ARTIST UNPLUGGED..............mundane ramblings of an artist, wife, mom and Mema
I wasn't overly concerned, as you can see, that mom was not rushing me this morning to talk with all of you. Working it all out on the couch just works for me!
Pretty flexible about when I decide to post......
No way will I try to deny that life is not good....with good friends and a little time to relax! Slobbery woof to Snuffles, Annie and Luna! Have a great Friday too!
Thank you soooooooo very much LoLo for this compassionate and awesome award. Your artwork is impeccable and the warmth behind the award could melt chocolate! I am very touched that you have bestowed it upon me. This award goes to fellow bloggers who visit frequently and raise my spirits with their kind words of encouragement, their beautiful images and their wonderful outlook on life. They make blogging a positive experience and continue to make my life richer. I would like to pass it along to A Woman of No Importance, A Year of Art, Artist Victoria O'Neill, Hot Wheels Hacienda and back to Deepazartz as well!
These photos were taken last Sunday as we were almost home from our weekend in Atlanta.
These are not of the best quality - we were driving down the rainy interstate but I believe you get a feeling of how it was.
Some were floaty, like smoke, others dark and heavy, the open areas, then there is the bright full pink one.
They were amazing! We were in a safe hurry since we were monitoring reports of how close the worst storm was approaching our home. We were driving towards the west as the storm was coming from the west to the east.
You are certain to find amazing sky photos at http://skyley.blogspot.com/. Have a great Friday!
Greetings canine companions! Can we talk? Do you ever feel restless, not sure what you want but you just can't settle down? Sometimes the program that the jesters are viewing just doesn't bring me satisfaction. Last night it was the American Idol results show.......like it much better when they're bringing down the house on performance night. Anyhow, I kept scoping the place for something to get into. My toys are often on the hearth but my dad puts the really good ones on the mantle. (Apparently mom doesn't care for that place of storage)
Decided to kick up my heels a bit with the standby bone, it's always good for a little gnawing.
My best buddy loves me and misses me so much he sketches me in class on his notes......we had a great time last weekend, just the two of us! 
Wow, the exhausting toll it takes on me to write every week, I really doubt you fully comprehend it. Quickly! Before I totally slip into a deep snore! A big, sloppy woof out to Snuffles, Annie, Luna and all you other restless, wild and crazy canines!!!! 
I may be caught up with my comments, hope I haven't overlooked you! Please don't be offended if I have. I did this botanically challenged zentangle at the end of last week. Hoping to get to more art soon!!!!!!
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what to post about tomorrow........... 
We attended the last Club volleyball tournament in downtown Atlanta this past weekend. The team played alright, lost a couple they should not have but that's okay. We drove over on Friday evening and we stayed nearby the venue in downtown. We arrived to play at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning and finished around 1:30 that day. Our hotel was about 3 blocks away, so we walked. That's nothing....unless you have a bad back, one bad knee and the other is worse! I survived. VolleyGirl and I took a little nap upon returning to the room. Then we got ready and went walking around downtown for a bit. I didn't take that many photos but caught a few. 
I liked the reflection of one glass building on another.
The same here.
We were constantly encouraged to take a horse pulled carriage ride. I thought the horses were so sweet and of course felt sorry for them. Mr. Unplugged wanted to take one but VolleyGirl obviously thought it would be extremely embarrassing. I'm usually steps behind trying to keep up - should have just hopped on and said adios!
These windows were broken almost a year ago from a tornado.
Appropriate carriage for VolleyGirl - there were normal ones. We ate at an Italian restaurant.
I am not completely recovered from the trip. The weather was bad on the drive home part of the time and was at home and along the areas where BigBoy was to drive back to school. We kept asking him what were the weather reports in order for him to leave. Finally, I looked on Mr. U's phone at weather.com and it was to be bad all evening. I do not believe BigBoy was being totally upfront about it. We didn't let him leave Sunday. Luckily, his class wasn't until 3:00 on Monday so he didn't leave until yesterday morning. There were a couple of deaths and damage in nearby towns. I had bags to unpack, clothes to start washing, grocery trip so it takes me awhile after a trip to get back to blogging. Also, school volleyball tryouts are this week and I had to driving VG to that after school and then return to pick her up. Her school does not have it's own gym yet so we must drive 20 minutes from school to the one they use, it is about 30 minutes or more from our house. That's every day this week. We don't allow her to ride with her 16 year old friend drivers just yet. 
My best buddy was home for a few days last weekend and I showed him my new toy. I don't understand why they won't let me play with it long though.....with just a little work I could get that annoying squeaky thing out...I know it! They put it up in the closet and no matter how much staring is done at the door gently letting them know moi would like it back, they totally ignore me then occasionally seem quite annoyed! Hello, you got it for me didn't you? Gonna have to work on those royal subjects of mine, let them know whose in charge!
There was something new on mom's desk in the kitchen.....it had an awesome aroma, that big egg thingy......my sniffer was quite taken with it and I yearned to know more.
Ah, yes, that IS one more enticing odor going on there.....
Dang! She's making me get down, just when it seemed to be within my grasp.....oh no, I could almost taste it!
My good friend Soulbrush has once again bestowed an award to me. I am always flattered and grateful for the acknowledgement that it may be worth someone's time to bother reading my blog. Thank you so very much Soulbrush, you are always an inspiration. I will pay it forward soon.
Monday I finished this drawing while waiting in Barnes & Noble Bookstore as VolleyGirl and a couple of friends were in a movie. I also worked on another zentangle last night, should post it Friday or before.
BigBoy's request was this stove top drop cookie made of chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal.
My neighbor's mom passed away so I made this cream cheese pastry for them.
Mr. Unplugged's favorite is the coconut cream pie - he is finishing off the very last piece now!
The in-laws grabbed some of these before we even had the meal. It is a well known Paula Deen recipe, Gooey Butter Cake...though it really is cut into bars.
This was the new recipe, another Paula Deen recipe, Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake. 
The middle layer is cheese cake.......it was very, very good. I do believe that milk was left out of the ingredients for the icing. I made it Saturday evening, which was the very last thing I mixed up. It was like concrete, I thought the big mixer was going to tear up, I had to add some milk, a little at a time to try to get it to a spreadable consistency. It was it a big ball clung tightly around the beater. I probably read over that part of the recipe a dozen times making sure I had not left something out.....12 ounces of chocolate melted, a cup of butter and six cups of confectioners sugar with only 3 tablespoons of Amaretto liqueur was not going to work.
Storms came through again yesterday but this time they dropped hail on us larger than golf ball size. We had went out for a quick lunch and had ran into Target. I could hear it as I shopped, the rest of the family watched it outside. It came through where we lived before it came over the shopping center. This was the hail probably 45 minutes after it had hit our home. 
It was still pretty large after that long. What is horrible is that we always pull our van in the garage if a bad storm is coming and after all those times with no hail........this time we were caught off guard and it was left out. It was bigger than golf ball size when it came down, some areas had baseball size! Yes, we have very visible dents in our lovely van, have already called our insurance company. I will post photos of it in the next couple of days, a shadow was on it by the time I was taking photos and you couldn't see them well. Probably a dozen at the least.
Please stop by to see amazing photos at Skywatch. Working furiously last night and this morning on my desserts and food for tomorrow's tournament! Have a Good Friday!
Every morning I enjoyed snoozing on my favorite comforter that is on the couch for me.
Mom lets me look outside the big window in the study...I rather think this would make a good addition to my other 'Royal Portraits'. It appears the heavens have opened up for me...I like that.
I'm a happy canine, not turning to the bottle! Dad always brings me a toy when he buys my big bag of food. He doesn't let me play with it very long, is that because I can tear any toy up if it is left with me? Can't help it if I am mighty....
Mom sometimes have me wait a bit at the door...........I just got tired.
Hmmmmm, I haven't seen this photo....that new dude obviously was moved out back....wow, he really gets around!
I really don't get how some of you blog EVERY DAY! This is exhausting!!!!!!!!! Big smack to all my buddies.....Snuffles, Luna, Annie........
The always generous Soulbrush honored me and many others with this award yesterday. Thank you so much Mrs. Brush, you are too kind!!!!
