Would You Like Sprinkles On Your Ice Cream?

Sitting in Barnes and Noble last night while VolleyGirl enjoyed dinner and a movie with friends gave me the opportunity to almost complete this drawing. I have a large regret...that I made the big rock so round.......oh well, at least it doesn't look like a cocoa puff like I thought my last one did!!!!! I did find some bargain books on watercolor and drawing that I may pick up today, and one biography on Thomas Jefferson.

Quick update before I take VG to B&N for a study group...BB had his wisdom teeth out Friday morning so I have been in the role of nurse and Dairy Queen employee. I opened the fourth half gallon of ice cream this morning! He has done very well and hopefully soon it will just be a tale for the tomorrows!

Seems like I have not been so tired lately...yea! Enjoy seeing all your ATCs.....want to join the fun sometime soon! Try to get around to comment but it has been busy around here.

Dogs On Thursday: Highs and Lows

Yesterday my best buddy and dad were gone ALL DAY making it one of those sad days...

It's like the 'J' is missing from the joy when they are gone and I just kind of forget my position of canine royalty and sort of shlump about. Mom kept snapping that #!*! camera at me.......

Today is fantastic though, with my morning little walk that BigBoy took me on allowing me to take care of business and breathe in those awesome outside odors!

Ahhhhhh, relaxation once again comes easy when all is as it should be in my kingdom. Big woof to all you four-legged subjects, especially Snuffles, Annie, Luna and Emma! Til' we meet again.........

Still here.......

I've tried to keep up a bit with everyone. This is BigBoy's pen drawing, one of his finals for a class, it is 16x20. He is job hunting this week and simultaneously eating everything in sight! The other day he created a website with all his work, will get his approval to post it. He has his wisdom teeth taken out this Friday - not looking forward to that since he has a strong gag reflex and eats like an infant - every two hours! VolleyGirl has exams next week then she is out for the summer, of course there will be volleyball workouts beginning in June. She has got to practice driving like mad in June since I managed to get her signed up for a driver's education class in July.

I have had a bit more energy the past couple of days but I have also been resting more. Heard from my second blood test and I do not have mono! But.... apparently I have had it.....news to me. Mr. Unplugged is curious as to where I got it.....I'm clueless....I told him he probably had it, didn't know it and gave it to me! Doesn't answer why my liver are enzymes elevated......on to an ultrasound next week. I am not overly concerned, they didn't sound that way. Will know next week. Thanks for all your caring comments, they mean alot to me.

SkyWatch Friday!

Here are two photos I took today with my trusty cellphone. Please check out

http://skyley.blogspot.com/ for more eyes on the skies!

I am sorry that I have not left many comments lately. Whatever is going on with me has me feeling exhausted all the time. I have been just keeping up with my cooking and washing, 14 loads this week. To be fair, one load was sheets and one load was royal towels from His 'Hine'ness' bath. I had to go give more blood at the lab today, she poked my vein and lint came out.............ha! Get this, the Dr. wants to totally rule out mono........now where on earth would I get that......I do not believe it will be that at all. Anyhow, this is why I have been very lean on comments....all I want to do is lie(sp?) down. Don't everyone forget and give up on my site.......just temporary! Happy Skywatch Friday!

Dogs On Thursday: Life is Good!

Wow, the day almost got away from me! Look, I have found something new that I enjoy but apparently the 'lowlings' around here do not share my same excitement.....

Even mom had to laugh at my determination to get behind the blinds to look out back.

It has been pure joy having my best buddy home! He feeds me, cleans me, plays with me, takes me out, took me for a ride in his truck............sigh....I just love that boy! What can I say, my life is pretty set right now.....hope yours is too. Big woof out to Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Tonka and all you other classy canines!

Nomination, Drawing Progress and Drawing Blood....

A big, heartfelt thank you to all that left such sweet comments for the post about mom. Sadly, too many of you commented on losing your mom to cancer also. It is pure evil and has robbed way too many of our loved ones. Thank you David McMahon of Authorblog for the nomination of "Tribute to Mom" for Post Of The Day, I appreciate all the new readers that stopped by from your site. I will get by to all of your sites eventually!

The graphite pencil drawing is a work in progress. Yes, you've seen this seen before around Easter. I have tried to create a little different style to this one. This will be a gift for a friend. BigBoy and I bought a frame Saturday as we shopped in the art supplies. I'll will post it when it is finished.

Working hard around here, trying to keep the hollow boyman fed, trying to get some art time in. Went to my Dr. today, gonna do blood work this week......have the feeling my exhaustion is attributed to depression...kind of hoping my B12, thyroid or something will be off instead, we'll see. Gonna pick myself up by the bootstraps, uh, maybe bra straps, since I am not wearing boots...ha!

Tribute to Mom

It has been seven years since I celebrated Mother's Day with my mom and though my brain knows to move along, my heart doesn't seem to get the message. Hardly a day passes that I don't think of her in some way. She wasn't especially extraordinary in a particular way, as all of us are, she lacked perfection. She was one of the older siblings in a family of ten children so at a very early age cooking, sewing and taking care of the younger ones was part of her life. She knew hard work early on with the help she provided and picking cotton. The countless stories I have heard, her life was a bit challenging. Canning, freezing, picking wild blackberries, tending to her flowers, hanging clothes on the line were things I always remember her doing. She crocheted afghans, made quilts, candlewicking and sewed. I never had a store bought dress until I was in high school. I have countless memories of time spent in the fabric store looking at patterns and material. Suits, blouses, skirts, long dresses for piano recitals. She even made one of her younger sisters wedding gown. The light blue dress with lace was one made for me to wear in a school pageant, she also made my senior prom dress. She made me some dresses when I was pregnant with my son and I have some dresses she made my daughter. The photo where she is holding BigBoy, she made that outfit. Okay, the point is she had a lot of talent. Later in years as she saw quilts that were being made and displayed, she felt like her work was really not that great. She didn't make them for show, though they were carefully planned and were made very well, they were functional. All of our family has some of her quilts.

The countless times we had family, a whole lot of family, over for meals at the house. So many of my cousins that were close to mama, she was easy to talk to, shared her opinion and helped however she could. The many weddings she helped with food. The hours she spent with the grandchildren. They loved to go to my parents house to spend the night. Baking cookies, big country breakfasts. She was funny, blunt, kind and stubborn. Always having our favorite food cooked on the weekends that we came home from school. The times that she showed up at my door to help when BigBoy and VolleyGirl were babies, arriving early Christmas morning to watch the kids see their gifts. The many times that I met her at the craft shows or the shopping center to spend time together. Talks on the phone, every day, about current events, family, news from extended family. Discussing everyone after the family get together was over. I would always get a report after she went somewhere- who was there, how they were, what was said. I recall, weird as it sounds, after she died, thinking that she was somewhere new, experiencing and seeing things new.....and I wasn't going to hear her tell me about it. She always said that it didn't matter where we lived, as long as we were happy, she would be fine with it. One of my brothers lives in Louisiana and I know she missed not having him close but there never was any pressure on him, as long as he was happy. Words do not adequately describe what an important person in our family she was or what a massive void her passing has left in my life, and others. I was honored and pleased to care for her in the months before her death, it was just a droplet of what all she had done for me and for once I could be there when she needed help. Thanks mom, for all you were and for the priceless lessons and memories, you are missed as much as you were loved......

SkyWatch Friday: The 'Ansel Adams' Edition

These photos were taken this week courtesy of 'snap driving', carefully, of course.

This week has been rain, rain and more rain. Today will be - rain, as will tomorrow and Sunday. I'm showing signs of slight mold.........between storms and after them makes for some great photos though.

I can't explain how my phone accidentally was set on black and white.....but I got some great pics before I changed it back and decided to just show black and white today.

One day this week an F2 tornado came through and part of its path was less than 2 miles from us. We were listening to the weather at the time. Some of the area was without power, lucky for us, we were not!

An F2 is a relatively mild tornado, F1 being the mildest. Many trees were uprooted, large limbs down, some windows blown out and a deck blown away. We have been warned for days of trees falling with the oversaturated ground. Needless to day.....everything is super green!!! Weekend forecast: MORE RAIN! Go to http://skyley.blogspot.com/ for a peek at some awesome sky photos!

Dogs On Thursday: The Play Edition

The power that is felt when I stand up on the arm of this chair. My rightful place, a place of importance. Mom and dad tell me 'no'. What are they thinking? I just ignore them, mere jesters that they are.......ha, make me laugh!

Below is a little video of dad and I playing with my frisbee I think. I love to frolick, did I just say frolick? Whatever, it was fun but then it's time for a little rest. This is my first attempt at sleeping like this. Hey! This is not half bad!

Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! My buddy will be home tomorrow for the summer!!!!! Can you say, 'ten times the joy of food, playing and sleeping wrapped into one moment'? Oh, the ectasy of it all........life just got sweeter! Now off with you until next week! Big woof out to Snuffles, Annie and Luna......squeeze the life out of your day dudes!

Lately........

I've been feeling some better but still have so much to do, don't know where to start. Thank you so much to all of you that have left such uplifting comments, it feels good to have such good friends. I really have no where to go but up, working on it!
Last Wednesday, our town had the distinction of becoming the first in our state to have the swine flu. Schools were out last Thursday and Friday, to the delight of VolleyGirl and her friends. Most of them opened today but the elementary ones are still closed.
It has also been raining for days....buckets and buckets. We were dealing with a leak too, so we were constantly going in the attic. Mr. Unplugged and I worked on getting a gutter cleaned out yesterday and both got soaked, we feared it would break....finally got it. I still have not had time for art and when I do get back to it, feel I should be working on something to post on ebay or getting prepared for a show. I am trying to keep my mind away from all that needs to be done and focus on what I can do just today. Wanted to share some art, so here is one of two portraits in ink that my son did as his final assignment for a class last week. He comes home this Friday for the summer!!!!!! I can't wait to see him, though the cooking and washing will go up I fear. Have a great Monday everyone!

SkyWatch Friday!

These were taken not too long ago, looks like the camera is moving, but it's not. The clouds looked smeared across the sky.

This one was taken early in the evening beside my house as I took the Canine Messsiah out. Go to http://skyley.blogspot.com/ for more sky photos!