Happy New Year

Here's wishing you all (or y'all if your from these parts) a wonderful, happy and safe New Year. I want to take the time to thank all of you, my bloggy buds for leaving wonderful, heartfelt, loving and just too funny comments throughout my year of rants and art, or art and rants!! That comment reminds me of the time I asked my now deceased, wonderful Pop, when I was about 7 years old, if he suffered during the Great Depression. He said there was always food on the table, for breakfast, they would have beans and tortillas, for lunch, beans and tortillas, so I figured he had the same thing for dinner, but he said absolutley not, for dinner, they'd have tortillas and beans!!!! Para-pum!! Ok, you saw that one coming, but I was 7 for heaven's sake!!

So, I shall post my last blog here for this year and will return next year with more art and rants and even throw in a recipe or two....how about my recipe for Menudo??? I can just imagine what a particular gentleman in CT is doing just about now!!! Tristan, are you there???? LOL Off I go into the confines of my kitchen to cut the "panza" (stomach) sounds so much nicer in Spanish, and take out as much fat as possible, clean it thoroughly and throw into the my big stew pots with the pozole (hominy), ox tail, green onions and later, add the red chile sauce. Will cut up the limes, green onions, open up a brand new package of Mexican oregano and red chile seeds, heat up the bolillos (small French style rolls) and serve up a nice steaming bowl of menudo to warm the belly and heart. I'll have friends and family stopping by tomorrow, Tupperware in hands, for a bowl of my soup and leave here with great satisfaction and full container of my tasty treat.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY FRIENDS. Peace out.

Straight No Chaser - The Christmas Can-Can (With A Special Greeting)

Sending you all the best of Christmas cheer, laughter, love and lots of eating!! I'm dedicating this song to my buddy, Cindi at http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/. Enjoy this, my friend....hope it makes you smile!! Loves y'all. Peace out.

Christmas Cookies And Then Some

Well, it's that time of year that the elf gets her fat arse in the kitchen and start making all those deliciously fattening, sweets for family and friends. The insanity began Friday. I mailed off my last Christmas gift to my buddy in Austin, then returned to my kitchen where all those little sugar plum fairies (just exactly what are sugar plums?? Or is it "sugared plums??") awaited for my arrival.

So my bloggy buds, today I'm going to show you how to make Mexican Bischochos. They are these little morsels of pure melt-in-your-mouth pleasure (not orgasmic, but pretty close!) Sorry, TMI, right??? They are a tradition in these parts and I've been making them for years. This is the only time of year I actually well go out and make a special trip to buy lard since it's not a staple in this house. Yes, my friends, it's made with lard and lots of butta!!! Also, due to the close proximity to the great state of New Mexico, state line just down the street from me, I also love the New Mexican version of "Biscochitos." They add anise seeds and pinon nuts. A couple of years ago, when my hubby and I were traveling to Ft. Collins, CO for a seminar, we passed through NM, necessary if we wanted to get to CO!! LOL Anyway, it was October and as we were north of Santa Fe, right off the Interstate, cars were pulled over and parked. I could see families in the wooded area, picnic settings, ladders and sheets of some sort on the ground around the trees. Turned out, they were pinon trees and the locals made a day of it by collecting the nuts from the trees. It looked wonderfully fun and if we weren't in a rush to get up to Ft. Collins, I think we would have done a little pinon nut picking!!

So here's the recipe, pictures and all!!

BISCOCHOS

1 LBS. lard

1 c. butter, (softened)

1 2/3 c. sugar

5 eggs

8 c. flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teasp. vanilla extract

*A little brandy or whiskey to moisten the mixture

*Sugar and cinnamon mixture to use for coating bottom of glass to press down on cookie to flatten

In a large bowl, cream lard and butter together. Add sugar and continue to cream together. Add eggs, one at a time, then cream in vanilla. In another bowl, sift flour and baking soda together. Slowly, add dry ingredients to cream mixture and then add brandy or whisky slowly to get a sticky consistency (not too sticky, but firm enough so dough can form a ball without it sticking to your hands). Mix together and take a 1/2 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet (I still like spraying it with Pam). Take the bottom of a small juice glass and press onto dough in bowl, then set it down on a plate of sugar and cinnamon mixture, pressing ball of dough to flatten. Always press glass bottom in sugar/cinnamon mixture before flattening every cookie. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins. till browned. Take hot cookies and coat in bowl of sugar and cinnamon mixture. Makes many batches!

This is what it looks like once it's mixed. When adding the whiskey or brandy (I used whiskey...had a bottle left over from a couple of years ago), make sure the dough is a "hard" sticky...ok, I'll admit that's a "Georginaism!!" LOL Guess you have to be there!!


Leetle balls!!! Now many folks will put the dough through a cookies press, but after years of doing that and my carpel tunnel really pitching major fits when I did, I devised this version.

Dip glass in cinnamon sugar and flatten...



Big a-- bowl of cinnamon sugar...

Right out of the oven...reeeeely hot!!!

Into the the cinnomon sugar...twirl bowl carefully to coat cookies....

Coated cookies.

So, here is a sample of my Christmas tradition. Today, Mexican Wedding cookies!!! In Italy, they're called "Liar Cookies." Last year when I was in Austin, I told my grandsons and they wanted to know why they were called that...told them to eat one and see where the powdered sugar ended up...around the mouth and on their shirts!! They got a kick out that one and caught them many times sneaking a cookies here and there....I think they just wanted to be found-out! LOL


A random picture of a pot of pinto beans (BTW, the best pinto beans come from CO)!! Was making beans while making the cookies...was planning on making enchiladas, but at the end of the day, I was pooped and made Chilaqueles instead...Enchilada casserole. Here's an idea on how to take the bitterness out of red chile sauce, add some "Abuelita" hot chocolate. It comes in round blocks and I cut them up and add the segments, one-at-a-time till I get the flavour I want.

Hope you enjoyed reading about some of my beaner traditions. It's late and I need to get into the kitchen and continue with the Diaz Bake-Off. Take care and if I don't send you all Christmas salutations, have a very Merry Christmas. Love you all!! Peace out.

One World One Heart

Just a short post about something that's sound lots of fun!! Lisa at http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com is having a blog event. I first read about this over at someone elses blog and I checked it out....sounds like a great way to start your new year. Regrettably, this is her final year of organizing this....where I've been the last few years??? I'm sorry I've missed the other 4 years!! This kind of reminds me of a great television show that ends while they're still on top, kind of like "Seinfeld" and now "The Closer!!" LOL I'm just happy to get on board now.

So go on over to Lisa's blog and sign up. Peace out.

Doll Swap & Ornies

I just had to share with you this great doll swap I was recently involved with over at Zan Asha's Blog, http://vagabondcreations.blogspot.com. She has these wonderful doll exchanges once a year and I love participating because, one, you invariably get back a terrific piece of art work in the bod of a dolly and two, one really has to put on their creative thinking cap to come up with something equally terrific. This year's theme is "The Holiday Ball Swap," which she asked us to make a doll pertaining to any holiday. Of course, I thought of Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos, a no brainer for me, right? So I decided to challenge myself and try out something completely different...Valentines! So I made a Valentine doll, similar to one I made a couple of years ago, but definitely, a newer and very much improved version!!

One of the things that Zan will ask us, is if we have any preference as far as choosing other participants to partner up; my reply is always the same, surprise me! I have never been dissatisfied with any of the people she's paired me up with...(Oh no, I hear my fifth grade teacher's ghost scolding me for ending a sentence with a preposition!!). This year my partner was Marfi of "Incipient Wings," marfibradford.blogspot.com. Her doll was incredible!!! Not only was her doll fantabulous, but the packaging was terrific!! I wish I could show you the front panel of the box in it's entirety, but it does have some rather private information, ie. our addresses:






Here's the doll...

Pretty wonderful stuff, right?? Well, that's not all, look what else she added in her package...



She also included a bag of sugared popcorn and a little bottle of foo-foo spray, cotton candy scent. I love the purse and will have to just show it off!! I was so over-whelmed by this lady's wonderful talent and generosity!! Thank you Marfi for this royally fabulous gift and thanks to Zan for sponsoring these fun events. She will have a photo parade later on on her blog, so go over there and check it out and see all the talented folks that had a blast playing again this year!!

I also wanted to show you my new ornies I made for my little guys, grandsons, and another special little guy, I won't mention him now...don't know if they've gotten the package yet!! I decided last year to come up with a yearly ornament for my grandsons..kind of like Hallmark!! LOL Last year I made them the Christmas Worm. I was going to write a little story about the adventures of the 5 worms and how they finally got together to spend Christmas, but while researching, I got a bugger of a virus and it killed my poor leetle Dell!! So, almost a year later and an almost year old Gateway, I'm no way going to do anymore research on Christmas traditions around the world!! Just send them the ornie and let them figure it out!! LOL



Well, my hubby is on his way to CA to visit Son #2 and his family, leaving me here alone...left to my own devices!! Going to do some more studio stuff...working on some ornies for gifts and tomorrow, the Christmas Diaz Bake-off begins, making my breads this weekend. I will be making banana-nut bread, using all 3 contestants entries....yum, can't wait. Also, going to make Cranberry Orange giant muffins, so all this work should keep me out of trouble...well, maybe!! Peace out.

Magic Wand

Good Afternoon, my bloggy pals. I don't have much to say today...ok, stop with the dramatics you all out there, I know what you're probably saying or at the very least I know there's some major eye rolling going on there!!! I wanted to share a Christmas gift I made my oldest grandson, Sean. He's 10 going on 4 million, hence his nick-name, The 4 Million Year Old Midget!! He's really into Harry Potter and has read all the books and seen all the movies, so he's a Potter expert.

While I was visiting in Austin this past October, he and I were having a very interesting conversation about all matters of Harry!! I actually enjoyed watching the next to last Potter movie and he explained everything, bringing me up on the current Potter dilemma. A week after I returned home, he won tickets to the premier. He attended with a couple of his mother's Potter fanatic friends and he even went in costume....super nerd, right??? THANK GOD!!!

During our discussion, he asked me if I knew how to make a magic wand and my reply was, "Can your Meema make a magic wand, well, hell yea!!" So I returned with this little conundrum, how in the hell do you make a friggin' magic wand!!?? Well, leave it to my mother, Miss Daisy the Sage. We were at Home Depot and I had the idea of getting one of those decorative moldings, have them cut it for me then adhere the two flat sides, then painting. Soo, there I am looking at just exactly what I was thinking of, but the price of this long wooden stick was outrageous!!! However, I was willing to go the whole enchilada with this wand. While she was waiting for me to make my decision, she asked, "Will this work better?" There in her hand was a unfinished chair leg!!!!!!! FRIGGIN' EINSTIENEAN, MOM!!!!!!! And the cost of said leg was just a mere $2.50, or less, don't recall now, but it was lots cheaper than that decorative stick!!

So here is the finished product with black bag and all. I know it's not exactly a Harry Potter wand, but hey, it's still magical, Meema magical!! I know Sean will love it and come up with all kinds of magic spells, while little brother Zachary, age 6, will undoubtedly, play "caveman" with it. Better contact the FBI and warn them about my weapon...er. wand!!! LOL I'm also including a pic of my 4 little guys. As you can tell, Senor Sammy is not too happy sitting on the fat guys lap...poor fat guy!! They are from left to right, Sean, Zachary, Santa (the fat guy), Sammy and Ryan.







Have a great weekend and for those of you under a blanket of snow, enjoy! My hubster is out on the links today...in the lower 70's out here!! Peace out.

Winner and Other Stuff

Ok, so I'm running a bit late on picking the winner for my banana-nut bread recipe contest. As I mentioned in my last post, I had only three people sign up who sent me their recipes. It was hard to pick just one out of the three, they all sounded delish, so this is what I've decided....drum roll if you please....all three of you are winners, so all three will get a little angel, however, I do have just one grand prize winner and that honour goes to...Jill Cooper! Jill, you'll receive a little something extra. The other winners are Linda from http://lindaomasoldebaggsnstuftshirts.blogspot.com/ and Phyllis Cooper. I will email you ladies with details and ask for your physical addresses so they can be part of your Christmas tree tradition, or wherever!! I'm looking forward to making the three recipes, well, four if you count Jill's other recipe and I'm sure my family and friends will enjoy, as I know I will!!

Yesterday Christmas finally arrived at our home. It has been 2 years since my house has seen nary a single glass ornament or poinsettias. In 2008, my father passed away 6 days before Christmas and had been quite ill a month before that, then last year, in order to avoid Christmas here at home, my mother took off to California to be with her baby boy and his family and I left for Austin, Texas to spend it with my baby girl and family.

The decorating was difficult for a bit, I remembered how my Pop loved Christmas with all his family around him. He loved the food too, our traditional Christmas Eve tamales, brisket (that's the Jewish influence since we grew up in a Jewish neighborhood..the only Mexican - American Catholics on the street....I was a Catholic school girl by day and a Jewish buddy after school!! LOL), breads, veggie plate then the sweets, which is my department. He loved the Rosettes, but since he was diabetic, I made them without any cinnamon sugar. As I said, it was a little difficult, but we bought a new tree, 4'.5 and have it on the sofa table. I have some of the larger ornaments displayed on the table since they were used on a larger tree. I have lots of adorable German ornaments I collected when I lived there back in the mid 70's...they hold so many wonderful memories of my children. I was doing great until I came upon my 3 oldest grandson's Santa hats...they wore them last in '07. I lost it then...remembering them and missing them so much. I will be sending my daughter the hats and some extra ornaments she grew up with for her "mall" tree. It's a huge tree and it's going to take her a lifetime to fill that tree up!

Well, need to get ready for my step-daughter-in-law, she's coming over for her monthly beer binge and rant...God knows the girl needs it. I'll make sure she has a full tummy, though...got some quiche, muffins and salad for lunch. Have a great weekend and I'll be back soon. Peace out.

Don't Forget

Howdy All! Just a reminder that the contest is still going on and unfortunately, I only have had three people send me recipes, but fortunately, I have three recipes!! LOL



Hope you are still enjoying the holiday weekend without too many interruptions and distractions; I'm talking about the unpleasant kinds...many wonderful interruptions and distractions happen too!! I'm planning on venturing out today, but just to my neighborhood grocery store. I want "RED MEAT!!!" I've been eating "bird" for the last week now and am ready for some good ol' meat and potatoes!! Why not!! So will buy a small steak, bag-o-salad and maybe steak sauce and prepare a meal this evening, if I can wait, fit for a wrestler!!! Got red 'taters and sour cream and if I really get industrious, I'll make up a batch of dinner rolls right out of that cute Pillsbury can!!

So dear friends, I hope you have had lots of fun and have taken the time to thank the Universe that you're too smart to go out there with the masses and shop till your eyes bleed!! Oh no, going to get some flack about that comment. Ok, I'll rephrase, shop till you drop...happily. So off this computer and to Big 8 I shall go!! Mmmm, Georgina want meat!! Peace out.

Mole and Contest

So some of you are looking at this photo and wondering what this glob of stuff is, well, my dear bloggy friends, it's the food of the gods, the Aztec gods anyway. The Aztec leader, Moctezuma, (or Montezuma, all depending which one got a hold of you after a night of food, fun and mayhem in Mexico) ate this at his table or wherever Aztec leaders ate. My mother gave me two small containers with enough for one serving. Unless one of my sibs comes into town, I don't see this stuff or if my brother right up the road in NM wants to come down for dinner, she then makes it for him. Unfortunately, I haven't earned the same high esteem as my brother/brothers. My mother will have her assistant make chiles rellenos for my brother....Rosita will sneak 3 or 4 just for me because she's aware of my mother's overly generous attention she dons on her sons. My mother suffers from "Latina Mommy Syndrome!" Everything for her "hijos" and "las hijas" can just suck it!! LOL I told my sister that I'm going to create a t-shirt that says, "The Chopped Liver Sisters." But now that she's has moved away, she now has similar status as my brothers. What does a daughter have to do to get a lousy pot of mole or chile rellenos made for her, move???

So why don't I make them myself, good question!!?? It's just a bit time intensive, especially the chile rellenos...ok, I'm lazy!! Now let's move on!! I suppose I'm being stubborn. I'm always going on about how she goes on about her "mijos!" Oey vey, I think I threw up a little in my mouth!! When I approach her about why she doesn't think of saving a few rellenos for me, her comeback is that I'm too fat! Chubbiness aside, that's not a really good excuse. The thing is, I don't walk on friggin' water! I've spoken with other Latina daughters, and they just roll their eyes and say they have the same problem with their mothers.

I'm not that kind of mom...I believe in equal opportunity. My three kids were brought up the same way, sink or swim, my leetle feeshies!! LOL My sons have never gotten more attention than my daughter....ok, well, my daughter has gifted me with 4 adorable grandsons, but as a child, she and her little brother received a special kind of attention. When it came to discipline, all I had to do was give my oldest son, Joel, the good ol' "evil eye" look and it disseminated him. On the other hand, I had to hide the bruises with Andria and Ian!! Now as a grandmother, I can only smile when my daughter calls telling me the latest "trafulcas" (I love that word...means "trouble") my little angels have gotten into...hehehehehehehehe...revenge is best served with a glass of whine and a full plate of whimper from your fruit of your loom!!

This past summer was one of the worst seasons I've had since my ex was caught sneaking out of his girlfriend's house late at night in the summer of '96!! LOL For those of you who recall, I was coming off Lexepro and wow, that's some bad ass stuff!! During that time, when I was in between being down and out and praising the Porcelain Goddess, I was buying groceries. I love bananas, however, this past summer, I never really quite finished the batches I would buy for the week and since this was one of the hottest summers outside and in my house, the bananas would ripen quickly. I decided to mash them up and store them in the freezer for later use, like the holidays. So now I have mucho bags of "nanners" in my freezer and have no really great banana-nut bread recipe!

So who's up for a contest???? Will, I am!! These are the rules:

1. Email me your favorite Banana-Nut Bread recipe (if you want to throw in a Cranberry-Orange Nut bread recipe, that's good too, but not necessary to win)
2. Send the recipe as an attachment or a link from someone else's recipe. I know, that's not very ethical, but I promise, I won't tell!!
   
3. Please mention you have sent me an email on this blog and let me know what your bloggy name is in the email so I'll know who you are if your email name doesn't match up to your bloggy name, kind of like mine.
   
4. All entries must be in no later than midnight, M.S.T., November 30th (have always wanted to do that) and the winner will be picked Dec. 1st or 2nd, depending on when I remember to add a Post-It to my calendar to remind me!
5. Send recipes to: barrobabe54@yahoo.com
   
6. The recipe will not be published without the winners' s permission.
7. The loaves of the winning recipe will be posted on this blog as soon as the baker get's her arse in gear and makes them.
   

The prize will be your choice of one of my little angel ornies, as seen below, and a secret prize.

Thanks for playing and please, don't send me any copyright stuff, can't afford any attorneys right now!! Have a wonderful week and if I don't get around to posting a "Happy Thanksgiving" sa-lute, consider it said now!! Peace out.

More Observations or a Quasi Rant

I have no art to show today...sigh! I'm in the process of making little angel ornies, yes, you read it, ANGELS, nothing malevolent!!! LOL I made something similar for a friend of my daughter's who had to deliver her little girl at 29 weeks, so I made her a pocket angel, but instead, these will be ornaments. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, sell them, give them a way as gifts or have a blog giveaway....any suggestions? I suppose I'm a bit burned out from all the work I did for the gallery in AZ and I'm just tired now, plus, going to Austin for 10 days really through me off my schedule...yikes, I sound like my 88 year old mother!!

The other day, I was trying to fight a sinus headache, the headache was winning, so I decided to watch some daytime television...not something I usually do. I came across an interesting program on A&E called, "Sister Wives," a reality show based on a polygamist family. Weeeelllll, I was hooked!!! I sat there and just couldn't leave, kind of like a train wreck, and was amazed at this life-style. After watching the entire first season's entries, I just sat there like a dribbling fool!! I'm the kind of person who argues or comments at what I'm watching....don't ever be around me when I'm watching the national news! I can honestly say, I sat quietly and just watched. What a great deal this guy has going...4 wives, a boatload of kids, fancy car to drive around with just one wife and one hell of a mortgage. These women were very accommodating with him..they truly love the guy and he is sort of cute and very charming. I realized why polygamy works for the man, women are just wonderful. The 3 wives had been together for 16 years, wife #1 and he had been married 20 years and they celebrated it with the couple going down to Mexico for a getaway...his gift to her was an opportunity to go through invetro fertilization...."gee, thanks hon...but I'll pass, don't see the point"!! They all had been through much together and genuinely enjoyed each others company and children....yep, one hu-eg happy family. But wait, the plot thickens, there was a new gal, another sister, in the future. I'll be frank with you, I'm not too sure about wifey #4...found myself feeling like the other 3...she's younger, thinner and the new toy for the hubby. As for brains, I think the first 3 have it over her, #4's vocabulary consisted of "awesome and cool."

Anyway, I tracked, but back to my original comment about why polygamy works for many, it's because of the women. We pretty much enjoy hanging out, talking, griping, laughing (lots of that), crying, well, you know what I'm talking about. I love my honey and love being with him, but I need my girlfriends too. When I was going through my messy separation and divorce, who was there for me other than family, my girlfriends! I think it was then when I finally realized the importance of hanging out with women and not making a steady diet of the hubster...bleh! Let's face it, ladies, we're AWESOME!! LOL I doubt if A&E will ever come up with a successful program called "Brother Husbands," that's just not going to work!!! One husband is 'nuff, thank you very much!

During my headache I also sat and endured a plethora of commercials. There was one that got my attention. It's about women who suffer from heavy bleeding during that time of the month. Would you believe they have a name for this condition now, MHB...can you figure it out? MONTHLY HEAVY BLEEDING!!! I just about fell of the couch, folded over with laughter. Who comes up with this stuff and why do they think we're so stupid?? How many of us went through our menses having to attempt walking normally due to the mattress between our thighs!!! And for those who used those little inserts, how many boxes did you go through the first day??? How many times did we complain to our GYN's and just got that "deer in front of the headlights" look or all the jokes about what creature can survive after 10 days of severe bleeding?? First time I heard that, it was from this friend's husband and all I wanted to do was turn his face inside out...yes, I was PMS-ing at the time.

So now current young generation of women have so many options, thanks to those trail blazers who's doctor's finally got the word!! You can take pills to prevent menses and pregnancy, pills to hold back the flood gates and totally off the subject, but stuff to enhance your eyelashes which I may look into since I've lost my lovely eyelashes and eye brows during menopause and what's up with that??? You lose all this hair, which can be a good thing, especially in the leg area, but it crops up on you chin??? Oh, how I love being a girl!!!

Well, my friends, time to get my day started. Will be in my studio today working on my angels and planning Christmas gifts plus, will get together with some friends tonight at the Texas Bar and Grill, how cliche, right? Then tomorrow, Ian, SM and I will be attending a cook-out for the county tree-huggers assoc...hubby is a member...yay, can't wait (insert much sarcasm in that last comment) and hopefully, on Sunday, go up to Las Cruces, NM and attend the Renaissance Faire. Have a great week and as always, peace out.

Back Home

Well, Folks, I'm home! Ten days is an awful long time to be away from my little casa and I'm so glad to be back. My daughter is recovering fine and has been cleared to return to work Monday. I'm sure everyone is happy to get their lives back on a normal, or somewhat normal, level. She had a "strumo ovaris" tumor...pretty rare and the thing even has it's own thyroid...just waiting for her to have one with it's own brain and mouth, then it can argue back! Her GYN was so excited since it was a first for him...a strumo ovaris virgin no more!! LOL Anyway, thankfully it wasn't malignant as was previously feared.

As for me, well, I'm "zausted" as my youngest used to say after a long day. My little guys were so precious and so energetic...oey vey!! The Sam Man, the 14 month old, didn't quite cotton up to me...he always gave me this , "Oh it's you again" look when I went every morning to retrieve him from his crib. Don't get me wrong, he was just adorable, but didn't get that needful vibe like my other 3. My oldest, Sean and Ryan, wanted me to move in and live with them "forever," Oh, hell no!! Everytime I visit with them, I realized God knew what he was doing when he decided women shouldn't procreate into those middle years and gave us menopause! Don't get me wrong, the Big Guy could have made it a bit more easy for us since we have to experience menses, then hit us with peri-menopause plus the menses then hot flashes with menses, then hot flashes and weight gain...just lovely. But I won't complain much now, can leave or mute when those pesky commercials for flying Kotex or paper thin pads ( oh yea, like that's going to work), and those "insertions" that can stop up a friggin' damn!! Oh pleeeezzz!!

What would my posting be without a rant or two. On Tuesday, my dearest friend, Irene, picked me up and we spent the day together. Her husband is recovering from tongue cancer (beware you smokers) so we pretty much hung out at the house for the rest of the evening. During one of her home purges, she found old letters I had written her between '95-'98 during my separation and divorce. My God, I had forgotten what a dumb-sh-t I was!! We roared through the earlier dated ones, around the time I began suspecting he was up to no good. I believed everything that toad told me...someone should have hit me with a 2"x4"...right between the eyes!! LOL Of course, I got a kick out of the ones that I wrote during our almost year of divorce proceedings...I was developing into the woman I am now. I had forgotten so much of that part of my life and some said it was best to leave it forgotten, but quite frankly, I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard!! LOL As a friend said about the ex and all the other ex's, "!Todos, pinchi cabrones!" Difficult translation, but believe me, it's not nice, but then they aren't either!!! hahahahaha

This is going to be a short one. Just wanted to let you lovely buddies that I'm home, tired, worn out, and intend to just finish reading my book club book, "The Lacuna" can't recall the author at this moment, but it's a damn good read. Take care and God bless. Have a wonderful Halloween weekend. SM and I will be doing the usual on Halloween night, going to the State Line, just over the railroad tracks down the road, into NM...great ribs and meat! Peace out.

Off to Austin and Other Observations

Well, I'm off to Austin again. I was planning on going for just a weekend, leaving this Thursday evening and returning next Monday. Well, lots has happened since I made those reservations, so now I'll be leaving tomorrow and returning Wed., the 27th of Oct.

Let me explain. My daughter has had problems with ovarian cysts since they were first discovered when she was 18 years old. I recall the day she complained about severe cramps, her father came over to see what he could do, we were either separated or already in the process of divorce...don't recall now, but she was in her bedroom when he came over with a heating pad...to replace the one she had already burned out. I had made an appointment with my gynecologist for the next day, but noooo, I'm stupid and I don't know what specialist to call, so in walks Dr. Blah Blah (dentist) and tells me he has made an appointment with one of his golf buddies, a gynecologist!! So he goes back to her bedroom and I suddenly remember her butterfly tattoo she did out of resentment for something or other towards her father...can't recall why either, since she had so many towards him. Anyway, he told her if she ever got a tattoo he'd take away her brand new red Mustang!!! I'm not saying I approved of her doing this, but I know her better and to tell her no is like saying yes...some of you might know what I'm talking about. She showed it to me after if was done and told me why she did it...told her I didn't like her doing that to her body, but it was on her right hip, viewable to only her and whomever later on in her life!! So back to the story, I ran back there and signaled to her, pointing to the right hip! Her eyes grew wide, her father thinking she was in lots more pain, I'm trying not to spew with laughter and she's doing the same. Well, he never discovered it or about it, so the butterfly stayed put. After 4 children, however, the poor butterfly is encased in a web of stretch marks, so it's escape is impossible!! LOL

A few weeks ago, it was discovered that nasty ol' cyst had enlarged with a vengeance. During the time she went off her birth control hormones and little Sammy began weaning himself from his mommy, there was nothing to prevent it from growing and it made up for lost time. What alarmed her and all of us, was that it looked very suspicious...ya know, that "C" word was bandied about. She's not in the age group that is susceptible to those problems, but hey, there are exceptions to the rules, always. Anyway, the oncologist doesn't seem to feel it's anything other than a cyst, but of course, he wants some pathology done on it. So she goes in Tuesday, the 19th, and has it and her ovary and tube either surgically removed, cutting her open or the less invasive method of removing it through her belly button...let's hope for the latter method. Regardless, it will be considered an "out-patient" procedure! Insurance companies suck!! Now if she's in a lot of pain, they will keep her overnight, if not, it's home bound, where Mommy (Meema) will be waiting..oey vey! My daughter is meaner than a wounded badger when she's sick...I told her if she yelled at me or was ugly, someone will die!! LOL I'll also be there for my 4 grandsons. The older 3 will be in school, so I will acquaint myself with the 14 month old, Sammy. He's not too keen on strangers, so I've been told, so this is going to be fun!! I haven't seen him since he was 8 months old and I doubt he remembers! So my friends, I'll be in Austin for a grand total of 10 days. I will have the opportunity of meeting with one of my best buddies for the day, the 22nd, and I told Andria that no matter what, I was going to be ready to spend time with Reenie!!!

Here's an observation or just my rant. El Paso, TX is really the red hair, freckle faced stepchild of TX! This city is predominantly Democratland. Most people just pull on that donkey tail without knowing the political issues. I have nothing against Demos or Republicans, for that matter, as far as I'm concerned, the two parties are "same donkey, different saddles!" I'm quoting a local gentleman who was at some political rally the other night. Or to get a bit more crass, one of my favorite comedians, Lewis Black, put it, "It's like one bowl of sh-t, staring at it's reflection in the mirror!" So as for politics and politicians, they blow!!! When I was in Chicago a few weeks ago, the political advertisements on the telie were amazing....the caca that was being launched by these people was hilarious. No one in IL, it seems, is free of any kind of scam, criminal negligence, fraud, etc. Very entertaining. However, here we El Pasoans are treated to the same outrageousness going on in NM politics...Denish or Martinez for Gov. Personally, I like Martinez cuz' she's a local girl, but has lived and practiced law in NM for many years...El Paso can no longer claim her. Then there are the other constituents...NM is apparently a hot bed of political goings-on!! The reason we get all the political stuff from NM is our proximaty to the NM state line...it's just down the street from me...the small town of Anthony is in both states, TX and NM, hence the political advertisements about NM politicos. Here in El Paso, it's only about the Gov...White and Perry. The TX gov has no real power in this state, but if he's good, he can yuck it up with the Lt. Gov and the Legislators, hence, getting his way. Perry, the Hair God, has been in too long, so it's time for a change, kind of like with Obama, but won't get into that, so let's give it a try. Then there are the U.S. Congressmen. We've had Sylvestre Reyes in there for 14 years and the only thing he has done in 14 years is take advantage of every photo op out there. He did a great job when he was in the Border Patrol; he was the guy who designed and instituted "Hold the Line." Had Border Patrol agents all up and down the Rio Grande and surrounding desert areas, popular with illegal entry. I heard his campain caca the other day on tv and he was going on how he was going to strengthen the education system and the usual blah, blah, blah...you've been in office for 14 years, Sylvestre, whatcha been doin'????? He's a straight party guy and has never met a tax increase he's never liked or raises for himself and cronies. He's also the "Nepotism King!" Ok, he's a typical politician, what can I say. So when people go on the campaign trail, they don't come to El Paso because if they're Democrats, they know they'll get the vote here and if they're Republicans, they won't bother! So you see how we are left out of the TX poli game? Hey, they don't call it El Piso for nuthin'! So when in Austin, I'll get to hear all the wonderful political stuff that's being flung out there...can't wait. I wonder if it will be as entertaining as IL...or better yet, LA...now that some great political goings-on...love that gumbo and LA politics...whatcha think, Anne??? LOL

Well, before I close, I want to show you the remainder of my dolls I have already sent off to Xico, Inc. in Chandler, AZ. I received 2 emails pertaining to my last shipment from the Outreach coordinator and the Exec. Director of the gallery...they think my work is fantastic...music to my ears!! Now let's hope the nice people of the Chandler/Phoenix area and all those wonderful Snow Birds and other tourists think so too!! LOL Their big Dia de los Muertos show will be on Oct. 30th in Old Town Chandler. If any of you live in the vicinity, please don't miss it....have heard it's a great time for all!!





The red "King Calaca" is going to Austin with me. I've heard that the grandsons have quite a nice Halloween display in the living room, so the Meema is taking her contribution. Well, my friends, I will update you later on my daughters surgical outcome, pray it's just a nasty cyst and that the only thing she'll lose is her ovary and tube, plus the cyst, of course. I will have access to a computer at their home, will have to get my s-i-l to show me how to "crack the code" to enter...sheesh!! Have a great week, take care and if anyone is interested in any of these dolls, I do special orders!! Peace out.

Chicago and Can-Do Dolls

We returned from Chicago last Saturday after a 4 day whirl-wind visit with my stepdaughter and her family. Our 2 year old Aiden is absolutely adorable...very talkative and a little man who knows what he wants. He's really into Guitar Hero and watching him focus on the songs and attempt to keep up with the lyrics is hilarious. As we were coming out of the underground parking lot at Millennium Park, he joyfully exclaimed "What a beautiful day!" You just don't expect something like that coming out of a 2 year old. We went to see "The Bean," a large metal structure/sculpture (it's all yard art) showing downtown Chicago from different angles. That was fun, especially looking at ourselves and saying, "No deep-dish pizza for us!!" Actually, I don't like deep-dish pizza or sausage, so I didn't partake, but my step s-in-l's mother ordered this great thin crust pizza the other night while visiting them at their home...OMG, thought I had died and gone to pizza heaven!!! Funny, many of my memories to Chicago will be about the food we ate...typical!!

Well, we did more than just eat, I had on my "to do list" was to go the Art Institute of Chicago. Since my art history days, we studied many paintings that are on display there. I just love George Surrat's "La Grande Jatte," and of course, the American classic, "American Gothic." I was there for 5 hours, the first accompanied by SM, Jessi, his daughter and Aiden. Now Aiden did well for about the first 45 mins., after I showed him the cool ceramic bowls in the Greek and Roman areas, telling him Meema used to make big ceramic bowls, so he just had to point out all the bowls he saw, with great 2 year old enthusiasm. Well, after a while, a two year old's fancy turns to shear boredom, as it should, so at my urging, I suggested they go do some other sight-seeing and would call them when I was finished at the museum. So I spent the rest of my time, just gawking with amazement at the paintings and sculptures from all those people I read about, studied and probably missed a few questions about them during my testing on the material. As I was in the American section, I spotted a painting that looked so familiar, well, a lot of them were, but this one isn't all that well-known. Let me give you a little background. One evening my honey and I were talking and we got on the subject of Oscar Wilde's book, "The Picture of Dorian Grey." We normally don't have such literary infused conversations, but that evening we were actually talking about movies. We both recall a movie we saw as children on the boob tube based on that book. I had told him I did a book report on it in my senior year of high school and the teacher gave me a C because I mentioned the fact that Oscar Wilde was gay, YA THINK???!!?!?!!? She said it merited an A+, but I didn't have to mention that little tid-bit about ol' Oscar...hell, the guy went to prison because of it...well, there's more to the story, but won't go into it now. Anywhoo, (saw that little blond sassy witch teacher some years later and she didn't age well!! LOLOLOL) he mentioned that he flipped out when he saw the end of that movie, when Dorian put a knife through the self-portraits heart, hence, killing himself. I too remember the portrait, but even then, this little artist saw it as bloody neat-o!!

Well, as I was walking about that salon, there on the wall...THE PORTRAIT!!! AAHHHH!! I said to myself. However, since it had been several years since I saw that flick, I had to get closer to read the little info card next to the painting, however, there was a group of French tourists trying out their English by attempting to read the info card too. I patiently waited till they gave up and moved to the next piece of art work and I was right, it was THE PORTRAIT. The painting was by an American painter who was known for his macabre artistic sensibility...yea, my kind of artist!! His name was Ivan Le Lorraine and was hired to paint it at the request of Albert Lewin, the director of the movie, during it's making between 1943-44 and released in 1945 (yes, I Googled it). Well, slap me silly and call me Shirley...I just had to let SM know it was here at the Art Institute. I sent him a text with a photo of the painting and said, "Here's that portrait from that movie...hehehehehehe" He wrote back, "Are you trying to make fun of me?" Well, YEA, mwaha-hahahahaha!!! Anyway, if you can Netflix it, rent the movie...it's all done in black and white except for the end of the movie, there it is, it all it's bloody, splattered beauty!! And my children wonder why they're the way they are???


Since my return, I have been working diligently in getting my contract work out to the gallery in Phoenix. I felt so overwhelmed at the beginning of the week, but I can now take a sigh of relief and say it's all done. I shipped off two boxes on Thurs. for their opening next Thurs., even though I'm not one of the featured art-eests...I'm the contract one. I completed the rest yesterday and here is a sample of what I've made thus far.






There are more dolls, but I still haven't downloaded them from my camera. Thankfully, one of the guards at the Art Institute showed me how to turn off my flash in order for me to take pictures in the gallery...works great in my very well lighted studio. The majority are my Can-Do dolls, made with ordinary cans, and paper clay heads. Going to buy more popcorn from my grandson's boy scout troop to get those cool larger cans...and the popcorn isn't that bad anymore either.

Well, my friends, time to move on. I'll write more next week and hopefully, well have retrieved those photos of my remaining work and more that I'm doing now. Peace out.

I'm Still Here and Alive

So my friends, this is what I've been up to lately. I'm preparing for a Dia de los Muertos show at Xico, Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. I made a series of calaca earrings and some funkier stuff above the skulls. I'm also in the middle of making some skelly dolls. I also made an assortment for my sister to take back to Phoenix to sell at her place of work, "Chicanos Por La Causa," Chicanos for the Cause. So far, she's sold quite of few of them and I love the Phoenix market, they're appreciate the hard work artist put into their stuff and are willing to spend the $$, unlike here, in my hometown, El Paso, where if it's not free, forget about it!!! Anyway, everything is turning out really great but...yes, friends, there's a but, or is it butt!!??

I have to have everything shipped before the 30th of Oct. and I'm feeling a bit of a squeeeeze, or is it a , smoooosh!!! Mick Jagger may have time on his hands (although, have you seen him lately!!! eeewww) but Georgina has very little time on her hands. Yesterday was a good example. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling a little queasy, well, a lot queasy!! I ran to the bathroom to do a bit of kneelin' and prayin'...get my drift??? The 3rd visit prompted me to do something very stupid, I reached for the terlet seat and the cover to help myself up and both heavy wooden seat and cover came crashing down on the bridge of my nose...now if that's not adding insult to injury, I don't know what is. I knew that I might get a black eye or two if I didn't go and ice my my schnoz down, but at that point, da ya think I cared??? So all day yesterday I spent in the bed (I rarely lay in the bed, but when I do everyone knows I'm sick!!) sleeping on and off and listening to my own breathing and worse yet, my own thoughts of worry and woe!!! So there went a day of any work in the studio. You just can't really plan!!!

Today, I'm going to my mother's, Miss Daisy Day, and set up her sewing machine and change her bobbins when she's completed altering her new pants. My family has a problem with having no real buttocks. Both my parents have none hence, the off spring are also buttless!! My brother in NM is worse...he's concave!!! Glad he doesn't read my blog!! hehehehe!! Anyway, my mother, in her 88 year old vain fashion, has to fix the back part of all her pants if they're a certain size...the pants, not her butt, that's pretty consistent! I, on the other hand, don't really give a Rhett Butler damn!!! If they hang, then they hang...just gives me more room to sit in comfort.

Then my youngest, Ian, is coming today at around 3:30. Tomorrow is his birthday, turning 25 (I was married for almost 5 years and had a kid by then) and he has asked me to make him banana pudding in lieu of a cake. So I have to get back home and make his pudding for it to be just right for tomorrow's consumption. You can not eat banana pudding before it's time...it's a Southern thang. I'm no Southerner, beaner yes, Southerner, no, but after living with one for almost 26 years, things just stick, like chewing gum, old hair gel, already-sucked Starburst candies between the cushions, etc. Of course, this is after doing Miss Daisy's bitch work...."Georgina the mighty bobbin changer!!!!!

So you think why not next week, the last week of September!! Yes, I had planned on working that week, but that's when my honey decided that was a good time to visit his daughter in Chicago. I'm not complaining here, never been there and looking forward to the Chicago Art Institute, House of Blues and some eateries that have become popular through Foodnetwork, "Drive-in, Drive -byes & Dens" or something like that!! We'll be there for 4 days then back home the 2nd of Oct. when the race will really begin. I also have to have everything shipped way before the 30th because this travlin' soul will return to Austin to see daughter and grands for a weekend...just a weekend...can't stand much more time than that...we'll kill each other!!! Just read my after-Christmas visit to Austin blog from 2009!! I think I wrote one.

So my dear friends, time to get ready, go to the store to buy an extra piece of Tilapia and Mexican squash for tonight's dinner...never got around to making it last night...uuggghhhh!!! And since we'll have another boca (mouth) to feed, need to buy the extra stuff. Also, need to make that visit to my mommy's for her sewfest. Hmm, maybe I'll have to pick up some more bobbins!! Peace out.

Laundry

My wonderful hubby and I rarely argue, well, we rarely have any of those hot-tempered, mean spirited type of arguments, thankfully due to the fact I did plenty of that in my younger days and now don't see the point. Well, last night we had a small misunderstanding about the laundry.

Let me give you a little background on my sweet man. He's loving, generous, considerate, hard-working, funny (very important) and just a really swell guy (oh no, Georgina, you didn't say swell!!). He has his quirks, well, who the hell doesn't, but his are at times a bit on the "your driving me crazy," type. He's a perfectionist in certain aspects, not all aspects, you should see his desk in our office...looks like someone threw a hand grenade on it. I thought that if he removed his old computer, that has been lying in a dormant stage for years, he could organize it better, but then I thought that might not work either, just give him more room to spread his paper chaos. And our dining room table, actually it belongs to my oldest son, Joel, but when he moved to Dallas he didn't want to store it, so he lent it to me till he was settled...still waiting and that was 3 years ago! Anyway, "his side" of the table is looking like his desk....paper everywhere...magazines, mail outs, credit card forms, etc. you get the drift. I have never seen his office at his place of employment, but I can assure you it's a show case, that's different, right?

Now let's move on to his closet and dresser drawers...they're so organized, you have to just take it in...it's awesome!! Everything is in geometric perfection, and I venture to say, a bit algebraic too...I know there's a quadratic equation lurking in there somewhere!!! I'm not "allowed" to fold his handkerchiefs since I don't know how....apparently rocket science! His underwear has to be folded and put away a certain way as are his socks. I myself had to "relearn" how to fold my own chonies (panties) under his direction, again, rocket science! I started calling him "Mr. Fifiruchi" (pronounced, "feefeeroochee"...Spanish spelling is easier and uses less letters, hence the spelling) which is a word I've been using since I was a child. I don't know where it came from or maybe my father used it or I corrupted the original word or phrase, "Ay Fuchi-la-caca" meaning, "Oh, la-dee-da." My father's phrase, not mine, but it works. The last time he used that phrase we were in Ruidoso, NM at a very hoity toity eatery in the Inn of the Mountain Gods, a Mescalero Navajo hotel and gambling joint. The waiter was just a bit too much into the evening specials and as he walked away, my Dad looked at me and said, "Ay, fuchi-la-caca!" Don't you hate it when white wine comes dribbling out your nose while your stifling your laughter?

So we now enter this past evening. He began complaining that I don't help with the laundry and he's right, I don't. The reason being is that when I first moved into his house, before we got married, I did the laundry. It went from mine and my son's to his and his daughter too. No biggie. I did laundry for a family of 5 for many years, so the extra clothes weren't a big deal. However, he began redoing some of his and his daughters and I asked him why and his reply was, "Well, honey, you're not doing it right." Not doing it right??? Ok, let's see, colours with colours, whites with whites, broken down to delicate, permanent press and bleach those nasty tidy whities with hot water, right? According to my love, NO!!! There's a system and I'm blissfully ravaged from the intelligence of Vern laundry. So, did he teach me the ways of Vern laundry, no, he just decided to do it himself. Now if I were a younger woman, I'd be furious...hey, that's challenging my intelligence!!! But now that I'm a fluffy and happy post menopausal lady, I have no objections to him doing it. After all, according to our cleaning lady, I married into her, she said he's been doing the laundry since she started working for him, back with wife #2, I'm wife #4. So this is his M.O...he likes the power of the laundry, so I happily have adhered to his wishes and stay out of it until last night. The more frustrated he became, the more I laughed...I thought he was kidding. I told him that he always did the laundry, long before I came into his life and that I was incapable of doing it right, according to him, hey I know when I've been defeated, but he insisted I now learn the ways of Vern laundry....you can teach an old dog new tricks, but this old dog prefers not to learn that particular one. I found I was getting a bit hot under the bra and decided it was time to leave the living room for the bedroom...fighting over dirty laundry was just too much to take at 10 p.m. As I left, I told him I was amazed that I, a somewhat intelligent woman or whatever child-bearing and menopause left of my brain, and a college graduate plus years of laundry experience under the belt, was going to fight over such a stupid thing!!! Hey, I like a good challenge, but laundry???

I went to bed, head hung low, I have failed miserably, I'm an unfit laundress. So today, I'm making up for it by doing what I do best, other than my art work, I plan to make a wonderful meal, something I don't do very often. Hopefully, I'll make him all happy again and take his mind off the laundry. However, I'm going to make sure that I get plenty of my homemade barbecue sauce all over my apron and my shirt. That ought to bring a smile to his face...the idea of removing all those dark, spicy, sticky brown smudges off my delicates...now there's a challenge! And I helped!!! Peace out.

Good News

Good morning all. I'm a bit addle brained right now since I returned home from Phoenix after spending the weekend with my sis. I came from a very hot, humid climate (rained like a mother while I was there), but the indoors were beautifully air conditioned. My sister was so sweet and even lowered the temps in her house just for me!! Now that's love!!! LOL I had a wonderful time but more importantly, I rested...needed that!!

She treated me to a pedicure/manicure (can't remember the the last time I had a manicure...perhaps before I got married the first time....1972-73!!!!!) My sister lent me one of her wild colours, so my toesies and until last night, my finger nails are a dark frosty blue!!! Just love it!! I told the manicurist that I don't paint my finger nails since I work so much with my hands, but everyone there at the shop persuaded me since I was on vacation....I caved. However, last night, I removed the polish since it was already chipping and I hate chipped nail polish!!

We also were scheduled to go to a massage Sat. morning, but as we got into the car and she started up the engine, the very familiar sound of a dying battery gloomed over our plans. Apparently, batteries in S. AZ have a 3 year life span due to the extreme heat. She was furious since she was told her battery was good from the nice people at Car Fax where she purchased it back in Sept. Well a call to AAA and a rescheduled appointment for the massage, we began our Saturday a bit late. We got dressed and went out to this adorable area of Old Chandler where there are little shops and many bars and eateries.

I had emailed this one gallery earlier last week about them representing me since no one here in El Paso won't even look at me or my work unless it's on canvas or something that's better suited for your front or backyard. The individual in charge of new artists emailed me back telling me she would be there Saturday afternoon. So I went prepared with a new series of beer bottle cap earrings which turned out great and unusual (but then I'm "greatly" unusual), photos of some of my dolls and other work and my sister took her doll I made for her a couple of years ago. Well, the youngster that took care of me was very impressed and loved my work, so I will be displaying it for the Dia De Los Muertos show in Nov. I am now represented by http://xicoinc.com

It's a great little gallery and has all sorts of wonderful art pieces from Latino and American Indian artists. My sister has been after me for a while now to contact them and introduce myself, but since I don't get up to Phoenix much these days, I just never saw the point. I now have much work ahead of me and have an Oct. 30th deadline...have to have my work in by that date, so I'll be in the studio working my leetle fingers to the bone...yea!!! I even signed a contract...wow, now that's a big one for me!!

Today, I'm also getting someone to look at my air conditioner. Let's face it folks, this has been a very long, hot summer for most of us and you know how much I've complained about my house being a balmy 84 degrees in the afternoons....inside my house!!! My honey's relpy to that is that it's been very humid this summer and hot, so the swamp cooler can do so much, but I've been inside other homes who's Master Cools, like the one we have on our roof, actually work much better, soooo, I told him I was going to call American Home Shield, a wonderful service we have, and I don't care if it cost $60 for them to come out here and check it out, I'm tired of sweating and being blown away by all the oscillating fans I have surrounding me; I have them set on gale -force winds!! He asked his son, a jack of all trades and master of all of them, to come check it out with his air conditioning specialist friend this a.m., so if I find out that there's been something wrong with this machine above my head all along and something quite simple, I'm going to be pissed!!! My hubby refuses to go up on the roof and I would go if I weren't so damn afraid of heights...trust me, I've been desperate these days and a broken bone of two might have been worth it!! LOL I knew all I had to do was threaten with a $60 charge, he'd get motivated, but I was going to do it regardless.

Well, I need to get dressed and finish reading my book for book club tonight. I have less than half to go of "Little Bee" which is a wonderful read if you're interested. Take care and Peace out.

Just a Complaint

Coming out of seclusion for just a bit, but I have something to say:

IT'S FRIGGIN' HOT OUT HERE!!!!
I'M HATING THIS SUMMER!!!
I WANT SNOW...YEA, AS IF!!!
I WANT REFRIGERATED AIR!!
I WANT A BLOCK OF ICE IN MY LIVING ROOM!!!
I NEED TO BUY STOCK IN SPRITZ BOTTLES...
KILLING THE LITTLE SPRING THAT MAKES THEM SPRITZ!!!
NEED TO RUN OUT AND BUY MORE!!
I THINK I'LL LIVE IN MY CAR..IT'S COOLER IN THERE!!
CALGONE AIN'T GOING TO TAKE ME ANYWHERE!!
I'M GOING TO HEAVEN SINCE I LIVE IN HELL!!

Peace out!!

Bye Bye

Dear Friends, I'm going to take a short hiatus and will return at a later date. I'm fine, but I have a few small dragons that need to be slain and a few rats that need capturing. For those of you who have my email address, please write when the mood hits you or call...some of you have my numba!!

Have a glorious summer, or what's left of it, and I shall return before the first leaf drops, well for those of you in the Eastern part of the U.S. that might be sooner than expected...LOL. Hopefully, I will be at a better place, refreshed, regenerated and rip-raring to go!! Love ya all and as always, peace out.

Jewelry Boxes & Happy Surprises

I've finally completed the jewelry boxes for the local shop, Royally Sweet. The young woman who is running this business is renting what used to be my Pop's office. Last summer the family decided to remodel the old place and breath some new life into it. We had several people who were very interested in renting, but as soon as my bro, Fred, informed them that we would run a credit check on them, they sort of disappeared. Hey, if my bro were to run one on me, I'd run too!!! LOL Well, Desiree runs a absolutely lovely little shop. She sells all kinds of interesting and eclectic jewelry, hats, baby products and other great stuff. My brother's girlfriend, Karen, is a heck of a quilter and is selling little quilted bags there right now and apparently doing quite good, so now I'm entering the retail bidness.

I also will be selling my dolls, so hopefully I can get my work out here in the local market. It used to be that local artists and artisans had a hard time selling their work here because many of those that could afford art, would rather buy something similar in larger markets such as Santa Fe, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, etc. on the biggo cities. Due to the changes in the economy, many of these people are buying in their backyard now...good for us, but as usual, all is highly competitive. So below are my little jewelry boxes:




Tomorrow I'm off to Royally Sweet with jewelry boxes and dolls in tow, along with Ian, and will hopefully dazzle the proprietor!! As I mentioned in a past post, this is really working outside the box (hahahahaha) and it's been a while since I've really painted in this form. Years ago, in my past life, I took a folk tole painting course in Germany when I lived there, '76-'79...good times and wonderful memories and I still have contact with my friends in Germany and England. Anyway, when I returned I had to really look for supplies that were so readily available in the German market. I couldn't find liquid acrylic paint back in 1980, there was no such product, so I went back to tubes...different texture though. Slowly, the American craft business began to catch up and low and behold, we have all sorts of choices! When I returned to school my prof told me I was a folk artist...he could see it in my ceramic work and how I painted and decorated on my clay canvas. And for this I busted my hump for a B.A.???!!! Yeppers, I did and proud of it too!! LOL

Going to cut this short, but I just wanted to recommend a really cute movie. It's one of those that went straight to DVD, I'm sure, but it's a sweet movie and quite funny at times.



It has well known actors, such as, Patty Duke, son, Sean Astin, John Corbett
(hhhh-000-tttt---yyy), Marcus Thomas and Allan Corduner. It's about this young man, Marcus Thomas, who after breaking up with his girlfriend and is employed in a tiresome position in an ad agency, decides to try out for a part in a local theatre production of Cyrano de Bergerac to make new friends. Well, he does and gets lots more. Not the most thought provoking pieces of cinema, but a good flick for one of those rainy or too-hot-to-do-sh-t afternoons. I found it playing with my remote control while I had a bit of lunch and break from the studio. That's what I call a happy surprise!! Peace out.

Post Cards

I have a post card stalker!! Actually, I don't know if someone is trying to mess with this ol' post menopausal brain of mine or someone is actually being very sweet and sending me post cards from their travels to various parts of the country....well, 2 from a couple of Civil War battle fields and one from Taos, NM.

The first was sent from Maryland on June 20, the card is one from Antietam National Battlefield, in Sharpsburg, MD. Ok I remember the significance of that battle if history serves me right. Now as for the Civil War, my kinfolk weren't involved with that one...hell, they weren't even gun runners..they were in a different country having their own problems!! LOL The second post card post dated the same day and from the same place in MD, concerns the Chancellorsville campaign, again another one of those hysterical..err..historical events. Soo, fast forward to yesterday, received another one, but this one is from Taos, NM, but post marked in Albuquerque...now we're closer to my backyard! Now she signs it! Yes, it's a she...got that from the handwriting...even got a second vote from my stepson on the penmanship being of the female persuasion.

The person who signed it is "Barbara." Well, now we're getting somewhere..."Think, Georgina, how many Barbaras do you know??" ---------------------- ------------------- -------------
by the way, that's the way my brainwaves look on paper or computer screens!!! So I come up with 3 Barbaras, 2 live here in El Paso, and the other is my honey's sis who lives in Silver City, NM. I assume this Barbara doesn't live in TX or anywhere near the vicinity of it since she mentioned she thought of me as she flew over TX!!! Well, this is a big whopping state, the largest of the lower 48! But still, what a nice sentiment...but I represent the whole state...hahahaha, poor TX!! hahahahaha!! If I were Queen of TX, I'd ....oh well, won't go there.

So this lovely person sends me post cards from Civil War battle grounds and from Taos, NM. I haven't been to Taos since 1971 when my parents decided they wanted to go to the Santa Fe Fiesta in the Fall...they burn this huge effigy, Zozola or Zorzolo, name escapes me now, but then that's common these days. Anyway, we went up to Taos on this narrow 2 laner...now that was an experience!!! At the time, Taos was a haven for hippies, now retiring CEO's of major corporations (sell outs) and they had a huge commune up there. The place was full of them and their wares. I bought this neat-o macrame belt, which I still might have somewhere, that looked great on me and my jeans. We're talking friggin' 39 years ago when I was 19, gorgeous and hot, of course, back then I had no idea I was that..."ain't hindsight a b--ch??!" I recall my Pop having a heyday with all those "!Grinudos! (put the ~ over the n making the ng sound, meaning long, strangly, unkempt hair and pretend the first exclamation point is upside down...hey, I didn't write the language, I just read and write what I was taught) and "!apestosos, perezosos...! etc. Translates to , "stinky, lazy, ...! My father was just like any post WWII dad..."didn't like them long-haired, stinky, lazy, hippie dudes!" My father was intolerant of all of them. When my sister married, the first time around, her fiance had this best buddy, now one of those CEO's, who lived in his parent's garage turned- apartment (more like an orgie den, but that's another story for later) and was a struggling, cough, cough, musician...son of a wealthy physician daddy. He had these long beautiful locks and was going to be best man at my parent's big party!! hahahahaha!!! My father made such a stink about it and it was funny, even back then!! Anyway, Hair God made his debut at this El Paso wedding and was a hit with the young set and a subject of great debate to the older set...gave the society page editor something to write about!!!

Wow, did I digress or what, maybe a bit from column A and a bit from column B!! So if you know a Barbara who might be in our blog world and not from TX, and has traveled lately around the country, maybe you've been getting post cards from her too or know who she is. If it someone I know, please forgive me for not knowing who you are and if you're someone just messing around with my head, you've succeeded!! LOL

Time to play in my studio. Making those jewelry boxes for a little local shop and want to take them in next week for her display. Again, I'm doing stuff outside my usual box, no pun intended, and having fun doing it!! Will post pics next week or whenever I complete them. Have a great weekend and peace out.
P.S.

I've noticed that some of my comments are not being published even though they have been approved...pinchi Blogger!! So for those of you who are my blogger buddies and you don't see your comments there, it's because the Blogger Comment Monster ate it up!! However, know I read them, hit the "publish" box and then "poof!"