Fun I must say. May allow for some great pictures to paint.

I've had to stop the cleaning up process in my room for the weekend but I've made tons of progress in getting it done. Here is a before and sort of in between. I should have it clean spik-and-span by the end of the week, in time for my cleaning lady to put a spit polish on the floor that is not surprisingly dusty under all that junk. I have vowed to have it all done before we leave on our trip and I believe it will be done!

Wishes do come true.

I have spent most of 2 days sorting and tossing through all kinds of pictures, old newspaper clippings, awards, crayon pictures and gobs of other stuff. Oh and yeah, I have a dusty mold headache today. I did toss some stuff out. I don't need pictures of a 50 year old tree in a yard that I don't know or the backs of people's head or cats and dogs of 50 years ago. Gone!

This pictures shows my Daddy (will have a better one later) and the newspaper clipping from my mother's 1954 graduating class from Union High School. I also have a picture of her being the Football Queen as a sophmore and Band Queen as a senior, somewhere. I had them laid out to scan and promptly put them in a box. Oh well. There were just so many memories to be found in the mounds and mounds of crap that has piled up in my little room.

I also found a picture of Johnny Weissmuler. You remember him don't you. He played Tarzan.
When we were young my father was the sporting goods manager of the Oertles in Tulsa and was able to get Tarzan to come for a gig and sign autographs. I have that somewhere too. I found this picture among the millions of memories. That's him with the leopard banded hat on.
Now on to a neat find with some painful memories. The story behind this is that on Friday night while my sis and I were laying in bed trying to go to sleep we were quietly talking and I told her, "I wish I could break my leg so I could walk on crutches." That is a true story. The next night, my aunt GiGi, was baby sitting us, mainly for B&D. She was only 4 years older than I and more of a big sis. I was in the 6th grade and the big thing at school was to play hopscotch. I had the bright idea to make a hopscotch broad in our living room out of newspapers and my daddy's socks. My turn came and I tossed whatever it was we were using to mark the spot. It turned out to be a huge jump. I jumped, landed on a newspaper and WOW, who would have thought newspapers were so slick. I slammed into the end wall. Instant pain. GiGi was shocked. They all came over to check on me and the pain was nothing I had ever experienced before. GiGi called Grandma and she said it was probably just sprained. She suggested that I try to stand on it. Hmmm, when I stood my foot turned out, the opposite way. I started to go into shock. B&D were crying and so was GiGi. They tracked my parents down who were playing bingo at the school for a fundraiser and they rushed home. My big strong Daddy came in, scooped me up and loaded me into the backseat of the car. Back then the way to get to the closest hospital was down 71st Street and it was mostly country then. We drove and I was starting to chatter as the shock set in. I can remember when we hit the "city" there were a few street lights that went flying by. We arrived at the hospital and they x-rayed my leg with a brand new x-ray machine. I was the first it was used on. They came in and Daddy was by my side rubbing my arm. I was in so much pain. They told me that they would have to set it and would be giving me something to put me out. I was looking at my daddy crying, "Daddy, I don't want a shot, I don't want a s......" That is the last thing I remember till the next morning in a room. The pain, oh my gosh the pain. Now they do surgery but back then, NOT. The casts then were of real plaster and heavy, heavy. I broke both bones just above the ankle and cracked the large bone just below the knee. Hit that wall hard I'd say. I was in a cast clear up to my groin for 4 months. Actually, I went through two of those kind of casts and eventually went to a walking cast for a couple of months. At home I slept on a cot in the living room, using a bed pan and many sponge baths. I was out of school but my teacher came and tutored and kept me up with the class. When I did go back to school I used my Great-grandmother's wheelchair. Daddy rigged a wooden tray that I kept my leg in so it would be elevated. He also made a wood tray on top for a desk. It was a bad time for me because I was just hitting puberty and I was left out of the time when kids play softball, basketball, etc. Not like today when kids start that stuff at 4 or 5. It was horrible and the most pain I have ever, ever been in and I've had two babies.

So remember, wishes really do come true. And for the record, those crutches hurt like hell. So much for wishes.

Pictures, pictures, pictures everywhere

Just One Day

A week ago I received the newly released Better Than Ezra CD, Paper Empire. I love these guys and was thrilled to get some new stuff from them. The main singer/songwriter, Kevin Griffin is just gifted. I love his voice, his music and his lyrics are just AWESOME, he's a poet. One of the songs is called, Just One Day. I have been playing it over and over again because I love the music but I love the lyrics and they have got me to thinking, and that can be a dangerous thing. I haven't been able to find them on the Internet so I listened and typed, stopping and starting until I had them down:

Just One Day by Kevin Griffin - Better Than Ezra

If you could change your choices that you made
Would you do it, today
If you could spin the world the other way
Could you do it, on faith
If time, could stand still
What would you do
What would you say
If everyone you love came back for just one day
How would it feel, if every dream came real
And all the scars you had fade away
For just one day
Imagine all the times that you could take back
What would you have done differently
Thoughts in your head you never said
A heart that you broke and left for dead
If all the pain you had could be released
How life flies by
What would you do
What would you say
If everyone you love came back for just one day
Then how would it feel if every dream came real
And all the scars you had fade away
For just one day and a night
All the good times and the fights
All the take and the give
All the moments that we never got to live
What would you do
What would you say
If everyone you love came back for just one day
How would it feel
If every dream came real
And all the scars you had fade away
For just one day

The words about changing the choices you've made in your life would you do it, turn back time so to speak. For me, no I would not change. I think I have made the right choices in my life. That is, I have taken the paths that were right for me. I'm happy! Then it goes on to talk about if everyone you love came back for just one day. That is something I have seriously thought about. I would love for my Granddaddy to come back, just one day to see my life. He was an awesome man but he was also an old fashioned man who did not see me going to college, or amounting to much more than a married woman with children. I would want him first to see the success that The Hubby and I have made with our business. We have exceeded all our expectations in our business and I'm very proud of the hard work we have put in to our livelihood. And, yes I did go to college and finishing was sort of to prove to him I was a smart girl too. I also know he was not too keen at first when we told him we were expecting our first child. He wanted us to wait a bit. He never got to see that child because he died 3 months before she was born. After his death, I found out that he was absolutely overjoyed at the prospects of a great-grandchild. He had a coffee can in a cabinet that he dropped his change into every afternoon when he came in from his real estate office. That little coffee can was given to me after her birth by my granny. In that can was close to $300 that I started investing immediately and it became the beginning of her college fund. She received her masters in December. So, yes, as the lyrics state I would have that dear man here for just one day to see how our lives turned out. I think he would be proud of us, our girls, and our lives.

Ahhhhh

Ahhhhh, all's right with the world as of yesterday. The sun he was a shining bright and bold yesterday and promises to be there this week. I'm so very happy at that thought. Finally, yesterday afternoon we were able to get out in a flowerbed at the cabin where The Hubby took the stump out many weeks ago and plant. I was able to find a Japanese Kierra (rose japonica) and a flowering almond to put in its place. I also put in basil, lavender, sage, oh, and another I forget, plants. They may not make it but they smelled so good I just could not stand it. I then put down some English garden mixes and shade garden rolls of seeded carpet in the blank spaces. I'm not as good a gardener as I used to be. I tend to toss in the ground or even throw seeds and they seem to magically take hold. Last year was evidence of that with my giant zinnias that took over that little flowerbed. I have again planted them like that, the toss method, and they were up this weekend. My clematis bed is just lovely with huge flowers all over. Eventually, my little yard at the cabin will be what I want. Needless to say the little bit of weeding I did has activated my gardening butt muscles, OUCH!

I'm Freezing

What the heck has happened to our lovely spring. It is May 16th and I'm sitting on the deck in socks, tennis shoes, jeans, long sleeved t-shirt, and a JACKET! I'm freezing. I'm so ready for the heat, bring it on PLEASE, and enough with the rain please. I'm beginning to grow moss on the left side of my body! Poor B. Yesterday she set up her booth at the Blue Dome District. She has done fine money wise, at least until they got there this morning and all, not some but all of the Blue Dome tents were down and most of the tent poles were busted. They just bought the tent. So there go some of the profits. Luckily one of her friends that is selling stuff with them has a father who owns a tent they could borrow to finish out the weekend. OH MY GOD, I'm going to have to find a coat somewhere!

This morning I awoke after a night of listening to rain and thunder and watching lightening light up our bedroom window. It was actually warmer I think when I arose because I was on our screened-in porch reading my latest book (have to finish up the actual books before I can use my Kindle). I luckily filled the bird feeders last night so I would not have to deal with wet bird feeders this morning. The birds were coming fast, along with the squirrels and chipmunks. Those pesky blue jays can sure chase off some good birds. I spent part of the morning visiting with Harri then back to the cabin with my camera to set up some pics possibly for some painting ideas.I want to incorporate these things into a painting as the clothes pin bag is from the Purina Feed Store that my grandfather had and the kettle was his grandmothers.

While snapping pictures I spied a pair of blue buntings and when I was about through a Baltimore Oriole on the suet feeder (I think). These are real good shots but you might be able to tell.

I am not going to read any blogs or comment till tomorrow as I'M FREEZING and just wanted to at least post a entry but that is all my little fingers and tootsies can take today.

An Ordinary Day

Usually I have a title in mind and I work off of it to fill this blank white space but today I'm empty. Guess I'll just fill with stuff off the top of my head:

At work early 'cause B is setting up her wonderful booth at Blue Dome, Sheezekrafty! Please go by and tell her HI. Maybe purchase something.

Watched Survivor last night and was way too happy to see Coach go. He's a nut. I really like JT and so hope he wins. Also, caught the finale of Hell's Kitchen. Glad Danny won. You know I like cooking shows but this one I think I will quit watching. First, I really get tired of trying to watch and there is practically no sound except for beeps because of all the cursing. Second, I can not stand that ALL of the contestants, and I mean all the contestants from every season, smoke. What is the deal with chefs? Is that the way ALL of them are because that is what I'm getting out the stupid show. Cut it out PLEASE. No more smoking on television. We have got to stop the smoking. I can not watch one more person suck that nasty carcinogenic smoke into their lungs ANYMORE! (stepping down)

Just got this NEWS ALERT:Wayman Tisdale


I'm ready to go to the lake now, today, NOW! We will be there this week and next then in town and then IRELAND! I'm getting nervous and excited. I think I've got the clothing stuff locked down and ready to pack. Have to find the bathing suit. May need it on the boat. I'm of course anxious that Daddy will be having his surgery while we are gone but I've been getting all his paperwork stuff together for my brother to handle while gone: temporary power of attorney, Daddy's living will, stuff.

Oops...I hear cursing from the other room. The Hubby is not happy. His cell phone has been ringing off his hip, from customers and employees, he's having a bad day. I just have to not get into it. I have to let him rant his anger at the other people and circumstances and stay out of his way. That is how we stay married and in business together for 30 years. Yikes. Zip it!

Tree update - The pile of mulch is much smaller today as the tree guys came back the next day and did more grinding and then hauled off two truck loads of mulch. Right now we don't plan on replacing the tree. In the future we want to put in a circle drive and completely redo the front and backyards but for now we are satisfied with what we got.

Bowling

This afternoon I had to meet my bowling team to bowl an hour early as they has a previous committment. We were bowling for the first place spot. I bowled TERRIBLE. It is hard to bowl on a team that the guys bowl nothing under 200 most of the time. I'm not complaining too bad as they are awesome guys and they don't give me grief if I bowl crappy, which I did today. My average is 140 and I only got close once in the second game with a 136. It was terrible. I'm so glad they bowl so well though as we took the championship. #1, #1, #1! Yeah baby! Plus, I apparantly bowled over 180 sometime in June so got a patch. I won $95 too. Yeah, I like bowling. We are done for the season though.

Bye-bye storm damaged dead tree

I'm not kidding

I'm not kidding about my mind lately. I feel like I'm in a haze lately. Last week I kept dropping things and I was forgetting all kinds of stuff at the office, not able to concentrate. I even left our paychecks laying on the desk, not remembering to go to the bank. I think I have figured it out though. In a bit The Hubby and I will be leaving for a vacation to Ireland for seven days then five days of the vacation traveling home will be on the Queen Mary II. It is going to be awesome but I'm not a good traveler. I am antsy and very unsure of it all. I am in fear all the time. We've been going on these trips with a group and it is the perfect way for me to travel and so The Hubby goes along, just to get me to go. He is the kind of guy to jump on a bicycle or moped and take off across the country. I'm not! I like to follow with the herd. Anyway, this trip has got me a little apprehensive. Packing, what to pack, pack for a couple of formal dinners, pack for swimming, pack for cool, pack for warm, pack reading, pack writing, pack, pack, pack. ARGHHHH!!!! Does take up a lot of brain space right now. I'm sure to have some great pictures and maybe some to paint.

Happy Mother's Day

Well, another Mother's Day has passed. I've kind of kept a low key attitude about it this year. This is my 3rd MD without my dear sweet momma. The past few years I've made The Hubby get his mother a card because I didn't want to but this year I braved the card aisle and searched for the perfect one for his mother. At first I didn't even want to read them. I just wanted to find a Plain Jane one and run out of the store (after paying), but I made myself go ahead and read and finally decide on one from both of us. She loved it today. Mission accomplished. The Hubby's middle brother called to get us all together and his usual thing is to pick up KFC which I love so that is what we did. I told him I would open our house but it would be paper plates and plastic utensils. He was totally fine with that. It turned out to be a small affair. His partner was ill and couldn't make it. The older brother and his little lady came as did the mother-in-law and our girl B. Her other half B2 was visiting his family as he lost his mother a few years ago too. All in all it has been a very quiet Mother's Day. Of course I miss the other girl, A as she is in California but she called just as everyone showed up so I got to chat with her.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

Me and a glass of red wine!

Here it is Saturday evening, about 5:30 in the evening and I'm sitting on Harri's deck finally enjoying the weather and a nice glass of red wine. Harri is reading the latest First magazine and sharing some tidbits she finds interesting from the magazine. It has been an awesome week and awesome weekend so far. First I will have to comment about the Mom's Night Out with fellow bloggers. I was so very excited to meet some of them that I read and who read me. What a thrill to hear from across the room, "Jill of All Trades!" Wow! I feel like an author after this evening, people really do read my words! We shared lots of chatter, laughs and great fun, and a little pizza and drink. This is a lead up to BlogHer and I'm so EXCITED!

Last night we got out of town to have a nice weekend at the cabin. We were invited to Sin & Bare's for an easy meal of chicken fajitas, wine and friends around a roaring campfire. Unfortunately it was Friday night and I was pooped so I was in bed by 10. I took Harri home on the golf cart and sat on the couch to try to unwind a bit for the evening. The Hubby and Jimbo were very close behind. The Hubby was full of wine and food so when he plopped down on the couch he was nodding off pretty quick. I started to dose during the news so off to bed for a good nights rest. I told The Hubby I was heading to bed. He responded that he would be there shortly but I think he didn't hit it until about midnight. Up about seven this AM I was waiting for the dark skies to dissipate so I could sit here on Harri's deck to read some blogs. I have a problem though as I have a virus or bug that pops open my Internet Explorer over and over again. It stops me from reading a bit but I'll win out.

Not too much to write on this today but wanted to say Hey to all my readers and dear, dear friends.

What is that glow in the sky! (Painting update!)

What is that glow in the blue cloudless sky today...yes, I believe it is the sun. Finally, we have a wonderful day of sun and blue skies. Alas, I'm still not able to put my top down though. I am on yet ANOTHER antibiotic that prevents me from being in the sun. DRAT! That is not good, so lots and lots of sunscreen and covering up. At least I can get a little warmth for the aching muscles. Speaking of aching muscles, this afternoon I bowled and since I have not worked out for nearly two weeks, my quads and knees are absolutely killing me. OUCHY! Next week will be the last day of bowling till next fall and I can honestly say I'm ready to have this break. The good news is that my team is on the top but next week is the roll-off for first place of the season. My teammates can't be there at our regular time so we will pre-bowl an hour earlier. That may be good for us. We'll see.

Today I came home early to get my bowling ball and shoes and to check the mail. I was pleasantly surprised to find my new CD from my favorite group, Better Than Ezra. It is a pre-release CD that I ordered direct from them and the biggest surprise is that it is autographed. YEAH! I'm so happy. I put it immediately in my car to listen to on the way to the bowling alley. (They will be here June 2 at FlyTrap.) So there I was having a wonderful music filled drive to the bowling alley, windows down, taking in the spring air when I passed a newly mowed lawn. The scent of the freshly mowed grass was intoxicating but I only got a quick whiff as I then passed by a building that was getting a new tar roof. YUCK! The smell assaulted my nostrils. Talk about killing a moment, that did it.

On to some painting updates. I finished my fan pictures so here is the finished project.


Now this is the next picture I have started. It is the basket of potatoes. I sketched it, then we did a study in light where I used black and browns to find the light and dark in the picture and yesterday I started the color part. Sadly I will not be able to work again on it until the end of June. The classes are out until June 2 but The Hubby and I will be on vacation part of June. I will just have to practice some stuff at home and maybe I'll sketch on our trip and get some great photos for a new painting.

SheezKrafty

I decided today to feature my oldest in her endeavour to promote her jewelry making. She and her friend repurpose and reuse vintage jewlery into new jewlery pieces. It is awesome and it is a creative outlet for her to pass her time and make a little money. Please check out her wonderful pieces at SheezKrafty...and She Writes!

What happened to our sun!

It has been days now since the glorious sun has touched my skin and I'm beginning to get down. I'm trying not to but this constant gray is depressing. I need sun! I want sun! I just have to have it. It's like a drug for me. I'm trying to keep myself very, very busy with work, crocheting and now I'm cleaning out pictures. Thirty-three years of married life and kids pictures, plus I am also the keeper of family memorabilia and pictures. So the boxes are many. Saturday and Sunday I spent most of the days sitting in the floor until my backside went to sleep sorting and sorting. When I got to my grandmothers stuff I started tossing into the garbage bag. It sounds awful but how many pictures do I need of her stray cat that she tamed sitting at her door. She had an album with probably 10 pictures of that cat. I know my girls remember the cat, Tom I think was his name, so in each of their "keep" baskets I chucked a picture of it plus many other "memory" pictures for them. I mean do we really need all that. You know if I ever, EVER get around to making scrapbooks for the girls I will probably toss what is not needed or used. I have kept all the negatives and disc's in a separate place just in case. I don't need progression pictures of my grandmothers 4th cousins daughter, from kindergarten to high school I haven't even met the kid or grownup as she more than likely is now and I probably never will. That part of the family is way, way too distant for me.

I have to make a decision. I decided that at this stage in my life I need to prioritize what is important to me and what I want to do with the "rest" of my life. For years I have always crafted and cooked and so I accumulated tons of yarn, cross stitch stuff, cookbooks and recipes that I will NEVER use. I also have an over abundance of books. Although I plan on reading them I keep adding more to the towering piles. I need to get rid of some. I have a problem with that though as I love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the written page. I love owning books, but I have decided that after I read I will get rid of them in some fashion or another, except for my favorite authors or subject matter. I will keep those books, in hardback in my library alcove. I love to cross stitch but that is seasonal, as is the need to crochet. I will keep those two things but the cross stitch I will stick to the little ornaments that I like to do. They are small and don't take up too much room and are a portable project. The crochet will still be baby blankets but I'm getting bored with that for awhile and so will pack away till fall. No more glue guns and glitter or felt or craft crap. It is gone! Recipes, well, I've tossed a ton of that stuff too. I need to get rid of tons of cookbooks too. I have so many but I never, never use them. I stick to the church ladies cookbook or my Better Homes and Garden one that I've had for over 30 years. Hmmm, maybe I'll have a giveaway. Giveaway some books or cookbooks. Have to think about that.

So now to the problem of the pictures and school papers. I am going to continue sorting, and that may take me a few weeks but when done I'm going to put the family memorabilia away, safely. I will have the girls stuff sorted and maybe I'll make scrapbooks for them but if I don't, well then they may someday. I can't get my head around that right now. I'm going to be selfish. I want to set up my room as an artists space, where I can paint without having to take it down. I have to get this all put away though or my mind will be too overwhelmed of, well, stuff. I won't be able to get my mind organized unless I cull it all down to a manageable level. So back to sorting I guess.

Formal Dining, Music Room, Den and Entry-Hall

I hope this is not too boring for everyone. It has been three years ago since we did all this but I love to share it. I have to say we did have an architect to help with the ideas and he was great. The Hubby allowed me, for the first time in 30+ years of marriage to have more than white walls. It was so much fun trying to make it all work together and I feel good about it.

This is the formal dining room with a view into the formal living. We vaulted the ceiling or trayed the ceiling in here. Lots of color and getting rid of the ugly orange carpet.

This was the before of the formal living and formal dining.

This was the fourth bedroom which had a wall in the entry. We opened it up with pocket doors and now it is The Hubby's Den or "his room," like I have "my" room.

The formal dining after with a little creamy yellow paint (can't tell here), drapes and the tray ceiling and lighting.

This is then entry hall, view from the bedrooms (there were doors here.)

The opposite wall looking to the bedroom hall and den.

This is what I call the music room. It was the formal living but I hate that. We have a piano and a game table.

The opposite view into the library alcove that is in the music room.