Hospital Update

Bill's surgery went well. He got out of ICU this morning, and moved to a room. He'll be in the hospital until next Wednesday. I got booted out of the hotel because of a home game for the Gators - no rooms in Gainesville, period! But, I'll check back in on Sunday.

I'm still having issues with Blogger not keeping me signed in, so that's why I haven't been commenting on anyone's posts -- but I am looking at them! Also, still having some problems with this computer, and with the wi-fi at the hotel. Hopefully, when I get back home, I can get these problems taken care of.

Quinn & Rosie

"Rosie"

"Quinn"

Ok, so I got my new computer. The photo program I always used is no longer on it. They did save my pictures from the old computer and I did get to upload this from my new "viewer", but I can't resize them, so if you click on them,they're probably huge. Still have a ways to go to figure all this out - I've used the same stuff for over 10 years, so this is giving me a headache! I'll keep playing all weekend, and see what I can do.

Bill will be going into the hospital Sunday afternoon, and his surgery will be on Tuesday morning. I'll be staying in a hotel in Gainesville all next week, so I should have plenty of time to work on this computer. I am glad that I now have a laptop to take with me -- I'm sure I would have gone in withdrawal if I didn't have a computer with me!

More Frustrations!

So, I guess it's not enough that I lost a cat this week -- I also had to lose my computer!

Last night, we had another Florida Thunderstorm. I was trying to comfort my dog who barks incessantly when there is thunder, and lightning struck really close! Of course, I hadn't unplugged my computer (like I usually do) - so it got fried! Off I go to Best Buy today, and spent three hours getting terribly confused - I think I'm too old for this! Finally, it was done - I bought a new laptop. They're going to transfer all my stuff from the old computer, so that's a good thing. However, I'm learning that most of my programs can't be transfered, so I have a lot of work to do before I'm really back to where I'm comfortable!

Today, someone in line at Best Buy reminded me that things happen in threes - I really didn't need to hear that. The only thing coming up is Bill's surgery next Tuesday. I hope it isn't jinxed! I think I'll go now and have that meltdown that I've been feeling all day.

I Am Heartbroken

My fabulous boy-cat, Ziggy, has vanished. He went out as usual on Tuesday morning. However, usually I make them wait till it's light outside, but that morning he was raring to go - so I gave in. It was about 6 am, and still dark.

Ziggy had proven to me that he would not run off - he always stayed close to the house, with an occasional visit next door with his cat-friend, Max. And, he always came when I called him.

He usually was in the front yard when Barney and I went for our daily walk at about 9am, but on Tuesday, he was not there. I figured he was with Max. Then, we needed to leave at 3pm, so I called and called, and nothing. So, when we got back at about 7pm, I called and called again - no luck. So, we started searching. More nothing!

We live in an area of town called "The Woodlands". It's called that for a reason - there are areas in the neighborhood that have lots of trees and woods. It's why we spot deer once in a while. Also, there have been known to house coyotes and foxes - and this year, there has been a black bear running around. But, for some reason, I was never worried - of course, I never let the cats out in the dark, either! Don't bother beating me up - I'm doing a fine job of it by myself. Yes, I KNOW BETTER!!!

I had convinced myself last night that Ziggy had probably met his demise by one of the critters, and I just had to accept it. Then, I had a dream that I saw him at the neighbor's house, and he was hurt. I woke up with a new purpose! I figured that no one would be able to pick him up (he runs the other way whenever anyone tries) - and we live in a very small town without a shelter. But, IF he was attacked and hurt, maybe someone would take him to one of the vet hospitals in town! I just knew that he was sending me a sign! I impatiently waited till they opened and called, expecting him to be there. But, alas, no one has brought in a sweet black cat with white paws. So now I'm back to trying to accept this. I miss him terribly.

Olivia and Patsy

Olivia - she's crazy in love! And, I love her pink and greeness!

And here's Patsy, made for my hairdresser. I'll be taking her to Patsy tomorrow - along with the cards I made of all these girls!

And, here is the gift idea my friend Gretchen came up with! Now, if I can just find a place to put my paintings in, along with some of these flyers. I took them to church on Sunday, and got 2 orders from a friend for her granddaughters for Christmas!

Mary & Me

First up is Mary. She is dedicated to my sweet daughter-in-law. She's a kindergarten teacher, so you know she has a lot of patience! She has been married to my son, Eric, for 18 years, and is mother to my grandsons, Alex & Zack. She's the perfect partner for my son - and I love her dearly! But since she is surrounded by all that testosterone, I thought her phrase should show the girly side of her!

And, of course, I had to make one for myself! And the phrase says it all: I do have a wonderful life! A great husband, 2 fabulous adult children and 5 grandchildren - what else does a girl need? Except more shoes, maybe?

My friend, Gretchen, came up with a super idea for me to make these girls to order for gifts. More on that later!

The Cards

So, this shows you how I cropped the paintings to fit on a card. I copied the photos on simple white card stock, so they still have that kind of vintage feel. You really can't see it, but there are some seriously beautiful scrapbooking papers acting as mats on these. I'm pretty happy about them - I'll take some into Patsy's on Wednesday and see if there's any interest.

Kathleen and Lauri

I know you all must be getting really tired of seeing these - but I'm afraid it's all I'm doing right now! My goal is to make a girl for every letter in the alphabet, and I'm not even half way there!

I did discover that I like it when I use a friend or family member as a muse. So Kathleen was made for my friend who takes care of my dog, Barney, whenever I need it. She used to have her own shop - "The Barktique" - here in Dunnellon when I first moved here. She's just a delight, and writes a column for the local weekly paper. I don't know what I would do without her to take care of Barney - he loves her, and it makes me happy to know that he's very well taken care of!

And, I also like the idea of giving these pieces to the person that inspired them! It certainly is better than having a ton of them take up space in my studio!

The minister of my church, Lauri Gist, was my subject for this one. She is the most calm, pleasant and loving person I know. She has helped me in ways that she doesn't even know - so I thought I would dedicate a girl to her - and I'll be giving it to her soon.

Jenny

I finished up Jenny this morning. Now, the fun part! Starting 2 more canvases! I like making them two at a time - I use a lot of the same paint on both, so there's not so much waste. Also, it gets my juices flowing, having to figure out what will be different about each girl. I usually name them before I start, so they have a little story.

I finally figured out how to crop them for the cards. I'll post a card next time so you can see how they are turning out.

It's been raining here since 4:00 this morning, so it's a great day to get into the studio and play!

Isabella

OMG! Blogger has a new interface to post on. I went through the whole thing, and my post did not post! I thought I was done for. After lots of searching, I did find out that I could use the old system - so here goes again!

So, here is Isabella! These are so addicting! It reminds me of when I was a little girl and I would design paper doll clothes out of old wallpaper books! I would have to have just the right paper doll - she had to be an adult, with her arms away from her body, and have on a strapless bathing suit. I was so picky! I wish I had some now to look at!

I'm working on Jenny now, and she should be ready by tomorrow.

I wish Blogger would quit changing things - it's very disconcerting for an old dog like me!

Starts

So today, I started two more canvases for my girls. This is the part that I think I like the most! Putting on papers, paint, stamps, texture - trying to get a feel for what these pieces will say. At this point, I have no idea what the girls will look like, or what the words will be. Right now it's all about making a great background. But it will speak to me ... soon!