This and That Tuesday

Good MORNING!  The sun is shining, and the eclipse happened and nothing bad happened.  We're all still here.  Good grief, how can people be so bamboozled to think crap like that.  I guess some people just can't be logical about life in general.  

Onward.  yesterday was an extremely busy day.  I had a TAG meeting in the AM and it went well.  When I pulled up to the house I checked my emails and was so excited to find out that my painting, "Waiting" had juried into the Allied Artists of America Online show that runs from May 15, 2024 to May 14, 2026!  From this show it CAN, POSSIBLY jury into the 110th physical show!!!  So excited.  This is my third painting that has juried into their online shows.  I've had two in physical shows.  

Feels really good to have these affirmations in my art.  It was fun to get to share in the art group too.  Makes me feel like a real artist.

Last night then I had a class reunion meeting.  We are moving right along on the 50th and I have work to do today to get the info out since we made a lot of decisions last night.  Sadly we found out yesterday that one of our classmates had passed away that morning.  We knew she had cancer and had hospice brought in, but it's never easy.  Then two of the committee members, sitting on either side of me revealed they have cancer!  One breast cancer and one they're not sure yet.  DAMMIT!  I hate this, really hate this.  

So onward with my day and lots of good vibes to my dear friends.

Painting and Old Friends

Yesterday was a quiet day at the office without Snicklefritz hanging around and the phone was silent most of the day.  So, the best thing for me was paint, paint, paint.  

I may have been tooooooooo ambitious with this next project but I will soldier on and see what I can do with it.

It started of kind of fun... 

...still having fun with it but may decide to abandon and do a large one like the topiary with just the lemon topiary. 

The evening I was looking forward to as I saw a notice on Facebook that an old friend from school, elementary, junior high and high school and old neighbor was making an impromptu visit to town.  Oh boy, Matt!  He used to live across the street from us and has not been back to town for about 20 years.  Matt had a dream when he was young to be a cowboy or rancher and when he was in college he left and went to Montana and never looked back.  He followed his dream.  He said it is not an easy life as far as making a living.  Bills have to be paid, but he loves it and it is his life.  I may have to paint this sweet guy.   

After posting this group photo someone said if they were facing each other they would be half of the starting football team in huddle!  Great time! 

Life in June and Beyond

Oh gosh, what can I say, "I'VE BEEN BUSY," and that's the reason I have 

been AWOL here on Jill of All Trades. 

Of course I have been painting with this sweet little one finished finally last week.  It's The Hubby's cousin's son's daughter, 2nd or 3rd or 4th cousin, something like that.  Anyway, he has a small family so we are all kind of close.  The girl is named Lillian and I so totally missed making her a baby blanket and the sweetie is 3 I think and now they're going to have a son.  CRAP...so I decided to paint her picture and send a baby blanket for him.  They don't know yet so MUM's the word!

Also, while painting the extensive realist topiary painting I have to take a break to create some of these with my watercolors, pens, and markers.  Such fun and a huge hit.  Hmmmmm, thinking of changing my focus, really I am...

Oh, and last Monday I had a physical and boy was I scared.  For the past 2-3 years now, since I have been on blood pressure meds my BP has been high when I go in.  Makes me even more anxious to know that it's going to happen.  Usually it goes down when we chat and especially when we talk about the art.  Well, this time he said it was FREAKING FANTASTIC!  I was so over the moon happy.  I guess the eating differently has really made the difference.  Kind of fallen off the wagon this past month and have GOT to get back in the game but I think it is showing in this picture, don't you! 

On top of birthday partying this month I also attended a Friday bash for the classes of 1970-1979.  It was actually hosted by my brothers class of 1976.  It was fun plus my class had a cookout which was kind of mehhhh.  My heart was not into that one for sure. 

Also, on the calendar was a sweet backyard wedding of our old good good dear friends son.  I knew them before they even got married and now their youngest was getting hitched.  He had a scare a couple of weeks before when after, AFTER the big bike race, Tulsa Tough, when he and his then fiance' were riding their bikes home down 15th street and stopped alongside the road, later in the evening, he was run down by a hit and run driver.  Poor Sarah was there, saw it and thought he was dead.  Luckily a bunch of bruises, cuts, stitches, a couple broken bones but nothing life threatening.  STUPID DRIVER!!!! 

I've also been a reading fool yet again.  Well, there's nothing on television during the summer so I have my nose deep in my books.  I'm already up to I think 38 or 39 since January 1.  Check out my read list to the right.  I've read some good ones lately.  Elin Hilderbrand's latest is great along with Mary Kay Andrews.  

Voting was also on the agenda for the month of June.  I VOTED and was proud to be the first in my precinct.  

So now onward to July and looking forward to the youngest to come back for a visit along with her guy.  Then next up will be EEEEKKKKKK our trip to Rome!  Can't lie, I'm a bit nervous and excited.  Just need to get the world to stop being bad and naughty please.

It's Over

The reunion is over and the 30 day painting challenge is nearly over.  I am going to enjoy taking a break in October.  What a grand weekend we all had.  The Friday night get together was packed with over 85 people in attendance with a few representatives from other classes joining in the laughter.  So many hugs and cries of joy were heard during the evening and many continued the evening in the hotel concierge room till about 3:30 in the morning (not me.)  

Saturday night was at a place called the Stokley Center and boy was that place a HUGE hit.  It used to be a billboard sign place where they made them but they have since turned it into this event center and couldn't be more perfect.  Neon signs everywhere you look along with pinball machines to play.  We had a video I created and tons of music playing.  Laughter, screams of recognition and stories galore.  

One shock for me was seeing an old friend that wanted to be my boyfriend so bad in high school.  He was just a friend in our group but he chased me and chased me.  When he walked in with his wife, I didn't recognize him at all.  One of my classmates sitting beside me asked, "Who brought their parents." OH MY GOSH!  I thought that too and then I realized it was HIM!  I could not help but turn around to that friend who knew him and gasped saying that it's LC.  "What!"  Yup, could not believe it.  Plus he was a hunkered down cowboy hick, cowboy hat and all (I know that is mean but that is what my mind said.)  I gathered my courage and walked up to him to greet and give him a quick hug.  Oh my, oh my oh my.  Later he came up to me while I was talking to one of our committee members telling him that I was his "Sweetie" in high school, or wait he stepped back in that statement and said, "or at least I wanted her to be my sweetie."  He was a friend in high school and was a cutie but I actually got the creepies right then.  I felt bad by my gut reaction but that is the truth.   I know, I know I have changed too and he may have had the same reaction.  I mean, I'm not the svelte girl I used to be 40 years ago, soooo.  Food for thought.

All in all it was a fabulous reunion weekend and I am reunioned out.  The Hubby's was last weekend and now this.  I need a break.  This morning was one more event, brunch and then DONE!  It's Over.

Two more days of painting too.

Ramble, Ramble, Ramble

Well, here goes a ramble to end all rambles.  Life is good.  Life is scary.  Life is full of ups and downs.  Life is unpredictable.  

First some good stuff.  I did finish "Arnie," the St. Bernard and the lady that commissioned it LOVES it!  I just have to get it scanned and then framed and it is SOLD!  

So art on Tuesday I went in without an idea of what I really wanted to paint next so I spent an hour before looking at some in my Dropbox folder.  I found this one that Afton took of the cows and I had a great canvas for it.  I showed Ross (my instructor) and he loved it too, so cows it is.  It was a great painting day.

The day before though was not so much.  Last Thursday when I stopped by to see Daddy he told me he had a "place" on his hip spot (the one that was replaced twice and had MRSA in it).  I told him to CALL the doctor ASAP.  He did and got in on Monday.  In the meantime he called me early Monday morning and told me that the thing had opened in the night.  That was not good and when I saw him on Sunday when we visited he said in passing that it had moved around to his backside!  Oh gosh, he doles out the info in pieces and doesn't go to the doctor sooner than later.  So the doc visit Monday resulted in a cleanup and a new bandage and antibiotics and a referral to the original hip doctor, Dr. Hippy.  We go see him on Monday.  Daddy seems to think that they will just take him in to clean it out and send him home but......Dr. Hippy, the last time said that if it happens again that was it.  I don't know what that means but I think it means they will clean it out best they can, take the hip out, FOR GOOD.  His time living on his own will come to an end and he will have to live in the nursing home.  I know that is not what he expects but more than likely that is deal.  He does not want that but he CAN NOT live with me.  I value my marriage and it would be a HUGE hardship on our relationship.  I don't have time to care for him.  I still work and I'm pooped now, everyday.  Oh gosh, we probably have a battle on the horizon.  

Now on too the reunion stuff.  I graduated with like 370 or so people and our 40th reunion is coming in September.  I have wrangled every one since the 15 (we have one every 5 years, except for the 35th) and the response for this one is appalling.  I have a total of 46 reservations for the Saturday night part.  We have a Friday night at a hotel bar (NOT PAYING FOR DRINKS) with food is $10 a person; Saturday is $60 a person/ $125 couple, food and drinks and FABULOUS place with music; Sunday Brunch $20 a person. I don't think it is outrageous and you can piece meal it.  You can do Friday only, or Saturday or Sunday or all or whatever.  The husbands is the weekend before mine and its $60 a person.  I can't figure out if everyone is just procrastinating or do not want to pay, or, which I think plays a part, the Facebook connections.  I think everyone thinks they don't need to see anyone because they keep up on Facebook.  

All of this is on my mind and is the reason I woke up at 1:30 a.m. on Monday (or Tuesday morning) and could NOT go back to sleep.  

First Kiss

Have you ever reconnected with your first kiss?  I did!  Since I do the high school reunions I'm in touch with most everyone, which is very odd if you know me.  I've been in touch with Carry for many years via Facebook and email but in the nearly 40 years since high school have only seen him once, at the 15 year reunion, with his lovely wife.  Since we are friends out of high school I invited him and his wife to come to dinner sometime and guess what, on this past Monday night he came to dinner with The Hubby and I.  His wife was with her family and Carry decided to come to town to visit his mother, so he called.  We grilled a wonderful steak and sat on our new patio, had dinner and some wonderful conversation.  I knew The Hubby and he would get along because they both love history stuff and I was right.  It's kind of weird but in prospective I was only 13 years old when I got that first kiss and we really didn't know each other. We are forging a new friendship, 40 years later.  What is weird is that I had that wide-eyed young love giddy still burning for that first kiss guy for many, many years but since I have gotten to know him as a grown-up and met him again, well, it's gone.  I used to get that little flutter when he emailed pictures of his family and grandchildren or the thought of seeing him again but the giddy and flutter is GONE!  He's just a guy from my childhood and all of that stuff is burned out.  I've got another kind of giddy and flutter that takes its place and he's called The Hubby!  Sometimes visiting the past is a bit healing, don't you think.  It's puts all of that kind of stuff in perspective for me.  I have much better memories of meeting The Hubby and our first kiss, our first touch...lots of first.  I choose to remember the first kiss from the guy that changed my life forever, The Hubby, now that's a first kiss!

Spring Is In The Air

Last night I went to Broken Arrow to Main Street Tavern to meet some of my fellow high school classmates to continue the planning stages of our 40th class reunion.  WHAT!  I can't believe it has been nearly 40 years.  The place was packed but they set up a table outside and the evening was just absolutely perfect, and quiet.  There was a light jazz band inside which made it a bit difficult to chat.  It was kind of surreal to be sitting on Main Street eating salad.  The last time I ate food on Main Street was at probably a Rooster Day and it was more than likely a corn dog as we walked, meandering through the crowds.  Anyway, we have a date, Sept 20, 2014, let the party planning begin!

The weather yesterday made it into the 70's and today will be pushing 80!!!!!!  Boy, I'm so very excited for the warmer temps and SUNSHINE!  Tomorrow I "plan" on tilling my small garden space in preparation for onions and potatoes...I have to go get onions!  WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO  it's garden time!  I seem to be in better spirits, don't you agree!