Dogs On Thursday: First Sleepover

Wednesday morning I was awake around 6:30 and three hours later we were on our way! This was a first for me, riding in my crate. Not to miss a moment, I stood up just about the entire two and a half hour trip! Why, you ask, do I not have a comfy, soft blanket to rest upon in my crate? I must confess, it's my fault, till this day, I will chew on anything put in there so I'm left with the hard plastic floor.

Not sure who was the most excited, me or my best buddy, upon my arrival at his apartment at school!!!! I ran straight to his bedroom and jumped on his bed. Here you see me resting on best buddy's bed with my favorite bone. Being awake since 6:30, not only did I miss my usual hours of sleep till noon, I was exhausted from standing up during the ride. Need I say just how much I enjoyed sleeping on his bed for hours? Later some of his friends came over and we hung out in the den....it was beyond awesome. Both of us were in "dog heaven"!!!! Mom and dad didn't stay, they had some ballgame to go to or something.

The plan was for me to stay with mom and dad at the Residence Inn but I wanted to sleepover with best buddy and he wanted me to also. Mom and dad picked me up in the morning before he had class and it was back to the crate and another ride. This time I decided to get a little rest because it had been an exhausting, though wonderful trip.

Hope all my four-legged good buddies out there get to have a sleepover sometime with someone you love! Big woof to Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Snickers, Dizzy, Friday, Lilah, Penney and Tonka!

Tournament News

Part of my art this week was decorating frames as my donation to the "Elite 8" goody bags the parents prepared for VolleyGirl's team. The team left Tuesday after school. I had asked the mom that takes hundreds of photos at each match if she was giving a photo to the girls. My plan was to get my supplies early Tuesday to hot glue and write on the frames. My biggest concern was finding appropriate frames at a decent price since I had to have 13. I did not get an answer until Tuesday morning but I found frames at Dollar Tree, only 11 white ones so I picked black ones for the 2 seniors. Headed to Michael's for flowers, stones and little bows. Feeling I wouldn't have enough to get ready by 3:00 (sarcasm), I decided to go to Party City and purchase black, green, white and hot pink M&Ms plus bags for them. I arrived home at 1:40 grabbed some items in the kitchen and headed up to the rec room to prepare 13 bags of candy and 13 frames....oh yeah.....I can do it!!!!!!!! Plugged in the glue gun then prepared my candy bags, writing on each bag: "From Mother Falcon - Elite 8 Vitamins". A whole other story of my being dubbed "Mother Falcon"....comment if you are interested in hearing it! Next I laid the frames out and went to work!

Here is the white finished frame. The green flowers were two layers topped with a stone, all seperately glued. Then the hot pink bow with a pearl in the center. I wrote with a hot pink pen, the green was too blue and the black wanted to look purple. The school colors are green and black but the tee shirts the seniors picked out this year have hot pink on them and let's get real.....the ladies have to have some pink!!! That is the reason behind the hot pink candies in the mix. Here is a snapshot of the team on the court (VG is #10) with the awesome students courtside cheering them on! There were five busloads of students that came to the match in the afternoon, the largest crowd of students there! They won the first match but it was a battle, went to five games, very emotionally draining..........for me! That win put them in the top 4!!!!! There next match was against the number one team and unfortunately we lost but the girls received a medal and being in the top four isn't too shabby! VG and the team had a terrific time with the whole experience. That ends the school volleyball for this year. Can you believe it? The first club tryout is this Saturday. They really won't start practicing until January and only 2 or 3 times a week. VG will have time to let her foot heal! Go here to view some of the action: http://highschoolsports.al.com/videoplayer/2042/ahsaa-elite-eight-quarterfinals-trinity-presbyterian-vs-catholic-huntsville/

Special Edition of Dogs On Thursday

Where do I begin? Sunday, I wasn't feeling so great and wow, my face felt bloated. (BTW, what's bloated mean?) Itch, itch, itch! Thank goodness for that rug to scruff my face on! Thirsty, sooooo thirsty! Mom thinks my fur looks funny, bumpy. Uh, oh......hives!!! Move into action, call the emergency vet that is open on Sundays, grab a couple of water bottles and off we go! Mom was with me in the back seat giving me water and catching my hair. Dad, um, was not really happy and said something ugly to the car in front. Some of the same words that I heard at the end of the Alabama/Tennessee football game the day before when his team almost lost. Oh, I digress....we arrive and I did my best not to go in that door but dad just picked me up. Wow, maybe put on a couple of pounds since I tipped the scales at 71 lbs! Shot of steroids and some pills for the next couple of days and I will be fine. Who knows, it is suspected that a wasp found me....get this.....in my castle! Believe me, some subjects are going to hear about this! Dad found a couple of wasps making their way into the fireplace. Whew, still not totally back to myself, that darn medicine they keep slipping in my food but- I'm good enough to go on my first overnight roadtrip!!!!!! Excitement is bursting out all over me but does not require treatment! Mom, dad and I will be heading south for VolleyGirl's first game in the state tournament which is at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday. Dad booked me a nice, canine king friendly place to stay but get this.....I also get to go visit my best buddy at school!!!!! I will stay with him some so not to be left alone at the Inn. Yippee! Finally, the total treatment that I deserve. Being of such royalty and stature, myself, that is, dad has NEVER, and will NOT leave me with anyone or at any facility, hence the phrase, "the world revolves around me." Dad requested a special zip bag from mom to start packing my things and now I have my very own piece of luggage, it says "Lucky You" on it. Isn't that just perfect? Yes, the planets are finally in total alignment now. Mom said that this is really going to be an experience! Go VolleyGirl! Slam that ball!

Pumpkins - Uncut!

This is on 9x12 paper with pencil and colored pencils. I have a Christmas one almost finished, just lack the background. BigBoy thinks I should add background to this one....I may do that but it would probably just be some color, no scene. Found out yesterday VG's team is leaving tomorrow after school and we are doing "Elite 8 Goody Bags" for them so I am trying to think of something to contribute. They have their last practice here today but will have a bit of one Wednesday I think hours before their match. I sure would love to see them win at least the first match which would put them in the top four I think. Oh well, lots to do. Got to a few sites today but I haven't even showered and I probably should go to Michael's. My plans are to frame everything that I am displaying at the coffee house, don't know what else I could do. I hope to get one more painting on canvas done and I wouldn't have to frame it but I have a little stock of frames here both for canvas and paper cause I always look for bargains and sales. I really should have pulled them out and planned my work around frames I already have but that would have made too much sense!!!!

Work Cut Out For Me

This guy doesn't portray his true colors. The paper is pretty white with a very light blue background and he's pretty white.

These look better in "live" also. I could just say that so you would think they look better than they do, but they really do! You have seen the chocolate iced before but I added the paper. These are all in graphite and colored pencils. Yikes! I have to have things ready for the coffee shop display for the month of November! Almost completed another drawing tonight so I will post it in a day or two. Will try to get around to y'all's sites tomorrow................ :)

SkyWatch Friday

Took this photo on Thursday with my new cellphone camera. It doesn't have a zoom that we can find yet. VG has the same phone.....we even checked the manual that came with it. I still don't believe it and haven't given up on it! Can't get my video of the "Canine Messiah" to upload, we'll see if I get DOT up or not. Go to http://skyley.blogspot.com/ for more sky "art"!

Hills and Valleys

VolleyGirl's team won their sub-state match last night and are headed to state next Wednesday. The gym was packed with students, friends and faculty. Wow, for a change, we parents didn't have to do bear ALL the cheering! Hoarse today though....I was so excited.....I had a pom-pom to shake last night! This puts them in the top 8 teams in our state for their division.

Sadly, when I picked her up from school yesterday she was upset because one of her close friend's dad died suddenly yesterday of a heart attack and she had found out 7th period. I have been trying to find out arrangements today but I guess it's too early. She is learning how fragile life can be. Also, one of the top players ended up going to the ER by ambulance last night after the game where she stayed until after 4 in the morning. Vomiting, cramping.....they did an xray and ultrasound but diagnosed with a stomach virus. VG is freaking she will get it cause they are partners in warm-ups.

Onward!

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!! Next step is to win the sub-state match tomorrow night...then it's on to the state tournament! VG is on second row, right end, #10. Were there from 8:30 to 7. They are soooo excited!

Sketched this flower as I was waiting at Starbucks as VG practiced Monday. Ink and colored pencil.

VG liked the other one so much she actually put it on her phone but wished that it was in color and wanted a bird so here is the result. Ink and colored pens.

Barely Doodled....

Yeah, just got in a little art Wednesday....sorry it won't enlarge. I do not scan in my photos, it's either from my digital or phone camera. Why I cannot get a decent photo of smaller pieces with the digital photo beats me so I defer to the cellphone camera. Must get alot of art created by the end of this month for the display next month while I still complete 'maytagaramas'.

VolleyGirl's team is playing post season right now. They hosted the area tournament this past Monday and won the championship! I cheered so hard that I am just now getting my voice back.....sadly my fibromyalgia didn't enjoy my cheers whatsoever. My back and knees add spice to the mix that is very unwelcome. The bleachers are not my friend. Feel like I've been beaten up and thrown in a corner. Misery may love company but I feel very alone in my pain and limitations and so often this week have wondered how much longer I can tolerate it. Wasted time on such thoughts, not a choice. Perhaps I am getting close to hitting bottom so as to force me to make some changes. Okay, enough. Each family is assigned something to bring for the team food table and I was assigned spaghetti but VG said some of the girls have been wanting my "volleyball pasta" again so I made that too. It's fun, a table full of healthy, energy packed food and snacks for the team, crockpots for the hot food. We leave early Saturday morning for the regional tournament that is over an hour away. The team is expected to do well tomorrow and compete in the substate tournament that will be next Thursday at a school practically in my backyard! If the girls come out of that, they would have made it to the "Elite Eight" that goes on to the state tournament. This is only the second time in the school's history that their volleyball team has made it this far so it is exciting. VG is still coughing and on antibiotic and so far her foot is holding together! Yea!

Dogs On Thursday

Peek a boo! Yum, I know what you are getting mom! How I love to smell and watch through the crack at the door as she scoops the food in my bowl.

Only got a minute this week.....getting a bit tired of the camera in my face all the time. Fame can be tiring, don't you know!

Got all my friends on my mind, hoping that they are enjoying the cooler weather that has finally come here....really makes me spunky. Enjoy your weekend Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Tonka, Dizzy, Friday, Lilah, Penney and Snickers!

SkyWatch Friday

Ta-Da!!!!!!! One of the first images taken from my new phone just yesterday. Not going to be nearly as many 'snap-driving' photos with this new phone, not as easy. It is a touch phone...need I say more. I thought my last phone camera was a 2.0 megapixel and it was only 1.3......just never looked at it. The new phone camera is a 3.2 megapixel. So...whatcha think? See more snippets of the skies at http://skyley.blogspot.com/ .

Dogs On Thursday: Late, Late Edition

This weekend has been full of activities.....like riding in the back of the car with the family to pick up some pizza!

I must to confess to watching some of the football games with dad, my best buddy and mom yesterday. Victory is sooooo sweet!

Not really into the 'in your lap, on my back' thing but he always does it. Not a very royal treatment, I must say.

Tiring, it is. This morning, best buddy gave me a bath since he is leaving again. I don't even want to think about it, just bury my head and maybe it will not be so! Mom's been in the kitchen all morning baking buttermilk biscuits, banana bread and now a shrimp, sausage and corn boil.....those smells just put my poor nose in overdrive! Hey friends...get noseying around your family, especially Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Tonka, Dizzy, Friday, Penney Snickers and Lilah!

SkyWatch Friday

Only about 25 minutes into a 5 hour trip, this is the view going over the river heading off for Mobile last Friday. Taken with the trusty cellphone in the passenger seat. For more eyes on the skies check out http://skyley.blogspot.com/ .

Keeping It All In Perspective

I love capturing these types of photos with my trusty cellphone camera.

Some of them I took just this last week.

Some were awhile back.

I know eventually I will get around to a painting that is similar to one of these.

Finished Painting

Here is the finished painting that was raffled off last Thursday night. I am not overly pleased with it but it is done.

We were in Mobile this past weekend for a volleyball tournament. Just today does it begin to feel like I am recovering from it. Sadly, four of the girls on the team are home sick now. Hopefully they will recover quickly. They only have school through Wednesday of this week and are out Thursday, Friday and Monday for fall break. The volleyball area tournament, which is the first step to going to the state tournament, is next Monday. BigBoy will be home tomorrow afternoon but he and his dad are going on a little trip.

It just hit me that I must get some work ready to display next month in the coffee shop. Guess I need to go fold some clothes and work on the 'maytagarama' in progress then on to either colored pencil drawings or some zentangles. Read a couple of your posts last night but have a lot of catching up to do.........

SkyWatch Friday

Does this not look like a cat's tail, I mean a real cat's tail?

This was the scene to the left of the first photo. Late Thursday afternoon VG had a game and I had walked out to the van to put something back in. I noticed the sky above and took these shots with my trusty cellphone. Go to see more sky photos at http://skyley.blogspot.com/ .

Dogs on Thursday: Bathing Beauty

Just heard that my best buddy will be home later this afternoon and he and I will be running this place pretty much this weekend!!!! This is a pencil sketch he did of me recently.

Lately, the sun shining through the front window has beckoned me. I hate it when mom points that thing at me so I must turn my head. It seems to irritate her so!!!! That feels so good on my 'royal hiney'!

Can you believe I could become any 'hotter'?!? Not surprising that I cast quite the shadow.

Sweeeeet!!!! Position here allows me to breath in the fresh air from that vent whilst sunning and snoozing. (Photo has been cropped to protect the innocent) All my friends out there in blogland, breathe in the fresh air and have a great week, especially Snuffles, Annie, Luna, Emma, Tonka, Dizzy, Friday, Penney and Snickers !