Week almost complete

I just finished 4 days of journaling and getting ready to prep some more pages.  I've been getting things ready for tomorrow so I can try to "be good" and not keep getting up out of bed like I did after the last injections.  I have my journaling pages up to thursday done and posted to the class site so thought I'd blog them before I forget. 
For the 15th we were to write about an impromtu vacation at  home.  I put down basics I'd do for pampering such as a candle lit bubble bath, wearing my pj's and tiara then creating some art and taking the time to send snail mail to people that I care about.  Just having a relaxing time away from everything and taking care of me.  Things I should do more now but don't seem to. 

For the 16th we were to tell how we "LIVE OUT LOUD" which for me was basically a continuance of the 15th.  More "me" time and doing things that release my innerself...following my bliss and being a better person.  I think everyone needs to do this.  Live their lives with adventure.  I've tried to do this more the past few years and have explored places nearby that I had never known were there before or just never thought to see.  I highly recommend to anyone just to play tourist in their own city sometime and visit some new places you've never been to.  This year has been more of an artistic adventure for me and I'm so glad I've followed though with it.  I have had a lot of fun creating and learning but I have a tendency to shy away from it when I don't have some type of project due.  This is something I need to figure out a way of changing so that I'll be more motivated and play without the need for a schedule of some sort.

For the 17th we are to tell whether we prefer movies or book versions.  I love movies but usually I prefer the book because of the details that get lost on the cutting room floors and never make it to film or get changed because someone thinks they can do it better or it films better in another way.  I know that sometimes when a book is bought it's just the "idea" of what happened in the book that the film maker wants and not the book itself, but when they are making a movie of a best seller and are pretty much going to reenact that book they should keep it genuine.  There was a reason the book sold well and if it was good enough to make a movie of I think it should be kept intact.  Just my 2cents on the subject.  I also like books because of the new book smell.  I just love that.  You can't get that from a movie.  But then you can't get the smell of hot buttered popcorn from a book. 

My last page for the day was "If you could be friends with a celebrity who would it be?"  Well that was a no brainer.  Of course I'd want to be friends with Viggo.  Not only because he's cute but he is a very interesting man.  He's artistic, a poet, publisher, photographer...all things I'm interested in.  I wish I could speak the languages he does and have the energy and adventure for life that he does.  He's very driven to live life to it's fullest and many of the things he does are things I had once sought out to do myself but because of various circumstances fell short of.   So I can live vicariously through him.  Plus he's good eye candy.

Now I'm off to get some more pages painted and maybe plan a home vacation sometime soon.  Hope those of you who read this will do the same.  Everyone deserves some pampering!

Such is life

I didn't really care for the way my 13th day turned out.  I have a harder time with the pages when I don't know the answers to the questions.  For this day it was what are your goals for the next 10 years.  Other than basics I really don't know.  I wasn't sure where I was going with it and it shows.  There's always going to be the ones you hate and the ones you really like and enjoyed doing I suppose.  It's just a part of anything in life. 

For the 14th it was another of those ones you could go literal or metaphorically.  The question was "look through your door, what do you see now versus then?"  Well literally the only difference is the type of tree...then the neighborhood.  The street I grew up on was very quiet compared to what I live on now.  That's the one thing I dislike about the area we're in now.  When we moved here 15 years ago it was still realatively quiet and we knew all the neighbors around us.  Now the street is majorly traveled and we hardly know any of our neighbors.  Our valley use to be quiet and no one knew where it was when you said the name...but over the years that has changed.  More and more people from the cities have decided they wanted cheaper housing, better communities to raise their children and so on...so we now have tons of high priced but low grade houses, over populated schools and people with Los Angeles attitudes.  The only nice part that came with them is the stores.  We didn't even have a McDonalds in our town until I was in high school.  I remember when they applied for their permit to be able to have their sign with the arches because I was working for the city planning deptartment at the time and had to type up the paperwork for their proposal that was voted on by the city board members.  The sign was technically higher then city regulated standards so it had to be approved before they could put it up.  Can you imagine McD's without their arches?  I think they had to compromise because the sign has never been anywhere near as tall as the ones I'd seen in other places.
It's funny because back in my teens and early 20s I use to go to Hollywood every weekend wishing that we had better shops and things to do that were closer. I hated that everyone had MTV but us because of our mountain range.  Now I wish that we had the quiet little town we use to have.  I hate the traffic and haven't even been to the L.A. area in years and now I don't have to because they've come to me.   I miss our orchards and dairies, well maybe not them so much as the smell could really get to you.  And you don't even want to live near a chicken or turkey farm. Peeewwww!  It's true, you really do have to watch what you wish for because you just might get it.

She loved them!

I'm jazzed today because my past few journaling pages have gotten very good comments and in an email today, Kelly said she loved the pages I turned in today.  I got 4 pages done today so I'm ahead again.  Whoo hoo!  Now if I can just keep it up for a while I could be done with a couple weeks in no time.  It's been really helpful to get such good reviews from the rest of the class too.  There's no negativity allowed so if someone comments on your work it's because they saw something about it they liked.  You can tell how well a page does by how enthusiastic everyone gets.

Today's page was about bad hair experiences.  I've only had one really bad one and that was when I had my hair past my waist and decided I wanted it permed.  What a mistake that was.  The girl that did it kept saying it was no problem, that all she had to do was double roll it because I had so much hair.  Well she burnt my hair because she decided she needed to give it more time too.  I ended up having to trim it off and let it grow out again.  Luckily my hair grew fast back then.  I don't know what's happened to it now.  It doesn't seem to grow half as fast as it use to.  I could cut it to my shoulders and within a couple of years it'd be back down past my waist.  Now I'm lucky if it's half that.  My mother always cut my hair really short when I was little so I always wanted it long...and so did my dad.  When he was home she wasn't allowed to cut it.  Then when I was old enough to have my say I kept it long.  Now for some reason I like it short because it's easier to manage, but John loves it long and actually went to the salon with me one time to make sure they didn't cut off more then I said I would. 

For tomorrow she asks if we've ever had any surgeries and if we'd ever had or would have cosmetic surgery.  In 1988 I had my first back surgery then 10 years later my second, third and rang in the millenium with my fourth.  As far as cosmetic, unless I was in some sort of accident that disfigured me I doubt I'd ever have any.  Besides it being way too expensive, I've heard too many horror stories and a lot of these people that have them look so plastic.  The more people get these proceedures done the more society judges those that look naturally aged and the way they were born as being not good enough and that's just wrong. 
I used a copy of a drawing by Rima's that I thought went well with the journaling. 

On the 11th our topic is "Who couldn't you believe said that?  I'm a good one for putting my foot in my mouth.  My mouth seems to want to go faster then my brain...  I've also had a lot of those moments where I can't believe someone has said something they shouldn't have.  I'm sure we all have.  The one I mentioned was one that effected my youth.  When I was in elementary school my grandfather's cousin saw an inter-racial couple with their baby and was just disgusted.  She said they should never have brought a baby into this world that was mixed because that is just too hard on a child to have to deal with that sort of pressure and that children of mixed raced were just a mistake.  So for a long time I figured that included me since I was mixed..  I think that's part of where a lot of my negativity about myself comes from. 

I used radiant pearls on this page when I painted it and found that it doesn't dry so well on top of some paint. 

The 12th is about pen pals.  Have we had and would we ever have... I've had pen pals since I was in high school so this was an easy one for me.  I also brought up how we use to decorate and pass around friendship booklets with our letters.  I was surprised when Kelly commented on how my page brought back memories for her because she did them also along with the various labels we use to use back then.  Now I wonder if I have ever had one of hers cross my mail path.  I had so many labels and still have quite a few so I included them on my page.  Duran and Japan were my favourite bands at that time so I had a ton of labels with them.  I guess the friendship booklets were my first artistic endeavors that I shared with others. 

One of the things I'm learning to do more with these projects is use colours I don't normally care for and new combinations.  I really don't care for orange but we've been using a lot of it on our pages and I'm beginning to like it a little better with combinations of other colours.  I'm still not fond of it on it's own.

What a weird day

I am having a very strange day.  I started off energetic and ready to get things done then half way through it I got this weird dizzy feeling and something smelled like oxygen...like what they give you out of the tanks.  Whatever it is it's by my desk because that seems to be the only place I'm smelling it.  Maybe I'm becoming a hypochondriac and don't realize it yet.  I'm always the last to know.   I did get two pages done this morning before I started feeling queezy so that was a good thing.  And once I started feeling a little better I got a couple more pages painted and waiting for them to dry.

September 7th: "What do you know now that you wish you'd known in middle school or high school?"  Wow, what don't I wish I knew.  I was so naive and didn't know much about anything.  Most of my learning was from other kids...and we all know how accurate that type of information can be.

September 8th was "Which do you prefer, the woods or ocean?"  I like both even though I'm not much of a crowded beach type person.  I do like the water and all that.  I like the serenity of both types of places.  They can both be very good for the soul.

More alive at night

Does anyone else feel more alive and at peace during the night hours then the day?  I've always like nights and dawn better than any other time of day.  A friend had the theory that people tend to be more of a day or night person depending on the time of day they were born.  If you were born in the morning you were a morning person, born at night you were more inclined to be a night owl.  I screwed up her theory when I told her I was born at noon.  She felt better when I told her noon where I was born would be night here.  So technically I still fall under her logic.  I was born early so is that why I hate being late too?

I tried the old hot water trick with Mr Vampire and he didn't like it so much.  He became a crackled vampire.  I'm not sure if it will correct itself once he starts drying out and shrinking again but I'm thinking the damage is done and everytime he grows from now on he'll have a shattered look about him.  Poor guy,  I don't think he's liking me much right now.

I didn't post my journaling yesterday.  Our 5th project was about Living Wills.  Something I really should do but it's one of those things you mean to do but keeps getting put to the side as something you can do tomorrow.   I never want to live on life support or be so bad off that I couldn't take care of my basic needs.  That would be a horrible existence to me.

For the 6th. we had to talk about a favourite park memory.  We use to play at the parks a lot when I was growing up and loved rolling down the hills till it made you so dizzy you couldn't walk when you stood up.  I use to take my niece, Ashley, to the park near our apartment whenever I babysat her.  She loved playing on the swings and merry go round.  She was still learning to talk so it was cute to hear her try to explain what she wanted to do next.  Everything was a new exploration for her.  It's fun to see that with kids when they discover something new. 

I need to start blogging BEFORE I write out my journaling because I go blank when I read the question as I'm doing it and will write whatever comes to mind first.  Even if I read the question in advance so I can think on it for awhile, nothing comes to mind until I have something else down on paper and the page is done with.  I do the same thing if asked a question in person.  Things I know suddenly become lost because I've just been asked about it.   When I'm blogging I start remembering all sorts of things and I end up rambling.  My brain just baffles me more and more as I get older.  I think it's out to get me.

Behind again...naturally

Wow does time ever fly by for me...especially when I'm not feeling that great and go into slug mode.  For some reason I've been extremely tired and unmotivated so I haven't gotten any journaling done until today.  I finished day 3 and 4 down so I need to catch up and get ahead again sometime this week.  I'm going in for another injection proceedure on the 14th and that will put me in bed for a few days and behind if I don't get a moving quick.  I have so many things I want to get cleaned up and worked on this week so I won't be doing it while I'm suppose to be resting.  There's no way I'll finish it all but some would be nice.

Journaling for the 3rd was about tattoo's.  What we thought about them and if we would have them.  I really like tattoo's but I do think people can go overboard with them or choose the wrong ones.  I've seen so many beautiful works but I can't help but think about what they'll look like as the person gets older or if their body changes in anyway that will distort the pictures.  There have been some really gorgeous full body tattoo's posted on the internet that make me think, "Oh that would be so cool to have" but I don't like needles or pain that much and I'm not the type of person that would look good covered in ink.  I think some people can wear then better than others.  I have a vine of thorns at my ankle with 3 hearts entwined in it.  I'd like to get it finished so that it goes all the way around my ankle and I've toyed with the idea of getting another someplace but I can never seem to decide what and where.  Since I'm so indecisive about things a new tat doesn't look like it's in my too near future.

Day 4 was "who talks too much and gives their opinion or always has to put in their 2 cents".  That was kind of hard because I know a lot of "talkers" that aren't obnoxious and over opinionated, they just like to talk and tell stories.  That type of person I don't mind since I'm not a talker myself so being with someone that likes to actually works well.  We did use to know a person who LOVED to talk and no matter what had happened to you or what illness you had she always had it happen to her only worse.  That can get annoying real fast.  Luckily I'm not around that type of person very often anymore.

On the vampire front...Day 12 and he hasn't really grown much at all.  It can get cool in the house with the air conditioning on during the day and our late nights get chilly.  The water is suppose to be room temperature so I don't know if it's getting too cold for him to grow...you know guys and cold water or he's just done and this is as big as he gets.  He's only maybe a teeny tiny bit bigger than the day 8 picture.  Maybe I'll see what he does in hot water.

Can it be September already!?!

Wow, this year is nearly at an end.  For the past several years I've resolved to try and be more creative and I think this year has been the best as far as that goes.  Between the stamp conventions and journaling class I have done so much more then I may have ever done. 

Today was the beginning of month two in journaling.  We did a "consumption" list:

Thinking of things I use on a daily basis was a lot harder then I thought it would be.  My focal image was a candy bar wrapper that I really liked and have had in my scrap pile for a couple of years now because I had no idea what to use it for.  I have lots of little things like that here and there just waiting for their day.  I have drink coasters from various places that I am trying to figure out what to use for so if anyone has any ideas I'm open to them.  I thought maybe binding them and making mini books out of them.  I had a pen pal in Norway back in the early 80's that use to send beer coasters to me from pubs she'd go to.  I really liked them and started picking up the coasters whenever we went to a restaurant that used them as a sort of momento to be used later.  Luckily (?) I don't go out that much so I don't have a huge stock pile.  I really do love the ones from Europe.  Maybe it's just because it's different from ours but foreign papers, packaging, containers and such really excite me.  I really miss my snail mail of surprises.  I'm a sucker for cool packaging even with our own products though.  Funny how one mans trash (literally) is another ones treasure. 

Meeting up with old friends

Tonight was such a fun night for me.   Since being on facebook I've found a number of people I graduated high school with.  Tonight one of them, my friend Lois, was in town to have some dental work done and asked if I would meet up with her afterwards for dinner.  We invited a few others and two were able to make it.  Lois and I have known each other since we were 5 years old so she knew my family and asked if my sister wanted to join us so she could see her again.  The five of us had such a good time laughing and carrying on.  I'm sure the rest of the people there were glad to see us leave after a couple of hours of loud chatter and laughter.  Lois was unusually quiet since she had to deal with the after effects of novacaine but she did a good job keeping up.  She use to work for the Los Angeles Times Newspaper but now is back closer to home and working for a company in Redlands doing their proof reading.  Valerie is quite the story teller and had us in stitches with all her goings on over the years.  She is now a caterer so I will have to hit her up on some recipes.  Lisa now works with the La Quinta prison facility and lives out in that area.

It has been 30 years since we've all been together and it was just like old times, only with more grown up talk.  Hopefully we'll be able to do it again sometime soon and the ones that weren't able to make it this time will then. 

August comes to an end

Wow I can't believe this is the last day of August.  My Kelly Kilmer journaling class is over but I have signed up for September and will continue on.  I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us this time.  This has been a fun way to journal and I've really enjoyed it.  I recommend it to anyone who's wanting to learn or would just like to have some artistic fun at their own pace.  Everyone in the class has been so encouraging and supportive of each other.  It has been a fantastic experience.  It's like working with my stamping sisters, who I have really missed trading ideas and chatting with.  My stamping sisters are a group of women I met online at a stamping site who live all over the world.  We became friends and started sharing our lives as well as our arts.  Because of various things going on with everyone we haven't been able to keep in touch as much as we use to and that makes me sad.  I'm glad that I get to keep up with Mel at least through here and facebook.  She keeps my head inflated and too big for the door.  
Sunday's journaling was: "What does rain smell like?" 

I love the smell of rain, I just wish we had more of it.  We are constantly in a drought here in Southern California.  Then when it finally does rain it floods because of fires from the heat and lack of water all summer.  Such is life here in the sunny state. 

Our final project for the month is: "If you could write a book what would it be?"  This was hard for me because I have no idea really.  I went along with the type of books I like to read but if I really had to write something along that line I know it wouldn't be very good.  I probably should of said I'd do a book about Domo's adventures...yikes!  Where was that idea when I was struggling to think of something?  My life story, a day late and a dollar short.

I was having writers block even for the journaling portion of this.  I hope that doesn't happen too often.  I have been experiencing it during a number of pages so it must depend on the question we're being ask as to how inspired I get.

I received a very cool "great blogger" award from Suzie at itch2stitch.  Thank you so much, Suzie!  Suzie has a yummy blog full of her great art and life in the U.K. You should check it out if you get the chance. I just love her dog, Ralph!  He reminds me of Waldo from Nanny and the Professor. 

Vampire Watch Day Four

Well Mr. Vampire is slowly getting larger.  With his cape spread out he is nearly 4" wide now.  He's not the most handsome vampire around.  He's sort of nerdy looking actually.  I mean, what's with those shoes!?!  He's getting close to needing another change of address.  I'm not sure if he's cramped yet but his cape bends a bit in the glass he's in now.

Onto yesterday's journaling: "Look outside your window...what do you see now vs. then?"  When I was really little we moved so much I don't even remember having a window.  We started to settle down when I was about 4 years old and then my view was the mobile home next door.  My best window was when I stayed at my Aunt Virginia's house.  She lived near the railroad tracks so I would listen to the trains go by in the distance when I lay in bed.  I really liked the sound of them as they lulled me to sleep.  When my parents split up we started moving around again but after a few years we got planted and actually stayed in one place for quite a few years.  We moved to our house on Mead St. a year or two before I started high school and it was the longest place I had ever lived until my home now.  

Today's journaling: "If you could bring a fictional character to life who would it be?"   Deciding was tough because there's so many characters I wouldn't mind coming to life.  Aragorn, Han Solo, Tink, Dracula, even Baby Godzilla...he was cute.

I've been feeling a bit of a block on my journaling lately but I'm hoping with the new month approaching that will change.  Otherwise I'll never keep up...

Vampire Day Two

Vampire growth..day two

He's doing pretty good so far.   I forgot about him yesterday and when I checked a a little while ago he is starting to outgrow this glass so I moved him over to a 44oz.  At this rate I might need to use the tub to contain him by the end of the 10 days.  He's neat in the glass but rather cold and slimey to the touch.  I've not touched a vampire before so that could be what they really feel like. 

I just finished reading this book called "Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill.  Stephen King is one of my favourite authors and I've been reading his work since high school.  Naturally when his offspring comes out with a book I want to see what it's like.  I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for quite awhile now because I haven't been able to do much reading over the years because of health issues.  I finally decided I needed to start reading again and see if I could make it through a book.  I started "Heart Shaped Box" on Monday during my "antsy after proceedure" period, which could be another reason I started it.  I got a few chapters into it and really liked how it was going but got busy and didn't get back to it till last night.  It was 11:30 p.m. and I figured I'd read a little before going to bed.  What a bad idea that was.  It totally sucked me in and I just kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.  I ended up finishing it by morning THEN went to bed.  Needless to say none of my errands got done today.  It's way too hot (110*F) to be running around doing them this afternoon.  If you like the horror, Stephen King type books I do recomment this one.  It reminds me of when I first started reading King.  I think "Carrie" might have been my first book, but I'm not possitive now.  I just remember being so engrossed in his stories and would check one after another from the library.  And this has a happy ending...something that doesn't come around too often anymore.  I don't recommend it to you thought,  Mel...lol  I was reading it late so everything was dark and quiet so I even spooked myself when I would get up to move around.

Forgetfulness...can it be cured?

I totally forgot I hadn't put my journaling for today up until just now.  Not that it was missed or anything but I have been on such a roll lately .. ahem .. I've been trying to rest like a good girl and have failed miserably.  I've been running around doing my grocery shopping and looking for things I cannot find or remember where I put them and all the while thinking, "I should be resting my back, it's starting to hurt".  Do I listen to myself?  No... I don't listen to anyone else why should I listen to myself?  I am stubborn after all.

Today's journaling was, "If you could have any place to yourself for 24 hours where would it be?".  There are so many places to choose from that would be awesome but I picked Japan.  I'd love to visit where I was born, just to see what it's like.  Visit Mt. Fuji, where my mother took me as a baby because it was suppose to be lucky to climb to the top.  Maybe visit Hiroshima where my grandmother died.  It's so busy and crowded there that 24 hours with just myself to take in the scenery would be amazing.

For tomorrow the question was: "In the future there will be...?"  I'm not that happy with how this page turned out and maybe later will work on it again.  I had trouble writing with my white pen on the background paper I'd placed down and it wasn't showing so I stopped.  I didn't realize till after I'd posted to class that you could indeed see where I'd marked.  Darn old eyes I guess.  Oh well.... I'm still a beginner.  I think I'll be stuck at beginner level for awhile.

Recovering

Yesterday was quite the ordeal.  I was the first patient at the surgicenter so I thought I'd get lucky and be out quick since my proceedure isn't really a long one.  I guess the doctor felt having only 2 patients early in the morning didn't rank getting to work on time.  Granted he was working on his normal day off but still.  He was the only doctor working yesterday so it was very quiet other than listening to all the nurses talk about their neighbors, family and each other.  One even got to learn how to use the photo app on her phone.  She didn't know she had a flash till another nurse showed her, then she discovered the zoom and you never heard such delight.  She said, "I can bring someone back to life but I can't work my phone, this is sad". 
After laying on the gurney for nearly an hour with my hand throbbing because of the I.V. I had stuck in it, the doctor finally showed up, and then things went pretty fast.  I was wheeled into the operating room, hooked up to monitors and had something heavy drapped across the back of my legs.  The nurse that handled the monitors was also the anethesist and explained that they give everyone a sedative for this proceedure unless it's refused.  That they prefer the patient is relaxed to make things go smoothly.  Well since I have such a hard time relaxing to begin with I didn't refuse.  Boy am I glad I didn't.  After she gave me the sedative I didn't really feel any different so I didn't think it was working but then I started seeing little ants crawling across my pillow.  I didn't want them to think I was hallucinating so I didn't mention it, but I assumed it was the medication taking effect.  I never felt anything (covers removed, panties slipped down, betadine being spread) until the needles started digging into my back.  I tried to be relaxed and said I was fine but it must have shown on the monitors that I wasn't because right after I responded I heard the nurse say, "Doctor she can feel it".  I guess I should have requested the local also.  Apparently I am quite the wimp when it comes to needles being stuck into my spine or knees because I seem to have more feeling in those areas when I'm being injected then normal people.  Luckily he was done shortly after that and the sedatives were damn good.  I felt drunk and my legs were wobbly for the rest of the day.  I thought that was strange because all during the proceedure I never felt any different other than seeing the ants.  I was never light headed or anything ... that I noticed.  Maybe I nodded off and don't even realize it.  Once I was moved into the recovery room I started feeling the drunkeness.   I wasn't allowed to drive and was suppose to lay down all day but the drugs just had me so wound up that everytime I tried to rest I thought of things to do and would get up.  As the drug started wearing off I did start resting more and finally got to bed and could feel the big lump in my back where the injections were made.  

Today is so much better in some ways but still working on the pain.  Hopefully within the 72 hours it takes to kick in I will notice more of a difference.  I'm to rest for the full 3 days and not do much but I just had to go out and do some things.  I went to Michael's because they were having a clearance on some canvas's that I wanted.  They're bigger then the little squares I've been using for signs and on a matte board instead of frame so I won't be able to put the shingles on them but I want to do something similar with them.   I sprayed a few with some colour from Stamp Zia's and some of the Glimmer Mists.  I have no idea what I'll do next yet.

I also found a "Grow your own Vampire"  kit there.  I definitely needed that!  You stick him in water and he is suppose to grow up to 600% his size in about 10 days.  I took a picture of his beginnings and will report on his progress.

I forgot to show the coolest sign I found about a week ago while out looking for bat charms.  I thought maybe Big Lots might have something I could use with bats on them but no luck.  I did however find this neat pub sign so I nabbed one.  I was surprised they had already put up a Halloween section but I guess I really shouldn't have been.  They started their Christmas sections also.  Pretty soon there will be nothing but holiday sections throught the stores.

Tonight we went by Sonic to check out their little car show they were having in their parking lot.  It wasn't very big and we didn't expect it to be for a fast food restaurant deal.  The car hops wore long black 50's style skirts with their roller skates as they delivered the food.  I tried to get a picture but of all the people I've ever had in front of me while trying to take pictures of cars these people were actually curtious and moved out of the way.  Everyone else that I WANT to move out of the way always seems to be glued in place.  It was an ok show none the less and it did give me an excuse to go across town and get my cherry limeade.  I just love those.

I love the thumper on the back of this truck.

A sign like this could come in handy. lol

Why do I always want to do things when I can't?

Since I have to be up and to the surgicenter first thing in the morning of course I can't sleep.  My head and back hurt but I'm not to take anything nor can I eat or drink after midnight and I'm thristy. lol 
Isn't that the way it always works?  The more I'm not suppose to do something the more I want to.  I guess I'm just rebellious that way. 

I figured I'd post my latest non-journal projects since I'm up.  I made my aunt a pin and sign as a thank you gift.  She is really into genealogy so I did the cemetery pin for her and put it in a crochet drawstring bag that I made.

The sign I did a little different from the others I've done.   I painted the canvas in soft colours since she likes pastels then sealed the believe sign to it after the paint was dry then glued the crochet flower layered with prima flowers and a ribbon stem to it. 

I traced and cut out the shingle and coloured it.  I used grunge board letters that I painted black then sprinkled distress embossing powder (vintage photo) over.  I really like the rustic look it gave it.  A little like worn leather.  I put a ribbon on the shingle then put the letters over it to finish it off.  

The charms I added to the ribbon hanger say Be- Here- Now.  We've lost so many family over the past few years, her grandson just last year to cancer, that I thought it was appropriate.  He was so young, in his 20s and newly married.   During his last months he even completed the police academy.  It really doesn't seem fair when this type of thing happens.  You really have to enjoy life and the people in it now because you just don't know what tomorrow will bring.

The Congregation Gallery

As some know I have a very wide range in my tastes for things. As much as I love Fairies, Disney and Mayberry I also love the darker side of things like vampires, bats and dead things. I've been following some of the gallery showings of various artists through the Congregation Gallery on Facebook. Their gallery is at 7569 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, CA. that I hope to one day visit. They have some really cool showings with some very wild and yes, some disturbing, art.

My cousin called me a weirdo for liking this but I just thought the coffin art was way cool. If I were being buried I would want one of these to rest in.

There's an artist named Johny Chow who did this. Isn't she cute? They also had a voodoo show. I really like this painting and frame even though it's a bit on the macabre side. I love bats so that could be part of it's appeal. Unfortunately there wasn't any names of artists with the photo's they posted at the site so I can't say who did the following pieces.
I've always been facinated with voodoo dolls but only recently taken the plunge and got my first doll. It's in connection with the Jasmine Beckett-Griffith fairies. She painted a fairy with a voodoo doll named Mortie. I really liked this particular image and have a figurine ornament of this in my fairy collection. When I found Jasmine on facebook I also found a wonderful plush artist that makes stuffed Mortie's. Her name is Justine Birmingham and she has an etsy shop called The monster cafe. She made yeti's for Jasmine and her husband that are so cool. Unfortunately she only sell's the Morties right now.

This is Domo meeting Mortie when he arrived.

Slowly getting into Saturday....

This is what my journal looks like with both pages done side by sideAnd this is an overview of what part of my photo page at the journaling class site looks like. I think the pages look better when they're put together.

Here are the next three days of journaling I've completed. For the 23rd. we're suppose to tell what our most sentimental possession is. My old photo's from when I was younger and thought everything seemed great, are sentimental to me. I also have a few little nic nacs that belonged to my mom that she brought with her from Japan. I have a wrought iron heart John made for me out of pieces of an old fence one Valentines. My most treasured though is memories of people and times in my life. Spending time with my dad when he was home on leave. Picking him up from the docks when his ship would come in and always trying to carry his duffle bag which was twice my size. I still have that duffle bag. I have a vague memory of standing at my sister, Diana's grave with him holding my hand when we buried her. My mother was still at the hospital so it was just us. When my mother was in the hospital having my brother he let me sleep with him and would just talk to me till I fell asleep. I don't remember what we talked about. I know they couldn't have been very in dept conversations but as a little kid they seemed like it. Those were the days they didn't kick new moms out of the hospital right after giving birth so my mom would be gone for a week at a time. For the 24th. we're to journal about our first time making money. When I was in high school I was in a work experience program and we got paid to work at different things. I spent my first semester with the title of "photographers assistant" even though I was the one taking and developing the pictures. In fact I was in a photography class that year with me, myself and I. There wasn't really a class unless you'd taken photography in summer school. Then you were allowed to have it as a class during the school year, but there was no teacher or other students with you because it wasn't a listed class. Basically an honour system class since there was no daily lessons or projects. You just did whatever you wanted. There were only a few of us that had it. I loved that class even though I don't think I ever spent an entire period in it and flooded it out several times by not being there to watch that the washer didn't get clogged and overflow the sink. I'd come back around when the next class was going on in the room that had the darkroom attached and everyone would be outside studying while they were mopping up the floors. Luckily it wasn't an uncommon occurance so I never got in trouble and our supervising teacher was very easy going.

Because of photography I was sought out by the journaling class. The editor, Kevin came up to me one day and said, "Hey Flash, why don't you take journalism with us, we could use a photographer?" to which I was hesitant until he told me I could take it as English credit instead of taking the class. Then I was all for it. In fact I took it for two more semesters after that. It was a small group and we did some cool things, like go to NBC to take a tour of the studio and talk to the news anchors. I don't even remember who they were now which is sad since they were famous for news people. Don Rickles was there filming his show at the time. I don't remember what it was called, "Sharky" I think. We also went through the Tonight show studio but unfortunately no Johnny or Ed. I was a member of a student journalism society, I forget the official name of it and went to this conference for it at Disneyland. The guest speaker was Jody Foster who had also been a member through her school.

For the 25th there was no question just the word "Sunsets" so I used one of my sisters beach sunset pictures and just kept it simple. It's hard to see in the picture but I used some sunset pearl ex and put streaks across the background page that give a nice warm shimmer when the light hits it. I didn't like my writing on the bottom so I covered it with stickers.

Catching up...

Wow, busy day today. I haven't been sleeping very well then had to be up first thing this morning for an 8:00 a.m. appointment at the oncologist. I had forgot to bring my referral so I had to turn around half way there to come back home and get it so I was running late. Of course after rushing back and getting there just in time the doctor was half an hour late. I am still abnormal with my blood cells which she says seems to be normal for me. So until they figure out what's going on I still have to go in yearly and keep regular blood work done every few months. Not sure if I'll end up having to do another bone marrow biopsy as she mentioned it's been 5 years now since the last one. C'est la vie....

I got behind on my journaling the past couple of days so once I got home I did some catching up. I got several done and will post some today and some tomorrow. Yesterday's journaling was: "What do you like to share with othes? What do you keep to yourself?" I really liked the painting technique we used for this one. We pounced white paint everywhere with a piece of wax paper then painted layers (paynes grey, burnt sienna, green and magenta paint) over it. I like the look it gives once it's done. The more journaling I do the more I dislike my handwriting on a lot of them. I can't print for nothing. I see the other jounal pages in class and they are just awesome and then I look at mine and "sigh".Today's journaling: "Your favourite playtime memory" One of my most vivid memories is from the first grade playground with my cousin, David so I journaled about that. I think events that embarrassed me like this one did or I had some type of emotional tie in with over the years are the ones that stick with me most.

Tomorrow's journaling is: "Complain, get it out and fugadaboutit" This was hard for me actually because I have nothing right now to really complain about. I have some things that I'm not happy with but nothing that I needed to release and get off my chest. I mean the lottery isn't going to let me win just cuz I complained. So I had to go back and think of one of the last times I really did need to vent. We did a long and extremely frustrating haul with the insurance company when John first hurt his back and they drug everything on and on hoping he'd give up, die or something. That had to be the worst time for us and I really didn't know if we'd get through it. Luckily we did but there were days I could have literally killed someone it was so bad and I don't often get that upset....unless I'm pmsing. lol

Anyway, that's it for today. Have a great weekend.....