The visit

My wonderful Mother drove to Atlanta by herself for an overnight visit. Kenny had papers for her to sign and things to still do. We could have gone to SC but we thought it was a good time for her to get out of the house. So at almost 85 she got in that big Lincoln and drove to Atlanta! It was only for one night and she left early this morning by 10 am because it was going to snow in SC but she got home fine. We just stayed here and enjoyed being together. I got to cook her a spagetti dinner and she brought brownies and ice cream. We got all our business done and spent time talking about Daddy - cried a little - and loved a lot. We have a stronger bond I think now because it's Mother Me and Kenny. He is taking such good care of her and she is very grateful because it is very overwheming the things that have to be done. Kenny has gone through this with his Mother also this year and he's so good and compassionate making decisions and wading through paperwork. I'm grateful for him everyday. Well, they may be getting snow in SC and all we're getting is boring ole rain. Probably 30 minutes above us on 400 they have snow. We are close to the mountains but not quite in them but the pictures on the news tonight are beautiful. Oh, I wish we were in a little cabin snowed in somewhere!! We are actually off this weekend - first time I can even remember that we stayed home! We did go to Barnes and Nobles (have a $30 Christmas Gift Card) but did not buy anything. Kenny looked and I looked at knitting magazines but they were all too advanced for me yet. We came home and watched a movie - had hot chocolate with marshmellows too! So very very nice. Kinda miss my high heels though!!! If we were a lot younger we would have jumped in the van and driven to the north georgia mountains today - we did that one Christmas Eve in Vegas - drove to Mt Charleston in the snow and it's one of my greatest memories there. I've got to find something else to paint on Monday so I'm going to do some research this weekend too - and hopefully work on cleaning up my studio and the downstairs which is WAY overdue. But tonight we were just lazy and it was nice....I'm so thankful my Mother came down and she enjoyed it too. Now, we just have to get someone to help with the "kitties" and she can stay longer!! Ah, let the weekend off continue....

'The Tango"

"The Tango"

24 x 30

Oil on Canvas

Last Monday I was coming down with a cold and exhausted. I really was not in the mood to paint but decided to try and do something loose and fun. Soooo the tango...I posted last week how Shane made me do the drawing upside down and I thought I'd never get it. It started coming together and when I went back tonight it really come together. Shane was so proud of me and I cried a little. I just wasn't ready I think - my whole being has been shattered and I didn't know if I had it in me since I lost my Daddy. I could sing automatically which I did but this stuff has to come from the soul or it just won't work. I think Daddy was telling me to jump back in and do what I love because it felt like someone was guiding my hand tonight. So, when Shane said quit messing with it and SIGN it I was thrilled. I am taking this to Belloo's and hopfully someone will buy it. I may try and do a "music" series as I've never done that before. I really need a good picture of Kenny to paint on the drums. I never get a good one of him so I'll just have to set it up here and take one.

OH, by the way: Cure for the Common Cold - Go to Bed - Sleep - wake up - have tea - have macaroni and cheese soup then chocolate pudding - have a cigarette - sleep - eat oranges and more pudding - cigarette and diet coke - sleep - sleep - sleep for 2 days. I did and got up on Thursday, packed and went to Columbus and had a great weekend!!!

Oh Crap

I really thought I was bullet proof to this cold because Kenny and Mother had it and I didn't get sick. Well, after this weekend at Beluga where everyone wants to hug and kiss I've got it. Felt it coming on yesterday and by the time I got home from Art I knew I had it. Woke up feeling really bad so made some soup, changed my sheets and blanket and spread and crawled back in the bed where I'm staying!!! I did start a new painting last night - I could not get inspired at all and had nothing to paint. So I messed around with some reference photos and decided everyone loved the Tango so much and I sold it very very quick at an art show, so I decided to do anthoer one. This one is much bigger - 24 x 30 and will look great on a wall. I'll be taking this one to the club in Columbus because it will really fit in there. So many people ask how do you start, how long does it take blah blah blah. I've decided to show the process. Shane had me NOT sketch anything - start with the thinned painted and draw shapes - I even had to turn the painting upside down so I would not think of "body parts" but shapes. This is really hard to do because your mind doesn't want you to see that. You have to keep shaking your head to get the pictures out and just look at "shapes" and negative space. I do want this painting to be very lose almost abstract. Believe me it looks abstract right now but there's lots more work to do on it. Anyway, just thought I'd keep a record of the progress and can't wait to see the final painting! I'm getting excited again - I knew I would when I got to class and I need this very bad right now. I'm going to stay in bed again tomorrow and really fight this cold and hope it doesn't get as bad as Kenny's did. Stay well everyone!

New Game

Just uploaded this one for fun from last weekend....Warming of the Hands

My wonderful talented neice has started a great game. She's taking a photography course - of course she is wonderful but she's posting her assignments for us to try too. I didn't have much daylight time today (that happens when you sleep until 2pm)...but here are a few I managed to catch in "reflections and shadows".....Just had to do the raindrop on my birdfeeder because I thought it was cool.. We had a great night at Beluga and although it's raining hope to have another on tonight!

Daddy's Birthday

Today Jannary 14th is Daddy's birthday - he would have been 97 today. We have been in SC all week still helping Mother with everything that has to be done. It's hard and on top of it all Kenny and Mother have been very sick. We got through it and we even went out to dinner last night in honor of Daddy's b/d. Karen and Paul, me and Kenny and Mother went to California Dreamin - one of Daddy's favortie's and I even had the Prime Rib. We talked about him a lot and told great stories and cried a little too. It's still too unreal for me yet. We are home now and work tomorrow at Beluga so we'll see what the weekend brings. We just still so tired and I need a vacation really bad. Just me and Kenny - he said I'll take you somewhere you haven't been in a long time - HOME!!! That's nice too but there's too much to do around here. And I could not believe when we got home there is still patches of snow in our back yard. It snowed last thursday! That's how cold it's been here in Atlanta. Gonna be in the 50's tomorrow so I'm sure it will all go away now. I'm really too tired to be typing this but I just wanted to say Happy 97th Birthday Daddy - I miss you everyday and I love you.....

Oh how we love the SNOW!

tonight Matilda and Tatiana playing in the snow!

six years ago March 2nd - moving in and snowing with Chloe and Isabella

It came, it was beautiful falling, it barely covered the ground and now we have to get out of the driveway tomorrow and drive to Columbus for the gig at Belloo's! I enjoyed watching the snow so very much and sat in front of the fire and knitted today - and that's about all I did. Kenny is really sick and I'm not sure how he will get thru the weekend -The Show must go on......I did cook chicken wings and smashed potatoes, broccoli and baked apples for a late lunch and we sat at the table and watched the snow. It reminded us of 6 years ago on March 2nd when we moved in and it snowed. We sat at the same table eating fried chicken from Kroger and Chloe and Isabella were in their buggy! Wow - almost 6 years in this house. It's still my favorite house I've ever lived in but it sure is a lot to clean!! I did pack (at Midnight) so I'm ready for the trip. Tatiana and Matilda did NOT want to come in tonight - they love to play in the snow and they were chasing each other in the yard. I was too dark to video - maybe in the morning. It's all stopped now but what a wonderful little treat. I just hope Kenny gets better and I don't get it!

Oh, I did finish the second little tote bag for me so now Dehra and I have one each for the Gig! And I could see a mistake in my turtleback jacket so I frogged it and started over - much nicer now that I understand the pattern better.

new Project

Well, I've started my new knitting project - a "Turtleback Jacket" - it's the only thing easy enough for me to start my "New Year" of learning more about knitting! It's going to take awhile and I think there may be some boo-boo's but I'm going to get this. I did make this little tote bag for Dehra and almost finished another one tonight for me. We can carry out little gig stuff - lipstick, cig and lighter and business cards in it. I love the charms I got to sew on them at Hobby Lobby. Just makes them a little different. I put a snap at the top too so everything won't fall out! I should have mine done by the weekend so we can carry them because it's going to SNOW tomorrow so I'll have time to finish mine. I love love love love love snow! It's only going to be about an inch but I know it will be beautiful and I'm charging my battery for my new camera tonight to get plenty of pictures. (of Yorkie's in the Snow) Ha Ha. I think maybe my Daddy is sending it to me from heaven because he knows how much I love snow! My poor Mother AND Kenny are sick with a very bad cold. She went to the Doctor today so she's got medicine and Kenny is taking some too. I actually made him homemade chicken, veggie, rice soup last night so that what he has eaten today. I can't believe I don't have it - but I still could get it. I'm telling you people - smoke, drink diet cokes and Scotch! Oh, and eat M&M's....I finally got all the laundry done, babies bathed and groomed and house cleaned (upstairs) so I took this afternoon and evening to finally sit down in front of the fire and knit. I'm still very tired but hope I don't get this cold. I'll enjoy the snow but we DO have to drive to Columbus on Friday so not too much will get on the roads I hope. We are going back home on Monday and I may have to be the "nurse" to Mother and Kenny and we all know what kind of nurse I am - not good!!! My heart still aches for my Daddy and you never know what will trigger it but it hurts so bad. But I know he's not tired anymore too. For all my Florida Folks stay warm down there and don't let the oranges freeze! Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.....

The Hardest Blog I'll ever Write

Richard Claiborne Hemphill

January 14th, 1913 - December 22, 2009

My Daddy

I know it's taking me a long time to post because it does not seem real yet. Daddy passed away on December 22, 2009 - it's hurts to even type that because I have to believe it. We are all so very very blessed that after his heart attack we had 1 month and 4 days of wonderful happy times with him and I'll be able to write about those later. I do know this that when someone passes away you don't have time to grieve at all. There's too much to do and too many people around you who really do care but it's all like you are walking in a dream. We had the Memorial Service on December 28th and interment that morning with part of his ashes. I do have the rest of his ashes and we are going to Fries, Virginia in the spring to scatter them in New River - also a few along his beloved Blue Ridge Parkway and Spring Valley Church where his mother is buried. That will be a hard trip but it will give me a lot of peace also. There are lots of memories I would like to write about and I might later. Daddy had been working on a book many years about Fries and the Fielder Family and I'm going to try and write the "last Chapter" to that so everyone can enjoy his writing about everything he loved. We are going back to SC next week to be with Mother and be there for his 97th birthday on January 14th. He had a very peaceful passing and again I am blessed but very very sad. My life will never be the same.....