I absolutely love the effects that people get using a palette knife to paint. The incredible 3-D effects that reach out and grab you, looking like the flowers are about to fall off the page, for example. The depth people can achieve in landscapes. The texture that makes you want to reach out and FEEL the work!
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
Art Painting Canvas
Filed under Palette Knife Art
Going Mutts Pet Services, LLC
Still feeling pretty bad. Brian finally gave in and got himself the same meds I’m taking, since we can tell that I’m improving. Hopefully we will both feel more like ourselves in another couple of days….
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We had to be at the hospital for an appointment at 8:30 with the main doctor in charge of Harvey, Harvey, and Harvey’s nurse for his routine checkup. We bought meds, got the paperwork the doctor filled out for us, and visited with Harvey for a bit. We will see Harvey again on Thursday.
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One of the side effects of the med for sore throat and throat irritation is that you may feel drowsy. That’s for sure in my case. We got home and I was out like a light for an hour and a half. I took it easy the rest of the day, mainly painting.
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This last painted sketch is for the ‘house shrine’ I was telling you about yesterday. This one is in a tree and rustic-looking with weathered wood. Others are bright white, quite ornate, and sit on pedestals.
I’ll show you more painted sketches tomorrow.
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“If you’re reading this…
Congratulations, you’re alive.
If that’s not something to smile about,
then I don’t know what is.”
― Chad Sugg, Monsters Under Your Head
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” – A.D. Williams
“When you look into the eyes of an animal you’ve rescued, you can’t help but fall in love.” – Paul Shaffer
“From the moment they placed you in my arms, you snuggled right into my heart.” – Anonymous
“I now have a dog that I care for, I see things that I needed to see, that lovely dog that I rescued. Really ended up rescuing me.” – Anonymous
“The best things in life are rescued.” – Anonymous
“Rescue Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Hidreley
Filed under CUTE!
Mosaics Lab
i Mosaic Art
r/stainedglass – Hunnybunny843 – Reddit
Filed under mosaic
Burgess Health Center
Both Brian and I had our colds get worse yesterday. We opted out of the yesterday and today. We shared breakfast, then I took the new medicine. Two and a half hours later, I woke up from a ‘nap.’ One good thing, these meds are helping me get rid of the congestion in my chest. The bad thing, I’m using up an entire box of Kleenex blowing my nose….
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I’m beginning to paint my impression of a “house shrine.”
“In Thailand, a spirit house (known as San Phra Phum) is a miniature, ornate shrine built on a pedestal to shelter the guardian spirits of the land. Found outside homes, businesses, and temples, these shrines are actively maintained with daily offerings of food, incense, and brightly colored drinks to ensure good fortune and protection.” ~ Wikipedia.
My understanding is that the Thai people are thanking the spirits for allowing them use of the land and they are promising to maintain that land for the spirits and themselves. You will see the shrines all all over the place here. They are quite beautiful – all different – all beautifully maintained.
I will see how the painting goes, and may be able to share it tomorrow.
I also did some other sketches, plus 4 more ‘thank you’ cards for our housekeeper’s sister. We don’t know how long Khun Bpaum will be helping us, and I want to be sure I have enough cards to thank her for her good work.
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The cheetah puzzle is coming along nicely, although this last part is the most difficult. All the pieces are basically the same color, no outstanding shapes, no way to put together a group that might slide into place…. Character-building time for sure.
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I hope that you are having a great weekend.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
MEC Artworks
MindfulMosaics-Facebook
Sue Peterson Mosaics – HVA
Filed under mosaic
“It’s easy to see why dog rescue is a mushrooming culture. Turning a troubled person’s life around is difficult, but rescuers with commitment and time, and a few dollars can radically alter the fate of a dog. And there are millions of dogs – nearly 10 million in the shelter system, many others mistreated in private homes – in need of rescuing. – Jon Katz
“Rescue does not mean damaged. It means they have been let down by humans.” – Anonymous
“You can’t change a dog’s past, but you can rewrite the future.” – Agnes Carass
“A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, smart or dumb. Give him your heart…and he’ll give you his.” – Milo Gathema
“It’s rewarding beyond words to rescue a dog from the shelter and have that dog become part of your family.” – Jenna Morasca
“Rescue Dogs”- Hidreley – BoredPanda.com
Filed under CUTE!
David Element-@davidelement.bsky.social
I think this photo is amazing.
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Freepik
My cold symptoms seem to have returned – sore throat, cough, runny nose – so I opted out of the gym this morning. When we got back from seeing my husband, we got new medicines that I took. I then took a nap and felt better. I spent a couple of hours at the cafe after that, and Brian will text me to come up for dinner soon.
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This was not one of Harvey’s better days. He was cooperative, though, in our getting the thumbprints on the paperwork needed to renew his medical visa for another 90 days, and the pictures we needed. We will meet him and his nurse, plus his main doctor at the hospital for a routine visit Monday and get the paperwork the doctor fills out for the visa, plus the meds we buy from the hospital. Hopefully, we can be finished with the visa renewal stuff in the next few days.
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Yesterday I told you that I was going to put my carrier and my art backpack in the chair beside me to discourage people from coming and wanting to visit the whole time I was there. Now I feel stupid because NO ONE ‘bothered’ me. I had prepared for a problem that didn’t exist. I have tried to learn to go with the flow, rather than worrying all the time, and this shows what happens when I forget that….
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I found out recently that a couple of my long-term friends from Lunch Bunch are now in long term nursing homes in Arkansas. I know things always come to an end, but it’s hard to let go when people mean so much to you. I’m going to concentrate on remembering what beautiful people they are and how much I have enjoyed their friendship over about 20 years.
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This is an example of how well I am spoiled here. The lady server noticed that I came back after my drink was delivered and quietly got a couple of napkins. I set my iced mocha on one of the napkins and wrapped the other one around the glass so I could keep my fingers dry while I sketched. Instead of just letting me continue to do that, this is what she brought me… I LOVE getting spoiled!
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Dreams Quote
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
A Peace of Me Mosaic
Art and Tradition Tours
Laura Galbato Mosaics
Filed under mosaic
“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.” – Karen Davison
“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” – Thom Jones
“I found me when I was rescued by dogs.” – Anonymous
“Secondhand animals make first class pets.” – Anonymous
“Rescue: It’s not just a verb. It’s a promise.” – Anonymous
“Rescue Dogs” – BoredPanda.com – Hidreley
Filed under Uncategorized
Ali Khaliq-@kahliqali.bsky.social
I want to go here sit somewhere beside it, and simply listen and absorb.
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Latest two sketches.
I have decided that when Brian and I go to the cafe today to get out of the way of our housekeeper, I will fill the chair beside me with my carrier and my art backpack. The Chinese man yesterday was very nice, but I got the distinct impression that he might be there again today, expecting to spend whatever time I have there with me. If I HAVE to, I will just have to say, “I need to work today. Can we chat at another time?” I HATE that!
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Easy Peasy Foodie
My morning has been really nice. We went to the gym and shared breakfast. Our favorite breakfast is one “I” call a “Breakfast Burrito.” Do you remember the Wendy’s commercials showing people trying to eat a Wendy’s hamburger, taking a bite, then putting it down, wiping their faces and hands with a napkin, then taking another bite – stopping – over and over, with a whole pile of napkins? This is the way we are with the burritos. They are a flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, and a whole lot of salad (lettuce, carrots, etc.) plus some kind of salad type dressing. We each eat half of the burrito. It’s to-die-for delicious, but impossible to eat. Brian holds his, eats it while it’s falling apart, then goes to his sink and practically takes a shower to clean up from it. I eat a few bites until it starts to drip all over the plate and fall apart. I then put the rest on my plate, using a fork and knife to cut up the rest of it. I still end up mopping my face….
Thaiger
This morning was my massage. Ahhhhhh! Khun Weaw is back now on a steady basis, so I can feel myself relax as I go in. She finds and fixes all that ails me. I never have to worry about it being too much, even though there is one thing she does that feels like she’s twisting me into a corkscrew and that I might suddenly ‘pop.’ I’m drinking a bottle of water as I type this, supposedly to avoid soreness. I don’t know the science behind it, I just do it.
Brian was here working when I got back from the massage. I changed clothes and then did my backup of my phone and computer data. He then announced he had ordered a ‘snack.’ We have just enjoyed the impossibly decadent cream-filled-whatever-it-is with lemonade on the side. Did I tell you I am becoming the most spoiled woman on the planet?
We will work here for a while and then head for the cafe for the rest of the afternoon. Hopefully, I will get several sketches done. I am going to TRY to sketch the head of an otter, a concrete elephant sculpture we saw recently, and a type of shrine people build and display here when they build a house or shop to appease the spirits. They hope the house will take the place of the land that they are using. A kind of ‘Bless this House’ and good luck wish. It is also a place where people leave offerings of food, drink, and flowers. Then there are several images on my phone I would like to put my spin on…
I hope that you have a good weekend ahead. Please remember to consciously include some FUN in each day!
Wisdom Quotes
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Passing Moments” – @pauljwillson.bsky.social
Isn’t this lovely?
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Daily Paws
Brian and I finally feel well enough that we went to the gym this morning for the first time in a week. We are still coughing, but it’s just leftover stuff now. It was good to be back to our normal schedule this morning, although it seemed like the half hour walking went slow for me. Shows how much I NEED it!
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I have the sheets changed on the bed, trash gathered, and things picked up and mostly ready for Khun Nong’s sister, Khun Bpaum, to come clean tomorrow.
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I’m going to head for the cafe soon, getting money to pay my massage people and the cleaning lady, on the way.
I had a really nice time with the lady who owns or manages the hotel connected to the cafe yesterday. I had brought my older sketchbook and she had time and wanted to look at my stuff. I’ve never had anyone ask to do that before, so it was really a thrill. After she looked a while, I told her about the “Thai Street Series” I was trying to do. She was interested, so I riffled through the sketches to find them. I held my breath when we got to the shrine, because Brian told me that I could offend someone if they didn’t like it. The wonderful thing was that she was pleased with it. She liked the calm and reverent feeling I had gotten. I was so relieved. She said the one thing that was missing was some moss, so I added some to the painting this morning.
She wants to draw, too, and even bought a sketchbook. I encouraged her to do it. It would relieve her stress.
Our Mindful Life
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Tenor
After several years – two years of conscious effort – and another year of being here in Thailand – I am FINALLY at my weight goal. I am 5’4″ (and shrinking) and I now weigh 50 kgs, or 110 lbs. I will try to maintain or hover around this level the rest of my life.
This lady on the right shows you how I used to look in May of 2013. At my worst, I weighed 205 lbs.
This is the latest full picture of me. I’ve lost more weight since this photo, but no appreciable difference shows.
It feels good to have FINALLY reached a goal. Now I have wrinkles on my wrinkles and this is my twin – except that I’M smiling much of the time.
The reason I wanted to write this post is not to crow about the weight loss (though I AM tooting my horn a bit), but to tell you –
SO – I’ve met my goal and will change my concentration to maintenance and exercise now. FREEDOM to cram as much joy into each day remains my priority. I love adding new activities, such as re-learning to play my guitar and sing, to my day. JOY – FUN – LEARNING – RESTING are the watchwords I live by now.
Filed under getting the lard off
I love this image by Tina Ann.
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This is my new haircut. Not quite where I want to go yet, but he’s getting closer. At least it looks like someone had a plan now, rather than my former dandelion-gone-to-seed look.
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The visit to Harvey yesterday was mixed. Most of the time he made little or no sense. He looked at me for a long time and then said he liked my earrings. Then after we sat silently a while longer, he said, “I like waking up to the pictures on my wall. They make me happy.” I thanked him for telling me that and then had to excuse myself to cry in the bathroom for a couple of minutes. This Saturday we do all the thumbprints and pictures needed to Harvey’s renewal of his medical visa. Monday he has an appointment at the hospital with his main doctor, and that doctor will fill out the rest of the paperwork we need. We’ll probably stop by the visa lady’s office on the way home from seeing Harvey Monday at the hospital.
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Yesterday at the cafe I felt someone looking at me while I was sketching. I looked up out the window and there was a man standing there grinning at me. He pointed to my sketchbook and then did a thumb’s up, continuing to grin and bow. He did that a couple of times to make sure I got the message and then went on his way. Honestly, it astonishes me how nice people are here.
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This is the newest painted sketch.
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Meet “Gus.” He’s my resident gecko. He moves from my bathroom, to skittering across my art alcove counter, and elsewhere, moving from a complete standstill to running as fast as he can. He is probably 1-1/2 inches long at the most, and is as cute as geckos get. I’ve decided to name him and call him a pet, since he seems to have adopted my place. Hopefully, he’ll eat any bugs he finds.
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I’m closing in on finishing the cheetah puzzle. I just love how he stands out in this photo.
I found another puzzle I love and looked on Lazada (our Amazon type place) to find it again. After looking and looking, I finally decided they no longer offered it. I looked on Amazon and FOUND it! I texted Brian and he just told me he had ordered it. He really spoils me, and I make sure he knows how much I appreciate him.
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Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Phil Beck 1826
Coffee is liquid love in a cup. — Anonymous
The Gourmet Coffee Club
I like coffee because it gives me the illusion that I might be awake. — Lewis Black
The Tree of Life
He was my cream, and I was his coffee… And when you poured us together, it was something. — Josephine Baker
Filed under ceramics
The Dodo
“Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart.” —Anthony J. D’Angelo
The Irish Sun
“Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available.” —Jim Begg
The Sun
“Smile. It’s the second-best thing you can do with your lips.” —Jill Shalvis
Filed under CUTE!
I painted these for Harvey’s “Happy Wall.” I’ll give him the “Tasmanian Devil” a week from Saturday, spacing these out, hoping he enjoys adding them to his wall.
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We will go visit him today. Nothing special is going on this week, but NEXT week we have to get his thumbprint on about 20 pages and pictures of him in the bed to apply for another renewal of his medical visa. We have a lady who helps us, so we are just go-fers on this, thank goodness. It would still seem obvious that Harvey isn’t going anywhere soon, and you would think they would have different KINDS of medical visas, but we will do whatever we need to do to keep things legal.
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Yesterday at the cafe I had the nicest thing happen! The lady that I told you brought me the fresh Thai bananas recently came in. We smiled and I motioned her over, telling her how wonderful I thought the bananas were and how much Brian and I enjoyed them. I then gave her a thank you card I had painted. She looked at it, teared up, and hugged it close to her. Then got up and hugged ME. It turns out that she speaks pretty good English (!) and she said she had wanted to see my art work but was afraid of ‘disturbing me.’ (Can you imagine that?) Anyway, I told her I would be happy for her to look through my old sketchbook, and that I would start bringing it in my art bag in case she had the time to look. The Thai people are SO kind!
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Quote Cascade
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Filed under paper art
Julia Galloway Ceramics – Pottery at Mudfire Gallery
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy coffee, and that’s pretty close.
Lale Pottery – Pinterest
The best coffees are the ones that taste like a conversation.
Lazada
Coffee is the answer, but I don’t know the question.
Filed under ceramics
Happy Mother’s Day!
This is one of the priceless drawings a friend of my family growing up did for us. It’s the same man who drew the picture of me singing at the Dust Bowl that I posted recently. This time his vision of Mother’s Day became a treasure on what we called, “The Thomson Wall” at our home in Tulsa.
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My Mother kept a garden,
A garden of the heart.
She planted all the good things
That gave my life its start.
She turned me to the sunshine
And encouraged me to dream.
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rain came,
She protected me enough.
But not too much because she knew
I’d need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
Always taught me right from wrong.
Markers for my pathway
That will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother’s garden.
I am her legacy.
And I hope today she feels the love
Reflected back from me.
—Unknown
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Little Hiccups
This morning I’m getting a haircut! To say I’m overdue is an understatement. To be able to shower and simply blow it dry in the mornings again will be wonderful. I’d really like it to stay longer on my forehead, so I’m taking a couple of pics on my phone to show him. Fingers crossed.
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Newest painted sketches.
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I hope you have had a wonderful celebration of Mother’s Day, with memories, old and new, and lots and lots of love.
Lifehack.org
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“A smile cures the wounding of a frown.” —William Shakespeare
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” —Mother Teresa
Lemon8
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” ―Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Shutterstock
“It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime.” ―Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Filed under CUTE!
Ali Express
Hugh Jackman
Ebay UK
Etsy
Filed under ceramics
Happy Mother’s Day for those in my time zone. (We’ll celebrate for everyone else again tomorrow. :0) )
“When you’re a child she walks before you
To set an example.
When you’re a teenager she walks behind you
To be there should you need her.
When you’re an adult she walks beside you
So that as two friends you can enjoy life together.”
—Unknown
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Harvey didn’t smile, but he took the painting in his hand, looked at it a long time and said, “Good.” I asked him if he wanted me to add it to his wall, and he nodded. I am planning to take him another cartoon character every other week, unless there is a holiday or other special day to celebrate instead. Harvey wasn’t making a lot of sense, otherwise, but he seemed content and comfortable. He did tell me he loved me when I told him and hugged his head. A good visit.
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Newest painted sketches. I will finish one sketchbook today and have started sketchbook #3. Between sketching, painting them, writing blog posts and researching to find more things to share, I have such a happy life. Both of these things are challenging, fun, and fulfilling.
And THEN I add trying to re-learn to play my guitar and sing, working on a beautiful jigsaw puzzle that lives on my puzzle table ready for me to come work on it whenever I can make the time, listening to music, reading, doing my exercises, taking short walks, going to the cafe, I’m a lucky, spoiled-rotten, very happy and grateful lady.
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Happy Mother’s Day!
Filed under Uncategorized
BabaMail
“Gratitude paints little smiley faces on everything it touches.” —Richelle E. Goodrich
Boston University
“A simple smile. That’s the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.” —Dalai Lama
Cheezburger
“My mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me.” ―R.J. Palacio, Wonder
Ecotek Green Living
“Everyone smiles in the same language.” —George Carlin
Filed under Attitude
BoredPanda.com – Justin Sanberg, Gabija Palsyte, Jonas Zvilius
Filed under CUTE!
This is what I call my “statement shelf” in my living area.
This is the centerpiece of my statement shelf. My dad painted this of me when I was about 6, saying it was a “personality” piece. Brian saw that I had a really hard time leaving this painting behind when we moved to Arkansas, so he ordered a print of it on glass. The print comes with the little black stand for it to sit in, or it also comes with a ‘frame,’ but I prefer it this way. Because of Brian’s sensitivity and generosity, my dad is here in my condo with me.
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It had been years and years since I had tried to work a jigsaw puzzle because they drove Harvey crazy. I decided to have a puzzle table where the puzzle I was working on could be right out in the middle of the living area where I could work on it whenever I wanted, not bothering anyone. I thought I would never finish this. It was quite difficult for me. I still love all the owls and the bright colors. Brian is having each of the puzzles I finish printed on glass so I can enjoy them for years afterwards AND give them to someone else to enjoy when I am finished.
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I went for a fantasy scene next. I learned that because I like blue and purple, especially, does not make for an easy jigsaw puzzle. For any one piece, it could have gone ANYWHERE in this puzzle! I loved the image, though.
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Underwater, dolphins and turtles. What could be better? I loved the colors and action in this one. The four dolphins made it difficult to figure out WHICH dolphin I was working on, and the spaghetti-looking stuff in the middle was a nightmare. I patted myself on the back when this one was finished. :0)
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This is a print of an original drawing by my husband’s cousin. He had sent us a print in a card for each Christmas for several years. I had kept all of them, but had to leave them behind in the move. Jon sent me this as a surprise this past Christmas-time and I framed it and display it proudly on my statement shelf – the beginning of a new collection of his work.
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And now – finally – the newest addition to the statement shelf – the glass print we just received this week of the glorious turtle who only emerged at the very last of the puzzle. I’ve never had a puzzle where the main subject was ‘hidden’ in the weird colored pieces that didn’t seem to fit together. This one was literally worked from the outside in, with his head being the very last thing to come together. I truly love him.
When this statement shelf is too full for anything more, I’m seriously thinking of having a shelf put up on another wall. There is one wall that is absolutely empty as you come in my place just crying for something. Since I haven’t fallen in love with any artwork, I can see a shelf that will be ready to receive several more glass prints of jigsaw puzzles…
Filed under Decorating Ideas
I just finished a very short session of trying to learn and get my guitar sounds to sound clear. I remembered that I thought I had a picture of a drawing a friend of my family growing up drew when he and his wife came to see me perform at “The Dust Bowl” in Tulsa, OK when I was starting high school and continuing through college. The date hanging from my foot says, November 2, 1964, so this was in the dark ages. The next summer I would meet and fall in love with my Harvey and he would soon join the Marines for the next 4 years.
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We will leave soon to go visit Harvey. I have “Mr. Natural” ready to take to him and put up on his “Happy Wall.” It would be nice to get a smile, but we’ll meet him where he is and try to brighten his day a bit. We’ll probably stop for chocolate on the way home, regroup, and then spend some time at the cafe.
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Brian opted out on the gym because he’s still coughing hard. Hopefully, in another couple of days we’ll both feel like resuming our normal early morning schedule. He did find some cough medicine that seems to be loosening his cough and helping him get rid of the problem.
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dontgiveupworld.com via QuotesGram
Filed under Uncategorized
creativeartworksblog 