Too tired to think

I'm sorta packed - cooked a picnic lunch - bathed the dogs and Kenny has not done much else and I'm tired...So it's xanax time for me....so there....

Attic Fan

Can't you see I'm busy "Feeding the Birds" -

Some one PLAY with me says Matilda

This is a long way from being finished but I had to post the first "lay in" for Christy of her Uncle Kenny feeding the pigeons in Greer, SC - he won't let me post the photo but I think the painting will turn out nice. I'll be adding the pigeons!!!!


Wow - the cool air is rushing into the house and it's wonderful. After many hours of sawing holes in my walls and roof the attic fan is in! We have the windows open (with the new screens) and it feels like natural air conditioning with fresh air. I can't believe we have been in this house for 4 years all closed up running the air. Now, I know when the humidity rises the windows will come down and the air on but several months out of the year this is so nice. And I'm sure we'll save money too. I was lying in bed yesterday and the breeze blowing in when I woke up and it reminded me of when as a little girl that same feeling with mother's white gauzy curtains blowing in the breeze. Now, that takes me back! They are coming back tomorrow to patch the walls and put in the other 2 fans in the attic to pull the hot air out. That means not a lot of sleep on a gig night - Kenny said to get up and go to the basement and sleep on my "napping couch" - which I will probably do. I also have to start packing for Florida, cut the grass, bath and groom the babies, cook dinner for tomorrow night, get clothes ready for Beluga (2 costumes changes), and work both nights. I'm going to nee a vacation before the vacation! I painted a little today - it was kinda hard but I had to stay in the basement with the girls and we played in the yard a little too. And then alas, the season finale of "Grey's" tonight. I think I'll just lie back and enjoy the cool breeze!!!!

Today

Yeah - I painted in my studio all day and the tornado's missed us - this was a good day!!!

Doctor Release

Once again Dr. Ansari has released me - yeah! He said my knee looked good and even though it was really sore after planting the garden I think it's great. He also said if I had any more trouble he would give me the shots. OK, 3 operations in 14 months is plenty thank you! And the best part is I'm still performing in my 4 inch heels - ain't gonna give those up! Housekeeping also came today so the house is finally clean after all the painting and stuff. They are still suposed to come back and put the attic fan in which will mean a lot more dust but it will be worth it. I hope to get a little painting done this week as I have not gotten much done and won't get anything done the next two weeks. I'm having artist withdrawal and need to paint really bad. And it's suposed to rain tomorrow so that sounds like a perfect studio day........

Planting Day

Last Year's Garden

The Daisy Patch

One pot of lettuce

One little tomato plant - but just think of those sweet tomato's

Yeah - one of my most favorite things to do - plant my garden. Daddy gave me plants and I bought some more yesterday so right now my garden consists of: 6 tomato plants, 3 cucumber vines, 3 squash plants, 1 eggplant, and snap peas. I planted a few flowers too - would love to get more though. It was a perfect day to plant - cloudy and 70 degrees. I had to use the maddox to dig up the side garden for the squash so I'm glad it wasn't really hot! My shoulder did fine with the digging plus having to throw "Blue Elephant" every couple of minutes for Matilda. And when I watered the flower section Tatiana promptly layed down on her tummy in the mud! It was a great day and took a photo of my lettuce. I just picked the whole patch on Sunday and took it to my Daddy and this is Wednesday already grown back. We are suposed to get a lot rain tomorrow so it's a day in for me and get ready to go to Columbus. So grow, little garden grow!




Best of My Day: Smelling the Dirt and having my hands and red nails digging in it!!!! Now my nails need to be done!

My Mother's Love

I guess there is no love like a Mother's - of course, Daddy love is different and just as important but Mother's and Daughter's are special in their own way. Sometimes we love so intense and then we get on each other's nerves too! My Mother has always treasured me (sometime's I'm not sure why) but she has. As we drove to her house on Sunday - late of course - she was still there in the kitchen with her apron on and holding out open arms. The first thing my Daddy said was your Mother has been working for four days straight. No matter how many times we go home the house has to be spotless, the dining room table set for a feast, and little presents for all. And this year we also had my cousin who is finally back in the family. Only after we were all seated and served could we convince her to get her plate and sit down and eat. We had a wonderful meal as always, HUGE filet's, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, corn on the cob, 2 different salads with homemade blue cheese dressing, & french bread. Iced tea with fresh lemons - my favorite! Then the desert - her famous pound cake with strawberries or peaches and ice cream. All I will say is Kenny crawled to the living room couch and promptly fell asleep!! We finally got her to open her cards and little presents. We did get around to cleaning up the table (she let Karen and I help a little bit) then the girls all moved to the kitchen table to talk. This 82 year old amazing woman never stops! Of course, we would have taken her out to dinner but because it's hard for Daddy she would not hear of it. And we do enjoy those home meals. Karen left about midnight, Kenny, Daddy and Tatiana went to bed and Mother and I and Matilda spent a little time together which is always special. To tell the truth about 2 am we stood at the kitchen counter and ate chips and perminto cheese!!!! Now that is Mother/Daughter time and we giggled. The next morning she went to a retired teacher's brunch before I got up and Daddy and Kenny went to Cracker Barrel for Breakfast so I got to sleep (heaven)! Then Kenny, Mother and I went to Greer - I have to eat lunch at the Clock! We were all on different schedules by now! We parked on main street and I took a few photos. I spotted this bench and told Kenny I needed a model of an Old Man feeding the pigeons that I want to paint. Mother had bought him this hat and I got him to put it on and "pretend" to feed pigeons! My Mother laughed so hard I thought she would pee her pants. It was kinda funny and then this man started walking up the street looking at Kenny like he was crazy! Now, I promised NOT to put his picture on the internet so you will just have to wait for the painting.
There are some things I will do for my husband. Mother said that was the best mother's day present - laughing at us so hard! We got back to spend some time with Daddy and he and went to the "barn" and he gave me tomato plants, cucumber and squash plants. I was going to help him plant but it was so windy he could not get out in it. He gets so tired but I hope he can get a few planted. Before we left to come back of COURSE, she wanted to fix dinner. So here we go again - Blackened Salmon, potatoes, corn on the cob, salad, green beans and rolls!!!! Then she packed up food for us and sent us on our way! And what is it about sitting at your Mother's table (with a white tablecloth and napkins, crystal glasses and the good china! And I love this - she says Claiborne if you are going to sit with your legs crossed put a towel on my chair! - Boy, does she ever know me - It's home - it's Momma and I thank God for mine everyday. I have never known this kind of love in my life and I'm sure I never will again. It should be and I pray that is that way for every daughter.

The Best of My Day: My Mother's Love

Our Home

Our House

The Storm Door

It really does feel good to have a freshly painted house. You really can't tell the difference but to us it's great. And I love the new Storm Door. Right now there is a gentle rain falling and we have the windows up and you can smell the rain - now that is a very good thing! We are all done except for the attic fan which Lee said would be next week or the next. That will be mess for sure but that is the last thing to be done for this year! I planted a few more flowers and fixed up my "Secret Garden" downstairs today. I got so hot I almost passed out - summer is here! And I'm finally figuring out how to re-do my website. I have a new whatever it is to design the site - the old one won't work on Ipower. It's going to be a long process but it needs updating really bad - I'll let everyone know when it's done. Needless, to say I have got no painting done this week (except for class) and I'm going crazy. We are going to SC on Sunday and coming back Monday so I'm even missing my art class - bummer - but I gotta go home for Mother's Day! It's the weekend so tomorrow it's "Root" day - that grey sure comes back quick!





Best of My Day: The Smell of the Rain thru my Windows!!!!

Monday Night Art Class

Very very productive night at Art. I'm working on a nice painting of Lauren - a nude back looking at her reflection in an antique mirror. I love working with the muscles but I'm not finished yet so no photo. On the home front, they finally sent two guys back today to put up the new french door, screens and the front storm door. Most went well except the storm door. I got this call from Kenny saying it was the wrong door - I said well, I picked it out and the guy at Home Depot said it was the same door. Well, the guy put it on upside down! Now the retractable screen is in the bottom. Needless to say Kenny will call Lee in the morning and we may have to have a new door - he scratched it too. But we are almost done except for the attic fan which he said would have to be next week. I really wonder why all this stuft takes so long and why people won't finish one job before they start another one!! That drives me crazy. Kenny and I did get the clean blinds back up tonight and I have fresh air coming through my bedroom windows - yeah - I have wanted for the 4 years we have been here! So I'm going to enjoy all this before it gets too hot! We had a great weekend at Beluga and will be there again this weekend. And on Sunday it's home to SC for Mother's Day!

Best of My Day: Painting