With Love.....

Warmest wishes going out to all who read; may you be blessed with love and warmth, this day and the rest of the year.

I truly *heart* you all!

Be back soon with a regular post~~  ;-)

Pax....

A Tidbit From The Studio.....

I've been busy. Probably a little *too* busy, as I am still in P.J.s and bunny slippers, getting my second wind back from a looooooong day yesterday.
But here is a bit of what's been going on at El Milagro.

This table WAS clean. It took me two minor projects to get it to this state. 
I know you remember seeing the heart collage/painting after the work was FINALLY returned from the gallery last Fall. I was so happy to get the work back, I just gave it a quick once over, then safely stashed it. 
Well, went to photograph the paintings for files, and what do I discover on this one? 
DOG CLAW MARKS.
Yes, you read that right; the art had been left where a dog could get to it.  Scarred the paper, removed color and took the varnish off. After a bout of cussing (it was a good one too) and a LOT of work, I finally got things repaired and filled with a couple of layers of heavy varnish. The two pieces in the background had to have clay pieces repaired and revarnished also.
Thank you so much Gallery Off Broadway for your PROFESSIONAL CARE of other artists work. Now pass the Excederin.....
Happier notes~~knitting.

This is from sari yarn, though not the type I've used before. It worked up into a nice piece and at the end of the day I was pleased. It's off with it's new owner, who loves it. :-)
I had promised a photo if I had something *crusty* from my new Michael DeMeng  class, and I am teasing you with a PEEK.....

That's all on it for now.....I'll need a day to put a good coherent post together! LOL!
And finally, to end a long and hard working day~~as I was ready to shut the lights down for the evening, I looked out the window, ran to the studio and grabbed my camera to capture THIS:

No color retouch, no adding; this was one of the most amazing sunsets we have had this winter. The salmon glow from the clouds was coming in the house.
I ran out with no coat or hat to try and capture a bit of the warmth.
It was grand!
So all in all, a good day.
A very very GOOD day.


Pax.... 

Halfway Down The Road.....

Me, walking this road, one step at a time....

It seems like ages since I have posted, and I really had planned to be off blog until everything was done. But I've hit the halfway point in my treatments today, and I have to admit that overall, time has flown.
I want to thank the many generous bloggers who have stopped by to wish me well, encourage me and keep the Blog Mistress firmly pointed down the road to getting well. You are all much more than any one blogger deserves, and it is humbling. The blogging community is a strong force of nature, in my opinion!
I'm doing good; I've had to learn to REST and not try and do everything I think I should do, so housework was the first to fall off the list. ;-)  In my down time, I've done a heck of a lot of knitting (no dent made in the yarn stash yet...*sigh*) and I've even shot a few photos, though I don't believe I've uploaded them to the computer....not sure.
I'm signed up for and anxiously awaiting the beginning of Michael DeMeng's new online class; "Crusted, Crumpled and Cracked".

(which, on any given day, could describe ME...LOL!)

Maybe that's why I'm so pumped about it....Or maybe it's the fact that some of the old Anne is shining through and finding you can fight the physical battles and still function and make art, or something close. Or something!
Anyway, when I have finished all the running to and from the hospital, I'll be back to fill everyone in. 
Unless I make something weirdly beautiful, and I might pop in with a photo, but I'm still officially on blog break, okay? :-D
Until then, find something beautiful to contemplate upon....

....every single day. I do. Life is very very good.


Pax....

Life.......Interrupted

My Dear Friends,

This is a hard post to write but here it is.
After much ado and in and out of the hospital, I have been diagnosed with the *Big C* ~~ yes, THAT ONE.
To make this short, I went in Nov. 6th with what appeared to be classic blood clot problems and came out with the other diagnosis. (still had the clots)
This coming week, I start chemo and intend to fight, kick and scream till this heathen disease is out of my body. I am planning on a year to totally recoup.
The bad news is I probably will not be on here much, and I am leaving comments open on this, as I read every one, but can't reply, and I hope you understand.
My stamina level is low, I'm trying to rest as much as possible and prepare for the fight ahead.
I miss all my blog friends desperately, but sometimes real life has to take the front of the stage, as in this case.
I will post as I can, if I can, and hope that we all can be having a good get together on here a bit down the road.
Your friendships mean than world to me, and really help to pull me along on days that are rough. Blog friends are the BEST!!!
In the meantime, I wish for you a moment of beauty in every day~~find it because it is there. Don't pass it up.


Till later, and with love and hugs,

 

A Short Sabbatical......

Just wanted to let everyone know I will be away from the computer for a few days. I am hoping this is a short absence and not a long one.
I've turned off comments; will be glad to be back with you all soon!


Pax....

Ghoulish Greetings........

Something to consider for

Halloween Evening......a little story...

Many years ago, these two silly people decided despite their age,

Halloween was for dressing up and enjoying the evening!

Then later in their lives, they discovered that New Orleans was THE place to be

for Halloween.....stopping by LaFittes Blacksmith Shoppe Tavern......

Or just hanging on the corner of Bourbon Street

until dusk begins to fall.....it's all good.....

lots of *spirits* in the air there!

You might find a zombie willing to pose before

an evening in the mayhem of the French Quarter's

Streets, rife with costumes, parades and revelry......

.....Or maybe run into this *gentleman* in the courtyard on your way out.......

(it's not Mike Ness, but close!)

Better give him a tip to pass by.......  ;-)

Need a driver to see the sites?

What better than a Devil-Girl in a Flame Mobile????

The cost is minimal.....not money.....something a bit

more personal.....a bit more like, your soul?

Or get ready for a bit of VooDoo with her

doll under the belt, she's ready for business!

The only stop for this macabre taxi is the crypt of Marie LaVeau,

the VooDoo Queen of The Quarter.

Buried in St. Louis #1 Cemetary, go

lay your offering down humbly and mark three X's

made with brick on the tomb;

perhaps your wish will be granted!

And here's a wish from two Fiends.......(oh,what

that couple at the top turned into! what NOLA did to them!).....

...May the Spirits of the Night find you

and keep you company!

Muh-hahahaha!!!!!!

Happy Hauntings Kiddies!

To My Dear Husband.....♥

Today my Sweetie turns 54. He doesn't act like it. Now, wait....that's meant as a complement! Gary is so active he makes me look like a big banana slug. (which are fascinating creatures in their own right, just slow....) The above pic says it all----the consummate Ramones fan he is! A staunch supporter of change and seeing the country get better for all. Wicked quick sense of humor! Ornery as all get out, especially when he has worked too long...... Years ago, there was a local wrestling group, the LWF---they referred to it as *professional* wrestling, I always thought it was humorous mass bedlam!---and he did announcing and was a *manager*. I was, well, the manager's WHATEVER! That's Johnny and Ramona DeVille above. He was the "Cadillac of Wrestling Managers", culling the best wrestlers into Team Deville! We had a blast! Words truly do not describe........ :-) .......truly!!!!

The good supportive husband at one of my gallery shows....they had great wine at this one! He stayed a while, then went out in search of a record store, to add to his collection of vinyl and cd's. And I might add, that collection is large and covers much music, as he was a DJ for many years. Any musical trivia or tidbit you want to know? Ask DH!!!

Outrunning the young kids in the annual fitness test. No joke. Only one guy who runs marathons beat him. I'm not sure how I CAUGHT him! Go Sweetie Go!!!!! (the military, being what it is, has the people run outside in cold October in this area.....okay, no logic in that one.....thus, the layers and layers of clothing)

This was from the one and ONLY outdoor show I will ever do as I had ants in my underwear biting me. Hubby provided comic relief for the longest, most miserable day in my life......

There he was, *commenting*, being laid back and cool......and eventually asking, "Is it over yet?"

Happy Birthday my Dear!!!! May you have many more; may there be more adventures down the road and remember "Someone could get HURT with that bat!!!!" (wrestling 'in joke'....)

Love to you.....

Jack Frost

A visitor came last night.....quietly, leaving a trace of white across the landscape.

In frosty cold, I gazed at fields only yesterday gold....

Today, white and glowing in the cold morning light.

Lungs filled with the chill,

I stood and captured.

The remains of delicious Fall

All aglow

Deep petticoats of bronze and green,

Soon to drop

And blow into the Winter breeze.

Pax....

A Bit Of A Blogger/Google Rant......

Well, my dear blog readers, never let it be said that the Blog Mistress is shy about expressing her opinions! SNARF!
Today I find out that we all will be shoved over to the *new* Blogger interface in two weeks, whether we want to or not.
I had tried it and could not make heads nor tails of the mess; could not SEE the very light colored icons (that I was clueless to what they were) and frankly, couldn't get it to work. I read this morning that another blogger had to switch to Google Chrome to get anything to work, and I refuse that.
Period.
I have loved this blog; I have spent time and headaches trying to *make it mine* and make it something enjoyable for readers, and even educational upon the rare occasion. (very rare, I know....)
I swear, I think Google is trying to push us out. If you make the experience bad enough, people will quit, and that is exactly what I will do.
I am still fighting a bug, much like the one above in fact! LOL!, and the thought of having to relearn everything to keep a bunch or dweeby nerds happy.....oh, that is sooooo not going to happen.
I don't know if a new Live Writer download would solve the problem, and I'm not thinking about it today....tomorrow, at Tara.
In the meantime, I have a few pieces of art I need to photograph and post if I can before the great change-over-hullabaloo, so cross your fingers that I have the oomph to do it and get it posted.
I would HOPE this is not going to be a good-bye from El Milagro, but there is a point where the quality of life superceeds all the caca that Blogger perpetually shoots out at us.
In the meantime......to all my readers,


Pax....

Feel The Pulse!

I am delighted to be one of the featured artists today over at Seth Apter's blog, "The Altered Page". Currently he is running a series about techniques and tools artists can't live without.

Please take a moment to drop by and see what cool things are there, plus meet up with other artists you may have never had the chance to enjoy before.
Oh, and there is one other reason too...... (hangs head in shame)
I can't remember for sure what I wrote. 
I have a pretty good idea, but it's been a while and I've slept since then! ;-)
Thanks Seth for connecting more and more artists across the vista of blogland!


Pax....