That Time of Year!

Yes it's THAT TIME OF YEAR....the end of the year, almost.  I cannot believe that 2015 is nearly over.  It has been quite exciting in the painting department for me as I feel I have grown immensely in the painting department.  What fun I've had.  This may be the last painting of 2015...we'll see what I have in me for tomorrow morning.  I've had a yearning to do a portrait so I will attempt that.  

This is sweet Snicklefritz...

" Pigtails"

"He's Checking His List"

"He's Checking His List"

16x20 oil on Belgium linen

MERRY

CHRISTMAS

9 Things I Love About Winter

Mama Kat's writing prompts this week had this little jewel in the list so I thought I would TRY it.

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9 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT WINTER

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1.  I love hot soups and a big pot of beans in the winter

2.  I love a fire in the fireplace, the smells and toasty warmth it gives off.  There is just NOTHING better than sitting in my chair at the cabin next to the fire with a good book.  

3.  I love, love, love Christmas.  I love decorating my house and the tree and seeing everyone elses decor.  

4.  I love the baking that goes along with Christmas during the winter months.  The smell of fresh baked anything is just wonderful!

5.  I sort of like warm sweaters and the layering to cover up the extra poundage that comes along with the Christmas baking!

6.  I love...

7.  blank

8.  blank

9.  blank

Well that kind of sucks.  Let's try this...

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9 THINGS I HATE ABOUT WINTER

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As many know when I write here, I really do hate winter most of the time.  

1.  I hate the cold.  I hate the cold.  I hate the cold.  My bones and joints and fingers and toes and ENTIRE body hate the cold.  Always have.  

2.  I hate what the winter does to the landscape.  The desolation of leaves off of the trees is so depressing for me.  It's sad but deep in my soul I know that spring is just around the corner and the trees need a rest.  

3.  I hate the wet, cold, dreary days and gray skies.

4.  I hate that I can't sit outside and feel the warmth of the sun.  I need the light.

5.  I hate the poundage I do put on because my body basically wants to hibernate and not move much but yes EAT!

6.  I hate the short days when it's dark when I leave for the office and dark when I head off.  (The good side of that is now I have windows in my office to see the dreary days.)

7.  I hate that tax season is just around the corner so the few months of stuck inside is spent getting my taxes together.

8.  I hate making New Year's Resolutions!

9.  I hate failing in completing my New Year's Resolutions!

Painting and Santa Claus

Is it me.  I can't figure it out.  Am I not posting enough.  Am I boring.  Is blogging a thing of the past.  Well, maybe it is.  Since Saturday my blog followers from 127 to 120.  I'm not in a panic at all, yet it is a bit concerning.  Oh well, it is what it is.  Onward...

I painted this sweet puppy this summer for our great niece for her birthday but had not been able to give it to her until now.  She was thrilled and so was her little companion, Thule!

I started painting this red pickup a few months ago with the intention to give it to The Hubby...but...

he sold truck last year to his brother and when BIL saw the other cars I had painted he wanted to commission me to paint "his" truck.  So I finished it and it will be his for Christmas.  FYI, I do NOT want to paint another car for awhile.  I can and I have but I kind of find them boring right now. 

Now just LOOK at this masterpiece Snicklefritz is painting.  The kiddo is a genius, a genius I tell you! 

Plus, she's not afraid of Santa Claus anymore.  Look at that intensity as she shares her wants for a motorcycle for Christmas!

Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La

Yesterday I was on a mission.  I got a lot accomplished but let me back up a touch...

Friday, I picked up Snicklefritz from her Momma at the place where B's Alliday Show was about to begin.  It was about 10:30 and B was going to be interviewed by a noon news channel and Snicklefritz was going to be a problem.  So off I went to gather her up and to lunch at our favorite Friday lunch haunt, Bangkok Thai Buffet.  She loves to eat there too and cleaned her plate of pad Thai, rice, broccoli, and green beans.  That kiddo is a champion eater!  Run a couple errands and then we were home for the weekend.  Actually, she was only there for overnight.  

Back home I was faced with a dining room that was full of pantry stuff that HAD to be put back.  I was planning on cleaning out the pantry in January, but with the possibility of cutting a hole or RIPPING out my pantry from the hot water leak, that time table was pushed.  Cleaning out the thing though I saw I had enough to make my famous White Fruitcake so that was on the agenda too.  So, first up was fruitcake, with Snicklefritz as sous chef.  It was so cute to see her expression when we began to beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  She was amazed to see the transformation.

I got 10 small loaves out of the batter mixture and we put them in the oven and let magic happen.  Mind you this recipe takes 90 minutes and when the smell began wafting through the air she kept asking if we could take the cake out.  Finally, when out she wanted to eat immediately, but again, her patience was tried as we waited for some to cool.

Then....... 

She really did love it and crammed that last piece in her mouth.  We had a great time but I still had LOTS to do.  The first batch was Friday night and Saturday after she went home I HAD to finish the pantry thing.  

Threw tons out, revamped, moved foil, wax paper, ziplock bags to a drawer that I cleaned out and more space!  It took me all afternoon to finish and then I made yet another batch of fruitcake, 20 loaves in all.  We've already eaten two and given away one to Snicklefritz to take home.  My feet and knee were killing me by the time I finally got in the hot tub and then in the shower.  I still have a few things to do but it is done basically.  Now I have to wrap packages for Christmas.  I also have to go BACK to the post office Monday or Tuesday morning as I shipped A's Christmas leaving one out of the big box by mistake.  RATS.

'TIS THE SEASON

Coffee

It's just my opinion but how in the world did the Keurig thing become such a dominate thing in the coffee world.  I mean, really why in this world of trying to not make waste do we have individual plastic coffee thingy's to throw away after making one dang cup of coffee.  Really!  I mean our landfills are filling up with those plastic cups.  Try what I do and make a coffee concentrate, the Toddy coffee.  It filters out the bitter and greasy way coffee has.  

Stepping off of my soapbox.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

As I was tossing and turning the other night trying to find the illusive sleep I thought of the song from the Sound of Music, "My Favorite Things."   I love this song and thought, "HEY, what's my favorite things." 

1.  Favorite Book

Chiefs by Stuart Woods

2.  Favorite Perfume

Oxygene by Lanvine

3.  Favorite Food

Mexican, hamburgers, appetizers, caramel anything, well, heck, any food, except milk and goat cheese.

4.  Favorite Color

Used to be blue and brown when I was a kiddo, because my Granny and mother said it was my best color to wear.  BORING!  Then I moved to green, pink and yellow.  Now it's red and warm red hues.  

5.  Favorite Past Time

Of course, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE painting.  Reading is a very close second along with sitting in my hammock and looking up through the trees at the sky!

So, what are some of your favorite things...

book, perfume, color, food, past time...or add your own.  

Sleep, What's That

It's called Sleepless in Tulsa!  Oh good grief, I went to bed and slipped off to sleep-land about 9:15 last night, then about 10:20 the bladder dinged my bell.  So off to empty said bladder and then drift off to sleep again.  This time Clayton decided to wake me because his little blanket was on the floor and he was chilly, time about 11:15.  I was then wide awake and so decided to watch some more television.  The Hubby was catching Zzzz's on the couch so I had the bed to myself and the TV.  I started watching Alaska State Troopers.  (Did you know that Alaska has five times the suicide rate!  Wow!  They attribute it to the very long nights, cold, no sunshine.)

Still the sleepy bug was not coming back.  RATS!  I had to get some rest for art class and to watch Snicklefritz early in the AM as B is going to be on the early morning show to promote her Alliday Show this weekend.  I soon heard The Hubby fidgeting and heading back to bed but I was NOT going back to sleep and I knew if the snoring started I would not be able to sleep.  So I opted to head for the couch to maybe get in the zone again.  Clayton just had to follow so it was me and him on the loveseat.  I was sooooo wide awake.  So me, Clayton, loveseat and the Alaska State Troopers were a thing until 2 am.  My alarm goes off at 4:45 am.  This is going to be a very, VERY long day.  

To top off all this sleep deprivation Friday we discovered that our recirculating pump that sends instant hot water to the back of the house had a leak under the house.  We think it was caught quickly but there was still a little water under the house.  The conundrum was that the copper pipe was right next to the furnace and in the wall.  Luckily the wall was not affected, BUT, The Hubby thought that to get to the pipe we were going to have to RIP OUT my pantry!  I was NOT on board for that and was fighting this proposition.  I told him he could cut a hole, NOT rip out the shelves.  GOOD GRIEF, I am having people here next week.  So cut a hole it was, maybe, so I emptied several areas of stuff and now my dining room is my pantry.  If I had not stopped The Hubby though he was going to go ahead and cut holes Sunday afternoon.  I said absolutely not without the plumber taking a look at it first.  So The Hubby called our plumber and he said, "DO NOT CUT TILL HE LOOKS AT IT." Yeah, I love him!  The result Monday afternoon is NO HOLE in my wall.  They were able to fix through the furnace plenum, which meant no heat for a couple of days, but with the weather being fairly nice I was okay with that.  For now though the instant hot water is disconnected.  Who knew that there were problems with the concept with disintegrating pipes from the constant hot water in the bends.  You can Google it.  Who knew.  We have other options like timers and all but hey, didn't have it when I grew up so I'm okay without it, just as long as I have NO HOLE in my pantry wall.

Always Learning

It seems learning never stops.  Spent the day yesterday in yet another workshop.  This was another Derek Penix workshop, a one day affair.  He is young and still learning so the knowledge he imparts is ever changing.  The first workshop I took from him several years ago freaked me out, he scared me and I left disillusioned and ready to give up painting.  This go around I am so much more secure in my talent and own self esteem.  

Still a work in progress and am sure I will finish it eventually. 

I say eventually because I seem to be knee deep in commissions lately.  I finally finished these sweet babies and the car and have one more to go before Christmas.

Yesterday started the party season too.  We had a party last night, tonight and Monday night....Ho Ho HO!

Someone asked about the Art Deco show from the previous post, no the art is not online.  

Art Deco

If you get a chance PLEASE go by and look at all the art work hanging. I'm happy to announce this painting, "Femme Fatale" is now hanging for two months at the Art Deco Museum in Tulsa. 

Do some Christmas shopping!

"Femme Fatale"

9x12 oil on canvas

gallary wrap

“THE WORLD OF ART DECO”

December 4th 2015 thru January 31st, 2016

At Tulsa Art Deco Museum

In the Philcade Building - 511 S. Boston

(SE Corner of Intersection)

You are invited to attend the 1st Friday

Opening Reception at the Museum 

December 4th, 2015 at 7 PM 

Stop and Shop for the Holidays !

The Day After Black Friday

Good Saturday After Thanksgiving!  Did you do the Black Friday thing?  I certainly didn't.  I stayed ensconced in my nice dry and warm home as it has been raining and raining and raining, and it's cold.  I spent the day cleaning up the rest of the Thanksgiving bash that was here and then....I went to the guest room closet and pulled out Christmas!  Last year I decided that we were not going to haul all the stuff up to the attic and cleaned out the closet to store it.  What an easy day it made for me to set up the tree.  So the rest of the day I put up my tree, just in time for Snicklefritz to see it because she came to spend the night.  

It's wasn't with out a few broken ornaments though.  I haven't taken a picture of the finished tree but this will do.  It was a great feeling to get it done. 

While doing all the clean up and decorate I also put a big pot of brown beans and ham on the stove to simmer all day.  This cold dreary weather is just calling for beans and cornbread.  It was quite delicious although Snicklefritz opted for PB&J for her dinner.

I'm Still Here

I know it seems I'm not around much here but I am, just not a lot to say or maybe too much to put into words.

The cabin is still for sale and we've even showed it a few times already, without a realtor.  The Hubby did say that IF we did not get our asking price, we would NOT sell!!!!!  First time I heard that, and I am very happy about it.  I have resigned myself to the idea that we may sell, and I am okay with the decision we have both made right now.  

Life with a three year can be challenging, especially for her parents but it is so totally worth it.  Little Snicklefritz lights up my life when she is around and I can't imagine my world without her in it right now.

Life on my easel is kind of busy as I have four commissions working, one is not due till after Christmas, thank goodness.  I'm working kitties, doggies and cars.  The car is done and will ship this next week I hope.

Plus the money stuff, I'm also working on something for myself (or maybe Daddy).  This photo of Momma is one I love and was so like her.  I showed it to my instructor and he loved it too and encouraged me to paint it.

So far so good.  I should be done next week and then I want to do a large still life for a juried show in March but has to be done by January 1!  That is a lot of pressure but I can do it, I hope!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Selling, Sold, GONE?

Oh MY goodness, this selling the cabin thing is rolling faster than the speed of light.  We announced formally Friday night to our "crew" and then Tuesday I put it on our private cabin page, where only the people there see.  My Facebook Messenger BLEW UP within an hour.  We are showing it Saturday to several people.  We've sent tons of pictures out and answered tons of questions.  I have a kind of bad feeling it is going to go very, very, VERY fast.  

Feeling sad and a bit scared to let it go!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I have been silent lately as we have been dealing with some important life decisions and have kept it pretty quiet until family knows.  As many have seen here on my blog the pictures of our "second home," the cabin.  We have enjoyed this lovely slice of heaven for 13 years now but things are about to change.....

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The Hubby turned 60 this summer and my 60th is coming up in June.  Well, retirement is looking him in the face and he is obsessed with it.  It is all he thinks and talks about and even when not talking I can actually hear the squeaky wheels in his brain thinking about it, CONSTANTLY!  We....He have decided that we need to consolidate a bit, pull in as he feels stretched too thin with properties and all they entail to take care of and obviously the first to go, in his mind, is the cabin.  It WOULD NOT be my first choice but he is right we have not been going up there as much as we've been too busy with work and just stuff.  There are a lot of other reasons but those are the main reasons.  

So, reluctantly I am a partner in this 40 year relationship, we have to get on the same page, so we have officially put on the market our little slice of heaven. 

He says we may buy back in the area again but I would only want OUR cabin back, not any other.  I am really heartbroken about this decision, HEARTBROKEN! 

 

Clayton will miss the runs in the meadow.  I will miss my backdoor friends!   

It may take a few weeks or it could take a year to sell but now every time I go there I will be saying goodbye and maybe for the last time.  I am going to take it in, every single inch, every time we are there.