Merry Christmas!

Feeling alright, uh huh! Doing my best, got done what I could and not worrying about anything else, let the chips fall where they may. Just got done on Skype w Kathryn, Jason, and Miranda in Ak. Miranda looks adorable in the x-mas pjs and robe we sent, and heading off to bed so that Santa Claus can come to her house tonight! Mom mom and Pop pop will get to see her open some presents later in the day, hopefully before Len has to go to work.
I'll make a Christmas dinner on Thursday and Friday for which ever of the boys and girl are available, and Len of course! Okay, time to finish up what I have to do, and then to bed I must go, too. MC- y'all!

the blues....

My husband works 12 hour shifts plus OT and won't have a day off until after New Years. Yes, we are very grateful he has a good job and has provided for us well, which makes me feel guilty for complaining at all! So, I have that blues thing going on, and feel the need to vent and not keep it bottled up inside! There are still things to get done, alone. Cards are made, but must be addressed and mailed. Things I wanted to make, due to procrastination will not get done, this year, oh well.
Then I'll get to be alone some more, with the exception of a son or two who may stop by and visit for a while on Christmas day. What I find most hurtful is...would you believe I have four brothers, sister-in-laws, a sister and brother-in-law, a multitude of nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews - some I do not even know, but we no longer associate because the glue (my Mother) who held us together, has been gone for 11 years! Stupid, sad, and lonely! I gave up trying when my children made me look in the mirror and I saw how hard it made me cry to bang my head against the wall for days at a time! I am so tired of being lonely and depressed.
Life is not perfect, but as my dear Mother always said ' when you think you have it bad, someone always has it worse, so don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself!' You're right Mom, thank you, I love you, and Merry Christmas!!!

where have I been...

all over the net, hopping here and there....recouping from Thanksgiving holiday w family! I loved having them here, all but the Ak group (missed you very, very much). even though all I did was clean the house, it still wore me out! thank God Mary did 99% of the cooking w Melissa as her assistant - thank you my angels!!! Arlena brought and made half of her desserts - thank you sweetie!!! Keith made the sweet potato casserole and yes it took a long time to cook, it was well worth the wait!!! I made the gravy! So there were eight of us this year - Lenny & Annie, Mary & Keith, John & Arlena, Paul & Melissa, and we celebrated on friday since my Lenny had to work Thursday 7pm to 7am, and no one wanted to have it w-out him.
delicious meal, and wonderful company that did not seem to want to go home...which is nice they feel that way! the kids, hahaha, all in their twenties, dragged out home videos of Christmas from the nineties. it was hilarious! hearing them laughing, giggling and making fun of each other, all good natured! the only thing that would have made it better was if Kathryn, Jason and Miranda - my precious grand baby, were here. but we will get to see Kathryn and Miranda in January, and then we will get to see all three of them in July, yay!
so, I am back and ready to write and create and get ready for Christmas. first thing due out the door is a Wichtel gift. i am participating in the first annual Wichtel w Milliande's web community - an all female artist colony! we can never divulge who we are making our gift for, so therefore I can not post what I make, all I'll say is it is leaving the country! when we receive our gifts though, we are to upload a photo of it on the Milliande site, and I will post it here, as well. along w my 'artistic creations' which will be on here soon as I get them labeled and photographed.
okay, now I must go and do house stuff, ie. laundry, cleaning, cooking (darn it), etc.
over and out...

what's new?

cold!!! brrrrrrr, currently 28 degrees in november! actually had some snow that stuck to the ground for a while, in fact, there is still snow on top of leaves piled in the corners of the yard fro the wind and in the shadows of the fence. cool, uh, cold! i love the snow, and that is part of the reson i wished i lived north, maybe north/west of here! can't imagine why else, lol. sooo, wish i could be better at uploading my work/play, you know the stuff i do all day, the goodies i love to fiddle with in my way, the wonderous ideas from blogs that make me say...o'kay!!!! Thanksgiving is on the way, don't worry, i'm done with the poetry...for now! Mary and Keith will be here next week...hooray! it just happens, ya know... house cleaning is on the agenda, no biggie, really. it's just that my studio has crept onto the porch because of the river, better lighting, and the larger tv that keeps me company all night and day! everything has to be removed for company, and in doing so, i'll have less time for creating, and that i do not care for at all!

plans were written down today, i love to do that first. tomorrow i will put them into action. monday, Len and i will clean. tuesday i have dentist, len is helping out Captain Jack. then Len will be btw, and Mary will be in from georgia on wednesday morning and plans to hang out w me - all day, YAY! our Thanksgiving will be celebrated on friday due to Len working on thursday. so Melissa is going to hang out w me, make cards, and take her vacation nap on the porch that day! lol

last years Thanksgiving cards.....

don't plan on making any this year...that's fine, let go and let God.

late late thursday, really early early friday...

i am a night owl...i gravitate toward the night. this time of year i get more nght, if i were in ak w baby bug, little baby bug, and babe - i'd have oodles of night! there is so much depth in the night, and yet so limiting, too...................................................................................................................................
round and round i go...old black magic called - love!

quiet too, unless you hang around w cantankerous 2 year olds, right moms and grandmothers? speaking of night - goodnight moon!

boxes, books, and cards, oh my...

i love to make boxes! a little over ten years ago, i taught my Father how to make boxes. he was thrilled! i showed him how to take old Christmas cards and turn them into little gift boxes for the sled ornaments he made every year for the new babies in the family. they are wonderful keepsakes that all of the grandchildren and great grandchildren now cherish. to make the task easier i purchased a box maker kit made by Aileen's, it came in two different sizes. that way he did not have to fiddle w math every time for the lid to fit perfectly. sadly Dad is no longer w us for me to share my love of crafts.

Dad was my inspiration when it came to making things. he often spent time in his basement workshop and i loved to see what he was up to. there were all kinds of tools and drawers full of hardware to explore and play w. there did not seem to be anything he could not do or figure out, so i think that is where i get my curiosity for how things go together. in fact, he did the majority of the sewing and mending in the house, Mother did not like to sew, baking was her deal. but before Dad would let me touch his sewing machine, he sent me to a neighbor who was a seamstress, for lessons. i picked it up very quickly, and have made some very nice home decor items, clothing for myself when i was in junior high, and clothing for my children, too.

back to Dad, in his last years he would come to our house to visit and sit in the yard w his binoculars to watch the ships and the variety of birds that flew above the river. i would leave my craft room w my latest creations for a little 'show and tell'. he always had smiles and words of encouragement for me, how i miss those visits!

boxes are still one of my favorite things to make, and a small book w interesting stitching on the spine, w little doo dads hanging from it look great in those boxes! cards also need a home when you make a batch of them for a gift. recently i made a couple more w no real thought as to what was to go in them, but i just had to make them. which inevitably took me down memory lane w Dad! i love you Dad, you too Mom, see you in my dreams!

sunday evening at home...

...i should go food shopping, but i'd rather do stuff like this...
read and search blogs, watch webisodes on craft tv weekly - you can learn a lot watching them and they are very interesting! as you can tell, my whole world revolves around art in one way or another. hey, my children are grown, my husband works 12 hour shifts, and my grand child lives in ak. so what else should i be doing w my time? visit w family, well that's a sad story and one i wish i could change. it's not like i haven't tried, omg have i tried! so family, if you are out there and you ever read this, give me a call, you have my number, we can talk about whatever you want to talk about. i'm not the one who cut off communication, i'm the one who has broken my back trying. well, that's not what broke my back, that's another story all together!
...so on to something better to talk about, i have a bunch of cards and gifts to make, let alone christmas coming up. i have my christmas stamp picked out and ready to go. it is way too much to color in for twenty cards, so i am going to pick out some things to high light for a bit of color. most likely i'll add some bling, life and cards need bling! last year's card is at the beginning of this post.

where should i start, i guess it is here...

...we all have to start somewhere, so i figured i'd start in the middle. so let's continue. i didn't plan on being here, it just happened...while reading so many of these darn things, i realized i might have something to say one day and i should be prepared!
speaking of prepared, we had a tornado watch today until 7pm, hey it's to be expected right? considering we live...hundreds of miles from tornado alley! luckily we did not have on today, that's nice for a change...
onto art. it has always been there for me, waiting for when i needed it most. sewing, drawing, practicing handwriting, doodling, stamping...i could go on and on...really, you might have to tell me to stop! anyways, the ability comes to me when i need it or when i am open to it. it can't be turned off and on, i literally have to wait for it. now i don't mean i just sit here and wait, no i keep playing and doodling, practicing...they say practice makes perfect. until the spirit moves me to honestly create a piece that says "I am Art". then i know it is here. i don't question it, i let it be...to be or not to be...for me it is not a question, it is a quest that is there for me and everyone.
so, whether your ability lies in decorating your home, putting together a stunning wardrobe, or getting your hands dirty with paints and inks, or sticking yourself with needles and pins....to me they can all be "Works of Art". claim it, it's yours.