Children!

I am Jake. I rule!

As previously mentioned, I had a car accident a week ago today. The car I own is a 2012 Ford Escape, perfect for hauling the beasts to the dog park. I fold down the back seats, cover everything with old sheets and a quilt, and off we go. Jake always sits his little butt on the edge of the folded seat, resting his front paws on the console. He is my navigator. Gracie goes all the way to the back, sitting facing the window, so she can watch where we've been. No one touches anyone. Life is good.

The rental car I have now is a Chrysler 200 Sedan. Brand new. A very nice mid size car, but a car. With a back seat. To help protect it, I spread a king size quilt over the back, draping it up into the window well. When I open the back door, Jake jumps right in and stands in the middle of the seat. Gracie won't get in the car unless I lift her. At first I was worried that she was now afraid of being in a car after the accident (dogs were with me). But yesterday I came to the conclusion she is afraid of her bratty little brother, and his insistence of hogging every square inch of the back seat. It was a chore getting her into the car to go to the park yesterday.

At the park, they ran for an hour, the air was chilly and you could see their breathes. Whatever transpired in their dog brains must have been good, for Gracie jumped right in when it was time to leave, and shoved, yes, shoved her brother to the side.

You go, girl!
Linda

Happy Thanksgiving

Ellis Park in Danville, IN October 2014

Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

Sunset over Folly Beach, SC.

Historical home in Charleston, SC.

Thanksgiving....FaLaLaLaLaaaaa

It is Thanksgiving eve. All thoughts should be on the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and various side dishes that each family treasures. My one daughter-in-law has to have green bean casserole. The other daughter-in-law wants cranberry gel out of the can, and corn. I always liked making cole slaw from scratch to go with the turkey. A nice contrast. I no longer cook Thanksgiving dinner. No one comes to my home, and I don't go by the kids. That's cool.

I should probably stay home to plow through the endless array of emails and newspaper ads trying to entice me to get out and buy. Wasn't it just a few short years ago that the sales didn't start until 6am on Friday? Now it's 4am, or midnight on Thanksgiving, or (shame on you, KMart!) 6am on Thanksgiving day. Give me a frigging break. Will I shop on Thanksgiving? Nope. Will I get out at midnight? Nope. I live in the suburbs of Indianapolis, one that is regularly targeted by thieves. Are you nuts? Will I set the alarm and go out at 6am? Uh, that would be a negative.

What I will do (shoot me now) is go to Michael's between noon and 10pm on Black Friday for 40% off every regular priced item. Art supplies. OH, yeah. Not presents, nope, stuff for me. At a great savings. And no, they aren't giving me anything to hype this.

I do love a bargain like everyone else, but this shopping frenzy has truly grown beyond all understanding. Do we really need to do this? As a society, is this how we want to be remembered? Greed rules? With a healthy dose of racism and hate?

Think about it. What are you thankful for? Me? I'm thankful for my health, family, friends, and dogs. Thankful that I can still survive on my own. And most of all, thankful for the way my father raised me. Hate was not allowed in our home. Everyone deserves a chance. This was discussed, especially as I entered my teens. Thanks, dad. God, I miss you. And I am thankful you were there for me.
Linda

Shit Happens

Saturday was warm and overcast here in central Indiana. I decided it would be a good thing to get the dogs out to the dog park before the heavy rain started. We were there over an hour, the dogs running around and having a good time. I then had to make a quick stop at Michael's for some gesso.

Traffic in this area is growing every single day. The weekends are a zoo, and I have learned to avoid certain roads and areas that are particularly heavy. I am a confident driver, more cautious now that I am older, and always very aware when the dogs are with me. As I tried to make a left hand turn out onto a busy parkway, an opening occurred. There was an older Mercury approaching in the right turn lane with his right turn signal on. I pulled out. He hit me.

Because I was barely moving, we were not hurt. The car is a mess and in a wrecker's parking lot, waiting for the insurance adjuster. I believe, and I am not an expert on automobiles, that the damage is all cosmetic. The front bumper, hood, and both front quarter panels are going to be replaced at the very least. But I don't think the frame is bent or anything mechanical is wrong, because I was able to turn the wheels and pull off on the side of the road.

I am grateful that my babies are alright, although Gracie was shaking badly when I checked on her. Gracie doesn't like booms, or bangs. I am grateful I wasn't hurt, other than shook up, and held some stress in my back for the remainder of that day. But all is good now.

I am grateful for the kindness of my friends, and the consideration, kindness and professionalism of the police and firemen that responded to the crash. They were awesome. Beyond awesome. I stood by the car for almost 30 minutes while the male driver of the other vehicle was transported to the hospital (not hurt, but disoriented.) I presented my insurance information, drivers license, and car registration, called my friend Melissa for help with the dogs and a ride, and answered all questions. In this process, my phone fell out of my coat pocket. The tow driver found it, gave it to a fireman, who delivered it to my home right after I arrived with Melissa. How cool is that?

I cried a little, but refused any medical attention, and called everyone "sir". I thanked everyone several times. It is good to know that the responders are caring individuals. A very good thing indeed.
Linda

Second in series

This is the second canvas in the series of 10 from the Donna Downey class. Looking at the bottom photo makes me realize I should have applied a layer of gesso under the paint. Hmmmm. I didn't take photos of the work in progress, because once I started I didn't stop. Just ripped through this, having fun, enjoying the creative force.

Probably will start a the third canvas today. A rainy, overcast Sunday good for working in the studio, watching a movie, or reading a book. Enjoy.
Linda

This one's for ME!

Applied ephemera with gel medium

Close up of light modeling paste

Before final glazing of Raw Umber

Completed with glazing

I mentioned the other day that I treated myself to a new online class with Donna Downey. The name of the class is 10 in 10, 10 canvases in 10 days. I am not quite that fast for several reasons. I like to think about what I'm doing, and can take weeks to complete a canvas. That is not the case with this project, but the waiting for layers to dry is slowing me down a bit.

I have been on Pinterest since the beginning, and started a board for abstract art months ago. Looking at examples of other's art is inspiring and daunting. The main reason I took this class was to get out of my rut,  and try something new. Donna Downey is a very talented teacher, organized, enthusiastic, and yes, inspiring. I've completed two canvases, starting a third, and having an absolute blast. This is for me. I am not selling these, don't care if anyone else thinks they are crap because they are going on my walls. And I am learning and growing, two things that I love to do.

Thanks for stopping by.
Linda

Misc Friday

Back in March of this year, I opened a letter from the IRS. Such a benign sentence. A more accurate statement would be "with my freaking heart in my throat, I ripped the envelope from the %%$$#IRS, hands shaking uncontrollably." This letter told me that I owed $1,830 for my 2012 federal income taxes. I immediately pulled out my tax file, followed each line on the letter with my own copy of my return, and yep, I owed money. Just not $1,830. After a bit of research with my investment broker, I called the IRS (your call is important to us, please do not hang up, or you may lose your place in the calling queue). I timed it. I was on hold waiting for a live human for 34 minutes.

The woman was extraordinarily nice, polite, and very professional. I explained I owed money, it was entirely my fault, but not that amount. She agreed. I gave her new information, she did the calculations, and told me it was reduced to $524. A great sigh escaped my body, and I said I would send a check immediately. "OH, NO!" she said. You must wait for a new letter with that amount indicated as being due. A small fine will be added. It will take 4 to 6 weeks. Oookkkkkaaaaayyyyyy.

To tell the truth, I forgot about it. I looked for the letter after a month, but when nothing arrived I completely put it out of my mind. There is a lot of stuff in my mind, and it's crowded in there. If something like a notification from the IRS is shoved in, space is limited, and the other, more important stuff will push the IRS brat out the ear. A second letter arrived in July. This time I was confident. This time I wasn't shaking. This time I was a complete and total idiot for believing my government had rectified the compounded error.

THIS letter said I owed $1,836 (note, $6 more), and that I was on my way to the tax court. There were many forms, and it boiled down to if I agreed that I was a horrible tax payer that had abused the system, I would sign the letter and return it to await my punishment. Uh, no. I didn't sign it. I did write a letter, once again making corrections on the IRS letter, enclosing all of it, and mailed it.

Time marched on. A third letter arrived in September. I now owed $529, which included my fine for not paying the correct taxes back in 2012. I about broke my arm writing a check for that amount, and getting it in the mail. Ahhhhh. Relief. It's over. Done. I can breath again.

Uh, no. A fourth letter arrived in October. This letter was very chatty. Hi there, taxpayer. We noted that you didn't pay the full amount of all of our previous correspondence, and that is just not right. Because you didn't reply to us within 90 days (WHAT????), we have no recourse but to bill you for the full balance. (WHAT?????) No amount was indicated. I called. On hold for 41 minutes. And again, the woman who answered the call was polite, professional, and as far as I'm concerned, a saint. She explained that that letter had been sent to tell me I had returned a previous form unsigned, and it involves the tax court, and so they had to let me know if anything was amiss, I was responsible. Ooookkkkkaaayyyyy. What do I owe? Nothing, Mrs. Crowe. Not a penny. I see your payment in full, you are so done with the 2012 taxes, and all is good. I am making a notation on your file that you called today, and that we spoke. You are free.

My birthday was this past Tuesday, November 18th. I received my fifth letter from the IRS. On my birthday. Happy Birthday to meeeee. This letter stated that I overpaid. A refund of $1.17 would arrive within 2 to 3 weeks. Yesterday the refund came in the mail. The check is for $1.18. One penny more. I am now waiting for the letter that tells me I owe them a penny.

Life is good. Screwed up, convoluted, but good just the same.
Linda

Mojo is working!

Creativity is a funny thing. Either it is with you or it isn't. For whatever reasons I lost mine last spring, and it was pretty much gone all summer and early fall. I had zero desire to even enter the studio, let alone work in an art journal or on a canvas. No sewing, nothing was going on. The blog was ignored, because I had stopped taking photographs, and didn't feel like I had anything to say.

Any artist, particularly the female artists I follow online, will tell you that when you hit a dry spell you work through it. Force yourself to do something. Nah, didn't want to do that so I let everything slide. Then last month that little itch started up again. Very small at first, I'd dabble for maybe 10 minutes at a time, then walk away. Still unsure, still waiting for lightning to strike. I did a few online classes with Christy Tomlinson, because I had signed on for the year with her Art Society. You receive links to a new project once a month. The fire was still not quite burning bright.

If you like mixed media, if you like abstract art, if you just want to play there is a new class I can't recommend enough: Donna Downey's 10 - 10 in 10 canvas workshop. Check it here. I watched the intro video and first day video yesterday, and started my first canvas. I will share the steps after I finish, had to give it overnight to dry the first layer. Donna makes this so easy, and just encourages you to have fun and play and hey! be happy. This is exactly what I needed. The supplies she uses are all Golden, which are a bit pricey but I had almost everything on hand. But she uses minimal supplies, making the self imposed limit work for us. Love this concept, love her instruction.

More to come. Have a good day!
Linda

Freaking WInter

It is way too early for weather this cold. Snow on the ground for the past 3 days. But wait! Thunderstorms coming in this weekend? 60 degrees? Is the world ending? Is this the bitch slap the Republicans need to wake up about global climate change? Do bears shit in the woods?

I'm in a mood. Can you tell? Have been back in the studio and not really happy with the results. Some yes, mostly no. So I signed up for another online class this morning. This time with Donna Downey. 10 canvases in a series in 10 days. This means, but of course, I must, just must go shopping today to buy, buy, buy.

I have come to the conclusion that my addiction is to buying, and the process of creating. Not the end result. Is that weird? I don't know. Reading as many artist blogs as I do, I honestly don't feel I'm alone. There is always another product to try, something new on the market, or perhaps a new technique using older supplies.That is the hook that draws me in, again and again.

Yesterday it occurred to me that, should I drop dead of a heart attack, the kids would be left with stacks of these canvases and wonder what the hell I was doing, thinking, trying to accomplish. They would scratch their heads and come to the conclusion that I had way too much time on my hands and money to waste. My money, my time, my life. I have reached a point in my life that it truly does not matter to me what other people think. I am living my life for me. If creating crappy canvases makes me content and happy, brings a smile to my face, so be it. It's just me and the dogs, and they aren't talking.

Wise dogs.

Don't look at her. She has the phone out. 

Have a good one.
Linda

On Getting Older

Gracie in the warm sunshine

Today I am 67. Do I feel that old? Yes and no. My arthritis and scoliosis make me feel 200 at times, but mentally no, I don't feel 67. Mentally I am still that curious woman who found the internet, loves to read, and always wants to see something new.

I had lunch with three friends on Sunday. One is a full year younger than me, the other two are a couple,who are approaching their 71st birthdays. The gentleman, a voracious reader, will not use a computer nor a smart phone. His wife tends to all emails, shows him the text messages they receive with photos of grandchildren on her phone, and explains what an "app" is. That is after I tell her how to find the apps and install them, then use them.  The woman who is a year younger has a son who is an IT expert, so she turns to him when her IPad, IPhone, and laptop won't do what she wants them to. She also has a problem with a television/cable box remote control. All three of these dear people were school teachers for 30 years.

What does this say about aging? Just this. You get old if you allow it. You think old if you shut out the world zipping by, and stop being curious. And the more you don't make inquiries, the more you don't ask questions on subjects that are confusing or new, the more your brain shuts down. THAT ages you.

I love listening to new music on the college radio station. I am willing to try entertainment that is out of my safe zone because you never know what you may like. I will try new foods. If you stay within the confines of what you have always done, there is no growth. No adventure. And no life, just existence. All of this is my opinion, because, hey, this is my blog. It is how I feel, how I live.

To know the real highs, you have to experience some lows. Take life one day at a time, but look around the corner. You just might like what you see.
Linda

I Don't Think So

Like a great many people, I rarely open my front door. The garage is attached to the house, so I exit and enter through the connecting door. Yesterday, after returning from the dog park, I walked the dogs out to get the Sunday paper. And saw a white flyer attached to the front door.

I live in a subdivision that is approximately 15 years old. There are pockets of half size empty lots scattered throughout the homes, and a narrow tract of land with some woods that runs to the west of our subdivision. I always thought that that tract would have been developed at some point had the housing recession not hit in 2007-2008. The only access to this tract of land would be either opening one of the residential streets within our housing area, or giving access off of CR100N, which borders the subdivision on the north side.

The flyer I picked up was a call to concerned citizens to "take a stand". Some yahoo has approached the county to rezone that tract of land from residential to commercial so he can build storage units. Right within the housing addition. Isn't that quaint? The public meeting is tonight, and you can bet your sweet ass I will be there.

CR100N is a two lane blacktop that runs due west to east. When it crosses the line into Marion county, it becomes 10th street in Indianapolis. Everyone who drives on this road thinks they are at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is a major commute route into the city for those who live outside of the city. Traffic right now, today, is horrendous. Mr. Yahoo wants to add MORE traffic? I can barely get out now.

My point in discussing an issue that is very local is this: we elect people who should have brains to run our governments. All levels of government. Yet when some imbecile wants to lower the quality of life for several hundred people, endangering a few thousand more, no one has enough balls to say NO! This is not a good idea. The roads can't handle the traffic. Find a different spot. There has to be a call to concerned citizens who live in the area to stand up and fight.

The obvious answer is we can no longer trust the people we elect to do what is right, what is logical. That is one hell of a scary thought. Want another? How many people do you know who would stand up to fight?
Linda

This and That

My boy Jake 2012

Gracie, 2012

Gracie, 2012

It is overcast and cold, with snow moving in. I really need and want to get the dogs out this afternoon, but it is already a giant pain in the ass to dress in layers for this weather. Isn't it odd that a woman who still has hot flashes can freeze when the temperatures are in the high 20's or low 30's? My younger friends find this amusing. I told them to wait, their day will come. And then I cackled.

I am in the mood to create today, so planning on spending most of the day in the studio room. All of this hinges on the dogs allowing this. As we all know, the pets rule. We, as humans, think we are in control. Yeah, right. We are in control of the money and the car. What happens within the confines of the home is dictated by the dogs. Gracie will "talk" to me when I am spending too much time away from my primary duty: petting and pampering her. She'll start off with a low, soft sound that eventually builds into a guttural accusation that her world is tilted. I have begun to talk back to her, imitating her sounds. The looks I get when I do this are priceless.

Yes, I am crazy. Why do you ask?

I've been gathering quotes to use on canvases off of Pinterest. Love Pinterest. But then again, I love the internet. We were made for each other. Some of the recent quotes I am favoring:

You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old. Unknown

I like you because your in on my weirdness. Unknown

I never lose....either I win or I learn. Unknown and a personal favorite. This is how I view life.

Will try to remember to take photos as I work today, so I can post a canvas in process. No guarantees on that. Once you start to roll, the outside world gets blocked.

It be's that way sometimes. Joe Druzbicki (a friend who passed in 2000)
Linda

Think Spring

Asheville, NC view from Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate

Folly Beach, SC

Charleston, SC

We will have measurable snow later today and tonight. The first for the season. So I am thinking positive. I am thinking spring, flowers, warmth, no heat bills, color, sunshine.

You get the idea.
Linda

Misc Friday

Dubuque, IA river walk

Dubuque IA river walk

Dubuque IA river walk, Pat

View from the top of the 4th street elevator

Mississippi Palisades Park view towards the river

We are having "below average" temperatures that would be average for January. This is the second year in a row that we are having temperature readings in November that should be in January. Do you think that the local FOX affiliate will actually use the words, "climate change?" Hell, no. It's FOX!

As the weather turns colder and you see big flakes of snow swirling, as I did yesterday, one's thoughts turn to the holidays. Yep. The holidays. You know. That time of year when we should be happy and full of joy, falalalalaaaaaaa. Therefore, let us share a few ideas on how to survive this time of year.

I have been a widow for 14 years, and lived a minimum of 170 miles away from my three adult step children and their families the entire time. Their dad, my husband, did not want to stay in the Chicago metropolitan area, and I agreed to move to central Indiana. We always had Thanksgiving dinner with the kids, usually at our home. Christmas we played by ear, very aware of the tug of in-laws on kids. After the two dogs we had when Ken retired passed, we started going to Florida the day after Thanksgiving, solving the Christmas dilemma completely.

I am a firm believer in the concept that blood doesn't mean you have to like one another, and that you can create your own family. Step kids are not blood, we do love one another, and they are my family. But the distance and busy lives have gradually put a wedge into the holidays. I am okay with this. I have created another family with friends. Some are close, some are in the Chicago area, none the less they are family. So the kids (I use that word loosely. They are all in their 50's) are free to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with the other side of their families. All I want is an afternoon in December. Because I am the one traveling, I get to pick the date. I let them know 2 months in advance. This is working, by jove! We go out to eat somewhere, exchange presents with the grandkids, and boom. We are done.

This time of year used to be full of angst, sorrow, memories, and tons of stress on everyone. About 3 years ago I said, to myself, that waiting for invitations was bullshit, and if I choose a date and make everyone stick to it, the stress is gone. Or as much of the stress I can help alleviate. Thanksgiving? I spend with friends. This year I am going to a man's house that I have never met. He is the nephew of my friend, Cathy. I know almost everyone else that will be there, so that is cool.

The point I am trying to make is to stop letting others control the holidays. Stop waiting. Stop having your heart break just a bit every single year. Just do what feels right to you. Don't want to go anywhere with people that you know? Go to the movies on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. I love seeing a movie on Christmas, and trust me, you will not be the only one in the theater. Go bowling. Go to a Chinese restaurant.

It is your life. Live it for you.
Linda

On Being a Caregiver

Hug a dog

This has been on my mind since yesterday. I had two people in my life come to me for nothing more than to spout off on how complicated their lives had become. Because I would be a sympathetic ear. Because they both knew I was the primary care giver for my husband for 8.5 years.

Not everyone can take care of a sick person. It is not easy, and in fact will eventually harm your own health, both mentally and physically. The individual in charge of a patient's care has to be strong, have a very thick skin, and the ability to organize two lives around the illness. Or more. We didn't have kids at home during the 8 years.

So why is it that when someone is thrust into this roll, they think/feel it should be nothing more than handing out pills, taking the patient to the doctor/hospital for treatments, and maybe doing a few extra tasks if the mood suits them? You look at this as a job. It is your job to make the person you love comfortable, keep them as healthy as you and the medical profession can, and in good spirits. It's your job to buy the right food, fix it, and make sure some of it at least is consumed. It's your responsibility to get them whatever it is they need, keep them clean, hold their hand when it's needed, offer whatever you can discern they may want at that moment. Why? Because as each hour, day passes, it is less time that patient has on the face of this earth. YOU are the healthy one, they are not. Suck it up, buttercup.

Do you deserve enormous pats on the back for all of your efforts? Yep. Will you get them? Nope. Will you be the target of animosity, snide comments from other family members, blatant jealousy? Yes, you will. Hence the need for thick skin. You develop blinders, for the only focus you should have is the patient you love. And if you don't love that patient? There is a problem. There is no way in hell I could have made it through those 8.5 years if I didn't love my husband, and have a deep desire to fulfill my marriage vows -"til death do us part." Yes, that phrase was in our vows because Ken had lost his first wife to cancer. He was 39, Diane was 33 when she died. I knew when I married this man that it was very important to him to know I would be there if illness struck. And it didn't just strike, it rolled over our lives. But I was there.

Reflecting on those years I now realize that I changed. I had strength from deep inside of me that I didn't know existed, and time and time again I reached into that well and pulled it out. Very rarely did I break down, because I felt that wasn't good for Ken. However. And this is a big however, if there was a cold or flu germ within 50 miles, it found me. I became adept at keeping annoying people and their comments at arm's length, and stepping away.

My advice to anyone in this situation is to take care of yourself. If you can get some help, do so. Find something to give you a small bit of joy, if only for a few moments, every week. Daily is too much to hope for. And if you are doing the care giving for the sole reason to garner points from others, then walk away. It won't work, you may do some harm, and dude! Really?

Linda

Stuff

The Belvedere House in Galena, IL.

This is a four story house on the Galena River, in Galena, IL. It is quite old, although I don't remember how old. It has sat vacant for years, been used as a restaurant more than once, and is now a tour home (first 2 floors only) and private residence. The house is packed, and I do mean packed, with collectibles and antiques from the current owners many travels. If I recall correctly, the current owners have been in this home since 1970.

One of the little tidbits we learned on this tour was that the current owners, and I don't remember their names because I didn't really care at the time, have purchased a huge quantity of items and furniture from the estate sales of Liberace. Yes, THAT Liberace. Holy Shit, batman, you should truly see some of this stuff. Liberace had 30, count them, 30 homes all over the country. And he decorated all of them in this ornate, heavy style. Kind of like Elvis on steroids. Was it a 70's thing? Was it a Vegas thing? I don't know, but Lord have mercy it is beyond ugly. And there is no room to move without bumping some part of your body into a piece of furniture. Every single inch of wall space has an item shoved up against it.

What impressed me the most was the view from the foyer. You can gaze skyward and see the original stained glass sky light, with the winding staircase as a frame. Very cool. But the rest of the house? Rooms were not made that large 125 years ago, so when you encase them in heavy, dark draperies and heavy, dark furniture, they appear smaller.  Like the walls are closing in.

Dudes. Have a sale!
Linda

They are like kids, aren't they?

Jake

Gracie

I was sitting on the bed late yesterday afternoon with the dogs, watching reruns of Castle. We had had a very busy day. Took them for a walk at the park, then the dog park. In the afternoon, I mowed the backyard, and then they were out there with me for a few hours while I did some clean-up, trimming, etc.

Jake likes toys that fit in his mouth and squeak. Gracie likes all toys, but is not fond of squeaking of any type. It seems to scare her. So of course her brother harasses her endlessly with the squeaks. But this behavior yesterday was new: Jake would not drop the little football. I guess he was afraid Gracie would grab it. Look at Gracie. She is thinking she wants to beat the crap out of him, but get the football? Nope. Not interested.

Life is never dull with 2 dogs. Never.
Linda

Winter is coming!

Burning Bush in front of my house

A street in Dubuque, IA

Part of the Mississippi Palisades Park

Mississippi Palisades Park

It was such a beautiful autumn this year in the Midwest. I can never remember what gives us the best fall colors, too much rain, just the right amount of rain, whatever. Central Indiana and Illinois did not have a drought this year, for the first time in over 5 years. I mowed grass every week, all season long. That was a first since I bought this house.

So I am looking at all the photos I took this past month, and enjoying them immensely. Snow is in the forecast for the end of this week. It is also going to be colder than normal.  "Colder than normal". Such an innocent statement. What is normal? I know the government takes all of the actual temperatures and gives us an average. In this area the averages have been basically kicked in the ass the past few years.

I am ready. 2 weeks ago I had all of the windows in my house replaced with Renewal by Andersen. LOVE these new windows. The house is tighter, less sound penetrates, and I know this is going to improve my energy usage.  Still don't like winter, but I am trying to make it more comfortable for me and my babies.

Have a good one.
Linda

Art

As I have stated before, I have this spare bedroom known quaintly as the craft room, or studio. The door has been shut all summer. I'm not sure what happened, but I lost all motivation to create anything. No sewing, painting, greeting cards, nothing was going on for months. About 3 weeks ago, the old itch to get back in there and do something started scratching.

First thing I had to do was clean it up. Good Grief! When the room is so small, it can become a mess in a hurry.

This is a larger canvas, about 14x20 inches. I worked on the background for weeks, off and on, adding colors and textures, then closing the door and walking away. On Friday, I found this quote on Pinterest, and decided it needed a home on the canvas. I was going to try some creative lettering with a paint brush, but chickened out and used chipboard letters instead. The larger letters were unfinished that I painted with craft paint. Smaller ones were left over from years of collecting letters for scrapbooking.

This was fun. There are 2 more smaller canvases in process on the work table. The mojo is back. No one is ever going to buy this stuff, but I get something out of the process of creating, so it's all cool.

Have a good one.
Linda

Entertainment

This is not a sharp image, and I apologize. I grabbed it off of Google Images. But it suits my purpose. Well, not really. My true purpose would be to meet this man, but that ain't happening, so we'll just do this.

I had become a television snob, due to the utter bullshit on television. I hate, I mean hate reality tv. Honey Boo Boo? Races, Survivor, all of it. Big Brother. Good God, how can you seriously believe they don't script that crap? So when the reality craze hit, I kind of stopped watching a lot of programing. With one or two exceptions: NCIS. Mark Harmon. Yeah, that is easy on the eyes, and I liked all of the characters on that show. Didn't catch it on Tuesday nights, because I work teaching a class. Big Bang Theory. Makes me laugh. I've got off of it this year, because I don't think anyone is worth 1 million dollars per episode. Sorry Jim, Johnny, and Kaley, but that is how I feel. And Sherlock. The BBC version with Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. BEST. SHOW. EVER!!!!!

So one day last winter when I was once again stuck in the house due to snow and frigid air, I was cruising through the guide and clicked on reruns of Castle on TNT. I was bored. I watched one episode of Castle, then another, then another, and was totally hooked. The cast works so well together, the writing can be very clever, and Nathan Fillion.

Curious about Nathan, I googled him. That lead me to YouTube to watch various ComicCon videos, and to Firefly and Serenity. Firefly was a series in 2002 that aired only 11 episodes, made 14, and is now a cult classic.  That series made Nathan Fillion King of the Nerds/Geeks. Serenity is the movie that director Joss Whedon made in 2005 with the same cast, that continued the story. Want to know how addictive this is? I didn't purchase Firefly or Serenity until April of this year. I have watched the series at least 4 times, all 14 episodes, and the movie once with bits and pieces again. I am savoring this movie. There in all probability won't be another one.

After that, I started in on whatever else Joss Whedon has directed or Nathan Fillion has had a part in. If you have never seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, do yourself a favor and watch it. It is a 3 act musical staring Nathan, Neil Patrick Harris, and Felicia Day. It is brilliant. Some day there will be a part 2. I'm waiting, Mr. Whedon. Yes, I am. Joss was the creator and director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I went back and watched the first 4 seasons of Buffy on Amazon Prime, free streaming. Then a biography was released on Joss Whedon, I purchased and read that. He stated that the best writing on television belonged to a short lived series called Veronica Mars. Dang, Amazon had that for free. There were only 3 seasons, and I am half way through season 3.

I am now nuts. And a nerd. And enjoying entertainment again. Especially when you can dip into it, for free, with streaming. Loving this technology.

Enjoy something today.
Linda

Ready for this?

My boy Jake

Gracie, my beautiful Aussie

It is downright chilly this morning. Feels like winter. Oh, wait! It's November 7th! It is almost winter. So not ready for this. The memory of last winter is still way too fresh.

I took both of these photos with my phone, which is a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. My Verizon contract is up in December, and I will trade this sucker in on a Galaxy Note 4, which is the newest model of Note. The Note phones are the biggies, the ones that cause people to look at you weird when you pull it out to check a text message. Like when you are at the Ford dealership getting an oil change. Getting off the path here. What was I going to tell you about? Oh, yeah. Photos!!!!

The camera on the Note is pretty darn good. I have been pleased with photos I've taken, but had a real problem getting the photos off the phone to the computer until a few months ago. There is a free app and storage program called Dropbox. Google it. You install the app on your phone, then also put it on your computer. Everytime you take a photo with your phone, within a minute it is in the Dropbox cloud, and accessible on your computer. Dropbox will archive the photos according to date, so you can go back, choose which you want to use, and boom. Done.

Let me clarify, the only reason I had a problem getting my photos from my Samsung Android based phone to the computer is that the computer is an Apple Mac desktop. Apple is not fond of people using other devices, and the software provided by Samsung was not compatible with the Mac. Took me forever to realize this, because I kept thinking I was doing something wrong. I could not connect to the Mac either with a cord or wireless. One day last summer, Pat found Dropbox and we were both off and running. I will warn you, I had over 400 photos on my phone to upload to the cloud. It took hours. Hours and hours. But now when I take photos, like on the Mississippi River vacation, they are in the cloud within minutes. Love it.

Have a great weekend.
Linda

Random Thoughts

This is Jake. This is how Jake sleeps when the weather is cooler, or downright cold. He knocks down pillows, then walks in a circle until he has the pillow to his liking. And settles right down. There are times that Jake is on 2 or 3 pillows. If he doesn't feel like a nap on a stack of pillows, he has also been known to bunch up the bed quilts to his liking. I love that he does this, and that he wants to sleep next to me. It warms my heart that he trusts me to this degree. Jake did not have an easy start to life. My little shelter baby.

At what point do you say enough is enough? Having family issues, and yesterday after one attempt to establish contact with someone, was indirectly told to back off. That is being polite. I was blatantly ignored while another family member was told to fuck off. I'm not angry. Slightly worried, but looking at this as one of those situations I can do nothing about. The help has to come from within, so at this point I need to just take care of me. There is a line between "helping" and "enabling". To enable these people is aggravating the problem further. Everyone has two feet. Learn to stand on them.

Memory lapses. It is my understanding that this is a normal part of aging. I don't think I am having any lapses, because I am remembering events that friends and family don't. Is there such a thing as memory additives? One has to wonder. But it worries me when you want to reminisce with friends, and you are the only one who can recall seeing a play at the Shubert theatre in downtown Chicago in the middle of a record breaking snowstorm, are you hallucinating? Seriously, I can visualize walking in a 6 inch snowfall at 10pm on a week night, making our way to the train station with Pat,  heading home after seeing The Wiz. The next morning we could not get to work, because almost 30 inches of snow had fallen overnight. Based on the snowfall, this had to be the winter of 1977-1978.  Scary, people.

I am already sick of hearing Bing Crosby singing Christmas Carols, and it's only November 6th. What the frack?

Have a good one.
Linda

Perspective

Riding the 4th street pulley elevator in Dubuque, IA.

Another view of the stone arch in Nauvoo, IL

Watching the movement of water

Should I step forward?

Only Wednesday, and so far it's been an interesting week. Amazing how I have learned to take things in stride. How do you teach that to someone? You don't.

Had a lovely conversation with a woman who works at the IRS yesterday. I was audited on my 2012 federal income taxes, and rightly so. I screwed up. It took me 6 months to get a corrected bill to pay. The IRS is so complex, so huge, and so disconnected from each department that they have a difficult time tracking what task each area is performing.  I paid what I owed 2 months ago, and resolved the last letter telling me what a deadbeat I am yesterday. Uh huh.

I give it 6 weeks before I receive another letter, informing me that my bank account will be frozen.

And then there is the family. Sigh. I am a strong woman. I say this with a certain amount of pride, because I started life as a wimp. I was a wimpy kid, afraid of just about everything. Something strengthened me in my mid twenties, not sure what, but it has kept growing over the years. I wish I could take some of my strength, my will, and give it to females that need it. But I can't. And you can't teach it. In fact, at this point, it doesn't do any good to even discuss it. My patience wears thin with women who refuse to help themselves. Where is it written or dictated that a woman needs a man to take care of her? Hello? You aren't really serious on this point, are you?

It was my generation, and those 10 years older than I, who heavily contributed to the equality movement for women. It was my generation who rolled up their sleeves, and said yeah, we can change society. Let's just do it.  I look at women in their twenties today, and wonder who ties their shoes for them. And it scares me for the future. Because the attitude of "bare foot and pregnant" will come back, abortions will be illegal, and women will somehow, in some convoluted way, lose voting privileges.

So. All I'm saying is, it takes hard work. Whatever you want, you have to work for it. Done. There are no shortcuts.

Just do it.
Linda