Happy (cough-cough-cough) Thanksgiving

Good GRIEF, The Hubby is sick yet again!  He has his third cold of the year this morning.  I am so steering clear of him.  I told him no kissing, no TOUCHING of any kind.  I do NOT need to get sick again  I also told him that HE is the one bringing all this crap home from his dancing classes.  I don't go anywhere to be around people in general, he surely does.  Grrrrrrrr.

I've been playing around in watercolor again with great success.  

There are several watercolorists on Instagram who do these little wreaths and it inspired me to tackle some on my own.  I see a whole LINE of Christmas cards next year and in fact I've been approached by several where to buy them.  ETSY here I come!  Just need to perfect the designs a bit more.

I can see whole seasons, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Summer, Spring...the list can go on.

Snow World

I just wanted to bring you a piece of NO SNOW!  I took this photo from our car with my phone last spring or summer on our way to the cabin.  I want, NEED that kind of weather to come SOON!  Right now we are literally knee deep in snow as is a good part of the country.  Oh goodness, it so cold out there, pretty, but cold.  Of course The Hubby won't stay home and I don't see any of the employees trying to go into work at this point, but he CAN'T SIT HOME another day without going in to "WORK!"  Again, I don't see how he is going to navigate retirement if he can't just stay home during a bad snowstorm.  

Our poor little Clayton this morning went out his doggy door this morning but because it is so very cold and slippery by his door he could not get back inside, kept falling back.  The Hubby said he finally just sat down in the snow.  The Hubby got down on his knees and opened the door, reaching outside and grabbing poor Clayton.  It was just too cold and he would have been dead pretty quick just sitting there with the wind chill -22 or something like that.  SCARY!  I told The Hubby to turn it off, that I would keep an eye out on Clayton and let him out the sliding door.  It is too cold for this little guy especially with his arthritis issues.  I would have been very afraid if he had gone out at night or while we weren't home, we would have found him dead by his door.  Oh makes my heart hurt for our little guy.  Watch out for your pets, no animal or person should be out in this stuff.

Where Oh Where Has My Summer Gone

 Have I EVER written how much I hate, HATE winter!!!  I bring to you SPRING/SUMMER in Oklahoma, my favorite time of year. 

This morning here is ice, a thin sheet of ice everywhere and it has been that way since Monday.  Plus the temperatures are more than below freezing and have been all week long.  Surprisingly, I am not feeling the cold as much this year and that is weird.

I did go to the office yesterday, but today, NOT BUDGING!  I'm supposed to get a pedicure today but again, NOT BUDGING!

This is what I dream of, bare feet, sitting on my wonderful screened porch, listening to the birds and feeling the warmth of the day.

Speaking of getting a pedicure...I almost forgot this little tidbit on my brand new car, just barely a year old.  Monday I went to lunch with The Hubby leaving my car at the office.  When we returned we were pulling up and noticed our youngest in her car next to mine.  She was talking to her hubby telling him about "my car!"  When she pulled up she noticed a huge scrape on my lower back left side panel.  It was very low and I never even saw it before.  There was scraped black paint on my car, someone had HIT MY CAR!  There is no telling when it happened and I know of only two places it could have happened, at the studio and where I get my nails done.  I never get out and go into any store except those two places.  The office is secure, in a gated parking lot with mostly only our guys.  The studio is a possibility but more than likely it happened where I get my pedicure.  The parking there is dicey and they are next door to a medical marijuana place.  Plus several of the clients of the pedicure place are extremely elderly and have rather large cars...AND CAN'T PARK WORTH A WHIT!  I can almost guarantee that is where it happened.  Well, The Hubby and I jumped into my car and ran down the street where our body guy is (we have a lot of vehicles) to get an estimate, $850 to repair my car.  I haven't had my first oil change yet because I haven't been able to put even close to 5,000 miles on the thing.  Pisses me off to no end but it is what it is.

I am SOoooooo over Winter this week.  It wouldn't be so bad IF I had my paint brushes but I took them to the studio because I needed my newer brushes there.  Now I have nothing to paint with.  CRAP!

I guess I could clean out my pantry, but I really don't want to do that.  I could work on purging my cookbooks and maybe I will.  Or, maybe I'll just read a book.  Oh gosh, I hate being cooped up here without being able to paint.  

Speaking of good books, I just finished one for my book club (we zoom) called "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" by Kim Michele Richardson.  What a great book.  My mother would have loved this book.  I think it's classified as historical fiction about the Kentucky Pack Horse Library service in the 1930's and the Blue's of Kentucky.  Look the blue people of Kentucky up, talk about interesting.  I mean the ending was a bit predictable but it was a really good read.  

Painting In The New Year

Happy New Year...well, this new year it already flying by as it is the 11th of January.  I've been trying to play catch up with work and painting.  My studio mate and I have a show next September and I want to get several of the self-portraits done.  I've got them drawn but have been very hesitant to apply paint.  But this week I decided to conquer the fear and just do it.  So far I am please with the beginning of block-in on this one.  Skin color is so tricky!  

I did finish this one of Moss Mountain Farm.  I've painted it before in a very small version and it sold very quickly but I wanted to paint it bigger.  I'm happy with it. 

On a quick note this Saturday morning...BRRRRR...winter has blown in and of course our furnace is on the fritz.  Of course my do-it-yourself hubby is not inclined to call anyone but wants to tackle it himself.  Righhhhht...I'm cold and thank goodness most of the day I will be moving and grooving with straightening up the guest bedrooms from our company and dismantling Christmas and stowing it away, so I may even break a sweat.  Lots of blankets this evening and I should survive.  My parakeet on the other hand I will move to the bedroom area where we have a split system to keep him warm.

Sad note is that The Hubby lost two cousins yesterday.  They had both been battling cancer.  

Part 2 of Aaaachooo

Yes we are still battling the head cold but mine is soooo much better, in fact this was the easiest cold I've ever had.  They Hubby is still in the throws of  the drainage and coughing up from his chest.  That is usually me.  When I first started coming down with this thing The Hubby said that we didn't have any cold medicine yet when I looked on my side of the medicine chest I found an unopened box of Umcka Care.  It said it cuts the lifespan of colds down.  I was on board and immediately opened and down the hatch it went.  It's an herbal extract and I so sold on the benefits.  In fact my doctor this morning said he has heard of it and the benefits of it working!!!  I'm going to purchase another bottle or two of it and make The Hubby use it.  We've also been using the Mucinex which works wonders too.  Unfortunately, Snicklefritz came down with it Christmas morning along with her mother.  Dang it.  Also, when we went to my Daddy's for Christmas breakfast my brother is in the final states of Type A Flu (he's on the CDC list and he even had a flu shot), my niece has been sick and her momma, my SIL.  None of us wanted to even get close to Daddy.  Tis the season to hack, blow and sneeze I guess.  

The good news is that I am almost over it and when I went to the doctor this morning to have my thyroid checked again my weight was down, slightly, even at Christmas time, and my blood pressure was normal!!!!!  This is the second time it has been in the good range!!!  He was very pleased and so am I.  

Aaaaa CHOOOoooooo!

"Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas"
14x11 oil on linen

Yup, I have a COLD, a head cold.  Thank you The Hubby!  I guess too much kissing.  

Yesterday we went to an open house in which an appetizer was requested to bring.  I was going to make a sandwich kind of thing but realized I had used up my bread for another party this weekend and I JUST COULD NOT go to the store again, at least for a few days.  Soooo, to the fridge and pantry I went digging around for ideas.  What I came up with was cream cheese, sour cream, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, canned corn and cheddar cheese.  I softened the cream cheese and drained the beans and corn, not the tomatoes and mixed it all together.  I didn't have taco seasoning but added cilantro and cumin.  I didn't have any tortilla chips but had pita chips which worked fine as it was heavy dip.  After I mixed it all up I put it a baking dish (a deep pie dish) and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes till hot.  I was a HUGE hit!  Not all was eaten so I brought about a fourth of it home.  

Tonight for dinner, in between trying to swallow on a sore throat and sneezing I thought about making The Hubby take me out but I just didn't feel like getting out again.  I don't really feel bad, which is good.  I had chicken tenders thawing in the fridge and some egg noodles of which I was going to make some chicken and noodles but needed a PIZAZZ and thought of that leftover dip.  I added the dip and man oh man sooooo good!  Kind of a creamy spicy chicken and noodles.  

Mr. Santa up there I painted today at the office.  

Fireplaces, Food and Friends, the 3 F's

Brrrr, Baby it's cold outside, but happy day THE SUN IS SHINING!  Sorry but I did miss a post yesterday but just didn't have anything to say.  We hightailed it to the cabin Friday afternoon to spend some quality time with the cabinites.  Sadly we could only stay overnight as we had a dinner commitment with some of The Hubby's dance companions.  I really didn't want to leave as H was fixing her famous chicken gumbo but as it turns out we had a fantastic time with the dance buddies.  There were 10 of us and The Hubby's dance partner Tina's mother Elke fixed Hungarian goulash and German (she is true German) red cabbage.  Oh my goodness it was absolutely delicious.  So very yummy.  The visiting was so much fun too.  It was truly an evening worth coming back to town for.  Next weekend though, the cabin it is for the ENTIRE weekend.

Monday Ramblin's

Good morning one and all.  It is a glorious morning and has been since 5 am.  I really am getting tired of the usual and would like NOT to get up that early.  Even the weekends aren't much better as I am rudely being jostled out of wonderful dreams by my bladder.  Plus little Clayton is of course wanting his breakfast at 5 am.  It's hard to nod back off then as the sun beckons me to GET UP!  This morning though it was dark, dark, dark.  

I've been a bit on the ill side for the past couple of weeks as The Hubby decided to share his cold with me.  Great, just great!  Yesterday though I think it has morphed into a sinus infection but not a bad one.  This has kept me from visiting Daddy as I do not want to make him sick.  I'm sure he is telling everyone I don't come and visit at all.  Since he fell and broke his hand I have to write his checks and pay his bills for him and I'm sure there are some to pay.  Hopefully this week I will get there.  

Yesterday I had The Hubby's family over to celebrate the sister-in-law's birthday, B's birthday, Snicklefritz's upcoming birthday and my mother-in-law's 88th birthday.  The plan was to make spaghetti but as I am puny and obligated to this shindig I opted for Oliver Garden takeout!  SCORE!  It was perfect with leftovers for lunch this week.  Clean up was easy and I was in bed early to get the rest I need to beat this crap in my head.  

My mind today is with my friend though.  One of my painting friends Linda and her husband James.  James' parents lived in Louisiana and were in horrible health shape so they moved them here to be close instead of driving to Louisiana every single weekend to deal with stuff.  They installed them in a wonderful retirement place but it was soon evident that his father was not on the good side in his mind.  They had him evaluated and sure enough, Alzheimer's. The evaluation process was a problem as it was at a different facility which did not treat him right (I smell a HUGE lawsuit) and now he is back in the assisted living but the poor guy sees things and is terrified and combative.  So this requires that James and Linda, at least one of them has to stay there 24/7 as they can calm him.  They are waiting for him to be placed in a more expert care facility to move him to.  It is so very sad and exhausting for them and I fear for their health now.  What do you do in a situation like that.  This past year and a half has been hell for them both and I hope they can be strong and hang in there.  Breaks my heart.  Alzheimer's is a horrid and evil disease.

Random 5 Friday

I think I may have done this yesterday but here we go again!  It's another Random 5 Friday.  Why not join in!

1. Oatmeal...yum it is good!  I'm adding it back to the diet along with the bacon I eat in the mornings.  Not at the same time.  I plan on adding it every other day.  
2. Why can't I sleep past 5 am in the mornings anymore.  It's kind of frustrating really.  I want to sleep in but my body starts giving me problems and so I'm up.  The carpel tunnel in both of my hands, my bladder and then the mind starts firing up and I'm awake!  I can't even stay up late at night, the majority of the time.  It's all I can do to stay awake for the 10 o'clock news and weather.  That is probably why I am up early huh!  Oh well, I will go with the flow.  At least I can get stuff done in the mornings, my most productive time of the day.
3. Coffee, do you drink it.  It's funny that when I was in my teens I just detested the taste of it but loved to smell it.  My parents would drink it at all times of the day and in the evenings they would have a cup while watching TV.  We kids knew how to fix it for them and it was great fun to prepare and take it to them.  Daddy liked two sugars and Momma liked it black.  Aww, the smell was delicious but YUCK!  Grandma used to have coffee candies that I loved and wished coffee tasted like it.  Then, in 1979, I was pregnant with our first child, daughter, and The Hubby would fix his coffee and the smell again tempted me.  I again tasted it and wow, YUM!  Oh my goodness, I craved the stuff but knew that it was probably not good for me.  So to protect the baby I would buy decaffeinated coffee and replace the regular coffee, he never knew and I got to have my cup of coffee a day.  After that I loved it and still love it.  
4. Cold weather, snow, sleet, ice, I HATE IT ALL!  No I will never, EVER live in Colorado or go snow skiing.  I am an beach baby!  I love the sun and hot and blue and green and COLOR!
5. Lost in my car.  I have a necklace that I have worn for YEARS and everything is very special on it.  
   
   Over the years I have added a few things there.  The first (in the center) is a sapphire with a diamond on top.  The diamond was from my first wedding ring, not first marriage, same marriage, it was just that we kind of upgraded my wedding ring especially after I wore the band completely in two.  Then The Hubby gave me an amethyst with a diamond for my birthday and another with an emerald with a diamond.  I couldn't decide which to wear so they all reside around my neck.  Several years ago, before Mom died I found a tiny baby ring in one of her jewelry boxes and she informed me it was my baby ring from my favorite aunt and uncle, my great aunt and uncle to be exact.  So the ring was added.  I've replaced the chains many times and recently had to have it repaired when Rio accidentally caught it and it went flying.  It has broken many times but I have always found the jewels and ring.  Yesterday I was in my car and the seat belt had shifted up and I reached up to pull it down and caught the chain and "PLING" everything went flying.  I have found all except the most important one, the sapphire and my wedding diamond.  Oh, I am very upset about it and I will continue to look but sad for sure.  

Fart Girl

Tuesday morning, a very cold Tuesday morning.  My goodness I think winter has decided it needed to stay around a bit longer.  The Hubby went out of town to hang with some buddies for a few days at a lodge somewhere in Arkansas to return today.  He texted me that it has been almost non-stop snow and COLD.  They are quite miserable but one of the guys is a fantastic cook so they've been eating like kings.  He so needed a get-away of some kind.  I needed a get-away too but mines just a stay-at-home kind.  It's been kind of nice to have a couple of days of just me and Clayton.  Of course I still had to work yesterday but that brings time with the little princess, Miss Rio.  

I got to spend some time Sunday with the drama queen as they went out to celebrate B2's birthday.  I may get to try the overnight thing again on Friday night as they celebrate 5 years of marriage.  I'm a little scared because she's still not sleeping all night.  We tried when she was very young and that did not work but now that she is almost 6 months old it might work.  

Funny thing about this little beauty is that I had not heard her laugh in person yet.  I just could not get her to giggle for me, then on Sunday while watching her I took her to the changing table to change her diaper.  Just as I took the wet one off and leaned over to toss in the trash she farted.  She farted a whistle kind of one that must have tickled because she belted out a belly laugh at herself.  Then she was on a roll and I was laughing so hard at her I had tears.  Oh, how I love to hear babies laugh.  My world is complete to hear sweet Rio laugh!  

Wednesday night I'm entertaining my old Jazzercise group of girls here.  They haven't seen the new bathroom addition or the outdoor kitchen addition so I'm pretty excited.  I have to clean up a bit to prepare then on Sunday I've extended the invite to family for dinner.  So that means more cleanup, buy a ham, deviled eggs and lots of fun time with people I love.  I love to entertain.