The Deevine Miss M

Help An Animal Find a Forever Home...

2012-01-03T10:20:00.003-05:00

My sweet Sadie went to sleep forever on 11/11/11 and since she was a rescue dog, I've decided to honor her by supporting Safe Animal Shelter. I got her when she was a year and a half, and she left me when she was 15. I still look to see if she's awake when I get up in the morning. She brought unconditional love and many blessings into my life.

So my deal is I pick a dog each week, do a digital painting and showcase it on my blog, my website and Facebook. 10% of all my art sales will be donated to the shelter - and while that's not much right now, hopefully it will increase.

The first dog I picked was Harlequin. I love his mask and he's a very sweet dog.

My second dog is Zena. I picked her after reading about the difficulty in placing black dogs. Her pictures show a dog with a lot of spirit and energy!

Whoever adopts one of these dogs will get an 8x10 portrait to take home with them. Please think about adopting before going to a pet store. There are so many dogs put to sleep each year for no reason except no one wants them. How sad to have to be euthanizied because no one wants you! And remember - "euthanized" is just a gentler way of saying "killed."

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis

2011-11-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

Sunday was yet another new beginning for me. With pencil and paper in front of me I began trying to get a grip. For quite a while I’ve felt completely lost in every area of my life, so I thought maybe a picture really could be worth a thousand words! The plan was supposed to be related to my art business. But as you’ll see, it took a different direction
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My dog, Sadie, has had a serious cough for the past year, due to a collapsing trachea, and all we could do was try to make her comfortable. I adopted her in 1997 when she was a little over a year old and she has been such a wonderful companion.

About the same time, I began seeing the doctor for constant pain and fatigue. I thought the pain was due to arthritis and the cause of the fatigue. Add clinical depression, a blood platelet disorder, heart problems, an abdominal aortic aneurysm - and all I could think was - “What the hell?” It was like I went to sleep one nigh only to wake up in someone else’s body. And it was a wreck!

During all this I was trying to continue my art and figure out how to make money with it. I knew this shell I’m living in couldn’t hold down a real job. Then an amazing thing happened – I met the Word Chef. And let me tell you, she’s my hero! I will expand on my admiration for her and her project later, but I’m trying to keep this story fairly cohesive.

The Word Chef, Tea ((pronounced Tay'ah) Silvestre started an online marketing class and I was fortunate enough to be selected for the first one. And I was lost from the very beginning. I couldn’t stay up past 8:30 or 9:00 at night, and needed a 2 or 3 hour nap everyday. I tried to do some of the homework, and worried the whole time that I would be dropped from the class. But I kept plugging away, refusing to give up for fear that if I gave up on the class, I might as well give up, period.

Finally, after a lot of research, my doctor and I decided I have fibromyalgia. That explains the pain, fatigue, depression, absent-mindedness, difficulty focusing, etc. Actually, it was a relief to finally be able to put a name to it.

Then, came the final hurt – Sadie was so sick, I finally decided to put her to sleep. 14 years of absolutely unconditional love on both sides made it a very painful decision, but the best one for her. Although it was a sweet, peaceful process with a beautiful burial spot next to my best friend’s dog, my heart broke. I will never forget that sweet loving face, but on Friday, November 11, 2011, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

I think I will continue the new beginning on the next blog. Thanks to everyone who helped me through this painful time in my life. And I know better things are ahead.

The Dee-vine Miss M, Pet Artist

2011-09-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

OK - It's official - the Dee-vine Miss M, Pet Artist! Commissioned pet paintings from photos. The Grand Opening presents... Hurley, the world's coolest chee-wah-wah! Here's our "before and after..."

My biggest problem with marketing my art has been that I'm all over the place - lighthouses, flowers, airplanes, cars and motorcycles, sea gulls, tugboats.... so after much thinking, and an incredible amount of coaching, nudging, and more than I can even describe from my marvelous teacher/marketing guru Tea Silvestre, The Word Chef, and everyone in the Test Kitchen group, I've decided pets are the way to go.

So, currently I am trying to put together a plan that will include a new website, blog, and a special Facebook Page for my sweet Sadie. (But that's another story!)

For now, I just wanted to introduce the new direction for the Dee-vine Miss M. Keep an eye out for more... and e-mail me for more info if you'd like a personalized pet portrait!

My Art Is Going To The Dogs.

2011-08-16T14:58:00.006-04:00

September's Art Walk theme is "Pet Walk" so, instead of lighthouses, flowers and birds, I'm working on dogs right now.TodayI worked on Hurley's picture. Hurley is my daughter's Chihuahua and we all absolutely adore him. I'd already done one picture but wanted more. Also, for some reason I cropped it square, so I needed to fix it so it would fit a frame. Well, I made a huge discovery - when I say "original, one-of-a-kind digital painting" I'm not kidding. And here's the proof -

Painting 1 (square)

So I opened the Original photo to see if I could add more image to the painting.

After cropping, I began trying to replicate the first painting and here's what I got.

Painting 2 -

I really like this one, but it's a little too dark. So back to the cropped original, tweak the brightness/contrast...

Painting 3.

This does not look finished although it has a painterly effect. But I just wanted to share the experience. Totally different results each time, therefore each painting will be an original! I'm not through with this guy - perhaps he will star in more than one painting! I love you Hurley!!!

Love Them Red High-Heeled Shoes!

2011-07-28T12:14:00.001-04:00

I got a new Red High Heel Shoe yesterday. Besides being part of the Deevine Miss M's logo, my inner being wears red stilleto shoes always. And - I had a bad tattoo (someone's initials) I needed to get rid of. So I did - I stomped on it!

(And yes, I photoshopped around the edges to get rid of the redness and swelling! If ya got the tools, use 'em!) :P

My love of shoes is strong, but on the Today show this morning they interviewed a woman who makes me look like an amateur. Professional poker player Beth Shak owns 1,200 pairs of shoes. Everytime she wins, she goes shopping for a new pair! They are valued at close to $500 million. WOW!

Here's a picture of just one of her three closets - however, instead of envy, I find myself thinking about having to pack all those shoes if I decided to go back to Tulsa! Not to mention, I don't think my seester would let me store them in her shed - she's funny likie that!

So, for the time being I'm content with my one new RED SHOE!

There are not enough seconds in the minutes, or minutes in the hours....

2011-07-18T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture that's been waiting a week for me to finish it, but I've been busy learning how to Tweet! Before that, I converted a novel into an e-book, and it works all most readers! (Proud of that accomplishment)!

And it's only17 days till the next First Wednesday Artwalk. I want to have several Navy paintings since this is a Navy town.

I'm thinking of a new way to set up my booth this time so I can show more stuff. Here's my first one with my fabulous assistant! I absolutely could have not done this without him!!!

I need a larger table to display brochures, business cards, smaller prints, notecards and all that stuff. But it all has to fit in the back seat of my PT Cruiser with the top down. Last time, I spent 75% of my time looking in the rear view mirror to see if anything was flying through the air.

And then there are the frequent distractions of the various and assorted visitors who only come by to drive Stanley crazy! These two live across the street and they actually came up on my front porch. I shoo'd them away, so the stopped and chewed a few weedsout of my front walk. I'm thinking about borrowing them occasionally. (It's easier than bending over.)

Stanley's other BFF is a gopher tortoise who lives down the hill. He likes to walk back and forth along the back fence, all the while pretending Stanley does not exist. And Stanley's begging me to let him out to play. But since they're a protected species, we can't do that!

Never a dull moment - I've still got pix in the camera of the hummingbird outside my kitchen window. He's about 3 feet away and I love to watch him when I'm supposed to be working... like now! I gotta go... TTYL!

"IS IT ART?" - (Final installment on this rant!)

2011-07-02T13:18:00.002-04:00

How 'bout a pretty picture before I get started? The original photo is at the bottom of the page.

Now for the ending to the post I began on June 24th about whether or not digital art is "art" or "whatever." I did think of another analogy - If all the tools, the supplies, the land, and a blueprint were provided, could just anyone walk out there and build a house? Probably not. It would take a person with the skills and the talent to build a house to be proud of. Same with art - the tools don't make the art, the artist does. So:

There is an art site that invited me to be one of their original members. I was also invited to be co-moderator for a yet-to-be-established group for Digital Art.

"Wow," thought I to myself! "I'm a real artist!" And I began uploading various pieces I've created and received lovely, re-affirming comments such as:

· Comment by (name deleted) 1 day ago This is an excellent piece of digital art. I like the painterly effect you have achieved and strength of colours.

· Comment by (name deleted) 1 day ago Pretty colors - so luscious and vibrant!

· Comment by myself on May 24, 2011 at 8:53am Thank you. All of my digital paintings start out as a photograph I take. Then comes the fun part, where I can play with it in Photoshop and Painter.

· Comment by (name deleted) on May 23, 2011 at 1:57pm Amazing. I thought it was a photo

· Comment by (name deleted) on May 23, 2011 at 9:09pm This is beautiful. How did you do it?

· (name deleted) replied to Margie Hudson's discussion 'Digital Painting Group' Thank you so much for partnering with me to do this. Your work is such an inspiration to me and i am sure it will be the same for others! I will find out how to add you as co-leader!

Now, really! I felt like an artist! And then came the hammer....

As we get ready to roll out live with The Art Colony we are making some revisons to our site and I wanted to talk with you about the changes we have made to the gudielines for Digital Art.
Our intention is to get this genre defined before we go live so we are not confusing anyone. I am so sorry that we didn't have this taken care of before you joined.
After much careful consideration we feel it is critical that we keep to our no photos policy and have called this out in the Digital Art guidelines. (name deleted) created a link to help distinguish between work that is photo editing and work that is digital art.
Look at this post for guidelines on digital art pieces for The Art Colony galleries: http://community.art-is-fun.com/notes/Digital_Art_vs_Photo_Editing

I know this is a difficult topic and do not want to hurt your feelings. What I am hoping is that you will look at the guidelines and determine if there is any of your work that does not meet the guidelines and remove the work that is more like an editied photo than digital art.
If you feel uncomfortable removing work and feel that The Art Colony is not the right place to be, please let me know.

Guidelines excerpt:

The Art Colony accepts digital art but not photography. [...]
Our goal is to promote and discuss ideas about artistic processes created by hand, and for that reason we make this distinction between digital art and digital photo editing:

Digital art = Computer-generated art that is created by hand (i.e. using a tablet, stencil etc), either from scratch or from a reference source.

Digital photo editing = running a photograph through Photoshop filters, making adjustments, adding and subtracting elements to enhance certain qualities of the photo.

While digital photo editing is a creative process that can result in some beautifully artistic images, the end result is still essentially an edited photograph. Edited photographs belong on a photography site, not a fine art site like The Art Colony - just as a photograph printed onto canvas and then painted over with acrylics belongs on an art site, and not a photography site.

So! If I print out my photograph and then paint over it with acrylics it's art! Well, who knew? Gee, that takes a lot of talent, doesn't it?

So, thanks for listening to me, whoever you are (if you are out there!) Most of us have to struggle with that little voice inside that says "That sucks!" So, why shouldn't we, as artists, do everything we can to uplift others rather than tear them down? I've seen art that made me shake my head, but I wouldn't dream of telling an artist "That sucks!"

The picture at the top was painted, using both Painter and Photoshop, using my original photo, taken at an air show in Virginia in 2007.

Well? Is It ART? (Part 2)

2011-06-25T11:49:00.005-04:00

I find it amazing that just checking your Facebook page will take you off on a totally unplanned journey. So, two hours later...

Anyway...I clicked a link that seemed to have a positive message for artists - as the poster stated: "a nice summary of the personality traits of as artist: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/school-life.php ", so I went for a visit. There was some interesting reading, especially the comments. And then, I found the following:

"As an artist who is struggling to make it as a professional, and with many years of toil and learning behind me, I am often frustrated by the sheer numbers of “artists” out there who are simply people who decided to pick up a brush and, because they managed to paint a tree that looks like a tree, they figure they’re ready to break into the commercial market. Local art fairs are overflowing with such individuals and often, I think, the public is overwhelmed by sheer numbers; the market becomes over-saturated with art of “questionable” standards and it boggles the mind of the average Joe. Unlike any other profession, to be an artist there is no real accreditation process, no scoring system, and no firm standards (unlike golf where you might have the most beautiful swing in the world, but the bottom line is your score). Virtually anybody can claim to be an artist. What does that do for those of us who are truly committed to this vocation? Well I guess it means we just have to buckle down and make sure we get really good at it, that our work shines, and that we’re in it for the long haul, and I guess that’s what we should be doing anyway. It’s not a vocation for the dabbler, the hobbyist or the weekend warrior, it’s for those who can’t imagine doing anything else and are willing to do what it takes."

Now, I know the writer did not specifically target digital art, but what is the difference between "an artist struggling to become a professional" and “artists” out there who are simply people who decided to pick up a brush"? Who decides this? Where are the guidelines? Where are the rules? Where are the judges?

"Virtually anybody can claim to be an artist." That's true. I claim that distinction. Who says I'm not? Oh, yeah? Prove it!

Is it "ART"?

2011-06-24T16:14:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite quotes, discovered while I was trying (at the age of 50) to learn to be a Graphic Designer, sums up my art experiences so well! It goes like this:

"And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, till the Devil whispered behind the leaves "It's pretty, but is it Art?" - Rudyard Kipling

Well, in spite of that rude whisper, I survived school, got my degree, and have worked steadily ever since. Then, entirely by accident, I discovered Digital Art. The first picture was of my grandson, exposure was poor, his shirt was dirty, but it was a cute photo.

So, I started trying to clean it up in Photoshop, playing with filters and layers, and eventually wound up with this...

And I was hooked!!! If you look at my portfolio or check out my Facebook Fan Page, you'll see I have done digital paintings that range from portraits to boats to lighthouses - and just about everything in between! I love the challenge of taking a photo to another level, finding something extra in it. I make no claim to being a photographer, but my camera helps me capture what my mind sees, at least in the beginning. A beautiful rose will sometimes just be adequate as a photo, but by using my imagination and my creative tools (which just happen to be a computer, tablet and pen) it can be transformed into an image that will take your breathe away.

So, what do you think? Is it ART?

Living the Wild Life in Florida!

2011-05-01T16:19:00.002-04:00

Just about the time I've reached an uneasy truce with all the creepy-crawlies here in Florida, they go and break all the rules! I've grown fond of the little lizard who crawls inside my kitchen window screen - even named him Fred - and I've pushed the screen out far enough for him to go in and out. And the little tiny green frogs are kinda cute - as long as they don't jump on me. My favorite critter is the Gopher Tortoise who lives out behind my house. He's as big as a hubcap and, boy, can he run! But... I digress! I was explaining about the broken truce between me and the critters!

Thursday night I opened the pantry door, looking for a little bedtime snack, and one of Fred's cousins ran up the wall. I was a little startled, but since he didn't attack or anything I let him go about his business. Shortly afterwards, the dogs and I went to bed. I read for a little while, then turned off the lamp. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt a "thump" on my leg, which startled me awake. Thinking Stanley had thrown a toy, I turned the light back on .... and it was a big ol' ugly gray TOAD! eeeeeeekkkk!!!!!!!! (The picture below is nowhere near as ugly as the one that attacked me!)

Needless to say, it didn't take me long to get out of bed. And I chased him around the room, trying to throw the wastebasket over him, but he kept jumping every which way. When he landed on the wall behind my bed, I was done! I grabbed my phone, my book and my pillow, left the bedroom, closed the door, stuffed a towel in the crack at the bottom of the door - and spent the night on the couch! The next morning I cautiously crept into the bedroom, knowing that I could not sleep in there again until I found him. Well, I discovered him on the bathroom floor, so I closed that door, stuffed a towel under that door also, and called for help. My fearless friend, Robin, came to mine and the frog's rescue and took him outside. And we all lived happily ever after! NOT! He's lucky Robin took him outside, cause I'da killed the sucker. I used to have quite a taste for the wild life, but I don't care much for wildlife!

What Size Are YOUR Hailstones?????

2011-04-21T19:10:00.001-04:00

Usually hailstones are described as being pea-sized - or nickel-sized - maybe golf ball-sized - and occasionally baseball-sized. But tonight the weatherman added two (?) more sizes to the list - ping-pong ball-sized and hen egg-sized. Really??????

Isn't a ping-pong ball about the same size as a golf ball? And hen eggs - is that different from rooster eggs?? Or duck eggs? Goose eggs? Ostrich eggs? Turtle eggs? The list could go on forever.

But suppose we stick to hen egg-sized hailstones. What size hen eggs? You know, there are pee-wee, small, medium, large, extra-large and jumbo hen eggs. We've just opened a whole new descriptive arena for a weatherman with too much time on his/her hands.

What about tornadoes? Tornadoes are defined as funnel or a cone-shaped? Is that a "funnel" cake? Or maybe the top of a Dairy Queen ice cream cone? Also there's the "wedge" tornado, the "stovepipe," or the "rope" - a wedge of what? Pie? Cheese? How big is the stove to which the pipe is attached? What kind of rope are we talking about? There's wire rope, clothesline rope, braided rope, and on and on.

So, let's get back to the old standard of the K.I.S.S Principle, guys? I like my hailstones sized like peas, marbles, golf balls or baseballs. And PLEASE - don't tell me Clay County reported softball-sized hail last night!

Stanley "Meathead" Chewbacca

2011-04-20T13:58:00.002-04:00

When I adopted Stanley, his shelter name was Sal. Now, I think dog names need to have 2 syllables, so when you call them there's a rhythm to it - so I decided on Stanley. Stan - ley! I like that! Has a nice flow to it. Of course, he's rather silly-looking (don't tell him I said so!), kind of like an alien or something, and he acts like a dork, so his second name became Meatball. He seems to be okay with that. But his last name came about because of this habit he's had ever since he moved in... if it's out of place, it's his. Period. End of discussion.

Don't leave the big package of toilet paper in the floor of the closet. It doesn't belong there - it belongs under the bathroom sink. Otherwise, it's a toy. Same for the roll of brown packaging paper that fell off the dryer onto the floor - Stanley's! A basket full of assorted colors of yarn and knitting needles sitting next to the armchair - where a person would keep it handy for quiet moments in the evening - NOT! A creative dog can create all sorts of designs and paths through the house with toys like that.

So, yesterday I left Sadie's Calming Tablets on the coffee table and went out for just about 30 minutes and - Yep! Chewbacca strikes again! Thus, the picture above. I'm glad I wasn't gone any longer or I might have had the calmest dog on the planet.

All those years my Mom spent trying to get me to keep my room clean - all she needed was a Stanley Meathead Chewbacca!

New blog I'm going to follow...

2011-03-20T13:03:00.001-04:00

Just had a moment to look at Girlzilla's Blog, but I think she's my kinda girl!!! (Especially if she remembers that a 6 year old could buy cigarettes!). What led me to her site was this cartoon - hope she doesn't mind if I share, since it really describes the way my life has been lately... check out her blog!

Stop And Smell The Flowers!!!

2011-03-14T12:14:00.008-04:00

My dog, Sadie, has never willingly posed for a picture. If she does happen to be looking at the camera, it's because she's too lazy to move. Otherwise, the exact second you push the button, she turns her head.

So this morning I decided the best way to photograph the spring bouquet my grand-daughter brought me was to set it on the floor. And guess what.... along comes Sadie. I shooed her away several times. Then at the last minute, I shot one without her knowing it, and - lo and behold! - she had decided to stop and smell the flowers. Thank you, Sadie, for reminding me!

A Moment to Enjoy...

2011-01-03T09:36:00.003-05:00

Sitting in the backyard with the dogs and enjoying the sun... saw this guy busying fishing, so I grabbed my camera. I like the way the sun outlines him, yet still shows a few details, expecially around his head. The pond is a nice view to have so close to the house.

Yes, I'm working on my Resolutions. Focusing on my website, the tedious part is resizing all the images. But I'm almost there!

Resolutions - Year's End or New Year's?

2010-12-28T10:54:00.004-05:00

With a few days of unexpected vacation on my hands, I've been giving a lot of thought to my artwork and sales (or lack thereof!!!) Although I am all over the web - Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogger, ImageKind, Behance, CafePress, and my site, there seems to be a black hole surrounding it all. Although I do get some feedback on Facebook from other artists, the paying customers are non-existent! So this feels like some kind of "crossroads moment" in life.

In September I began giving art lessons to a friend's little girl, who is home-schooled. Then I got 3 new students from a nearby neighbor, who liked the work the first child was doing. And last night I met a young man whose aunt bought him 5 lessons for Christmas. So, suddenly I'm an art teacher! The worrisome thing is that I keep remembering that old saying "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." So, do I have it in me to be an artist with at least some cash flow - or not?

Well, here's the resolution - I'm going to give it everything I can, which includes keeping up with the blog, updating my website and fixing the links, being as active as possible on Facebook and LinkedIn, and actually reading some of the materials I save for later.

While glancing through the December issue of Entrepreneur magazine I found a short article titled "Meet Your Mentor." The gist of the story is that there are volunteer mentors out there willing to help small businesses (people like me, I hope!) and there is no charge. FREE HELP!!! The website is http://www.micromentor.org/. and I signed up, so we'll see what happens.

Well, that's it for now... check back and see if I live up to my resolution. Visit some of my links and say hello... and Happy New Year to you all!

Bird Feeder Potential Source of Great Photos...

2010-09-22T09:17:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I put up a bird feeder near the deck where I sit and have my morning coffee. Thought I might be able to get some nice bird photos. After a couple days they began to come around. Yes! Beautiful birds would soon be flocking to my yard...and then I heard the news this morning:

"MIDDLEBURG, Fla. -- Several residents in the Middleburg area have reported seeing a black bear, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The FWC said a 150-pound female bear was spotted near Live Oak Lane June 25, and near Pinto Lane June 7. Both are near Jennings State Forest."

The maps show how close I live to Jennings State Forest. And the connection to the bird feeder?

“If Middleburg residents will temporarily remove their bird feeders, we are hoping the bear will move on,” said Allan Hallman, FWC wildlife biologist. “Three weeks ago, her activities resulted in some property damage. She destroyed several feeders, looking for the high-calorie bird seed.”

So, I guess I won't be posting pictures of lovebugs, frogs or lizards in the future... FWC Says be ‘Bear Aware’

(Story and bear photo courtesy of First Coast News, Jacksonville, FL.)

Lovebugs?!?!? OMG!

2010-09-14T12:10:00.003-04:00

Florida is NOT the place for a person with a bug/creepy-crawly phobia!!!Let me introduce you to my new "yuck" factor - the Lovebug.

Google says that "Lovebugs characteristically appear in excessive abundance throughout Florida as male-female pairs for only a few weeks every April-May and August-September ..."

Well, excessive abundance is an understatement! And yes, they're doing what it looks like they're doing!

I started swatting them with a flyswatter and I must have looked like I was doing some demented break-dancing out on the front porch. I gave up and came back inside before the neighbors decided to call 911. The "good" news is they only hang around for 4-5 weeks!

OH NO!!!! Where's Control-Z when you need it?

2010-09-10T13:06:00.006-04:00

Last weekend was my day to clean the computer. Since I had a bazillion pictures scattered everywhere, I decided to start storing some of them on DVDs. So, after hours of sorting, deleting, renaming, burning to DVDs, deleting, clicking, deleting, emptying the recycle bin, sorting some more folders, moving files around - eventually I discovered a group of folders on one hard drive were missing. And the recycle bin was empty.

So, after I stopped screaming, I googled "free file recovery software." The first three I tried were very difficult to understand, or so basic I couldn't figure out which files were which. The fourth one I downloaded was named "Recuva." This software is amazing! When it was finished searching, a window opened up that looked like an explorer window - File name, file type, date modified, size and a preview window. There was also a column that lets you know if the file is in good condition or has been corrupted or overwritten. Out of 1100 photos I managed to recover over 700. Had I known to stop when I first lost the files I would have saved many more. But I'm happy with what I was able to save.

Here is a link to the site - http://www.piriform.com/recuva. I was very impressed with the quality of this program and wanted to pass the word. Of course, I know that you, dear reader, would NEVER do something so silly, but if you know anyone who has.... pass this little tip along.

Remembering...

2010-09-09T11:09:00.004-04:00

Feel free to take a copy of this desktop calendar. I created it to share. Just click on it, then right-click and save it to your computer.

Art from my small world...

2010-08-31T10:58:00.007-04:00

Since I've been here in Florida, I've been staying close to home for various reasons - the heat, the AC was out in my car, etc., etc. However, I have no excuse for not taking pictures. All I have to do is look out the window, or walk out my front door - or my back door - and I'm surrounded by things (and critters!) waiting to have their pictures taken! So, above is a hummingbird from my kitchen window and below a very colorful lizard on the front porch.

Once Upon A Time...

2010-08-23T12:17:00.007-04:00

Once upon a time (last week),I let my oldest grandkid, Karen, talk me into going to the mall with her. I wanted to say no, with all the usual excuses (no money, too tired, my knee hurts, etc.) - but made myself go anyway. I had forgotten the joys of window shopping, and we were having a great time, even with frequent breaks for my bad knee. Before long, I found myself drawn to shoe store after shoe store.

And oh, what glorious shoes! Red ones, black ones, gold, silver, strappy, closed, high heels, low heels, wedge heels, boots in every length imaginable, even knee-high tennis shoes. And did I mention... BLING! I love BLING! Like music to the "sole", from a tasteful touch of glitter to eye-popping strings of sparkly stones... whatever your taste, there's BLING!

And then came the moment! I saw the shoe! Incredible, red, suede, high-heeled, with a cuff like a boot and I knew... it was the shoe for me! After all, the Deevine Miss M's icon is a red high heel. So I asked the salesgirl for a pair in my size. Breathless, heart pounding, I put them on. They were so beautiful! I stood up, looked at them in the mirror, knew they had to be mine. I just couldn't live another day without those beautiful red shoes!

And then... I took the first step... and clutching a nearby shelf, I realized... I couldn't walk!! NO!! How could it be??? My traitorous knee refused to accept the change in pressure and, as I sat back down on the bench I realized... The Deevine Miss M is unable to walk in red high heels.

However, the unspoken word there is presently. It's time for at least one new knee! I've been having a lot of pain and have been talking to the doctor about it a knee replacement, and now I'm ready. Let's get it on! I have a picture of the shoe on my cell phone as motivation. The next red shoe picture I post will be of me walking out of the shoe store.

The End.

Finding "the fortitude to head into the future."

2010-02-17T12:25:00.007-05:00

I recently had what could either be called a rude awakening… or an epiphany. Depends on perception, I suppose. Anyway, it began when I decided to make some changes to my website – www.deevinemissm.com. To my surprise, it was gone. That’s right – GONE! So I called GoDaddy, found out it had expired and the fee to renew was $90!

Post-holiday depression has always been a problem for me, and I really missed my daughter and grandkids in Virginia. So, I had spent the last several weeks (months)curled up into a fetal position and waiting… for what? I don’t know. But finding out “the deevine miss m” was gone was shock enough to make me uncurl, stand up and figure out how to start again.

While looking for some inspiration and encouragement, I went back to one of my favorite artists – Sue Smith, Ancient Artist. Sue is an amazing person and on one of her blogs I found this list of Sue’s Life Lessons (in bold) – here are my responses to each.

Let go of expectations tied to your personal timetable.
I need to update my blog – the last entry was October 10, 2009. I need to salvage my website, which I lost because I didn’t re-new in time. I need to be creating!!! I want to create!!! I don’t have time to create!!!

Trust in your talent and ability to create even in the face of the unknown.
I don’t know what to do or where to start, so I do nothing. Once I figure out where to start, what will I do with my creation after it is finished?

Do what matters to you.
Seems like all I do is exist just to get through each day. Everything I do is something I must do, not something I want to do. By the time I finish all these necessary tasks, I have no energy left, so I’m back to novels and naps!

Have the patience to wait for the positive outcome.
It’s hard to have patience in the best of times, so how do I find a positive outcome when times aren’t so good?

Live in the moment.
I spent most of my life living either in the past, which was not a good place, or looking for tomorrow, which surely will be better than today!

Regret nothing.
WOW! That’s a tough one! As a very wise person once told me, be careful what you wish for – you might get it! I left my Virginia family and returned to Tulsa, to peace and quiet, my own place - thinking I would have time to do all those things I wanted to do…. eight months later, I sit here looking at what I’ve accomplished - nothing.

So, in summary, to quote Sue once more, I’m going to “find the fortitude to head into the future.” I have purchased a new domain name – www.thedeevinemissm.com. Close enough, I hope, that people can find me. So, I am busy re-designing the site and updating links from my other social sites. I’m going to visit all the blogs I like and start posting comments. And, I’m going to read Ancient Wisdom:Emerging Artist: A Business Plan for the Mature Artist , which I’ve already downloaded to my desktop!

One of my responsibilities outside the art world is that I cook 4 shifts a week, 4 hours each, at the Moose Lodge. We need some kitchen equipment, so Nina, my waitress/ assistant/ miracle worker person, and I are going to do a fundraiser, which will include my artwork, her bead work (see picture below) and whatever donations we can find from other people, stores, etc. This will hopefully inspire me to create some new stuff!

Wish me luck, and comments are gratefully accepted!!!

Pictures sold at auction!

2009-10-26T16:21:00.013-04:00

Yesterday was a red-letter day! I donated some 8x10 prints, several packages of notecards and one 16x20 lighthouse print to a benefit auction at the Moose Lodge, . It was so awesome to see people actually vying for my artwork! Also met a couple who do photography and framing... we're going to get together and brainstorm of some collaborations of our different talents. Here are two of the prints -

Above is the old 66 Motel, a series of bungalow-style rooms, which was demolished in 2000. Reasonable rates at one time was $2 a night.

Here is a picture of the old 11th St. bridge, now named the Cyrus Avery Memorial Route 66 Bridge. The bridge has now been recognized as an important part of Route 66 history and is being preserved as such.I have the story of both photos somewhere, and will put them up as so as I locate them!

Oh... by the way... everything sold!

Seeing things a little differently

2009-10-21T13:27:00.006-04:00

Another way of seeing things my own way... I send out a desktop calendar every month to friends and family. I love the colors, but one of my nieces asked her mom if I was on drugs :>
Maybe that means I'm a successful artist, huh? Below is the blue version of the horses, and below that, the original photo.

Another Buffalo???

2009-10-19T17:10:00.003-04:00

I've wanted to drive along Riverside Drive and take pictures of all the sculptures and see what I could do with them, so today, trying to get motivated to do SOMETHING, I played with this one. For some reason, I'm starting to go for strange colors, but I like them!

Only in Oklahoma...

2009-09-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

Went fishing a couple of weeks ago with my sister, brother-in-law, and grandson. Later, we drove through Checotah, OK to the grocery store. I thought I was seeing things when we drove past this blue buffalo! Thankfully, I had my camera in the car, so we stopped on the way back for pictures. There was no plaque or sign or other information on why this blue buffalo lived in a little tiny park in the little town of Checotah. So I googled it and found it was part of a project called The Spirit of the Buffalo.

I mean, I understand the connection between the buffalo, Oklahoma, the Native American culture... and I've read that a white buffalo was considered sacred... but... an iridescent blue buffalo???? So, check out the link above for some very imaginative renderings of the buffalo. I definitely know I'm back home!

GBHS won State Softball Championship Sunday!

2009-06-08T11:50:00.006-04:00

We did it ... the team playing hard... me working hard on top of the ladder taking pictures! Good job, Wildcats!

Up Close and Personal...

2009-05-27T11:31:00.003-04:00

Went to the Eastern Shore for the weekend with "Thelma and Louise" - 2 friends who are wandering around the world in a motor home. It wouldn't take much to convince me to go, too!

And, by the way, when we're together it's " Thelma and Louise and Stella." (We had to give me a name that fit the image.)

We rode around all weekend in my car with the top down - the only thing we still need to do is drive down the highway and let our scarves blow away in the wind! We all three draw the line at driving off the cliff!!!

Anyway, here's a friend we met at Chincoteague...

Counting Down the Days...

2009-05-21T06:34:00.005-04:00

22 days till I leave for Tulsa! Just made a fast trip back there this week - left Norfolk Monday night at 6 pm, got to Tulsa at 11, spent a few hours with my son and grandkids, had an appointment at 10:30 am Tuesday, spent a few hours with my sister and brother-in-law, left
Tulsa at 5 pm, back here in Norfolk at 10:30 pm.

Worked Wednesday, then we had a softball tournament, today after work I get the trailer hitch installed on my car, Friday all I have to do is work, then will spend Saturday and Sunday up on the Eastern Shore with a couple of traveling friends, and back here Monday morning for regional softball tournament.

And what can I do with all the extra time on my hands? Oh - I know! I've still got to post the pix online from last night's game!!!

Never a dull moment! Oh, yeah - I'm trying to figure out when I can meet Deborah Ross at her Blue Skies Gallery between now and the time I leave!!!

But, I did manage to get a picture from the magnolia tree in the front yard...

2009-05-15T11:55:00.006-04:00

I thought sure I'd been blogging right along there, then I looked at my last post... it was April 23rd!

So - softball has been running my life! We played 19 games and I took pictures at every single one. Then I uploaded them to a private gallery for the girls and parents to view. We played the last regular season game Wednesday - we won, of course! The standings are Great Bridge Wildcats - 17-2 - #1 in district.

Wednesday, May 20th, we will play whoever winds up as #2 at Tuesday's playoffs. So we are guaranteed a spot in the regionals - Wednesday will determine whether we go as #1 or #2. I'm designing a T-shirt that says : "unufishul teem picher takur" to wear to regionals! That oughta make them proud of me!!!

This has been great for developing my photography skills. I've learned to see the entire field and anticipate the action shots.

OK - gotta get back to work... see ya soon!

In A Pickle???

2009-04-23T11:13:00.006-04:00

It's a phrase I've heard often through the years, and Googling gave me the following information:

To be “in a pickle" means a challenging or difficult circumstance.

Its origin is the play "The Tempest"
by William Shakespeare, and I quote:

ALONSO: … How camest thou in this pickle?
TRINCULO: I have been in such a pickle since I saw you last …

Well, Tuesday night I learned it's a term used in softball! My grand-daughter came up to bat, hit one, made it to second base. (Good job, Karen!) Now, I'm here to tell you this girl is a base-stealing champion, and last night was no different.

We're in the bottom of the 6th inning... the score is us 14, them 0. SO! Not a really exciting game, ya know? I'm busy snapping pictures of everyone on the team, not a lot of action shots, except everyone at bat and a few slides. A couple pictures of the flags blowing in the breeze... a passing helicopter... yawn.

Suddenly, I heard yelling and screaming "Get her!" and "Run, Karen!" and I swung my camera around toward 3rd base, pressed the shutter button... nothing. So, while I'm trying to see if my camera is off, if the battery's dead, Karen's "in a pickle" between 2nd and 3rd. By the way, the "pickle" means she was caught between 2nd and 3rd, with opponents on either side of her, trying to get her out! At last I've figured out my memory card is full, and while I'm trying to get the second one out of the case and into the camera, she "landed" flat on 3rd... after some discussion, it was ruled safe! Now, whether she dove for 3rd or was tripped, she still made it... whatever, I missed the whole thing by not watching the numbers on the camera! (From now on, the extra card will be ready in my pocket.)

Below is the last picture I got, where she made it to 2nd base. But, as I told her when she said she got in trouble... it was the most exciting part of the whole game, so just smile and remember the moment!!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:46:00.004-04:00

Look who came to see me this morning! The Easter Bunny! He even sat there and waited for me to go inside and get my camera. However, I was pretty upset about not getting any Easter eggs. I know, I know... I'm supposed to be a grown-up... but, if you get to see the Bunny, you oughta get the eggs, right? Well, a little later I was passing the kitchen window when I saw the culprit!

At first I wasn't sure he did it... the first few pictures didn't prove anything...

but in the last one, I caught him! That just goes to show ya... you just can't trust those cute, little furry critters!

Now THIS is Spring Fever!

2009-04-03T07:39:00.002-04:00

This is an example of what I've been doing lately! Girls softball season is going strong, and I go to all the games and take pictures of the team. This is my grand-daughter in her last high-school season, so I'm assembling a "brag book" for her. So far this week, we've had two games and another tonight. And so far, I've taken almost 600 pictures! Of course, I weed 'em out before I post them. Still, the last game has 200 pix. They're in a password-protected gallery, so I can't show them all, however, Karen's pix are located at www.pbase.com/deevinemissm/

The great thing about going to so many games is that I'm learning to anticipate the plays and I'm getting much better action shots. Well, that's it for today... stop in and say hello!

Funky Daffydils

2009-03-30T07:32:00.003-04:00

A little touch of spring fever there in that title! (I didn't know the botanical name for daffodil is narcissus).The sun has been shining for almost 2 days now... I'm ready to put the top down on the car and go fishing!!! Actually, I did have it down Saturday for awhile, mostly so I could clean it out. But Sadie and I went for a short ride, before the clouds came back and the temperature dropped.

Continuing the theme...

2009-03-24T11:20:00.003-04:00

The background started out as a picture of an orange feather on a gray background. I did lots of cutouts and overlays, color changes, until I saw something I liked. I knew I was going with flowers but waited until the background was done, then I found these photos of roses from our yard last summer. Now that I'm started I want to do a whole set!!!

Something New

2009-03-20T07:06:00.006-04:00

I don't usually do abstract-style work, but read on one of the blogs - I think it was Deborah Ross or Uta Mooney - about doing a background first, and then seeing what came from that. So, here's my first try. This one was from a stock background shot and a photo I'd taken of a rose, but I'd like to start creating my own backgrounds and see where it takes me. I'm already seeing a whole new thing with all those flower photos I've been taking.... whoopee!

Rain, rain, go away...

2009-03-16T08:31:00.004-04:00

Even though it seems like it's going to rain forever, every once in a while we get a brief hint of spring. Here's another new friend I met in the backyard last week. Well, actually, he was in the neighbor's backyard... and I was standing on tiptoe, taking pictures over the fence! Sure is a good thing she's a friendly neighbor - I gave her a nice print, just to keep her that way! :D

Words of Encouragement.

2009-03-12T10:23:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I decided to check in on a couple of blogs I like and I discovered a real gem! A post named "The Near-Extinction of Blind Faith" by Ancient Artist. If you ever feel like you're not very good at what you do, be it creative endeavors, your role as parent and provider, or even your value as a person... you should read this! I had a recent stumble in my plan and it was very depressing. But we really do have people who care for us - we just need to look around us. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

Daffodils - it's Spring!

2009-03-11T09:30:00.006-04:00

In spite of a 30-some degree drop in temps between Monday and Tuesday, and a change from sunny to cloudy, Tuesday morning I found this brave soul in the backyard. It's amazing the beautiful things to be found all around you. I don't have to leave the neighborhood, or even the yard for that matter, to see flowers and trees in bloom, robins, cardinals, mourning doves, woodpeckers, squirrels, and rabbits. Good job, God!

My Irish is surfacing...

2009-03-05T13:05:00.005-05:00

I think I'm on to something here! Every month I do a desktop calendar for all my friends. This month my daughter wanted one with her dog on it. Well, her best friend wanted one with her dog... my sister has a dog... I have a dog... 4 calendars later, the Oklahoma Cat Ladies protested for equal treatment for cats, so... I did a cat. Today I decided they would make great St. Patrick's day cards - check out the Greeting Card page at my Cafe Press Store!

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

2009-02-26T08:36:00.005-05:00

Lots of new things are happening nowadays.... maybe it's because Spring is finally peeking around the corner! (Thanks to Ralph Waldo Emerson for the quote.)

In 109 days I'll be going back home to Tulsa!

I recently found a site called Meetup.com. It's a place for finding or starting groups in whatever area you live in, and with common interests. I've joined a photography club called Picture This Photography Club of Hampton Roads - figured it wouldn't hurt to learn how to use that great camera I have!

I have a new online shop for my artwork. The great thing is that they do all the "work" part of it, like printing, shipping, taking the money, etc. All I have to do is be creative - (well, there's a little more to it than that!) The name is The Deevine Miss M's Shop (original, huh?) and it's hosted at Cafe Press.

Today, February 26th, I graduate from physical therapy! I had a total right shoulder replacement October 3, 2008, and I can't begin to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone who was a part of this. Being right-handed and a computer artist, I admit I was very scared that I would lose some of the use of my arm, but I have way more than I've had for years. So, thank you, Dr. Mancke - you're my favorite surgeon. And Sentara's Great Bridge Therapy Center - I'm gonna miss you guys! Thanks!

Affirmation

2009-01-11T12:07:00.015-05:00

Well, I haven't made it to painting yet, but I do have a new "potholder." (I KNOW it's a coffee cup! If you're wondering why I called it a potholder, read the previous post.)

Since this time of the year seems to be all about re-grouping/planning/taking stock, whatever you want to call it, I've been doing a lot of it lately. And I've decided to stop apologizing for being a digital artist! Thus, the title of this picture...

And speaking of Affirmation, I stumbled upon Christine Kane's blog yesterday. The ideas about creativity fit me so well... who would have thought the blog was by a musician???!!!!
;>

Oh, No! Not Another New Year's Resolution!!!

2009-01-03T18:37:00.009-05:00

Just got back from seeing Jim Carrey's new movie "Yes Man". It was a typical Jim Carrey movie - zany, slapstick, very entertaining... and a pretty good movie for the new year. The plot revolved around Jim Carrey agreeing to say "Yes" to everything. Well, I'm sure you can imagine where that led... it WAS funny!

Thinking about the story on the way home, I could see it made sense. For the past 5 years I've done lots of photography, with digital art my main focus, yet I've always longed to do traditional art.

Since I've been in Virginia (almost 3 years) I have done ONE small pastel landscape. And yet I have a cabinet full of pastels, watercolors, tubes and bottles of acrylics, pens, inks, pencils, charcoal; there are probably 4 or 5 pads of paper, in sizes ranging from 8 x 10 to 16 x 20, not to mention a package of 5 x 7 canvas boards.

And the books! Here's a picture of the ones I've gathered up over the last couple years... and I subscribe to 3 artist magazines! But I can't seem to get started. I understand some of why I don't - fear is first and foremost. It won't be good enough, I'll mess it up, it'll look amateurish... I'm sure everyone goes through some of that, but how to get past it? The second reason (that I'm aware of) is impatience. I want to hurry up and get done! My Grandmother taught me to crochet when I was seven and I loved her beautiful white cotton crocheted bedspreads. But it took her 3 months to make one! So I never got past the potholder stage... well, I did crochet 6 snowflake ornaments for my tree a few years ago...

So, I suppose you know where I'm headed with this ramble, don't you? Yes, I'm going to learn to paint - without the computer. Not that I'll ever stop creating digital art - after all, potholders are nice,too - but I'm ready to expand my horizons a little. So... thanks, Jim Carrey, for the motivation!

Water, Water Everywhere...

2008-12-03T07:49:00.006-05:00

Even after living in Chesapeake, VA, for almost 3 years, I continue to be fascinated by all the water - and the boats, birds, lighthouses, fishing, etc. Of course that’s probably evident in my artwork.

Back home in Tulsa, there’s the Arkansas River, which is not the biggest river there is. Big sections are sandbars - and in places, you could walk from one side to the other. If you want to take a trip, there is Keystone Lake, Grand Lake, the Kerr-McKlellen Waterway... but you have to drive awhile to get to all of those.

But, the Norfolk area is amazing! Within minutes, you can see three rivers - the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth. Then there is the Chesapeake Bay, and finally, the Atlantic Ocean. And, of course, about 10 minutes from home, the Atlantic Inter-coastal Waterway and the Great Bridge Lock Park, I could probably go on for days if you add in all the drawbridges and the tunnels, but I think you get the message! That’s why I have so many water- related pictures in my galleries. Hope you enjoy!

Beautiful, beautiful flutterbyes

2008-11-18T08:23:00.008-05:00

Does anyone else have this problem? I just keep on... and on... and on... creating artwork... until I have one of those "V8" kinda moments. No one can see all this creativity if it's tucked away in a folder somewhere on my computer! Duh! So, this blog gives me the excuse to start showing off.

Here's a beautiful black Eastern Swallowtail that I almost missed. If I hadn't stopped to rest... well, you know!

99% of my artwork comes from my own photographs, the rest are from clients for restoration, retouching or for a digital painting.

Thanks, Sue, for my very first ever comment yesterday. I feel like such a success now! :> Let's hear from some more of you, okay?

"...it's pretty, but is it ART?" (2)

2008-11-17T11:42:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, in my hurry to argue my case about digital art, I forgot to post the quote the title came from...

"And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart, till the Devil whispered behind the leaves "It's pretty, but is it Art?" Rudyard Kipling

That has been my most favorite quote since I went back to school in 1995 to become a graphic designer. I became a student again at 55, and, to quote Ancient Artist:

"I went back to college when I was 51. I sat in chairs designed for the young, next to my fellow students who were also...well, young. Adding insult to injury, I needed tutoring -- from the young -- to learn the new technology that these kids in their late teens and twenties grew up with and used as casually as I once used the rotary phone."

My problem was in convincing instructors that my design ideas were just as valid as the ideas coming from the young students! I would work twice as hard only to be told that my concepts were "weak" or "bland" - in fact, my final semester's portfolio review was a disaster! The only things I got good marks on were appearance and communication skills. (Of course, my first job, which started 2 days before graduation, was for a hearing aid company whose target market was people in their 50s & up.)

It took me 3 years (and an invitation to the school to present my new portfolio to a graduating class)to be able to throw away that evaluation. So, that's the explanation behind the quote.

And, perhaps there's something in a lot of artists that makes us question our creative abilities in such a way: "..it's pretty, but is it ART?"

"...it's pretty, but is it ART?"

2008-11-16T13:53:00.005-05:00

Okay, I'm ready to start some serious blogging, now! And I thought I'd start with my biggest hurdle as an artist - the controversy over whether digital art is "real" art.

In the September issue of Artists' Magazine, (which I subscribe to because I consider myself an artist,) there were half a dozen letters to the editor about whether digital artists produce "real art." The majority opinion was NO!

There were statements like "...I'm glad that you (Artists Magazine) feature artists who have spent years mastering their craft, making art that sometimes takes months to produce." Or, another... "I, too, can produce a so-called painting on my computer, but I would never consider it to be included in a real art competition." And, how about "Digital art doesn't get the fingers dirty(....)the result may look similar-though it will lack the wonderful texture and thickness we can build up with our "dirty" media-but the process is worlds apart from working with a real brush and real paint."

Well, as you can probably tell, I'm tired of having to explain that what I do takes creativity, imagination and talent. Sure, there are lots of paint filters and programs out there in computerland, but just because you have the tools, that doesn't make you an artist, just as having a complete set of automotive tools doesn't make you a mechanic! (one time I took the carburetor off my car, thinking "How hard can this be? If I put it back in the same order I took it off, I should be able to fix this!" Well, guess what? I sure ain't no mechanic!)

Here are several interesting links about digital art - the first one is "Convergent Media - Stretching the Imagination" an article by Barney Davey, posted on http://www.artprintissues.com/.
JD Jarvis, MOCA contributing editor, has many articles on the Moca website.

I will be posting more on this issue later, but in the meantime, let's hear from you out there... what do you think? And while you're here, check out my galleries at pbase. There is quite an eclectic assortment there, some photography, some digital art. Hopefully, you'll enjoy looking.

The Birds...

2008-05-20T08:21:00.009-04:00

Spring has definitely Sprung! We had a lot of fun watching the Robin Family from start (well, almost!) to finish. When the last baby left the nest I felt the "empty nest" syndrome kick in. However, I did save the memories in this slideshow. And I will always treasure the awe and wonder the grandkids felt watching this beautiful cycle of nature. (Be sure to turn your speakers on.)

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-12T07:00:00.011-04:00

What a nice day it was! It took some work to get all 3 grandkids organized with gifts and cards, not to mention the occasional
"You're not supposed to fight - it's Mothers Day." Or... "Do it for your Mom - it's Mothers Day." But, all things considered, it was fun!

We have a robin's nest right outside the kitchen window and it's been great to watch the process, from building the nest and setting on the eggs, to seeing tiny little heads popping up last Thursday. So I got out my trusty camera and was able to get some good pictures.

I never realized how hard mama birds have to work until we started watching this one. Back and forth, back and forth... all day long! Sometimes dad watches the nest while mom searches for worms. One of them is there practically all the time. Even the "terminally cool" grandkids are fascinated!

Hello, world!

2006-12-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

Just a few words to let y'all know I'm still alive and kickin' here in Virginia! Poor old blue Buick was on its last life, so I went car shopping. Doesn't that PT Cruiser just look like the Deevine Miss M??? It sure does need some pink going on somewhere, though.

As for old Blue, I figured it was way more hassle than I wanted to try to sell it, so the American Cancer Society's "Cars For A Cure" was happy to come take it away for me. I couldn't resist a parting photo... kind of looked like it was chasing that little silver number on the back of the tow truck.!

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!!!!

2006-07-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

My original vision for this blog had me writing a few paragraphs at the end of each day of my trip... when that didn't happen, I thought I'd bring everyone up to date within a day or two after I got to Virginia... I planned to be very productive and wow you all with my wit and wisdom, not to mention the incredible photos I was taking.

Well... I didn't have a clue, and neither did Sadie!

The trip in one word? Long.

We left Monday, June 26th, Sadie all snuggled into her doggie car seat - with a 10" fan and 2 AC vents, she settled down to sleep all the way to Virginia. Well, except for breaks every 2 or 3 hours. Between us Sadie and I did a comparative analysis on every rest area from Tulsa to Norfolk. Our findings are as follows: Oklahoma has very few and they're adequate. Missouri has frequent, well-kept, attractive rest areas. Illinois and Kentucky are also frequent, well-kept and attractive; however pets are not allowed inside the restroom. Which means leave the pet in the hot car while the human goes.

We stopped for the night in Evansville, Indiana.

Tuesday we took a long lunch at a rest stop in Kentucky, where Sadie experienced her first White Castle burgers. Back on the Interstate, crossed a bridge over Floyd's Fork. I wonder if there's a Ned's Knife... or a Sue's Spoon. Another interesting observation - there are a LOT of billboards advertising whiskey distilleries... made me wonder... how many AA groups are there in Kentucky?

Drove farther than I meant to Tuesday night and finally stopped in Lexington, West Virginia. (BAD choice - it was already dark; in the mountains; heavy fog; no signs of life for 10 miles after I got off the interstate, then a neon motel sign rising out of the fog; only 3 cars in the lot; for a moment I thought I heard banjos playing in the distance... but I finally decided I was too tired to care if some strange creature broke into my room and committed whatever foul deeds such creatures commit. However, Wednesday morning found us alive and fairly well.

The rest of the trip was fast and not much to talk about. I managed to find the house, pulled in the driveway and called on my cell phone to ask where everybody was. Got a cool picture of them all running out of the house to meet me...

So, anyway, that's the trip part. Maybe tomorrow I can write about what life is like with 3 grandkids and 4 dogs... and I'll try to figure out how to post pix.

P.S. See where it says comments? That's for you, dear reader, to let me know you were here!!

Chivalry... dead or alive???

2006-06-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

Being raised in the 50s with such ideals as "Father Knows Best" and "Ozzie and Harriett", I kept my eyes peeled for years for that Knight In Shining Armor. On a White Horse. Carrying a Cloak which he would spread across any puddle that dared appear in my path. (I never noticed the transition down from the horse in creaking, clanking suit of metal.) As a young woman, I never had to change a tire, carry a big box, and only needed to raise the hood of the car, looking slightly befuddled... and "He" always appeared. He wasn't always the Knight I had pictured... (perhaps he was one of the serfs or something.) Nevertheless, some generous male was always right there to help.

Now, the REAL reason for this post...
A little while back, I needed pictures of the house for the realtor. While standing out front, I realized the treadmill on the front porch didn't really add to the nice, well-cared for appearance I was striving for. So, taking matters into my own hands, I began to d-r-a-g-g-g the monstrous thing... across the 12 foot porch... to the 3 steps.

As I began this tremendous feat of strength, the man across the street -older, maybe 60-ish - pulled into his driveway,got out of his car, waved and began carrying on a conversation - from his driveway - talking very loudly - about my trip and the sale of the house. So, I would pull a little, try to hold up my end of the chitchat, pull some, etc. At the same time, the guy next door - young, 30-ish - was leaning on a car window, talking to a friend who happened by. So, finally, dripping with sweat, gasping for air... I arrived at the steps. Lo and behold.... the guy across the street wished me good luck... and went inside. The guy next door, (who speaks very little English, but has a dazzling smile)... said goodbye to his friend, waved hello to me... flashed that dazzling smile... and went inside. Now dragging down the stair was not an option - I would either break the treadmill or break some part of me. So what's a poor old girl gonna do????

I called the neighbor on the other side to ask for help. We both managed to get it downstairs and into the den where it sits in all its hulking splendor (anyone want to buy a barely used old treadmill???)

And... the neighbor who helped? SHE -a 30-ish woman, helped ME - a 60-ish woman, while all the men in sight disappeared. Hmmm...could it be... that chivalry never existed? Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that, although I may have an hourglass figure... the sands have shifted! Hmmm... could it be?

2006-05-21T10:50:00.001-04:00

Chapter 62 is ending, as the house is finally ready to sell... and I've given away everything that won't fit in the car. All that's left are my personal belongings, the bed, TV, microwave, and kitchen table & chairs - and of course my beloved computer. The computer and TV will fit, but just barely! Sadie, who has her own doggie carseat up front with me, is also ready to go. Her suitcase is packed and she has a ladybug roll-up screen for her window so she won't get sunburned.

Chapter 63 will begin on June 25th as Sadie and I climb into my trusty old Buick for the drive to Virginia (2187 miles)!