Day 247 - 365/2014

Day Two Hundred Forty-Seven

Today was a physical therapy day for Sue and then later in the evening we went to the barn to meet up with Sue's daughter (and her boyfriend) who were going to work Sue's horse a little bit for her.  They were a little late in arriving so I got the privilege of going to the horse's stall and putting the halter on him and leading him into the barn and hooking him up to the tie thing to wait for Sue's daughter Devon.  To save some more time, I suggested that I could comb out her horse's mane (and eventually his tail, too).  Wow...I am going to be sore in two days...that is a lot of reaching up and working above shoulder height.  I was amazed at what the wind does to a horse's mane...it is almost like someone did tiny braids and then tied a string around it.  I used a lot of detangler and the comb thing and got his mane all nice and my-little-pony pretty...LOL.  Then when Devon and Sam arrived I ended up also working on the horse's tail...not as badly tangled thank goodness.

Anyway -- that is how today and tonight have gone...no art progress...just working.

Day 240 - 365/2014

Day Two Hundred Forty

Today was a semi-regular Thursday with Sue...we went to the barn so she could refill her horse's supplement containers, we went to the grocery store...then came home.

I made a sort of a mini salad bar and we chose what items we wanted in our chopped salads and they were delicious.  Sue is still on crutches so she instructed me on the making of her salad.

Day 215 - 365/2014

Day Two Hundred Fifteen...a change of pace

Our day was a little more interesting today -- Sue needed to parcel out some supplements for her horse at the barn where she keeps him.  We drove out there and she was able to slowly hobble over to the locker area of the first barn (with the indoor arena) and I helped by bringing the chair for her and then doing the walking around parts...which is kind of amusing because I have problems with everything from the waist down (with trouble standing for too long or walking too far)...a sort of the blind leading the blind situation...but we are getting through it.

Those roads out there where the barn is (where all of the various barns she has boarded her horse(s) at actually) are very -- to me -- similar.  Get me out in the woods on dirt roads and I get a bit panicky because everything looks the same and I lose my sense of direction...it's kind of ridiculous, but there you go.  Sue on the other hand knows exactly where she is and how to connect all of those back roads...even in the dark.  Man!  ANYway...here are a few photos (using the back up camera that I am not at all familiar with)(and have to use the memory card to get the images into my computer)... sheesh.

Okay...the first road (shot through the windshield)...they ALL look like this, I swear.

Finally getting to the barn...this is the view from the road.

Sue getting out of the car.

Sue after I assured her there was room to get by the truck inside of the barn.

Sue at the gate...about to show me how to open it.

The indoor arena...this is a really great looking place!

Sue in the chair I carried over for her doing jazz hands...these are the tack lockers of the horse owners.

Sue's tack locker.

Her horse's food and scoop and supplements containers.

Sue refilling the little cups...I helped, too...Sue scooped the supplement and I added the powder stuff.

We drove around to the side of the barn to get a view of the pastures and see the second barn where her horse's stall is.  This guy is a show horse who is used to having his photo taken...he was very cooperative...these are shot from the driver's seat of my car through the open window...he came right up to us and started posing.

My bad photography with this unfamiliar camera...the horse is great poser.

Pulling the zoom back a bit to include the tractor I was shooting around.

The pastures...Sue's horse is out there somewhere...probably down the hill.  We were hoping someone was going to be around to be able and go out and get her horse...she wants to check his feet/clean them out...and maybe lunge him a little.  I was going to try to do the lunging part...we will try again sometime during the week.

Okay...another road out there.

A different road.

And another different road...they all look the same to me -- gah!

After we finished up out there we got back to civilization and went through Milford and back towards Sue's area and went to the grocery store...I "ran" in and got a few things to make dinner for her and her husband.  Then we rested a bit and put dinner together...Sue scooted on the floor over to the kitchen and talked me through the dinner prep.  Then we both rested a bit and Pepper came home just after I moved my car out of the driveway and I was washing the pots/pans/bowls.  Then I cam home.  It was a shorter day today but man -- it wore us out.  That was a lot to do.

Day 162 - 365/2014

Day One Hundred Sixty-Two

Gah -- yet another non-creative blog post.  Today was rainy and humid and full of allergens.  It was also about errands and doing the dilation portion of my eye exam.  Tomorrow is 2nd Thursday and I somehow managed to put off all of my household chores so that means tonight I am doing some crash course clean up around here.

This morning I couldn't locate Bootsy anywhere...then I checked my bedroom and yes indeed, Bootsy put himself back to bed...under the covers with one paw stretched out.

A bit later in the late morning/early afternoon my sister Sue came over for some 3-way phone stuff with the company that will be painting my house and then lunch and a few errands.  Bootsy adores his Aunt Sue.

And then this is how my eyes looked when I got home from my eye exam...whoa -- pretty dilated I'd say!  Ha -- they look like eyes for one of my plaster cloth guys.

Well, at least tomorrow will be better blog-wise because I will be able to report about 2nd Thursday!

Day 147 -- 365/2014

Day One Hundred Forty-Seven

Well, when things don't go as planned, play Yahtzee instead.

And that is exactly what we did.  My sister Sue (and my 4-legged niece Abby) came over.  Sue was going to be my second set of hands for putting the rabbit guy together this afternoon.  But even with the new and improved plans, we couldn't pull it off.  I think this is going to require more drilling (and more precise drilling) than I am capable of doing.  Even with a pilot hole as deep as the drill would go, the screw just would not go in all the way.  Joanne's husband Kurt agreed to help me with this, I guess I am going to have to call in heavier duty help than just Sue and me.

Okay...so after Sue and I got back from a late lunch/early dinner at Thai Basil in Livonia, we pulled all the stuff together and got started.

Ready to get started.

Sue's main job was to hold the rabbit guy's head off the table and to give resistance when I was pushing forward with the drill.

This is as far as the screw would go...it has about a half inch to go.  AND the screw is stripped now.

Thank goodness the screw unscrewed with a pair of pliers...it would not cooperate with the drill to unscrew it.

My four-legged niece Abby -- such a sweet, good natured, well behaved girly girl.

Let the battle begin -- we play three games at a time in a best two out of three match.

HA! -- I WON!  And I went on to win a second 3 game match!  This hardly ever happens -- Sue is generally the "Queen of Yahtzee" in these parts.

It is always a good time with Sue and Abby.  I considered doing something else art-wise tonight to make up for today's no-go project, but the Benadryl is kicking in and I am getting a bit loopy.

Day 85 - 365/2014

Day Eighty-Five

Man --  l-o-n-g  day!   Dentist appointment this afternoon (just cleaning) and then I accompanied my sister to a job interview but I waited in the car for her.  Oh my gawd...4:45 - 8:45.  No kidding.  I went in and used the restroom at the 7:15 point and some of the people she was up against were in the bathroom and complaining about how long it was taking, yada yada yada...I went back out to my car.

Then I started seeing a few of the people who were in the room Sue was in (when I peeked in on the way to the restroom) and they were leaving so I figured either it was that her last name starts with a "W" and they were going alphabetically OR she was going to be the last one standing.

TA-DAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Sue got the job!!!!

I am very happy and excited for her...I'm not going to say anything else about the job because she has to do orientation first and the drug test has to come back (they did it there, tonight) (as if she is going to fail the drug test) and I don't want to jinx anything.

But pretty much -- yes, she has the job!!!

(I am really done for tonight...that was a lot of sitting in the car.)

Day 13 - 365/2014

Day Thirteen

Today is my birthday -- I am sixty!

The day started out with this marvelous surprise in my mailbox.

Then I went to the Northville Art House to help Patti with some Members Show stuff.  I came home and sent out a few emails.  A bit later my dear sister Sue came over to celebrate with me.

I knew we were going out for a late lunch/early dinner and I thought that was my present...but no -- Sue totally surprised me and blew me away with a really cute card and four fantastic gift cards -- two to Michaels, one to Home Depot, and one all-purpose Mastercard one.  Wow.

Sue and I went to Mr. Thai and Sue had shrimp wonton soup and a noodle dish that looked and smelled divine, a first for her.  I ordered 3 of my favorite appetizers and Tom Ka soup with steamed tofu.  Man...Mr. Thai is really a good choice for a tasty meal...and the owner is so sweet and remembers everything you've ever had there.

Then Sue and I came back to my house and played Yahtzee (with Bootsy in attendance on the table), Sue tackled the really huge and lovely cupcake that Patti gave me yesterday, we played more Yahtzee, and then we took turns randomly reading the "good things" that happened last year...the ones I jotted down and put into a jar.  I think it will be my new birthday tradition.  I saw it last year on Facebook and people were doing it as a new New Years thing...then reading the papers on New Years Eve to ring in the new year.  I like it better for my birthday.

Say "hi" to the camera, Sue!

The huge and very pretty cupcake from Patti...I am sparing Sue all of the goofy pictures that I will show to Patti of the whole cupcake eating adventure.

Bootsy adores his Aunt Sue...he really doesn't want the cupcake crumbs...he just wants to see what Sue's got.

And that wacky guy stayed standing up until Sue came back to the table.

Reading the "happy things" that happened throughout 2013...I kinda fell off of writing them after about 4 months.  I pledge to keep it up ALL year this time!

Towards the end of the evening Twink joined us, too.

I had such a lovely time today.  And so many people have wished me a happy birthday on Facebook.  I am very happy!

365/2013 - Day 190

a little of this, a little of that

This has been a day of running around doing errands with my sister and having a fun lunch (THE best bar burgers in the world) at The Starting Gate Saloon in Northville (and playing Keno for the first and only time) (well, Sue has played before) and then coming home for some recovery time and then working on things in spurts.

This morning before Sue got here I finished cleaning up the front part of the dry studio...I guess I am calling it Studio A (for now).

ta-daaaaaaaa  (one more time)

Much later while dinner was cooking I finished up the black/white striped finger puppets.  

almost there...finger puppets 81-90 (of 100)

And then much later tonight -- actually just a little while ago -- I decided to try to darken in the outline of the puppeteer creature in the large collage.  I am not sure exactly what he is yet, and he might turn out not to be a puppeteer, but for now he is.

before -- intentionally dark photo -- it is sort of easier to see the guys in this photo

after -- I just tried to add a little bit of darker paper to get an outline of the new creature

365/2013 - Day 180

what a great day!

Today was day two of my volunteer shifts for The Northville Art House during their biggest fundraiser of the year -- Arts & Acts.  Again today, I did some gallery sitting and talked to a whole bunch of lovely people who came to see "West of Center".  

Again today, I was very pleased to be be able to hang out at the Art House with the new Art House Store Mangager Patti Witte.  I am really enjoying getting to spend time with Patti and getting to know her.

But the best thing that happened today -- my piece from West of Center sold!  I won't go into details because I don't have the new owners' permission(s) but I just want to express how thrilled I am -- this is so out of the blue and SO appreciated!  First -- I am ecstatic that someone liked Quillz enough to want to purchase him.  Second -- I worked very very hard on Quillz and I am very happy that someone who can appreciate that is taking him home.  Third -- although I have sold artwork in the past, I don't recall ever selling a piece of my art directly from the show that it was in.  Fourth -- I am very pleased that the Northville Art House is getting a percentage of my sale...I love the Art House and I really believe in it and everything the Art House is about.  Fifth -- I am just SO happy!!!

early in the day -- Patti on the other side of the counter, taking on a last-minute task

later on -- Patti does a good "Vanna White" impression while putting the red SOLD dot on my label

Quillz -- now you behave in your new home, you!

ta-daaaaaaaaaah!

Oh man... I just thought of how tickled my sister Sue is going to be about this sale.  Sue sees me enter shows and is always very supportive...but she actually got to come to the opening reception and hear juror Matt Eaton talk about the jurying process.  Even though Sue might not always connect with my art she is always my biggest cheerleader.  This is going to make her really happy, too.

365/2013 - Day 116

a delightful "girls' night" with Sue and Abby

My sister Sue and I don't get to spend time just fooling around together anymore -- it is usually to run errands or do money-related things that have to be done.  It feels like it has been a long, long time since we just goofed off and had silly fun.  On Monday we made a date to get together tonight with no phones or interruptions...it was great!  And Abby came, too!

Sue and Abby arrived!

I'm glad we figured out how to include Abby.

First we all piled into my car and went to our vet's office to pick up some dog/cat magazines they saved for me, then we went to the Northville Art House and Sue chose a painting from the current show (that closes tomorrow) -- it is a painting of a dog that looks quite a bit like Abby.  (I didn't have my camera with me.) We visited with Joan a little and then went to the drive-thru pharmacy and then we came back to my house and watched three episodes of Adventure Time -- Sue had never seen it before.  Then we ordered/picked up a pizza from The Starting Gate and went to Hiller's on the way home to get a little cherry pie for dessert.

After dinner it was GAMES time!  We only pulled out four games and we rolled a die to choose the games to play.  We ended up not playing Battleship or Sorry.

The first roll got us Yahtzee -- we play three games/lines at a time...if it hadn't been for my two Yahtzees, Sue would have won...she usually does.

The next roll got us a game of our favorite game -- Can't Stop.  (I won.)

The third roll of the die got us a second game of Can't Stop.  Sue nearly skunked me on this one...I only got ONE column!  GOOD GAME!!!

Then we took some time out for dessert and after that we tried our hand(s) at a watercolor project.

We blew drops of watercolor with straws to make abstract paintings and then we looked for images in them.

I found a sort of Ibizan Hound with colorful spots and googly chameleon eyes.  We decided his eyes went googly from trying to choose a color to mimic.

Sue decided not to outline what she was seeing.  After a few minutes Sue was seeing so many images she couldn't decide which one she preferred -- she is taking her painting home to see if Pepper sees anything she found.  Man we had such a fun time with these paintings!

What a great night -- so much laughing and talking and playing and creating and good food and wonderful company.