Off to College

now 4 yrs. old

We took Brielle to college yesterday. It was a day of mixed emotions, especially for me. 5 of us unloaded boxes and boxes of her stuff in the pouring rain, climbed 2 flights of stairs with it all, and then plopped it into a teeny tiny dorm room with 2 other girls' stuff. Luckily she had already met her (main) room mate and was very comfortable with her, the other girl was sort of stuck in their room temporarily, but she seemed very pleasant too. I helped her get situated then it was time to go. It was tough for me to leave her, but I managed without needing an entire box of Kleenex. I did have a hard time getting to sleep last night, thinking that she might be lonely, or uncomfortable in the new bed, or just not able to sleep because she's near trains and not used to the noise they make. I really miss her being here. I've already called her twice, but I'm trying not to. I know she has to spread her wings and I need to give her that space.....but........... thank God she's coming home on Sunday!
(I'm staying focused on the positives)

Mom's 72nd Birthday

Well, I wish it was my secret garden...but I don't live that close to the water. Anyway, this is a little collage I created from one of my paintings. For some reason I really like these colors. Blue has been a forerunner in my color palette these days.
Here's another little collage I did that is on Ebay right now. I have had so much fun creating these little pieces of art that I even made my mom a birthday collage:

Yesterday was her 72nd birthday! We had a little party for her like we do- just us girls (and Quince). We started that little tradition because the men never seemed to make much out of our 'special' day.
We have lunch, then cake...and sometimes cake IS lunch.....we usually make way too much food and eat it all, because where I come from, food IS love. (and that's not a good thing!) (Here's my little sassy Brielle, Quince and Grethe, my sis)
So, this is what we do: we wrap up little things from around our houses or from the recycle shop at the dump, and give them to the birthday recipient. ha ha It's all about the UNWRAPPING, not so much about the presents. ONCE in a while, we actually do buy a gift.

Well, I suppose if I had money to spare, nothing would be too good for my mom. She's pretty special and I'm so lucky to have chosen her! Happy Birthday Mumma.

Sister's Collage and Sailboat

Here's an original tiny painting that I'm listing on Ebay tonight. I finally managed to squeeze in a little painting time this past week.

And this collage I made is going on today too. I fell in love with these cute little girls when I saw them and had to make this special collage. I have entitled it "Sisters" because somewhere in my mind I think they are. And that's their bunny "Foo Foo". (lol)

Well, we didn't get hurricane Bill thank God. Now I have to take all my deck furniture back out. It's hot again today- I was hoping for a little break in this heat and humidity but no such luck!

Guess I'll use it to my advantage and go for a motorcycle ride later on. I usually freeze, but I'll be just fine in this weather. (don't forget it's about 20 degrees cooler when you're riding).

The Tail of the Cat

This is my beautiful cat Kiya. Yesterday wasn't a very good day for her because I shut her tail in a sliding glass door. Yes, I did that horrible thing to my own cat. I was bringing her inside and she was on my shoulder (as she likes to 'ride' that way) and somehow we got in but the tip of her tail didn't quite make it. I feel sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
bad, you don't even know. And the worst part of it is, she was just getting to trust me.

When we got her from the MSPCA she had been abandoned and was living in the wild for quite a while. She's never been warm or affectionate and it's taken her years to relax around us, and feel secure. She has gotten to the point where I can finally put my face near her and not worry about getting whacked! (that's progress because nobody could get that close to her before)
Oh, and speaking of which, you should see the deep scratches and puncture wounds all over my arm from when it happened yesterday. I can't blame her of course, and in some crazy way, maybe my own physical pain helped me relieve my guilt a bit.

So, the good news is, she's feeling better today and she even let me pick her up! No hissing or scratching. I guess it didn't take away all that trust that was built up, thank God.

Well, I know that has nothing to do with art, but that's all that has been on my mind since yesterday.

Hyannis, Cape Cod, California and a Post Card

I just listed these little collages on Ebay. Can you see Hyannisport on this one- under the yacht club flag? That's where the Kennedy's have a summer home. (been there!)
(~Ok, I used to work for the Post Office and I had to deliver some Express mail there on a Sunday. )

I felt this one just needed a Black Lab in it.

I love calligraphy, especially the style of the word "Post Card". And the dragonfly is pretty neat too. The rose is from one of my paintings.

Here's Southern California, it's made from an antique map that goes waaay back.

Today it was very hot again. I guess it's been an official heat wave in Boston- but it's always hotter there. We have the cool ocean breezes (not so cool today though). Anyway, after taking Brielle to the dentist, I stayed in all day working on a commissioned painting. It's almost done!

It feels good to paint again.

"life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, Its about learning how to dance in the rain." algie

Gone to the Buttonwood Zoo

Today I took the girls to the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. We all love animals and I promised to take them to a zoo that we hadn't been to before, this summer. Well, when we got there I realized we had already been to this one a long time ago. Just the same we made the best of it.
This Sea Lion was upside down playing in the foot or so deep water. They must have been cleaning out the pen because usually there is about 10' of water in it. The Sea Lions didn't seem to mind all that much.

Buttonwood Park Zoo is actually very small, which was a good thing. Between the sweltering heat, and me and Sienna feeling miserable with a cold, we probably couldn't have handled anything more. The animals were just as hot.It was pretty neat to see one of these guys in our neck of the woods. They are huge!

"Kiss me you fool!" What a pose!
I saved the best for last.

Clams and Starfish

I managed to get to the beach this weekend! Of course, on the Cape you have to be there before 9am just to get a parking spot, but I love going early because it's so beautiful and usually quiet.

The water was smooth as glass- which is the way I like it because then you can see the crabs and you won't step on them.
There were quite a few wandering around and they were pretty big. One of them walked on my foot when I wasn't looking and scared the begeebers out of me! I've never been bit by one and don't ever want to be. Their claws are huge!

Doesn't this rock look like a dogs head?!

Sienna and her friend Katie spent their day digging clams (see them down there?) while I spent my day taking pictures of beautiful red sailed, cat boats! Wow. I'm going to have to paint this one. We were right on Sesuit Harbor so there were lots of boats coming and going.
We even found a live starfish! That orange dot is NOT his eye. They have 'eyes' (they only see light and dark) at the end of each leg. Interesting huh?

The girls also looked for baby crabs under the rocks. There were quite a few. (Mostly though, they were looking for boys.) They are 14 years old. What can you say?

Here are the clams they got. You can tell these were found in the mud because they aren't pure white. The ones you find in sand are have no black on them.

And since the girls nor I eat clams, we put them all back.

It was such a beautiful day at the beach, and almost as good; is when you get home all soaked in sunshine and you take a cool, refreshing shower, outside, to wash the sand and salt off.
Ahhhh. That's nice. It feels like summer.

Looking for Boston Whalers

24"x36" Low Tide Provincetown http://www.brydeart.com/

Sienna and I went out to find some Boston Whalers to photograph for an upcoming commissioned painting. She was kind enough to stop texting and model for me. Ok, this isn't going to be what the painting looks like (don't worry Carl!) but we're getting there.

I just read this quote and I really liked it.

"Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now."

Abraham/Hicks

At the end of Tonset Rd. in Orleans the sun was shining, the air smelled of salt and roses, and there was a quiet peacefulness in the people that we encountered. They too, were all absorbing the amazing beauty of nature.

It was one of those days today, when the world was just perfect.

I try very hard to make every day as good as it can be, because I KNOW that my life is right now. There is no future, there is no past, there is only now. Have you ever read The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle?

Have a wonderful day, and smile at someone - anyone- just smile.

Houses in Barnstable

It's a rainy, yucky day out today so I thought I'd put on some happy sunny pictures that I took a while ago in Barnstable.

I wouldn't mind having this home. The view was incredible from those chairs.

This week just seemed to fly by. Yesterday I had to take care of my mom's 2 large dogs. The traffic was crazy so I decided to pack them up in my SUV and bring them to my house so I wouldn't have to keep driving across town. Well, one of them immediately threw up in my car, then the other did something worse on my rug at the house...so you can tell what I was doing instead of working yesterday. I feel like I've been cleaning up animal messes all week ever since my Simby was really sick. (He's feeling much better now, thanks for all the good energy sent!)

That reminds me that my sister's baby is due soon. (you get the connection, right?) Ok, if I have nothing better to talk about than that, I better get back to work!

Cape Cod Collages

This past week I have been working on a series of collages using antique maps, photo's of my paintings, and I've even painted things directly onto the surface. They have been really fun to create- a nice change from my regular painting. Every now and then I have to do something a little different to break up the monotony. It keeps my work fresh.

I don't know why I can't get these to upload the correct way. If anyone knows please tell me. They look the right way on my computer but when I upload them, they come out sideways.
Anyway.....just turn your head sideways and you'll get the essence. I used a lot of nautical charts as back drops for these little ACEO's.
Here's Welfleet. And I have to be honest, this is NOT Billingsgate lighthouse (which no longer exists), it is actually one of the Ptown lighthouses, but it fit perfectly there, and hey- I used my creative license on this one.

Last but not least I want to mention that my Simby was terribly sick this week. I thought we were going to lose him. But I didn't want to mention it until he was on the upswing because I didn't want any thoughts about him being sick out there. They say that in order to heal, you have to visualize (yourself )or the recipient as being already healed and healthy. So that's what I did. Even though he was practically on his death bed, I centered myself and saw him as healthy. I pictured him jumping up on my lap, purring. And you know what? The first thing he did when he started to come out of it was to want some loving and he purred. (He couldn't have jumped because he was so weak, he could barley keep his head up. )

I'm thinking that it was a particular type of catfood I gave him because I vaguely remember him getting really sick once before and I also suspected the cat food. (Purina, Turkey and giblets- purple label). Maybe he's deathly allergic to something in it? Has anyone else had that experience?

Anyway, I am SOOOO happy that he's back. He's about 13, so he's not THAT old yet and I really love having him around. Hopefully he'll be around a long time more. (my cats are like my babies). Well, now while you are thinking about it, maybe you can send him a healing thoughts so he can make a full recovery. Many thanks!

:) meoww

Picnic at Nickerson State Park

A couple of my high school friends were on the Cape this weekend so we all met at Nickerson State Park (Cliff Pond) and had a picnic dinner together. I hadn't seen them in about 2 years, so it was great to touch base again. Robin lives in Maine and her whole family is big into skiing. Her older daughter Sierra, even goes to school for it (I mean- regular school) I didn't even know you could do that! She's really good at it and wins all kinds of races and I guess Jeremy (her 13 yr. old son) wins lots of races too.
The youngest, Neva wants to get into freestyle competing. Wow! I'm lucky if I can make it down the mountain in one piece. In fact, the very first time I skied I had to get carried down by the paramedics . Oh, and did I mention it was on the BUNNY SLOPE! ha ha ha

Robin is a photographer (http://www.robinleavittphotograpy.com/) and she takes photo's of all the races and ski events. Sounds like a colddddd job to me but she really loves it and it keeps her close to her kids.
Pam, shown here with her youngest, Janine, works for the phone company, and has been ever since we graduated- in fact, she could retire any time she wants now. Retire- wow, that's a word I'll never use in my job. I'll be working (playing) until I die- if I'm lucky!

She lives off Cape in Plymouth. Her oldest (Michael) is going off to college in Maine this year, so she and I will both have to get used to our babies leaving and just having one left in the nest. Her daughter's a sweetie; in the same grade as Sienna and just as boy crazy. Needless to say, they hit it off well.

Sienna has her friend Katie down from NY also. Katie is like part of the family when she's here and we all enjoy her.
Cliff pond was just as beautiful as I remember it. I love to swim there: no crabs biting your feet!

Here are me and my girls. Yes, it was a little cool last night which is pretty weird weather for mid-August.

Brielle has officially graduated from the 'kid group' to the adult group. Now when we socialize, she hangs out with the adults and likes to be part of our conversations. (although, she doesn't really talk that much, but boy does she listen!)

Although she did take some time out to catch baby hop toads. Of course she let them go too.

Pretty Spots in Brewster Ma.

Early this morning I went out to take some late summer photo's in Brewster- trying to catch the last of the Hydrangeas. This is the Bramble Inn on Route 6A. So picture perfect! I'll probably do a painting of it one of these days.

I also went to the Brewster Grist Mill, which is always a beautiful place to visit - it's so peaceful when the herring aren't running. Nobody was around. Ahhhhh nice. The air is somewhat cool today which is odd for August on the Cape. Usually July and Aug. are hot and muggy but this year has been totally off. Some are calling it " the summer that wasn't".

I drove down to Paynes Creek, another favorite spot of mine. It was very quiet even though it was about 9am when I got there. I would have thought more people would have been there. It was nice. It's always nice when someplace is quiet on the Cape in the summer.

Oh but the Brewster General Store on Rt. 6A was busy, busy, busy! Everyone was getting their coffee and reading the paper under the umbrellas. The store is a kind of landmark for Brewster. It's been there forever- well, ever since I can remember and I lived in Brewster since I was 9 yrs. old.

Last but not least, I had to take a picture of one of the many dragonflies I saw at the Mill. There were so many! They were very busy though and it was hard to catch one standing still for a moment. I think this one posed just for me!