Happy Anniversary!

We we so tired but happy! This is Lacy and Lily!
There were 2 shots left in the camera and I love these!

Today is mine and Kenny's 21st. anniversary - we're going to spend a quiet day together at home and celebrate! I'm so glad I found my "Soul Mate".....

The Puppy Pool

Tatiana LOVES her Puppy Pool - BUT she does not like to share - I put Matilda in and she chased her out! So Matilda tried to JUMP into the bird bath......oh dear, we have to get another puppy pool!

Puppy Pool

We got a Puppy Pool and Mommy made us take a bath!!!

Baby's memorial - there is also one for the kitty

My Cousin, Danny Green and his Garden


Yeah - whoopie - hotdog - we got a Puppy Pool from Petsmart! It even has dog bone shapes in the bottom! Sure could have used this in the camp ground! We had a wonderful time at Granny and Papa's house this week. An update - my mother is all better - think she had a "bug". The night she did not feel well me and Daddy cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes. I used to hate doing that but I tell you I don't know when I've enjoying washing dishes so much. We talked about camping and dogs and Daddy knew exactly where every dish went and he made sure I knew not to put them in the wrong place. You see my mother Loves dishes (I do too) and has several sets. So her cabinets are quiet full and you have to know where they go. After we finished my Daddy said in his classic humor - 'I've never seen so many damn dishes in my life"!!! I just laughed and said yeah but you know where they go and you also know that a lot of great food has been on those dishes! With my mother, you always set the table correctly - knife and spoon on the left - fork and salad fork on the right under the napkin. And God forbid you serve something in a container or pot!! Everything must go in glass dishes - even mayo or mustard. I know that sounds weird to some people but I cherish that and now I do it too. If I get sloppy sometimes I also say Don't tell my Mother! I appreciate all those little things that my Mother taught me. I surely did not inherit her love of cooking and cleaning but I do know how to do it! We also visited my cousins (my favorite, Danny Green) and his garden is wonderful. We grew up almost like brother and sister - the closest thing I had to a brother and I love him so. Him and Betsy recently lost their 20 year Poodle and the memorial they made to Baby is just beautiful. So, once again, I'm tired - can't sleep well up there because Daddy is cold all the time and I sweat in the house! The girls got their pool from Granny and even loved their bath in it outside. I finally got unpacked from 2 weeks away and got the yard work done and watered my garden. I got to take Daddy green beans, eggplant and we had lettuce and cucumbers here. I got one tiny tomato too! It's Beluga tomorrow night and boy I'm ready for it!

Rest in Peace

We loved you Michael and your songs and the "Beat" will remain with us always..........
God Bless you and Farah tonight - hope you met on the way across.....

Home again

Tired, but had a great trip - will have to write and post pics later - I'm going to sleep in my OWN bed!!!

In South Carolina!!

Don't have time to write right now but will later. I'm in South Carolina and my Mom is not feeling well so I'm playing "nurse" tonight. My Daddy and and I even washed and dried the dishes tonight together - that was kinda fun. And bless his heart, he's come downstairs 3 times (remember he's 96) and believe me those stairs are not fun - just to check on Mother. She has a little fever but not too bad. Hope she will feel better tomorrow.

Camping Trip to Pine Mountain

Matilda earns her Campfire Badge!

The nightly lighting of the Tiki Torch!

Our view

Our campsite

Our new tent - all ready for night-night

Tatiana's first camping trip





We finally made it - a camping trip and boy, was it needed. It's hot but we have a fan and it's not too bad today. We had a kinda rough first night - there was a beautiful storm of rolling thunder and a lightning show - just beautiful - but you know our Tatiana is terrified of storms so I got no sleep at all. I had to go back to bed at 10am and slept until 2:30. But I woke to Kenny frying bacon - yum - so we our "camping" breakfast at 3 pm - normal for us! I was a little foggy yesterday but after a while starting feeling better. Pat and Brock came up and we grilled steaks and potatoes and salad. And we did have our campfire. It's beautiful here and we love the new tent. It's very comfortable. Slept good last night - thank you xanax and Tatiana's pills! - and I have a crockpot of stew going for tonight's dinner. Today is the last full day so it's rest, rest, rest. It's back to Columbus tomorrow and a nice dinner out tomorrow night with Mel, George and Pat then back to the grind on friday and saturday. I'm sooooo glad to be camping again. I love it so much. Now, for the rest of the summer we will pick a nice cool spot in the mountains with a rushing creek but will probably come back here in the fall. oooooooh, I love camping!

Tatiana's Turtle

Tatiana's Turtle

Pokey's dinner and water

Mommy, look what I found - can I keep it? can I? I'll take care of "Pokey"!! Yes, Tatiana found Pokey all by herself - scared the hell out of me for a minute - I don't want to see no snakes - but I love turtles! I did tell her Pokey would bite her nose if she got too close. Matilda was not interested but a nano second -she wanted to chase the pink ball. He did poke his head out a couple of times and we got him a saucer of water and some lettuce from the garden. And no, we are not taking him camping with us. Although he might like it in the state park! We are all packed with camping equipment AND music equipment and the van is totally loaded! Now, I just have to get through the weekend of hard work - re-cupe on sunday and Monday we go to Pine Mountain Ga. I'm really looking forward and decided not to take any painting stuff - just books and knitting. We will really only have 2 full days - 1st day is getting there and setting up and Thursday is breaking camp and going back to Columbus so I don't want to plan too much - just rest and de-stress! The garden will be watered by the neighbor, the new roof will be put on so let's get out-a-here!

Painting in Progress

24 x 48
Well, I said I never publish a painting in progress but everyone in class is excited about this one and somtimes it's nice show how it begins. I had laid in the Elephant herd then worked on the front elephant tonight. You can tell the ones that are just barely laid in - I have lots of work to do on them but I'm having a blast painting this. I love to paint figures so this is different and exciting. Everyone knows I love color and this is great to experiment with this. I don't want it too realistic but not too abstract either - somewhere in between! This is a wedding present I'm doing for someone but I may try some more wild life paintings this summer. It's fun!! Counting down the days until we can go camping! The original photo is a couple of blogs down from this one.....

We're FINALLY going camping!!!

We bought the tent last October and it's been in the basement. Mother bought me a stove and gave us a folding table and chairs and got my camping box all ready to go. Well, we never did get to go. Soooooo, we are doing two weekends in Columbus and they are putting the new roof on next week and there is no way I'm staying in the house while that is being done. Tatiana would totally freak out and no one would get any sleep. We went to Walmart today and bought our air beds and we took the tent out and figured out how to put it up. We're going to play next weekend at Belloo's then Monday go to the State Park at Calloway Gardens - it's only about 40 minutes from Columbus. Just hope it doesn't rain - if that happens we'll just stay in the cottage but I really need this camping trip. Just to be in the woods and relax! There is work on camping trips but it's so different. I've got lots of planning to do this week, plus pack for 2 weekends on stage and camping clothers - oh Lord, I'll have tons of bags! So busy busy week but looking forward to some down time in the woods! We also got Matilda a new big ball at Walmart - she loves this and played in the yard.

Did I say a "Down Day"?????

This is what I'm painting now....24 x 48
Let's see - I had to unpack from last weekend - did 3 loads of laundry and put them away - unloaded dishwasher - cooked - reloaded dishwasher and cleaned up - cleaned up my art studio - watered the tomoto plants - played with the girls in the back yard - talked to my mother - then painted for 5 hours! And I didn't wake up until noon. Oh well, tomorrow it's supposed to rain so I am really going to take some down time. OK, I'll knit a little - oh, I did finish one project (the knitting part) during Night Line too. I'm doing a huge painting for Shawn and Andrea's wedding in August - Shawn is our partner's son in columbus and they really wanted a painting for their wedding. I could just give them one but I found out Andrea collects and loves elephant's. I found a great photo so I started it tonight - it's going to be 24 x 48 - I built the frame like a gallery wrap and put 1/4" board on top - it will stick out from the wall and I think that will be cool. I got it covered tonight but way too early to post anything. It's a long process and I might do some updates. Also, finally finished 3 cigar boxes - one is a gift. It felt so good to paint in my studio which I have not done much of this year. I hope to spend a lot of time there this summer. My Daddy got a new hearing aid today (he lost his other one or either one of the cats hid it) and I talked to him just for a minute on the phone. He still can't understand you very well because his hearing is pretty much gone. And he went to the Heart Doctor today and they doubled his medicine. He told him the valuves are deteriating very fast. His heart is strong but the valve's are leaking. And his liver is good so I guess all that wine didn't hurt after all! I'm going home on the 22nd and hope to spend a few days. I mean it this time - I'm taking some down time tomorrow!!

"Soul Mate"

OK, the finished painting is here....and yes, it is me and Kenny. Why else would I name it "Soul Mate"!!! I've been working on this for a long time, then put it down for a long time and finally finished it tonight. The posing for the photo was rather funny - I would set the timer on the camera - run to the couch - Kenny would throw the red blanket over my butt and the flash would go off! Believe me, it took quite a few shots and all Kenny had to do was lie there - I did all the running back and forth and boy was I tired! And one of the funniest things is once I hit the timer and about that time Matilda jumped up to be with her Daddy! I thought about painting in the dogs and this being our Christmas Card this year..............well, maybe not. It's a very special painting for us and I believe this one will not be sold.....