Laziness can be a motivator...

I hadn't been into my studio for weeks, first because I was busy painting the living room, dining room and hallway, and then because I had the flu. But I decided Monday that enough was enough! So yesterday I told myself that at 1 p.m. I was going into the studio, turning on the stereo, turning off the outside world, and work on something for at least 4 hours. When I got in there, I remembered what a mess I'd left it in, and recalled that I had even posted photos of all my work surfaces buried under UFOs and supplies. Somehow I had conveniently forgotten all about that. I had a choice... I could begin cleaning and putting away supplies, and try to find somewhere out of the way to set the UFOs, or I could finish some of the UFOs with the supplies already setting out. It sounded easier, and like less work to just get busy finishing some pieces. The next thing I knew, it was 11 p.m. and I had finished all four of the tribal men. I did some shading on them, and then embellished them with copper wire, copper beads and findings (some of the findings were salvaged from old vintage jewelry), and turquoise beads.

Today, I put away all my beading materials, cleaned up all the tiny wire clippings, and now actually have an open area on a table! Tomorrow I'll get to work finishing the aging nude bathing beauty. And who knows- maybe I'll even get back to work on the giant gecko?!?

The answer is blowing in the wind...

Though it doesn't look like Hurricane Ida will come close enough to bring us any badly needed rain, we have been getting a lot of wind.
It was a challenge yesterday to even read the newspaper while sitting on the patio, with 20 mph winds and gusts up to 30mph. And the same is forecast for today.Though not as stressful for her as the sound of rain or thunder, Isabella doesn't enjoy the wind either. It's like she doesn't understand where it's coming from, so she stands around looking in all directions with apprehension, not sure what to make of it.

That's kind of how I felt when I first heard the news about the Fort Hood massacre. I'd think a military base in our own country would be one of the safest places to be. What a cowardly act of senseless violence to gun down unarmed people! Thirteen people killed and 38 wounded.This guy is truly an evil bastard- I don't even want to dignify him by using his name. Soon after the shooting the news began trickling in that the gunman was a home grown Muslim with anti-American sentiments. Though I find all religions irrational, I'm particulary baffled by the Islamic religion that seems to produce so many people willing to kill others and themselves. I keep hearing how peaceful and loving the Islamic religion is, that the terrorist acts are commited by a small percentage of extremists, but I sure don't see any evidence of that.


But then I remember the Oklahoma City bombing- committed by good ol' home grown American men, and not a Muslim in the bunch. And it was just last week that the bodies of 11 women were found in a house in Cleveland- all raped and murdered by one man.

In fact, according to the FBI, "An estimated 16,272 persons were murdered nationwide in 2008." Spouses killing spouses, parents killing children, kids in one gang killing kids in another gang, strangers killing strangers, and the killing goes on and on, year after year.


So like Isabella, I stand around looking in all directions with apprehension and sadness, wondering from which direction danger will come. I don't know what the answer is to all the senseless killings. I guess as Bob Dylan said...

"How many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,

The answer is blowin' in the wind."

The things you read on the internet...

... when you have too much time on your hands. This damn flu sure took the zap out of me. Though I'm not sick like "sick in bed, wish I'd die" kind of sick now, I just haven't gotten my energy back. After a few hours of chores I'm pretty much pooped for the rest of day. And when I think about going into the studio to work on some UFOs, there's just no enthusiasm or a hint of creativity in me at the moment. So I kill time sitting on my ass cruising the internet. I was browsing through the Yahoo Most E-Mailed Photos and just about wet my pants laughing when I saw this GoGirl photo. And when I went to the GoGirl website, it just got funnier and funnier. Each page of the site was hilarious, I mean laugh out loud hilarious! (Or maybe I'm just so bored from languishing in the house, I'd find just about anything funny) It's like the commercial spoofs they do on SNL, only this product is for real.
According to the website:

"Only GoGirl is made with flexible, medical grade silicone. Dispose of it after use. Or clean and reuse as you like. (Urine is sterile, but the product can come into contact with contaminates during use, so take precautions when cleaning.) Our patented splash guard eliminates messing and spilling. Once you practice a time or two, using a GoGirl is going to feel like second nature. You won’t be like a man. You’ll just pee like one."

So you can shell out $6.99 every time you pee and throw them away, or carry a urine smelling piece of silicone around in your purse- I'm assuming no civilized person would wash their GoGirl in the sink of a public restroom where other people wash their hands, but would wait until they got home to use their own sink for something so disgusting. Oh- and for the outdoorsy gals they offer GoGirl in camouflage colored tubes. I guess the camouflage color wouldn't stand out as much as the pink tubes when discarded in the wilderness? I mean, come on, nobody wants to see pink tubes with used lavender mini- urinals stuffed back in them littering up the National parks. Remember America- we're going green! (I wonder how long it takes silicone to break down?) Anyway, if you're bored out of your mind and your life has no purpose, visit the GoGirl site and have some laughs. But for gawd's sake, if you buy any please don't tell me. I don't want to know any woman who would buy and use something so ridiculous.

And one more chuckle I got today was from an article about discount caskets now being sold by Walmart and Costco. If you buy a casket now at a discount price, where would you store it until you needed it? Or does your family place a rush order the minute you die and just hope it arrives before the funeral? Actually I'm all for not wasting money on burial expenses. I've never understood spending lots of money for a box to be buried in the ground. I've made Mike promise me that he will not pay to have me embalmed (many states don't require embalming), have me placed in a cardboard box, cremated and my ashes placed in a simple degradable container and tossed into the Gulf. But if you'd rather spend eternity in a coffin, check out Walmart and Costco. And if you get one now, you can add some of your own creative embellishments to it- go out artistically!


I'm sure you're all hoping I'll be feeling much better next week and back to work in my studio so you don't have to read any more posts like today's. But I'm not promising anything -

I took to my bed with the vapors...

.. but I ran out of clean underwear and had to get up today to do laundry.


I felt absolutely dreadful last Wed. and thought it was allergies and a reaction to the paint fumes. So I gave the entire house a thorough cleaning- vacuumed, dusted, laundered all the bedding and rugs, and bathed the dogs. All the while I thought I would die, but told myself I'd feel better once the house was cleaned and all the allergens sucked up into the vacuum. But in the middle of the day Mike came home sick and by Thursday I realized we had the flu. I'm assuming it's that damn Mexican flu because it is rampant here in Florida. Last count I heard, there have been 140 deaths from this nasty bug. We seem to be over the worse of it now, and Mike went back to work today. The plus side to having the flu- I lost 5 lbs. and Mike lost 8 because not only does this flu make you cough until you feel like your ribs are broke, muscles so sore in your neck you can barely hold your head up, and a pounding headache, it also plays havoc with your tummy.


Instead of dressing up as planned and going to the big Zombie Fest that was held downtown on Halloween night, we laid around praying the Grim Reaper would come get us. He didn't. So here I sit waiting for the load of laundry I'm doing to finish so I can shower, put on clean undies and jammies, make the bed up with clean bedding, and then I'm going back to bed. And Bella will be back to laying on her sheet at the foot of the bed.

Where did October go???

I can't believe this month is almost over, though I can't say that I'm sorry to see it go. I haven't even been in my studio for two weeks. I've been blah, feeling crappy and whiney all month. And the weather has been schizophrenic- we've had record breaking cold temps and record breaking high temps. I swear Mother Nature has been as crazy me this month. Right now it's just sticky, hot and humid. Poor Mike has come home from work soaked in sweat each day this week.

I finally finished painting the dining room, living room and hallway. I love the color we chose this time, and adore the bead board. Now we need to get out and select the trim, get it stained and put up. As soon as we get the kitchen back splash tiled, we'll be ready to lay the flooring, and I can finally do the fun stuff- decorate! It'll be so nice to at least have the front area of the house finished. My goal is to have those rooms done by the 1st of Dec. Of course we still have the bedrooms, baths and computer room to do, but I'll think about that after the first of the year. I'm just going to enjoy having the front area done in time for the holidays.


I had the most awesome surprise a couple of weeks ago- the one bright spot in this month. Anybody involved in doll making or collectors of fine doll art know of Jodi and Richard Creager. They are amazing artists, and I consider them the God and Goddess of dollmaking. Though I read Jodi's blog, I've never left a comment - are you ever too intimidated to approach someone you greatly admire? Anyway, enough about my neuroses, on with the story... I was sitting here at my desk reading blogs via Bloglines and let out an ungodly squeal when I saw my name mentioned on Jodi's blog. She actually gave me a freaking blogging award! Sweet jezzuz, I thought I died and gone to heaven. Thank you so much, Jodi!

As a recipient of the award, I'm supposed to name seven things about myself that no one knows and nominate seven others for this award. So here goes- my dark secrets revealed...
1) I can wiggle my ears.

2) I make inappropriate jokes about things that upset me like horrific crimes, sad and catastrophic events. Not because I'm heartless, but because I just can't deal with all the cruel things that happen in the world. It's all just too overwhelming.

3) Unexpected acts of kindness brings me to tears.

4) I have night blindness and can't see my hand in front of my face in the dark.

5) After exploring numerous religions over the years, I now consider myself an atheist, and firmly believe in evolution.

6) I would rather die than have to poop in a public bathroom.

7) One of my worse character defects is that I hold grudges.
Now I pass on this award to:

Gerry

Shashi

Sandy

Helen

Judi

Tami

William

If you love Halloween, be sure and visit William's (I found William's blog via Jodi's), Gerry's and Jodi's blogs. They have gone all out for Halloween!


And now I will sign off with some pictures of Bella-

Here she is waiting patiently to go for a ride Sunday evening...

We opened the sunroof and Bella had some serious hair blowing going on-

And here the girls are waiting for Mike to come out from picking up supper on our way home-