Of Birds, Moonflowers, and Interrupted Nights.....

(copyright Charlene Crowder 2008, all rights reserved)

I had not planned to be writing a blog post at 4:38 a.m. Once again, this was one of those nights that life threw me a curveball and it was either swing with it or get hit. I had awakened to get a drink--after good sleep--thought I would get up for a moment, as I have done every night since coming home from hospital, was in the kitchen and suddenly my blue budgie went berserk in his covered cage. Which lead to the green budgie going berserk also......and *Mama Budgie* uncovering the boys, with their light on, talking them back to their senses for 20 minutes. Oy. I love those birds, but...........!!! There I am, up and trying to get life calm.

Up long enough to now be wide awake and craving coffee.

Thus, here I sit, enjoying the quiet after the *children*got over their little nightmare, having some warm java and thinking of New Orleans and warmer weather and my cousin, Charlene (who took the beautiful photos posted; click on her name to be transported to her website....you'll love it!) who may be planning a vacation there. Charlene is an OR Nurse, but is a stellar photographer also and is always sending me pics she has taken. She does art fairs, custom shoots, makes prints and cards.....the woman amazes me. Four cats and the most hilarious stories about them. She could write a book.....if she had time!

I can't recall when she sent me the moonflower photo I have at the top, but she knew I loved them.

She is the *other extreme* of family--the GOOD side. The fun side that you wished you lived closer to, so that you could have coffee together and shoot pics together and laugh and have a glass of wine and tell bad stories till you couldn't see straight. LOL!!! (she shares my sense of humor and also the need to speak her mind, not unlike your blog-mistress!)

Charlene is so talented as a photographer and I would love to post every pic she has sent me but don't want the chance of them being snagged since she makes good money off them.

She inspires me........I hope in some way I have inspired her.

Yesterday I made it to the wet studio long enough to do two things:

1)  I covered two 4"x4" canvas panels with a neat B&W print paper

--and--

2)  Discover that the chair I usually sit on is too low, so I am going to have to get DH to switch it out for me.

Yes....I have a few ideas for heart-related items and HAD to smear some medium and get my fingers all messy. I truly AM alive!!! :-)  Hopefully I can continue with said panels today and maybe, in the next few days, have a real piece of art again to post! Oh! How wonderful that would be!!!

Sewing is still the big conundrum, and I am going to have to wait until after the surgeon visit to discuss that one with him. I am not taking chances of doing something incredibly stupid! I also don't want an Ortho Surgeon yelling at me, as he is very very nice, but I think if provoked...well.....still waters and all that...... <:-)

(copyright Charlene Crowder 2008, all rights reserved)

So here's looking at you, gentle readers! Maybe life at Chateau Lockard is beginning to get back to normal, maybe I am close to making art again and ready to feel completely alive as opposed to half way---of which I am not complaining! (actually, all things considered, I feel pretty good)

Now if I could just get the birds to sleep through the night.......oooooohhhhh.......children!

To you all, wishes for a lovely day, good creative time and of course....

Pax.