~~~ There are some things that happen an' it just makes No Sense ~~~

Take yesterday...there I was , driving along down the Blvd., going to pick up the youngest at his job, then I was Planning to get The Husband after that, go back home an' have dinner, watch tv...the whole bit. However -- Other Things Occured that kept me from doing the Picking-Up-From-Job an' all the rest...The little car decided that during the middle of rush hour, going along in stop an' go traffic, that it just Did Not Want to Go Any Further. And promptly overheated and spewed radiator fluid all over the pavement. Fortunately there was one kind person who let me change lanes (having my hazard lights on probably helped, too..) an' of all things, the driveway that was closest to me was leading into A NEW CAR DEALERSHIP...I Am NotMaking This Up...

So -- there I was patiently and as time went on, Not So Patiently trying to tell The Husband and The Youngest that, No -- I Was not going to pick them up, as all of the coolant and Stuff had just spewed itself all over the Expectionally Clean driveway of NEW!! CAR!! Dealership, and I was literally going nowhere fast...So -- in the meantime all of the Salesmen were looking at me like they were really REALLY hoping that I'd just go away an' never dirty their Expectionally Clean driveway EVAH AGAIN...But the really cool thaing is that the towtruck driver who came to get me was really a hoot, and we had a good time laughing and he drove that truck like it was stolen...I mean, we FLEW down the street...an' he made sure that he made LOTS of noise when we left the Snoots standing in the Very Clean Driveway..

Which is just a long way to say that to repair/replace my popped out and Completely Dead radiator is going to cost just shy of $500...If I say it fast enuf it doesn't hurt so much. Fortunately The Husband just did get paid..but I had hoped to go get groceries this week...Wait!! Grapes are on sale..and they ARE healthy...hmm...maybe those won't be quite enuf to eat for the rest of the week...But the garage where I've been taking our cars for the longest time is being really good and not charging me for the car having to stay in their lot over night...usually most repair places here charge something like $30 - $50 per night, so I'm really lucky. I was, tho, very sad to find out that the original owner of the garage has passed away, which made me so upset!! He was an elderly man, but he was in that shop EVERY DAY THEY WERE OPEN!! I mean, he was well over 80 an' kept right on working till he jus' got too sick!! Wow!! So, now the 1 mechanic who has been there for over 10 years is running the shop with the owners widow...the mechanic and his wife are helping out as much as they can, I supposse, so that's really nice. And, with my little cost for repairs, I guess the widow will be ok for the time being...


I've got a pretty spiffy project drying in the studio...I've been working with it while I've been cleaning the house and getting it ready for the realtor to see. Rearange and re-do everything for the past week or more. Just moving furniture around can make such a difference!! The Husband said he was very happily suprised at what I did w/our bedroom, so I figure if HE notices, then there must be a good change. We went down an' looked at an older farmhouse this last weekend...that in itself is a Complete Story...an' I'll go into it more this week...les' just say that the place was in such bad shape, that in regards to the rentor in the house, my dear Sweet Husband sez, "Man!! Those people should be paying the RENTOR to stay in that place!! Not Her PAYING THEM!!!" --- I made sure to take a good hot shower after we got back from walking thru the farmhouse...shwwooooo...

Lady of The Tulips -- who nearly shudders at the remembering of the farmhouse floor...oh my dear mother would have fallen right over if she'd have seen that mess...

~~ Am going to pop in for a split second and say that things here are going zinging along ~~

I've been rearanging the house, getting some things put away and throwing things out that have been taking up space that I feel needs to be just that..space. Clean floors with no little dee-dads that sit and collect dust an' drive me to want to pull my hair out. I was getting ready to wash the curtains in my bedroom, 'till I took a better look at how the previous owner had them hung-up, and it's the biggest mess I've seen in some time...so now it's time to wait for The Husband to come home an' see if the 2 of us can figure out how to take down the whole mess. My middle son had cleaned in the room before, but I've got no idea of how he got those things down..hmmm..

I also got some work done on some little papers I cut and glued together the other afternoon. I'd planned on getting those set up on my recent canvas...an' then The Youngest called from work an' I had to go pick him up, after my Dr. Appt. Too many things at one time, shwoo..

But the Dr. Appt. went well...he said all my tests but one came back all normal. Uhhmmm..an' the one that came back bad, REALLY came back bad. Seems that the "Bad Cholesterol" is not just bad, it's wayyy up there. Normal reading for it is suppossed to be below 100. That's where I'd hoped to be...However....mine is reading 154. Yeah....no wonder I had a stroke...And the kicker is, that all the years I'd gone to the other clinic I NEVER had any blood work done, EVAH!!! ~~ And, as my Dr. said, "Well, then, you were probably walkin' around with this for some time!!" Yeah Buddy!! So, the Doc did say that it was fine with him to use Herbal Supplements, so this next week I need to find some that will Lower that bad Stuff ~~ Man - Man..who'd -a - guessed that I'd have something that bad !! The Dr. did say that probably some of what I'd been eating while out on the Road w/The Husband ws a big contributer to the bad count (Truck Stop Food) so whenever I had my last hamburger, that was definetly The Last Hamburger!! And, fries...chinese food...sugar-ee-cereal...etc., etc.,...


So now I'm copying lots of diets for reducing that Uglieee Count..my weight is good, so it's just reorganzing WHAT I eat...hopefully the $$ will be in the bank to pay for all the new stuff!! Shwoo...

I'm off to do some more cleaning in another bedroom..I've got some papers readying in the studio, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get them set on their canvas...it's either one thing or another, I tell ya!!

Lady of The Tulips -- who also found some old clothes that she didn't even KNOW were still around the house!! Ack!!

WIP -- Spring Bay Studio

I was messing around with some of my paints over the weekend, and this is the start of a piece that I've been working on for a couple weeks. That seems sorta weird, I guess ~~ I mean by saying, that there are some people that can whip out a piece of work in something like 2 days, but for me it takes longer. And this rough canvas is an example of how much slower I work than other people. It was a lot of fun, tho to create these colors. I had the chance to sit in the early morning sun, while waiting for word from The Husband and what he had plans to do for the afternoon. Sometimes he tells me, "I'll call you right back..." and it takes him 3 hours to call "right back" This was one of those mornings where I told myself, Well, if it takes him longer than just a couple minuites, then I'll put the time to good use. Making the depth on the canvas was the most fun. I got really messy...ended up with goop on my shorts, some on my face...It never fails to amaze me how I can get stuff all over me, and still have enuf paint left over to get onto the canvas.

The Husband & I did take a day drive on Sunday to see an opening at a gallery north of here. The town is Hopewell, and the City Fathers have gone and are going thru the process of rebuilding the downtown area. A new beautiful library is under construction, and the old theatre is in the same process. The floors that have been rebuilt and rehabed are wonderfullly open, with plenty of light from windows that look out on the surrounding city. Very Nice, and all of the artists that were displaying their work were warm and friendly. I had the chance to talk with a few and found the afternoon went past in just a woosh! -- I had mistakenly walked downstairs from the second floor, not realizing that there is a 3rd floor, and it had more art and photography on display...well, I thot The Husband had gone outside, so I went wandering along, trying to figure out just where he could have gone...I got a little scared, and while trying to keep calm, I made the most of the situation, and looked over some of the shops that are near the theatre. Wonderful antiques and things that made me happy that I didn't have my debit card in my wallet..besides the fact that all the shops were closed (it was Sunday, after all...) I strolled around the newly built library and marveled at all the Huge windows surrounding the building, and was quite impressed with the overall construction of it. I was by this time getting a little concerned about where The Husband could be, and about the time I started thinking about what kind of strange people would or could possibly be wandering around downtown, I took a look down the street to see some guy looking kinda scary, and not too balanced. My knees just started to buckle, and about the time I thot I'd start making a bee-line towards the car, The Husband came running around a corner of the cross street, saying in a loud voice, "OH!! There you are!! You've got to come back and see what I've found!!" I was never so glad to see his face in a Long Time!!

Ends up that I somehow missed the staircase leading to the 3rd floor, so The Husband took me back in the theatre, and we climbed the stairs up to where the floor was: He brought me over to a photographer who had done some work out in California, and they both wanted me to see some shots that were taken not too far from where we have a little acre plus of land. Very Fine pictures they were, and it was fun to look at some other work from the local area as well. The photographer was kidding with me about disapearing, and said it was something for them all to look down from the 3rd floor to see me wandering away down the street...boy, didn't I feel like a sharp marble...

For any of you interested, the name of the newly rebuilt (and still in the process of being rebuilt..donations are Gladly Accepted!) is The Beacon -- I can't find the flyer that we got from the Art Opening, but the theatre is located downtown Hopewell, Virginia. For any of you in the area, make sure and take the time to go check it out. It is time well spent.

Lady of The Tulips -- who is now trying to get some of her papers glued together just right, but they seem to be having a mind of their own...Blast an' double Blast...

** This will probably be a short post, as I have 4.597 errands to run this morning. Then back to the studio to get some painting finished up. I also have to re-stitch 2 seams in a blouse I've been puttering with, so once I get that finished I can wear it this weekend.

The Husband was out in the country earlier this week, and discovered a small town that has a quaint art gallery/shop, along with some small stores and other things that caught his eye. He usually doesn't like to do the "Shopping" thing, but he knows that I like to go and check out unique places, so when he was going Very Slowly thru this one small town, he made a mental note of the downtown, and said it would make a nice day trip on the weekend. So, in theory, we will go and see some of the little places either tomorrow or sunday. The Husband had one of those weird loads of freight again...something like frozen chicken feet, headed overseas to one of the large Asian ports, going to some place where people eat chicken feet. No, this is not a joke--there are thousands of these chicken feet being shipped overseas, and The Husband hauls quite a bit of them every week or so. And, since most of these loads of freight weight somewhere between 80,000 and 90,000 pounds, he doesn't quite get out of his own way, so while driving along at 35 mph top speed, he's able to look at all the small towns with little nooks and crannys that catch his eye. He did say, that once out on the Interstate he is able to make it up to 55 mph, but even then, it takes a few minutes to get up to that cruising speed. Poor thing. Getting nowhere fast some days...

I've got some more fishies lurking in my sketch pad over in the front room, but I can't quite decide just how they'll come together. I was going to download them here, but didn't see how they would fit with some other sketches I did during the week. Maybe it's that old fear, "Your Not Good Enough!!" -- keeps me sitting on the couch doubting everything I'm painting, drawing, cutting...no wonder my nerves are shot...

Lady of The Tulips -- who is now wondering if some blue-green watercolor pencils will be easier to use than messin' about with acrylics...hmmm...

** "Starfish" ** 2007 Spring Bay Studio

I got the start on these little friends of mine, while waiting in a parking lot, my youngest was getting some forms filled out at the unemployment office, so I put the time to good use. While I was sitting in the sun, listening to all the cars and trucks go whooshing past on the busy Blvd., I kept having an old 70's song buzzing thru my head..."Your a shining star..no matter who you are..." And while watching people come and go, into the office building, and back out again...climb into their cars, vans and suv's...I kept thinking that everybody is a star in their own right. Even if they have a 1994 Station Wagon like I do...we all have good potential and have the means to make our little light shine, as the old gospel hymn sez. So, these little guys came out from all those thots -- I sat in the early morning sunshine, listening to all the bizzy city sounds, waiting to see what was going to come out of my little sketch pad. And there they are.

I have some new little fish waiting on the table in the studio, but I haven't gotten very far with them. Well, they are sketched and colored in with various pens and markers, but I'd wanted to get further along with a collage than I've gotten. Yesterday was spent going here and there w/the youngest in his quest to become gainfully employed. It's no easy matter. There are always offices that say they have job openings in their companies, but then information gets skewered and nothing happens..an applicant goes into the company thinking there may be a possibility for them, and poof...nothing. So, while driving all over the city, dodging speeding cars, slow moving trucks, and people looking 3 sheets to the wind while driving their cars, I kept thinking I REALLY wanted to get some painting done on the fishies I've got started in the studio. I have finally dug out some colored papers I'd bought sometime last year. I knew they were in a box..but just where inside that box was the question. I dug and hunted around for about 15 minutes, and finally had to sit down to think of where the stack of papers would have gone. No -- they didn't actually GO anywhere...it's just that my brain temporarily took a vacation in the "Where Are Those?" Department...and after I had a bottle of water and walked around the front room, it dawned on me AHHAA!! where those were. It really Drives Me Crazy when I can't remember things like that. But then, for some reason I can remember some weird fact from one of my history classes way back in college dayz, that have no meaning Whatsoever in this current time...go fig're...

The Husband and I may go take a look at an old farmhouse this weekend...it's been for sale for over a year..the price has come down, just like a lot of homes on the for sale market these days. I've been checking a lot of listings in the region just south of us, and have priced, compared, recalculated and prodded and squished numbers till it feels like my eyes are going to pop outta my head. We could get a place without too much trouble...but the big deciding factor is what this place will sell for. The friend of my son's who is a realtor and real estate developer has taken us on, and is looking over properties and prices..he's doing some research now for us, to see where we stand in the housing market. I'm optimistic that something will come out Positive for us...I'd like to get out from all the noise and grime and stuff here in the City. But there are other factors to consider, so I have to be patient and see what comes out of all the realtor's findings. Hurry up and wait...hurry up and wait...

I'm out to the studio and get some paper sponged and some blue's and greens covered onto my heavy paper...I think I'll try some other ways of applying paint. I've read of some methods that look pretty cool, so I'm off to go splash paint and make a nice big mess...

Lady of The Tulips -- who has to now find her Really Fat paint brush and hope that it isn't buried under something scary...

*** In the grand scheme of things, I'm sure there is some guy thinking of ways to make his life more cushy...and I'm sure that the means to that end aren't exactly what some lil' ol' person like Me would consider quite, uhmm...ethical. Well --- I just spoke to one of the thousands of Call Center Representatives employed by the Corporation that runs the Hospital where I went and got all hooked up to monitors, electronic gizmos, and other Thangs...and it seems that in the rush by the guy who wishes to live his life more cushy...he failed to see that there are Other Ways to extract finances from people...in other words...the Fat Cat screwed up. I'm trying to be optimistic that THIS time the paper work being submitted for my ugly E.R. Visit will be looked at with other circumstances rather than just numbers. Like the fact that we as a family, do have to buy groceries. (Food Expenses were not put into the application...) Or -- that we do have to keep our Electricity on (No -- Electric Bill wasn't considered either...) and, oh -- by-the-way- neither was the Gas Bill considered..or water/trash bill...Let me See --- at any job I've had, if I'd forgotten any one or the other of these "Little" circumstances on an application...well..I'd be OUT of a Job...This will no doubt not touch the Fat Cat at all...but at least there is one person in the Corporation Call Center that caught the fact that no other circumstances were considered for my application to get the bill reworked. I've literally lost sleep over this whole thing. I'm also having or am back to having Hellish Dreams every night...The kind that Stephen King would jump up and down over...Cars Exploding while I'm riding in them...Cars going off of cliffs..Houses being set on fire while I'm in them..yeah. Little Dreams where I wake up nearly screaming at the top of my lungs and The Husband is suddenly awake to hear me making all kinds of terrible sounds. Never knew I'd have this much fun...

On a lighter note ~~ I spent part of Saturday playing with some colored pencils and gel pens. I've got my eyeball pinned on a package of really nice art pencils over at the art store..well --- last time I was in there the package was available. Don't know if it is still or not. But I'm setting aside some $$ to pick them up. I was Extremely Happy to discover that I also had a NEW tablet of drawing paper. I'd started to feel tweaky because I only had 3 sheets of drawing paper left in my one tablet, and I was sorta-trying-not-to-freak-out over it. But while straightening up my little room, I went to throw away some old ads, and underneath them all was this NEW tablet of paper. WHOA! Talk about One Happy Girl!! So -- no more nervous Nelly being afraid to use the last of her paper...now I feel better knowing that if I mess up some inked in sketches, that I do have more paper available!! I've got some kinds scribbly fish that I'm working out on my sketch pad. I'm not sure if they'll work in a larger space, butI'm gonna try them today. I've also got another piece that just got finished last week --- it'll be on here tomorrow.

As for now -- I'm out to the studio and play with my gel pens. Glitter Pens, to be exact...whee..the shimmer in them is too cool...

Lady Of The Tulips -- who now has to decide on 2 color themes..blue/green - o - Red/Pink for some fish...hhhmmm

"She Followed Me Home...(Can I Keep Her?)" 2007 Spring Bay Studio


I had portions of this piece sitting in a folder for the Longest Time, and I just couldn't gather the other elements for it that seemed Together...Finally I sat down the other day and repositioned, reset, got up from the table..got a bottle of water...walked back in the studio...and finally came up with the layout that seemed the most comfortable. The little girl is just such a sweety..I couldn't stand for her to keep sitting in the file basket without a home of her own. Now she's happy and has a new friend...

I'm feeling better than yesterday..tho I've no idea of what the Corporation People have in store for me...I've decided that they have a lot more issues than I could imagine, so I've put them out of my mind for the time being. My art is what is the most important thing to me, and as I sit out in the studio and cut, draw, paint and play, that's what I'll continue to do. The Horrible People and their programmed answers for people with illnesses who have overpriced Hospital Bills...well, that is another and altogether ugly issue that won't be discussed for now...I need to remain as calm as I can be, and even thinking of THEM makes me begin to feel lightheaded. My work is getting completed, and that's what I'll focus on.

I've got some sketches that are half colored and half filled in with ink...I've discovered that my Favorite Pen in the Whole Wide World is running out of ink...I was once again sitting out in a parking lot while The Youngest filled out another job application..and this sketch has some potential for coming together quite nicely. The problem I'm having, is that once I get on a roll in the car with all my little colored pencils and my fine-line pen...I loose track of time an' just flow with what I'm sketching in my little sketch pad...then The Youngest walks up without much sound, scaring me Half-To-Pieces, and once he climbs in the car I have to put all my stuff back together (pencils all held together w/ a fat industrial looking rubber band...) and get them tucked away in my bag. Today we were in a not-so-safe neighborhood to begin with...and here I am sitting in the car messin' about with my little colored pencils...and out of the blue I hear footsteps outside of the little car...I did't quite scream, as much as I made kind of a "ahgggrewwuuuu" kind of noise...My poor son looked at me like I'd gone off the deep end...I Told him that he'd given me the scare-of-the-day an' he just looked at me like It Was Time For A Vacation For YOU....Think he's right about that one...

And today is The youngest's Birthday...he turns 23!! AHH!! It really does seem like yesterday that we brought him into our little place on the side of a hill in Connecticut...we've come a LONG way since The Husband was in the Navy...sitting in a falling-down mobile home next to a creek filled with skunk-cabbage...snow along the driveway and nowhere for a new mother to walk with her baby...Fortunately we were put into Military Housing and had room for all 3 boys...NO!! I Do Not miss those cold days in that falling down mobile home..It was in such bad shape that Ihad to call the Health Dept. about the condition of the "House" and after they and the Military Housing Dept. got ahold of the Landlord, it was taken off the "Official List" of available "homes" for Navy Families...Shwooo...How we made it thru some of those years is ANYBODY'S guess...Now he's tall and lean...working today over at the Industrial Complex for Norfok Marine Terminals -- there's a Huge Freezer complex, and he's moving pallets of frozenfood...Chicken Turkey and Other Thangs...The Husband just took a load of freight there, and was able to, as he sez, "Got to shake my son's hand today, an' wish him Happy Birthday!!" -- How Cool is That

I've got some other sketches to mess around with, and The Husband jus' called to say he's on his way back to the truck terminal...And Guess Who has Nothing Even Considered for Dinner Tonight? ~~ I'm tellin' ya ~~ Once I get playin' with my papers, pencils an' gel pens, there's no tellin' how long I'll sit out there...

Lady of The Tulips ~~ who, Yahoo, just remembered that there are some veges in the fridge, along with some fresh taters an' a new package of lettuce ~~ Ha! ~~ An' I thot there'd be just toast for dinner...silly me...

** I don't know how long this post will be -- I just spent an hour from Hell -- trying to get thru some pretty cold heartless people from the "Accounting Department" of the Hospital Corporation -- the last word there should tell it all --- Corporation. They have cut my E.R. bill but their particular guidelines are such that with all I can afford ($45.00 p/Mo.) isn't good enuf -- or in the statement repeated over and over from a Collections Representative -- "This falls below our accepted guidelines for monthly payment arangements concerning your hospital bill. We wil pursue other collections actions in order for this matter to be taken care of". I haven't spoken to such ugly cold cold people since way back when we had no work and had a credit card back in the early 90's -- I'd mistakenly thot that those type of grab-the-juggler-and-squeeze type methods were a thing of the past...shows what a dunce I am.

All I could do was cry and cry...told the people it was the best we could do...kept telling them that I'm not eating as it is..they don't care...the dollar is all that they want..my health means nothing...I feel sick and have no idea what the rotten people are going to do now. The local paper wrote a huge article on this hosp. chain & their "methods" -- One of which is to take a house away from a family..I guess that's what I have to look forward to..being homeless over a hosp. bill...going to the E.R. was to keep me alive, and now it's gotten to where some lawyer may take our house away cause all I can pay isn't good enuf...My eyes are swollen so bad and they sting like hell. My hands are shaking and I feel sick. These bastards deserve nothing better than burning in Hell...


Yeah, I'm ranting...but I can't believe that staying alive has now gone down this road to where people tell me they expect more from me when I can't do Any More...I'm going to go lay down and try to see if there's something I can do before the lawyers come and take our home...

Untitled -- 2005 Spring Bay Studio

I made this piece some time ago, an' it was sold to a little shop over on the Chesapeake Bay -- I used some tissue papers I bought at a craft store, took some import papers and also used some gauze to create the texture in the piece. I'm thinking of using some other cloth for texture, but can't quite decide what to use.

This is gonna be a short note as I have to get over to the fabric store an' pick up some muslin -- not it won't be used for collage, but I'm using it for a sewing pattern. I'm losing weight still, an' since I'm not certain of my size, I'll cut a pattern on the cheapie muslin before committing some more expensive fabric to cutting. I'm going to a local shop that has lots of different fabrics that just shimmer an' shine...usually they have scraps of fabric originally used for wedding dresses, formals an' other assorted fun times...I'm thinking of grabbing some of those scraps too, an' putting together somethin' in the next few dayz. I also got a piece done that will get on here tomorrow. In the meantime I've got to get down the highway before it gets more hot & humid...yesterday it was 89 Degrees an' lots & lots of humidity. It IS october, but by all that's right and sacred it is nowhere close to Fall in the weather department...my studio is a place to go and have the effects of a sauna...an' I don't have to go to a spa to experience the sultry air...yee gads...

Lady of The Tulips -- who has un-earthed some gold ribbon an' is ready to piece this with some wild papers...my eyes feel funny...

** AS I was saying, before I was So Rudely Interrupted...

I made the piece yesterday with my hand as the center point, for the website MojoArtGroup -- it is a joyous group of mixed media artists who just love to have art as the center piece of their life. I entered my little paw and hope it's met with warm thots. My family used to say that I have spider fingers...but I never knew if that was a compliment or not...My hands are almost exactly like my great Aunt's -- she also had long fingers. I wish I knew her better before she passed away. Unfortunately, she passed away before I really had a chance to know her. A group of thugs beat her, leaving her in a coma. I can barely remember the details of the incident, but I do remember she passed away after that within 10 days or so. She was always one who sent me books as a child, and encouraged me when I studied Theatre and Art. I just hope that I'm able in some way to continue in the right direction that would have made her proud.

The picnic I attended yesterday was quite nice -- Catching up with neighbors is always nice, and hearing stories of what people do day in and day out can be pretty entertaining. I have one neighbor who is just a hoot. She's well over 72 an' is just a pistol -- I wouldn't want to be the one who makes HER angry!! Several of the families who brought their small children had the chance to catch up with everybody else without having the children under their feet...the president of the civic league rented one of those inflatible castles, the type that kids can climb in to and bounce all around -- I don't know what the cost was, but with all the 15 - 0 - 20 kids that were there, they ALL had a Blast in that big bouncy thing!! I almost wished I was young enuf to go play inside that thing!! But, I'd probably hurt myself, so I had to just sit back an' watch all the kids bounce..bounce...bounce...

The Youngest is yet again looking for a job -- it's a holiday today -- Columbus Day...so most of the businesses are closed...I don't know what my son's gonna do while waiting for a call back on a couple places he applied for...just wait it out...The Husband is working today tho -- no rest for the freight haulers. He had an out of town run last friday an got that freight moved to one of the railyards this morning...he didn't get a chance over the weekend 'cause they had a tight schedule to get some christmas stuff moved -- it's just about the middle of last minute shipping for christmas items, so it's push push push...extra hours tho, are ALWAYS welcome!! Just makes for one tired trucker, tho!!

Today I'm finishing up a blouse I started last week...got the bottom hem to finish an' it's all done. I'm gonna try an' get fabric for another shirt this week, if all goes right...I tried last week to make it over to the fabric store, but never got over there. I was considering making a long sleeve blouse for winter, but I was told that the temps this week are going to be near 90 Degrees...Not Quite long-sleeve weather...So, the short sleeve blouse will hopefully get put together...I'd really like for some of this HEAT to go someother place, but it doesn't seem to be listening to ME...humph...

Lady of The Tulips -- who was just asked by The Youngest if I have a knife...wha'?? OH! -- he means a Craft Knife! ~~ OH! ~~ he needs to take some stickers off his hard hat...sheesh..I had NO idea what he meant for a second, there...

A

"A Dark and Stormy Night..and The Morning After.." 2007 Spring Bay Studio

This is a piece I zipped together in the last day to get in for a Mojo-Work over at another website..I had more fun putting the paint all over my fingers and palm...I kept thinkin' that If somebody was to walk in an' see me with the different colored paint all over my hand they'd immediately call The Authorities..whoever THEY may be! But this is all finished an' ready to be put into their files...

I had the best time today over at the park across the street -- the yearly Civic League Picinic in The Park was held today. The weather was wonderful, nice, sunny and warm. Not as sticky humid as yesterday. All together there were nearly 55 people that attended!! Lots of food, plenty of hot dogs for everybody (yes I had one, even tho I'm not suppossed to Have SALT..oops...) and plenty of soft drinks to keep everybody happy. I hadn't seen some of the senior citizens for awhile..some have passed away, that lived in the neighborhood, so I was sad to find that out. But all the folks that were there today were feelin' good, and we all had a nice visit.

Lady of The Tulips -- who has to scram NOW 'cause I got run outta the room where the computer is...so I'll finish this tomorrow...

I found this paper the other week on a shelf at one of the local discount stores...I don't know if I can say the name of the store 'cause I don't know about legal issues or whatever...but I just fell in love with this. There are also 3 other prints in this pak of paper, so I'm gonna be really torn on which ones to use first..just another one of the 3,596 decisions in a day...

I have to go around my neighborhood an' collect membership's for the local civic league...I have about 5 families to ask, but they don't seem to be home at the moment. I have the fortune of living on a corner, so I can look up and down the cross street an' be able to find out who's at home or not. The little courtyard across from my house only has 5 or so houses on it, but those families are rarely home...well, one guy's single an' quite the party-guy, so to find him home would be this side of a miracle!! He went to school w/ 2 of my son's an' one of my boys worked w/the guy a couple years ago at one of the local fast food restraunts. Pizza place, actually. Some funny stories, there... But in the meantime I'll wait an' see when some of the folks get home then I can go collect their membership dues.

Got my canvas board jus' about done..have 4 sheets of teeny paper to apply & I'm done. I'll post on here tomorrow afternoon after it's all dry. I've got to get to the store today an' pick up something for a picnic tomorrow afternoon at the park across the street. The Civic League has a yearly picnic an' tomorrow is suppossed to be clear and warm -- we've have drippy cloudy humid-to-no-end weather for the last 2 days...my skin feels like it's in a perpetual drip...but the weather people call for clear skies and sunshine! Just what we need for a nice afternoon!! The question is what to fix for the pot-luck dinner...salad? A hot casserole?? Too many decisions...

The Husband has work for this weekend..he's not complaining!! The youngest was suppossed to work today, but his Boss did't call him about it this a.m. like he was going to, so my son's pretty bummed. He'd like to have made the extra $$ but Maybe next week..Right now I'm waiting for a call from The Mr. an' see what he wants to do for tomorrow...he usually comes up w/much better ideas for food than me!! Ain't that weird?? He's one of those who enjoys food, but neither one of us do the Fancy Dinner stuff...jus' basic dinners what aren't an arm & a leg in the cost department..ol' fashioned is the term!!

Must get going an' do some touch-up painting!!

Lady of The Tulips -- who has also got some projects in 2 file folders but doesn't have the canvas boards - yet! I've tried for 2 weeks to go get those %^"#& things...blast an' double blast!!

** Making little squares and playin' around with gel pens...making little squares an' wonderin' where all these will go ***

I've got some time before I must see our lawyers an' pay them out the nose for some Crap...it drives me nuts to give them our dollars...but if I don't then the alternative isn't too good...So in the meantime I'll let some other papers dry an' check on a canvas panel I finished w/a base coat of papers yesterday -- I worked out the paper an' got it all painted then applied it all while watching/listening to the Rockies/Phillies baseball game..Missed some hits that were pretty good -- couldn't look at my panel an' see the hits at the same time. But thank heavens for instant replay!! My panel is good now an' ready for some other papers I got layed out. I also cut some stuff up an' did some other work while waiting for the youngest to get dinner ready. He was all into fixin' up some chicken, so who's gonna complain about that??!! Got 2 birds with one stone as the saying goes...

The Dog is bein' really frizky for some blasted reason...she get's into these funny little moods and is an absolute hoot! I was sittin' at the dining room table writing out bills earlier this am an'I glance over to my right an' The Dog is sitting and lookin'at me out of the corner of her eye, like she's planning something. Next thing I know, she's half way on my lap, trying to get my attention that she wants something -- talk to me about being startled by something, an' I'll tell you about a 89 pound dog trying to get my Full Attention...les' jus' say that she definetly got me to SEE HER!!! Come to find out that she ate all her food an' she just wanted to make sure that I completely understood she was starving to pieces...sheesh...

Lady of The Tulips -- who is off to pay 5 different bills..an' of course all the places I need to go are not remotely close to each other..so I need to go pay an horrendous price for gas an' then meander amongst the traffic...singing as I go...

** W.I.P. **

I was sitting out in The Very Fine Automobile the other day waiting for The Youngest to get thru paperwork at one of the area employment agencies...I started playing around with my little pak of colored pencils and came up with this little rough piece. I'm not quite to the point of where I can put it together on a canvas board, but the rough idea is here and will get pieced later this week. When The Youngest got back in the car he took one look at my little pile of colored pencils and the little sketch pad and sez, "uhhhmm...can you get that outta the way so I can sit down?..." I don't think he was too impressed. But I did have fun coloring the little fishies..


I've also got some swirling ideas for some other fish, but right now I can't decide how to get all of it sketched out to where it looks like something...Maybe if I literally "sleep of in" something will come to me. I've got to get back over to the art store an' pick up my panels...I meant to yesterday, but at the same time I was goin' to drive over there, I realized the post-season game (Baseball) was on tv., so that put everything to a halt. An' too, The Husband got home early from a freight run out of town. He'd left here at 1:45 or so, an' went all the way to a warehouse only to find out that the one inspector for the frozen food wasn't gonna be there till today or maybe tomorrow at the earliest...somebody in Dispatch made a giant mistake, sent The Husband up there, and didn't read the exact time or day correctly on the dispatch sheet...lottsa bucks for a trip that didn't accomplish anything...whoo boy...somebody's gettin' an ear-ful today. Thank Heavens it isn't The Husband!! But back to ART -- I'm on my way to get the canvas panels and if my cash flow is correct at the bank, I can also get some frames. I need to check my calculator first...sheesh...I know that there are some collage papers I need to replace, an' I'm hoping their still in stock from last summer...if not then I'll do some painting to come up with a color that'll coordinate with what I'm wanting on the panel...whoo..1.293 things all at once...an' I'm not suppossed to be stresed!!

Lady of The Tulips -- who is also wondering whether or not to grab one of those cheapie bags of fibers ribbons for some extra zing on a collage...at $1.00 it may be worth it.

~~~ Well the garden snake may have skipped town...there doesn't seem to be any sign of him this morning...and I did want it to get rid of the moles and gophers that are digging up under the lawn and around our calla lillies. The interesting thing I read about the snake, is "Black Rat Snake" -- "It's belly is covered with scales, that overlap like shingles, with their edges facing backward. Each scale is attached to a rib with special muscles that can move it up, down, forward or backward." (This from the publication "The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States Janine M. Benyus 1989. A Fireside Book) ~~ I'm thinking this is why is seemed to very quiet when it crawled over the back porch and startled my youngest a couple weeks ago. I don't know how it crept along the wall of the kitchen an' never was seen by my son, but it was something I found facinating. The lil' guy probably by now, has moved into another portion of the yard...I guess he's (or is it a female??) off to discover something else to nest and eat all the bugs and whatever else it has for meals. We have a very large amount suddenly of catepillars, so maybe the snake will eat them. A few of the collards in pots have been nearly cleaned of all their leaves...ugh...I'm hoping something will eat thosethings. We've sprayed this week an' hope to get more on the leaves by this evening.

I also took down another field guide to wildlife, but could't find a picture of one of the spiders we have hanging by a very large web in our carport...the spider has some spots on it's legs, and it looks to be about 2" in diameter. Very big Spider!! I can't find where the names are located in my field guide, so I'll do some searching online. I also made the most amazing discovery last week of a very little baby bunny!! I was carrying out my load of laundry to hang up, and directly in front of me was a Little Itty Bitty Baby Bunny..the most sweetest thing I have ever laid eyes on!! It's little ears weren't fully colored yet, and were still pink in the interior portion..teeny little paws and very pale fur...I took one look at it and was so suprized I dropped my basket of clothes, an' said, "OH! Look at you!!" The Youngest heard me from an open window facing the yard and sez, "Leave the baby bunny alone.." I just froze in my tracks!! It started to walk near me, but then thot better of that, and made a turn under the large calla lillies..absolutely the most amazing teeny thing I've ever seen!

Must make a quick exit -- I've got to make some copies of paperwork for the Hosp. so they can decide what their going to do for my fun little bill...my nerves are so shot right now with all the papers and forms, my head starts to ache just thinking about it...

Lady of The Tulips -- who, after looking at the scientific name of the black rat snake, (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta) wonders about the similar snake, " Black Swamp Snake" ( seminatrix pygaea) Are they sharing the same territory? Do they have spaces where they don't overlap in a garden bed or lawn? Very interesting. And will lead me to doing more investigating...

** W.I.P. **

I've been playin' around with some old bottles of paint, and unearthed a package of tissue paper that I absolutely forgot about. Well -- that's not entirely true...I Knew I had some, but for the life of me, I searched for 3 days tryin' to find where I Very Carefully stored it away. And as is usually the case, I was searching for something Else, and literally right in front of me was the file folder with a good healthy stack of tissue paper. As the old saying goes, "If it was a snake it woulda bit ya..."

And speaking of said snake...The youngest & I may have found the nest of the black snake...and it was completely by accident...we were looking over the last of the basil, and when the youngest pulled up the plant, there was a VERY large hole in the garden-bed right behind where the plant had been. At first we thot it was from the plant, but when I gave it a second look, then I realized it was altogether something else..a little disconcerting, but if the black snake wasnts to live in my flower/garden bed, then he's more than welcome to it. Besides, I don't have problems in that bed with critters, so I'm not gonna throw the guy out just yet...he may have to work for his rent, tho...


I'm in something of a rush -- the youngest has to go file his paperwork with a new job and the boss ssez we have to be over to the office in 'bout 15 minutes, so I have to make this quick. I've also got to check on a canvas panel I painted this morning, and make sure it'd dry before I go and move it...My luck I'd smear all the paint from here to kingdom come...sheesh...

Lady of The Tulips -- who has also got some papers drying in the studio, but set them in thesun so they should be in good shape...

~~ A couple days ago I thot about getting some shots on here of some pieces that are in the works out in the studio...but then I got going on sewing a new blouse..an' then too, the youngest needed a ride to a couple job interviews..job-application-filling-out-places...an' I needed to get to the bank so some VERY important checks wouldn't go boing-boing for the next 2,405 years...an by the time I got back here to get something done, it absolutely left my memory as to what it was that I was going to post here for a photo...IN THEORY..tomorrow I can get a couple sketches on here that have made some progress in the GETTING ALMOST TO THE CANVAS stage...hmmm...now that I say that I'm scared something ELSE is going to pop up in the way --

I found some very cool papers the other day while I went into one of the local Discount Stores. No ---not Wally-World..I haven't been in one of THOSE since last December...after how they were to us for delivering their freight an' how dangerous they wanted us to deliver their stuff...well..les' just say that I refuse to put myself into any more danger than necessary for some Corporation..period. But -- one of their competitors every once in awhile has some spiffy craft items for sale..so I made the trek over there an' found some very cool card stock in a nifty pack for I think $3.00 -- You better believe I grabbed that sucker up in a heart-beat!! Originally I was going to make a 10 (!!)mile trip to one of the art stores fora bottle of paint (.89 cents) but couldn't get my brain around the distance versus the price - of - the - product. So -- being the Tight Wad that I am -- I went 'bout 2 miles and had a pretty good discovery. I'll post some of the little papers I cut and pasted to other card stock I got 'bout a month ago..they make for some serious COLOR!! --

I'm excited 'cause I got some sewing patterns 'bout a week or so ago. Well -- what is so very cool is that since my mini-stroke, I've been cutting back on everything I eat...mainly 'cause A) -- The Dr. hasn't told me exactly what I AM suppossed to eat, so the less for now must be ok and B) -- I've lost close to 10 pounds...7 an 1/2 at last count. Lots o' veges -- more than I had been, and absolutely have cut the soft drinks to maybe 3 a WEEK -- When I took a look at how much I was downing them, it was at least 1 a Day...No No!! So -- when I tried on one of my t-shirts that I bought last year, it actually FIT NOW!! An' when I first bought it, the thing made me look like a stuffed-sausage...So, I can actually SEE that I've lost weight. And in relation to the sewing pattern.. I'm down a dress size!! I'm not to the size 9 that I'd like to be, but am on the way there!! I hope to go get my blood work done this week...I know I've been sayingI'll get it done "Tomorrow" -- but w/the youngest an' his runnin' around, My stuff has been put on the back burner. However -- with the blood work out of the way, then I may be able to get in to see the Dr. earlier an' find out jus' what the DEAL IS!!

The Husband has got some weird freight for the last couple dayz -- Today he hauled an empty Swift trailer to a factory...could't fig're out what it was that he was picking up at this factory...an' it ended up that he was hauling an entire 53' trailer of SHOPPING CARTS!! -- he's taking them to the rail-yard an' from there they go out to the West Coast to some distribution Center to go to one of the chain discount stores...just in time for the Christmas Holidays!! The company is cutting it REAL close for the holidays, but The Husband sez that if the train get's out there in 10 - 15 days it shouldn't be a problem to get all the pieces where they need to go. He jus' laughed at what he hauled today!! He said on the cell phone that there was more to tell me 'bout the trip, so it must be good if he sez that!! How weird it is how products get around our country...sometimes it makes no sense....


Lady of The Tulips ~~ who is now realizing that she needs to get some rice goin' on the stove...an' for the life of Sam, can't figure out where a bottle of spices has gone that would be perfect in that pan of rice....I swanny....