Happy Thanksgiving

(postcard to Mr. J. S. Glen in West Toledo, Ohio, from Harry in Chicago, Illinois. Reads, "Very best of wishes ahd hope you and all enjoy the occasion immensely and partake plentifully of the famous bird." Postmarked November 21, 1921 at 11pm.)

and the other engagement!

My nephew, Dan, and his fiance, Sarah, will wed next August - aren't they cute?!! Sarah faced alot a few years back when she was stricken with a serious medical emergency as many of my CollageCat art friends may remember as they rallied to send her some wonderful art pieces to decorate her hospital room and lift her spirits. She still talks about the generosity of that with me and how much lifted her spirits.

the night before...

...getting ready for tomorrow!

It's been a long time, two months, since I have blogged. My world turned upside down about that time, and although I know there are far, far worse things going on in the world than what I am dealing with, nevertheless the challenges I face are my own, the disappointment and heartache that which I have to live with every day. With that I have had to focus as much of my energy as I possibly can on my new job and career, and it has left little time for much else - to say I've been exhausted, both mentally as well as physically, an enormous understatement.

So I decided taking time off for a weekend up north last week was exactly what I needed as I continue to try to clear my head and heart and deal with keeping this old battery charged. My boss gave me keys to his cottage for a few days when I'd asked for a friday off, and I delightedly accepted his generous offer (well, to interject, he thought they were keys to the place, but we had to actually break in!). It was the last amazing weekend of the season, the weather in the 80's for the whole of it, so wonderfully warm we actually swam in Lake Michigan - in October (absolutely unheard of in the nearly 50 years I have been alive, anyway). We had a very few sprinkles of rain, not enough to keep us inside, and this picture I took as we walked down the beach saturday afternoon. That moment served to remind me that even when life seems to be darkest, with hope and faith, it can, and will, get better.

I am not going to let him defeat me, not again.

engaged!

My niece, Becca, (our only girl), is a doctoral student (microbiology) at the University of California at Davis. She and her artist boyfriend, Chris, had some vacation time and took a trip north, up the coast, where he proposed at Crater Lake this past weekend! They plan on marrying next summer at one of the Lake Michigan beaches. There will be two weddings next summer as her brother and his fiance (Dan & Sarah), are in the planning stages for theirs, to be held next August. Happy times, as we open our hearts to two wonderful kids and expand our family.

I am an optimistic person. I do believe in signs. That said, I don't know what kind of day must be ahead that I wake up with the words to the most annoying song on the planet running through my mind, "achey breaky heart" - what the ?!!?! It doesn't bode well, I don't think.

****must have been the $439 vet bill, the rest of the day was great! Thankfully it was mostly preventive maintenance stuff I was paying for, along with the chronic floppy-ear syndrome-type ear infections he is prone to which require swabs and tests and cleaning fluids and medications to make my little guy comfy and healthy. All a day in the life.

3 things

Three things I am crazy about: stones, shells, & books. These two clever books are so adorable and artistic, with simple sweet stories. I can certainly relate to the message of infatuation, who doesn't come home from the lake or ocean (and bookstore!) with as much as you can carry - well, I do! The stones in this picture were picked up along Lake Superior this past fall, the shells, some of them from Sanibel I know, the little tan one in the forefront of the pile had a hole in it when I found it way, way back when (high school) so it seemed perfect worn on a chain, which I did sometimes in the summer. As for the books, they are written by a very talented Tracy Gallup and picked up at B&N, one a month or so ago, the other today. Simple, simple pleasures, just the best.

let's hear it for 'chick flicks'! This is a beautiful movie.

it's raining, it's pouring...

...and god knows we need it, but come on, it's saturday! And it's only 66 degrees - inside my house on a July morning, sigh.

not so good ideas
~clean the house.
~organize the art room.
~purge.

good ideas
~socks.
~coffee (lots).
~stacks of magazines (started perusing old issues of ME Home Companion at 3:30am - seemed like a good idea at the time and one to continue now it's so dark and dreary).
~a nap under the covers.

better ideas
~if Yesterdog delivered.
~if my new Netflix movies had arrived.
~someone to play with.
~that nap.

birthday party!

We (Cathy, Dad & Karen, Peggy & Kevin, and I) went to the first Grand Rapids Symphony Pops concert of the season tonight at Cannonsburg to celebrate my sister Cathy's birthday - as you can see from the first photo as we picnicked it was a gorgeous evening. That is right up until just before intermission when the sky reminded me of the one in The Wizard of Oz just before Dorothy's house was picked up and spun away (fittingly the program was Sci-Fi music, and the orchestra was playing the theme from Star Wars when this blew up)! Thus the evening ended earlier than expected as the place tried to empty out before the storm hit. However, as we were waiting in the parking lot to exit, a gorgeous rainbow appeared!! Had to snap a picture of her (and her new car she just got yesterday) as it seemed another birthday surprise just for her! This picture was shot well before the time the sun actually goes down - you can see how dark and ominous things were, luckily we didn't get but a few sprinkles of rain on us out there. Here at home it appears the heavens let loose.

they all seem to run together - ahh, summer!

it seems i am posting all out of sequence these days, but isn't that what summer is all about - a wonderful blur of fun! here's what my 07/07/07 looked like, complete with a picnic from a perfect vantage point for another perfect sunset which was to come (in mylifetime i will never get enough of them)!

Had a health scare last week, entered the hospital in an ambulance and spent the night. Upshot my potassium level was very very low, and the symptoms I suddenly started to experience mimicked what I've always associated with stroke. Thankfully they were able to put me on an IV and get it to a normal level and there are no permanent repercussions. And as you can see from the last post, I was able to go on and celebrate the holiday just wonderfully. I am very pale this summer which put a bit of a scare into my sons when they first saw me thinking it was due to being sick, however, being I've been studying and working thus little free time and no pool as we'd been accustomed to all their lives I am undergoing quite a change in lifestyle. It hopefully a very healthy and long one!

I am being gently chided to eat more bananas now from all concerned - it will take more than that but I appreciate the thoughts!

Yesterday's 4th of July celebration was a great one, spent the day in Muskegon with friends on their boat. Both the boys were here, Luke from Seattle, Joe from Ohio. We had gorgeous weather, good food, fun with friends - the ultimate summer holiday, couldn't have asked for more/better!!

I'd like to know how many times I have said lately, 'I should have bought a condo', I may have already mentioned it here, in fact. It takes alot to maintain a house by myself, and with also trying to clear the back yard (think I whacked down about 14 trees on a whim last night) too, it's just nonstop work. For the most part I enjoy it (well, sorta), yet usually I am just too exhausted to get much in the way of art done because of all this, when I finished school thus thinking I'd have so much free time again (what, I now have to find a job?!!) - it was time to buy a lawnmower! The only painting I've accomplished is two doors yesterday, both side entrances into the garage, this one on the front porch. Tomorrow I am going to do the front door - I do love the color! Haven't even had time to go out and get new cushions for the chairs yet, I just noticed.

BREAKING NEWS - I did find a job, have been hired by the greatest people on earth - will be working with the wonderful people pictured a few posts back that helped train me!!! I'm working on getting my x-ray certification right now and will begin working a bit in July (doctor taking the month off) so will kind of be easing into it until August. This is just the greatest thing that has happened to me in a really l o n g time!!!!!!!

{sunset}

Nothing so beautiful and relaxing to me as sitting on the beach and watching the sun go down over Lake Michigan, this last saturday after a huge thunderstorm had gone through.

I've done a little bit of art, this is for a swap through The Creative Underground. What we were to do was purchase 30 packets of seeds, and then using the front of the packet as a base for an artist trading card, make one which will then fit into the seed packet. These will be assembled into books, one for each of 30 artists. I am particularly excited to see the end result and receive my book, it was hinted at the cover will be done in ceramic. Just put my contribution into the mail today, and as soon as the wonderful women who work their magic on these swaps assemble and mail the books out, I will reveal here!

silly

Ernie - just like one of the kids! I was outside planting flowers today, thought I'd check the sprinklers to make sure they were aimed where they needed to be, it's starting to get dry here. He jumped right on that one!

In times of sorrow the bond of family and friends strengthens as we come together in grief. Our lives are so busy day to day, but when forced by a death to slow down it is in the remembering and sharing that I am enveloped with gratitude and love. I am so thankful for my blessings as to all the people that have crossed my path in life.

My heart goes out to my dear friend Pam and her amazingly strong family as they deal with their loss.

This is the team from Grand Dental Care up in Rockford - I can't say enough about these wonderful people! Until we land a job those of us in our class have been given the option of signing up to work in the office to get experience, I've done a few days there now. I'm sure it has been disruptive for them to be over run with students, but all of them ~ Jan, Sandy, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Sadie and Dr. Ron are so very patient and kind, are wonderful teachers. They have made me feel so very welcome and are not stingy with their praise, either - very good for the ego!

And now - I think it's time I wade through my art room here and get busy with making some ART!!!!

happy mother's day

my mom and me!

~ Whether making new ones or reminiscing over those tucked away in your heart, here's to cherished moments and beautiful memories ~