Construction, Art and Holiday Woes

A week out from the reunion and honestly I'm at a loss for my brain.  It has been so much on my mind for months that there is a void in my thinking and planning.  It's okay, I'm ready to have it done but wow.  This weekend we scooted off to the cabin on Thursday morning and it was a very long four days of sitting around.  Oh, I'm okay with the sitting around but I sensed he was antsy.  He's just not used to sitting around.  He was also anxious with what was going on around our house.  The last of the fixin'-up was going on and he was so excited to see it happening but we needed to leave.  I'll explain.  Our back patio, walks, driveway are all stained and he's spent the past couple of weeks re-staining the back squares of the patio.  Then the painter was coming to seal it all.  That meant we couldn't even walk outside or drive on the driveway for a couple of days, so cabin life it was.  He was so intriqued by the process he kept getting on the cameras to watch.  So funny, my guy.  His heart is not too far from construction that's for sure.  

This weekend and a couple of weekends ago I set up a Painting in the Wigwam for cabin life peeps.  The first weekend it was just one who showed up and this weekend it was two.  That's okay, I got a couple of nice paintings out of it and time spent with ladies visiting.  This next weekend we are going to do it at our cabin so if it's just me, then okay, it's just me.  

It was a quiet weekend too as not many were there, well there were but some had company and others, eat up with college football..blech.  Not my thing for sure.  It's so dry there too, so much so that it's just dusty.  The new house is going up next door and it is a hoss I can tell you.  It is a house, not a cabin and dwarfs our place.  

I'm continuing the daily sketches and they have really taken a life all their own.  Every time I talk to people they always make mention of them and go on and on about how much they enjoy them, especially when I add a story with them.  

Today is I was having a pretty good day, until...I got an email, we, as a family got an email.  I saw it was from one of his brothers, the oldest saying they are hosting Thanksgiving.  WHAT!  WHAT THE HECK!  Thanksgiving is MINE!  I've done it for so many years now, except last year when we have Covid!  I was so upset, I mean cussing upset, outside, big BAD words.  I was pissed.  I didn't even get heads up.  I ranted and raved to him, to the youngest on the phone.  Man I was so mad and upset to the point of tears.  I feel like everything is changing from my norm and I am having a hard time with this change.  The more I thought about it I realized that probably the reason why they want to host is because he is in bad health and if they come to our house, which is a trek from Eufaula, she would have to drive.  This would mean she couldn't see her kids for Thanksgiving.  I think I get it now but dang it, dang it, dang it!!!  It's hard enough on me that Thanksgiving wasn't like it used to be, food wise because of the vegan and vegetarian part of the day, but we had that kind of worked out.  I miss cooking a turkey, really miss it and two years in a row I won't be doing that.  You know what I plan on doing, a couple of things here.  I decided that I would embrace Christmas Day dinner.  I always have the other bro-in-law and his hubby and my kiddos and their entourage but I will extend to my brother and maybe my sisters hubby and their kiddos.  I don't expect them to come but I will extend.  I don't know if I'll do a turkey and may save that to New Year's Day.  Oh, it's just swimming around in my head.  I'll figure it out, I always do.  For now, I'll let that torch pass to Dave, for now.  

I'm Back...Again - Maybe

I'm going to try this "I'm Back" thing again.  I shut my blog down after getting over 600 likes on one post and this happened because I asked a question about you know, that highway kind of word.  It scared the crap out of me to think bots or something nefarious was out there watching me.  I'm just a regular ole' joe just tip-tapping away on my keyboard with my own life, my own opinions.  

So, yes, I've been absent since the first of June sometime.  Life has rambled on with not much happening except the usual summer stuff, grandkiddos, food, painting, cabin life and the world happenings.  I'll try to update a bit here I hope.  

It's hot, but what can you expect, it's summer and it's Oklahoma.  I'm okay with the hot but the weather people are ridiculous in their reporting like it's doomsday.  IT'S SUMMER you numb-nuts!  Global warming and all that but what can we do except keep working on the emissions and what not, our fine government in action or at least trying.  If we let the Orange-Slice in and his Orange-peel factions, we might be more doomed sooner than later.  (Soapbox opinions!)

Painting, yes I have been back to painting again and a lot of sketching.  I'm working on a project so the sketching is where I'm spending most of my artistic time as of late.  It's really fun and takes me back to some roots that I have needed to hone again.  

I took a three day drawing class at the Garden Center which was where the push has helped me to get back to it.  I sort of learned some stuff but really it was there, just needed to be pulled out of my brain again, and that helped.  I've also been doing the occasional Thursday live model (nudes) drawing and did an all day Saturday one, a long pose.  Those Thursday night things are fantastic and really push me to make marks on the paper that really count.  

Then this past week I did a three day landscape oil painting workshop with the fabulous (very young) Kyle Ma.  He stuff is fantastic but honestly, he's too young.  I really didn't learn a whit from him but it was fun to watch him paint, and it goes on my art resume!  I started this hay bale painting in the workshop.  Yesterday I went back to the easel and reworked the whole thing.  I love it now.  He touched it, but only one swipe and I've already painted over the swipe in a direction I wanted to go in.

"Field of Dreams"

9x12 oil

I did finish this one a few weeks ago after the drawing class.  We went outside to take photos of flowers and I found this little area I fell in love with and had to paint it.  

That painting workshop was difficult and finally Sunday when everyone left for lunch, I went home.  Honestly the lady that sat next to me, PTO, was in a pickle.  She is so sweet, a bit dingy, and a horrible painter, just HORRIBLE!  She cannot see value, nor can she draw.  I watched her the first day trying to recreate a Monet painting of lavender fields.  The painting was all muted so it was hard to see value, especially for someone who can't.  PTO took from the same instructor I took from at Ziegler's for years and that instructor basically only taught retired ladies (some men) who wanted to paint in their free time.  He didn't really teach the stuff you need to know so when the students got stuck he would sit down and paint on their paintings.  They would then take the finished paintings home and present them to their family and friends art that THEY CREATED!  In fact, it was all the instructors paintings.  PTO was one of those people.  The whole workshop Kyle would sit at her easel and just look at it, confused.  He would try to make marks but there was no helping it.  By Saturday afternoon he just sat there and then said she needed to learn values, to draw.  She proceeded to show him all kinds of "her" paintings (privately telling me one was a BLUE RIBBON painting!)  He finally said, "I don't know what you want me to say."  He got up and walked away.  

You see, our previous instructor did a disservice to PTO and all of his students who couldn't paint.  I know he is just trying to make a living but it is lying and then you end up with PTO just devastated and humiliated but what happened Saturday to her.  She was embarrassed and mortified by the whole thing and I could hardly sit and watch it.  Then my friend, who NOW teaches since our former instructor has moved to Florida, is perpetuating these lies so she can make a buck.  I have a hard time with that kind of lying.  It's just not fair and has really made my heart hurt for PTO and the others. 

Okay, enough already of my venting.  I've been away too long.  

Tornados and Covid

This is a weird morning with tornado sirens first thing.  We're all okay but a squall line with potential for tornados went through and the peace and quiet of a soft rain was interrupted. 

I'm here, just not much to say or not in a place to get the words out.  Things are just clicking along with the kids, grandkids, retirement, just life.  I've hardly had time to paint what with just not being in the studio for various reasons.  This past week we had Min a couple of days and night because Mighty Max was in the hospital with Covid.  The middle of the night I believe Monday his momma took him to the hospital while Nick stayed home with Min, then he brought her to me.  He went to the hospital to relieve Af so she could go home and rest, she had Covid too.  Min and Nick were negative but we think Min had it first, just not a bad case.  Max only had to be in overnight after they gave him some steroids and did an echo on his heart to make sure all was well.  He was and is good, and now home.  He's still a bit croupy but much much better and all are negative.  

He sucks his blanket like a pacifier.

All is right in their world now. 

I did get a bit of painting done with mostly watercolors with Min and at the studio to finish up an oil I started a couple of weeks ago. 

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.

Textbook

Good morning.  Yes it has been a minute since I've been here.  I've just been mentally absent from most social media.  Can't STAND the political crap going on so I am just staying off, except to see grands or post an art pic here and there.  We've been hanging around town a lot because of a lot of dance stuff and I just choose not to go to the cabin by myself lately.  There are times, it's true, that I need to be alone, but lately, I'm enjoying his company, quirks and all.  There is a reason we've been married 48 years.  I mean you HAVE to know that when you sign up for the long haul, you accept the quirks, the idiosyncrasies that person has.  They may drive you a bit nuts but you HAVE to just get over it.  They belong to the person you have chosen to love forever.  With that little soapbox thing, my brother and his lovely celebrated 45 years last weekend and our oldest and her hubby celebrated 16 years yesterday.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

"Purple Majesty"

14x11 oil

This little gem of a painting I finished yesterday.  I started it in my little art group on Thursday.  The reference photo I took when I walked into my doctor's office building on Tuesday.  It was on the reception desk and it just stopped me in my tracks with such beauty.  I just knew I wanted to paint it, and so here we are.  I went to the studio EARLY yesterday morning, 7 am with this NEED to finish it, which  I did.  So very please with it and it really makes the eyes happy, at least my eyes.  

I finished these two last week and have already entered them in an online show.

"Pop"

12x9 oil

"Pink in a Bottle"

7x5 oil

(Reference photo by my oldest)

Now, speaking of my doctor, I went in on Tuesday, mostly to check my thyroid, physical is in September.  You know I have a slight problem with the "white coat syndrome" going in but I steeled myself, gathered my confidence and was ready for him.  I honestly have not felt better, health wise in a very long time.  I'm moving much easier, my hair is nearly to my butt, my nails and skin are looking great, and my insides are working so very well.  I feel great and I wanted to show him I did.  He's pushed the diet shot at least three times and I was NOT going to let him get me this time, I was ready for a fight if need be.  Turns out he did not even mention it!  I did see the damned scale go up 5 pounds which kind of deflated me but I was not going to let it get to me.  I still held my head up high and went in the room to have my BP taken.  I was shocked when he said it was TEXTBOOK!  That was absolutely awesome.  I knew it!  I felt it!!!  So I will really knuckle down and continue the OsteoStrong, building muscle, which is I think what is happening.  Hopefully, the scale will start showing some progress along with my better eating.  

Spring and Covid

Last weekend was so wonderful.  The weather was absolutely perfect, albeit a bit windy.  The Hubby has, of course, another project going which impacts me and my beloved screened porch.  It was honestly time to rescreen it because of all the holes caused by squirrels and chipmunks.  I'm hoping it will be complete very soon.  We are also adding a drop-down canvas shade on one side and two little ones on either side of one of the screen doors, AND I believe new screen doors.  It should be the perfect place this spring and summer for us to use.  And with the shade more time to use the fireplace and enjoy the warmth longer into the fall season.

Took a little drive to see the meadow in full sunshine, the flowering quince or as my mother called it japonica.  By the creek evidence the beavers are hard at work.

I've been really struggling with the painting lately, hell, I've been struggling with accomplishing anything lately.  Reading is becoming a task, even posting here on the blog is becoming a trial.  I think I'm just in a funk.  It has now been a full year of retirement and I'm finding myself at loose ends, trying to figure out what I'm going to do everyday.  Didn't think I would have an issue as I was partially at that point with retirement, but I'm realizing that I am there.  

Yesterday I finally felt like I was accomplishing something on the canvas, we'll see.   

I did come home at lunch to watch Min for a few hours while her parents worked on some tax stuff while Max napped.  Af wasn't feeling her best and they've all been drippy with "allergies" but once Af left she immediately felt worse and just for precaution she took a Covid test...GUESS WHAT!  Yup, as I was hanging up the phone with her telling me she was on her way back, with mask, to get Min, Min, who was playing on my IPad, sneezed all over my IPad.  GREAT, just great.  The Hubby, just laughed.  I think we will be okay.  Af came sweeping in disinfecting everything as she went, door knobs, couch, my IPad...everything.  Plus we had the doors open with nice breezes.  We had it the end of December and I've had a booster, think we will be okay.  

GOOD GRIEF!  

Weight Loss or Not

A busy couple of weeks we've had.  

The middle of the night on February 1 The Hubby got sick, and not the throw up kind of stuff, UTI kind of stuff, and bad real quick stuff.  He made an appointment with our doctor, I wanted him to go to his urologist (they could not get him in).  Our doc did the urine test thing and sure enough it was a rip-roaring UTI and prescribed antibiotics.  He came home and waited for the dang pharmacy to get the meds ready, SEVERAL HOURS!  Took his first dose and slept in his chair off and on.  I got him some cranberry juice and headed to the office to work on getting taxes together.  When home he had not eaten, did not want to eat.  He wanted to sleep and SHAKE!  There was no fever but he was violently vibrating as he slept.  He was miserable and I was scared to death.  I actually went into my closet, closed the door and called his doctor and told them what was happening because I was afraid he had sepsis!  They told me to watch him and if he got worse to go to the ER.  After a couple of hours of me in my chair keeping a vigilant eye on him, he settled and slept soundly.  He started to get better, sort of but Sunday morning as I got up and went into the kitchen to fix my coffee, he said he needed to talk to me. (FYI, he slept in his chair for 8 night/days.)  He wanted to go to the ER.  He could not pee anymore and was bloating up and in different kind of pain!  Okay, so had my coffee and protein bar, gathered reading material, journal, sewing (have to keep busy) and off we went.  We did NOT go to the pink hospital but the one out south via our doctors suggestion because the one on the hill was so backed up.  That was a smart suggestion as we were there only 3 hours.  They did bloodwork and more urine testing and we left with him to continue the antibiotics and they put in a CATHETER!  They said not to keep in more than 72 hours but his urologist, which he got hold of the next day, Monday, said they wanted him to keep it in.  So, from Sunday to the next Monday, my guy had a catheter, and was peeing, all the time, but was feeling better and better.  It was a slow heal as the medicine he was taking was really zapping him.  Also, not eating much for several days.  He lost 5 pounds during all this.  Honestly I was so scared and all kinds of thoughts were going through my mind as I watched him every day.  He looked horrible.  He is so much better now and has even gone dancing twice.  WHEW!  

Last weekend we even went to the cabin as he was feeling so much better.  So have catheter will travel we went.  Our friends, John & Lesa were having a Mardi Gras party on Saturday night and I knew we wouldn't be back for a few weeks because of dance and Max's baptism tomorrow.  The party was sort of fun but she had invited tons of people when usually it's our small group.  At one point, while sitting in the kitchen after dinner, a few of us, including a gastroenterologist, started the discussion of the weight loss drugs.  One of the ladies, who is a size 12 or maybe less, and a bit tipsy, was going on about her friend, who was a 12 but now is a DOUBLE 00 (how is that), and that she wanted to be that, was jealous.  She started crying about it and was contemplating using those damn drugs!  WHAT THE F..... is wrong with people.  I'm telling you I'm seeing people who you can honestly say are using those drugs because they look gaunt, absolutely gaunt and they are people who WERE NOT FAT!  The discussion was turning about fat, being fat, blah, blah, blah.  Everyone at that table, except me are/were at least a size 12 or 14, not larger.  I had had it and kind of got loud about the constant talking about being fat when (then I grabbed my belly) I ranted about stopping this continuing talk about being fat, I'm healthy, eating great, exercising...Then the gastro doc chimed in and said he's already seeing the effects of the down side of those drugs.  That if you don't get off of it for a few weeks BEFORE a colonoscopy, because the food stays longer in your belly, colon, that people are aspirating and getting pneumonia.  He said there are other things happening and that there will be lawsuits coming.  I KNEW IT!  

Then Monday, my art friend, who is diabetic and is on the drug and has lost over 80 pounds in just a few months and I had a talk.  I've told her my hesitation and all the stuff I'm doing.  I think she wants me to get on it, is encouraging me to do it.  I asked her when she was going to stop and she said never, "I'm a diabetic!"  I bet she's not now, but whatever.  I'm telling you that she was very large and there is nowhere for that excess skin to go on her.  She's wearing very tight jeans now and I'm pretty sure it's to pull up that skin.  She's starting to get that gaunt look on her.  Plus one of the problems is you lose muscle mass too.  People don't realize that.  She said I'm probably not losing weight even though I'm doing what I'm doing because I'm drinking...WHAT THE FFFFFFKKKKKKK.....  I was honestly very mad at her for saying that.  I drink maybe a glass of wine once a week or a gin and tonic, that is all!  What the hell!  Does she think I drink like a fish or something!

I'm telling you something is not going to be good with all this stuff.  Give it a couple of years and bad things are going to go down and those who ARE NOT DIABETIC using it are going to pay the consequences.  I dodged a bullet with the Phen-fen thing, I'm not trying this.  Too scared, tempted, but too scared.

I did get back to the easel...

Watercolors, Baby and Food

Just a little catch up from the past week.  I gathered up all the watercolor notecards that I've done so far and packed up the watercolors for a brief bit.  I needed to clean up the front room to ready for Christmas decor.  I'm very please with how all have turned out but my mind is still whirring with new ideas.  This weekend I may get it all out again.  

At the studio, what limited time that I've gone in, I produced these three, in oils.  I cannot get Christmas out of my head so I am just going with it.

These may be gifts...

This past week I also got to watch Mighty Max for the very first time.  It was only for a little over an hour but exciting and SCARY!  He still has a feeding tube and a heart monitor which scares the bejeeszus out of me, but we managed.  He was quite happy watching Miss Rachel until he wasn't happy.  I could see it in his eyes, sleepy.  So I picked him up, put him on the couch beside me to change his diaper.  Do you know how long it has been since I have changed a little boys diaper, probably 40-50 years!  I was very quick though because he got upset very fast and held his breath crying, setting off the monitor!  YIKES!  I finished and hoisted him on my shoulder and shooshed and hummed, patting his backside and he was asleep in seconds.  Whew!  But, my poor arms.  He is a hefty 27+ pounds and I have bursitis in my right arm, prohibiting me from lifting him or holding for long.  Just don't have the strength.  Af said I could put him in his bed but I could not stand with 27 pounds of dead weight and grab his feeding bag and monitor to get him in there so we just stayed put.  I wasn't too sad about that.  He is so sweet and cuddly.  The big guy has a mouthful of teeth and today has started cutting a molar!  He may be delayed a bit in some milestones but not in growth.  Plus he's actually eating small bits of food which is a big deal.  

The weekend we finally jetted off to the cabin and hosted Saturday evening's dinner with our little group.  I asked what The Hubby wanted to fix and he said beef tenderloins.  Okay, so off to Fresh Market to get two beautiful tenderloins and make my credit card SCREAM!  They are not cheap but usually what we do once a year for the group, our Christmas present to them.

I also needed to decorate a bit because in a couple of weeks we are one of the host cabins for the progressive cocktail party.  I've never decorated for Christmas at the cabin before.  I purchased a small tree and went through my ornaments that I thought would be great for the cabin vibe, kind of rustic.  It turned out so sweet.

The evening went FABULOUS and everyone had such a fun time.  The meal was great, the company awesome and a few gifts were even exchanged early.  

Merry Christmas

Covid Thanksgiving - BOOOoooo

We may not have been able to go to the family Thanksgiving but they took some wonderful photos for us.  

I made us, The Hubby and I, a killer two person Thanksgiving dinner.

Cornish hens, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, dressing, gravy...oh and mandarin orange salad.

I am SOOOoooooooo  OVER this damn virus.  I have people to see, places to go, things to do out and about.  Today we are supposed to go to The Hubby's best friend's family Turkey Day celebration, we are honorary family members.   I will test later today, AGAIN to see how that is going.  Honestly I feel great, just a bit of a runny nose, that's all, this is crazy.  I have a meeting tomorrow I WANT to go to.  Just feel trapped.  

Guess today I will work on dragging Christmas out and start the decoration by myself.  

Yesterday I did some more watercolor.  Oh, these notecard things are great fun and next year will be HOT!