Just popping in to update the blog although not much exciting happening in my world. My second week at work is done, but not without some issues. The boils that I cursed prior to and just after my surgery are back. I had to make a trip to the family doctor to have this one attended to. It appears that boils are a staph infection - who knew ? - and that I'm very susceptible to that sort of infection. Isn't that special? I won't go into all the details, suffice it to say the doc had to open it up. Nasty business that and still nasty 2 days later. This explains why I've been feeling sick and dragging my behind for the last several weeks because I had no energy and have been so tired!

Work has been busy but I think we're finally making some progress. I think the message that we're sending out is finally getting across so hopefully things will be a little smoother over the next several weeks. I'm still not clear on what my role will be but I think it will evolve into more responsibility and I'm ok with that so it's all good.

For those of you who are not canadian, April 30th is the deadline for paying the dreaded tax man. I had so hoped to get a refund but clearly that's not happening. I ended up taking my taxes to the accountant to do and I only owe about 2K instead of 4K - something to be glad for I guess although it means that I'll have to rob Peter to pay Paul. Does it ever end?

Well, must run. I'm in the middle of making up some mother's day cards for the store. I need to deliver them tomorrow so I'd best get to it!

Caio!

I went back to work this week and it didn't take me long to get back into the swing of things. It felt good to get back!

I have my final post op followup with the surgeon on Wednesday and then it will be back to regular orthodontist appointments. In addition to wearing braces, I'm also wearing elastics 24/7. At first they were really uncomfortable but now I'm accustomed to them so it's no big deal. The purpose of the elastics is to get the maximum movement in the teeth before the jaw bones grow back in. That accelerates the date for the removal of the braces, provided they can move the teeth enough. Woooohoooo! Wearing braces for almost 4 years is enough already! Then the next step is getting the veneers done and then I'm finished. I can tell you I'm really looking forward to completing this process. It's been a long time coming!

I'm working on some Mother's Day stock for the store. Then the next production push is for Wedding cards. The store sells a lot of them and I need to get a good supply of stock and designs in place. My biggest issue is that the creation of new designs is sooooo time consuming. I'm very time challenged anyway, or maybe I just don't manage my time all that well. Anyway, the next couple of months will be very busy for me and my business.

It's been awhile since I posted any art. I'm sure everyone is getting tired of hearing my jaw saga. I haven't done much in my art journal lately. I need to allot more time to that as I really enjoy working in it, I just have so little time. I'll be posting some new work later in the day so check back soon to see what's new.

Caio!

The recovery is going well. The swelling has gone down quite a bit and the bruising is almost gone. My jaw line and chin are still frozen but I'm starting to get feeling back in most of my face. I am still finding myself to be very tired when I exert myself but other than that things are progressing well.

I'm back to work next Monday so this week has been spent trying to get some things on my "to do" list done. I was going a little stir crazy so yesterday I painted the ceiling in my bedroom. This afternoon I gave it a second coat. It looks pretty good and clearly, the time I spent taping everything paid off as the is very little paint seepage on the walls. The original plan was to paint the walls next but I have several things on my list that are a higher priority so the walls will probably have to wait until next weekend.

I haven't been all that inspired to do art but did manage to get one journal page completed. It was a bit of a struggle and I'm still not all that happy with the colours but finally gave up. It's a bit dark but perhaps that is appropriate in light of the journal entry.

I'm feeling better but still tire easily. The swelling has gone down a lot and the bruising is almost gone. My teeth are aching something fierce and I've had a permanent earache ever since I started wearing the elastics on my teeth 24 / 7. I see the surgeon again on Thursday and I'm really hoping that he'll tell me I only have to wear the elastics at night. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I'm going back to work next Monday so this week I'm trying to work through the listof things that need to be done. I painted my ceiling yesterday - still need to do another coat. I bought a gallon of paint but the ceiling just sucked up all the paint so will need to go back to Home Depot for more paint. I originally planned to paint the walls this week but I don't think that's going to happen as my "to do" list has some things on it that are a higher priority. Looks like the walls will nee to wait til next weekend.

Must run - caio!

I've done very little over the last couple of days. Saturday I was very productive and accomplished a lot in the way of re-organizing my workroom. It's about 75 % done and I need to complete the other 25% before I can start to use it again. I had planned to do that both Sunday and Monday but I just have no energy whatsoever. I spent yesterday aftenoon sleeping on the couch and most of the this afternoon doing the same thing.

DD and I had planned to do a run to Home Depot and Homesense today to pick up some things I need. I specifically wanted the "the Magic Bullet Express" which happens to be on sale until closing today. However DD and I discussed it and we decided I'm still too bruised and beat up looking to be seen out in public. DD ran in and bought the Bullet for me - it is huge! It's got all the attachments I could ever want. It will very quickly replace my 40 year old blender.

I'm finally starting to eat some solid food, albeit it takes me a very long time to finish it. I'm hungry a lot of the time and while the slurpees are good, they just were not cutting it for filling me up. Tonight we ordered in from Boston Pizza. I had the Boston Lasagne and it was absolutely scrumptious. I think I died and went to heaven.

Gotta run for now. Caio!

Things are going well with the recovery. I had my first followup appointment with the surgeon on Thursday. He's pleased with my progress and says everything looks good. I was initially planning to return to work on the 8th, however I think I will extend my sick leave for a week or so. The bruising is still pretty severe and there is still some swelling so I think it appropriate that I take more time. I have more than enough sick leave to cover the extra time so will take advantage of it.

Saturday was an interesting day! I've been stuck in the house for 10 days with my only outing being to go into the city for a doctor's appointment. Can you say cabin fever? I had a bit of a melt down regarding something one of the cats did. I told K if it happened again that I'd be opening the door and throwing all 3 of them out! As if that was going to happen! Anyway after I had my little temper tantrum, I was still mad so I went on the rampage down in my studio. It's quite amazing what one can accomplish under those circumstances. Poor K took one look at me and could see that I was about to lose my mind - she very calmly suggested that I might want to take a deep breath. She's such a good person! Even when her mom goes a little crazy she still stays calm and so very reasonable. She certainly takes after her dad in that regard.

Anyway, long story short I rearranged a bunch of stuff and then K volunteered to go to Canadian Tire and buy me a new cabinet. She went, picked up and brought it home and put it together for me. It is now nicely ensconsed in my workroom and what a huge difference it makes - both visually and psychologically. The purpose of the reorg was to make better use of the space I already have. I always seem to end up with everything piled in layers on the little bit of workspace I have. It's annoying and frustrating. Since I've moved things around and now have this new cabinet, I'm really pleased with the results. I'm so looking forward to working in the newly arranged studio soon.

Things are going well with the recovery. I had my first followup appointment with the surgeon on Thursday. He's pleased with my progress and says everything looks good. I was initially planning to return to work on the 8th, however I think I will extend my sick leave for a week or so. The bruising is still pretty severe and there is still some swelling so I think it appropriate that I take more time. I have more than enough sick leave to cover the extra time so will take advantage of it.

Saturday was an interesting day! I've been stuck in the house for 10 days with my only outing being to go into the city for a doctor's appointment. Can you say cabin fever? I had a bit of a melt down regarding something one of the cats did. I told K if it happened again that I'd be opening the door and throwing all 3 of them out! As if that was going to happen! Anyway after I had my little temper tantrum, I was still mad so I went on the rampage down in my studio. It's quite amazing what one can accomplish under those circumstances. Poor K took one look at me and could see that I was about to lose my mind - she very calmly suggested that I might want to take a deep breath. She's such a good person! Even when her mom goes a little crazy she still stays calm and so very reasonable. She certainly takes after her dad in that regard.

Anyway, long story short I rearranged a bunch of stuff and then K volunteered to go to Canadian Tire and buy me a new cabinet. She went, picked up and brought it home and put it together for me. It is now nicely ensconsed in my workroom and what a huge difference it makes - both visually and psychologically. The purpose of the reorg was to make better use of the space I already have. I always seem to end up with everything piled in layers on the little bit of workspace I have. It's annoying and frustrating. Since I've moved things around and now have this new cabinet, I'm really pleased with the results. I'm so looking forward to working in the newly arranged studio soon.

The bruising is now moving down my neck and into the collarbone, lots of black and purple and a little yellow thrown in at the cheeks. Very colourful but more thundercloud than rainbow. The incisions are a little tender but the jaw itself is good so I've only used the odd painkiller when I start to get a twinge.

I've had a revovling door of visitors bringing me flowers, cards, homemade soup and well wishes. I've never been the type to need it to be "all about me" so it's really nice to have all this love and caring showered on me.

On the art front I've done nothing but battle with the workroom - I'm making progress.....Wooohooo! Aside from the fact that I have waaaay too much stuff, things are finally coming together. I need to make some cards for 2 swaps, create some Wedding and Mother's Day samples for the store and I want to work on my journal pages so my next few days will be busy.

Wednesday I go into the City for my first followup with Dr. M. I'm feeling well and aside from being tired and lethargic from the anesthetic, things are good. I'm hoping there are no issues with the incisions - they're tender, as they should be I guess - but I'll feel better once he checks them out.

On the weightloss front, I'm down about 10 lbs. I know it's not the ideal way to do it but I'll take the loss however I can get it!

Caio!

Just thought I'd check in before I pop off to bed for the night.

I'm feeling great, have no real need for pain killers, but will take one tonight just to be on the safe side. The swelling has increased and I'm getting more colourful by the hour. Lovely purple bruises starting below the chin and up onto my lip and the side of my face. Wonderful! I can hardly wait to see what it looks like tomorrow. You can bet I won't be leaving the house anytime soon!

So tonight, after sitting around all day, I decided to work on my studio and try to get it tidied up after the marathon card making session before holidays. Quite a mess but I've made some headway. Rearranged some general storage as well as some paper storage and labelled a bunch of stuff. It's amazing how many scattered piles I found that were paper I thought I was out of. ?God grief! Tomorrow I'm having company in the evening - coming over to see the rainbow in progress! However, during the day I hope to get some more cleanup down here so I can get some work done. If I'm going to be stuck in the house I might as well play with some of the new stuff I bought - but first I have to find it under the pile of stuff on my work table.

Well must run for meds, ice and beauty sleep - I'm not sure there's enough sleep to be had to cure this face ....and so it goes.

Caio!

I'm home, swollen, temporarily disfigured but none the worst for wear. The surgeon was in to see me this morning before I was discharged. I commented that I was still quite swollen - he said with the work he did that I should have been swollen up like a football. The fact that I had so little swelling was fantastic. He said I looked "fantastic" - his words not mine - not sure I'd go quite that far but whatever! I will be taking progress pictures which I may or may not share. I'm afraid some people may never let me live them down and they will come back to haunt me. We'll see....

The meds they gave me were good, very good, and I've had really very little pain and very little need for the meds. The operation went well and was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be so it's all good. I'm still alive and while not quite my "sassy" self, I intend to be back in full form again very soon.

Just wanted to pop in and update you on what's going on in my little corner of paradise.

Today is a big day for me. I'm finally having my jaw surgery - it's been two long years of waiting but it's finally happening today. I've tried not to let my mind dwell on it. I know myself well enough to know that if I allow myself to go there, I'll get myself all worked up and anxious. I keep telling myself that it's no big deal and that it will be a walk in the park.

Hmmmm. Maybe not so much! Guess we'll have to see.

Anyway, I'll be out of commission for a bit, not sure how long. I do know, however, that I'm on a liquid diet for a couple of weeks and then on soft foods only for another couple. I'm hoping to lose some weight - pretty radical method I know - but one can only hope!

Gotta run. Will check back in once I start to feel better.

Caio!

Here's another doodle page. It's titled "Friendship".

It was fun to do and I'm pleased with the end result. However, I'm finding it a bit stark and perhaps a little harsh because of the absence of colour. I think I'll try a differnt style with my next page. Definitely something a little softer and with more colour.

Title is "Drama Queen"

This page is one of the doodles that I created in Jodi Ohl's online class. Her class has really opened my eyes to some new journal styles and possibilities. And it was lots of fun to do - very freeing.

This one is titled "Of the Sun"

Thought I'd share one of the journal pages I did while in Palm Springs. I'm pretty pleased with it and I hope you enjoy it as well!

We're home from Palm Springs. We were originally scheduled to leave on Sunday Feb. 28th which would mean we were travelling while Canada was playing the gold medal game against the US. My daughter has been following every game in which Canada played and really wanted to see the final game. We decided to change our plans and flew out Saturday instead so we could be home to watch the game on Sunday. It worked out well as it will give us an extra day to relax before going back to work and getting back into the routine of things. It cost us extra because there was a difference in air fare but I figure in the long run I actually saved money. Had we stayed in Palm Springs the plan was to go to the casino on Saturday night and that generally is not a good thing to do. So.........works for me!

The flight was uneventful and going through the border was a breeze. We had a fabulous holiday, however we're happy to be back home with our three fur babies. It will be nice to sleep in our own beds again.

Well, must run. It's been a long day and I need my beauty sleep. Caio!

I follow Mama Dinis blog and she had a link for a free digi stamp. I cruised on over to Motivet http://motivet.com/blog/?p=1724 for the freebie. Check it out - it's free and it's really versatile - would do for a get well soon, happy birthday ....any number of things.

A big thanks to Motivet for sharing this with us.

Yesterday we played a round of golf at Taquitz Creek Resort. It was a lovely day for golf and K and I were reasonably pleased with our scores at the end of the round. After a cold beer, we headed off to Lumpy's. We talked to a gentleman there about K's problems using her dad's driver. Turns out it will be very difficult for her to hit it well because it's a stiff shaft designed for someone who is a power hitter - which my husband was. Long story short, I bought her a new ladies Taylor Made driver, 5 wood and 7 wood. She has really taken to the game of golf and she needs the right equipment. She was surprised and pleased to have these new clubs. We traded in DH's old driver, 3 and 5 woods. I got very little for them but have no use for them so no sense in keeping them. I was able to put the amount of the trade in on the new clubs so it's all good.

This is an early birthday gift - her birthday is April 18th - but I thought she might as well have them now since we're here and playing golf. We play again tomorrow so we're looking forward to some improvement in her game.

The weather this last several days has been great, perfect for playing golf. Just not so great for lying around the pool. Today started out well but then clouded over with sporadic sun so I didn't get any pool time. My only remaining opportunity for pool time is Saturday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a good day!

Must run as I'm going to lie down for awhile and watch some of my decorating shows. Then at 4 pm we'll watch the Canada / Russia game. Go Canada!

Our trip is winding down and we're just starting into our last week in Paradise. This time of the trip always makes me a little sad as I know our time here is coming to an end soon. SIL has invited us to join her and her husband in Barbados next January, however we haven't committed one way or the other. We'll need to sit down and discuss it. We're both creatures of habit and we really enjoy Palm Springs. However, Barbados is beautiful and would be a nice change. We'll see. Decisions, Decisions.

Both K and I are missing our "girls" - Socks, Kirby and Daisy. Even though our neighbour is taking good care of them, we feel badly for leaving them for so long. T says they're lonely and that Daisy, the newest addition to the family (10 months old) is the official greeter. Daisy comes running to the door to greet her and meows up a storm every time she goes over to feed them. Socks is still hissing at her every time she comes in - big surprise that ! I expect that Daisy and Kirby (who is our gorgeous maine coone cat) will be ecstatic to see us. Socks, not so much - she'll give us "the tail", meaning she is not pleased - for the first little while. Then the three of them will swarm us and we'll be subjected to mass cuddles and kisses. I can hardly wait!

My SIL left for Ottawa yesterday so it's just K and I here now. We thoroughly enjoyed SIL's visit and hope she enjoyed her trip as well. Now it's just the two of us for the remainder of the trip and we'll enjoy the wind down prior to going home. Today will be a day spent by the pool and tomorrow we'll golf again.

The weather here has cooled down a bit - the last couple of days it's been mid to high 70's instead of high 80's and 90's. The weather has been perfect for golfing - not too hot and with a little breeze. Regardless of the variation in the temperature it has been fabulous weather and we are thoroughly enjoying the pool and backyard.

Well must go - I hear the pool calling my name. Caio!

We golfed at Taquitz Creek yesterday - my game was less than stellar but I enjoyed the day nonetheless. The weather was absolutely fabulous! We have no idea what the temperature was but suspect it was close to 90 degrees. On Sunday it was 84 degrees in the shade by the pool and Monday sure felt hotter. We were late teeing off because of a backlog so we didn't finish our round until about 3:30, then we had a very well deserved glass of ice cold beer. Nectar of the gods!

I checked the thermometer this morning at 8:30 and it was already 70 degrees so I think we're in for another hot one. My kind of day - I so enjoy lying the pool when we're here. Plan is to have burgers tonight for dinner so it should be a very lazy day.

I've managed to do some journalling. I should have brought some supplies with me but didn't so I had to purchase them here. I've never really liked doing my backgrounds ahead of time but now I can see that doing that is the way to go. I realize that when I want to work on a page, I want to work on it now, not after I wait for the page to dry. It's a lesson well learned!

I'm happy with my supply purchases and since it's all "stuff" I can use at home, it won't go to waste. I'm hoping to do a few more pages before I go home. Will scan them and post when I get home.

Gotta run - I hear the sun calling my name!

It was another glorious day in Palm Springs today. It was 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. We spent the day alternating between swimming in the pool, floating in the pool and lying in lawn chairs by the pool. After such a lazy day, we decided not to cook so we went to Applebee's on Date Palm and had a lovely supper. We made it in time for happy hour and were able to enjoy a couple of half price margaritas and an appy before having dinner. Of course we couldn't pass up the dessert shooters and by the time we finished the chocolate mousse we were well and truly stuffed. Tough life :)

After supper we headed off to the Spa Casino for a couple of hours. Kerry and Joyce held their own, me ? Not so much. Hence why my visits to the casino are few and far between.

The issue with the tv has been resolved. The owner's son came by today and replaced the tv and left us a couple of bottles of wine to enjoy. A very nice gesture!

Sunday we're looking forward to another fabulous day in paradise! Pool time, relaxation, maybe some adult bevvies? Paradise!

Today we golfed at Indian Canyons in Palm Springs. We had a tee time of 12:26 so we were starting to lose daylight by the time we finished. The day was spectacular and I played a good round. We played with a gentleman who was 83 and looked about 70. He was amazing and came in with an honest round of 90. When we told him that he didn't look 80 nor did he play golf like he was 80, his reply was that he didn't feel 80. He golfs in the summer and skies at Whistler in the winter. Unbelievable. It's so nice to see someone in his golden years who has such a full life and such a wonderful attitude. I sure hope I'm able to enjoy life as much at that age.

Depending on which channel you listen to, the weather tomorrow will range between 75 and 85 with the weather becoming steadily warmer through the weekend and into the beginning of next week. We plan take a few days to lay around the pool and enjoy the weather and will golf again on Monday.

Having a wonderful and relaxing time!

I'm happy to say that the issue with the TV is getting resolved. We reported it to the rental company and have had conversations with the owner. Thankfully he's very understanding and apologetic about the problems we're having and is not pissed with us. I feel badly that we've had to keep bugging him - he's looking into getting the problem resolved for us.

Last night SIL took us out for dinner. We went to a fabulous Italian restaurant, voted the best in the desert for several years. Formerly "Mario's", it's now operating under the name of "Di'Carlos". Great meal and great atmosphere. We ate out on the patio where the heaters kept us nice and warm.

My SIL got up ths morning before both myself and DD. She found a nice little present in the pool. A big fat rat, thankfully deceased! Thank goodness the pool guys came this morning to deal with it. They had just removed it when I walked out onto the patio. EWWWWW! Thank God one of us noticed before anyone jumped into the pool! More chemicals please!

After all my foraging for art journal supplies, I remembered (after I drove past it) that there's a Michael's very close to the house. DUH! I'm going to try to stop there sometime today or tomorrow to pick up the supplies I'm missing.

We're off to play some golf today and then we'll have a nice dinner at home.
Gotta run....Caio!

Dear SIL arrived last night and is settling in after a long trip. She and DD went swimming late last night when she arrived. Apparently the pool was nice and warm but the air was cool so they didn't hang around outside too long after getting out of the water.

I woke up at 730 this morning to the house alarm going off. I guess DD forgot to tell her about the alarm so of course as soon as she opened the door to the patio it went off. Luckily when the alarm company called this time, I actually knew the abort code and security code for the alarm. Thankfully no need for police attendance!

We're having issues with the tv in the living room. For some reason we are getting a totally blank black screen. We're getting audio but no picture. I've reset it several times but it's not correcting the problem. Pain in the ass! I have no idea what button I touched (totally by accident) to make us lose video and no matter what I touch I can't get it to come back. I really don't want to be without tv in the living room for the remaining 3 weeks - but I'm really embarassed to have to call the rental office, yet again, because of a problem with something. I'm really hoping that we can rectify it soon. Always something!

I felt the need to do some journalling so DD and I went out and foraged for supplies. I was able to get almost everything I needed at a very reasonable price. The only thing I couldn't find was a white prisma pen so I purchased one of those white out pens figuring I could use it in a pinch. The other thing I'm missing is a brush for my watercolour pencils - guess I'll improvise with some Q tips. So far I haven't done any journalling but hope to do some soon. Maybe later today.

Well must run as I feel the need for some pool time! Wish me luck with the TV. Caio!

Today was a bittersweet day - it would have been DH's 60th birthday. DD and I golfed at one of his favourite courses and then toasted him with a beer afterwards. The day was lovely and DD and I enjoyed it very much. The weather was fabulous - somewhere in the neighbourhood of 80 degrees. They didn't pair us with anyone so it was just us girls, very relaxing. The game was much better today and we managed to trim 10 to 15 strokes off each of our games.

Not much planned for tomorrow. The weather people say the temperature will be high 60's but we find that the temperature in Palm Springs is usually about 10 degrees higher than the temperature in LA at any given time. I'm looking forward to getting some pool time.

We had issues with the garage door on Monday. Appears it came off the rails and jammed up big time. The repair guy came by yesterday and just shook his head at the way it had been installed
in the first place. He was amazed that it had worked at all. He managed to get the door down for us but we're still waiting for it to be replaced. I'm really hoping that gets done some time this week because I will need to get into the garage to do my laundry. Worst case scenario, I guess I can wash some stuff by hand. That usually is not a pretty sight though!

Must run. Caio!

We're now in Palm Springs. We drove down to Bellingham Wednesday night and crossed over at Aldergrove. The border guard was very pleasant and didn't hassle us. It was a fast, pleasant and painless experience. Apparently we only look like terrorists and/or prostitutes in the light of day!

Weather in PS is good - still a little cooler because of the bad weather everyone is having up the coast but nothing to complain about. My youngest SIL is coming to stay with us for 2 weeks and arrives on Saturday. We enjoy her company and she and K get along famously so we're looking forward to her arrival. The other relatives will not be joining us this year so it's just the 3 gals - no boyz allowed! It should be fun!

We've been enjoying the peace and quiet - no stress and very relaxing. We spent the day in the pool Saturday and Sunday and golfed yesterday. The golf game was less than stellar but considering that this is our first round since this time last year, it could have been worse. We had a great time and that's all the matters.

I had computer issues again when we arrived - not sure why but never could get access through the house. I was not prepared to sneak out under cover of darkness again this year to find free wi-fi. I had visions of being pulled out of my car by the cops because I was acting suspicious. So.... We bought one of those Verizon stix, cost me a fortune but at least we have access when and where we want it. I'll have it the next time we venture south so I guess I can somewhat justify the extravagance. I bought 500 MB but am quite certain I will have to reload before mid month. Who knew we would use so much bandwith. I'm sure part of the heavy usage is Kerry's crazy Farm game....whatever!

We've been to the casino twice - just an hour or so each time - no need to get carried away and the marathon gambling visit is definitely not a good thing for either of us. I got lucky last night and won $500 on the slots! That was nice and, of course I enjoyed gambling when I was winning. And I cashed out while I still had my winnings. Bonus!!

Gotta run cuz the bandwith meter is definitely ticking :) Caio!

Things have been very hectic the last few weeks. My arthritis had been bad and became even worse in the last few weeks. I was in major pain last week and ended up at the Emergency department at our local hospital Sunday morning. The pain was quite different and I was convinced that I had broken a bone.

After a fairly long wait, they sent me for x-rays. The doc came back and informed me that I had "quite significant amount of arthritis" in that knee. He said it had really progressed since my last x-ray about a year ago. He prescribed me some arthritis meds to help with the pain and stop if from progressing, we hope He has also referred me for physio.

I'm not really all that surprised that I have arthritis as my dad has a serious case of it so I guess it's to be expected. In some ways I'm relieved that now I know what is causing the pain. I was also glad that I actually had something wrong with me as I was afraid they would tell me it was all in my head.

The count down is on for Palm Springs. Woooohooo! We finally hired someone to take over my old job and I'm busy training her. I'm also trying to deal with some of the backlog before I go so that she isn't totally stressed out at being left with all this work. Unfortunately it cannot be helped - the backlog is the result of the position being empty for 14 months and us never being able to catch up because we don't have enough staff. Anyway, I'm feeling much less stressed than I was a few days ago now that there will be someone in the office in my absence.

The sunshine, the pool, a good book and some adult bevvies are looking pretty good right now! Only 6 more sleeps!

I'm on course in Vancouver Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. I take the WestCoast Express in - although I missed the first train this morning - and it's a nice trip. No fighting traffic, stressing out about finding a parking spot and so on. The course is good, the instructor interesting and entertaining, although the subject matter is a bit dry. My only issue is that I'm having a hard time sitting in those chairs all day.

Anyway end of day comes today and I walk out onto the sidewalk on Seymour Street for the 3 block walk back down to the train and I jar my bad knee. OUUUUUCCHHH! I thought I was going to go down on my ass right there in the middle of the sidewalk. I don't know what happened. The only thing I can think of is that the pavement was sloped and a little uneven. Iwas in serious pain and I limped my way back to the train and finally made it home. Not fun!

This is really not a big thing, however, my knee was just starting to get back to normal and now I've injured it again. Frustrating as hell! And I have the 3 block walk - uphill - to look forward to tomorrow morning. I think I might break down and wear my brace tomorrow altough I'm not entirely sure that it helps. Oh, well, such is life!

Must run to change and then put my leg up and ice my knee. Isn't that special?

Looking back over the last 20 months, I acknowledge that I've experienced a lot of change in my life. I've grown and evolved and my perspective on life has changed. Recently, I had an epiphany of sorts in both my professional and my personal life. It finally dawned on me that I am the master of my very own universe. I run my own show! I don't need to justify my actions or explain myself to anyone. It's glorious to realize that, acknowledge it and revel in it.

My life is good! I'm happy with it in spite of the loss I suffered. How ironic is that? I'm working at my dream job and I'm challenged and I'm learning daily. I'm invested in things that are important to me and I'm rebuilding my life. It feels good!

I'm a hopeless romantic and "Gone With The Wind" is one of my all-time favourite movies. Scarlett is the epitome of "southern gentility", albeit a scheming little minx, but southern gentility nonetheless. And Rhett? What can one say about Rhett? He's the symbol of chivalry and rogue, all wrapped up in one! The perfect hero for the perfect heroine. So for all the southern belles and southern gentlemen of whom I am so very fond, here's my tribute.

Can you believe that we're coming to the end of another year and the beginning of a new decade? Where has the time gone?

Christmas was lovely and New Years Eve will be quiet and spent at home. That works just fine for me as I'm getting too old to go out and party like a rock star! We'll watch the hockey game - Canucks vs St. Louis - GO CANUCKS! My daughter and I will have assorted appies, some liquid refreshments and a very quiet and comfortable evening.

Tomorrow friends are coming to share New Years Day dinner with us. I'm making my speciality which is Prime Rib of Beef, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and caesar salad. This is one of my all time favourite meals and it usually gets rave reviews. We'll drink some wine and kill a few brain cells and a good time will be had by all.

It has been an interesting year. We've had lots of challenges and learned to deal with things that my husband always dealt with but which now fall to us since his death. At one point I thought I might actually need to keep a plumber on retainer! Luckily we have friends who help us and I'm comfortable enough that I can pay someone when I need work done, so it's all good. However, it sure would be much better if I actually were to learn some routine maintenance skills. This may be something that I need to pursue in the new year!

Well must run . Best wishes to all of you for a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

I had a lovely Christmas Day and have been lying around ever since. It's been a real treat to be able to just be lazy for a couple of days. I managed to get my studio cleaned up again and have been able to play a little. I actually did some work in my art journal and thought I'd share it with you.

Today was a very productive day! I finished up my christmas shopping a full 4 days before the big day. That means I'm done early. Now just need to do the wrapping and I can relax.

We don't have any big plans for this holiday. We're going to an open house on Christmas Eve but it should be an early night. Then home to open the gifts and have a wee drop of Christmas cheer. Christmas day will be just the two of us. We discussed it and felt that we wanted to relax and spend a quiet day - sleep in, whatever - so that's what we'll do.

We'll have all the traditional stuff, except for a turkey. We couldn't find one that was the right size and saw no need to purchase one of those monster turkeys that will feel a third world country. So instead we'll have a roasting chicken with all the trimmings. It will be quiet but it will be fine - we're together and we're healthy and that's really all that matters.

Still scrambling to get the last of my christmas cards out. The last few that are going out tomorrow for back east will probably not get there before Christmas - hence the greeting I've used is "Happy Holidays". Those cards been sent to local people should make it before Christmas so it's all good.

It's been just over a month since my last post. Who knew time would fly so quickly?

Life has been extremely busy. The new job is going well and I'm learning so much. I come home at night and my brain is exhausted! I've also assumed the duties of my payables clerk as she's deploying out of the unit at the end of the week. This is a huge job and sometimes I think I have got to be crazy to take this on! However, I've decided that this is how I want to handle this and I've received the support of the boss so it's all good. I feel that the decision I've made has been somewhat strategic and it's appropriate. I'm trying to make a statement here and to take control. I'm not sure that some among us will get that but it is what it is!

Christmas is just around the corner and I'm not even close to being ready. I have taken care of the relatives back east but have not even started to shop for DD. Luckily she's easy to buy for, I have a few ideas that might surprise her and I should be able to get it all done in an afternoon or an afternoon and an evening. DD is off on sick leave, recuperating from her carpel tunnel surgery, so she will be able to help me with some of the odds and sods.

Thought I'd share a new Christmas design with you. I'm very happy with how these turned out.

Caio!

I was going through my old messages and came across one a friend sent me about a year ago. Since I consider myself a force to be reckoned with (not sure if that's a good thing or not!) and a powerful woman, I thought this completely appropriate. I hope you get a chuckle out of it too!

Powerful Women's Motto:

Live your life in such a way that
when your feet hit the floor in the morning,
Satan shudders & says...
"Oh shit....she's awake!!"

Caio!

I've finally completed my tags for the Christmas Alphabet Tag swap being hosted on CST. I was pleased with the end result and the hostess is happy with what I sent so it's all good! Since I haven't posted any art for awhile, I thought I'd post the tags today but for some reason that's completely beyond me, the "upload" function doesn't seem to be working right now. I'll try back later. Frustrating!

I'm busily immersed in preparations for the second open house for Little Cricket in Langley BC. While I am prepared in that I've already come up with the designs, I'm still down to the wire with the production. It's always the same thing; I seem to function better under the pressure of having a tight deadline, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

I like making Christmas cards, I really do. Getting ready for the open house always gets me in the mood for the upcoming Christmas season. I like to try out variations of the designs I've come up with and will finally decide which one I will make up for my family and friends. Once the production is complete for the open house, I can breathe a sigh of relief because then I can focus on creating stock and making my own little treasures.

I'm feeling a little out of sorts right now though. I have so much I want and need to do but just do not seem to have enough hours in the day to do them. I've procrastinated on making art which is really silly considering that I keep purchasing art supplies for these special projects. I now have enough to open a small store and still I keep buying! What's that all about?

I feel like I'm frozen in place and that I'm not able to do the creative work that I want to do. I have so many thoughts and ideas buzzing around in my head - unwritten poetry, planned but not initiated art journal pages, so many things I want to do. My house, on the other hand, seems to be getting fuller and fuller - stuff seems to be growing everywhere and I can't get motivated to do the tasks that need to be done. I keep telling myself that I'll do those things - eventually - but eventually doesn't ever seem to come.

Frustration reigns supreme ! I often feel overwhelmed and out of control. I'm very much a list girl so I think that may be the root of my issues. When I don't make a list and identify what I need to do, nothing get done. Hmmmm....

It's been more than a month since my last post - where does the time go?

The new job is keeping me extremely busy and when I come home at night I'm really, really tired. Many nights I'm in bed right after supper. I guess the old grey mare ain't what she used to be.

The weather has finally changed and it looks like we finally have fall here. It's cold and crisp in the mornings and evenings and still nice during the day. My impatience have finally gotten some frost and are looking a little the worse for wear but I guess that's to be expected considering it's almost the middle of October.

Thanksgiving was very quiet this year. DD is away in Ottawa and I've been working on cards for the store. Cooking for one person is the pits, so no turkey for me. Tonight I had pizza - not fancy but it works. DD is flying back home tomorrow so I'll be picking her up at the airport. She has had a lovely time visiting the relatives, but I'm sure she'll be happy to come back home to her own bed and her cats.

Well must run as I'm in the middle of a christmas card blitz and I can't afford to get side-tracked.

Caio!

Well, it looks like the summer is over and fall has arrived on the Coast. Today was an overcast day with a little wind and lots of cloud. It rained a little today, something we haven't had lately. It looked like a typical fall day and I expect that the heat will come on soon. It's nice for sleepy though as it gets cool enough that you actually need a blanket.

I'm preparing for the annual Christmas Open House at Little Cricket. This is a huge event and the numbers keep growing every year. I'm working on several new designs for this event and will be delivering them for approval next weekend. It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than 16 weeks away - where does the time go?

This is a busy time of year for me. I have the Christmas rush to prepare for and then it seems Christmas is hardly over and then the Valentine's rush is here. I must admit though that I do enjoy making Christmas cards. I make cards for re-sale as well as for my own use and this whole process gets me in the mood for Christmas.

We're having some really wonderful weather here on the coast. Today it was in the high 20's - it's hard to believe that September is right around the corner. I've not done a lot of art over the last several months, despite my plans to accomplish more. I'm not sure if it's the nice weather or if I just needed a little break. I hope to be able to get back to my journal - lots of stuff percolating in the old brain that must get put in a journal.

Life has been busy, busy, busy lately! I'm not sure where the time goes but it certainly does fly by. I've been working on some new designs for the store and I simply cannot believe that the Open House is only about 8 weeks away!

Work has been a challenge - lots to learn and do. I'm in the process of hiring some new people so hopefully once that's done, things will start to fall into place. It's a long process and one must just be patient until all the paperwork is done.

On Tuesday my daughter and I drove down to Seattle to see John Edward. I didn't get a reading, which was disappointing, but I did enjoy the session. He's quite a remarkable young man! We stayed at the Sheraton Seattle right downtown - very swanky! We would have liked to do a bit of sightseeing but we were only in town for one night so weren't able to get out and walk around. Perhaps next time!

I applied for a new job - same office but a step up for me. New challenges, more opportunities to learn and more money. I was told mid-week last and started with the new duties right away. I've been really busy ever since - big surprise there!

I'm afraid my art has fallen by the wayside - at least temporarily. I'm soooo tired when I come home that I don't really have a lot of desire to do art. I have managed to do some stuff for the store but not as much as I would like. Just no time ! I have a couple of ideas for my art journal so hope to do something in it this weekend. Seems to be another thing that has been put on the back burner for the time being.

Here are a couple of new designs - I'm pleased with the way they turned out.

Work has been crazy busy and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. Lots being accomplished but still lots to do. I come home at night and I'm mentally exhausted and just want to go to bed and sleep. Not very exciting and certainly does not allow a lot of time for art.

I did manage to make a few cards - some for the shop and then the large butterfly card for a friend for her birthday. I plan to do another production run of some new stuff on the weekend. Some days I wish I was an octopus and had 8 hands or perhaps I could clone myself!

The weather here on the Coast has been fabulous! It's still warm but not as hot as the 36 degrees last week. With it cooling down at night, it's much nicer to sleep so that's a good thing.

My garden is thriving. I had a last minute idea to plant some veggies but that didn't pan out, basically because I was too darn lazy! Hopefully I'll be better prepared next spring and can do it then. I finally put my hummingbird feeder out and the little buggers are eating me out of house and home. I make my feed really, really sweet and they just gobble that down. I swear it's crack for hummingbirds. I love watching them and half the time you only hear them as they buzz around, darting here and there. Then you'll hear the little chirping sound they make, usually when they feel their territory is being infringed upon by another hummer. Definitely one of God's little miracles.

I have been doing some art but not as much as I'd like. I really want to work in my visual journal on a more regular basis. I never seem to have enough time or perhaps more to the point, I don't use my time efficiently. Lately, I just seem to be tired all the time. Not sure if that is still part of the grieving process or what it is. I just find that after the 2 hours round trip commute and the 9 hour workday, I am usually dead tired by the time I get home at night. Not too energetic, that's for sure. I love the job and really don't mind the commute but man I could sure use more time off. However, there is so much good stuff happening with the job that I really do feel guilty even saying a peep about being tired.

Well must run. I do have some cards to post but will do that another time. I'd like my next post to be a photo or perhaps another page in my visual journal. We'll see.

Oh, Big Fat Woooohoooo. The new Golden Ears Bridge across the Fraser from Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge to Langley/Surrey is finally finished. It took about 3 1/2 years to complete and it opens at midnight tonight so I get to take it to work tomorrow. Those in "the know" say it will save 40 minutes off the commute. Is that round trip I wonder? Probably. It will save me a ton of time so I'm very excited about it! Let's just hope I don't get lost!

Must run. Caio!

We've had really hot weather here on the Coast. The weather was over 30 degrees celsius for several days last week - Wednesday was 36.5 degrees Celsius. I love the hot weather but I have to tell you that is too hot! I finally broke down and turned on the AC in my vehicle - I just could not take sitting in traffic in that heat for one more minute.

I've been in a swap recently so finally got around to completing some 4 X 4 pages. I was happy with the way they made up and I was able to use some of the extra pieces for cards so it all worked out well. I've never been a big fan of distress ink but used a green called "peeled paint" and I think I may be a convert. It was really nice and just took the project to another level.

My newest obsession(s) are nestabilities for die cuts and stickers and glitter. I haven't had a lot of time to play with the stickers yet but since I have a huge stack of Elizabeth Design stickers and Magenta stickers, I look forward to some experimentation.

Here's my latest journal page. It's still a work in progress - I've hit a bit of a wall - so it's untitled at this point. I'm not sure where to go next with it so will move on to a new page and come back to this one later. Hopefully, when I return to it, it'll tell me what I need to do.

My process was to go ahead and prepare all the pages in my journal but I'm not sure that I'll do it that way again. I find it limits me with my choice of image. Or maybe I just have no clue what I'm doing! In any case, next journal, I'll do a page or two at a time and sort of go with the flow. I like this one but find it very pink, not that that's a bad thing!

Mother's all over the world are celebrating this special day with their families and loved ones. In light of that is seems appropriate to wish one and all a very wonderous and happy day. For those who have loved ones serving their country in foreign lands, my thoughts and prayers are with you and with them.

We haven't done much here in our house to celebrate this day. My dear daughter spoilt me with a gorgeous bouquet of long stemmed red roses. Red roses are very special to me as my dear husband always bought me these. Since he's gone she's taken up the tradition and I'm very touched and grateful for her thoughtfulness.

Despite losing my husband, now almost 15 months ago, I am very grateful for many things. My daughter has been a blessing and an inspiration to me, I am so grateful for her presence in my home and in my life. I am equally grateful for the love and support I've received from my friends since Garry died. I have no words to adequately describe how thankful I am to them for all the things they have done for me and for being a part of my life. I'm grateful that I am healthy, that my daughter is healthy and that we have a roof over our heads. My husband provided for us financially and made sure that we would be well taken care of if something happened to him and, for that, I'm eternally grateful.

Despite our loss and the pain that's still so fresh, I have much to be thankful for . Life is good and I couldn't ask for more.

This is my first finished page in an Art Journal. Wooohooo! I've finally accomplished one of my goals and I think I may be hooked now.

I'm playing in a card exchange over at CST on Yahoo Groups. The premise is that you must use Magenta Art Stamps on your cards. I'm enjoying myself - Magenta has such wonderful stamps to play with and since I have quite a collection of them, I have lots to choose from.

I'm taking a class with Pam Carriker over at Creative Workshops. It's called Visual Journalism and I'm really enjoying it. It's given me that little push I needed to actually start working in an art journal and I'm sooooo glad I signed up for this course.

Here are a couple of the backgrounds I created. I used cheap craft paint (not all that happy with it) and next time I do some backgrounds I'll use better quality acrylics. I really like the transluscent look you achieve with the better paints - although there may not be anything wrong with the cheap craft store acrylics I used - I may have just been too heavy handed. Anyway, this is what the initial backgrounds look like. Unfortunately, I didn't think to scan the blue one before starting to embellish it so you're seeing the first baby steps on that one!

A few more of my new designs. These 3 D punchouts are fabulous - the finished results are quite amazing! The background paper is from Clipper Street - they have the most beautiful paper and I always end up buying more. It's much like Costco in that you need to buy it when you see it as it probably won't be there the next time. I usually drop some serious coin there! But what's a girl to do?

Here are a couple of engagement cards I've made for the store. Not sure about the pink one - I'm thinking the colour of the cardstock might be wrong. Oh, well, trial and error. Sometimes lots of error!

I'm finally here to provide a little update on how things are going in my little corner of paradise. Since last I posted, I have made some headway on clearing the clutter and getting back on track. I'm gradually working through my "to do" list so I do have a sense of finally control of things that are long overdue in the "needing to be done" department.

My ensuite is 99 % finished and I'm so pleased with it. It turned out really well and it has the spa like feel that I was going for. The linen tower door has finally been installed (what a comedy of errors that was!) so that finishes it nicely. Now I'm just waiting for the tile man to come back and install a few more granite tiles as the trim and then we're good to go. I have new hardware to put up for the towels and toilet roll holder however have run into a little delay there - I found the actual hardware I bought but seem to have lost the mounting plate. I know it hasn't gone far, and suspect that it is somewhere in the pile of junk in the spare room, but at this point I'm not ready to tackle that mess yet so I'll just have to wait a little while longer. Will post pics some other time.

This weekend I had a 5 day weekend and I was able to accomplish a lot. The house finally got a good cleaning so now it actually looks like it's reasonably habitable. Still some clutter clearing to do but I did manage to go through a lot of the paper that had piled up so that's a good thing. Also - drum roll here please - I took my taxes to the accountant today. I'm filing for both DH and myself. I didn't file last year due to me just being overwhelmed after his sudden death, so I have 2 years to submit. Anyway I finally got everything together and it's now in the accountant's hands so that's one less thing to worry about.

On the art front, I'm taking an on-line course called Visual Journalism. I've just started but am running a little behind so don't have the first week's work completed yet - big surprise, that - but I'm really looking forward to being able to do some art for fun's sake. I've also managed to get a few cards made up for the store as well and am just waiting for approval to go ahead and make up.

My big project for this weekend was re-organizing the work room. I had toyed with all kinds of solutions, most of them expensive, and then opted for the very basic one that I always come back to and that seems to work the best. It's still a work in process as I'm trying to weed out the stuff I don't use, re-home some of it or donate to a school teacher I know. I have no idea how I got so much stuff - I don't even want to think about how much money I've spent on my art supplies and rubber stamps. It's absolutely scary! Anyway, I'm pleased with the progress I've made in re-working my studio and I think I'll be able to keep it up (fingers crossed). Pics to be posted at a later date.

Gotta run as I have a few more things I want to do before getting into my jammies. As this post is a little long, I'll post some pictures of the cards separately. I hope you enjoy them.

Despite "best intentions" to the contrary, I have still not been able to get to any art :( I'm still fighting the cold/flu although I am gradually getting better. This weekend has been consumed with catching up and trying to deal with the clutter that has accumulated over the last several months. Where does all the paper come from?

I managed to wade through much of the stack that has taken over my kitchen table. While not exactly clean yet, there are clean spots on it and I've thrown a lot of stuff out. I seem to be spending a lot of time moving things from one pile to the other, but I did manage to send a fairly large bag to the recylcling bin. I was also successful in uncovering one of my counters which has not seen the light of day for several months. I would have liked to get more accomplished but Rome was definitely not built in a day and my clutter problem did not just develop overnight.

Still sick with this lousy cold. I haven't had a bad cold like this in years. I've spent most of the last two days in bed, dosing myself with hot toddies and Nyquil and I'm not seeing a whole lot of improvement. Looks like it's going to be a couple of more days before I'm feeling up to par.

Today I really wanted to stay in bed all day but I had an appointment at the bank so had to get up and get on the road. I'm not happy with the bank I'm presently dealing with (I've been a customer for almost 40 years) but since husband died, it just seems to be one problem after another. I have threatened to leave numerous times and finally have just had enough. So I've switched over to the Credit Union here in town and I'm impressed with them already. I have another appointment next Saturday and hopefully most everything will be done by then.

My next stop was at the see the optometrist about my new glasses. Unfortunately, the owner wasn't in today and her clerk was less than helpful. After she walked away and left me for another customer when I needed her help, I figured I'll just go back when the owner is there. Not sure I trust this twit to know what the heck she's doing.

I decided to treat myself to a "Big Shot". Three hundred dollars later, I'm good to go. So many new toys, so little time. I can't wait until I'm feeling better so I can play with this gadget. I think it will take my cards to a whole new level.

Well must go back to bed......boring! Thank God I have a TV in my room!

Later!

Well we're finally home and I've been back to work since Tuesday. By Wednesday I was coming down with a cold and had to leave work early on Thursday because I was sick, sick, sick! I'm home today and have spent most of the last 24 hours in bed trying to fight off this darn cold! Not nice!

I haven't even touched anything remotely close to art supplies and probably won't for several more days. However, I am looking forward to creating again. I find the month holiday is always good for me as it allows me to re-charge my creative batteries.

I'm off to bed again.....will post again soon.

Caio!

Well the clock is ticking down and we only have 3 1/2 days left here in sunny Palm Springs. The weather was good this trip - just not as good as last year. However, this last week has been fabulous - very hot and sunny - so we've enjoyed our last few days of pool time. I'm golfing Thursday and Saturday and then we'll be packing up and leaving for Vancouver on Sunday.

I've enjoyed this trip but may do it a little differently next year. There are leave restrictions where I work due to the 2010 Olympics and the Para Olympics being hosted in Whistler and the Vancouver area. I'm not really sure when I will be able to get time off - I just know there's a freeze for February and possibly into March so will have to play it by ear. This trip was a little more challenging since DH was not hear with us. We had some family challenges and my daughter had some health challenges due to the hot weather so we may need to make some changes next year.

I will be sorry to go home. However, as the trip winds down, I find myself thinking about work again so I guess that's as it should be. Will update the blog once I get back in town and things are back to normal.

Caio!

Just a very quick update. I'm enjoying my stay in Palm Springs but have very limited access to my laptop due to wifi issues. Not sure when I'll be able to post again. I'll definitely be back up and running the first week of March so please check back then for updates. I'm very disappointed that I can't post more but technology is not cooperating!

Cheerz

We arrived in Palm Springs safely last night and are settled into the hotel until tomorrow morning. We'll be checking out, going for breakfast and then over to the rental office to pick up the keys for the house. We're looking forward to getting settled in the house and enjoying a couple of days before the rellies arrive.

The trip through the border was slow and we were pulled in for a secondary screening. Not sure what they were looking for but they didn't seem to want to believe that we were who we were saying we were or that we were really coming down to Palm Springs for a month. I did ask why we'd been stopped but they never did tell us what the problem was. They even called my home to verify our story with the house sitter - then they sent us on our merry way. Very weird!

Our hotel room is freshly painted and decorated and the pool area is nice. I was able to have the pool to myself this afternoon. I spent a couple of hours out there by the pool catching the rays, did a little time in the hot tub and then back in the pool again. I don't know what the temperature was today but it was warm.....Heaven!

New Years Day was a lovely day and a fabulous start to the new year. We shared our first dinner of the year with some very good friends. I served my signature Prime Rib which, I must say was scrumptious ! Good food, good company and a fabulous day - what more could one ask for on the first day of the year?

We're having snow on the coast again today. The snow started sometime during the night and has continued for most of today. It's cold and everything looks so clean. This will be almost 2 weeks of snowfall and cold weather - very unusual here on the balmy coast. I took several pictures for posterity - I particularly like this one and I hope you enjoy it as well!

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope you had a wonderous New Year's Eve and that the coming year offers lots of new challenges and wonderful opportunities.

I'm not real big on New Year's resolutions, mainly because I don't usually keep them! However, in the interest of trying to form better habits and having some consistency, I will make a couple of resolutions. One of my goals is to post to my blog, at least once per week. I hope to post more frequently than that but will consider my resolution met if I can post weekly.

I also have a Live Journal for the personal minutae of my life and I post to this quite frequently. I'm hoping to transfer this habit to LAST WORDZ so posting here becomes part of my weekly routine as well. What will I post? I have no idea! Previously, I tried to restrict myself to art related things. I promise that I won't be doing any "overshares", however, I will probably be engaging in more non-related art posts with the occasional (or perhaps more than occasional? ) rant thrown in.

Another goal is to spend more time on my art. I seem to be caught in this routine of only doing the "work" of the art and not really the "joy" of the art. I'd really like to stretch my art muscles and plan to work at that in the coming year. One of the things I'd like to explore are more 30 minute collages. Last year my goal (which I did not even come close to meeting) was to complete one collage a week. For many reasons, some of them completely beyond my control, that did not happen! I also want to create, and work consistently in an art journal. Perhaps I can incorporate the 30 minute collages into the art journal?

Many years ago, I graduated from university with a degree in English and Sociology. I know, weird combination but it seemed like a good idea at the time!. Throughout the many years since, the theme of "words" has followed me. My vocabulary has grown immensely - I've always been really anal about spelling, syntax and flow in any written document. At one time I thought I would write a book - that never happened. However, lately I've had snippets of poetry floating in my brain. Often I'll get variations of the same verse or theme for several days and then "the muse " goes in a different direction. I want to follow " the muse" and actually put those words, phrases and verses to paper. I just need to get past the fear of the blank page - it does intimidate me !

This year has, in many ways, been MY "annus terriblus" - I think that was the term Queen Elizabeth used several years ago when referring to all the problems which had occurred during the previous year. My husband's death threw just about everything into chaos. We miss him terribly and after 9 months I can still say that there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of him a hundred times or more. However, my daughter and I have survived this event and we're rebuilding our lives. It's been tough for both of us but we're both strong, far stronger than either of us knew, and we're moving forward. I still feel his calm presence and I know that he's very happy with how we're moving forward.

What lies ahead in this new year? No one knows. Life isn't a set script that is set in stone and never changes. It's what happens when we're making other plans. Life isn't for sissies - it can be tough, challenging and painful but also so very full and rewarding. My wish for all of you is that 2009 be fabulous! May you and yours have a healthy, happy and prosperous year. May your troubles be few and your rewards many. All the best in 2009!

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted so here goes......

Not much new going on in my little corner of paradise. Work is going very well - I'm very busy and deal with new challenges every day - but I feel that I'm growing into the position and making it my own. I've found the change in hours from 4 days on and 4 days off to a 5 day work week to be a challenge. It seems that I'm always tired and I'm usually in bed by 10 pm and fighting to keep awake. I know, I know - boooooorrrrring!

Christmas is 2 weeks away and I'm not even close to being ready! I have Christmas cards to make and shopping to do and parcels to send. Unbelievable. I am never ready for Christmas - I am clearly a slow learner. But then again I think that maybe this year I should cut myself some slack. I've had a lot of changes and I'm still adjusting to being a single person in a couples world. I guess I'm allowed to be a few steps behind in the race to Christmas.

We're hoping to have some friends over for Christmas dinner this year. This is something that we did most years and I think that now Kerry and I are alone, that it's even more important this year. I know it will be tough but the fact of the matter is that life does go on and we have to continue to re-build our lives. I know DH would want that for us. I don't think it would be a good thing for Kerry and I to be sitting there at the dinner table looking at each other, with just the two of us, hence the plan to have friends for dinner. If that falls through, we'll have to go to plan B. At this point I have no idea what plan B is, but if need be I'll come up with a plan B.

Art seems to have been put on the back burner. Not a lot of energy or creativity at this point and what little creativity I do have is consumed by making stock for the store. Some days, it's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other. I do, however, have lots of ideas percolating in my brain - the trick is to be able to transfer them to paper.

I'm hoping to be able to post some new art and I'm toying with doing the Soul Journal prompts in an effort to actually art journal. I also have lots of bits and pieces to convert to cards as well as 3 swaps to complete in the next 3 or 4 weeks. I don't really have a lot of time for swaps but it forces me to create stuff so that's why I join them. Some days I feel like I need to force myself to do this otherwise I'll just let it go completely.

Anyway, check back in a couple of weeks - I hope to have some new stuff by then.

I'm finally getting around to making some art for a couple of swaps. The atc's are for a purple theme swap that is due in the hostess's hands by the end of November. The card is for a monthly swap I play in - one card down and three more to go!

Here are a couple of my Christmas creations for your viewing pleasure.

I cannot believe that we are slightly more than 6 weeks away from Christmas! Who knew time would fly by so quickly?

Work has been keeping me very busy - I'm working a different shift now and have every second Monday off so my days are a little longer and I'm very tired when I get home at the end of the day. I have to say I'm not all that energetic most nights.

I have been busy creating cards for the Open House in Fort Langley. It was this past weekend and from all accounts the expectation is that it will be as good or better than last year. Will post some of my creations as soon as I find them. My studio is a disaster!

The weather is cool and blustery here on the coast. I guess the rainy season is on us now for a couple of months. It could be worse - it could be snow! I quite enjoy this time of year when there's a nice bite in the air on a clear night. And it's kind of a time of rejuvenation as well. Yes all the plants die off but you know that many have just gone to sleep, working at storing up their beauty for the coming spring.

We bought a new Christmas tree. I have hated the one we've had for years but DH would never let me get rid of it. Well, there's a new sheriff in town ! DD went out and bought one of those ones with all the lights already on them. I haven't actually opened the box yet and set it up - if this baby goes up now it is not coming down until January! With both of us working, we are trying to streamline and having a tree that goes up in 5 minutes as opposed to 2 hours spent arranging lights on spindly branches....what's not to like?

I delivered my cards for the Ridge Open House - I still have a few gift tags to make but all in all it's the first year that I've actually been on time. Who knew I could do that? Tonight I'm starting on the next set of cards for the Langley Open House. I have 2 weeks to do them but I want to try to get as much as I can done so it's not all left to the last minute.

I was off to Be Creative today to see a demo of alcohol inks and stickers. Very cool! Haroldine is a very baaaaaad influence on me! Every time I go to her shop, I spend a small fortune. Is there a 12 step plan for impulsive craft supply overspenders?

The past few weeks at work have been busy. I'm having more interaction with the clients and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with how I'm doing the job. I learn several new things everyday; the downside is that I'm having to ask a lot of questions for which the answers are probably fairly obvious but that's the way it goes!

I'm in the process of working on the stock for the Open House at the store in a few weeks. I don't know why but I'm always amazed when this time of year comes around. August and September seem to have flown by at warp speed and here we are in October already! Maybe it has something to do with the great weather we've had here on the Coast !

I'm off to see Toby Keith at GM Place tomorrow night. I'm very excited about that. Can hardly wait to feast my eyes on him. I'm a big fan. I saw him several years ago just before he hit it really big so I know I won't be disappointed.

This past week has been an extremely busy one. I seem to have turned into somewhat of a social butterfly and have been out to lunch or dinner several times in the last week. It's making it pretty tough for me to stay on my diet but I guess that's to be expected.

Today I'm celebrating a birthday - yes I hate to admit it but I am actually 39 - yet again! I was out to dinner with some girlfriends Saturday and tonight I'm off to the Keg with DD and two other couples and then back to our house for birthday cake. Let's face it one "must" have birthday cake on one's birthday.

On the art front, I have been working on Christmas designs for the store. I've also managed to make a couple of 4 x 4 cards for a monthly swap. I don't know why these 4 x 4 beauties appeal to me so much but they do. I just love them!

I'm finally starting to feel more energetic - thank goodness for that!

Here's a little peak at 2 of my new designs.

Traditionally the store has an open house at the end of October. Another one is then held at the other location a week or so later. The gentleman who owns the store likes to have the product in at least a week prior to the Open House so he can price everything and work out his layout etc. So this week I'm working on a couple of more samples for him to approve. I have some popular designs from last year still in stock but I like to try to give him lots of new stuff each year.

I have a pretty good sense of what he likes. He always views them before I make them up and 99 % of the time he gives me the ok to make them up. I'm just about to send these 2 off to him so keep your fingers crossed!

It's the end of summer, the beginning of the season of harvest and only about 15 weeks til Christmas. Where does the time go?

I'm finally starting to come out of my lethargy of the last 6 months. I'm feeling more energized, more focused and more creative. I've let many of my artistic pursuits and interests fall by the wayside. Hopefully, I've turned a corner and will be re-energized artistically.

I am presently focusing on creating some new Christmas designs for the store and have also promised myself that I will create some new wedding designs. I have a couple of art journal pages which have been percolating in my brain for the last several days - I think I'm ready to commit them to paper.