Monday, July 30, 2012

Moon and Stars Plus Sun

Remember my little Moon and Stars? I think he may now be my little Sun, Moon and Stars. Pretty soon, he will be the entire galaxy!

I think he may be happy in his new home. He has been here a year now so I suppose I can stop saying his 'new' home.

Sleeping Moon and Stars

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

I Was Sad Today

This morning, I was sad when I realized my Jakey cannot see very well or even not at all out of his left eye. Of course, I knew he had a bad eye. I have known it since I first met him. However, I was hoping it was not hindering his eyesight. However, I believe it is.

I realized this because Henri, his playing buddy, kept running past him on the left. Jake knew something was running past him. He sensed it and maybe saw a shadow but it scared him. I felt sad. Henri approached him on the right and Jake immediately lit into him just like the playing buddies do.

But my boy is a happy lad and that is all that matters, right? Plus, he has me to help him. He has me to love him. He has Henri to play with him. I am not sad anymore.

Here are Jakey and Henri, the happy lads.



Monday, July 23, 2012

She Was a Dragon Slayer

I was busy this weekend making more she art. This Thursday is my friend Carol's birthday. I made a she art to represent how I feel about her that I will give to her.

She is a dragon slayer.

A few years ago. she was diagnosed with three kinds of breast cancer with one being the most aggressive and least treatable of all breast cancer types. She became my hero then. I have never known anyone more focused, stronger, more determined than she was in her year long battle to over come the disease.

Every woman she knew joined together to form what we called her support group. Each week, we met to share in crafting projects or just to talk and laugh. We did whatever it took to take her mind off of her ailment as much as we could. We cooked for her family, we took her to doctors visits, we took her to get her hair shaved, we were there for whatever she needed. In return, we witnessed her amazing strength and joie de vivre. She gave us much more than we were ever able to give back to her.

With her amazing faith in God and the strength He provided, she is healed. That is truly remarkable.


Plum and Ivory is her fave combo of colors.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Answer to a Bad Dream

Writers are really observers. That is what they do. They cannot help it. They observe and make assessments. Sometimes, they even audibly voice the words but only to themselves. There is power in words especially spoken words. Always be heedful in minding what you say because once said, it is out there in the universe unable to be recalled. I have a theory about writers. They see things as they are and rewrite them as they deem they ought to be.


Some of my observations end up in the weirdest dreams such as the one I had the other night. It was the kind that tons of observations of differing situations all ended up in the same dream. That makes for one heck of a dream; hilariously funny to recollect.

In this dream, I was at a football game. This was not a professional game at a big stadium. This was more like a large high school game or maybe a big district play off game.

First dream oddity: there were WAY more than 11 men on each team on the field at one time. Actually, there were more like 50 players on each team on the field for each play, 100 total not counting officials. It looked like a small flash mob.

Second dream oddity: I really didn’t think anything about all of the extra players or even wonder why. I just noted the location of the ball was difficult to discern due to the large crowd on the field.

Third dream oddity: Little Jake was with me in the stands. I was surrounded by hundreds of yelling people and I am holding a small cat. He was just calmly sitting on my lap looking around not trying to bolt or scratch my eyes out for bringing him to such a hullabaloo. However, I very tightly clung to him and even recall hearing some fans behind me say “Awe…look at that sweet cat.” Of course, I felt very proud of my boy. (Because listen folks and let there be no doubt about this, I LOVE my boy.) I realize cats are a dime a dozen but not MY cat. See, I operate under this axiom “All love is good love and in the end, it all feels the same.” Love feels the same whether you are loved by a little, cast off stray kitten or by the King of England. None is more worthy than the other or feels any different than the other. It all rates the same in my mind. Personally, I go for the one that needs me most. A little, cast off stray kitten with one bad eye needs me WAY more than the King of England would if in fact, he did exist but he doesn’t at this present time. When he does exist, let him get the “easy love”. “Easy love” indeed he will get because there will be throngs of adoring women just waiting to love him. Easy love doesn’t rate with me. I do not give it. I do not take it.

Okay, it is at the fourth dream oddity where things really, really get weird! I find I have left the game and gone home but not to my current home. Rather I am in a childhood home from long ago, a home I hated, a home that gives me the creeps to remember. Suddenly, I panic like a cow gone to slaughter! Where is my Jakey???? For Pete’s sake, what kind of dirt bag am I?! I left him at that crazy football game! Then, I tear out in an ancient, rattle trap pick up heading back to that goofy game all the while talking to myself about what a loser I am for leaving my cherished Jakey with a stadium full of yelling, strangers and what does this say about my pet owning skills. I don’t deserve to own a flea! I must be a real loser and not worthy of such a prized cat and how he should hate me until he dies for this foul mistreatment. Speaking of dying, yeah, he is probably dead already come to think of it and I should just go throw myself off the nearest tall bridge for being such a derelict cat mom! Oh no, where is my Oliver, Nigel and Henri??

Needless to say, it was turning extremely ugly when I woke up without ever finding my Jakey, or my Oliver, or my Nigel or my Henri. Whew! That was a bad scene. Glad it is over.

So, how do you recover from a dream such as this one that focuses on what you deem your most wonderful and holier-than-thou attribute that probably in reality is not all that wonderful or holy and definitely not valued by very many? You go create some she art and tell yourself some lies about how valuable your devotion really is and how you give your heart completely, truly and eternally only to those that are worthy in your jaundiced eye. Yep, that is what you do.

And here it is in all of its glory.


Monday, July 9, 2012

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This post has lots of pictures in other words...a photo journal.

This is how it looks when you have been gone for awhile to California, then, return home.


Lots of Cat Love
No More Room on my Lap

I have this table and chair set. As you can see, it is Early American. That is not really my style. Perhaps an attempt to make it Shabby Chic might make it fit in a little bit better to the scheme of things. Methinks it still will not fit in but hey, it is worth a try, right?

Table Before Primer

Table and two chairs after Primer
I am still not "feeling it".

This is how a scared kitten looks when thunderstorms might be looming.


"Mum, if I get right in your face
the thunder might not get me."

"Wow, what are those loud booms up there?"

"Methinks that was my cue  to run."

Thursday, July 5, 2012

How the Other Side Lives

Have you ever heard of the phrase "how the other side lives"? I personally do not know anyone that lives on life's other side. I do not travel in those circles. Well, not unless you count these types....




Looks as if they have it "made in the shade".

I read an article on the internet this morning that stated that those that breathe cat poop are more likely to commit suicide. Uh oh. I am a goner for sure. Oh well. I really am not all that worried. Unless something really weird and unexpected happens to my mental outlook, I really do not see that ever forthcoming.







Monday, July 2, 2012

She Wondered Why

I made more she art. This one is 'she wondered why'. I used turquoise, camel and some red orange for the background. It has many Californian elements hiding in it.

No doubt that phrase defines me better than any other phrase. I am always wondering about something. I remember once my sister and me were raking leaves. This was many years ago. My sister asked me "Why do you have to analyze everything?". I must have looked puzzled because then she explained "We cannot do anything without large amounts of analysis before hand such as raking these leaves. Like you are probably wondering why this leaf fell and that one didn't." I said "Actually, no, I wasn't wondering that but now that you mention it, that is a good question. The truth is that I really was wondering why it didn't rain today like it was supposed to so we wouldn't have to rake these leaves."