Quick Post

This has been the craziest week ever. I got to Florida on Wednesday afternoon and immediately plunged into family drama. Thanksgiving was fine but MIL has been basically sleeping since then. Really. She get's up to eat a tiny bit and gets dressed but then sleeps all day. Then her caretaker had a terrific family emergency and dashed out of the house on Saturday night so I ended up spending the night on a pump up mattress - actually wasn't bad. Sat up until 2:00 am watching cheesy Christmas movies and finally went to sleep on the bubble.

But picture this. Sunday morning. Sun streaming thru the windows. MIL setting up the TV to play music and then falling asleep in her Barcalounger. Mim on the sofa in a robe (cause all I had with me for clothes were nasty used-yesterday biking clothes) knitting a scarf and listening to....EASY listening music. They played orchestral easy listening arrangements of "Raindrops on my Head" and versions of "Wind under my Wings" and " If I were a Carpenter" and so on. Do you get the picture? Are you laughing as much as I did? I sat there and thought..."This is a movie"!!

Then all day Sunday looking and interviewing alternate caretakers - and getting ready to fire current caretaker. Current caretaker showed up on Sunday night and when fired went HYSTERICAL.

It's all worked out now but we are both exhausted. We were hoping for a sleep in today...it's 8:00 am - but I hear the house painters that mom hired to start today. They're outside getting ready to power wash the house. Ah yes...now they've started pounding posts into the ground!! No sleep in's at this house today.

Send me home Jet Blue!! Come and get me!!!! I promise not to complain about the cold weather ever again!!! Take me home to real music and my own bed and my own life. Where the internet works routinely and doesn't get interruped by lightening strikes. Where the average age group is less than 75. Where men DON'T wear WHITE LOAFERS!!!!

Looking forward to Christmas down here - oh yeah....

Animal Wednesday - hysterical post

Go HERE for the cutest funniest post ever. has nothing to do with Turkeys or Thanksgiving or holidays.

I am pre-posting this as I should be traveling today and hope that I am.

Have a very Happy Animal Wednesday and a wonderful filling Thanksgiving day.

More Watercolors.....

My first "Crowd" picture upset Lynn - and I understand why. It was darker, very different body-people - bigger heads, skinnier bodies. I also understand why that was - everyone at work has been discussing "The Book Thief" and I just started reading it.

Anyway, I set out to make a happier watercolor and came up with these three. I like doing the primary color coats, and blue sky.

Do you like any of these vs the original and if yes/no.....why? I have my own answers....

Six Word Saturday

Early Trip to Florida for DH

We had planned to leave for Florida today - both of us together. But, work interceded for me and I have to be here on Monday and Tuesday - so my poor DH is going down alone today. I'll meet him there on Wednesday afternoon and stay until Monday.

MIL is not doing so well, so his visit will hopefully cheer her up. We all are aware of the shortness of time and the "last" holiday together visions keep cropping up. It's hard to stay positive in the face of this all, but we're trying for her sake.

Time just keeps marching on doesn't it?

On the positive side, my nephews are coming over on Sunday and we will go see Harry Potter together. We've been seeing those movies together since they first came out - and that is a funny post in and of itself. Additionally, it appears that I might actually keep my job...so my fingers are crossed - I'll know more before the end of the year.

Have a good weekend all - enjoy

Random Watercolor

Started at work - doodling.

Finished at home with watercolors.

A bit odd but that's me.

Animal Wednesday - Elephant again

I have my little bronze elephant on my desk, and decided to draw her for Animal Wednesday; somehow she looks baby-like in this drawing but that's OK.

Happy Animal Wednesday

Official portrait of the Third Annual Foundations Club weekend

I have three friends who I've known since 1985. We've worked together, not worked together, gone thru pets, and babies, and grandbabies together. No divorces, but certainly marital strife. Good times and not so good times have hit us all. We started our own little club called "Foundations" - because all of us need foundation garments and it seemed like a funny name. (it's useful too, a quick phone call for a "foundies meeting" gets quick response)


The Four of us started going away for a weekend three years ago, because it's so hard to get together on a routine basis and we need to spend time together - to keep reconnecting. The first year we went to a house on Martha's Vineyard owned by M. It was a beach weekend, with good food and wine (one of us runs a wine store!). I started a tradition of doing an official "portrait" of us with this picture. Everyone LOVED it!

The second year, we went to Mo's house in NH, and did the hot tub and talked and learned to knit and drank wine (that seems to be a bit of a theme). It was a lovely weekend and a brief escape from my personal stress of a recently ill MIL.

And I did this picture - and everyone was nude in that Hot Tub.


This year only three of us could get away for the weekend, Mo's FIL got very ill and died over the weekend. It was sad because we missed her and the visit to the winery was based on her store so that was too bad....but as I've posted we had a lovely time. And here is my third annual portrait which has just gone out to everyone.


(I like us in color now that I look at all of them together - but it worked in this picture and wouldn't have in the others)

My girlfriends appreciate the pictures, always printing them and getting them framed. (as do other friends, amazing to me, but frame these things they do!)

Lovely to have good friends. Lovely.

Elephant

Because I have too much stuff in my house...and am TRYING to declutter, I don't often buy decorative items. But when I was away on Long Island last weekend we went into an antique store (that's the best thing about being with girlfriends..."ohh - let's go in here" and the answer "OK") and I found a totally tarnished bronze elephant for about $10.00. Shes only about 6 inches high and weighs about ...well...I don't really know how much but it's a lot. She's heavy.

I polished her and polished all day. I used baking soda and lemon juice to get rid of the oxidation that was covering her, she was completely green and you couldn't see any details. After a day of soaking in this paste, and getting scrubbed over and over, a nice little elephant emerged, with lots of elephant creases and a cute face. I put oil all over her at the end, to shine her up and make the last bits of oxidation go away from view.

I don't even know why I am posting about this little statue except that for some reason, she feels lucky to me. I'm enjoying holding her, the detail is amazing and she just seems like a happy statue. And looking at it makes me happy.

So that's it. That's my statue story for today.

Hope you have your own lucky, happy elephant item.

Six Word Saturday

My last Portrait Class was tonight

and I can honestly say that I've come a LONG way. I've learned so much in the class, even my instructor was like "hmmm, wow" tonight. We have off until Mid January when we start Friday night drawing again. But I like portraits and want to keep working on that skill. I've always been interesting in drawing people, so it all fits in nicely.

But till then...it's home on Friday nights for me.

Have a lovely weekend all

Thankful Remembrance

Remembrance day.

As I sat down to my homemade breakfast this morning I flashed on all the men and woman who are sitting down to KP rations for breakfast - no homemade goodies for them today...

And I thank them all for doing their oh-so difficult job - while I get to stay home and eat free-range eggs, homegrown potatoes, and whole wheat toast with organic butter. Along with a freshly brewed cup of joe.
How much better does it get?

Animal Wednesday - Beach animals and shoes

When we were at the beach this past weekend I took a quick picture of these gulls just floating on the water - I love they way they look so calm about it. Gulls amaze me with their ability to ride the waves, and fly so swoopingly and run on the sand. And who doesn't love the call of the gull - it is one of my favorite sounds. Okay, they can be a bit greedy - but they're upfront about it aren't they?


Right next to the beach was a huge Osprey nest - must be an old one and been used for years. No activity there now (brrr) but still...it was impressive.

When we stopped for coffee we saw this strange site on the sidewalk. Two shoes, perfectly placed, just waiting for their owner to step back into them. Odd innit?

Happy Animal Wednesday all

For those of you who know it, I needed some small time away. And I got it, with good friends on a weekend visit to Greenport Long Island - where there are dozens of wineries. We left Saturday morning, and took the ferry from Connecticut to Orient Point, LI and drove to our hotel. There were supposed to be 4 of us - that's our tradition - but one friend had a family emergency and couldn't make it. Sad, but we toasted her many times.

Here we are driving up to the ferry in Bridgeport...or was it New London. I wasn't driving so I didn't care!
After we checked into our hotel, we started in on the wineries. This was the first one. Now I'm no wine maven but I did not like this wine at all! I thought "oy, this is going to be a tough afternoon" only to find that neither of my more sophisticated palette friends liked it either.

But it was a cute place with lovely flowers and views.








...and crows flying around....



A few other images from the day - I could always find my friends due to that green jacket.

I think this was the last place we went to - the wine was good here.


But to be perfectly honest...



I don't think any of us were feeling any pain by this time.

Sunset over the hills - it was a cold but gorgeous day.

We went out to dinner that night, and I took no pictures. I'm actually surprised that I remembered how to even use a camera - you can see by the last picture that I was feeling no pain!

We woke up early on Sunday and took the ferry to Shelter Island, drove around for a while, walked the beach and picked up/took photos of shells and other beach debris.





This is a random house on the island - very into Victorian geegaws in the town.


I wasn't navigating so why was I in the front seat grinning like a fool....


Oops....better listen to her....


Isn't this road gorgeous?


We poked around the towns some more and then it was time to leave. On the way back we passed farm stands with such gorgeous produce that I had to take a picture or two.

Glossy Peppers

Purple Cauliflower

Homey Brussel sprouts and potatoes

Driving home. Boo hoo....


I had a very relaxing time. It was good..real good. I'm very glad I did it and look forward to next year - all 4 of us getting away again.

Weekend away

I am off for a weekend with two longtime friends. We are going to Long Island to visit wineries and I will probably be designated driver as I rarely drink...especially wine.

I'm at that point where I wish I hadn't committed to going, even tho I know I'll have a good time with my buddies. Just too tired these days with all that has been going on.

Plus I haven't seen my nephews and their family in WEEKS and I miss them dreadfully.

But...I'll take pictures and intend to catch up on sleep and fun.

Have a lovely weekend all

Random Catch up

We have internet service again, and my computer at work is working again - so whatever evil force was at work there, it seems to have calmed down (knock on wood). So here are some catch up items.....lucky you!!

Last weeks portrait drawing class. I only stayed for an hour as I had to leave very early the next day for Florida. But I got two drawings in - and I really liked using white pastel to add the light highlights. It helped to define things and shapes for me. And no, the poor woman is not crossed eyed - she just looks that way here.

While I like glasses as they are good to define areas and give dimension - I hate drawing eyes behind glasses as evidenced by the drawing two down.

As I've been decluttering, I found my high school notebook with this folded drawing. Cracked me up - even then I didn't like drawing eyes!!

So yes...de-cluttering. A random comment from DH had me swooping down on all sorts of crap in my house and making give away piles in every room. This is a pile of books and other items that is/are going to Goodwill for others to enjoy.

And as for clothes - well - I've done about 3 big bags to goodwill. Good stuff mostly but either I have too much or I don't need it or it was a fashion mistake to begin with. OR...it doesn't fit and I'm not going to keep stuff saying "maybe it'll fit next year". Years ago I bought this 1940's lounging dress, and while it fit at the time, it was always tight. Well now it's more than just tight - and I've decided to get the wrinkles out and sell it on either ebay or etsy. I've always loved it but it's ridiculous to hang onto something that needs quite a bit less in the avoirdupois area.

I think it's handmade and it's blue with pink butterflies. It's lovely really......(big sigh)


On another note, I've been working on the Miss Em comics and my goal is to have 48 pages worth of stuff by the beginning of the year. Right now I have 24 finished pages and 10 in the works. If I don't get 48 - it's OK, but I'd like to have more than 35 at the least. Lot's of work here, let me tell you!!!

It's nice to have internet again. I've missed this....

No Animals on this wednesday

boo hoo -

intermittent internet connection means no posts. DH and I are sharing the random signal and I am spending hours on the phone with Comcast.

No animals today for me, but please link here so I can come back and see all your awesome animals.

Out of touch

My internet connection at home has bombed out.

My computer at work died a slow death.

I am on a borrowed computer at work.

So...no browsing time, no comments (or a low level anyway) from me until I get this all resolved....

And a phone call into a computer geek to help me out!!!