Family Fun

Every year my sisters and brothers, my mother and I gather somewhere and celebrate for a week the fact we are a family. With all the kids and husbands this little group numbers 19.

This week they all descend on my house for the next week as we celebrate a couple of milestone birthdays. My older sister turned _ _, (I'm not getting in trouble for mentioning her actual age), I turned 45 (btw, she is 5 yrs older--she never said I couldn't mention how much older that me she is and I'm sure your math is not that rusty) and my younger sister turned 40 this year.

Also my daughter turned the the BIG 16 yrs old and she decided she wanted to have her big blow out I-am-16-and-I drive-and-have-a-car party when they were all here.

So with that said you can imagine the cleaning and preping I've been doing to get the house ready for 14 people who all arrive today.

I'll be back online and back to my art (I've got to put some of them where ever they fit and my studio is being sacrificed...boo hoo) after they leave.

Have fun whatevever you are doing this week cause I sure will!


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Sad Sad News Day

I am blown away by the death of Tim Russert as I'm sure most of you are that watched his political commentary.

We knew he was really good at his job but the extraordinary man that he was has only been truly revealed to us in the "Remembering Tim" programs that have been airing this weekend.

Seems he was bigger than life and more caring than any of us, his audience, ever suspected.

We will sorely miss you Tim........your insight, your honesty, your tenacity, your BIG heart, your loyalty to friends and, most of all, your ultimate and all consuming love for your son Luke and your Dad, Big Russ.

Our hearts go out to your family. Sleep long and well,

Ouch!!

I'm in a bit if a pickle today. I finally decided to get the cortisone shot in my foot that had been recommended to me. Can you say BIG big OUCH!!

My husband sat with me (thankfully) as Doc gave me 2 injections and I just about squeezed the bugger out his hand on that second one. That one really hurt. Apparently that injection site was the exact area where I've been experiencing my foot problem.

So 7 hours later here I sit, on my bed, with my foot propped up on 3 pillows wishing I could be at my friend's 1st gallery opening tonight. Boo hoo.

Are you feeling sorry for me yet? Aw shucks forget about me (for now at least), go create something new in my honour. I'll just deal with the pain......sigh...that might last 48-72 hrs.

Oh well, it's all for good. It has to be. I'm taking a workshop with Lyric Kinard tomorrow and my foot has to be able to be hobbled on at least!

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Believe it Baby!

Check this out.

I happened upon this narrative short film about women and their thoughts on all sorts of topics including their own beauty. Take a peek but don't stop watching until you see the credits roll.

You can find it here at In the Trenches Productions, a website with the tag line "Power to Women Over 40!" (isn't that way cool?) Anyway, scroll down and click on "Believe It Baby" on the left. Have a laugh, ponder a thought and get back to me on what you heard.


See ya next time "In the Hayloft,

Happy Easter!

to all those who celebrate this day. Hope it was a day full of family, love, laughter and lots of good food.


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Tag! I'm It!

My good friend Susan Knapp has tagged little ole me. Susan produces wonderful quilted artwork and applique pieces and is a prolific pattern designer....and, most importantly, a great friend.


When you get tagged you are to post 7 things about yourself that others might not know and tag 7 other bloggers. Being tagged is cool and weird at the same time cause you really have to go to the recesses of the brain to come up with things to list. But it'a also a wonderful way to let the light shine on other great artists out there in bloggerland.



7 things that you may not know about me:

I. My first name is actually Karen (Grace is my middle name) and I was named after Princess Grace of Monaco, whom my father absolutely adored. My mother filled out my birth certificate but....my father first registered me in school, it's been Grace ever since. Don't call me Karen cause I probably won't respond. Isn't she absolutely beautiful?
II. I once attended the Barbizon School of Modeling in the early 80's way back when I lived in New York City (there will be no laughing at this reveal...okay, a teeny tiny giggle is permitted).

III. I am so in love with words that when I was younger I used to keep a vocabulary book handy so I could write down all the words I came upon and their definitions (can you say geek?). It's followed me into adulthood, the top thing on my Christmas list in 2007 was a GOOD Oxford dictionary....and I got it! Now isn't that beautiful!!!!!

IV. I still love to watch Eastenders, that long standing English soap opera that comes on every Sunday night.

V. I now have a new addiction.........Scooby Doo snacks!!! Cinnamon only! Everyone needs to try them at least once. I keep a box in my studio for powerful energy bursts. Well....not really, I just love to munch on them. I even got Susan hooked on them (hee hee). Scooby Dooby Dooooooooo!

VI. According to traditional Chinese lore I was born in the year of the tiger (growl) and my Heavenly Element is water. I am Yang (as opposed to yin). The Chinese believed in five elements--metal, wood, fire, water, and earth. I am metal, gold (although I much prefer silver)and am represented by the planet Venus.

and number 7....

VII. I have never been to the beach in North Carolina although I have lived here for 16 yrs. l Not intentionaly mind you. Just never got there....I'd much rather take a trip to the mountains instead and look at the trees.

So there you have it, a little more about me. I now have to tag 7 others..... I think I'll do that tomorrow.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Smile!

Somebody you'll pass by today needs a pick me up!


--grace

Every Little Bit Helps

Just a short post today about conservation. The county we live in is in stage 3 water restrictions. Been that way for a while now. So to do our part one of the things we did was to find another source for water to water out plants.

For a while now we have had a bucket in the shower to catch excess water. I fill up my watering can and my son and I go around and water all the plants we have around the house (he loves to help me do this). Easy no brainer thing to do, right?

Connor, who just turned 7 this past Monday, took a shower one evening this week as he usually does. Early the next morning when I went to take my shower...this is what I found and I just had to capture it:

I was so overcome with gratitude and love for that little guy, that this little thing we are doing to conserve water he has actually paid attention to and wants to do his part as well. I am so very pleased to know my role modeling is working. Now if only I can see some of the stuff I taught in "The Teenager" (yeh, right!).

Oh......

and another update on the newest member of our family.

Do ya think he's a bit spoiled right now........

his own blankie???????

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Today I turn 45!

And I am quite happy at the prospect. I have never been a person to worry about my age (in my head I'm still 28 anyway) so to reach this milestone is wonderful.

I believe we expound to much energy in worrying about the number we are and not enough time celebrating the fact that we are still alive and get to do all we do. I am grateful all the time for the little things including the fact that I can still see all the beautiful things this world has to offer, can still walk to where I need to go (even if it's just to get in my car and drive) and can still hugs those I love

My mother and sisters called me today to wish me Happy Birthday and we have all decided that since we all turn a significant age this year we'll have to get together at a splendiferous spa to celebrate our wonderful selves.

My older sister is older than me again this year (can't mention the exact number cause I'll get in trouble but I know your math is good enough to figure out her significant number.....), my younger sister is 40 and I am 45. This doesn't happen all the time so we'll have to take advantage of it. At least that's what I'm telling the husband

So come celebrate with me and make this a good day for you as well. Tell me what YOU think my sisters and I should do to celebrate our birthdays this year.

Happy Birthday to ME
Happy Birthday to ME
Happy Birthday to ME- eeeeeee
Happy Birthday to ME


See ya next time "in the Hayloft",

I'm Still Here

Bet you thought I got lost somewhere, never to return again. WRONG! As I mentioned when I started this blog, things (read LIFE here) will get in the way but........I'm back and eager to fill you in on happening things.

First I had such a fun time with Karen Stone this weekend. She came to visit our guild (Charlotte Quilter's Guild) this past week and she was a real hoot...warm, funny and very generous with her knowledge and time. We had so many members sign up for her workshop that I had to ask if she could do two instead of the usual one workshop to accomodate all those who wanted to attend (that was 40 ladies all eager to be near Karen). Sent her off on her merry way on Sat so she could prepare for her daughter's 18th birthday. Happy Birthday Chelsea!

News about my wayward foot...I will eventually have to have surgery done. Remember I told you that I was SPECIAL because I have all those extra sessamoid bones on each of my toes (the nurse still insisted I contact the Guinness Book of World Records to report this). Well apparently the original X-ray (taken in June!!!!) was mislabeled and when my new Doc looked a bit closer last week he could see that one of the small round bones was broken. The only thing with that was it showed I should be having pain in my right foot and not the left.

Got new X-rays done that same day and YUP...one of those little teeny tiny bones cracked right down the middle. That's why I'm still limping darn it, they were all looking at the left foot X-ray which really was a wonderful picture of the right foot with no problems!

So, in the end, Doc decided I should just have those little culprits both removed, hence the surgery and six weeks convalescence for healing...3 wks on crutches and 3 with a boot. Would you believe the best time for that is Christmas??? It's only then that I can almost guarantee that DH will be home long enough (Business Trips'R Him.com these days) to let me recuperate without too much getting up and down.

That's all for now. Will have some pics of new work next time including the new ones of the last piece I posted with the Sonji-like bundles I added to it. Cool stuff those bundles.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Extra Sesamoids?????

So I go to my podiatrist's office today because I've been limping for a few weeks...okay so it's really been a month and a half. The nurse asks me to put on the dreaded lead "apron" (more like a brick coat) and to step onto the x-ray machine. Did you know that podiatrist have their own x-ray contraptions? Anyway, I digress. After I twist my foot this way and that for all the different angles they needed to diagnose my problem, I settle in my room and wait for the Doc. She comes in, intoduces herself and proceeds to squeeze the beejeezuz out my hand to give me one of the strongest handshakes I've ever had. Now I need to go see another doctor about the pain in my hand!

Doc presses and prods my foot then looks at my x-rays. She is blown away! Apparently I have a really rare condition...extra sesamoid bones on ALL of my little toes-ies, something she's only ever seen during her clinical work. Most people just have them on their big toe but, lucky me, I have two of them on all five toes, on each foot no less. She explains that although it is a rare condition it should not be a problematic condition. She then tries to fit me for inserts and adds pads that she fashions herself, cutting these cushiony soft supports to fit the ball of my foot.

Next it's onto a little bit of papier mache casting of the feet. I'm told to lie down on the examination table face down and the nurse massages (yes, I said massages) a cast-like substance onto each foot thereby creating cute little impressions of my long and slender feet. I'm not kidding, the nurse oohed and ahhed at how "slim" my size 9 feet were!!! Nothing but the genes kid, nothing but the genes (although I could have done without the butt I inherited on my backside. I call that HERITAGE now).

Long story short I now have to wear othopedic inserts in all my shoes---no more heels (not that I wore them much anyway), no more flip flops (which I just discovered how to wear only a few months ago with help from my teenaged daughter who laughed incredulously when she found out that bit of info) and no more slip-ons. What is a girl to do? Obey doctor's orders and wear those sneakers that's what, especially since we are headed "across the pond" to England to visit the in-laws for a few weeks. Notice here no in-law jokes what-so-ever...father-in-law (luv ya Ron) might be reading this sometime.

With all that said, I decided to take sick leave when I got back home. Haven't been in the studio today...I know, I know, how will I produce art if I don't even set hurting foot in the room? Tomorrow is another day...and I'm in there early in the a.m. as usual. With my aching foot I'll...

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",