I love contests with giveaways

and this one gives away a beautiful quilt! Look at the beautiful colors in that quilt . The rules are that you leave a post at this blog and link it and post a thingy on your sidebar. You can also make a video and post on you tube but that it too much for me! I found out about this at Karen's blog .

I hope I win! The odds are high but I feel a win coming on for something. Maybe it's the Bose Radio that my singing group is auctioning off - we didn't sell alot of tickets so since the odds are low I bought a ton for my nieces and nephews (and ME).

Regarding the quilt again. I just love pink - not bubblegum pink but rose, and dusty rose and all other delicate, subtle shades of pink. Why? Well my mom was a redhead and she tended to dress me as if I was a redhead (when she did dress me a million years ago). So I wore alot of tan and "classic" colors. And oh boy - I hated it. When it came time to choose my first dress - totally on my own - it was for my Bat Mitzvah and I chose a pink chiffon with pink sequins. Someday...if you're all good, I'll post a picture of that magnificent dress - which of course, had matching shoes. I really don't wear alot of pink, but I still love it. I love to sew with it and make girly quilts.

The lip is looking alot better - surprisingly fast! It the stitches were out it would just look like I had a fat lip. DH is worried that my mom will think he punched me, since I'm not telling her about this latest issue. But the rest of the family wouldn't worry about that, they'd know that if DH tried a punch, he'd be flattened by his tough Brooklyn girlfriend. He'd definitely look worse!!!!

By the way - I love pug dogs and thru Mariannes site found this site - another pug lover. Of course I immediatly went to her Etsy site and bought a few things..for Christmas presents of course, NOT for myself.

Time to get ready for my first spinning class in a year. 55 minutes of torture. Wish me luck

Friday AM

Even tho' I am home, I am not going into work today - am still too traumatized and need a real day off. Plus my lip would scare everyone - the medically inclined included. I am going to go to the local spa and get a massage, and a haircut. And put my feet up.

The worse part about the last few days was the waiting. Waiting for heart test results - echo cardiogram...stress tests...radioactive injections...pictures in strange cameras. I kept thinking - what is something is really wrong? What if I need a "procedure"? What if..what if...

I am hoping that this is a true wake up call for me - and that I can truly join Lynn's advice about living healthier and taking time for myself that will do me good physically. Why do I neglect my physical well being? Why do I take care of the outside but don't take good care of the inside? I'm trying to figure out why this is? Am I just lazy? Do I think I'm immortal? Do I hate gym exercise so much? (I do love outdoor bike riding but it's getting cold here and that makes it tough).

I used to do indoor spinning class and am going to try that again. It's good for you and makes you a better bike rider when the weather allows it. I HAVE to make myself get up and go to that. I HAVE to take my sneakers with me on a business trip and USE them for walks and/or at the gym. I have to learn to indulge myself with good health and not just with a good book and a cup of coffee in bed.

I know we've all gone thru these questions and that there are no easy answers. I'm hoping that this latest escapade will allow me to have that 'wake up call" that people talk about.

But right now..I'm heading back to bed with a good book and some coffee - there is a time and a place for each one of these indulgent actions and after the past few days - I don't trust myself with exercise alone. DH and I are going for a short hike later - just to get out and about. Its a start....and one has to start somewhere.

I tried a mobile post

...but it didn't work. Long strange story to tell about the last few days - hence the no Animal Wednesday post.

About 6 months ago I had a fainting spell - but just assumed it was from being tired, and a bit under the weather.

Well, it happened again on Tuesday night right after dinner. My day had been good but hectic. Met a friend for lunch...got a flu shot...had a good busy day at work...came home and we had a late dinner....and then pow! out like a light. I felt it coming on and instead of being sensible and simply laying down on the kitchen floor I headed up to the bedroom. Where...instead of falling into bed...I did a major face plant on the floor - hitting the humidifier - which shattered (plastic but deadly) and split my lip open. With gushes of blood, poor DH was FRANTIC and angry and scared. Long story short - straight to the ER where they decided that my blood pressure was not compatible with life and I was admitted. And stitched up.

48 hours later and I am out. Nothing wrong on all the millions of tests. Everything normal...except that I fainted.

Dr. says to drink more water and eat more salt and if I feel a faint coming on...cough.

So I'm home, with whiskers in my lip, and a headache and glad it wasn't worse. So glad.

So...that was my week! Hope you all had a better week! and I'm saving the masterpiece of animal art that I was working on for next week!

This is so much fun!

I found this link on Diana's blog (lovely artist is she) and I have seen it before - this is the first time I have gotten it to work. What a hoot! What fun it would be to paint that big!

At the same site, you can also make circles out of your uploaded artwork. The first one was a bird picture, I love the way the legs are sort of inside an egg.

and a purple and pink drawing of pears. Interesting as a circle; dark and light, sort of yin and yang.

A fairly quiet weekend

Yes, I did stay in my jammies until late Saturday, and then my nephews came over and we watched the latest "Indiana Jones" which was great fun. Sunday morning we had muffins and bacon and played with paints. There is something very non-confrontational about painting and talking at the same time. A lot gets said while pretending to look at something else.

I painted circles on a black background.

Sean painted a sad elf. We all don't know why he is sad - but he certainly seems morose doesn't he? Perhaps he's thinking about the upcoming lousy Christmas season.


This face is an attempt at some abstract something. Not finished yet - obviously.


A study in some colors. I got some new paints with luscious colors and wanted to get them onto canvas to see how they look. I like the colors but now have to decide what to do with this background. A sunset seems to trivial and predictable. All suggestions welcome.

Took the boys home to NH and then rode 12 miles on the rail trail, and off road. You'd think with all this bike riding I'd have lost a million pounds by now, but no...steady and slow - the story of my life.

Sunday night Award

I got this from Lynn, the quilting maven! There are rules...and as usual, I am not going to follow them except to say that I truly treasure all my blogger friends - near and far, new friends and old. You have allowed me to travel a road that I would normally have never shared...giggled at silly posts; been kindly critical of my artwork and supportive as friends.

Here's to Blogging friends forever.

My Saturday

Yup. Got up early and puttered, then went back to sleep. Woke up hours later to coffee and chatting. Stayed in my PJ's until 1:30 PM!!!. Made a crock pot of turkey chili, got dressed and went to a party. Came home and the boys got here for dinner and a movie. I'm so relaxed, I don't know if I'm awake or asleep.

Maybe my take it easier mantra is working.