A Long Post of Tales to Tell! Art, Travels and Cold Zombies

hello, hello!
I'm struggling to keep the muse amused and productive. I have managed three cards since the 7th, so I think I'm only one behind as of this moment. (It's 2:22 a.m. 2/9/10)

Glass Winged Butterfly

Greta oto

7 February 2010

ATC

365 Project #37

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Blue Dart Frog

7 February 2010

ATC

365 Project #38

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Dr. Lazear

8 February 2010

ATC

365 Project #39

Marker on drawing paper attached to recycled cardstock.

Dr. Lazear is a real man. Jesse William Lazear. I drew this picture from a photograph of him. He died of malaria around the turn of the 20th century. He is a hero. Wikipedia will tell you more. He doesn't actually have an eye patch. I added that to him. He was a very handsome man. I screwed up his right eye something fierce and ruined his good looks completely! Looked as though someone had punched the poor fellow in his eye. The eye patch improved the look I gave him dramatically!

Travel involved a couple of things, the zombie snowmen included but we'll get back to that in a few. I went to a SuperBowl Party that was more a bust than a party at all. I wasn't sure till late this afternoon just who won the Super Bowl. I'm still uncertain if the Saints did indeed win as I seem to believe they have. It's not really that big of a deal to me. I was home by 20 minutes after 8 Sunday night, long before the game ended. I wasn't sure I really wanted to go in the first place. There were supposed to be six people there. Half of them never showed up. We watched "Leatherheads" with George Clooney and Renee Z. (I can't even pronounce her last name at this moment, let alone spell it correctly.) I caught the last half of the movie. We watched all a minute, if that, of the Super Bowl itself. The movie wasn't bad.
Attending this wingding extraordinaire was my sister Susan and her friend Jerry and me. We gathered at Jerry's house. He's a good cook. He made burritos and hot wings. There were some nachos in there as well. The grub was yummy! Jerry fell asleep about 7:30 and abandoned his party. In his defense, he had been up since 3 a.m. Susan and I were not very entertaining at all to one another so I came home and Susan did whatever she did. I'm really not sure what she did.
I didn't want to go in the first place cause I really didn't care to meet a new person that night and I really didn't care to see that other fella that was supposed to be there with the new person I'd never met. Another man, his cousin or something...They never showed up though. Which didn't hurt my feelings none at all. Linda bowed out around 4 on Sunday cause she didn't want to drive over from Pburg and so she didn't.
I probably would have had much more fun had I accepted the other SuperBowl party invitation but I declined that invitation on principals and because it came too late. I'd already accepted the other one. Snooze, you lose!
I came home and played Majong till dawn.

I told you all about going to see the herd of snowmen at my son's house. The Zombie Snowmen! Well, that trip was made and there were indeed zombie snowmen in my youngest son's side yard. Not the nine they built though. Gabe knocked five or six of them down cause he's a little boy and what fun it is to knock down snowmen you didn't help build. Gabe is 7.

There's the culprit himself!

No one was really upset with Gabe for knocking over the snowmen but it was made clear to him it wasn't a very nice thing to do! He did leave the three coolest of the herd standing. Thank you, Gabe!

The Toothed Snowman

Yes, I know it's hard to decipher where this begins and where it ends...but there about a third of the way down from the top of it's horned head, is a large smile and four teeth present. I could see it plainly while standing in front of the snowman. I'm sorry it's not quite that easy with only the picture. This one isn't the cream of the crop, though. I've no clue if Gage or Rich built this one.

Gage's Zombie Snowman

Gage is 10. He and RW built all the snowmen with Grant's help. You'll meet Grant in a minute. This snowman is really cool! That gaping hole in his face is big enough to put a basketball in! This snowman came about chest high on me. He's very ferocious for being so short.

RW's Zombie Snowman

This fella is pink around his eyes and mouth cause RW spit red koolaid all over his face. (Creative Liscense or something like that?) The zombie dude is about 5 and half feet tall. I was eye to eye with it, I didn't actually measure it.

It would have been cool to have seen all nine of them but then Gabe wouldn't have had such a good time knocking the others down. They are, afterall, only snowmen and none of them are bound to last forever!

Here is Gage (and the neighbor girl. I've no clue what her name is.) sitting on the snow chair he constructed. No doubt from a toppled snowman. You can tell from the background there was a lot of big snowball rolling going on in that spot! There's a toppled snowman right next to the girl and another by Gage's head. Casualties of Gabe.

There's the little rascal, Gabe! He's ready for a truce, no more toppling snowmen for him! :)

Here is Grant, his glasses fogging over cause he just came in from outside. Grant is 6. This is the kid that wanted a 25 cent alien from the gumball machine at the grocery store for Christmas. Not just ANY alien but a specific one! And! He wanted ME to put in quarter after quarter till I got the RIGHT one! That's an ambitious kid with a mind for business! He didn't get that alien or any other alien from that machine....I offered him the quarters to try for himself but he said he didn't want to sit in front that machine and try for the right one. He thought it better someone else take on that task. His other request was a whoopie cushion, which he did get! And has had a blast with!

And we can't forget Gavin, who is just too cute for his own good! Gavin just turned four.

I had a fun afternoon with the grandboys!

My brother Sam rode along for the trip to photograph the zombie snowmen.I drove, he took pictures from the passenger's seat. Right before I remembered I had the camera in my pocket, we saw five deer in the field right beside the highway. Perfect photo opportunity and we missed it! I handed him the camera and told him to keep his eyes open for more critters and to take pictures. The only other critters we saw were little black birds and black cows. There's a picture of them but it isn't very exciting. So, courtesy of Sam, a few shots of the hills covered in snow. What they lack in excitement, they make up for in beauty.

This is about a mile south of Glade on 183, looking northeast to the distance. These four pictures were taken within a mile stretch of highway.

I think there were about 260 pictures in this file when I emptied the smart card. Most of them taken by Sam.

I lazed away Monday. I have an interview at 2pm today that I can, and probably will, conduct in my pajamas. I just have to be awake for it!

I talked to my sister Jeanny on the phone for almost 2 hours Monday afternoon. She has a bunch of stuff for me. Artsy stuff....odd beads, paper, colored pencils, it's hard telling, really just what that box will contain when she finishes clearing off her table. Her art of choice is jewelry making.  I need to send her two twinchies of my choosing so she can make a pendant out of them. I sent her twinchies and inchies to make other pendants out of and this is what I'm getting in trade for those. I'll probably never wear this creation as a necklace, but will probably hang it from the rear view mirror in the van to go with the rest of the junk hanging there.

We're at the stop light, yes, they only have one, in Pburg. I really should take some of that crap off the mirror....I'll think about it. That feather is from a turkey that came through the windshield of a truck my youngest son was riding in. That feather was in the vents when I came home from California. That was back in April 2008. 

I've rambled on enough for one reading!  Thanks for hanging around!

Get some hugs! Here's one to add to your collection!  (((((((((((((  :)  )))))))))))))))))

Peace

831

We Have Shoes Today!

Good Morning Readers!

It's snowing in my neck of the woods again today. Snowed yesterday as well. Not much, but enough to let us know it has done so!

I drew shoes yesterday and that is the artwork for the day. The theme for the week at the 365 Project is shoes and I went haywire with them yesterday morning. Didn't get around to posting them yesterday though cause I had to make a quick dash to Pburg to retrieve my wallet from the place where I took the paperwork the day before. Sometimes I am not too bright!

Hey! But I had the chance to see my youngest son, his wife and their youngest, Gavin.

Fred got to take a van ride, which he enjoyed thoroughly!

 And I got my wallet back! Now, if I'd of gone to the bank while I was in Pburg and transfered some money from my savings account to my checking account, I wouldn't be overdrawn in the checking account this morning. I've taken care of that this morning, first thing after I got up. Nothing like waking up from a dead sleep with your bank account on your mind and remembering you forgot to transfer funds the day before! I'm only 23 dollars in the hole so that's not too bad.

I lollagagged all day after coming back from Pburg and didn't even turn the pc on. But I've scanned the shoes this morning before I even finished my first cup of coffee.

Here ya go!

Medieval Boots

ATC

4 February 2010

#35 365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

And I forgot to clean the scanner bed before scanning all these shoes so you'll just have to contend with that black speck...it is on all of the cards! Well, not on the cards themselves, but on the scans!

Eavan

ATC

4 February 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Like with the previous shoes, these are titled with the shoe's label if it had one. I don't know the designer of any of these shoes. I tried to stay true to the colors presented in the ads where I found these shoes but not all of them are spot on. I did a little bit of designing on my own with the colors. The Eavan shoe was originally a slate blue color with a gold buckle but I can't reproduce gold with sharpies (I hate the metallic sharpies cause you can't write over the colors with a regular sharpie.)

Napoli

ATC

4 February 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Valerie

ATC

4 February 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Valerie

ATC

4 February 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

My Weapons of Choice

I don't know what will get drawn today. More shoes, perhaps! Maybe some cats. I just don't know. I can't do any drawing or art of any kind till I get some laundry and dishes done. My oldest son and his family are coming tonight and the youngest may be coming as well with his family. Looks like I might have a full house this evening. I need to do some housework!

Here's a short journey in pictures of the trip taken to Pburg yesterday.

Enjoy!

Headed north out of Stockton on our way to Phillipsburg. We just left the city limits.

Wow! That was a quick trip to Pburg! We are now headed south on 183 about a mile north of Glade. It's snowing to beat the band! There wasn't quite that much snow out there when I went to Phillipsburg, but it was coming down in bucketsful while I was there. I had to wait for over an hour to get my wallet back cause dummy me went at lunchtime! No biggie. I went to see my son and didn't take one picture while there!

I should have grabbed the camera out of my pocket when Miss Kitty, RW's cat, took out after Fred. Fred likes cats. He doesn't much care what cat. He just likes them and paid Miss Kitty not much attention at all. He was too busy sniffing the floor, the whole floor! He'd never been to RW and Lue's house before so there was all kinds of new smells. Miss Kitty wasn't near as comfy with Fred as he was with her and she kept rushing him, trying to smack him with her front paws. He just looked at that cat as if to say, "What is your problem?!" RW kept a close eye on Miss Kitty so she wouldn't smack Fred.  It was rather funny! But I didn't take out the camera and got nary a picture at my son's house.

We are now about 3 miles on the south side of Glade in the hills I love so much! Any time of year, these hills are so pretty. I was driving down the road taking these pictures so they aren't the best and this one doesn't really do the hills justice but I wanted to show you all how much snow was here compared to 6 or 7 miles to the north.

Here we are a lot closer to home. I drove right through Stockton to take the back road home cause I wanted to see what the river was doing. Well, it wasn't doing much as you can see in this picture. I stopped on the low water bridge and took this picture looking west. There's a bit of snow on the road though and it was kind of soupy driving on that chalk road from the highway, through the oil field and down to the river.

Now we're pulling into the driveway. That's the burned house you see there. The house I live in is to the left of this picture. There was hardly any snow on the ground when I left to go to Pburg. There's a lot more on the ground now, than shows in this picture from yesterday afternoon.

It was snowing pretty heavy when we pulled into the drive. Fred's frolicking in the snow here. He never sits still long enough for me to get a good picture of him. He thinks he has to come right up close to you to get his picture taken. I have hundreds of bad pictures of that silly dog!

The snow was very wet! My youngest son, RW, called me late last night (after I had gone to bed) to tell me he built 9 snowmen in his front yard after I left. He and the three older boys spent hours out there making the snowmen. I am going to take a drive over there this afternoon to see his zombie snowmen. That's what he said they were....zombie snowmen! I'll be sure to take a picture or two!

Miss Lola greeted me from the stack of blankets in the laundry room. She and Doob clashed a few days ago and Doob got her good in that one eye. It's looking a lot better now than it did the day it happened. The light seems to bother Lola so she just doesn't open that eye all the way most of the time now. It is getting better though and I think she'll be fine. Miss Kitty is Lola's mama and the pair of them look a whole lot alike.

Miss Lola is a mess of a kitten as her whiskers atest to in this picture. She got beat up by Doob on the 30th of January, I think....and a couple days later she decided to help me cook. I had the burner on the stove on in preparation of putting a pan of potatoes on to boil and that stupid cat walked across the burner, burning her whiskers in the process. She's lucky she didn't burn her little feet! She stepped in the center of the burner. She's none the worse for the wear for the scorched whiskers though.

Oh, the day in a life.....

I better get on with my life today. You all get some hugs! I think I'll do the same today!

Peace, my friends!

831

Dang! Wednesday Got Here FAST!

Hello Readers!

I really can't believe Wednesday is coming to a close! Seems like it shouldn't be this far into the week.

I finally got that paperwork into the right hands for action to be taken on it! That's a relief for me! I should have had that paperwork in before the new year got started. Better late than never though. All will be fine! Thank goodness!

I liked the way this picture came out. It's a picture of my mailbox across the highway from the house. Sunset is fixin' to commence when this was taken...the grasses are all shining like they've been dusted with gold! 

The two little trees are plum trees and the bigger tree to the left of the picture is one of two pear trees in the yard. Both pear trees stand next to one another. And there are two more plum trees also. The plums only began producing plums last summer. We had to cut down the mother plum tree when the house was moved onto the property four years ago. These little trees were volunteers from the mother tree and we let four of them grow to maturity so we could have lovely little red plums in the summer. 

I took a drive to Phillipsburg to deliver that paperwork today. I had a nice solo drive in the dreary gray cold. The drive home was quite damp, not raining or even spitting, but damp. The truck in front of me sprayed a fine mist of mud all over my windshield as we traveled down the road. I wasn't that close to him either. Traffic was slow because of a grain truck headed to Stockton loaded with milo. Five or six folks passed me and the fella in front of me. We were all behind the grain truck and those behind thought if they passed me and the red truck they'd get to Stockton sooner. Weren't they surprised when they ended up in front of the red truck going just as slow as the rest of us still cause they couldn't pass the grain truck in the hills! Some folks are just in too big a hurry some days!

I should have taken Fred with me on that journey but I knew I was going to stop at my brother Sam's house on the way home and Fred isn't allowed in Sam's house cause my brother is weird and thinks it upsets his cat. That cat could care less about that silly dog! The only time I ever took Fred to Sam's, his kitten, Meeka, played with Fred's tail while Fred lay on the floor wagging his tail so the kitten could play with it. Anyway, Fred didn't get to go this time.

I watched a Star Trek episode with Sam and let him vent about the idiots in Oklahoma who have made a major mess of his finances. And his little red truck blew the clutch this morning too which didn't help his outlook at all. I don't worry like that boy does. There is not a lot he can do about the idiots in Oklahoma and all he has to do with the truck is to fix it. He can do that without any help from anyone. I do hope things start looking up for him but I'm afraid his negative attitude will dictate the outcomes for him more than he realizes. Send Sammy some good vibes!

I got caught up with the 365 Project this morning with these four ATCs.

Another Blue Horse

ATC

3 February 2010

#32 365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Boston Terrier

ATC

3 February 2010

#33 365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

This looks more like a cat than a dog of any kind! Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

The Lone Cow

ATC

3 February 2010

#34 365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

I see that black speck is still on the scanner bed. Will have to clean that thing soon!

Red Rooster

ATC

3 February 2010

#35 365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

There is a mid-week Collage-a-thon going on over at AFA for the next three days. I haven't decided if I'll be making ATCs for that or not. I don't much feel like collaging tonight. I tried collage last night and it wasn't working out too well. I need to make a few more stitched books to show the folks over at the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, KS and I was collaging the covers of a book in shades of orange. All I ended up making was a mess!

I may sit over at my painting table and see what comes out of the muse. I'm going to be up for awhile anyway, might as well make some artwork.

I need to call the Art Center and make an appointment with Rosslyn to get my work in the gift shop there. I'll let you all know how that goes. They are interested in my big fish picture too. I'm on the lookout for more large canvasses to do mixed media on. Need to call my sister Kathy and see if she's run across any more of those. She probably wouldn't appreciate a call right now though as it's just after midnight. Tomorrow I'll give her a call.

I think instead of collaging, I am going to start a new book. I need to add to the list of books read for 2010. The goal is 50. I'm behind on my reading if I'm going to meet that goal.

You all have a terrific Thursday!

I shall ramble on again tomorrow when I come back to show you the day's artwork.

Get your hugs!

Peace

831

Playing Catch Up

Hello Readers!

I've been away for a couple days. Here, but not able to be here! Well, I was able, just didn't have anything nice to say to anyone and my mother always says, "If you have nothing nice say, it might be best if you kept your mouth shut." So. :) I just felt like major crap for the last few days and haven't been the greatest company.

I'm better now though and I think I'm back on track. Least headed in the right direction. That fibro takes ahold of me sometimes and I have a devil of a time getting it to turn loose!

........*........

I haven't posted in a few days but I have been busy, all but one of those days, with art at one time or another. The stuff I'm showing you today was done from the 28th through the 1st of Feb.

We'll start with 365 Project Cards

Hollyhock

ATC

365 Project

28 January 2010

I showed you all this one in the last post, as well as the next one. Showing them twice is more for my benefit than your own.

Sacred Bull

ATC

365 Project

29 January 2010

Both are markers on recycled cardstock.

Cat's Armadillo

ATC

365 Project

31 January 2010
Inspired by a photograph by The Mad Catter.

Markers on recycled cardstock.

I actually drew this one on 1st Feb 2010 but I was behind on my 365 Project cards.

Purple Fish Collage

ATC

365 Project

31 January 2010

Collage on stiff chipboard. American History text page, black nylon scarf, red mesh onion bag, glitter, novelty yarns, fish is cardstock colored with black sharpie, glitter, eyeshadow, gold dust and a google eye. It's all sealed with acrylic varnish. The gold dust is actually gold colored dust that was originally designed to go into resin in a mold to make the object shiny. I use it for other things.

I won't go through the description of the next five fishes cause they were all made the same time this fella was made and they all have the exact same components, just different color glitter on the fishes and everything placed differently. I actually made these over a two day time....I started them on the 31st and finished them on the 1st.

Enjoy! There's a herd of fish loose in this post!

Light Green Fish Collage

ATC

Light Blue Fish Collage

ATC

This is my least favorite of the lot. That old light blue glitter did not play nicely with the glue nor the acrylic varnish. Lesson learned. :)

Lavendar Fish Collage

ATC

Dark Blue Fish Collage

ATC

Dark Green Fish Collage

ATC

I just noticed that I cut off this fella's nose with the scanner! He really is all there!

Purple Flower

ATC

365 Project

25 January 2010

I don't think I posted this one here. I know I posted it to the thread over at AFA though.

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Ace

ATC

23 January 2010

I did this one for the Collage-a-thon ove that weekend of the 23rd and never scanned it till today. It is sheet music, part of a playing card, a pc of eyelash yarn, blue squares from a magazine, the man too is from a magazine (not sure who he is), and brown paper packing material, all attached to recycled cardstock with glue of one kind or another. I think there might be some glitter on there too.

No, we're not done just yet. I did some drawings I told you all about in a previous post. Those were done on the 26th of January at my brother's house while waiting on supper to cook. I'm thinking they will eventually get some color put to them, perhaps end up in a chunky book somewhere. I've yet to make any chunky pages this year and that has to change. For the time being these drawings are tucked safely in the notebook where all my odd sized drawings end up.

I've shown you them in the order in which they were drawn while sitting on the sofa with a handyman guide book across my lap for a desk. The pages are 5 inches square and done in black gel pen. My said to me as he handed me that pen, "This is the best pen I own! You'll love it!" He was right. It was a nice pen! I have a couple of them in the drawer over there<<<<<<. :)

The fishes aren't in the notebook, they are in the file drawer with the rest of the fishes. I'll use them for sure on something or another.

Yep, now we are done with art.

It is a quarter to 2 in the morning and I really should be awake before noon tomorrow. That paperwork still isn't done. It's filled out, but it still isn't in the right hands for action to be taken on it. That will happen tomorrow for sure! A trip to the gas station is in order before I drive those 23 miles to Pburg but that's no biggie! The van was running on fumes when I took it to town earlier this evening.

Watched a movie with my brother. The Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis in it. Was a pretty good movie if you like the shoot 'em up kind. They musta shot off two million rounds of ammo in that movie! It was certainly a 'guy movie'. I sat through the whole of it, so it must not of been a terrible movie!

Something is wrong with my pump for the water well. I have no water at the moment. Didn't have any when I woke up at 11:30 on Monday morning. I don't think it is actually the pump itself, I think it is the plug-in where the pump is plugged in that is the trouble. It's a pain in the patootie when you have no water! Fixing that problem is on the agenda as well. I'm not too worried that it is the pump, cause that pump is only a few years old and when we got that pump, the one that died was well over 25 yrs old. The new one should last at least half that long!

Alright! I'm outta here for now. I can hear my bed calling to me from the other end of the house!

You all have yourselves a terrific Tuesday! Get some hugs. Give some hugs! HUGS to you all!!!!!

Smile, too! It makes folks wonder what's on your mind!

Peace, Good People!

831

Little Miss Annabel and Two Bits of Art

Good Morning Good People!

I do hope it's a good morning for you all. I woke up at 10 a.m. with a killer headache. I think the weather has a lot to do with that headache being here! I stumbled back to the kitchen after getting the pc up, going to make coffee and found a dead mouse floating in the pan of water in the sink. Better a dead mouse in the sink than a live one in the bread box. The cat, which cat I don't know, had knocked dishes over on the draining rack so I'm assuming said cat chased that mouse into the sink and then couldn't get it out of the water where it swam till it died. I tossed the dead critter outside

(Sorry, you all probably didn't need a dead critter story right off the bat, did you?)

There's new snow on the ground this morning. I said I didn't want any more snow. Someone wasn't listening apparently! :) Not a lot of snow, just a dusting, just enough to make it cold as all get out and to play havoc with my head.

That beautiful little girl that greeted you at the beginning of this post is my grand daughter, Annabel Mae. It has been a few weeks since I have seen Miss Annabel. Her mama says she's growing like a weed! I can believe that! Talked to her papa (my son RJ) a few days ago on the phone and heard Annabel in the background just a hollering her little lungs out. RJ said he was trying to get her to take a nap. He is an excellent daddy. Dotes on that little girl as much as he does 7 yr old, Brenton. Brenton was part of the package deal when he hooked up with Terah. He's a good boy, Brenton is. RJ is a good boy as well.

I didn't think any of yous would object to having to look at an adorable child this morning. Annabel is now 5 and 1/2 months old.

I hear my brother outside in the trailerhouse shed as I sit here typing this morning. He apparently doesn't notice the new snow on the ground. He's tearing crap apart out there! Taking down the ceiling panels this morning. I'm not going out to help him, it's too cold and my head still hurts.

My youngest son should be here in about an hour so I better get this post done and over with.

Here's some art. Only two pieces from yesterday. I thought there might end up being more but I got caught up in playing majong and didn't get any more drawing done!

Enjoy.

Hollyhock

ATC

28 January 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

365 Project

Sacred Bull

ATC

28 January 2010

Markers on recycled cardstock.

I see someone needs to clean the scanner bed again. Those black specks on the bull are not actually on the card. That black speck doesn't show up near as well on the Hollyhock. It's there though.

I didn't go to the museum in Logan with Ma the other day. I begged off cause of a damned headache and all the other crap I needed to get done. The exhibit runs through the end of February so we will still go see it.

You all get some Friday hugs and kisses. I'll be collecting my hugs here shortly when RW, Lue and 4 yr old Gavin show up. Have a good one, people!

Peace

831

Thursday's ramblings, no artwork in sight for this one.

I've done artwork today....two ATCs, but I've yet to scan the little devils. I'll scan them later this evening and do a post early morning to show you today's artwork. There may be more to scan before the night is over.
I got my paperwork filled out but not taken to its destination yet. I'm hoping that will occur tomorrow. It should have been done weeks ago, but being late isn't the end of it all...so I'm kinda procrastinating when I shouldn't be procrastinating. It'll get taken care of before the week is done! Guess that means tomorrow!

I had lunch with my brother at his house and then watched the movie, Foreve Young with him. He said it was a 'chick flick' and I reminded him I was not your typical chick. He agreed I am not your typical chick but he assured me I would probably like this movie anyway. And yes, I did like the movie! It was a good story. It reminded me somewhat of the movie Benjamin Buttons though it was an entirely opposite story. Good movie nonetheless and it wasn't time wasted in my opinion.

I have added a couple of books to the "books read in 2010' list on the sidebar. Sounder was an excellent read if any of you are looking for something to occupy your time in the reading department. The Body wasn't a bad book either! No clue what the next book on the list will be. I've yet to pick one from the shelves and get on with it.
I have about 1000 books in the house to choose from. And if I get desparate (like that's going to happen with 1000 books in the house,) I can always go out to the burned house and choose a book from the many, many boxes of books out there! I do have a book laying on the headboard of my bed that looks promising and it will probably be the next one on the list. It is called "Cranes On Parade" You all heard about Cows on Parade? Well, instead of cows, there are cranes (birds) painted in all fashion same as the cows were. I have a Cows on Parade book as well but it was read a couple years ago and a couple years is not enough time gone by to go back to a book I've already read when, like I said, there are 1000 books to choose from. I really don't know exactly how many books and I'm only guessing at the 1000 mark. There are books in every room of my house except the laundry room. (Ain't no time to read in the laundryroom!)

I was going to show you all something really cool that brother Sam found out in the trailerhouse shed when he was taking down the panelling on the walls, but it's so little I can't get a good picture of it. I was really surprised when he brought it in the house for me. Others wouldn't have even given it a second thought! So, what did he find? A dead scorpion. Yes, I get excited about things like that! It's a tiny little critter, but it's oh so cool! I'm going to keep experimenting with the camera and see if I can get a good shot of the pale tan exoskeleton of the scorpion. In life, the little guy was probably reddish brown as those are the normal scorpions found in my neck of the woods. He's only about an inch long and maybe 3/4 inch tall...he has his tail curled up above his body. The pose he is in is incredible! It looks as though he had died and someone pinned him to a board that way, but there are no pins in him! Sam said he was clinging to the insulation behind the panelling. It was an excellent find and I am so glad Sammy brought it to me. I have several dead critters in my desk room. Three skulls, a mouse skull and backbone, an owl pellet full of little bones from God knows what, a goat skull and a domesticated cat skull, not to mention the tarantula and emperor scorpions hanging behind glass on the wall. Yes, I am a weird girl! The strangest part of that collection of strange things is that the goat skull was given to me by my oldest son. The emperor scorpion and the tarantula were given to me by youngest son. The owl pellet came from my mother. The cat skull came from the trailerhouse shed. I'm pretty certain it was a cat I owned at one time. I've had two go missing in the years I've lived out here. The mouse skull and backbone was actually a whole mouse skeleton till I picked it up off the carpet beneath the china hutch in the livingroom when I rearranged last year. It fell to pieces though so I only kept the bones that stayed intact. I forgot to mention the coyote skull hanging on the wall above the desk. It came from my mother as well. There are strange things all over this room! Including the girl sitting in this chair typing on the keyboard! LOL Only my brother Sam will tell you I am normal and that isn't saying too much really cause he thinks he's normal as well and I know for certain he is not.

I like junk as well as most men do. I'm thankful my brother understands that. He is tearing down my trailer house shed and there is all kinds of cool little junk that most women would consider just that.....junk. Sam finds cool things and he keeps them out for me to see before he latches on to them for the junk pile. I garnered some tiny aluminum clips the other day that will work wonderfully for arms and legs on matchbox shrine dolls! Into my jar of little metal bits and bobs they went!
Somewhere on the www I saw little robots made out of bolts, screws, nails, nuts, you know, all that little metal crap that you find when you tear crap apart....my brother has been tearing crap apart right and left to separate the different metals whatever is made out of. I have access to a whole big pan of crap like that if I really want it. I need to figure out which glue would hold it together the best. I suppose I could solder it together but I'm not good at soldering and I always burn my fingers when I give it a shot! Too bad Sam sold his welding unit. I could learn how to weld, I think.
For those of you who also love junk, if you would like some little junk, I'd gladly trade you for it. Maybe you have different junk than I do or maybe you've some artwork that catches my fancy. Just let me know if you'd like some of my little junk crap and we can do some dealing.
Brother got news that makes our trip to the junk dealer not quite so dire so that trip has been put off for awhile. We'd rather sit on our junk than sell it right now anyway. The junk piles will only grow and then we'll just have more junk to sell for more money when we need it most!
The trailerhouse shed should be completely gone by next week! I'm anxious to see how much aluminum we get off the siding of that old thing. And the corregated iron on the roof will be a nice chunk to add to the iron pile! Not sure just how we will get it to the iron pile, but Sam says he's got that figured out already and I shouldn't give it any thought. OK. No problem.
I wish for another trip to the junkyard with my friend, but that doesn't appear to be going to happen anytime soon so I won't fret about that either.

I made a phone call this morning to inquire about putting my art in the gift shop at The Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, Kansas. It looks promising. I haven't heard back from the director yet. I sent her an email with attachments of some ATCs, some little books and the fish picture. I'm hoping she will want my work in the gift shop. I did two stone carvings for the Art Center back in '05 and Roslyn fell in love with those! They are both in the limestone courtyard behind the Art Center. Part of their permanent collections. There are other artists represented in the limestone courtyard as well. I was honored to be among those artists, as the two stones I carved for them were the first two stones I ever carved in my life! So, wish me luck on this endeavor. I'm rather excited about it.

I guess I'm done rambling for the time being. I can't think of much else to say.... Hmmm, me speechless? Doesn't seem possible!
You all get your hugs! I got a few today so I'm good to go!
Have yourselves a Fantastic Friday and I shall ramble again tomorrow!
Peace
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Green Girl

Good Morning Readers!

This will be a short post today. I still have things to finish up from yesterday. A roadtrip is in order for later today and I have another assignment added to the task that was started yesterday. In short, I've another busy day ahead of me.

This drawing fits perfectly with my state of mind and physical well being yesterday. I was a tad green around the gills as it goes. Much better today, but still busy as all get out!

Green Girl

ATC

27 January 2010

365 Project

Markers on recycled cardstock.

I'm not sure what possessed me to draw a green girl, but there you have it! It's the only art (and I think calling this art is a stretch of the imagination if there ever was one!) that was produced yesterday. Not sure what will get made in the art department today. I know I need to finish the matchbox for my second matchbox/book for the swap. The book is done. The matchbox is still white...not very exciting! Still trying to figure out just what to put on the matchbox. So I will be wracking my brain to solve this dilemma sometime today. The matchboxes and books are not due till the first week of March but it's time to get them done and in the mail so I don't have to deal with them anymore till the returns come in.

I have cards to get into envelopes and mailed in the next couple of days too.

Brother Sam wants to take a roadtrip either tomorrow (Friday) or Monday, depending on the news he gets. I will be taking that roadtrip with him as we are headed to Salina to sell some junk to the junk dealer if all goes well. I'll be having to help load all that junk to take it to the junk dealer so that will cut into art time in the next few days. I wish things weren't so busy, but nothing I can do about that but go with it!

You all get some hugs on this chilly Thursday. Weather gurus said we were to have a dusting of snow on the ground this morning but there is no snow to be seen out there right now and it doesn't look like it's going to snow. I didn't want more snow anyway!

Peace, my friends!

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