Never give up!

Sometimes things happen we have no control over and sometimes we lose control over things we think we can control.  Keeping control can be for some people the most difficult thing in the world.  I may be one of those people.  Anyway,  I'm glad to be back.

While I was away two new members have joined our household.  Maxwell and Maddy.

Four months ago I started taking walks around our grounds and a cute little kitty decided to join me.  He met me every evening on the walk and played leap frog of a sort with me.  Having lost Oliver this year I thought maybe he and Luigi (Oliver's brother) might hit it off.  He was available for adoption. He is what is referred to as a friendly ferral from a colony maintained on the property.  He and Luigi hit it off and he fit in very easily.  The sad part is that he is related to Oliver and suffers from the same congenital heart disease that took Oliver's life. His name is Max and his life may be short, but I intend to make it a good one for him.

Two weeks ago a neighbor was given a three week old calico kitten to watch for the weekend.  Supposedly it could eat on its own.  It couldn't. The neighbor couldn't get it to eat but I was able to.  Do you see where this is going? I said I would keep it till it was stable and able to be adopted.  Now I can't give her up.  We gave her the name Maddy and she is now livening up our household.

All the world's a stage -William Shakespeare (As You Like It 2/7)

Continuing my education in digital Art. This is my latest ATC for Paperwhimsy.  The theme was All the world's a stage.

Digital Art

I'm continuing my lessons in digital art. Monday is my lesson day. Today I learned to add a floor and make a silhouette out of an object.

Have a great day!

More Digital Art!

The weather here is pleasant and balmy.  The water in the swimming pool however is freezing.  I took a dip yesterday and much to my surprise the heater had not been put on.


I've been spending some time downsizing my junk and I am getting bogged down. So today I'm taking an art day and am continuing my education in digital art from Rande Hanson at Paperwhimsy. I'm loving what I am learning. Today I erased the background of an old plate and added it to a garden.

I also learned to duplicate layers and add drop shadows.

Hope all is going well in your corner of the world!!

Happy Halloween!

   We don't get into Halloween like the folks up north and I kind of miss that.   So keeping with the orange color theme I give you an orange sunrise from our beach.

                                   Hope everybody has a great trick or treat day!

Creative Connections, Minnesota.

I was very fortunate to attend The Creative Connection Event in Minneapolis.  Besides learning valuable information on how the craft world operates, seeing some very original artwork, meeting some of the most amazing women, and being treated to many goodies and eye candy, I was able to participate in a couple of classes.  I thought I would shake things up a bit and take something I knew nothing about.  That would be The Folk-Art Portrait Painting by the delightful and talented Laurie Meseroll.  That is her dipping her brush in the paint with her attentive students around her.

And here was my work in progress.  I found I really enjoyed having a paint brush in my hand again!

I also enjoyed a little sight-seeing.  It took two days to do the Mall of America.  Junk Bonanza was fantastic!  And I was able to fit in some bird watching.

The most relaxing part of the trip was a side-trip to Duluth.  I wanted to see Lake Superior.  It was the prettiest blue that day.  I discovered a mansion on the lake and took a tour.  There was a mansion, a gardener's cottage, a boat house and carriage house.  Such a beautiful peaceful place on a mid-September afternoon.

Glennsheen  Mansion

Flowers in the Gardens

Saying good-bye to Oliver.

     God gives us love. Something to love

         He lends us; but when love is grown

      To ripeness, that on which it throve

          Falls off, and love is left alone.

                                                              Alfred Tennyson

It was with great sadness we had to say good-bye to Oliver.  He developed a saddle thrombosis causing paralysis of his legs with congestive heart failure.  We always knew he was living on borrowed time.  He was born with congenital heart failure and severe allergies. He wasn't quite 2 years old.  He loved being the center of attention and we called him Oliver the Frolicker. He is sorely missed.