What I wouldn't give for one more day with my parents

If you still have your parents spend as much time with them as you can. I would give up anything to have them back just for a day. Did we ever think there would be a day we wouldn't see them again? I have so many questions unanswered since I thought I had many more years to ask them. Or I never thought to ask.

After dad died mom and I spent many fun hours laughing at all dads quirks. He was never conscious of how good looking he was. He would find reasons to not like pictures of himself. He recycled coffee filters,hung tinsel on the air conditioner vents,or his pipes to dry them out,and used paper towels for filters,he hated to talk about WWII and his experiences,he was a true "gentle"man,loved animals,kept a hummingbird feeder,loved cars and his guns,made his own bullets for target practice his hobby,most all family pictures had a car in them more then us,jingled his pocket change when he was anxious,tore the fronts and backs off of TV guides to just have the shows,circled the shows important to him,like motor week,Carl Sagan,big bands or Frank Sinatra specials,we could never eat or drink in his cars,he kept a bean bag ashtray never used his car ashtray,he turned heads when we all went out which he hated,had one drink and "felt a little funny",parked a mile from places so his cars would not get touched,Saturday traditions he went to North Ave market and got fresh rolls hamburger and wine cheese for special lunches cooked at home,I loved waking up to dads stereo blasting "Ebb Tide"or some other favorite,he would come home from work and feel his stereo knowing we abused it all afternoon,he loved weeding out everyones "stuff" but his own,oh I have millions more "dadisms"but all for now.

Mom and dad almost reached their 50th anniversary when he died months before. He was such a character I miss him so.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh I got in the juried show

I love being juried into the Circle Gallery. I love Annapolis and I love that gallery space and I love a group show. So the piece below was juried and and I am happy. So this month I am in 2 shows (it's feast or famine). I have an opening Friday eve and next week. The above piece I am considering touching up a bit. Not sure the white background is good?

It got HOT again and humid,not my kinda weather. I can get "cabin fever"in winter or in air conditioning. Got my hair cut short to tolerate when I have to go out at all in this.

Just got back another "fatbook"swap called "Graffiti"and I am loving all the fun art in it. That was a fun stretch to produce,very off the wall. I even made my own paper beads. Then today I get a mag that has a whole article on how to make paper beads. Sigh,I missed out on being an article in a mag. Now everyone will be making paper beads.

Happy month for me it seems! YAY. Gotta go send email thank you's for the post card swap and the fatbook swap.

Fingers crossed

This is the piece entered for the Circle Gallery in Annapolis.The jurying is tomorrow so fingers crossed. The positive is the ladies who checked me in really liked my piece. I don't always name pieces since it can sway a buyers decision the wrong way. But I have always called it "ZEN FLOWERS". It was done in 2004 and hanging in my living room since. I loved it from the start to finish. Sometimes tearing papers can be so satisfying and amazing results. I am still swayed toward darker colors in my fav pieces I've done. I have another piece from torn (printmaking class) pages and acrylics hanging that I can look at for hours. Til I accumulate more pieces it's a keeper. Entering 2 shows in one week,wow. Feast or famine,huh?

AAAARRRRRGGG one of those days!!!

Spent all...day trying to create these wonderful family old pics CD/DVDs for presents. Then I find out the images are being compressed by my enemy the photo program. ALL DAYYYYYYYY. Sigh.I was spending so much time scanning in and fixing these photos. Being nice,sigh. My reward is "please try again". Can't talk,on mango martini's now and oh so tired. ZZZZZZZZZZZ, "woe is me" is the old photo of me thank you!

Oh I loveeeeeeeeeee my sunporch

I have the best view inside my tree when I lay on my loveseat and look up. The ceiling fan and big ole chair are also a plus. It is amazingly quiet in my neighborhood. The dog and I often nap out on the porch. He alerts me to anyone p-mailing on our property. I do my collages out there and often eat lunch there. Since we had new windows that open and a new door and fresh paint it has become my favorite room in the house. It is most shaded and coolest. Ice tea on the Varenda dahlink? Today the new fridge came which will finally make ice for us!!!!! Oh happy days. I have a lovely spot in the back yard with a maple tree and tall grasses that I am just going to have to duplicate in the front yard now(so I can see it from my new porch.

I love laying there in nightfall and watching all the birdies come home and say goodnight to each other. My trees are the perfect birdie hotels.I do love trees so so much. How can any one make a decision to cut them down? All I do in each house is plant more and more. One of our old houses I planted trees to shade the hot side and they cut them down since??? WHY??? More later time to air condition and stare into my new fridge awhile. Makes sense to have the freezer on the bottom huh?

Yessss another art show I am entered in!!!!

I will be in this years "THE BIG SHOW" at the Creative Alliance,of which I am an active member.The drop off was today and the official show starts June 29th to July 28th.The critique is on July 11th.I love the critiques because you get interesting input on what they like,usually that depends on the background of the person doing the critiquing.One show in Alexandria Va.I was rejected by an artist whose style of art was a green background with green lines.(it left me cold)But he had a right to chose I guess "he was chosen to chose".

Any way I am in this show and it's a fun venue.Very off beat crowd.Second time I've been in one of their shows.Love a good mixture show more than the same style all over the place(yawn).

I did this piece(see above)from the magazines you pick up at the beaches.When I got back one Sunday I started clipping lots of colorful ads out.After more coffee I came up with this fun idea.Completing the piece in a couple hours.The piece has had good reviews by others who saw it.(fingers crossed)

PS.The duck I saved I found out by calling to see how he was,is a GOOSE.I suppose one day he will be making me proud and leading formation over my house on his way back to Canada.

The happy camper.

All is well it's Friday.The little man is recovered from the doctors visit.So far the meds are ok with his system.He did itch alot less in bed last night.So I got a good nights sleep.

I love Fridays.It is such a nice long day to be off.When you work it is way too long.I am in hot pursuit of another idea for a collage.I don't like the painting I just did so I need to go back over it and do some repairs.I spent so long on it and now it bothers me.Ack I hate that.I am bored right now so I am going to look at other peoples art.Besides it's beer time!

Today started out as a nice 70 degree day

What a lovely day I thought!Then in rubbing my dog"Peter Pan"on the belly I saw raw skin.He has been itchy and scratching.Mostly when I am trying to sleep.We do the flee meds monthly,sprayed the house when we saw a flee...So now I panic and take him to our vet.$300 plus dollars later and a couple needles,and a thermometer up the butt a blood test and 4 daily meds to give at home(one being PROZAC)he is looking less irritated "down there".

So now the dog and I are on anti depressants together.The reason for this med is the dog bites randomly,but mostly me.He is a 17 pound "pekepoo"that thinks he is a pit bull.This attitude of his started after my sisters much larger dog attacked him when we visited.I am sure it was a case of "Spencer" protecting his property from my dog "Peter Pan".

So we came back from the vets all happy and on the road to being cured.He got a treat and I treated myself to an afternoon of artsy stuff.We sat out on the sunporch together,him snoring,me cutting and pasting a collage.(see above pic)Now all we have to do is figure how to hide all these pills,to get them swallowed.We all know how they can spot a pill in the middle of anything they eat and spit out the pill after.This should be fun,mostly I can't wait to not be embarassed by my surly little darling.I had wanted a doggie for so long, paid "a grand" after getting a house with 2 seperate fenced in yards.He looks nothing like what I imagined,more like a mutt for a grand.He is small but much larger then they predicted.He came with ring worm that I also got from him.When he was fixed he came home and promptly chewed out his staples.

But ya know I love him! I remind myself of that on days like this.

It's already getting too hot!

I am so not into heat.I have a internal heater that clicks on by itself.I am the one with fans and air conditioners on in Spring and Fall,if I want to sleep.Can a person really spontaneous combust?If so good bye me.

I hear often that something is wrong with me(temperature wise).Recently when I was in a full sweat in a store (complaining of the heat)a woman behind me said she is the same way.Always hot!I can wear a sweater and sandals in the winter and be just fine.I can heat up a bed probably even a car or room if given a chance.No I know what your thinking,it's past menopause thank you.Just another fun trait like being fair skinned and sunburns in sun.To tan I must go out in the Spring and get 15 mins a day of sun daily,then I am a glowing pinkish amber by July.

I wont even talk about my friends (Beth & Marlene)taking us to Ocean City for a day trip.Sick sick sick and peeling for days.Also swollen face and other places I am sure.Did I mention I went to a nude beach years ago?I was the only person people told to put their clothes back on!How embarrassing and a waste of valiums and nerves.My friends who took me to Blacks Beach are the color of footballs.I am a "whiter shade a pale".OK it comes with red hair sigh.

A shell of himself

I remember the problems I was having when I did this collage.It has become one of my favorites.I think I must do well under stress as far as creativity.Lately I have been feeling "too good"and my work is lacking.I am more into sitting on the porch,or gardening.I know all good things come to and end,lol,so I should be up and running soon.I have been using brighter colors lately,kinda fun,but not me.I would be most happy to figure out how to blog or add things to my blog.