The wonders of a four day weekend...

..nothing like it to recharge your batteries (okay, at least partially!). I took off to the East Bay this weekend and stayed with hubby's family - newer house, great food (donuts!!!) and plenty of space for my son to RUN RUN RUN around (inside that is!).

However, today we're back in the mold castle and I'm counting the days til we move. My health is counting the days til we move....! It's amazing how mold can really mess up your world but when we move, we'll start feeling better.

The sun is out today in full force which is such a blessing since it's been foggy, rainy and downright BLAH! these past few weeks.

As I open up the house as if it were the first days of Spring around here, I'm busy scheduling my art showings, contests, displays and the like. That will keep me busy for a while. I cannot wait to get back into the painting and to finish those poor projects that are packed up at the moment.

I also have a few ideas for some abstract art that will include some really interesting metallics that I ran into. Okay, not a new idea, but it might be fun to try. Don't worry, I won't do anything too new without a art prof around to help me not mess things up! These materials ain't what I'd call 'cheap'.

Seriously need to get myself back into shape over here. WAY too many donuts this weekend and way too many mochas made thanks to my father in law. Hey, they were part of the recovery process, right? RIGHT! LOL!

Especially after we move I'll be taking up walking again since we'll actually have sidewalks again - and perhaps a Pilates class or swimming (if it's not too cold). Something to tone my squishy body up again - I look just horrid in jeans all of the sudden (donuts??).

So, until I write again, I'll be living out of boxes til we get settled in!

Cancelled showing and Fall Musings

Well, at least I can say that I didn't flake out this time...! The place is being redone apparently and they are not doing art shows anymore. Sigh!

No phone calls, no heads up no nothing for my friend who's show is in March. Lovely! She goes around buying the frames and the equipment needed for the showing and they tell her 'oh, we're not doing that anymore'.

So much for helping local artists!

Not all is lost, there are a lot of places (not galleries) that can and will put up your art and a bio about you as long as you deal with any damages to the art and you must put it up and take it down on time.

So, back to the drawing board for the Summer showings - of which I will have none at this point. However, maybe that is a good thing because I'm entering two shows in the Spring so far, the State Fair and the County Fairs, and will probably need the Summer to relax and catch up on somethings for the August fairs (Harvest Fair and County Fair).

There is a bright spot in this already weird year - I found a sponsor for my Art Trails!!! This is a HUGE thing for me because it really puts you out there as an artist and it will make me stop procrastinating and get things going for a change. It's an open studio showing, and you are to be there doing your art and answering questions for the onlookers that stop by during these two weekends.

A LOT of folks go see these artists and man, are there a LOT of them - and they all do something different. Whatever your taste is in art, we have it in Sonoma County. The only thing I'm wondering about it where I'll have it. I will be moved by August/Oct of this year and settled in - and the garage will be my studio, basically, with storage up near the ceiling, so there is a possibility that I could do the showing there. OR a friend of mine from church has repeatedly offered her B&B, but it's a bit of a drive from where I am. Not a big deal because in this out of the way town they are having more artists open studios reportedly, so maybe this would be fun.

Also, in the Fall I'll be starting school again. Seriously. Time to really do my art and make an impact somewhere. Maybe not to get a degree although I would LOVE to go to SSU and major in Studio someday.

Still thinking about where my son will go for Kindergarten, where my homeschooling stuff comes on board and how to go about my side jobs and my art AND school for me.

I'm sure it will work out...just wondering WHEN! I'd love to go to school this semester, but it's rather early for me when I've got moving, homeschooling, health and tons of paperwork to deal with. Oh yes, and keeping my son active with his new love for soccer. Gotta get in shape to keep up with him! He's outrunning me!

E-Bay blow out

Not too impressed with E-Bay. I basically listed my stuff for like, NOTHING and all I got was 'watchers', questions, moronic questions and postage questions for Canada.

So, after that lovely experience, I'll be selling these things very local and for what I should get for them.

Bidding on things could get addictive too, so I'm not getting into that either. I tried a couple of times and MAN it got competitive. The ending price on some of these things were just silly and over what I could get them for LOCALLY.

Whatever! I'm not a fan of E-Bay this time around, that's for sure.

Saw the entries for the LBC garden painting competition and fundraiser

...today I saw what would have been my competition in the painting or other media for the Luther Burbank Greenhouse fundraiser and art show/sales. Man, I shoulda done it. But HOW? I sold the painting that was PERFECT for this event months ago.

Sigh!

Nothing like seeing the competition and knowing that you're in the same class as you are - meaning you had a chance!

So, I'm doing the next competition for March. Yes, I'm DOING this one.

New year, getting caught up on things...

Time to be a responsible adult and get things going again for 2005. New year, new things need to be done. I've spent a good chunk of time on the phone this morning trying to get DMV stuff figured out and trying to understand someone who can speak English, but had such a thick accent that I had to ask her to repeat herself about three times every time she tried to explain something to me. I felt awful doing it, but I couldn't understand a word she said. Maybe if she took the gum out of her mouth it would have been better.

Sigh! Oh well! Anyhow, in my spare time (LOL!) I'm still packing, trying to figure out how to pack up all my art supplies and canvases and knitting. Yes, still knitting. I think I take time out to knit because it's something I have some control over. Painting is like that, but I don't always have complete control over it. Sometimes the paint has it's own mind and well, it's not a pretty sight. I have two canvases like that right now that are just staring at me. Each time I see them I think 'GESSO', but something in me says "NO WAIT!!! NOT YET!!!". So, I wait.

Maybe a huge wave of inspiration will hit me and WHAMMO! I'll have a masterpiece!

Well, it's nice to dream, isn't it? After I'm settled in next month at the new place, I can get the studio going again and really so some good stuff.

On the knitting front I realized that I have more things going than I thought I did. I'm in the midst of making a soft and really cute pullover for my son, Justin, and then I'm working on some more scarves for the family, a sweater for me (since I have a hard time finding decent styles in the stores nowadays) and although I haven't started it yet, I have all the materials just waiting for a pair of woollen socks. I love those things - but want them a certain style. Hearing that knitting socks is not an easy thing til you actually complete a pair is scaring me a bit.

Perhaps a project for March??? LOL!

So, what is it like knitting in the Summertime? Do you take this stuff to the beach or pool?? Hmmmm. Wonder how that works. Oh, who cares, I'm a thirty something year old mother - what do I care? I'm not on the cover of 'In Style' which means I can do what I want!! Yay!

EBAY and new painting competition

okay, I'm catching up with life here finally...

Today I put some stuff on E-bay - what an idea!! Not sure if it's gonna work out, but I put up six things that I need to sell or get rid of like ASAP! The process was easy and fun AND there's a spot for artists to put their stuff up .... and their web page. I'll do that when I'm working in acrylics after the move...

...and we are moving on the 29th...amazing! Good timing too because I've got a few competitions to enter and one little showing to do by this Summer. I have some ideas for some abstracts too, for fun - multimedia stuff. Also had some ideas on knitting or weaving metals together. That's gonna have to wait for a bit - I have a feeling that the move and the kid classes that I signed my son up for are gonna take up a considerable amount of time.

I can't wait to get back into painting again. This time my studio will be how I want it and I WILL do the ART TRAILS show this year. I will!!! Watch me!!

There are many people who don't know what they're to 'do' in life - I just found mine way late in life - well, late for me at 28 when I started painting and now at 33...well, better than just finding out at 50 eh?? 50 is when I'll get over the college degree hump, like my Godmother did - and she's a remarkable artist.

Also, there was a wonderful story about a man who's the goaltender for THE football (soccer) team in England (Manchester United) who has some awful syndrome he was born with and he said he doesn't have or suffer from this thing he has, he embraces it. I need to have that attitude with my Endo and IC stuff so I can rise above it and really do some damage with my art this year.

I'm a artist, and colours are what drive me. Colours and visions and that is a blessing. I should do something with it on a regular basis and thrive this year in my pre-selected field!

KNITTING MADNESS

...and trying to keep what's left of your sanity!

Well, I learned the very hard way about new knitting projects. You mess up, realize it as soon as you pat yourself on the back and have to unravel the whole darn thing. At least 5 times. Again and again until something in your brain (not sure which side is working) turns ON finally and VOILA! you 'get it'.

So, I'm working on a very beginner hooded pullover for my son primarily because his head is extra large kid size and always has been. Trying to get sweatshirts on with hoods is just not fun to do to him, so I'm making some that fit the poor kid.

Of course he chooses the TOTALLY BRIGHT mega super yellow colour in the store yesterday so that nobody can miss him - even in the dark. Ah, the joy of being three - and knowing what you like.

So, that's going on as my flu-ish brain gets rid of the viruses that I've had for - well, since the beginning of the year I'm afraid.

We'll see how it goes and what the projects look like when I'm finished. Then it's off to sock land to learn the 'ropes there'. Heaven help me!

All those souls...

For some time I've tried not to write about the Tsunami victims because - well, it's just overwhelming. All of those souls gone in minutes - all of those children who are lost without their parents - or vice versa.

Too much for the human brain to comprehend, really.

The death toll keeps climbing and I can only think of one thing - could it not have been prevented? Just awful.

Memory Eternal to all of their souls - May God have mercy on them!

even if I did get the flu shot...

...I would have been sick I believe....

...OKAY, this flu thing is getting rather old. I hate it. I can't drive, think, talk, eat - I'm a mess. I try to knit (new stitches) but end up messing that up too because I'm so FLU-ee!!

I'm dropping out of the Luther Burbank Greenhouse painting and art show and auction due to me being so darn sick. I can't bear the thought of painting right now. Gotta have my brain to do that I think. Well, perhaps there is next year. I would have turned in my greenhouse painting, but it sold - and sold to a dear friend of mine who is enjoying it totally! The greenhouse was a personal favorite of hers as she grew up in this area. Had to let her have it. That's WHY I paint. If someone 'gets' a painting and wants to buy it - that's my job and I did it.

Back to this silly flu --- I realized that I can't type either. Transposing things and can't spell very well. Forgive any weird grammar and poor spelling!!!

...oh, and Happy Russian Christmas (today!) -- CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!!

Getting over the Flu, trying to get on with the new year

...I think I'm still in 2004. Really! Seriously!! It's like when you wake up in the morning, but an hour later when you're in a store you realize that you really should have had some coffee or something to get you going...well, that's what it feels like.

Apparently I gave myself a touch of the flu or some awful virus that's sticking around on New Year's. Lovely. We had some friends over for an 'East Coast' New Years - that's what parents do when you have children under the age of 10 I guess. I was so not feeling like the hostess with the mostess that evening and the kids totally freaked out (too much sugar I think) at 8pm. Early evening. We'll all try again next year.

So, I'm still in 2004 - since I didn't ring 2005 in properly. LOL!

We were to move last weekend, but something funny happened to the Home Depot cabinets on the way to our new rental. As in the order was totally wrong. So, it turns out that with that and me being sicker than a dog that the move being postponed was a GOOD thing.

Why haven't I got this concept yet that God does things to HELP me? Duh! So, the next time I freak out about not hitting a deadline or moving on time or whatever, please remind me of this.

In the meantime, the house is 60% packed and ready to go, but I'm very stressed out about the garage. WAY too much STUFF.

Sigh! Time to simplify!

That will be the 2005 'thing to do' - get rid of STUFF and keep it out of my soon to be SMALLER house. Sounds logical, let's see if I can do it.

That and getting back in shape - need to tone up a bit. Weight is fine - which is amazing after all the great stuff my best friend made for us this Christmas in our goody box. Man, can she make all the good traditional candies, brownies, fudge - you name it I ate it all!!

I must add that the best present I got this past Christmas was a microwave. Hands down the most important thing in a mom's kitchen besides running water. Our four year old microwave died on us suddenly last week and I was lost without it. So, basically, an angel of a person we know and love got us an awesome one! She's weaving crowns in heaven for this!

Happy new year and I hope that I start painting again in Feb. 2005! That's if I stop knitting for one second....hey, I'm learning!