#2943 taking a break from reality with art

 

current mood

Listen...I am cranky today. Sometimes the state of the United States just makes me want to yell, scream, cry, and finally curl up in a ball. I don't know if it's better for me to hear the news or not. I want to look at pics and videos of dogs and cats, but I can't resist watching videos of people like me who are worried and annoyed and angered by the trump Regime and all the things that are happening.

So...I decided to make some art. I've been busy with a bunch of stuff lately and haven't had a chance to listen to my muse. I let her all the way in this morning, and I feel a little better. Here is my wee calendar for April:

I got impatient and started erasing the pencil line and smeared the M and the T. Oh well. Wabi sabi and all that. 

This next work of art (heheh) is inspired by what happens in my back yard every night when I play with the dogs. First the tale, then the art. 

There is a bird feeder hanging from one of the maple trees in the yard. It is a late-budding tree. The other maple already has baby leaves, but the bird feeder maple just has little buds, so it's just bare branches. Along the fence line right behind the bird feeder maple, there is an enormous juniper tree/bush. It's got to be at least 15' wide and probably at least 20' tall. It's huge and dense. You can't even see the fence through it. The birds love it. Hummingbirds love it. Mac and Stella like to lay in it's shade. I like it and MT doesn't. It likely does need to be trimmed, but we'll deal with that later. 

In the evening after work, the dogs and I like to go outside to play. Stella chases after her frisbee, of course, and the big dogs snuffle for kibbles and chase each other around. Usually the bird feeder is empty at that time. As we play outside, I watch the little birdies come to the juniper and start to watch us. At first there are just a few, but the more minutes go by, the more birdies come to the juniper. They start to chirp and make a bunch of noise, which I interpret as them saying, "Feed us! Feed us!" One day I counted around 20 little birds in the juniper at dinnertime, with various doves and other small birds nearby, like on the wire fence between us and the neighbor, and in the cypress trees at the house behind the back yard. It's a little intimidating.

Bird feeding time correlates with dog feeding time, so I'll fill the bird feeder, then take the dogs inside for their dinner. I love to watch the flock of birds descend onto the feeder, the tree, and the ground under the feeder. They can have the feeder empty pretty quickly, but then there are the seeds they kick out on t the ground, so we have birds in the yard for awhile. It's pretty cool to see them all lift into flight when the dogs go back out after their dinner. 

I never knew how much pleasure I would get from watching the birds in my yard. It's really cool.

Anyway, here is a little thing I did today to remind me of bird dinner time:

That's all for today. I'm off to Trader Joe's for some groceries. Have a lovely week.

 

#2942 March recap

Since I only bothered to write one time this month, here's a quick recap of what's been going on here.

MT was home from Pocatello nearly every weekend this month. We've decided to sell one of the rental properties here in town, so he was home to paint it and put in new flooring. That property will go on the market tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed for a quick sale. In Pocatello, one side of the duplex is completely renovated and ready for a renter. MT and his brother are now finishing up the other side of the duplex. It will likely be done by the end of April. MT is a hard worker.

At work, the admin area is being completely remodeled: lights, ceiling tiles, paint, carpet, window coverings, furniture - everything. Up to eight of us work in the office everyday in one of the conference rooms. It's not comfortable, but it's fine. I like to be in the office to see what work is being done for the remodel. I am one of the original inhabitants of the building, and I really didn't think a major remodel like this would happen while I was still there. It was time, though. The place was looking dated and lived-in. All the work on the remodeling project is supposed to be done by 14 April. It's exciting!

We celebrated T's 27th birthday on 19 March. MT came home for the event. The three of us went to dinner at Market Street Grill downtown. It was a very nice meal - I had a Caesar salad with salmon that was delicious. After dinner, we went to see the movie Mickey 17. I confess I fell asleep a couple of times and T had to nudge me because my deep breathing "may" have been mistaken for snoring. I couldn't help it! It was a late movie, and I was tired. How was the movie? Well, it wasn't my cuppa tea, but I was glad to be with my menfolk.

The weather has been mostly nice this month, and I've been glad to get outside for a little vitamin D. I love playing outside with the dogs. Stella chases her frisbee, and the big dogs wrestle and chase each other around. We have a birdfeeder in one of the maple trees, and we get quite a few birds (when we are not outside.) I bet there were a couple dozen birds out there the other night, some on the ground, some on the feeder, some perched on nearby branches seemingly waiting their turn. I wouldn't have thought I'd get as much joy from watching the birds as I do.

What's new with me? Well, I have started a program through work called Twin Health. The goal is to heal my metabolism to lower my A1c level and get healthy. Twin Health provides me with a supply of constant glucose monitors (CGM) that are attached to my upper arm for ten days at a time. I'm on my second monitor. I have seen a change in the glucose levels, even in this short time. They also gave me a scale that can tell a lot about me. I have lost a few pounds since starting. Another tool is a nice blood pressure cuff. I'm glad to say that my BP has been normal. I also have medical and mental support through the program. The single biggest change is in my eating habits. This is basically a Keto diet: high protein, high fiber, high fat, very low carbs. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes; in other words, my favorite things are no more. It's fine, and I'm fine. I'm not hungry, and I am usually quite satisfied with what I'm eating.  I'll keep you updated on my progress and whether I'm still satisfied in a week or two. 

I don't have much planned for April. MT told me before he went back to Pocatello yesterday that he likely won't be home as often in April because he really wants to get the new duplex finished and rented. To keep myself entertained, I will likely swap out my spring/summer clothes and put those winter sweaters away - yay! I'd like to do a lot more art. I feel like I haven't been giving myself enough time with my Muse. I only did a few of the prompts Jill the Artist gave us this month. Here are two that I did:

"found poetry"

Cranky Banana

The first prompt was to cut words from media and make a poem out of it. I'd seen an artist on IG create a stripe-y background and I thought it looked cool and wanted to try it. I like the way it turned out. This second piece was for the prompt to "personify a banana."  I saw a similar pic on Pinterest and gave it a go. I think it's hilarious. 

Now it is (past) time for me to get ready for bed. I need to change the sheets because it rained a little today and my bed is covered with bits of dirt from 12 dog paws. I usually change the sheets every weekend, anyway. I'm just a little behind tonight. 

I'll "talk" to you next month :)

#2941 three things: how are the dogs?

Stella, Harley, and Mac

It has been awhile since I wrote here...I didn't even realize how long it has been. how about an update on the doggos?

Stella went to the groomer yesterday for a (much) overdue bath and a haircut. I think she is perfectly cute with longer hair. I love the way it floops along when she runs toward me with her frisbee. However, she does not like to be brushed, or even petted for a long time, so her floopy gets tangles. Plus, the girl gets Dirty, yes, with a capital D. She plays so hard, and in the winter when the ground is snowy or muddy, she gets little dirt balls in her floopy fur. She was due for a spa day, and you can see that she is pleased with the result. We went to Starbucks and got a pup cup to celebrate her new style.

Harley was recently diagnosed with a slow-working thyroid. She had put on quite a bit of weight since her last vet visit a year ago, and there were other signs, too. She was lethargic, sleeping a lot more than the other two dogs, her eyes were always funny and kinda squinty, and she was losing hair. She had a bald spot on her tail! She just didn't seem excited about anything, and I just knew something was wrong. The vet thought it might be thyroid disease, so she took some blood samples from Harley and quickly found out her diagnosis was correct. Everything else in her dog body is fine, so we got some thyroid medication which she takes very well twice a day, and the changes came quickly and were very apparent. Her eyes cleared up, she plays with Mac again like they used to, chasing each other around the yard and wrestling. I can see that she is losing weight, and the hair on her tail is growing back. We joke that we liked subdued Harley, but she is so cute and fun again!

Mac is the same as she ever was. She loves going for walks and smelling all the smells along the way. If there's anything that motivates Mac, it is food, and she can be vocal about getting a treat. She is on the chonky side, so I have to be careful how many treats I give her. One fun thing is that she has started to be more interested in running after a ball in the yard. She has a particular squeaky ball that she loves. I can toss that around, and she will run to get it. Harley chases after her. Mac will bring the ball back into my general area, but likes for me to chase her around a little bit to get the ball. Sometimes she will press the ball right against my thigh or my bum, which is annoying. Somehow, I think she thinks it is hilarious. Mac looks a bit fearsome, but she is a sweet girl and the dog that is most easily frightened by strangers and noises that she isn't used to. 

There you go, a little update on my pack!

#2940 three things: SoCal edition

 

Lizzie, Mom, and me 
photo by Lizzie

I am back from an excellent little vacation in southern California. I got there on Wednesday night, and I came home on Monday night. As far as mini-vacations go, it was pretty great. There was a good balance between doing stuff and hanging out at home, plus the weather was superb! Here are three of my favorite things we did, in no particular order.

1. Knott's Berry Farm. I haven't been to Knott's in decades. I don't think I've been there since T has been alive, and that's going on 27 years. I don't actually remember the last time I was there - maybe when I was in college? Anyway, Mom expressed an interest in going, so we bought some tickets for Thursday Feb 20. The park opened at 11:00, and we got there around 1:00 or so. It was glorious. The weather was awesome, there weren't any crowds, and it was just really pleasant to stroll around. We went on a few rides. I rode one wee roller coaster that damaged my shins and my ribs. Lizzie rode a particular roller coaster a couple of times and totally loved it. Most of the roller coasters there are too roller coastery for me. I was dang happy to walk around, though. A few photos:

We stayed until closing time, at 6:00, then went over to The Cauldron for a light dinner. It was a fantastic day.

2. Sunset in Long Beach. Mom knew of a brewery called Ballast Point that has a nice outdoor patio with wonderful sunset views. She wasn't wrong. The patios (one upstairs, the other on the main level) were great. We sat on the main level and watched a spectacular sunset. There's something about sipping a beer on a nice evening, watching the sunset over the ocean that rejuvenates my spirit. It was truly a highlight of my trip.

photo by Lizzie

3. Shopping for stickers. Lizzie told me about a local business where she bought most of the gifts she gave at Christmas, and it sounded cute so I asked her to take me. The place is called Local Fixture, and it is in Whittier. So. Cute. They had lots of cool stuff, and I think I looked at every last thing. I ended up with a couple of things, one of which was a sticker book by Ban.do that is, well, super fun. We went to another little shop about a block over called Pour le Bain. Not only did they have soaps and lotions, but they also had stickers, so I bought some there, too. Those were just loose stickers, not in a booklet. That wasn't the end of the sticker buying. On Saturday morning, I bought a couple of stickers at the La Mirada Farmer's Market. There is an artist who is always there, and I always buy some of his stickers. You can check him out on Instagram @ninoskaarte. PLUS, when we were in Long Beach, before we went to Ballast Point, we went to 2nd & PCH, a mall at the marina. We actually went there for lunch at Teleferic Barcelona (a Spanish restaurant!), and after lunch, we walked around a little. There is a groovy little store called Paper Source where Lizzie and I found some really great little stickers. Oh yeah, and I bought a couple stickers on the Queen Mary, too. Yes, I do love stickers and yes, I have a jillion of them. (No photos available of the sticker haul.)

Honorable mention

A morning walk at Creek Park. I am not much of a hiker, but I do like to get out and walk around. Lizzie took me to a pretty park in La Mirada and we had a nice walk of about two and a half miles. The area has horse properties, a creek running through it, eucalyptus trees, pine trees, flowers, grass, people walking their dogs - I really like walking there! 

Did not meet expectations

Paranormal tour on the Queen Mary. Lizzie and I have been talking about taking a ghost tour on the Queen Mary for years, and we decided that this was the time to do it. The Queen Mary is said to be one of the most haunted places in the U.S., and that is probably true, but the tour was a disappointment. I say that for a few reasons. First, the group was big - 30 people. It's just too many. Second, our guide was earnest but not a natural storyteller. The guide makes a big difference on tours like this, and she just wasn't quite ready for prime time. I don't think she had been on the job very long. Third, we spent extra for the two-hour tour, and it was not executed. For some reason, there was a break back in the main lobby after an hour, so we backtracked a few times, and that's irritating to me. Oh yeah, and the tour was quite expensive AND we had to pay for parking. I thought parking should have been included in the admission. There were some good things, of course. The ship is amazing, for one thing. The art deco styling is beautiful. The City of Long Beach takes good care of its investment in the ship because it is clean and nice. There was some kind of big band party going on, and there were people dressed in costumes from the 1920s and 1930s, which was really fun to see. Overall, though, the outing wasn't all I'd hoped.

#2939 what I've been up to

As I look back on this past week, what I think about the most is that I was willing to give myself some grace and recognize that when my body felt like it needed to rest, that's what I did. It seems that I often want to go to bed around 8:30 pm, but then I scoff and tell myself it's too early for bed. On  Monday, I didn't scoff. I went to bed! I had to set an alarm so I could pick T up from work. I was able to get back to sleep pretty quickly when we got home, and I felt good on Tuesday. 

Not every day went like that, of course.

On Wednesday, I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Pioneer Theater Company here in SLC. The theater is on the campus of the University of Utah, so I was a bit concerned about the parking situation, but it ended up not being a problem at all. The theater provides free parking in a lot within steps of the venue. Parking was also easy due to the fact that the performance was a dress rehearsal of the play which opened to the public on Friday night. I really liked being in the smaller audience. I had an excellent seat in the fourth row near center stage and the show was great. Carole King's music is so familiar - I remember listening to Tapestry when I was a kid because my mom had the album. It's amazing how many well-known hits Carole King wrote. 

Friday was Valentine's Day. MT came back from Pocatello for the weekend. He and I went out for dinner to our favorite neighborhood pub, Copper Creek. I think it was the first time we've been out for dinner on Valentine's Day in years. Usually we just have a nice dinner at home. We watched a cute, easy movie when we got home - La Dolce Villa on Netflix. 

Yesterday I went to get my hairs cut. It had been about three months since my last visit with Lanna, and the hairs needed some attention. She just trimmed and shaped and snipped some life back into the curls. It feels good.

feeling sassy

MT went back to Pocatello this morning. He witnessed a bad accident right in front of him on the freeway near the Idaho border. A pick-up ran into the back of a semi and the semi dragged the truck along until it came loose. MT actually pulled the driver out of the pick-up with a highway patrol officer standing by. MT said the roads were wet, and it wasn't snowing hard, just flurries, but the pick-up was following the semi too close and there was a wreck up ahead, so when the semi slowed down, the guy in the pick-up did not. MT said the guy in the truck was alive but badly injured. So scary!!

This afternoon, I met my Red Butte Garden friends Wendy and Tracy for lunch at a restaurant in Sugarhouse called The Dodo. Wendy and Tracy each drive a tram and give complimentary tours on Sundays, and I am the docent. I love these two people. They are both kind and good, and I feel fortunate to get to hang out with them. We've met for lunch a couple of times this winter, and both times have been fun.

Since I'd never been to this restaurant before, I did a bit of research. The place is known for their desserts, so I knew I wanted to have some Toll House pie. I got a cup of one of their soups of the day, chipotle chorizo potato, which came with a very delicious roll. 

chipotle chorizo potato soup and a roll

The soup was really good, very flavorful, and just the right portion for me. I don't usually eat a lot of soup. It's not that I don't like it, necessarily, but it just doesn't hit the spot for me. In this case, though, it was perfect choice because holy gumballs, that slice of Toll House pie...

Toll House pie with whipped cream and chocolate chips

This slab of a warm chocolate chip cookie on a flaky, tender pie cruse was so very good! I didn't finish it all, so I brought it home and I've been nibbling on it this evening. The cookie was buttery and tender with a good amount of chocolate chips and walnuts. I'd absolutely have it again, and I don't know that I would share; MT would have to get his own slice. Wendy had the banana cream cheese pie with warm, homemade caramel topping, and she thought it was outstanding. Tracy didn't have dessert; he said he had a big breakfast and he had soup and a sandwich, so he was full. I did offer him a bite of mine, but he didn't take me up on it.

When I got home I decided to watch a movie, so I settled in for Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy. I'm not ashamed to tell you it made me cry a few times. My dog Mac is a sympathetic creature, and when I cry, she is the dog who comes to comfort me. She snuggled next to me and put her head on my lap. Sweet girl.

Tomorrow is a holiday, President's Day, so I don't have to work. HOORAY! Harley has an appointment at the vet at noon. I will have to give her a doggie downer at breakfast so she won't be as hyper at the appointment. She is the most mellow dog at home, but she sort of goes a little bonkers when we are around people. She gets really excited and it's hard for the vet to examine her. I give her a mild sedative - prescribed by that vet! - and it helps her and all of the humans. 

I work on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Wednesday night I will fly to Long Beach to spend a few days with Mom and Lizzie. I'm looking forward to seeing them!

So there is a recap of the best parts of the week. Now I'll finish up a wee art project and get ready for bed.

xo

#2938 art gallery

Happy Superbowl Sunday to those who celebrate! T and I will be watching the game when it starts in about 90 minutes or so. We'll probably tune in a little early to watch a bit of pre-game stuff. I am rooting for the Chiefs to win because I like that team and the coach, and I think it would be cool to see a bit of history today: no team in the history of the NFL has won the Superbowl three times in a row, and the Kansas City Chiefs could do it today. Most people I've listened to at work are hoping the Eagles win. I hope it is a good game. 

It's been a quiet week at my house. MT didn't come home this weekend, and I didn't really go anywhere, other than the office, or do anything interesting. I've been doing a little art here and there and writing in my journal, which is always interesting for me. My journal is getting zazzed up these days with stickers and doodles and sometimes even photos printed on my Sprocket. The Sprocket might be one of my favorite toys I got myself last year. 

That reminds me, I haven't showed you any art for a bit, so here are four things I did in the past few weeks:

Flower Power

This piece was from a prompt by Jill Badonsky. I drew the elephant upside down based on a model Jill provided, then I flipped it right side up to paint and add the lines. In the photo that Jill gave us, the elephant was wearing a headband with a flower, and that was when I decided to use some of the (many) stickers I have to zazz it up. I know it's a bit much, and I like it.

I Can Paint Myself Flowers

This one is from another Badonsky prompt to do an abstract floral. I had a great time painting this! It is so fun to dab paint on the page and see what happens. 

Florence Duomo at Sunset

This painting was also inspired by Ms. Badonsky who prompted us to do whatever your Muse tells you. I've been neglecting playing around in my Italy travel journal, so I pulled up a photo of one of my favorite memories and made a rough sketch of the Duomo in Florence. No, the cathedral is not yellow, but it looked yellow-ish in the sunset light. Those blue things back there are the mountains. It's not fantastic - I'm still learning and practicing, after all. 

Garden(ing) Snake

Last one! Also a Badonsky prompt to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Most of my snake experiences have happened at Red Butte Garden, so I thought it would be fun to draw a whimsical garden snake. I drew her upside down, and looking at it, her eyes are supposed to be closed, so I might have made them the wrong way up, but whatever. Also not really sure what's going on in the left corner there. Maybe I was painting some sky? 

Let's move on...

Starting on Wednesday the 12th, I'm doing fun things. That night I'm going to a play at Pioneer Theater Company that I'll tell you more about after the show. Friday is Valentine's Day and MT will be coming home for the weekend. I've got a couple of things planned for Saturday and Sunday, too. The week after will be most excellent because I get to go hang out with Mama and Lizzie for a few days!

Well, it time to make some chicken enchiladas and get ready to watch the game. Have a great week!

xo

#2937 three things: night guard, Grammys, WTF

 

Oops...I missed writing a time or two. Happy February! I hope it goes by a little quicker than January. I felt like there were eleventy-hundred days in January. Let's get to it, shall we?

1. I need a night guard. I went to the dentist today and the hygienist told me that it looks like I'm grinding my teeth at night because some of them are worn down. She asked if I have jaw pain in the mornings. I don't, but I do frequently have headaches and my neck and shoulders are sore, which can also be signs of teeth grinding. A custom-fitted night guard is expensive, but my insurance does pay for half of it.  The hygienist did say that Botox injections are another option, but that is more expensive and you have to get them every four to six months. I think the guard will last for awhile, so I think I will go ahead and get it. Not having headaches when I wake up and getting better sleep would be swell.

2. The Grammy Awards. I missed writing on Sunday because I watched the Grammy Awards, aka the LA Fire Relief telethon. I actually didn't mind the request for donations, and I liked the commercials about the local businesses affected by the fires. As far as the performances, I think my favorite was the "California Dreaming" duet by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. (Side note: please put out another album soon, Bruno!) My least favorite part of the show was the reaction by Beyoncé when she won Best Country Album. It seemed phony to me. 

3. WTF is happening? It's been less than 30 days since Trump moved back into the White House, and he seems pretty intent on tearing down a whole bunch of stuff. From the tariff announcements and subsequent walk-backs to dismantling the federal workforce (except for the military), to saying that the U.S. will buy Greenland, that Canada should be the 51st state, and that the U.S. will take control of Gaza, every day brings something new to ponder. And WTF is Elon Musk doing there? Why is he getting so much government information and how is this going to end? It all feels very weird and yucky. I am trying to keep an open mind, I really am, and maybe things will all work out, but I'm uncomfortable.

Dog bless us, everyone.