counting down

Well, 4 more sleeps are we're off to the Grand Canyon. And a whole bunch of other places and I am getting SO EXCITED! I think sometimes the best part of the trip (almost) is the anticipation.
I feel happier, knowing I'm looking forward to a break from work, I'm always excited to see new things, new places. Could like really be any better than to be able to do what we do?
giggle.

Mojo Challenge 35

It's Sunday. A week from now, I should be camping in Bar Nunne, Idaho. Who names a place Bar Nunne? Is it better than everywhere else, bar none? Or worse? I guess I'll find out.

I finished my Bliss album today, after spending 6 hours straight on it yesterday. I'm really happy with it. Judy called me yesterday and raved about my retro album that's at Bliss for this month. When I turned it in, Rose did the same. I think it's a winner. Holy cow, what a lot of work it was, though! Makes this one look like a walk in the park. Who ever started that saying, walk in the park? Was it someone walking in the park? Was the walk easy? Was the day easy? Money doesn't grow on trees, that's another one I've always wondered about. Is there a secret money tree somewhere that the person whose yard it is in doesn't want the rest of us to know about, so they made up the saying? It all makes my head hurt.

The page is about my girl, who is in Tofino now. I guess she caught a 35 pound fish the other day. Cool, I haven't taken her fishing since she was 4. I miss her, maybe that's why I did a LO about her. I just booked our rooms at the TI in Vegas, she's going to love it. I hear the beds are to die for. Mmmmmmmmmmmm...

Pluggin' Along

Oh man, what a long time it's been since I've been here. Busy getting ready for our trip, busy wrapping up the Cuba albums, busy with work, busy with whatever. I'm spending so much time getting inspired by other's work on line, that I haven't done so much of my own. Well, that's not actually true, I have done my wall gallery in my bedroom, it's looking pretty fine.

And I ripped up the carpet in my studio, laid tiles (the baseboards aren't on yet) and re-organized the entire room. Now I have so much natural light, I LOVE IT! So I have accomplished some things.

And what I HAVE done, I've taken great care with an great time. I may be less productive, but there's a better quality of work that I'm bringing to the table. I feel good about that.

Now that I've said how regretful I am that I haven't been here more, I shall sign off so I can go to bed. What can I say? I do the best I can with what I have. There simply are not enough hours in the day for the things I WANT to do.

Me and the boys

Good day today, went to Bowden and met with two high-risk guys. I also met the head of security and an IPO who suggested we come and do a presentation to the PO's. We'll do that, it's a great idea.

I had an epiphany for my Bliss album. I'll do it without photos, instead, it will be memories from my childhood that I don't have photos support for. I've put the album together, and will scan some photos of me as a child to put throughout. I'll use a number of techniques I've gotten from the book I'm reading on Art Journals. After wondering in the back on my mind what I shall do about this month's challenge, NOW, I'm excited.

Cuba is done!!!

After months of working avery week on my photos from our trip to Cuba back in February. the scrapbook pages are finally all done. I never though that would happen. What a great feeling!

It seems I post at the end of the day as an afterthought. It's not that I don't want to post, it's just that there are so many other things I want to do as well. I got some scrapping done tonight, trying to get some work ready to take to Scrapyard on Thursday-I can do some work of my own before my class. I fall asleep almost on the way home and then have a ten minute power-nap when I get home. If I begin to work in my studio, I don't cook eat, or do much else, so the past couple of days I haven't allowed myself to start anything until I've cooked and eaten. I made some amazing Greek soup tonight, I really can cook when I do it. It's all about discipline or my lack of it. It is nice to have such a full life though, that I hardly want to take time to eat or sleep. Maybe that's dysfunctional.............

I'm reading a book about creating an art journal. In it are some "vision cards". I closed my eyes and picked one, it says

"embroider".

That means I shall embroider something this week. Something. Or may I embroider the truth?

I was also prompted to pick out 4 amazing things from my stash and use them. Ask myself why I'm not using them? The answer is, because they are hidden away, in my file cabinet. I can't see anything that's in there. That in itself is another good (very good) reason to NOT buy any more. Maybe the best yet.

I laid awake for awhile last night and browsed through the travel books on Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. I looked at Phoenix, nothing there interests me. then Albequerque, not too much there either. But SALT LAKE CITY. Well, that's another story. Lots of interesting stuff there. We shall have to spend an overnight there. Getting excited already.................

So I wonder where this ton of Ansel is? It sounds interesting. It's been a productive weekend, I have a rearranged studio and my work table is not right in the window where I can work in natural light until the sun goes down. I'm pretty sure I did a crummy job on the floor, but it looks good. (for now)

I was incapacitated for last evening and had some trouble getting down the stairs this morning. The ol' bod' is NOT used to working on my hands and knees/bent over, ripping carpet, pulling staples, laying tiles, moving furniture. Not even one bit. I'm still pretty sore and have had to lay on the couch/bed doing nothing for most of the day. Made a wonderful meal though, rock cornish game hens, dilled potatoes, bbq-ed asparagus. Man, it was good! We ate outside and there was one little cloud over top of our yard that rained on us while we ate. Not before, Not after, just while. You gotta love Mother nature.

Going through all my stuff and organizing it has been a labour of love and shows me all the goodies I have to play with. Now I just want to play.

The furniture is out of my studio and some of the baseboards are off. We are about to disconnect the computer and I'll be off-line for a few days while we do our thing. It's all looking good, we're going to set things up differently, in a way that brightens the entire room and gets rid of some of the clutter. And THAT hopefully, will allow me to create even more easily with less distraction. This is an evolution for me, but a good one, I think.

Another good day. that is, until I rear-ended someone with my truck. Now I know what kind of damage my bush bars can do. I wanted to cry, but what's the point?

Got a call after that that one of my employees is in hospital, had a seizure. Her mother, who called, just had surgery for breast cancer and a week ago, they learned that they did not get it all, there is much more. And her dad just lost his job.

I'm going to complain about a little car accident? Nope. I'm blessed.

This LO is of my Uncle who is now in his 80's. I haven't done the title yet, it was in 1941, I had to email my aunt to learn the year. He looks so young and so fresh, with his whole life ahead of him. and he is off to war, a horrific war at that. My gosh, we have no idea what it was like then.

I'm happy they caught one of the gang members who did the triple murder on New Year's Day. The turd was let out on $2000.00 bail a couple of days before, after facing over 30 weapons charges. My god, I know sure who is more screwed up, our justice system or the thugs. I suspect it's the former. We should rise up in the streets. But I can't. Not with the work I do. It's just SO wrong though.

Another of my staff called me a couple of days ago, her daughter was assaulted pretty badly by her BF, for want of another word. Mom said they had no food and I was trying to to think how I could help her, so I went through my freezer and cupboards and took some food into work. I asked our cook if she could put together something as well, I suggested some cooked leftovers that they could just heat up. There is only her and the two babies, the guy is in jail (if he still is). Well, she put together boxes and boxes, meat and cereal and rice, pasta, fresh and frozen veggies potatoes and frozen french fires, this list went on and on. It was wonderful. I took the stuff over to her mom and she was so grateful and so touched. Later my boss said I could take credit, but I can't. It's the conversations I started having with Creator again asking to be shown way to be of service to him. It's his credit. not mine.

Good night.

Great day today, amazing what a difference it makes, starting the day with a smudge. I need to get back in that habit. Have spent the last five hours taking apart my studio is preparation for pulling up the carpet and tiling on the weekend. Yikes, what a lot of work. Yikes, what a lot a stuff I have. It's shameful. I am tired, been a lot of work this evening and a really busy day at work.

The LO is of Mom who died 3 years ago this week, 5 days after her 90th birthday. That was a tough year. It's nice to be able to reflect on her life without the pain and anger. Goodnight.

It's past bedtime, just wanting to say I've been working all day on a canvas for my bedroom wall. I'm liking how it's looking. Maybe I CAN do art. For the second part of the day, I scrapboked and did a lot of that yesterday. I've done some really cool LO's, feeling pretty fine about them. It IS bedtime however. My work is done here. :-)

Oh man, I should never start doing LO's when I need to be somewhere. The committee in my head says, "You don't need to go out, just stay in and keep making beautiful stuff! Arrggghh!
Shut up!
I'm outta here.

Simple. Made it through the week, almost, it's Friday again. Had a good day, went to sleep last night planning art. work up doing the same. Hmmmmmmmm, what's my heart telling me, I wonder?

Trying to get back on track with posting, seems like I've been gone far too long. I've slowed down a fair bit, my word for the year is "calm" and I'm trying to apply it to my life. I've been going to bed earlier for awhile now and working at a much slower pace. I like it. I like it a lot.Haven't been working out for awhile now, but there are good reasons for that. I plan to get back at it next week, at least I haven't gained weight.I sure do like food. Always have, always will. So be it.

It's June, whistle, clap, cheer! It seems like I've been sick forever, but no matter, summer is here. Yeeks, I have to get going, get the truck into the shop. Only have time for an affirmation-I will have a good day today, in spite of being sick. The sun is out, I accomplished some good artwork last night and all's right with the world. TTFN

What a day.

My word for 2009 is CALM. It did NOT work today. I went to the truck to go meet a friend for supper and the truck would not start. This is not an old truck. I did not have the friend's cell number and so had to call a cab. The cab cost #25.00. Supper was good. The friend drove me home. After she left, I realized I had left my house key and truck key in the cab. Thank goodness I had a second key stashed, got in the house at least. Called the cab folks, cabbie had gone off shift. I only have one truck key that will disarm the alarm. Never mind I went to two, count em, two places yesterday to get a second remote, with no success.
The cabbie called and agreed to put the keys in his mailbox. I call K and ask her to come and take me to the cabbies' at the other end of the city. She is not happy. We go to the cabbies'. ONE of my key sets is in the mailbox, the other (my truck key) is still in the back of the cab. He is not home. K drives me home. I call the cab company. They tell me I have to wait until he comes back on shift. And when will that be, I ask? They don't know, they say.
I have no key to get into the truck, so that I can call AMA so that I can get a boost, so that I can get to work. I am NOT Calm. I am going to bed. I hate my life.

My girl made it home OK, I had a wonderful weekend while she was gone. W&I barbequed steaks and had assorted cheese and crackers, antipasto, sauteed mushrooms, blue cheese and blackberry salad in a rasperry vinaigrette dressing, rotini salad with asiago cheese, and then, as if it could get any better, turtle cookies and french pastries. OMG it was sooooooo good. Nice to catch up with W too.

Joni Gray posted one of my LO's on her blog, that's a real thrill for me. And I won the Our corner Airdre contest! What a nice surprise that was! I love it when people like my LO's.

Got a fair bit done this weekend, almost done Cuba. I spent a long time fiddling around with a page for the Dreamgirls challenge and got it just that way I wanted to be. THEN, I realized I missed the deadline. (Kick self in head) Duh. It's great page though.

Just finished a LO a minute ago and want to post it before I go to bed. It was fun, used a lot of elements fron different sources. I'm so glad to have found all the wonderful free resources on the Net. I try to be mindful of copyrights, hope I've succeeded.

It's been a lovely day. Summer is here, until the snow comes again next week. I found an awesome urban thrift store, K will love it as much as I do. got shoes shoes and more shoes. It must be a genetic things, this fascination we women have for shoes. Nothing spectacular in my case, just found some funky ones with a not-to-high heel. Need to snap those up when I see them!

Starting a new day and feeling pretty good about it. I keep thinking about the long weekend coming up and all the work I'll get done. Didn't work out yesterday, just couldn't convince myself to go to the gym, instead I came home, laid down and went to sleep instantly. Maybe I'll go tonight, then again, maybe not. Maybe I'll die chubby. Naah, I'll get it together. Eventually. :-)