Saturdays are Alright with me

I had all sorts of grand plans for today and then scrapped them. I intended to check out the Double Decker Festival in Oxford and the weather was just so blustery and damp and way too chilly. I decided that for the price of gas today was not a travel day. So I stayed in. I was also going to go and paint more on the mural but a college student came by that needed help doing some research for a paper she was having to write and I seem to be the resident Catholic 'theologian'. That is a laugh.

So I started rearranging the studio. I discovered that there is STILL seepage from somewhere because my canvas was dampish and the carpet is a big soggy right along the south wall. Nothing like a basement that leaks and you can't find the leak. I am going to have to cut out a pretty large piece of carpet because there is no cleaning it. It just needs to come up.
Chasing this water around just seems like a constant thing. Every spring just like clock work.

I will start on my medical transcription course as soon as the equipment and the text books arrive. I got the notification from my instruction of record last night. So now I have to really start reading in earnest. Getting certified as an MT will help me. I can do that type of work from home and still have time to do art work for relaxation. A woman my age is not too marketable any more so I need to find something that I can do to pay the bills. There is so much truth to the term starving artist. I would have loved it if the coffee shop could have taken hold but that just is not doable here in this little town. And truthfully I am just not a people person all the time. I am an introvert but I force myself to be extroverted in order to get along in the world. I would really like nothing better than to live in some isolated place and only come out when I needed to. I think that is why I spend so much time downstairs in the studio. It's like being in my own little world. My very own little extreme home within a home.

Thursday is just another day

I feel the urge to move furniture. My studio is still not a studio. At least not eficiently for me. With everything this space needs to be its hard for me to get it the way I think I want it. I want the tables to be where I can just lay things out and leave them as I work. Unfortunately I also have to contend with the hordes of teenagers that come thru here and they don't really realize that this ia my workspace as well as an entrance (well used I might add) to my home.

I am on the verge of a major throwing out binge again. The last one was in february and I got tired. I think the garbage men did too. There were 3 dumpster loads of just pure junk on the street every week. It is just sinful that we have accumulated this much junk and not recycled, thrown out or donated the unused or unusable stuff. Today I make restitution for the crime of packratting.

I walked out this morning and discovered another of the Easter morning kittens has died. The poor little things were just too sick. The mama kitty is just beside herself. First it was the little yellow boy then the little black and white boy. last night the gray girl and now the little calico girl is struggling. They are just too weak. Its been interesting to watch. Before I say that the kittens were sick the mama knew and was isolating the weakest one from the litter. Cruel in human thinking but survival of the fittest in the animal world. It makes the kids happy that I'm not a feline when they are ill!

Dudley's Nature Art class

Last night was Dudley's turn at the art class at the library. I was there for moral support. I am glad there was so much participation! Everyone was having fun making things out of old wood and dried flowers and all sorts of 'found' recycled objects. I could see the old college professor coming out of him. It was a good evening for all involved and I hope gave a little better understanding of what he is trying to accomplish with his nature art.

OH Baby Its a Wild World!!!

ITs a Wednesday. Isn't that supposed to be hump day. Well if I worked out in the world with the rest of humanity I suppose so. Since I work from my home based studio that reallyis a 'job' in some peoples eyes. True I don't work 8 to 5 like some folks. But then again I do at times. Art inspiration and creation doesn't always happen during the daylight hours. I am known for jumping up in the wee hours of the morning and frantically painting or drawing. Art is sort of 'when the Spirit moves me' type of work.

I am still trying to figure out arrange my basement studio so that I can get the maximum usage out of it and still have room to move around. I want all of my work tables in the center of the room and the wall space open for hanging large pieces on the wall. So Far that has not happened. I'm just too much of a pack rat. I have got to throw out some stuff.

All these books that I have take up loads of wall space. If I can just get the storage area of the basement organized and throw out the junk I will have more space.

I have worked on the museum mural for the past 2 days. It is finally starting to come together. People can see the progress now when they drive by where before it was just looking like a mish mash of paint. Now they can see the forest for the trees. I hope to finish it this week and get started on the old one room school house mural. That one won't be as complicated as the forest but it may be a just a tad more more technical.

A reporter for WCBI TV was in town yesterday (Tuesday) interviewing Mayor Quillen about the Bruce Store restoration. Then he came over to the museum to tape some shots. He got some shots of me painting. I 'done good'! Not once did I look over my shoulder at the camera and mouth 'hey mom'! I didn't even look as fat as I thought I did and cameras always add about 10 pounds on you. Scott recorded it for me and we watched it after the youngest dd softball game. It looked pretty good. Mom was wondering why I didn't talk on camera. Mainly because I have to get into the mindset of speaking on camera with my 'camera voice'. I really didn't want to speak otherwise because I can sound so hickish if I don't prepare. I just get lazy in the old speech patterns until I need to be precise.

Well I need to light a fire under these kids so they will get their work done.

just another manic monday

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.

I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.

I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.

Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Just another Manic Monday

Theology class was a trip. all of the things that we discuss and it and get so interesting with all the differing opinions. The one thing I don't understand is that we are supposed to be doing 'reflective' papers on what each course means to our individual ministries yet when we do write something, there 'powers that be' that are grading these papers seem to have their own idea of what our ministries are. Those folks are just out of touch with who we are. We aren't the typical graduate students. We are mostly way over 40's into 60's sort of folks with professional backgrounds that decided to take these classes because we have to do something about the the priest shortage.

I am starting a new class in a couple of weeks I hope. I have decided to add Medical Transcriptionist to my repetroire of things that I do. I really don't think I want to continue homeschooling other peoples kids. My oldest is going to go and try public school next year and my youngest will within a year later. It seems that mostly I end up with kids that are emotionally unstable. Heck I tend to stand on the brink myself at times. I don't need anything else to push me on over the edge! ITs the bi-polar kids that scare the bejebbers out of me.

I have had to deal with a bi-polar niece for years and its still not a pretty sight. We have lived in that turmoil for too long. And once mentally ill, always metally ill. I taught her her final year of highschool and as long as she was on her meds she was a happy camper and did tons of work for me. But Lord help us when she decided she didn't want to work. It was just a bad deal all the way around. I kept my promise to my sister that I would educate her daughter. I kept that promise. Now I just wish the gal would get a job but we can see that is not going to happen.

Well two of my homeschooled students are here at the moment. One wants to do a little and play a lot. The other likes to come in, sit down and work until he finishes. My daughters are upstairs working on their computers. On Wednesday two more students come. I separate the boys and girls because they work better that way.The boys come the first of the week and the girls come in on Wednesday.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

The Flamingos Nest
Another Sunday morning put to rest. Being a member of an extremely small church is hard. We never know when people are actually going to show up. I am the song leader or cantor as its called in the Catholic Church. Sometimes it feels like I am the soloist tho. I really don't like singing alone in front of people. its not a performance. But at times it sure does seem like that's the only way its going to be.

Now as my lunch is baking in the oven I have to study for my theology class this afternoon in Tupelo. This quarter we are studying the sacraments. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever studied. Sooooo much reading! Its like I need a dictionary for the dictionary. This is all a part of the LIMEX program out of Loyola University, New Orleans, to help educated the laity in the Catholic Church so that we can function in a priestless church. There need to be a lot of changes in the church but I am not sure what they should be. I feel like any man that wants to become a priest should be give the opportunity to make the decision to be a married or unmarried priest. Either way, they would still take on the vow of chastity. But it should be a decision for the individual to make. personally I think it would be hard to have a full time ministry and a family. especially on the amount of money those guys have to live on.

ON another note, the mural is coming right along. I got the tree trunks laid in and started on the leaves yesterday before I got so hot that I could not stay in there any longer. I know that people think I should just be able to twitch my nose and voila its a mural but each step takes time and I want it to look good even if it is a freebie!