Category Archives: humor

Excited Dusty!

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This last weekend Dusty found himself with a new four-legged friend that looks just like himself! He is so excited, he can hardly contain himself.  His new little friend is a girl bunny, and they named her Bubbles!

While Bubbles is being litter box trained, and getting use to her new home, Dusty is keeping watch on her enclosure.  Between you and me, I don’t think Dusty is going to get much sleep.  He doesn’t want to miss a single thing, so each and everything Bubbles does, Dusty is going to be right there helping her learn the ropes!

Dusty keeping guard!

Dusty keeping guard!

Day 14: To Whom It May Concern,

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To whom it may concern,

Today on impulse (The word of the day from page 29), I’m choosing to play hooky!IMG_0128

Having several projects that are due by the end of the month, I need some time to complete them.  My art has gone by the wayside in an effort to be a better, more interesting writer, but today I’m picking up the paint brush instead of playing with the black keys of my computer.

Sincerely, Karen

Ramblings of an Overheated Artist?

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Sometimes on FB there will be surveys about things like, if you were a car, what would you be or, if you were an animal what kind would you be. One very early morning when I was feeling particularly fabulous, I started thinking about describing myself, all I’d been through in my life, and the resilience I have.
I’m strong, determined,  I don’t have to be right, but I’m not always wrong either. I have a sixth sense about me –  I know when I’m not being told the truth, I can feel it. I’ve lived long enough to have wisdom, some of it from learning experiences, some of it I just know!  I don’t do the FB thing very often, actually I really don’t care if they think I’m a fast car, or a lion, or what my color is!

Soooooo

That being said, I was thinking how I would describe myself, and this is what I came up with…..

I’m an Oak Tree!  A mature, sturdy, mighty oak!  I stand tall, yet I can bend, I am filled with wisdom, and the owl that lives in my branches provides me with whatever information  I don’t know!  You can’t have it any better than that!  I haven’t any idea what kind of owl would be living in my branches, but I do know we’re best friends!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVY5cvjLEdg

I don’t know what the owl would have to say about that, I really haven’t taken the time to talk to him lately.  If truth be told, I haven’t seen him lately.  He’s tricky, and only comes out at night, probably after I’m in bed.  He also may be preoccupied with a lady owl.  What she-owl wouldn’t want to stay in a mighty oak with her dream he-owl?  I have chimes playing all night long, and they can hunt, and return to the safety of my branches.

Did I hear you say I was crazy?

Maybe!  I prefer to call it creative.  By the way this was not my intention to write anything remotely like this, but its way too hot to do much of anything else, even painting!  Maybe especially painting!

Back to the Owls!

Before my very eyes, and ears I think I have an Owl family in my branches.  There is a lot of rustling going on during the day, and this I know from going out to water plants, and check on my Matilija Poppy.  This is only about the sixth poppy I’ve tried to grow–without any success!  This time my son-in-law John  is nurturing it!  Good thing, because as I said, I’ve killed the previous five.  At least the leaves are still green, and in this 100+ degree weather too.  That’s another story though.

The good thing is that a few doors down for our home, there are abundant critters, so the owls will have plenty to keep their tummys full, and plenty to feed the little owlets after all that kissing stops!

 

You remember this…..

Mr. & Mrs. Owl sitting in a tree

k-i-s-s-i-n-g…..

first comes love, then comes marriage,

then come the owlets in a

Baby Carriage!

Ok Back to the Owls!

I’m not sure owls even have baby carriages, after all how would they push them, and how on earth could they keep them on even the sturdiest of my limbs?   If they pushed the carriages off the limbs  would it be accidental or would they really be trying to encourage the owlets to fly?   I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Back to the Owls!

Now I’m positive it’s the heat!

I know it sounds like I’ve been smoking something, but you’re wrong!  I don’t smoke, and I told you it was the heat!

Any questions or comments, I’m more than happy to answer them for you.  You might have some additional thoughts on the subject as well.  If so, please comment, or email me!  I’d love to hear what you have to say….

Maybe you’re advice would to have those little buggies outfitted with magnets so they would stay on the branches, you know much like a San Francisco trolley.  Either way, the owls need your help, maybe I need your help as well.

Go ahead let me know what you think,  I can take it!

 

 

Time To Create Again!

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Anyone who knows me, knows I haven’t been very productive in quite a while.  I’ve tried, but somehow I just haven’t been able to find inspiration…until now!

A couple of months ago, I signed up to be part of the Sketchbook Project!

For the last few summers I have watched each year as this project unfolds, and in the back of my mind, thinking one year I would join in.  This was that year!  Of course, I needed another project, but what better time to start an art project than when you’re  busy, right?  My thinking was that it is only 32 pages, and certainly a little project like that would be a snap for me!  The other thing is, we are all busy all the time anyway, so why wait?

After getting back into our home since having bamboo floors laid in the entire house (studio included), I think I’m ready to start thinking about putting pen to paper, and leaving my mark on whatever community it will be going to.  That’s not to say that everything is perfect in our home.  After all, some of the paintings still remain stacked in the corner waiting to find their rightful place on the wall.  The livingroom looks new, and fresh.   I’ve changed things around, replaced some things, and gotten rid of others.  It feels like a new home to me, and now I’m ready to get back to sketching, and painting!

It’s interesting how something like this can give us an entire new outlook on just about everything, and I find myself energized, and inspired!

Who knows how long it will take me to complete this sketchbook.  The project needs to be mailed back by January 15, 2014, so I really do have plenty of time.  Anything goes this time, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do, anything, whatever feels right!  Poetry, sketches, collage, ink, pen, you name it.

In the next few weeks, or maybe I should say, next couple of months, I’ll be posting the pages I work on, and you can tell me what you think.  Make suggestions,  I’m always open for comments, in fact I love getting comments, it keeps me motivated!

Sketchbook Project

Sketchbook Project

This little Sketchbook will be going to the Central Part of the Mid-West!

This little Sketchbook will be going to the Central Part of the Mid-West!

So for now,…..  Start a project, and share it with me!   I’ll be back!

Finding The Time!

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As I get older, my life seems to be flashing in front of my eyes!

Certainly twenty, or thirty years ago my life was much busier, so what makes this time more hectic, or why do I seem to have less time?  One reason could be, I don’t have as much energy as I ounce had, or maybe I’m trying to do too much, and not getting anything accomplished in the end!  All that Bee Pollen makes me go in circles!

What ever it is, it’s time for a change!

I keep busy, and at the end of the day, I’m ready to slow down.  The thing is, I haven’t made time, or felt like I had the time for my creativity!  What I love to do the most, is something I haven’t done in quite a while.  Quite a while could mean a week to me!

I’ve been working on my garden…

Spending time with three of my grand-kids…

Shopping…I had to buy new dishes…

AND, A couple of times one of my girlfriends, and myself signed up for an evening of painting while drinking wine!  Oh yeah, it was fun!  I can’t say any of my paintings will ever hand in La Louvre, but after drinking wine, who cares?

I’m still working on the Hacienda painting, and if I don’t start playing with it, I’m sure it will go into the stack of canvases that are all screaming at me to finish them!

All the time, I still have a dog, and a cat, and a husband that needs to be cared for, and get attention!

So what now?

Then it suddenly occurred to me…….at 4:30 this morning

Instead of laying awake until 7:30 in the morning so I don’t disturb my husband, I need to get up, have my tea, and paint!  Or even write, anything would be an improvement!  I use to do this a long time ago, but our home is small now, and any noise seems to disturb  him.  So for Fathers Day, I’ve decided to buy him – ear plugs!  And, start getting up really early when my creative juices are flowing!

That should do it!

!

The Week After The Week After…

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I’m not going to lie, I’m just now getting back on my feet after having my granddaughter, Sage stay with my for a few days the week after Easter!  Now I really know why we have kids when we are young, stupid, and full of energy!  I’m sure if we weren’t young, and stupid we’d never have them!

I always thought life should be in reverse.  You know, presently we are born helpless, and we have to grow up and learn to take care of ourselves, and get an education.  By the time we are educated and have experienced enough life to have real knowledge, we are too tired, and old to do anything about it!   If only we were born with that knowledge, and energy so we could really raise our children with patience, understanding, and energy.

Sage came with her dad on Wednesday of last week, and spent two nights with me.  Since Papa was out-of-town on a band trip, it was perfect timing!  We had three days of girl fun to share, and it was fun.  But somewhere around Friday, I started hitting the proverbial wall, and by Friday night after Sage was picked up, I was burnt toast!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved it!  Do any of you know or remember what it’s like to have a seven-year old girl to entertain, and occupy for three days?  How did I raise three kids, work a full-time job, run a trucking business, schlep the kids back and forth to school, activities, shop, and clean house?  Oh yeah, I had a housekeeper every other week!  and,…..

I was younger then!

Sage and I managed to go into the spa every evening to relax, and have quiet time.  We did have a relaxing time in the spa, all the while listening to her chatter about her important ideas, her friends, and showing me her swim moves.  We played school, she gave me swim lessons, and pretended she was a physical therapist  giving me aqua therapy!  She rode her scooter off, and on during those days, painted a little painting, and looked for lizards.

We celebrated her seventh birthday by going to Target and picking out a favorite doll, and going for sushi at the Terri Cafe Thursday night.  After dinner we came home, and watched animated movies all evening.  It was fun, and I’d do it again, but it’s also exhausting.

On Friday before Sage left, she told me she wanted to go back to Target to see if she could get a Tea Set too!   Of course, I told her we couldn’t go back!

What I had a difficult time not telling her was this…….

For weeks now I have been searching all over the place for a real china tea set for her, and I have found, ordered and received it.  We are celebrating her seventh birthday next Saturday, because her real birthday fell in the middle of spring vacation.  I have taken much time finding just the right china demitasse cups, and saucers with matching dessert plates.  I even found gold-plated spoons with a heart-shaped at the top of the handle.  I’m still looking for  placemats, and napkins.  Don’t you think she’ll be surprised?  I do!

All I need to do now is wrap everything and put big bows on the presents, let the fun begin! Read the rest of this entry