Saturday, February 27, 2010

Urge to Purge---not normal

I'm sitting here listening to the thunder and it sounds an awful lot like MI. I LOVE rainy days. I don't love "teaser" days. It's pouring one moment and a rainbow the next with full sunshine. It's almost like my moods lately. I have been purging---something that does NOT come natural to me. Every thing I touch has some sort of a story. Who I got it from, when, (gosh, that MANY years ago?) and---do I really need it. Probably no on every ting I touch but I torture myself and rip out pages of magazines that I will probably never get to till the next purge; as I find spots to put things it seems my little art room is getting "spread out". Do you ever feel that one job begets another? Some days this past week it seems I was spinning my wheels. Something must be getting accomplished as I certainly have made several trips to the garage in anticipation of a truck coming to load the many boxes and bags. I look around and it doesn't seem like I have made a dent in anything. I am NOT quitting...Michelle would be so proud of me. Tracy will just want to go through the things I am throwing out. She's a "chip off the ole block". (what does that mean?) My mom tells the story of when I was little she could not let me out on trash day because I was always dragging some one's junk home saying, "...look what they're throwing out...It's still good." I know that must be true because I still get a skipped beat when I pass a cool piece of "something that is still good "at the curb. Stay warm and dry...love, love, love it...geo

Monday, February 15, 2010

ZENTANGLES

Happy belated Valentine day!!! As I write this there are two boxes of chocolates, one chocolate covered strawberry, and cut out cookies (well, those are Keith's from his "first valentine's, Shelly and Tracy) just begging me to blow the diet. I am looking at things thinking what I have to do to "burn off" the damage. What a temptation. Hope you had a great day. The weather here was so beautiful you ALMOST felt guilty as the people out east were still digging out themselves. Hey---it's the reason we live here.

What have I been doing creatively? Zen-tangles...I will try and get a picture posted...they are the most relaxing exercise you could do. You need paper, pencil, ruler (if you're a perfectionist), and a micron pen. After dividing a square into 4 parts, anyway you chose, you begin to doodle. Yes, I said doodle. The results are pretty and amazing. Plus, it is supposed to be a great stress buster. I am here to tell you it works. I have never been one to sit and watch TV. This is perfect for doing something to make you feel that it is not a total waste of time. I must admit, it does reek of Sr. Cunagunda telling us, "...you will get this penmanship right". In fact, recall some of those patterns and you have it---ZENTANGLES. Till later---xo Geo

Monday, February 8, 2010

temporary is a long time

BUMMER. I think I confessed (like it was wrong) that I was on oxygen temporarily. My new friend, Shannon, (from N. Carolina) ran me through the results of my overnight test. (see previous notes) Seems I dropped to 81 in my sleep and stayed in the 80's for over an hour. That wasn't good. I pack up the unit that betrayed me for UPS pickup, and resigned myself that "temporary" is a little longer. I really am trying to look on the bright side of things. I think of all those people out there who have it so much worse and I thank God that I can be mobile. That doesn't mean I lost my vanity or that I can point on a map where my new friend lives.

Hey, how about those Saints??? and how about Betty White. How old IS SHE???

Friday, February 5, 2010

elephants ? painting???

John (our son in law) just returned from a trip to Thailand. He couldn't wait to show me a site on the computer of elephants painting. There is a group (or is it tribe?) of 5 that are ridiculous. I can't even explain it, so I will direct you to the video he sent me to: Thailand elephant paintings on your search engine and click on the site. I think there is a lesson in this. I paint watercolors as well as mixed media things, and do a whole lot of thinking and planning. I wonder if it's necessary?? These were pretty awesome and at the end of the session they raffle them off for more money than I will ever make on a painting. The guy who trains them said that the African elephants could never be trained to do painting---they're too stupid. Never say never...I gotta run---I've got a paint brush in my mouth.

relationships

I am having some medical tests to see if I can come off my oxygen. I had to wait till a package arrived in the mail. Upon opening there was a cylinder, a monitor, and a finger tool. After some instruction from a person in S. Carolina I was soon recording my heart rate and O2 saturation. I'll need to wear it all night and report on the phone as well as have her retrieve the info on the monitor. It is so slick the times we live in...phone testing without leaving the house. Hopefully I will get a good read and be able to discontinue. As I was hanging up I noticed Keith was laughing. I asked why and he said, "...you are so relational. I wouldn't ask or know anything other than the test." He's right. After a BRIEF phone call Wed. I knew her name-Shannon-knew she had three kids who had been off so many days because of storms. Though it was only raining today they still called school off. Her husband worked from home and so she took the early shift so he could be with the kids I have a picture of her in my head. She is a petite little brunette who loves her job or at least loves the "break' from her kids. She is very kind and a pleasure to work with...Back to my test---will it still register if I take the unit off during my sleep? (When I first wore the oxygen at night I awoke the first morning and found that I had ripped it off in my sleep.) Wish me luck...I am getting a sore neck from Keith tripping over my LONG plastic tubing.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

home studies

Tucker is beig home schooled and when the other grandkids heard they all thought that was a great idea. This picture is Tuck and myself doing a clay project for school. The boys used to LOVE doing art with me...hmmmm, what happened?? I guess they grew up...
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sweet sixteen


Not certain where this will end up on the blog site. I am so excited I got the pic to my site. We have a "tradition "of sorts in the family and that is to go to a Mexican restaurant ("beans and rice) for our B'day celebration. Even Keith, who doesn't like Mexican food, but in his words "...loves margaritas" goes and enjoys himself. After eating we go around the table and each one tells what it is about the B'day person you like...It's easy with Abigail. I like how she is always in tune to the underdog---the one who no one seems to pay attention to. When she was little a lot of her teachers used to put her with new students as she really took them under her wing. She also is a great traveler. Having taken two train trips to Santa Barbara with her,and she didn't get impatient with me when I entered the train at the very furthest from our business class car. She lugged her duffel bag and retrieved me after she found some perfect seats. She has been traveling all her life, what with grandparents in England and often Florida. Her best skiing is done in Switzerland. She makes me laugh. She has a most wonderful sense of humor...and she helps me when I cry. I remember the first time she experienced me crying I was actually on the phone with her leaving her competition. When I heard her voice I started crying thinking what I was going to miss. She said, "...you're NOT CRYING grandma." She is a soul mate and I have often said I could save her a lot of pain, but she needs to walk the road of life on her own. I love her deeper than the ocean and higher than God...