Needs....

Just putting the word out. If there are any of you out there who happen to be friend's of my husband and you actually read my blog, put a bug in his ear for me. My birthday is coming up in November and I NEED a new cat.... or two. This week is my 10 month anniversary losing Minya and I still can barely think of her without bawling. Oh, if only you could see me now, you'd know I speak the truth. Last week, out of nowhere, I found a piece of her fur... one single hair, on my kitchen counter. I have primarily black granite counter tops so her gorgeous copper ticked hair really showed up. I couldn't breath for a moment, just standing there, frozen, staring at it as tears welled up in my eyes again. I really NEED a cat, people. Someone drop some hints to my hubby, will ya'? And I really, really, really want a pair! ;) I want them at the same time. When I had the last two, Chuck got them for me a year apart and by the time Phoebe came to live with us, Minya was so stinkin' spoiled and never would be nice to Phoebe. Even though they lived together for 18 years, Minya would always walk by Phoebe and smack her across the face. Poor Phoebe. It's already been 4 months since I lost her. I just can't stand not having a cat. WAhhhhhhh... I NEED CATS!!!!

I did it!

Ok, I really did it! I submitted 3 classes to teach at Art Unraveled next August! I can't tell you how I was shaking and sorta' felt sick to my stomach sending those e-mails! I can't begin to tell you how many hours went into them either. Not only did I have to send in the class description and supply lists but I had to have samples made with photographs to submit as well as class handouts! Oh, and a bio too! But I did it! Now, the waiting game. The website doesn't go live until January with registration starting in Feb. so I could have a few months to wait! In the meantime, I'm breathing and also planning to put together some other classes to teach locally. Totally different classes though.

Last night, I had another of my bad headaches. I had both my boys rubbing my head. Max can really work knots out. Sam, well, let's just say he tries. Anyway, they were both rubbing my head, face, neck, etc.. and I'm laying there with my eyes closed listening to them. Max says, "Maybe you need some pickles to go on your eyes." I'm sorta' out of it with nothing registering until I hear Sam's reply, "Those aren't pickles, they're cucumbers!" Then I realized what they were talking about and I busted. They say some of the funniest things sometimes!

I ran into computer problems this morning that made me want to scream. I managed to get to church to set up for my class tomorrow morning. I still have some computer work to do. When my computer what whacking out, I went to use Chuck's. I tried to print so I can take my handouts to the church office to run copies and Chuck's printer wouldn't work. I just couldn't believe it. Now that I have my computer working normal again, I have to go e-mail myself everything I typed out on Chuck's computer so I can get it printed off. Now I have to get to the church early tomorrow morning.

Well, now I have to go help with the dreaded homework. Oh, how I still hate math!

I'm back!

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted here! YIKES! I've still been really busy working on class proposals and samples with a deadline this coming week. Not to mention teaching at Bible Study, kid stuff, etc... I'm down to reviewing all my proposals, class hand outs, etc... before submitting. What a lot of work! I feel like my head is above water now though. The end is in sight! However, I do have several other class ideas that I want to work on for local classes.

Today, I have had one of my favorite kinds of days. Pajamas all day, movies with my boys, and art. It can't get any better. Well, if a beach were involved, maybe.

Sam went over to a friend's house this afternoon and Chuck is out getting parts for the boys computer and stuff... stuff I don't understand, anyway, it's just been Max and me. We watched a movie and then, this sweet little sneaky guy surprised me with "dinner" in his room! He set his little table, had flowers on the table (weeds) that he picked for me and everything. It was the sweetest thing. I'm showing you a picture but ignore the disasterous condition of the room in the background. Beanie Babies are breeding in their room and taking over. Anyway, you can also tell the table was well loved. Nothing is safe from paint! ;)

Then, once the table was clear, he sang me a song and played his harmonica. It had a bluegrass feel and he made it up as he went. Mostly it was about his love for me, how he'd never forget me, etc... but somehow Luke Skywalker got worked in there. Not sure what that was about! LOL! I was cracking up! But I feel very loved and special. But oh, he's doing this stuff when he's not even 7 yet and calling himself "The Love Doctor" (got that from Alvin and the Chipmunks) so I think I'll surely have my hands full by the time he's like, oh.... 12? Eek! And, I was just treated to a performance of Max's version of hip-hop. Oh my!

Well, Sam is home now and I need to get him some dinner. I really wish food weren't a necessary part of life.

Busy, busy, busy

This week has been a whirlwind. For those of you that have been reading my blog for a while will remember that last year, I taught a weekly women's Bible study class with a basis of meditation using art as a response. I am teaching it again this year (our year goes from Sept.-April). I have two different women coming alongside me to facilitate this year. I'm very excited. My friend, Martha, will be leading in meditation exercises. Lori (different one from last year) will be focusing on journaling exercises. Lori is also an artist so she'll be of great help to me when I need help. Both of these women took the class with me last year. I will, of course, be leading the art expression part of the class. Last year, there were 16 of us. This year, we had to close sign ups at 25 due to lack of space. And with 25, we are PACKED! We actually get two rooms this year, one for our group time, and one will be strictly for our studio space. We are FULL! A lot of time has been spent this week figuring out table configurations, going through supplies and reorganizing, and meeting with Lori and Martha for some plans for the first few weeks. This coming Tuesday will be our first class day. We are all very excited. I've done quite a lot of supply shopping the past few days also. I truthfully, have hardly been home this week. I miss home.

Tomorrow, the 5th and 6th graders at my boy's school are having a fund raising pancake breakfast/yard sale so we will be going up there in the morning. They are raising money for a camping trip!

I'm trying so hard to get some class proposals ready by Oct. 1 for the possibility of teaching at Art Unraveled next year. It's a load of work so I need to really crank this coming week. I need to get some samples made up and finish writing up hand outs for the classes. The book class I'm proposing is the most difficult as I need to take photographs while making the sample in order to properly make my hand outs. I really need to get focused!

Well, I'm pretty beat. Think I'll head to bed early.

A trip to Prescott and a little bit of art

I'm really hoping someone can tell me what this "winged creature" is! It was about the size of a hummingbird and it's wings were similar when in flight... they moved very rapidly. However, This thing has a striped body! Is this some sort of fast flying insect or some weird species of hummingbird that I've never seen before?


Hard to believe I can drive just over an hour and be in the midst of tall pines like this!

The sky on my drive up to Prescott!
The evening sunset.
This little guy kept me company on my back patio for a couple of days. These are the most interesting insects. I love how they can turn their heads like humans!



The past week has been a whirlwind. I got to go out-of-town ALONE for 3 days! I drove up to Prescott, AZ, only about an hour and a half drive into the mountains. The weather was perfect. About 80 for a high and in the mid-50's at night! I stayed in a darling little loft that looks like Martha Stewart did the decorating! I had a deck that overlooked the whole little downtown area of Prescott. I just love it there. I did a TON of journaling, some reading, caught up on several episodes of Project Runway that I have missed over the past month, and did a little bit of painting. I only did one watercolor journal page but instead of making each page a single painting, for the first time, I tried combining several separate paintings on one page. Here's my first effort doing this:
This shows bits and pieces of things I enjoyed seeing, along with the photos, of course!.

I also completed a 12x12 quilt for the "With One Voice" exhibit, part of the Breaking Traditions Art Quilt exhibit raising money for cancer research. This exhibit focuses on people who do good. I chose to do my quilt about Kit Danley of Neighborhood Ministries.
Kit started this ministry in one of the poorest areas of Phoenix with a food bank being the first part of the ministry to start. It was soon followed by a clothing bank. Then, she started focusing on the kids. The ministry has grown over the past 25 years and now ministers to hundreds of kids each week through a variety of programs including tutoring, advocating in schools for children, back to school and holiday programs to help the children get things they need, ministering to families, a medical clinic, mentoring mom's program for unwed teenage moms, and this is just a short list. Personally, Kit has chosen to live and raise her family in the bario of Phoenix and is known as Mother Theresa of the Hood. She has advocated in prisons, court, schools... you name it. She has even taken children into her own home when they had no where to go. She's a power house and amazing woman who is 100%, Jesus with skin on. I titled my quilt "Reach into poverty". The background children are created with Spanish Bible text. I did an overlay of gold organza. Kit then stamped her handprint onto the quilt top. I did some beading in the center of her palm. It is because of the courage, vision, and obedience to God that one woman started a ministry that has literally touched thousands of lives and shown child after child, parent after parent, the true love of God. I'm honored to know her and to have worked along side her for a season. She's a woman I deeply admire.
The exhibit will be a traveling exhibit for at least the next year.

Also, my oldest son, Sam, turned 9 years old and we had his roller skating party this past weekend. The party was interesting, to say the least. But the kids seem to have fun and not mind the craziness.

Sam only went out on the floor a couple of times and when he did, this is where he was... hugging the wall! Truthfully, he was more interested in the arcade games.
He won all these tickets with ONE quarter! LOL!

Max, however, took to skating pretty quickly. It was only his second time on skates but look at him go!
Max takes to anything physical almost instantly. He's a naturally athletic little guy. His birthday is only 6 weeks away and wants a skating party too... but we will NOT being going back to this rink. Ya'll wouldn't believe how this party went if I told you. It was a fiasco. I'm just glad it's over!

Gotta' go check on dinner....

Cool give-away to check out

Here'a a neat give away but time is running out for you to leave a comment because it ends Sunday night! This give away is from Cate Prato, one of the Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine editors. Hurry on over now!

I will catch up with my life, art, etc... here soon. A lot has been going on... and I even got to run away out-of-town ALONE for 3 days! I just got home yesterday and have Sam's birthday party this morning so I'll do a catch up post when I catch my breath!