>>> jus' a quick note <<<

The last 2 days have totally worn me FLAT OUT!! Sara had her surgery yesterday, I guess darn near immediately after I got her into that Vet. office. She was such a good little doggie!! I mean!! My neighbor was super kind and gave us a ride over to where the clinic is..Sara wasn't too sure about the ramp she had to use to climb up into the back of our neighbors big truck, but once in the back, she just made herself comfortable as can be! Once we got to the clinic, paper work was signed, Sara was taken into the back, and that was that!!

The Vet called 'bout 5:45 or so, an let me know that the surgery went just as good as gold. The infection, swelling and all that MESS was taken care of pretty quickly, and Sara also got all her shots, got her rabies stuff too. She went to sleep pretty quickly, but once she got awake, she was ready to rock and roll. Boy, whatta switch that is!! She was lookin' pretty sad this morning when we got back into the clinic this morning, but Sara was released for me to bring her home. She was about to smash thru that clinic door! The one BIG GIANT THING SHE HATES... tho, is the Big Cone she has to wear around her head. I'll get a chance tomorrow to post a picture of her and her new head-gear. I asked her if she was picking up anything with that Radar - Lookin' thing around her head..."You get some Canadian stations with that, Ma'am?" she just sorta looked at me like, "I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW!!" I think she may be able to pick up some of the Top Secret CIA, FBI, ABC sorta messages with that big ol' THANG, but being a Dog, she doesn't have the ability to tell me -- or maybe she can't because of the secretive nature of it all... HA!!

~~ So this afternoon, all the past week worth of STUFF has finally hit...I'm really tired, and even tho I got the start of a new canvas goin' over on the work table, I'm just too too tired to get anymore done for the day. Sara, in the meantime, is laying out on the kitchen floor, looking TRULY WOEFUL and altogether miserable...poor dog.

Lady of The Tulips *** listening to The Dog rattling around and bumping into the kitchen cabinets...I think at this point she's definetly thinking Evil and Horrid Thots about me...

Last weekend, Tom & I were in the hardware store, getting odds and ends that we've needed for the house...I'd mentioned that I needed a lamp of some kind for the studio. That word, Lamp, for ME, means something that emits lots of light, useful for working at the little work table, making it easier for me to see the little lines and marks on papers, fabric and other assorted STUFF that I mess around with. Literally while I had my back turned, Tom found this lamp, grabbed it and had it in his hand at about the same time that I said that one about medium size would work for me. He got this somewhat LARGE lamp...it doesn't quite get the light over to the craft table, but I've discovered that the lamp, combined with the ceiling fan light, don't do too bad a job giving me LIGHT!! Plus, it has that spiffy base to it, that Tom thot was pretty cool. That in itself is REALLY saying somethin'!! He usually races thru the store, being one that DOES NOT LIKE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SHOPPING >>> even at a hardware store. So, I consider this lamp something of a Trophy for the Studio!!

The tropical storm is still hanging around overhead, over-my-damp-ness, and making things take for EVAH to dry...I can't imagine what kinda agony the people further south went thru with this storm..I jus know that it hasn't stopped dripping/raining/sprinkling for the last 3 days. The plants are Kicking A*** and enjoying the TAR outta all the water. The hydrangea was lookin' a little weak around the edges over the weekend, 'cause we'd has so little rain. When I walked little miss Muffett this morning, I glanced over at that shrub, and it looks 12,345 times better. Shows whatta little water can do for ya!! The critters in the woods sound like their happy as can be -- AND SPEAKING OF WHICH...

Last week I was being Stubborn and not trying to finish a couple projects I had goin' around the house...so while AVOIDING EVERYTHING I went to the front storm door to stare at the woods across the street, an' while looking toward our side yar, I just happened to see, RUNNING AT FULL SPEED... a nice little female deer...an' I MEAN, she was FLYIM" THRU OUR YARD!! it looked like she'd been eating some of the acorns or whatever behind the shed, an' something startled her, an' off she went. All I could do was stand there with my mouth hangin' open, thinking, "Well, isn't THAT a fine thing to see!" I've got no idea where she thot she was running to, but who am I to ask what a Deer Thinks?? Do Deer Really Think? -- or do they just make a Bee-line for the vegetable garden, and THAT"S THAT!!?? Ohh, it's just too much for me to think of right now!!

Gotta go and get some painting done on a little piece I've got right younder..No, over THERE... See?? Ok...

Lady of The Tulips -- Hoping that the shirts that need ironing will jus' sorta get up and get themselves Done without any effort on my part...

~~~ Just an addendum here ~~

I looked at the other post, and realized that the final print/download of the pictures weren't how they were in the preview shot...

The bottom picture was on the left..and the first one is what I was greeted with while the World was turning in a counter-clockwise motion...

Or -- maybe I'll just go ask that nice neighbor if I can go out on the Sound with him & his pals for their fishing trip this evening..

Lady of The Tulips...

Thinking I should title this post..Falling Apart at The Seams..and Finally Giving Up The Ghost...

The picture on the right is what happened when I went to open my roller shade this morning..ya know...open the window...let in all the nice morning light...HA!! The roller shade just went FLUMP on the little work table...

Then when I stood on the chair and re-roll the shade..the entire thing came off it's little roller and hook in the window, and went into a heap on the floor..that'd be the picture on the left...

It would seem that NOW would be the time to start checking out those Off-Season Rates across the Albemarle Sound on the Outer Banks and check out a good Loooooonnnggggg weekend for me and oh yeah...maybe Tom, too...HA!! ok --

So anyway ~~ The way the rest of the morning went, was I called wait..Last nite I called one of the vet.clinics near us...but the answer service hooked me up to Another one not too terribly far away...well...I get in touch with the Vet..tell him ALL about Miss SARA and her ickiee ear..n he immediately starts in on how much the whole thing is gonna cost..OH! and don't forget the extra cost for her staying overnight... -- the conversation just basically went to Hell in a Handbasket, and after I got off the phone and stopped shaking...after I realized this guy wanted me to put the charges (somewhere up near $600 or so) on a credit card...AND after I realized that without any transportation I'd be looking at walking me andMISS SARA the 15 miles up to the Vet clinic...Visions of me with some rancid bottle of Rot Gut Whiskey started to not look so darn bad after all...

So I called the vet clinic up the highway..talked to a VERY nice girl, who made sure to let me know that THEY WERE NOT LIKE THE OTHER CLINIC -- and telling me that the cost was a Fraction of what I was first told last night...Well Let Me Tell You About Feeling Relief!! -- so I talked with a neighbor who is Very Understanding of All Things Doggie, and since she has 3 said little doggies, we've devised up a plan to get Miss Sara to the clinic tomorrow afternoon, leave her there for her ear - fix - up and pick her up the next morning, after all the surgery (they have to lance her ear and get stitches done..) and meds wear off ---she should be good to go. Tom let me know that the first time sara had something like this done, he'd had to wait for OVER 3 HOURS!! before the vet let Sara go, and oh yeah, HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE $600 WAS PAID RIGHT NOW PAL!! ~~ Are you getting the idea that I'm not too fond of some MONEY GRUBBING DOCTORS?? ~~ What EVAH gave you such an idea??

So I'm feeling better this afternoon -- Sara is just hanging in there...she doesn't feel too swift...but I've gotten a little cotton swab and dabbed some Benedriyl on her ear VERY gently just to numb the pain she has...and it keeps her from shaking her blasted head for whatever reason dogs shake their head for things. Tom feels better, cause he cant take time off of work to get the dog to the vet...which is the Whole Reason I've had to try and mess around with logistics of getting from point A to point B -- And when I told the Vet last night about THAT part of the problem, he was as unimpressed as a frog out in the swamp...I MEAN!!! OOHHHH....just makes my blood boil all OVAH again, so I Wont discuss it AGAIN..

Meanwhile -- I've got a new project on the little craft table...hopefully can get a good shot of it tomorrow..in between all the mesin' about with Sara..I think I do want to meet that nice young man I saw the other day... just kidding..tho he probably would be fun to go on vacation with....HA!!

** Lady of The Tulips ** wondering why it is she feels Really Old right now...oh wait..it's just cause I'm sitting weird in this office chair...don't worry...

~~ This morning while walking The Dog, I think I've uncovered the worlds largest amount of mosiquitos (yup -- made that word look uglliee..) in our yard. The Dog went along like there was no problem, and once I got in the cabin, I started scratching and clawing my legs and arms like there was no tomorrow...BITES,BITES & MORE BITES!! There simply can not be any of those NAHSTTYYY insects anywhere else in this part of the Eastern Seaboard, because I firmly believe each and every one of them just found me and made mincemeat outta my person ~~

There are no pictures for you 2 see today -- I'm once again having trouble with this computer -- some dayz it behaves itself like just all heck and get-out. And then there are other dayz where it acts like it is today. Takes 20 minutes to get going in the morning...12 to download any pictures my son Gabriel sends to me...then takes another 8 to read any emails that I happen to have in my In-Box. For most people this is time to get another computer. But since I've got NO IDEA of what kind of computer to purchase..well, you can imagine if I walked into one of those BIG BOX SUPER STORES ~~ Said "I need a computer" ~~ and walked out with some contraption that does everything but wash the dishes and clean the bathroom sink. Well, actually I'd go for the contraption that DOES WASH THE DISHES AND CLEAN THE BATHROOM SINK... But there aren't too many of those on the market these dayz..stuiped designers of all things computer...

The Other News is that while digging around in Toms closet to see if several bags of clothes may have some of my fabric in them (In THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE >> CALLED MOVING >> I PILED EVER-THANG IN WHATEVER ICOULDFIND!!) ~~ I discovered some shelf pieces that were just sitting on thetop of the closet -- 4 pieces to be exact -- the open white wire kind -- and one very large piece -- all sitting like theywere waiting for the next plane to fly them Somewhere Else. Naturally, since I need shelves in this new studio, I GRABBED THOSE SUCKERS BUDDY!! ~~ before Tom did something brilliant like throw them away. Now I have to measure each of them to find just the right placement for them on the north-wall of the room, then set all my baskets and plastic containers of beads and goodies up on them, instead of having boxes and STUFF layin' all over on the floor. It looks messy, gives me a backache when I have to bend over to get any papers outta the boxes, and gets my nerves in a PINCH when I have to sit down on the carpet to dig thru the boxes, baskets and STUFF to find what I need. Last time I bent over to pick up some papers, I darn near didn't get back up again...sorta stood in this half-bent-over position..sorta shuffled and hurrummphed myself over to my chair, and plopped myself down with a VERY unladylike FLUMP... Noah was sitting over here at the computer, looked over at me, and mumbled something about trying to keep it quiet over THERE 'cause he was doing SOMETHING IMPORTANT on the computer. Did any of you happen to hear my nerves SCREAMING at him on that particular day?? If you did, I Am SORRY that I gave any of you a start...just Another One of Those Dayz...

OK ~~ Now I don't know where I was originally, and Sara just came in with her gloppy ear and bad look. Tom said that if her ear isnt really good this afternoon, he'd take her to the vet this evening after he gets home...I've been dabbing some ointment on Sara's ear, just to ease the pain of the swelling for her. I have NO idea of what the $#^"&*^* happened to her ear. My friend sez that a tick may have gotten wayyy up inside of the dog's ear, and that's what's caused the swelling...I'm hoping it's not anything serious, I've been really upset about the whole thing. Tom is too indifferent about Anything, so poor Sara has had to hobble along with her floppy ickiee ear while Tom sez she doesn't really need to go to the vet. Sincemy car doesn't run, Ican't take her myself, and this stuiped trouble with my left eye doesn't make it any easier to see clearly enuf to drive...whatta great combination! So, Me & Sara wait for Tom to make his mind up, and HOPEFULLY he'll come to his senses and take me & Sara tonight to the vet...Please Think about me & my little "girl" !!

Lady of The Tulips -- listening to somebody once again over in the woods in front of our dirt road..doing Something Loud!! URRRRRGGGHHHH

>> I know this isn't the closest shot I could have gotten of our little sheds...but here they are <<

I have to admit, that the larger one is my ABSOLUTE favorite...it really and truly is just about to fall into the woods behind it -- Tom sez we have some wild ducks living in the woods directly behind that kinda pink shed..the one that has a severe list goin' on -- Noah sez it makes things very easy for him -- that completely confused me, 'till he said just why >> Seems when he's done with the mowing, he opens the shed door, and there's a little lip to the doorway where the door jam is..then the floor slopes toward the back in a fairly rapid rate, so all Noah has to do with the mower, is give it a little nudge, and it goes toward the back of the shed to where it's stored, and he doesn't have to push or shove it one little bit. Makes for an Auto-Pilot kinda manuver. I think it's funny, but it's probably ready to fall to pieces, that little pink shed...the floor is creaky, and wayy up in the rafters there are remanents (oh hush about that spelling...) of one of those slinky creatures...Noah's too lazy to take it down >> There are all kinds of odds and ends left over from the previous owners...little jars -- 1970's bottle of lighter fluid -- some old picture frames, which I WILL PUT TO USE!! -- lots of weird pieces of wood and other flotsam and jetsum..

I think the reason I like the shed the most, was because of what happened the first day I was here for any length of time -- during the Home Inspection, I'd driven over here after leaving Tom at the truck terminal. I hadn't really any idea of how long it took (takes?!) to drive here from the terminal, so I left right away..something like 6:25 or so...Naturally I got here in just under an hour...an' that left me with Over an hour & a half to look around. I was kinda nervous, 'cause I didn't know if anyone would see me wandering around the property...but if anybody saw me they didn't bother me. When I'd walked around the front porch, and took pictures of the roof, porch floor and all these other THANGs..I'd started to walk toward the shed, when out of the woods directly in front of the house, flew this BIG HUGE OSPREY!! -- not only did it fly out of the woods, but it also had a Big Ol' Huge FISH in it's talons...I don't know who startled who --- me startling the bird, or the bird startling ME!! -- But it flew off at an angle from where it was originally going, landing on/in the big oak tree directly behind the old pink shed...where said osprey started eating it's "Catch of The Day" -- with bits and pieces of said fish landing on the metal shed of the roof ...pingg..thunk...bonk..All I could do was stand in the front yard, staring up into the tree, thinking "Well isn't THIS somethin'!! That whole episode sold me on the house before I even walked back indoors!!

And now the shed is sitting in the woods, which are starting to drop their leaves..slowly but surely. I can't believe it's already early Fall -- But the past couple weeks, WAYYY early in the morning, I've heard big, big flocks of geese, flying south...we're on the East Coast Flyway for all the Canadian Geese, Swans, Hawks, etc., etc. ~~ I started to see the Swamp Maples dropping their leaves about a month ago (they naturally drop earlier than other hardwoods...don't know why, but that's what they DO) ~~ and now the others are starting to turn color too...leaves are starting to gather around the fringes of the "yard" and the woods that Noah cleared are starting to look a little thinner and thinner..What Just Happened to Summer?? Did I sleep thru the whole thing?? And where was the cute Lifeguard that I was gonna meet this summer?? SOMEBODY TELL ME<> >> well...maybe an answer...

Must go and play with some of my color pens and pencils...my little brain has another BEACH idea floating around...maybe something with those Tropical Colors and Stuff....whheeeeeee

Lady of The Tulips -- listening to Sara snoring in the hallway...she's got some kinda bug bite in her ear an it bothers me to no end..she just acts like it's a little irritation...hmmhpphh...

"Happiness in a Circular Motion" -- 2008 Spring Bay Studio

** I FINALLY GOT IT DONE!!! **


it seems like it took me forrreeevvaaahhhh to get this done, but here 'tis! I'm thinking that it's one of the biggest things I've done to date..but once I got into the color and where I wanted it to be, it just seemed to come together.

Now the trick is to get it to the house where my friend lives..she should be happy..she said it was something she wanted, no matter how it turned out..she has that much faith in my work..so it's now the BIG THING to get it there ASAP ~~

There isn't much else to say this glorious morning..'capt that the sun is shining the birdies are singing and Sara is once again laying slap dab in the middle of the hallway. So that means, for me to get out to the kitchen or anywhere else over THERE...I have to step OVER HER...and try not to wake her up...'cause lets face it, once a dog get's woken up, all they want to do is eat one more doggie biscuit..bounce up and down and make lots of fur fly and get you absolutely WORN OUT with all the playing about...then it's back to laying slap dab in the middle of the hallway and there I am, wanting to take a nap and wondering why I didn't just get a CAT or something like a goldfish...

I had the CUTIEST thing happen in my little porch swing yesterday afternoon -- a teeny little Carolina Wren came up and started making LOTS AND LOTS of noise at me..guess he thot I was invading his territory...so he finally got quieted down when I said SSHHHHH to him 34 times...then he went up and perched up on the porch light, kinda layed down between the light and the wall of the cabin..and while I was in my little swing humming some old show tune from Broadway..the little guy fell asleep!!! It's like I sang the little dear to sleep...well...I like to THINK I sang the little guy to sleep...either that or he just got tired of giving me lots and lots of H*** with all his NOISE...either way..he layed up there in his little spot for the LONGEST time..I guess he finally went to wherever his little nest really is...he was soo funny tho!!

Tom may have tomorrow off!! WHOA!! that's gonna be somethin', le' me tell ya. And if he does, then I'm sure he & Noah will be driving all OVAH creation buying odds and ends at every hardware store in the county...they just get goin', and the next thing ya know there's 29 bags of STUFF in the backseat of the little car...I tried to ride along with them one saturday, thinking I could sneak in a stop over at Penny's or something...HA!! Show's what I KNOW...that idea went over like a fart in church...

Anyway -- gotta go and get my laundry outta the dryer..it should be done after 25 minutes..I hope.

Lady of The Tulips -- listening to SARA doin' somethin in the hallway...oh no...

I'm SO EMBARRASED that is spelled wrong, so DEAL --

But what I'm trying to say is Excuse The Blurry-Ness of this picture...maybe the butterfly has taken the camera into it's wings and wants everybody to fly Wayy south for the Winter??!! Whatta Great Idea!!

I'm making little paintings within these little paintings .. I think once it all dries it'll be fun to look at...an whatta 'bout that old page by the butterfly?? what the TAR is that?? Actually I KNOW but I'm not tellin' HA!

There isn't much goin' on around here...'cept the NEVAHHH ending work across the street that is this marathon of putting together a mobile home that an elderly couple are installing...this project of theirs has taken over 3 weeks...3 days to get the thing hauled down the road (Tho not our little dirt road...thanx to the STARS for that!) then another 3 days to mess-around with the vinyl siding and the leveling of the cement blocks underneath...then anothe 3 days for the Cement People to come back to mix smear and all-together make LOTZ OF NOISE>>>Poor Sara is just laying on the floor listening to all of this like she's just waiting to tell them OFF...I don't think she's going to get up off the floor and do much of Anything, but she has her momentz. BURSTS OF FLURRY ~~ At least that's what Tom keeps hoping she's gonna do one day...
His phone calls are something like this..
"What'z the Dog Doin?"
"Whatta ya think she's Doin'?"
"Is she laying on the floor?"
"YES! ~~ You think she's gonna do anything Else??!!"
"I thot she'd be bitting her fleas or something..."
"And NOT laying on the floor??"

"Can she lay on the floor and bite her fleas at the same time??"

This is why I WANT TO RUN AWAY ~~ Not just sometimes ~~ Well...more like 98.222 percent of the time...

I must go and get this next coat of paint on my little Project...WHOA..the Cement People Across the Street have STOPPED THEIR NOISE!! Can we hear an AAAHHHOOOOOO!!!

Lady of The Tulips ~~ Wondering why it is that when Tom goes to get frozen food products, he picks up odd things like Pig Ears...or Chicken Feet...Honest and For Real...

W.I.P. -- here are some more shots of the little pieces an' parts of my current project...

This is some of the things that I've been fine tuning the last couple dayz, an' it seems that the more I tinker with the papers the more I change some angles of them..laying them out just a little different each time.. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Guess the answer will be with my friend when she sees the final piece..

I've been cleaning up the front of the house..well, not TECHNICALLY the front...more like where the driveway comes up to the deck-side of the house. It seems like the front of the house, 'cause that faces the main road where all the "traffic" goes past ~~ And where tom likes to drop off his assorted junk that he collects from throughout the day. Stuiped thingz, mind you ~~ like Empty Sobi jars...old candy wrapperz...AACCHHKKK

things that drive me to want to scream at the top of my lungs at him for being a tad=bit sloppy. And makes me go out and sweep off the driveway..throw all the goo in the trash..an' ponder on why that man just gets my last good nerve in a twitch.. but the good thing is once all the goop is away WHERE IT BELONGZ... then everything is fine and spiffy. For the rest of the day. Then Tom comes home and throwz his glop all over the place again an' sez he's "workin' on it" -- in terms of cleaning up after himself..sigh..

I'm not going to talk about the peasant blouse pattern I'm havin' fitz with. I think If I just wak away from it an' then turn and FACE IT in another day -- then it'll just come together like there's never been a PROBLEM an' I'll just be happy as a little bird in a flower bush..or something like that! I don't know what it is about this pattern..maybe it's just not the one for me to put together..who knowz??!! But it'll suprise me, I'm sure. I've also got a little pattern tht I'm looking at piecing together in a day or 2 -- I'm gonna order the fabric probably tomorrow...this pattern I've made before, so it shouldn't give me these FITS OF STEAM that this current one is doing...or so she sez, looking over at her fabric pile an' wonderin' jus' what to DO NEXT...

Must go and get my laundry done before tom gets home an' asks why these THANGS are all over in the laundry room...uuhhhh..."Because they want to be?" no, that'd probably be a bad thing to say after a hot sweaty day drivin' all over creation, huh?

Lady of The Tulips -- staring out the window an' listening to the wind pickin' up in the woods...uh oh...looks like a storm is brewing...

W.I.P. -- here are some of the detail pieces for the current THANG I've got over on the table --

These aren't finished yet, but you can get an idea of some of the colors and STUFF that I'm workin' toward..I think you can??!! This is just toward the center of the canvas, so it's kinda got a swirly feel to it -- I wont tell ya'll the name of the piece 'till I get the rest of these painted, and the other pieces added on -- jus' think of Swirly or circular...


I've been havin' FITS AND SPITS the last 2 days with a blouse pattern.. I've only had this much trouble one time with a shirt pattern, but his one is REALLY GETTIN MY LAST GOOD NERVE!! ~~ Let me tell you...so I did the Smart Thing and put it away for now..I think if I don't follor the directions then it'll Turn Out Right..that's worked for me in the past...so maybe This Time!! I've also gotten some things put away into the closets that I'd been staring at for the last 3 MONTHS!!! ~~ I'd tell Tom to get this stuff DONE -- hiz answer?? - "I'm Workin' On It.." I swanny -- If I hear that man say that phrase to me One More Time...

Do Not Become Alarmed...That's just the sound of my last good nerve givin' up the ghost and leavin' town...

~~ Speakin' of Leavin' Town ~~ Tom sez that once the Madness of the Summer Tourist Season is over, we may be able to go over to the Outer Banks and take a couple dayz off**!! How cool is THAT??!! I'll actually Believe it When I See It ~~ But just the fact that he thinks that'd be sorta like a 2nd. Honeymoon is kinda nifty, don't ya think?? PLUS - the high prices all go bye-bye so we wouldn't be payin' an arm & a leg for an overnite stay somewhere...BUT NOT until the Hurricane Season is over!!

HA!!

Mustgo and get things ready for Dinner -- I'm ponderin' on Italian Sausage & Spag. -- with mushrooms, onions...YUUMMM!!!

Lady of The Tulips **

W.I.P. -- I tried to get a somewhat clear shot of this canvas the other day -- hope it's not too cloudy for ya'll to see!!

This is for a friend of mine who wanted something for her new house ~~


I'm adding things and spiffy stuff as we speak -- no, make that WRITE -- she was wondering when I'd get done with it, an' all I could tell her was the color of some of the paints and the papers that I'm adding on...she's never gotten anything like this -- all of the places she's lived, she doesn't have much in the way of COLOR!! -- So I'm hoping to change that for her!! This is a difficult piece for me, cause it's not the colors or idea (s) that I'm used to doing/using/looking at. I'm so tied into blues/greens/sea-colors that a totally WAY DIFFERENT piece is really throwing me for a loop!! Yes, I admit I'm LOOPY!! but that is no suprise, now, is it??

*** There is a BIG bunch of noise that's been going on for the last week *** Somebody across the woods is tearing down a WHOLE LOT OF TREES ~~ Which makes me wonder why they bought some land in the woods to begin with..then haul off and cut all the trees down...WHAT THE???? Goes to show ya just never know -- One of the large hardwoods had been shoved over but hadn't completely fallen down...well yesterday while I was painting, I hear this HUGE GROANING CREEEEEKKKKK kinda sound, and then a HUGE THUDDDD!!! ~~ The poor innocent tree finally had been given the heave-ho and ended it's life..Poor Thing!! It pains me to hear these huge trees being cut down...here they've been for over 50 years, an' now there they go into the dump ~~ SAD ~~


Must go and get some more work on this canvas -- I'll post the next shot of my work while it's still goin' along... MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG ~~ ROLL ALONG ~~ ROLL ALONG!!! ~~ sorry, that's what suddenly popped into my little head..

Lady of The Tulips -- listening for the sound of her chimes on the front porch, instead of a bulldozer...

*** Just a fast and furious note for today ***

Tom is to be home is just a little while, so this will be short so I'm occupied when he comes in the door to tell me the news of whether or not there is work tomorrow -- there are only going to be a few more weekends where he'll have 2 dayz off -- so we have to try to SORTA>KINDA>plan something out while we can ~~

I'm going to show my big W.I.P. tomorrow or sunday -- it's so much more DIFFERENT than anything I've done before, so it's really been something of a PROJECT AH-LA-SHWWOOOIIEEEE for me -- wears me out working on it, but it feels good each time I get something more worked out on the canvas --

Noah has been cleaning up some of the undergrowth of tangley-babie-trees all along our property line THEY JUST GROW SO FASTjust when you think it's safe to go outside, there they go!! So now some of the hardwoods can get a little more sunlight and in a few years will be good fire wood...Gotta Keep That Woodstove Crankin' come Winter Time!!

Something'z goin on out side --

Lady of The Tulips ~~ Wondering what they commotion is all about!! ~~

Noah got the final coat of exterior paint done just this last week, so now I can get a good shot of our little place here in the woods >>

We've had so much rain, that I was a little leary of standing in the grass in the front of the cabin, 'cause I wasn't sure if my feet would get soaked or not. I'd just taken this picture, when it got really cloudy, and I thot we'd get a frog-strangler-type of storm for sure...but all that happened was some wind and some little branches falling from the pine trees. The following night we had a BIG STORM!! With tons and tons of lightening, and some claps of thunder that literally shook the windows and walls. I'm usually not one to get nervous in a good soaking rain, but this storm barely shed 1.2203 of an inch of water...the electricity outside made up for no rain. My word!!

Now we're in much cooler temps than we've had for a long time. Makes it feel sooo nice to be able to jus' leave the windows open at night. We couldn't leave them open in the city -- too many looney-tunes running around and breaking into houses, via open windows..Now it's such a joy!! And last night the temps were in the upper 60's, so it was Divine!! Good sleeping weather is just what I needed, I guess, 'cause this morning I was sound asleep, when Tom called to tell me it was 8:12 in the morning, on 8/12 -- Isn't that boy clever??

Got some work done on my hobo bag..it's givin' me fits and spits, so I put it away for now. I cut out a peasant blouse pattern after I messed with my bag -- hopefully IT won't give me such headaches. I've got a canvas painted for my friends collage -- I'll post W>I>P> shots of it tomorrow. I'm getting a little better at the different colors for this project, but it's still hard for me to get his project really going...it's getting there, just not as fast as I'd like for it to move.

Must get going, as Tom is on his way home -- he's gotta get up before 1:30 tomorrow a.m., an' haul a container to pick up frozen food...I'm almost scared to find out what he's picking up -- last time it was hog ears...no, I'm not going to tell you what it was for, either...

Lady of The Tulips - listening to some woodpeckers having a disagreement with one another in the pine trees out front...hmmm..

I WAS going to go sit in my little swing out on the front porch this afternoon, but then all I could hear was a LOT of CRASH<> SMASH<> Somebody across the woods is, I guess, clearing part, if not all of their land, and the bulldozer has been at it for most of this afternoon ~~ So there goes the Quiet Peaceful Sitting in my little porch swing...

No wonder all of the birds have been quiet today ~~ THEY know something is amiss. Wish they would've told ME!!

Had one of our neighbors over earlier this morning, while Tom & Noah went once again to the hardware store to get paint and supplies...I thot about telling them to get me some paint, so I can decorate that black/white/something-else-sorta-color-folding-chair near my front porch swing. But they were in a hurry ~~ Actually in such a hurry, that noah came in the bedroom while I was sound asleep, to tell his father to WAKE UP so they could get goin' down the highway. So much for the plans to go look for a "New" used car today...But I had a nice visit with our neighbor anyway -- We had to discuss the Nature of The Health Care Industry...(Or lack thereof) and OtherImportant Information (Not necessarily neighborhood gossip...so THERE!) We had a good time!! The breeze is blowing just right today, and with the temperatures not as blistering as they've been, it's actually comfortable to sit outside. And the mosquitoes must have the day off, cause I think I may have seen 3 all morning!! What a difference that is! WHOA!!

The sewing is at a halt for the moment. . I've got my hobo bag all ready to go, but with the fleece I've got, I'm having a dickens of a time getting my fabric markers to leave the markings on the fabric where I need them to be!! ARRGGGHHH >>> so I'm sitting here, not procrastinating, butsortakindasomethinglikeit avoiding all work possible. It's 'cause the weather has me feeling like taking a Brief Vacation...or at least 'till the load of laundry in the dryer gets finished. Besides, the dog may want something from me, so I can't possibly go an start sewing right NOW!! what would the dog do??

Blah >>

Must go see what's goin' on out by the deck all of a sudden...I'm hearing cars, and since I'm not expecting anybody, I'm wondering why someone is outside...hmmmm..

Lady of The Tulips -- hearing an old country~western song in my head that reminds me of desert evenings and too much fun...

~~ Another one of those quick posts, 'cause there is still a lot of work for me out in the kitchen, and some laundry needs to get done, too. I've also got to get dinner pots and pans cleaned, then start the clam spag., -- tom asked for it the other day an' I totally spaced out on getting it made for dinner. ~~

Got my apron done this morning, and now have all the hobo bag pieces sitting behind me, after I got the markings done on them. One thing that always makes me wonder about the people who design patterns, is that, some of the pattern companies say to clip maybe this piece's "points" outward, another company sez cut them inward..some say to make markings at those points with a fabric marker...why can't they all say the same thing?? Is there some written rule with these ocmpanies that tells it's employees to drive the customer nuts by not writing out the directions in the same way?? Hmmpph...one of life's little irritations, that's what it iz...But now I'm closer to getting the bag sewn and out of the way, then I can start on a peasant blouse patternt thatI recently bought some yummy fabric for. That'll be nice as this next week is supossed to be hot hazy and humid, so a cool cotton flowing blouse is just the ticket!! "It's not the heat, it's the humidity", is CERTAINLY TRUE ~~ I just can't get a thing done when the humidity climbs wayy up in those double digits...ughh!! I may order some more fabric next week, for another peasant blouse that I haven't made for awhile..it's super comfy, sews up reasonably fast, and makes me feel like a million dollars..

The BIGDAY is tomorrow ~~ Tom & I have to go look for a "new" car ~~ I'm looking forward to it/ I'm hating looking forward to it/I want to go jump out in the ocean and let the tide carry me far, far away...I spent a couple hours(!!) looking at prices, Car Reports and Details On Whatever There Is About Cars For Sale the other day...I'm not kidding, it actually wore me out!! There is soo much to think about when looking for a car..not just that the price for cars is absolutely disgusting, but the fact that there are so many car dealers who don't want to provide the information that they know exists about the cars they have for sale. There are some sales people who you take one good look at, and wonder what prison they just walked out of last week, and there are others that you swear have been stuck in the 1970's, 'cause these guys are still wearing the white suits that made Elvis Pressley a lot of money...and no, they Do Not Look any better 30 -odd years later..So, combining all that, and knowing that I'll be walking up and down isles of cars...my word..I think I'd rather have a hangover..but those Days are long, long over..We have a couple models that we're thinking of -- small, fuel efficient cars, so Tom doesn't have to spent too much $$$ every week just getting to work. He sez maybe we should get a little truck, but on those saturdays where all 3 of us need to get things in town, I can just see us cramming into the truck, all nice and cozzzzzyyyy...no, that's probably not going to work.

So it's looking for maybe another saturn...maybe a little hyundai...or a little honda...there's also a little ford focus..too many things that seem good, then they seem bad...no wonder I felt like my head was spinning in the opposite direction of the Southern Equator..

Anyway -- my canvas has come to a halt...I'm still stuck with the project for my friend..she said for me to mail some pieces of paper(s) to her, but then she hasn't given me her new address...so I'm gonna call her tomorrow, after taking 3 asprin from the headache of looking at used cars...and get the info, and maybe once I get that, I'll get the Muse Into Full Gear..too many ideas are swirling in my head, and I need to just STOP and think of one main idea to put down on the canvas...That's what I think for now..

Must go and get those dinner things goin' -- Noah just talked to his father on the phone, an' Tom's already near the truck terminal for the end of his day...yee gadz!!

** Lady of The Tulips ** wondering if there is one of those tramp steamers sitting at the Port that wouldn't mind me starting work tomorrow bright and early...as I AVOID ALL WORK HERE >>>>

Look at my little baby lavender plant!! Isn't it just the cutiest little thing ya ever did see?? And the best part is that it barely cost me $4.00!! Whoo Rahh!! And since this shot was taken, it's really taken off -- after the rain outside calms down and the sky is sunny, I'll get another picture of this and it's other new neighbor!!

I've been working around the cabin for the past couple dayz..gleaning things, wondering why Certain Items even got packed and brought down here in The First Place..and got some other things ready to put out in the larger of our 2 sheds. My Mercy!! Then I started on cleaning up the laundry room, got the kitchen floor, dining room and front room floors all mopped or vacuumed...I think there must be enuf dog hair from Little Miss Muffett to sink the classic Battle Ship -- I can't for the life of me figure out where all the hair comes from to bog down the vacuum cleaner, or dirty up the mop as much as it happens. I think my hands have pulled more guck and goo from the filter on the vacuum than I thot even existed!! Shwoo!! Glad it's all done with..and it's only been just over a week and a half since I vacuumed the carpet!!! YEE GADZ!!!

Got some sewing done on my new apron, and cut out the last pieces for my hobo bag...now it's just getting the Time to sew everything up that's the ditty. My time seems to be taken up with all this otherJUNK, and by the time I want to sit and sew these little things up, it's 5:00 and time to start dinner...blast! Tom's been doin' a lot of local driving, so he comes home a little later than when he's drivin' out of state, so that meanz really flyin' around in the kitchen to get things done before he walks in the door. Yesterday I gota pocket sewn on my apron, started the side seams an' realized I needed to start our roast before 4:30 ~~ By the time everything was washed, baking or steaming on the stove, I went out on the front porch and sat in my little swing to relax!! Tom walked in the door off the deck an' couldn't figure out where I was!! Toad!! Couldn't even figure out to look out on the front porch...there are some dayz where I really wonder about that boy!!

Must go and get the rest of my apron done before I start some other sewing and definetly before getting some papers onto my new canvas...

** Lady of The Tulips ** ponderin' about some old song I heard this morning...I'll tell ya about it later..

~~ Have to take a minute and get something written before I hop back to the work table and do some painting ~~

The fabric is nearly all cut for my hobo bag ~~ I'd gotten really close to cutting the final pieces on Fri., but Tom got off work early, and when he got to the house, he & Noah took off to run errands and tom was able to transfer his driver license to this state. No easy task, an' it's all too complicated for my little brain to figure out, but he's all good now, so that's what's important. Noah got a new ID too -- I'm not sure if he got a new drivers permit or not, but he's got an ID. I'd hoped to get to the town w/them, but didn't get a chance 'till Saturday. Then I got some of the sewing supplies that I'd needed -- new scissors that cut like a DREAM -- some embroidery scissors too. Very sharp, so I'll have to be extra careful when I first use them. And of course, we had to get some of the basics..paper towels, trash bags...blah, blah, blah...boring stuff. BUT ~~ I did find a spiffy new folding chair to sit out on the front porch...I'm not sure of what kind of Permanent furniture to set out there, so just a little folding outdoor chair will do for now. I've seen so many different ways to decorate a front porch...my brain feels melted from looking at all the different designs...And just when tom sez to me, "OK NOW!! NO splurge or impulse buying!!" Why Yes, Mr. Grump Ass...an' then he hauls off an' buys this EXTRA BIG HUGE GIANT FRIZBEE... my last nerve got out of town jus' about at that point...I didn't even bother to look at how much the thing cost, it got me so irritated. Urrgggghhhh ----

But on a lighter note...we also got the dog some clean and sparkly smelling doggie shampoo, and noah & tom say they'll give her a bath...we'll see how long it iz till that happens. She rolls ALL OVER in the grass when I take her for a walk, and naturally she brings in all that mud and goo, which makes me sweep and vacuum it all up! But I did get a new broom, an' it picks up her fur and stuff (i.e. MUD BLOBZ>>>) quite well, so there ya go!

While I was cutting out some pattern pieces for my new apron, I had the EXTRA EXCITEMENT!! of watching the new neighbors across the street get 1/2 of their mobile home delivered...whatta nightmare for that poor driver!! Yee Gadz, he manuvered (oh thatz spelled really bbaaaadddd...) that big ol' thing around our corner and the cross street for over 1/2 hour. No way would I take that mans job!! Now it's interesting to see how long it is before the other portion gets delivered...my poor grass along the paved street!! SMOOSH!! fortunately the branches of our liliac trees didn't get broken, that front the paved street...they feel happy!

Gottz to get this work done before tom gets home from the terminal -- he stayed in town today, so he probably doesn't know how to act!! HA!

Lady of The Tulips ~~ Hearing something out front again...must be the other part of the mobile home...

The projects on the table ~~ Literally ~~ This week include the flower print for a new bag, and the teal colored fabric is for an apron that I need to use around the house. The coolest thing about both projects is that I didn't pay one dime (or penny or anything else) for the fabric.

Both are from an old box of fabric that I'd had for over 10 years. Both were given to me, but for the life of me I can't remember who it was. But am I ever glad they did!! The flower print goes pretty well with the layout of the Hobo Bag I'm putting together. I'd seen another pattern for the same bag, but for nearly $10 more for the pattern..not something in this girls price range!! And the apron pattern I'd bought about a year ago. I'd made one of the patterns in the envelope, but with the move & all, it's disappeared, so I dig, hunted, poked and prodded all around my little room and found these fabrics and STUFF instead. Yeah for being a Semi-Pack-Rat!!

I've also got a canvas sitting Very Patiently ~~ Waiting for it's coat of Gesso, and to Get Started for a project for my friend...I'm REALLY> procrastinating on this thing...I mean, I sat out in my little hammock~chair for over an hour the other day...thinking that something would prompt me to Get Going on it. All it made me do was think of a Jimmy Buffett song, and then I wanted to have a margarita, so there went all that momentum on Being An Artist...and no ~~ I Did Not have the margarita...tho after talking with The Husband this morning on the phone, the drink did come in my head with a big sign that said DRINK ME!! ~~ No, I'm not goin' to ~~

Now I have to get this stuff started in it's next phase ~~ Plus call a neighbor 'bout a car mechanic. The Very Fine Automobile needs too much stuff done, an' the only way to get it done is to find a semi-sorta-kinda-honest car mechanic and hope for the best...gives me indigestion just thinking about it all...

Lady of The Tulips ~~ Staring out the window an' thinking of why Jimmy Buffett is still in my head...no drink, but I will go sit in my porch swing for a while ~~