>> Have been so darn busy with all the hoop-laa over getting this house sold, that my brain is telling me to slow down...my "schedule" tells me that I need to hurry up and run around the city and get this, that, and the other done yesterday...an' all I wanna do is put together all the little w.i.p. that I've been messin' with and have them doin' the Sea Dance or something..ANYTHING but all this garbage of STUFF...<<<

Anyway -- the paint I have in the studio is jus' about dry and is ready for some texturing and layering of tissue and other papers. I have some other papers that I found while looking for Other papers...it's amazing what one can find when looking for one thing, and find a completely different thing at the same time! I wanted a 12 x 12 sheet of scrapbook paper but instead discovered a sheet of collage paper I'd stuck under a pile of Other collage paper...WHOA...whatta discovery that was. I'd been wondering for about 2 days where all of those sheets had gone, an' lo and behold, there they were. I felt about as smart as a snail by that point. I also unearthed some little sheets of papers I found at I think Big Lots -- very bright and very cool -- those will be added with some tid bits this afternoon.

I have to go and do some stuff at the mortgage office...I'm dreading this because I know it's gonna take more than 45 minutes and the people are always really rude, so it's not something I'm looking forward to. If these people don't like their job, I wish they'd just quit, instead of being rude to me and all their customers. My nerves are so shot from all this stuff with selling our house, I jus' wanna go and sit under a tree and sip a cool glass of lemonade...or, maybe something stronger by the time I get done with this mortgage company...blah...

Lady of The Tulips -- who just found out from The Husband that there are 46,000 pounds of corn meal in a container being shipped overseas...said Husband had this container of corn meal, and asked very cleverly,,"You hungry?" >>>> oh my stars >>>

w.i.p --

I was sitting in the studio the other morning, thinking about a little town our youngest & I went to a couple years ago -- it's just a teeny town down on the southern outer banks of North Carolina...unfortunately too far away to live there and have The Husband keep his job..BUT ANYWAY -- while thinking about how laid back and quiet the place is, I made a fast sketch of a palm tree just to remind me that there are places not too terribly far away...where it's quiet...and the Sea is just around every corner...and the people could really care less if you live with a Blackberry in your hand 24 hours a day...The locals mostly wear t-shirts bearing Tropical Prints, or local fishing companies...and everybody understands if you don't make a whole lot of money, 'cause, hey, neither do they.


It would be a nice place to LIVE, but for now, it's just a really mellow little town to drive down and visit every now and again...


>>> But onto some GOOD NEWS >>>

We have an offer on our house!! HEYYYY!!!! >>> Yes Sir, and Yes Ma'am!! >>>


The people who came by over the weekend, who were here less than 10 minutes...well, this jus' goes to show ya...they like the house enuf, that they've made an offer. I'm pretty blown away, and can't really talk about the financial aspects of the offer, but we will be signing some MORE paperwork tonight, and have an inspection sometime this next week, to make sure everything is in good working order..I've been put thru the wringer it feels like..what with making sure that WE have good credit to purchase a house down in N.C., and that all the legal THANGS are done just right...I've not slept good in a LONG time, so yesterday when I had to get up early with The Husband and youngest...drive them both to their jobs and then run errands, stop by the real estate agents office and some other $^%"#^...I got back to the house, made 5 phone calls...then waited for our son to call for a ride home.

And long about 4 p.m., I feel asleep.

Now -- this isn't even something I think about doin' most days...or if I do, it's just for a quick "Man, it'd sure be nice to take a nap.." -- an' that's about the most of it...WELL -- fall asleep I did, and when I thot it'd been a quick 10 minute sleep..HO HO!! ...an HOUR had gone by and I looked at the clock in absolute suprise!!

The Husband sez it's cause that's how the body tells you that you're OVERDOING THINGS...


Ya think??

So -- I'm nervous, happy, anxious, elated and all the things that go with selling a house. This weekend we go back and take another look at a couple places down the coast, and see what we can come up with.


In the meantime, I'll keep thinkin' about the calm sea and the seagulls drifting over the water


Lady of The Tulips ~~ wondering if she could just hop on a tramp steamer an' float away...

"a fluttering of fishies and flapping finz" 2008 Spring Bay Studio


just a quick little w.i.p -- And I've got the keyboard balanced on my right hand...the chair arm holding part of the keyboard also >> the youngest got the desk messed up & the whole thing is blah>> I'm having a bad day -- so just will go & figure out what to do

Got to run & paperwork must be signed for our house...my last good nerve just waved goodbye and is on it's way south...

lady of the tulips

>>>Yee Gads!! >> I tried once again to get my camera to WORK...but it's still being a bratty mess and not behaving itself..So until I get an answer from our youngest as to where the batteries have gone for said camera, I won't be able to download some sketches I've been playing around with out in the studio.

The weather lately has been trying Really Really hard to get warmed up to Spring -- we've had some days where the temps have tried to climb up to the 70's, and then the next day plummet back to more winter - like temps...yesterday was one of those days, where it was Sunny and Trying Very Hard to get up into the upper 60's, and the sky was a beautiful blue. But the wind kept it just chilly enuf that if you sat just in the shade of a building or tree, it felt much colder.


We had to leave the house because we had a showing..The Youngest stayed here as he had to get some items packaged and ready for the mail. We mopped floors, vacuumed carpet, polished furniture...did all the Things you're suppossed to do to make potential "Buyers" want your house withing 10 minutes of walking inside -- HA! -- When The Husband called at about the time the viewing was to be over, we were told that the potential buyers were here less than 5 MINUTES!!!

Excuse ME!! ???


How can you decide on buying a house if you don't even take the time to look inside the hall closet??!! I was so blasted agrivated, I wanted to spit. And it would have been ok to spit, because we were over on the other side of the lake from our house, where the Duck Feeding area is, and with no more than dirt and ducks wandering around, it wouldn't have mattered if I spit or not >> I mean, the Ducks don't care, right??!!

So we came home, with The Dog in tow -- that's why we left, so the "buyers" didn't have to see the dog...that's suppossed to be a Showing No-No >> No doggies in the house, yard or near anything when showing the house -- lotta good it did..Wait!! It DID do some good >> The Husband and The Dog got to run around the little trails surrounding the Duck Feeding area, and they had a blast!! HA!! The Dog made the poor Husband run along with her..actually it was more like she was dragging him thru the trees, bushes, alongside the water and scaring the poor duckies and geese to no end...whhooo...they both were winded after all THAT was over!!

So we're sitting quietly...today is feeling a little warmer and I'm getting ready to go an' play with my pencils for the day -- Got a pretty big dinner sitting in the wings, and I've got a loaf of bread to bake >> So should go get that started!!

Lady of The Tulips -- who wishes Everybody a Very Happy Easter!!

*** Here I waz...all excited to get some new shots of projects up on this Blog..an' lo and behold, when I went to start taking the pictures...the cute, clever and HORRID notice popped up on my camera, saying..."WARNING!! BATTERY EXHAUSTED!!" ***


Now>>> I try to think happy pink and blue thots most of the time, but when it hits me that something has gone amuck, well it just tweaks my poor little brain to no end. And since I'd just made sure all my glue and stuff had set JUST RIGHT..an' then the camera just sat in my hand like a TOAD...


Please Do Not Make Mention of the Extra wrinkles that are suddenly appearing on my face..an' we'll thank you in advance...


ANYway....so I have to wait till The Youngest comes home an' find out what he did with the batterys in the camera, since they haven't even been in there for 5 months. I know he does take shots of the items he sells on Ebay an' all, but I underestimated how often he uses the camera. My stars...poor little batterys, they jus' didn't know what hit them.


>>So I guess I WONT be showing you some of the other sketches I've got worked out in my sketch book...I've changed some of my colors to more muted tones that remind me of the Bahamas and have a more soothing effect when I place things next to each other...kinda tropical meets little girl play toys, I guessd you'd say. I rediscovered more papers that I am very glad did not get put into storage -- my oldest is SO BAD at trying to find things on a good day...if I asked him to dig out the box that has some of my papers and art supplies, that I stored in his extra bedroom...oh man...he'd be in there for HOURS lookin'. He's one of those "Surface Searchers" -- by that I mean, he only glances at things on top of a pile of items, or right next to an item, and will NOT move boxes, or anything else to REALLY look for something. Been that way hiz whole life. I'm suprised my brain hasn't exploded outta my head by now, I'm tellin' ya...


But anyway -- find the papers, I DID..so 'm back out to the studio and get some things put together


lady of the tulips -- who's 10 year old computer is throwing fits and spits right now..my last nerve has just announced it's leaving town in 10 minutes..

>> Have a VERY quiet house this morning >> The Husband had to get up earlier than usual, 'cause he had to deliver a load of frozen turkey up to a warehouse near the Maryland border. I talked to him just a couple minutes ago, and he said the container was stuffed with frozen turkey tails >> No Kidding >> being shipped overseas to I think he said the Congo where it's eaten. I've got no idea what they would taste like, but I guess it'd be ok...


The youngest has another temp job today, which makes him very happy. Only today & tomorrow, but it pays fairly good, and the work is something he likes to do --- He's constructing yard sheds and small barns for one of the local hardware stores. He loves to work outside, and putting stuff together is his "Thing", so this job was a good pick. He said last week, even tho the weather wasn't all that warm, he still managed to get some sunburn on the back of his neck and arms. He even took a tube of sunblock, but got some burn anyway. It amazes me to see how he gets color the way he does. AND he's one of those people who turns a really nice brown during the summer and stays tan for a long time....the little shmow....


Got some files ready in the studio: All I have to do is put the papers on the new canvas I bought over the weekend. I've been really making up for lost time out in my little room. I guess cause of all the months I spent climbing up & down the ladder fixin' whatever I could here inside of the house. Now it's MY TIME to work on MY ART!! -- so THERE...And I also found some of the watercolour pencils that I'd thot got packed and stuffed into our oldests apt. -- My happiness!! Now I've got to seal some painting I did with the pencils just to make sure the color won't bleed thru to anything else surrounding each piece on the canvas. The Husband found a can of matte spray at the hardware store over the weekend, and it actually cost less than the spray I'd bought at the craft store. It looks like it has a finer texture once it's dry, too, so that may work out with all the little sketches I've worked up on my little table.


The Dog has finally come to the realization that she CAN NOT get out of the backyard gate ~~ She has tried to shove her nose under the portions where the youngest rebuilt the picket fence...it looks funny to see this big ol' dog pushin; the fence to see if she can break it apart again...once I see her doin' that, I shout out the window "KNOCK THAT OFF!!" She really walks off in a huff, then lays down underneath a bush and sighs in disgust...humph... Blah. She'll be better in no time...

Lady of The Tulips -- feelin' excited about blending some teal blue, kingfisher blue and light blue to make the Sea on her latest project...

W.I.P. ** 2008 -- Spring Bay Studio

This little guy an' his friends have been behaving very, very well and asked if they could share some space on my blog today >> So I said ok -- I think there are jus' a couple more things I'm going to be adding, an' then it'll be all done. Very fun to put together.

The morning has been very quiet -- even The Dog is quiet today. I got some sketches working along out in the studio, and should get some final work finished by this afternoon. I'm suppossed to go to the lawyers sometime todayw/our oldest, but he hasn't told me when we're going. Drat. I get REALLY perturbed if I have to sit and wait. I'm not good with waiting

An' I just got a call from The Husband who tells me that our oldest talked to him on his cell phone, to say that he (the son) will be taking a nap for the next 2 hours, an' then I should call him when he get's woken up....or wakes up...whatever...


I'd like to take a 2 hour nap...can I??

Lady of The Tulips -- who is REALLY considering a nap but has 39,486 things to get finished before the Spring Training Baseball game comes on tv at noon...Ackkk...can I get to the lawyers & not miss too much of the Game??

** Am in the middle of a pondering-fit **

I'm working on a piece out in the studio, and I've worn my poor little brain to frizzies trying to decide which color to put on some tissue paper that won't look suckie next to an off shade of green. And on St. Patty's Day, you'd thing it'd be EASY to decide about something GREEN!!!


Well...anyway...HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

I'm just now discovering that I'm wearing a RED flannel shirt this morning instead of wearing GREEN...how much of a dolt am I??!! I also overslept by 2 hours (!!!) this morning, and had to call the lawyers we're working with on our taxes..no wonder I grabbed the wrong shirt for the morning!!

My nerves have left and are on a splendid vacation down in the Tropics somewhere >>> with a tropical drink and EVER'THING!!


I'm going to go back to the studio and stare at my papers and paints a little longer and hope that there will be a Burst of Smart-ness to get my piece put together...It truly shouldn't take this long to get some paper joyfully put next to each other..should it??


Lady of The Tulips >> who is listening to The Youngest play the guitar this morning, and also questioning on why The Dog is quiet outside..what with her little cleverness at getting out of the gate on a regular basis..oh mercy...don't tell me she got out AGAIN??....

** This is probably going to be a quick an' fast entry this morning **


It's turned much colder today --- we had rain overnight, and the weather people said that there would be a chance of showers. Nothing like there were down in Ga., and other southern states. We were very fortunate not to have severe weather. But, it did rain, and The Husband & Youngest are very happy because they just set out 13 bags of topsoil into the back yard, to fill in where they had to dig out the old pool. The wind isn't too strong today, but it does have a bite to it. And with all the water adding to the dirt/topsoil in the backyard, it should begin to look a little more normal. Where the aboveground pool was -- UGH -- there was a huge blob of dirt and rocks and sand. FINALLY it's gotten some soil on it, and The Youngest sez he'll shovel all of it together this week to make it look more like a yard than a disaster area.


We're not going to look at houses today -- we're goin' thru the fun and spiffy Financial Crap, known as getting "Qualified" for another house. What a bunch of $^$#} -- but all a necessary deal. Instead I've talked The Husband into going to The ART STORE!! --- How cool is THAT??

I haven't gone in a while, and I feel like I've been going thru the heebie-jeebies. No Art Looking...erm rather no Looking At Art Supplies...uh, ugh, and double ugh....I've spent so much time getting things for the house that the Real Estate Agent Demandz....how 'bout triple UGH??


Now I've got some collections of papers, Beads Threads and other assorted THANGS that will get put together into collages. I'e run out of canvas, so those are the MAIN ITEM to get today. "Course if something else catches my eye, well, that's all fine and dandy...doncha know??


Lady of The Tulips -- pondering on why it is -- EVERY time it rainz, The Dog absolutely goes into a hissy fit and has to go run & hide...What'z up with THAT??

"Ode To St. Patricks Day" 2008 -- Spring Bay Studio

I jus' completed this piece for an entry to the MojoArtGroup for the Big Holiday challenge. I had lots of fun workin' this out and the little fishie just had the best time getting decorated and painted. The only delay I had when getting the background colors done, was when we had a last minuted, and I do mean LAST MINUTE showing of the house -- I had been workin' on the paints an' our realtor calls an' sez, "There's a woman calling to show you're house..she's in the neighborhood an' would like to come right over..."

Please do Not Look at the Grey Hairs popping up on my head, at this point in time....

Thank You very much...


So anyway -- I finished the little guy an' had just the best -est time with him. Guess 'cause bein Irish an' all, it just makes my heart sing when I do anything that has to do w/ St. Pattys day, know what I mean??

The Husband is resting now, after hauling lots and lots of soybeans the last couple dayz. And apparently there are still lots and lots more loads to get sent overseas this next week. He said it just amazes him at how many bags of soybeans can get stuffed into a container. And when you think of how Small they are...my word...I can't imagine how many there are stuffed in those things. My brain has a bad enuf time these dayz, an' trying to figure all those numbers out is just a little too much.

Gotta run an' get some other stuff taken care of -- The youngest is due home in jus' a bit, and he'll want to get back online. And I Do Not want to Hear Noise about being online when HE wantz to get online...otherwise known as Lotz of Quacking...

Lady of The Tulips -- who is wondering why The Dog is suddenly Very Quiet....uhh oh...

*** This may be a short write-up *** I've got nearly 45,039 things to get thru today...the least of which is the pile of laundry that's threatening to overtake the kitchen. Oh -- and I just looked up at something that caught my eye...the youngest has a pile of papers perched very shakily up above this computer, and they have that "I'm leaning-in-the-direction-of-your-face-so-watch-out...kind of thing. I'm not scared yet..
But they do look kinda evil, all flappin' in the breeze from the furnace vent an' all...

No wonder my nerves are shot..

On the house front -- We're waiting for the couple that looked over Every Square Inch of our Home to find out if their financing is approved or not...didn't hear back from their realtor yesterday, so its one of those WAITING things..they seemed like they had their minds made up, so I'm cautiously optimistic. Besides >>> I Really don't feel like climbing back up on the ladder to do any more work in this house. HA -- so I moved the ladder OUTSIDE to join it's other pal that is equally covered with painters tape...big blue strips all decorating the sides and steps of the ladders. Supprised the City hasn't given me some sort of Fine or something...Unlawful Decorating of Ladders on City Property kind of thing...humph..


The Husband had to let me know this morning -- this is No Joke -- he's moving (as we speak..er, write..) 36,000 gallons of Jim Beam in a Big Tanker trailer...it's going to be sent rto Australia where it'll then be diluted into the correct proportions to be sold in liquor stores and barz...our oldest said the other week, "Shouldn't we feel guilty for sending our $"^%$^ over to other countries so they become drunks?) -- Don't know how to answer THAT one --

Lady of The Tulips -- How has to check on the price of a little Craftsman home across the border -- it's for sale at a pretty decent price (i.e. ...something we can afford..) so we'll see what's what...Fingers Are Crossed..

w,i,p, -- This is another one of my little friends who's waiting for the next big event in it's little life...sorta like waiting for the bus but a lot more fun.

There hasn't been much in the way of super good news on the sale of the house. We did have a showing the first of the week, but there hasn't been any word from the couple who were here. They went thru Everything in the house -- An HOUR they looked, probed, proded (oh hush, that's spelled wrong, so blah..) and peered into corners and anything they could see. I was beginning to wonder if they'd ever leave. I don't know what they were saying with their realtor, as they were speaking in a foreign language...but I'm hoping it was good. My nerves couldn't take any more BAD stuff at this point in time.

AND the other good news is that the flowers are popping up all over in the yard. I took a gamble last summer an' planted some perinnials but wasn't sure if they'd make it -- Yippie kii-yo, they are up and looking fine, thank you very much. When I get finished here I'll pop out side and take some pictures of 'em. They look very sweet. I got em on sale, and that's always a gamble with plants. But they are happy and growing up thru the mulch. The Dog hasn't even bothered em this spring, and she ALWAYS likes to dig in the flower beds, so I wonder if all the extra layers of compost and mulch are what's keeping her out of the flowers is the trick this spring or what. Or --it could be that The Dog is jus' bein' LAZY -- her?? Oh my...


And other news -- The Youngest has a part time job -- an' I really mean Part-Time === 3 days this week, workin' at one of the local hardware stores putting together sheds!! He likes to do stuff like that, so it's right up his alley..He told me I was going to have to drive him to the hardware store this morning, because he didn't think the bus had a route over to that blvd. early in the morning..but a little digging around and he found a route that would get him there in time to start...Whoo--eee!! He's glad for the little bit he'll make, an' who would look a gift horse in the mouth, I'm askin' ya??!!

Gotta run -- this p.o.s. thing is being worse than it normally is...jus' wish I had the $$$ to get a new one...HA!! Where any extra$$ would come from is Really funny!!

W.I.P. -- These are a couple pieces that I worked out the other afternoon while messin' around with my pencils and markers..I sketched out the background paper when I was waiting for a plumber to fix some pieces in the master bathroom, and install a new faucet. The price for the faucet was too good to pass up, so we picked it up while it was on sale..it made up for the cost of installation. An' let's face it -- I have no clue as to how to install a faucet, and since we've used the same plumbing company since living here, it just made sense to use them again. And it looks fabulous! When I had an upscale client out in the south part of Virginia Beach, I noticed that they had the same faucets in their bathrooms..but I'm sure that since their house had been built by a contractor, the price was probably a WHOLE lot more than the $19.95 we paid...patience works for those who wait...or something like that.

I've got a couple minutes to also get some papers colored in that I have some other sketches on, and when I get back out in the studio I'll get them put together on a canvas board. The one thing I need is a pale green or blue green marker or watercolor pencil. I know the color I want, but whether or not I'll be able to find it is another story. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I do not want to have to drive all over to find the right pencil but I suppose if that's what I have to do...then off we go down the highway!

Haven't heard from our realtor till this morning...somebody wanted to come look at the house this afternoon, but since it's sunday that's out of the question -- The Husband and our youngest have no desire to have somebody meandering around in our house on a Sunday. We had a couple showings on Sundays, but it upset our youngest so bad, and it created such a fight that I decided to just throw in the towel and say OK...no showings on Sunday. And the kicker is we havent had a showing for 2 weeks..I think we just lost a possible sale on this one...

Must go find out what The Husband is doing out in the kitchen..it's quiet all of a sudden and he was messin' around at the stove. I'm not smelling smoke or anything, but just the Sudden Quiet is a little disarming...

Lady of The Tulips -- pondering if maybe it'd be easier to just hop on one of the freighters docked at the port and sail away to where-ever...but I'm too scared to get any of those tropical diseases..

I've got just a minute or so to slap something on here -- I think I'd mentioned something about posting some work of mine on here either yesterday or today..just can't remember...

Anyway -- I havent gotten the shots done yet...I got a spat of bad news and negative THANGS yesterday that literally made me ill == I MEAN it all made me sick to my stomach. Literally...

Well -- that may be too much information, but I'm just not up to snuff to get out into the studio and get the camera working, so I WILL say that the good news from my oldest is that he has just one last test to go thru, and he goes to the Academy at the end of the month. The city training is pretty tough, but he has had some friends that have been running with him the last months, so he's been getting in shape for all the physical stuff...Myself, since I'm a clumsy one when it comes to running...I jus' couldn't do it, but he's been getting himself into shape, slow but sure. Makes me tired thinking of what all he's lookin' at doin' --

The weather here has made a nasty turn -- we had some tough-rough weather with severe storms the other monrning...1 a.m. to be exact. Matter of fact, the winds were so strong, they did some damage around the area. I told The Husband that once the wind woke me up, I just could not get back to sleep. It sounded like the winds that fanned tornadoes when we used to live in Arkansas, and that wasn't something I wanted to go thru again. So I got up and listened to the Weather Radio our oldest got us for christmas...the information was right on, and within 2 minutes of the airport making the information available, it was on the radio. Kinda scary, the news said winds were at least 60 mph but the most we got in terms of damage, was a lot of flooding in the street and tiny branches being hurled around the yard. We were very fortunate.

As to other stuff -- I got a letter from the little gift shop where some of my things have been for sale on consignment..The shop is relocating, and because they will be in a smaller space, naturally there has to be a thinning of Art for sale...an' my things have to go. I was expecting the news, but it still brings a pang when you want to make a little money on the work you make. But I'm optimistic that there will be something else. I'm not sure if the other gift shop down the road will consider my work again..I tried over 5 or 6 times to get in touch w/the owner, but she never called back or asked me to come into the shop. It's been that kind of time.

We were going to go look at some more houses this weekend, but The Husband doesn't think we should just yet. We're still having a time w/our realtor, so we'll see how the next conversation w/the guy turns out...no wonder my system has taken a nose dive the last 24 hours...sheesh..

Must go check some painting I did -- It should be dry, an' if the light is good, I'll get those photos taken before driving over to the truck terminal to pick up The Husband...he said he'll be workin' just a little longer tonight, so I won't have to leave in the middle of rush hour traffic...WHOOO -- talk about a relief!!

Lady of The Tulips -- drumming her fingers and trying as hard as she can, to be Patient with some work in the studio...la, la,...la, la,laaa....

Am not sure if this poor ol' computer will handle much more, as it's being funkie today an' generally giving me more grey hairs that aren't at all becoming...

But the good thing is that I've finally gotten some more sketches slapped into my new an altogether groovy sketch book, so in the morning while I've got a little more time than this afternoon, I'll make sure to get pictures of them on this blog --

I jus' did the unthinkable..well, not for most people, but I did just take some time off from working on the house an' SAT AND WATCHED TV --


Actually I sat an' watched a Spring Training Game that I'd wanted to see -- I'm not a Yankees fan, but since some of the guys in Spring Training may not make the full squad at the end of the month, it's kinda interesting to see what kind of work they can get done -- An', let's face it -- it's good to see something close to what the Spring and Summer will hold for us!! Ahhh...the warm weather and the fun - in - the - sun - ...well, maybe it'll be fun, as long as I remember the sunscreeen...bug spray...


Anyway -- this is going to be short, as I have to go get some stuff ready for dinner...make sure some of the papers in the studio are finally dry enuf to store away, and check on the condition of the kitchen...I left it for a bit before the youngest went off to apply yet for another job, and I haven't looked to see what kind of condition he left the sink...sometimes it's not the kind of suprise I like to find...sticky breakfast dishes...crumbs on the counter top from a ham sandwich being made in a hurry....all the Little Things that Produce Grey Hair...

hmmm....

Lady of The Tulips - who is deciding whether or not to go over and take another look at a couple houses The Husband & I are pondering over...ahh...these decisions...these decisions...

"Untitled" -- 2008 -- Spring Bay Studio

Got a quick chance the other day to put this piece together...I had fun with the background colors and got all messy with my paints. The little fishies were havin' just too much fun, so it took some doing to get them to quiet down and be still long enuf to be on the canvas...

hummm..

So -- yes it's been a couple dayz since I was on here...what can I say? It's jus' the continuous work on the hosue..painting still, and refurbishing some cabinets that didn't really look too swift in the bathroom. I thot they just needed a little oil rubbed into the grain of the wood, but when I got down on the floor and really took a good hard look, it was super obvious that they needed some fixin' up. The youngest refinished the cabinet in the front bathroom, so I figured it was my job to refinish the ones in the master bathroom. Little did I know it would develop into this never ending THANG that just wouldn't go away. I had stain in my fingers for 4 dayz, and probably still have some in my hair. But now the cabinets just need their last coat of varnish, an' it's all done. I may take forevah on a project, but it's better than nagging The Husband to get something done.

Speaking of The Husband..he'z been drivin' a lot out of state..taking some soybeans to the port from a warehouse up the Interstate. Lots of loads are goin' overseas, so thats a PLUS for U.S. Farmers!! The Husband called the other morning, an' said, "I'm zippin' along here at 45mph...got 55,000 lbs of soybeans, so there's no speeding ticket in the future..." Yee gadz...This is the second load or maybe 3rd that he's had in the last week or so..some of the drivers are scared to haul that heavy of a load, but I remember havin' some freight that was heavier than 55,000 so he's not really too freaked out on it. I'm jus' glad that some of the farmers in the U.S. are getting their crops sent out and that their making some good money on their farms.


Speaking of farms...The Husband & I went and looked at some more little houses over the border last weekend...I took the afternoon off from painting, and we checked out a couple places..one house is right next to the same farm where we'd put an offer on another house..the farm goes on for EVAH and all the fieldz are waiting for planting. This newer place is a little smaller than the one we looked at last fall, but we may make an offer on it. We also found a place nearer the border, but we aren't sure if it's what we want or not....Very Hard to decide -- our oldest thinks we should look closer to the water (facing the Outer Banks) but the cost of something within an eyelash of 5 miles is too much over and out of our price range..agrivating to (man I butchered that spelling...) say the least..


But that's how the market down along the coast is -- Those that have the big bucks get the watefront places,,,an' the rest of us just find what we can afford...

Yee Gadz -- I nearly forgot -- Good News from one of our sons -- He's gotten the phone call he'z been waiting for -- He's passed all the earlier tests, and haz 2 more to get thru an he'z with the city police dept. how cool is that?? he'z goin' to get one more battery of questions, an then he's gonna start the academy near the end of March...I am SO happy for him!! He's still gettin' phone calls and text messages from his friends on how happy they are too!! Wow! Now the real hard work will start for him, but he's ready for it.

I'm off to check on my loaf of bread..it smells wonderful from the kitchen, and it'z just about finished...jus a little loaf of white bread, but it's nummy with some cheese and fruit...

The Dog is layin' out on the side porch, and my oldest sez he'z comin' over to watch Spring Training on t.v. -- Baseball Season!! is jus' a few weeks away, an' these Spring games are the places where those that are Good are picked up for the regular season....an' those that Aren't So Good...well...they go back down to the minor leagues an' wait for their call-up to the Big Leagues...

Lady of The Tulips - who now realizes that she would REALLY like to be in Fla., but doesn't have a way to get there...or the $$ to stay...or a credit card to max out an' play in the sun....blast...