Mistakes and Maturity

You should know that coordinating the art show has not gone as smoothly this year as it did last year. The Hospital Education Center, where we have had the show for the last few years, sold, and the hospital did not think to tell us. The hospital was very good to try and find us another place once they realized the mistake, but there was not a good location at the hospital. I had to look elsewhere. After much leg work (my short legs) and hassle from different guild members, we now have a great place for the show. It will be held at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum. Once we secured the place for the show, we sent out letters to artists involved in the show. In the letter, I specifically said that "Only the place had changed; all the dates and times were the same as on the prospectus," but I did not list those times and dates again as to not confuse people. Still, people are amazingly confused. I probably should have just listed everything out for them again.

Last year when we sent out the prospectus for the art show, my telephone number was listed wrong. I did not catch the mistake, the prospectus was sent, and there was nothing I could do about it. I did not get any phone calls, and yet, the art show went off without a hitch. This year, I made sure that my phone number was correct. Now, I am thinking that was a mistake. I have had a few phone calls from people concerning the art show, but this morning was the best. A lady called and said she had some questions, that she was confused. She said that the prospectus said that art was due in on Thursday, but the letter she received said that the art was due "as soon as possible." Now, I tried not to burst out laughing, but I couldn't help but tease the lady, "Nawww, it doesn't say that!" Then I very nicely explained what the letter did say, while she said, "I don't know where I read that." We got it all figured out and said our good-byes. I hung up and laughed my head off. Anny, you would have been so proud of me. I was so pleased that I did not say, "Why that is the stupidest thing I ever heard!" See, I have matured somewhat.

House Update:
Yesterday the backhoe did come and the footer was dug. Toby took a half day and came home to give the backhoe guy instructions. Then, Toby had to run to town for some iron, and left me with the checkbook and instructions to "pay the guy." I didn't know the backhoe man personally, but I knew he lived down Old Hwy 7 about six miles from us. When the guy finished, he pulled up in front of me and I paid him. Then he said, "Which way is north? I want to make sure I have my directions right." I'm sure my eyes blinked several times, but I managed to point north and give him directions on getting home. And I kept a straight face.

This morning the cement trucks came and we poured the footer. Next week, Mr. Gutierrez (I love saying that name) comes to build forms for the foundation. This is the first time we have done this - in the past, we have done cinder block. You can tell that the backhoe really mucked up the ground, which is now goop. Ya gotta love OK.

And the Wall Came Down

No, not that wall, but Buck posted a wonderful documentary on the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Toby has been working to bust a hole in the foundation of our house before we start the next phase of building. This hole will be used to add central heat to the old part of the house from the new part. For the past four years, we have used one little wall heater, and it has done a heck of a job. Quilts and blankets were helpful too. Back before Jesse went to work, she did quite a bit of sewing and quilting. Ah, those were the days! I do miss having her around the house more, and I was a bit whiney about it last night. But she is a "Goin’ Jesse" and I cannot seem to slow her down. She finished her pastel last night. I would show you the finished project, but I think she plans on giving it to someone special, if it does not sell at the art show. And no, that "someone special" is not what you think. Hmm, my mind is rambling.

We stayed around the house this weekend getting some things done to prepare for the backhoe that is coming today to start the footer trench. Yeah, I’m excited! I will be taking pictures to mark the occasion – the starting of my house! It reminds me of when we built our house in NM. Toby had a backhoe contractor that he used now and then at the landfill. He was known as Juan Loco. Toby sent Juan to dig the footer for our addition. Juan Loco got a bit carried away and dug an amazing ditch, which we had to fill in later due to its depth. I remember standing there looking at the moat around our house and calling Toby when I saw the ditch, and I asked him if I could just bury Juan Loco in the ditch since it was plenty deep. Juan meant well. Later he brought his backhoe over to help us put the big beams up on the walls. This was a big help since we had no way to lift the 26'- 4x8 beams that made our ceiling. Big Bear came to help us, too (everyone in NM has an alias). I was wearing my canvas nail apron at the time and mentioned that I would like to have a leather tool belt someday. Big Bear looked at Toby and said, "You mean you missed a chance to put your woman in leather!?" Toby went out and bought me a leather tool belt soon after that.

Sunday was a bit slower around here. We went to church where GBN2 got up at least four times to go "potty." She waved to the crowd in her queenly way before skipping down the hall to the restroom. Ah, the joys of potty training and training your child to sit through church! You can just see the little light go off over her head when she thinks, "Hey, if I say I have to potty, I get to get up and move around. And if I actually potty in the toilet, I get candy!" After church, she was sitting in our truck adjusting every knob and gadget she could reach pretending to drive the truck. When her daddy said it was time to go, she decided she was not going, and she held on to the steering wheel with all her might. We had to pry her little fingers from the wheel, which did not make her happy. Bo, in his usual understating way said, "Good grip, huh!"

The art show is this week – could be a busy time.

Art Project

Last night as I was supposed to be going to sleep, I thought of something to blog about that might be interesting to folks. Unfortunately, as Bob would say, I don't have time to write a long post. With the art show coming up this next weekend, I am busier than a one legged man in a butt-kickin' contest (I love that saying). I did snap a photo of one of my projects. As all good procrastinators, I have waited until the last minute to get a pastel done for the art show, which is next Friday. Fast and furiously, I am working on a pastel. Jesse also signed up for a pastel and is currently working on it, too. The apple does not fall far from the tree. If my memory does not fail me and I get through this art show, I will try to do better on my blog writing. In the meantime, here is the photo of my latest art project.

Upcoming Art Show Stress

I had my beginner's art class yesterday, and it went well. Before the kids showed up, I did lots of house cleaning - still getting things back in order after the weekend of plumbing work around here. After my class left, I headed in to town to run some errands for the art show.

The art show is approaching fast and will keep me hopping for the next week. One of my errands was picking up some advertising banners at the local sign shop. They were supposed to be ready at 5 PM, but they weren't. I was told they would be ready in "a few minutes, if I wanted to wait." When questioned, they said, "Well, about 30 minutes." Okay, I'll wait. Last year these guys had months to do the banners and were late getting them done - so I thought I would put a little pressure on them by waiting. At 6:30, the signs were ready. It would have made me crazy, but I was determined, or as Toby would say, "bull headed." But hey, it is one thing off my list.

After picking up the banners, I headed over to the DAG president's house to stuff envelopes with invites (Okie for invitations) to the reception. We gott'er done, and I was home by 9:30. Part of that was waiting on the printer to catch up to us stuffers. That was a biggie off my list. I also spent lots of time on the phone arranging a photo shoot and getting an article done about the show for the local paper (the Duncan Banner - what is it with banners). I went to bed feeling like I had accomplished lots. Then I had dreams where I went to fix my new watch band and cut the clasp off. And another dream where I was at a large gathering of people and came out of the restroom without my pants. All my dreams had an underlying themes of art show problems. My stress does not show on the surface, but the dreams prove otherwise.

Speaking of art shows, Jesse posted some great photos of her trip to the Louvre in Paris. She has posted even more on her FaceBook photos. It pays to be friends with Jes.

Weekend Report - Perfect Weather and Plumbing Problems

It has been awhile since we have had such a beautiful weekend here in OK. Weather-wise this weekend was darn near perfect, and it looks like it will stay that way all of this week. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon for the GGs to come romp around the Lazy B. They went down to the pond and petted the horses. They threw sticks in the pond. They wrested the Bad Cat. They ran with the big dogs. And they found a caterpillar. What fun! This is not one of my better photos, but it shows the beautiful day, the full pond, the horses in the background, and Handsome Jack, the red heeler.

The downside of our weekend was plumbing problems. Due to the hard water here in OK, our hot water has been slowing down to a trickle for a while now. We have a tankless water heater, which is great, but it works on water pressure. When the hard water-deposits build up in the faucets, water does not run well and no hot water. We have been turning on the shower and the kitchen sink to get hot water to the sink – kind of a pain in the backside. So this weekend it was Toby to the rescue. We bought new faucets and cleaned out the heater with CLR stuff. It worked out well, but the process was messy – dragging everything out from under the sinks, pulling the water heater off the wall, everything torn up, etc. Then there was the in and out of the house – with last weeks wet weather, we still have some mud around here. Did I mention that Toby pulled the steps off the house? Well, he did, which is a good thing. It puts us one-step (no pun intended) closer to building on to our house. He also worked to bust a hole through the foundation – getting ready for putting central heat into our house. Jesse took photos of the house, which she said looks "so sad." To me, it looks like a work area :)

I know people wonder why our house is not built yet – why we don’t just getter’ done. But there are lots of little steps in getting ready to build – lots of ducks to get in a row. Then there are little setbacks like working on the plumbing in the old part of the house. Also, people need to understand that we won’t hire the work done; we will build it ourselves. Yeah, it takes longer, but it will be cheaper, and it will be ours in a special way. I can live with the wait. In fact, I am so looking forward to the framing part – I do love to swing a hammer. If there are any folks who share my passion for building, feel free to show up with your tool belt. Handsome, young, single men are preferred, but not necessary.

Halloween Pasts

Last night we saw some little kids dressed up in costume looking just pretty cute. With Halloween on the weekend this year, I guess there are lots of parties going on. Jesse had one party with her coworkers last night and one tonight with some other friends. It all reminded me of the great times we used to have in Red River when my kids were little. Trick-or-treating was not easy in RR even when I was a kid. Maybe it was the snow and cold, or maybe it was the fact that people don't really live in neighborhoods. The town is small, but spread out. People live in and manage hotels and restaurants. Some people live up the side of the mountain. I do remember Mom driving us around to a few house when I was little. But when my kids lived in RR, we did not do the usual t-o-t stuff. We had a carnival of sorts at the Community House, and the whole town turned out for it - and even the adults dressed up. The PTA sponsored the carnival. They set up booths of games and gave out prizes rather than candy. Usually there was a theme - one year that I was responsible for the carnival, we did a "circus" theme. Several of us dressed as circus animals and performed a skit. I was an elephant with big floppy ears and a long, sock nose. I don't have a single photo of that. But I do have some photos of other years. In this one, the Gill family showed up everyone with their great children's' costumes. Then there was the year that Bo and I made a mask - Jesse and I dressed in easy witch costumes and Toby was great as a humpback. Here is Bo as a football player, and Mrs. Bear's daughter who is now 21 years old. Mrs. B made some great costumes in her day. Also in this photo is Ilsa as Picasso and my friend Lynda not dressed up, but beautiful.

Those years at the Community House and the fall carnival were lots of fun. It was such a community event although it was especially done for the kids. When the kids got older, we quit doing Halloween. But there is just something about choosing a costume and dressing up. Last night Jesse dressed as Charlie Chaplin - maybe she will post a pic of her costume.