Garden and Visit

Yep, that's my sister!!!!!!!

Tatiana says I'm clean, I'm a princess, and I'm not going to get dirty!

AH, springtime!!!

Matilda Waiting for me to throw the ball

My favorite flower blooming in my garden!





Mother came for a short one night visit yesterday and we had a great time. I have been worried about her - it seems the grief is hitting hard right now. But she would only come for one night because of the kitties. So I put on a pot of my homemade spagetti sauce then we headed for Home Depot. She bought me dirt, plants (mostly tomato) and flowers (red begonias). It was just a fun day. She got better as the day moved on and we talked a lot about Daddy and how she feels right now. We even built a little fire in the chimnea and sat on the deck. Then we had a great dinner with Kenny and just visited for the evening. She left about noon today and she stopped and ate a the Cracker Barrell in Commerce before going home. She has not been eating well at all and she said she enjoyed that. I sent spagetti sauce home with her too so I hope she will eat that. So after she left I hit the garden!!! And planted all my little plants I've been babying and the ones we bought yesterday. I think that's my favorite part - digging into the dirt and placing the plants knowing they can grow so strong. Then I re-potted some greeen plants and was dirty and tired! But it WAS bath day for the girls so we got that done. I was going to do my "roots" but got too tired so I'll just use that little stick to cover up my grey hair this weekend! I made stuffed flounder (stuffing with celery, onions, and shrimp), baked potato, green beens and salad for dinner - the fish turned out great. Almost like Red Lobster. I'm so tired right now but it's such a good tired. I always feel this way after working outside in the garden and yard. I think Daddy would be proud of my little garden and I know he helped me plant today. Oh, how I miss him. So, after the girls bath we went back down to the yard for a little play time. I just sat at my iron table and chairs and looked at the beauty. OK<>

Street Car

"Street Car"

24 x 30 Oil on Canvas
I've got some photos of the band to start on but I had started this 2 years ago and never finished it soooo decided to take it to art tonight. I wasn't sure I still liked it but I do like how it turned out. Adding the cobblestone street really changed it and made it more interesting. So, another on done. Now, it will be back to the band portraits. We hung mine and Dehra's behind the bandstand this weekend and they looked great - now I've got 3 more to do and I have great pictures of Arthur and Larry - you KNOW who the problem child is - yep - it's Kenny - he is so hard to photograph (need Christy here) but I did get a fairly good one. I want to show his drums and hands but he makes goofy faces! We had a great weekend at Belloo's and really good crowds. My "Soldiers" who have been here a few months are shipping out this week and I'm very scared for them. They became friends and I feel like a Mother sending her boys off to war. I got to meet one of their wives and she was so sweet. When you get to know the boys on a personal level it's really hard to see them go. I'll just keep them in my prayers and hope they come home safe. As always, after art and it being Monday I'm jacked and exhausted! It's suposed to rain tomorrow and it's very cool tonight - I actually turned the heat on coming home from the chill. But the warm up is coming on Wednesday and I'm planning on getting my tomato plants and cucumbers out in the garden. I'm been babying them for a few weeks and I think they are ready to fly on their own! I just can't wait to get that first tomato!

On the Road Again

We're off again tomorrow for Columbus for the weekend. I'm actually looking forward to a good time - hope the crowds come to Belloo's. We are suposed to have bad storms in Atlanta on Saturday night and just hope our house will be OK. I decided to wait until next week to plant my little tomato and pepper and cucumber plants. I would hate for a storm to mess them up. And I think for real the cold weather is gone even thought it has been in the 40's at night this week. I even had to a blankly out one night! I got the grass cut today and now all the leaves are out and it's so pretty in the back yard. I love all the "green" and the Privacy most of all. My crazy neighbor knocked on my door twice today wanting to know if I wanted something - she's cleaning out I guess. Weird..... And I made great pork bar-b-que for sandwiches in the crockpot and they are good! Kenny loved it. Well, I shall go to sleep trying to keep the words of my new songs in my head - And she's buying a stairway to heaven...........
Oh, and Tower of Power - Don't change Horses in the Middle of the Stream - LOVE this one
and we're learning another TOP - "Souled Out"

Cool Rainy Day

It rained and was very cool today - and I just could NOT get going - I'm exhausted again. My art class last night was great and I always feel good when I finish a painting. But I push myself to go on Monday's because of the weekends. We had a late day in Columbus because our partners, Mel and George were here from Germany and we only had the one day with them. It was so nice to have a long lunch and visit. We hope to go to Germany before they come home - maybe next year. So I hung out in bed on the computer and knitted some too. I'm starting my first small blanket. I wanted a "spring" lapghan so it's a fern green - not a great yarn but it was on sale and I didn't want to spend too much in case it turn out bad. But right now Im loving the pattern! I'm worried about my Mother right now. It seems the real "Grief" is setting in and she's having a very hard time. There's just so much to do at first and it seems to take forever. It's been 5 months since Daddy has passed and it's still going on. AND Daddy had taken care of almost everything he could think of but companies just take forever. I swear I don't know how most people do this. Without Kenny I don't think she could handle it which is sad because of all the bullshit people put you through. She needs to get away and come down here but she still won't leave the 3 cats. And she gets very snippy with me if suggest that they will be alright. I cried going to art yesterday and almost turned around but I'm glad I pushed through it and went anyway. I miss my Daddy so much because he could handle Mother when I could not. I have to have patience with her and sometimes it's just hard. I love her so much and it hurts me to see her hurt. I can't begin to imagine what it feels like to all of sudden some one you have spent 65 years with not being there everyday. She even said you don't know what it's like to be alone in a house day after day and she's right. Your mate may get on your nerves but can you imagine it without them? I can't - and don't want to know either. Oh Boy, here come the tears again but I guess that's a way to deal too. God, please tell my Daddy I love him..

Dehra

"Dehra"

16 x 20 Oil on Canvas

I finished the painting tonight of Dehra - my friend and my singing partner. We have so much fun on and off the stage and we love to laugh a lot! Now we both can "Hang" in Belloo's in columbus! We had a great weekend at Belloo's and even though I've never been a Rock 'n Roll singer I did "Stairway to Heaven" for the first time and the crowd went crazy! They stood in front of me and held up lighters AND knew all the word (which I still don't yet)! This is such an amazing feeling - can't really describe it. I've gotten this reaction before on songs (mostly Broadway stuff) but this was unreal! And I actually like singing it - especially the end! So OK, I'm an OLD Rock 'n Roller but what the hell? Keep on singing!

Back on Track

Lady Bug - 3 months old
Of course, the "Track" is a fast one. After one day at home, I have to pack again for the weekend in Columbus! We're just trying to get our laundry done right now and get ready to go. The weather is just so beautiful and I really hope we have a LONG Spring! I'm sure Summer is just waiting to hit us with a heat wave so we'll enjoy every moment right now. As I said our trip to Florida was stressful and busy but out of all that the great news is Mom T does not have to have Chemo and she is on her way to recovery - Thank the Lord! We also had a "hectic" but nice visit with my Mother the last two days. It's still so very hard to go home without Daddy being there and I went to the shed to get something and what broke me this time was the gardening tools. They were just where he left them and seem to be waiting on him to plant his garden. I'm getting some of my planting done now so hopefully he'll watch over my little garden from heaven. My cousin gave me tomato and pepper plants and I'm going to wait ONE more week to plant - I'm still bringing everything in at night right now. Like I said I HAVE seen snow in April in Atlanta! So, it's off to Columbus to perform at Belloo's this weekend - it was a wild one last weekend at Beluga and we had a blast. I can't believe I'm still saying this after all these years but I know at some time there will be a "Last Cabaret" so I'm going to enjoying every moment on stage right now. Kenny is getting the taxes done to send tomorrow and believe me we're going to celebrate - not getting money back - just him getting them all done - and a bunch of other people's too. It's always so hard on him and he's a buger until it's over! We brought back wonderful book shelf that Daddy built for his office. It's still in the van right now and it will have to stand in my dining room until he can clear out space in his office but it will look so very nice. I just hope it won't sit here all summer - he's got to clean out that office! I have to share a picture with you - my cousin got a new puppy and she's sooooo cute and gives lots and lots of kisses. It really makes you want a puppy really bad - no no no no - I would have 100 puppies if I could! Hopefully I'll even take some more pictures to post but at least I'm back writing on my Blog. So see ya soon!!!! Oh, I'm so proud - I finally learned how to knot on circular needles and even learned the Magic Loop - Christy will understand this and I'm loving it. Just knitting away and hope to get in my art studio again real soon!!

Too Much Time

I know I know - no posts. But it's been a crazy month - trip to Florida for Mom Trinklein's Surgery (she's getting better every day) - 2 work weekends - changing over winter to summer clothes - bathing dogs - cutting grass - planting seeds - a hectic trip to SC and now home again! I'm exhausted but plan to get back to my blog very soon!