Grumpy Day

Yes folks, I'm a "grumpy pants" today.  Don't know if it's the heat resurfacing again after having some gorgeous cooler days with rain and all.  So add the friggin' humidity with the heat and you have "Grumpy Pants Diaz!"  Or maybe it's just about time I have a grumpy day, since I haven't had one in quite a long time.  Seems everything is just pissing me off today.  I was just asked my Pandora if I was still listening...well, YEA!!  Have I signed off yet, NO, so why ask!!!!!!!???  I'm listening to my created station, "Laura Nyro" but so far, it's less Laura and more whoever!!  OY  Ok, the music isn't bad, but I want to hear Laura, dammit!!!

Then I left a long comment for the lovely, Yve, at her blog,  but those stupid "are you a robot" symbols were not accommodating.  I must have attempted 8 times to decipher those stupid symbols and wasn't able to sign in, knowing I had gotten them right...GRRRRR!!  Sorry Yve, but I gave up after #8.  My dear buddy, Linda over at her blog wrote about this weekend...what's the big deal with Labor Day when all the stores are open and having major, mega sales.  As she quotes her grandson, the great Ry, "it doesn't tickle my fanny!"  Yep, mine either.  If it's Labor Day, then why are so many people working today..what an oxymoron!  It's advertised as the last day of summer vacation.  Around here summer goes into Oct. and in some instances, Nov., so much for summer...we want it over and gone for those few months.

Yesterday, I spent the day in the studio, so why so grumpy?  Well, I was just as happy as can be till I finished what had to be done to my little skellie coco-heads and moved on to "damage control."  I had some of my work at a gallery in AZ.  I know they were having some economic problems (who hasn't) and they were having to downsize and requested those of us who where still displaying there, for more of a cut of our sales...I didn't have a problem with that, they're a non-profit and needed a boost.  I believe they still were floundering when a new director came in and did some house-cleaning, and she began whipping things into shape.  Long story short, she asked if I would give more of my sales or I could request my work returned, I opted for the latter.  Two boxes arrived with what was left of my work and when I opened them, the damage was infuriating.  It was obvious that much of my artwork was displayed somewhere in a window or someplace where natural lighting was abundant. I ended up having to throw away some of my fragile sculptures and ornaments due to large pieces missing while others were faded so badly, I couldn't do much with them.  What I found amazing was that the director asked me for more $$ from my sales on damaged work!??!!??  I pride myself on quality and folks, most of this stuff was a far cry.  Well, as a friend told me the other day, "George, you always seem to find a silver lining in every dark cloud."  So my silver lining here is a lesson learned, be more careful who you trust with your work.  So far, I've learned just a little too much!

I said in an earlier post, maybe a few months ago, that I was going to have a giveaway, well, I haven't forgotten.  I'm going to have this little contest in a couple of weeks and don't worry, it's not anything from my damaged box of goods!! LOL

I know some of you saw this over on my Facebook page, but for those of you who are not complete social media suckers, like me (ok, I don't Twitter and never will), here is the photo of my little coco-head mini-skellies.  Today, I'm planning on designing and cutting out their little costumes...I just hope I don't go bonkers from working with such tiny pieces of fabric!

Also, I wanted to show you a pic of my mom taken this past Thurs. when I took her back to her house so she could sit out in her beautiful garden and enjoy the cooler weather.  All is so green due to her good gardener and the lovely rain we had for a week, after I read those rain clouds the "riot act."  All they did was hover over for over a week, bringing hot winds and humidity, so I guess they took heed and the heavens opened up and brought glorious rain.  Let me tell you, there's nothing like a rain storm in the desert...around here we say the rain smells.  We can smell it even if it doesn't rain in our area, but the scent is from the creosote bush, a plant that thrives out here in the harsh high desert.  When it rains, it emits it's perfume infused scent...it's beautiful.  I remember the first time I moved to Dallas, TX, in my other life, I recall never smelling anything other than "wet," and the same when I lived in Germany and visited other European countries...more "wet."  Anyway, she enjoyed her day out and I packed her a lunch, one that she specifically asked me to prepare, frijoles de la olla, con crema fresca and guacamole...I also included a flour tortilla.

Well my friends, it's time for me to jump into my day and finish "damage control" in the studio and move on to my happier little coco-heads.  Peace out.

What's with Blogger and other silly things

I have to admit, I'm a terrible blogger.  I'm probably on many of your "blogger s-list."  The S-List was invented by my dad years ago after my sister's big-ass wedding.  My father kept his guest list, checked off  with who attended without 'neary a card, let alone a gift or those who brought "toda la familia" when "toda la familia" weren't invited and didn't bring a gift (their names were CAPPED big time), hence, the birth of the S-list.  So returning to my being an terrible blogger, I must hang my head low and admit to this horrid offense.

I suppose my only excuse is that, life has gotten in the way, but then, who's life doesn't get in the way, so this is not a legit excuse.  Now that my mother is in a good state of health, comfortable in her nursing home, I still find my mind wrapped around her well-being.  Yesterday, she told me I don't have to come everyday, which I don't...I take off Tues. to prep everything for the cleaning lady the next day and Saturdays, so I can have some time to spend with my hubby and/or son when he's here for the weekend.  But she insisted on  telling me that I still don't have to be there every day to feed her lunch, she's quite capable to feed herself, albeit with out utensils, but she'll give it the ol' college try anyway.  My mom will turn 91 next month and she thinks nothing of it, but I guess I'd feel the whole "birthday" thing a bit anit-climatic too if I reached that age, which I pray I don't, not like that.  I already told my daughter I don't want to suffer like my mother, so please enlist in the hiring of a "hit-man or "hit-person' to be more PC..bleh!  One shot to the head and I'm lookin' at the face of God!!  I know, how morbid, but after seeing what my mother has endured and all the many residents in the nursing home, and mind you, it's considered the "Hilton" of nursing homes, even thought, the Marriott owns it, it's enough to want you want to cry.  As a dear friend told me the other day when she took her aunt to visit my mother, she said, "I wanted to come home and put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, but I don't own a gun and never will, but you do know what I mean??"  Yes, I do, sadly, I do.

Ok, enough of that and on to something lighter.  I finally finished my little Coco-Head dolls, after I began them in early May and had to put them on hold during my mother's journey to her eventual present state (Oh, there she goes again, Morbid Molly!!)  However, I now have more stuff  on the ol' work table to finish up and anticipating my completion soon.  I have so many ideas floating around, that I actually had to write them in my sketch book to remind me.  My sketch book is nothing more than a journal filled with ideas, many not even thumb nailed, but I do express the descriptions well.

So here are some pics of the completed work and I promise, I will return with more.

I had so much fun making them, that I'm making a series of little skelly coco-heads to be used for ornaments...can't wait!  Some might be thinking, "Why does she call them coco-heads," well, in Mexico, they make these fabulous wall hangings and the heads are made of half a coconut head, hence the name.  Of course, I have little to no access to coconuts and even if I did, I'm not into cutting, milking and cleaning them out...not this girl!! 

Oh, yea, I forgot, so what's with Blogger.  I had to come over here to another web server to access my blog and my list of blogs.  I was on my regular Google Chrome and when I went to blogger, I signed in, and my page came up but my list of fav blogs was gone, GONE, I SAY!!!!!  I almost lost it, so I came here to one of the other 3 I have and found it here.  So what's up with that???  I took it as a sign from the Universe to blog or ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!  So here I am.

Well, time for me to hit the ol' studio and begin to play since I took the day off, as advised by my dear ol' mom.  Hope you all have a great weekend and play lots in what ever you do and don't forget, if it's raining, don't worry about it unless your made of sugar, so go out and walk in it!  Before I go, I leave you with a pic of my Zoe-girl her mommy took after she asked her if she had eaten that chocolate cookie she was told to leave for her brother.  Peace out.

Hey!!

Just a real shorty, y'all.  Busy, busy, busy and even now, as I type, I'm watching the clock...errands then off to the nursing home to visit my mother.  Until later, hopefully tomorrow, I'll write more, but I leave you with a picture of my little Zoe-girl who decided she was a more practical fit in our entertainment centre's drawer than our old VCR tapes.  Peace out.