THE DECK, OH WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE DECK!

The launch pad, bandstand, monstrosity, dog playground, deck is getting a new face lift. There is someone who actually knows what he is doing and is going to fix it for me. I'm so happy. It will get done before my big family reunion and it will look nice. I have a couple of new tables with umbrellas and chairs to put on the deck, there is a fire pit just behind it, and there will be some nice potted plants sitting around so it will look like it belongs in the yard. As of now it looks like something that fell out of the sky and landed smack dab in the middle of my pool area. Right now it's a good conversation piece, people can stand there and discuss this, whatever it is, for hours. It's really funny when people come over and go out in the yard they actually stop and discuss all the possiblilities of the deck. Hmmmmm, maybe I should rethink getting it fixed, it's such a fun conversation piece. People say things like, "Hey have you seen the deck over at Shirley's house?" or they might ask, "What the heck is that?" or one of my favorites, " Did you know that the posts on your deck are all crooked and leaning?"
Well whatever I do I know at least that my puppies love the deck, no matter what it looks like, they like to lay on it and chew up the kids' toys that they leave out, or wrestle on it, they like to sleep on it and they love sitting on it overlooking the property at night, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. There are those who love this deck no matter what it looks like.
Have a wonderful day!

I AM NOT TELLING A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday the dog trainer arrived. I thought oh good, these pups are really going to get their comeuppance now. Well, when he arrived he looked the pups over while I was telling him how bad they are. I said, "They never come when I call them. I have to scream at them to get them to sit down." Blah, blah, blah.
The trainer said, "Go ahead and call them over to you." I said, "Ha, they won't come, I'll have to chase them down." He said, "go on call them." So I did. "Come Leo, come Bella." Of course, I'm smiling because I just know they won't come. Well, those bad little dogs rushed right up to me, sat down and stared at me with their big doe eyes as if to say, "Here we are mother, do you want something."
The dog trainer looked at me as if I was a little nuts and said. "What good dogs you have."
"No," I yelled, "Believe me, they never do this, they never come when I call them, I have to chase them down, they are bad bad puppies."
All the while, my two little darlings are staring at me with those big doe eyes, still as statues.
So now I'm being trained on how to train my dogs. I will get them for this. Really I will.
Have a wonderful day!

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Today the dog trainer comes! Two little puppies jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, one little puppy jumping on the bed, she fell off and....no more puppies jumping on the bed. No more dog hairs in my sheets and no more muddy prints on my bed spread.
Boy is this dog trainer going to have his hands full. My little puppies are so cute and wonderful and they make everybody happy, they love people and they love all other animals, but...they are bad! Bad little puppies! Actually they are not so little, they are pretty big, as a matter of fact when Leo stretches out he's about the length of a small Shetland pony. Little Bella is much smaller and daintier, however, she certainly gives Leo what for. She actually kicks his butt at least once a day. As I said, both puppies love people and love other animals, especially other dogs. They play with all the neighborhood dogs. They come to our yard and we throw the ball for them all and they have so much fun. Our puppies really are good but they need to have some manners and learn some simple commands like, come, stop chewing everything in sight, no jumping on the bed, or people, no licking faces, out of the flower beds, etc. This guy is very good, I have used him in the past and he did a great job with my other dog, Charlie. Well, better start preparing the pups for company.
Have a wonderful day!

I'M BACK AND THERE IS LOTS TO DO

I'm back from my mini vacation and I had a nice time. Lots of rest and relaxation, not much to do, had dinner a couple of times at a Jamaican restaurant, I had the sweet chili fish one night and curry goat the other night. Excellent, excellent food! I also did some painting and finished a couple of new paintings, one of them I really liked. the other not so much. That happens every so often. I'll paint something and think it will be wonderful and when I'm done I'm not too in love with it. It's one of those paintings that others really like but you don't, know what I mean. I guess I'll put it in the gallery and hope someone comes along and buys it so I don't have to look at it anymore. I had a painting a long time ago that I felt that way about, I didn't like it so much after I got through painting it, so I put it in a show and it turned out to be a winner, and I put it in a few other shows and it won a few other ribbons, it turned out to be a good show piece, go figure!
Well I'm off to the home helper store, Loew's. Have a wonderful day!

AWWW, A LITTLE R & R ON THE DELTA'S

I'll be leaving in a little while for down South and a little time floating around the Delta's. Some much needed rest and relaxation, a little business and some visiting with family and friends. I'll be doing some painting, I have a couple of paintings I want to finish for shows and maybe a couple just for me. Anyway the weather will be good, not too hot, nice evening breezes coming in from the Deltas and a nice little house all to myself. I can eat what I want and when I want. Hmm, lets see, the first night I'll have an appetizer of crackers with squirt on cheese, then I'll have a banana, peanut butter and pickle sandwich with salty vinegar chips for dinner. Then for dessert I'll eat Fish Food ice cream right out of the carton. Yeah!!!!!!!!! This might be a lot of fun planning my menu for the week. Well, anyway you all be good and I'll be back next week.
Have a wonderful day!

ART, ART, AND MORE ART

Today I am going to Weaverville. A wonderful little town in the mountains. It is quite a tourist town and many art collectors come through there. There are so many good artists in that one little area it's amazing.
This month I am one of three featured artist in the Main Street Gallery. I am really looking forward to this show it is going to be a good one. For this show I sent up a pretty good variety of work. I have a monoprint, watercolor, acrylics and oils, mixed media and collage. I really love doing mixed media pieces and collage. Actually I love doing it all. There are so many other techniques I want to learn, like encaustic. That has to do with wax. Heating the wax and adding color and putting things in the wax, or something like that. I understand it is very messy and can be dangerous if the wax gets too hot. Gee, maybe I won't do that one, I could burn down my studio for pete sake. Well, better get ready to go to Weaverville.
Have a wonderful day.