Time management

No picture today, unless you want to see an incredibly messy studio..... The past few weeks have had me hibernating. Hiding really, well maybe just trying to process all that has been going on. My mom is moved and she's "fine tuning" where her stuff goes. My dad just had a full body scan, the cancer is not spreading...so the chemo is working. Grateful am I.... I'm trying to get in shape for the knee replacement on April 28th. The past couple of weeks, I've been working on eating better. Whole foods, organic when possible. I'm feeling much better. Exercising daily. Remember Susan Powter? She's back, check out her out. I bought her "post resolution package" and have been working out. I've gone down 1 pants size. Much excitement here, nottomention motivated! Time management......how to make time for all that one wants to do. I still haven't done much of any art.......Did I mention I need to take stuff up to the gallery a coupla days before my surgery.......oy!

Family reunion

This afternoon my family (on my dad's side) met at the Fox & Hounds in Hubertus for a family reunion. My aunt Karen wanted to get everyone together, especially with my dad having cancer. I haven't seen my cousins, their wives and one of my aunts in a number of years. None of us are very good at keeping in touch.
I thought I'd be taking tons of pictures. I didn't. I got so caught up in conversations that I forgot about the camera.
My mother is seated in front, (l-r) me, aunt karen, my dad, uncle Jim, Terri, my cousin Dan, next to my mom is Linda, married to my cousin Pete, in the back Dan's son David, aunt Jennie, in back, my cousin Dave and his wife Tammy. Paul wasn't feeling well, new meds, he wasn't up to coming.
The time went so fast, I was rather surprised at how emotional parting was. I couldn't turn off the water works. It was great to spend time catching up. Just a great bunch. I love them dearly.

Laying low.....

Been keeping very quite for a time. There are so many emotions to process. Digging my way out of the denial I had been living in. Yes, my parents are aging. Yes, my dad has cancer. Yes, my mom is frail and her lung is slowly shutting down. I can't hide from it anymore. It is glaring, staring me right in the face. Acceptance. I am doing my best to be there for them. Week by week, bit by bit, my mom and I unpack boxes and find places for things. Dad went for another chemo treatment last week and still feels good. Even has an appetite! Relationships are being mended. That is prayer at work.

Last Friday I had a Dr. appt. He needed bloodwork for my meds and wanted to see me. He asked how everything was going. I filled him in on what's going on with my parents. "How are you sleeping"? he asked. I laughed. 4 hours is about it. He said I need more than that, I need to get into deeper sleep. He prescribed Tamazeapam. I agreed. I need to remember to ask for help when I need it. Seriously, I feel like a new person. So, for a while, I need help sleeping...what a difference it makes.

Yesterday I saw the Ortho surgeon that will do my partial knee replacement. April 28 I will have a new knee! I am very excited to have this done, to be able to be active again.....like going for walks!

The other day I played around with cheapie oil pastels. I keep returning again and again to the pear. Not sure why, other than I've done it so often it's become an old friend.

Not sure about you, but I really miss all the art that I did during January....art journaling with Misty. Art had become a habit, not only doing my own, but what you've done as well.

Work has disabled blogging from our computers. During slow times I can no longer read blogs nor post to my own. I feel so disconnected now. Not much time to do it in the evenings either.
That has been a big disappointment......

Runnin' on empty

Finally getting over the bug that's made it's way around the office. It's been a struggle just making it through the work day, much less doing anything around the house. My energy level is pretty low, work has been busy....perhaps you've heard about the stock market? I've not done any art and am feeling very restless indeed. I'm in the process of getting things ready for the gallery...it needs to arrive there late April. Starting to panick...just a little bit. There's nothing like a deadline to get one's rear in gear.

Misty is waiting for the floor to dry before she can come out to play. Trying to catch up on chores that have been neglected. I like Margaux's idea, she's napping.

Ripped and restarted a scarf. Love this blue-green color. I decided the stockingette stitch was a little too boring so I'm knitting 6 rows and pearling 1. We'll see if that's any better.

My mom moved last Friday. I've been going over there twice a week to help her unpack boxes. Thankfully we're nearly finished. It's so unsettling being unsettled. My Dad goes for chemo #2 on Thurs. Please keep him in your prayers. I've got an appt. set up to see an Ortho, time for that partial knee replacement. When I rains it pours!

waiting and waiting

Yesterday I went for a breast thermography. I found a facility that does these not far from where I live. After reading....and hearing about mammograms, I decided to switch to thermography. I won't get the results for a few days....hmmm....more waiting....humpf!

Sounds like a good time to pour into my art journal, too many emotions whirling around, spinning almost out of control.

We were supposed to get a bit of a snow storm yesterday. It passed us by with only a dusting. Grateful am I! Usually I love winter, but somehow this winter has me in a deep funk. Gray skies, deep freeze....

.....dreaming of spring!

Tangled up and blue

My head is spinning, too many jumbled thoughts.....

I've been waking up in the middle of the night--my mind races.

I think about my aging parents, the brevity of life. Why am I here? What am I supposed to do with my life? My nearly 50 year old body has aches here and there..... I have a tender spot on my breast that I'm getting checked out this afternoon. My gut is in knots. My mom is moving this weekend. I work full-time. My head is starting to spin again. Do you feel like that? Like your time is spread so thin that you don't feel like you're doing anything. The thought keep coming fast and furious and you just can't turn your mind off....or hit the pause button.....

Lately when I try to do art, I'm stuck (again). What do I have to say?

I look around my studio and look around at all the books, magazines, art supplies that I HAD to have. Those very things that I thought would be "a piece of the puzzle" have now become a burden. What should I use... the zillions of pencils, pastels--both oil and soft, charcoal, acrylics, watercolors, plaster, casein, mica, beads, wire, foil, papermaking supplies, paper casting, calligraphy supplies (oy vay)..... I'm suffocating in my art supplies. What I thought was going to be a help is actually hindering. Too many choices.... I can't breathe so I turn around and leave my studio. What the? I've decided it's time to thin the herd. Books and magazines I haven't cracked open in a while are going away. The art supplies I haven't used in a while...are going away......have I said this before?....didn't I just do this? Maybe this is all part the process of focusing my attention...narrowing my interests. I admire artists that find their medium and style and you know right away who did it. Once at an art fair someone came into my booth and asked how many artists work was hanging there.(!) I knew then I was in a bit of trouble. There are so many things I like experimenting with, but haven't settled on anything that's really me.
Maybe that's what this inner turmoil is all about.

This n that

I'll start with some good news. Yesterday my dad had his first chemo treatment. It went very well, the bone scan he had last week was clear of cancer in his bones. I'm grateful. He was a little woosy today, but felt good. He'll be getting another treatment in 3 weeks. I sure hope it shrinks the cancer.

My girls were a smidge unhappy with the vacuum cleaner today. Happy to be in the cage, but not so happy to be woken up from a nap.


A couple of months ago I made these plaster leaves. My intention was to finish them for the new year......"turning over a new leaf".....hmmm......I guess old habits are hard to break. So much for my new year's resolutions. They aren't quite finished as I'd like to write a word or phrase on these. It needs to percolate a while longer. I know myself too well, if I try to rush something, I wreck it.

I've also been working on copper foil--embossing, debossing and then giving it a surface treatment. Then they get mounted on a tumbled marble tile. I was able to get them into 2 galleries up in Door County (the little finger of Wisconsin). I've got to be ready by the end of April. One gallery invited me to do a solo show....pretty darn exciting. It'll last 5 weeks. Hopefully the economy will pick up. We'll see what this stimulus package does for the country.

Keeping my fingers crossed.