Art Show Break on Tuesday!!!

On Tuesday at three I had a free hour in my work schedule so I drove over to the art gallery to see the new show that just opened! These terrific women who call themselves

the artdivas

were featured and I have chosen the art of one of them to share with you today.

Her name is Janet Manalo and I have been appreciating her art since I joined the gallery

three years ago. This piece no exception.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I'll show more of the art from the show on future blog posts.

Good Morning

This pretty envelop came in yesterdays mail for me from my SIL in MN. In wishing me a happy birthday she found a lovely card by watercolorist Judy Busewell. I imagine you can read about Judy if you enlarge this picture below...

It's such a good painting, and really a joy to receive and keep. I hope you like it too. So summery!

And the house renovations continue:

This is the BEFORE shot of my laundry area!

And this is the AFTER shot taken AFTER I emptied the shelf into TWO boxes; one

wastebasket for garbage; and a goodwill bag!

Lets gather together to say goodbye to these too floor coverings.

Beige carpet has more than served us these past 22 years, signified by

the gathering of spots and frayed edges; and vinyl in the kitchen

did it's job well as putting up with our feet and scuff marks,

holding us for food preparations and computer needs.

I thank them both, as we prepare to send them on

to the rubbish heap in the great beyond!

Amen

My little Miele vacuum did it's job for the final cleaning

to give that finished look when the flooring guy came in to measure rooms

and give us the estimate and nearly put us into shock!

but we shall sally forth bravely

as we want our remaining years in this house to

be more comfortable and livable and why not more

attractive and pleasant to the eye?

Stay tuned! The adventure of home renovation continues.

Sharing My Life and A Garden Refreshment

At one time I had over fifty holly hocks growing in this front and back yard. I was happy to find two such plants this weekend behind my house on one side. This gorgeous Burgundy stalk and a pure white one. The Lilies of the Nile are in full bloom outside my kitchen/computer desk window! And after my gardener cut back the hydrangea nearly to the ground last winter scaring me to death, it has come back, not tall yet, but full and lush with blooms and this brilliant pink color. I just love it. All that to give us both a breather a respite from all the cleaning that went on this weekend. More got done on Sunday. One more trip to the thrift store to leave a car load of STUFF. How I parted with that stuffed clown doll that sat on top of my bookcase there is beyond me. Short of being dusty it was in perfect condition. But the grand kids have enough toys. Some other child will get it and love it. some of you have voiced wonder as to why or how could I am writing about my dirt and clutter. When I am doing art I write about the process of making art. When I am with family I write about that. I share whatever pretty much is going on in my life at any given time. Right now that focus is pretty much consumed with packing belonging into boxes and cleaning things that have laid unattended to over time. It's HOUSES TURN. So that is what you get on my blog now. When I get back to art making it will be about art again. In the meantime, this morning the floor guy is coming to give us an estimate. This is the computer's image of the Gold Coast Tile I've picked out for the kitchen. Last night my brother came down and took DH and me out to dinner at the Outback. I had grilled shrimp and veggies and told the waiter it was my birthday. At the end of our meal he brought out a hot fudge sundae with candle and cherry and three spoons. We shared. I got the cherry! ;-) Life goes on!

And The Clean Up Continues...Henry Helps.

Okay, Henry got up early yesterday and said "Here's the list, first thing today is dealing with the kitchen. See all that stuff on the fridge? It has to come off...and you have to move it out and clean all the cat food that has rolled underneath it, not to mention the accumulation of dirt and dust that you will certainly find back there. You do NOT want the painters or the floor people to SEE that part of your house shame!" Now get to work!" Henry really likes his perch on the newly cleaned off desk! OMIGOD, the dirt we found behind and under the fridge was incredibly gross! But it's gone now! ;-) And we obeyed Henry V's command and took down the pictures that covered the fridge. (they'll go back later) DH said the glare from the clean fridge made him feel like he was living in a model home. Then we went to the hardware store to replace a back burner on the stove that had been unusable for, ah...don't recall how many years... and got BLACK burner drip pans, as I was tired of trying to scrub all the stuff off of the old chrome ones. I figure this way new dirt won't show as much. and it looks kind of arty. The decorative plates and bowls that used to line that back tile are put away for now. Oh, and that little carrot ceramic spoon holder? A gift from my daughter when she was a little girl. I will NOT part with it ever. This just represents some of the dust in our house... Now it shines!

Amazing what a little Windex and paper towel can do!

Henry said, "Job well done."

DH took seven boxes of books to the SPCA thrift store yesterday!

What a way to spend a birthday!

But 25 of you came to my party yesterday here

and that made it very very special. Thank you so much for

all your many wonderful good wishes!

Tonight my brother is coming down to take us out to dinner.

I hope we can move, as we plan to continue our big clean today!

Oh there's Henry calling...I have to go..............

PS: Last two days to vote for Nest Building Swan Quilt for Bernina Stitch This Contest.

Vote here.

It's the sixth in line right now.

Thanks again to all who have already voted!

;-)

An Era Comes to an End, The Last Nine Years: My Sixties

Today begins the last year of my sixties, or as DH says, I am now entering my 70th year! He always has to add one! I have been thinking about this a lot. And wondering what to say. Let me start by saying that my sixties have been some of the very best years of my life. I recently found a poem my mother wrote when she was 4 yrs younger than I am now and it's about aging. None of the things she addressed from crepey skin to liver spots bothers me. I rarely notice those aspects of growing older. What I do notice more are the exciting fun parts of living. Some of the high lights of the past 9 years have been: 1. my daughters engagement, marriage, pregnancy and birth of twins 2. being the grandma to those twins 3. taking that quilting class 4. all the art making that that exploded into 5. starting a blog(s) 6. all that that exploded into! 7. Our dear cat, Brand, of 14 yrs dying. 8. Four years later finding Henry V and letting him fill that void and our lives. 9. My son's getting divorced. 10. My son getting re-married, adding J. to our lives. 11. 10 years of car trips across country to MN; to the coast and beach; to Canada and all the many states in between! 12. getting social security 13. paying off our home 14. being out of debt 15. Watching my older grand kids grow up, graduate from high school (K), get his first home (M). 16. involvement in art shows, selling art, art classes 17. Continuing in my private practice as a counselor, but cutting back my work hours considerably! 18. Losing my mother in law 19. Enjoying my elder aunt and uncle into their nineties 20. Enjoying time spent with my husband, brother, kids, grand kids, and friends. 21. Seeing my DH graduate college and begin and continue teaching first elementary and now middle school. 22. Staying in good health. 23. Dreaming about renovating our home and finally actually doing it! 24. And realizing that 69 is NOT OLD! And I don't think 70 will be either. Check with me next year to be sure.

the baby in the bottom left corner is me on my first birthday with my grandma Ella

25. Happy Birthday to me!

;-)

So, am I right in thinking that I am the eldest here?

Can I now refer to myself as a wise old crone?

!!!!!!!!!

Two Date Nights In A Row...Must Mean...

It's some body's birthday week...or...DH was in dire need of getting out of further cleaning up of his home office and WANTED to hear LIVE MUSIC...actually, it was both! On Wednesday night we headed out to the Delta Venus in Davis, CA to hear live Irish Music.

I love their brightly decorated entrance arch... The food menu is Cuban and I chose mildly spicy coconut curried chicken. That'a a slice of deep fried banana, a bit of sweet potato, greens on rice next to the stew.

DH said his "Jerk Chicken" dinner was quite good too. I was quite taken by this young drummer man's arty tattoos!

I liked his spiral earring too!

;-)

The musicians kept coming all evening long...adding to the liveliness of the Irish music.

This woman in the middle took a break at one point and danced some great step dancing, and could raise her leg higher than her head. She obviously is a master of either yoga or ballet or both!

On Thursday night DH said The Old West Trio were

appearing at the Cafe Nostra in El Dorado Hills, CA.

so off we went again! We love all their wonderful Cowboy music

and when I shouted out my request for the

Coyote song I was

not

disappointed!

We left after dark fully satisfied

Yes, it's some body's birthday week!

;-)

Grateful Thursday!

I'm always grateful on Thursday because I do not work on Friday! So I am looking forward to a good weekend again! I'm also grateful to my friends, this time Mim, who sent me this creative ABC ATC for the letter "U" for Urban. I also liked the card and envelop she sent with the big green turtle peeking out at me. This folded ATC opens up to show a much longer card inside: Thanks Mim! Love all your folded ATCs.

I also got this treasure of fabrics from Lorna of Artymess here.

She had posted on her blog that her eight yr old daughter Ruby wished to trade artists cards

so I quickly produced one to trade with her and earlier this week got this sweet note in the mail

with this very clever and sweetly made Artist Trading Card!

Thank you Ruby and Lorna!

I do love this butterfly card and delight in the very

attractive fabric swatches you have sent me.

I am sure I will find some way of working them into a creation. &&&&&&&

House Renovation Update

1. A friend recommended the painter who painter the interior of her home. I called and set up an appointment for this Friday for an estimate!

2. I called a Blinds Cleaner who will come and take down my 9 window blinds from all over the house, take them away and clean them and bring them back and hang them the very same day!

(will synchronize this to happen when we get painted)

They have not been cleaned in 22 yrs I suppose I should be ashamed to admit. Better late than never. We are going to shine!

3. Drawers continue to be emptied; boxes continue to be filled.

I am so grateful that I can finally afford to do all this, and

that I took the plunge and am

making it happen!

And it's not as hard as I thought it would be!

What a wonderful gift to myself! &&&&&&&&&&&&

I am up to 82 votes for the swan quilt contest here.

Last day to vote is June 28th.

I appreciate every vote my quilt Nest Building

has received. I have no idea who has voted in the past

few days, but let me say thank you very very much!

;-)

I am ever so grateful!

Shopping for New Floor Coverings and Window Treatments.

Yesterday morning DH and I met downtown at a small local flooring business establishment to look at samples of laminate and tile. It was a bit of a surprise when I met the store owner, as he was such a familiar face. He and his partner walk at noontime same as I do. And we often cross paths, nod and smile at one another. So it felt quickly that I was dealing with old friends. I had been in the day before and liked this sample below called Kings Canyon Cherry. It has just enough darks and lights mixed together to promise me it won't show dirt easily and still be attractive. And it has a nice texture, not too smooth to prevent slipping.

I chose this porcelain tile for the same reason. Much darker than our old linoleum, but will not look dirty so quickly. Again, a mixture of darks and lights. And again, full of texture so we won't slip and fall on it. You can see the frayed carpet we'll be replacing with the laminate next to it.

Henry is happily busy jumping into all the boxes we are loading up with our belongings. I was happy to learn, relieved really, that the floor crew will move our furniture around for us for a nominal fee. I was so worried, as no way can either of us do that anymore ourselves. And he said at most it will take about four days. We plan to have them do this in early August.

Henry also LOVES and looked as though he was making love to my new purple "Suki Shoes!"

and Teri, if you are peeking in here I did wear them to work today! ;-)

Happy Animal Wednesday from

Henry V

&

me

!

Going to load another box.