Farewell

Farewell, my dear Anne.  I will always cherish the time we spent on those marathon phone calls.  My only regret was never having to really spend any "physical" time with you....just too much damn geography between El Paso, TX and Peru, IN.  However, I know we'll meet someday and we can then have that party we always spoke of throwing with no worry of making bail.  You're more than welcome to come visit me anytime in my dreams or make a suggestion as I'm creating something sinister in my studio...you were always good at "sinister and dastardly" suggestions...wink, wink, nudge, nudge.  You always showed me the stupidity of some human behaviour and laughed the whole time you pointed it out.  Because of you, I know not to waste time and energy on negativity, hatred and anger...life's too short and damn, too short!!

Now put on those Doc Martens and go kick some Heavenly ass!  Adios, mi amiga. I will always love you.  Peace out.

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.

Just A Note

I'm back for just a few.  It's been a bit of whirl-wind in the last few days.  As I mentioned in a past post, after my mother was hospitalized last Sept., two weeks after she turned 90, all went to hell for her and my sister decided to return to El Paso to be her full-time caregiver.  I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate her for doing this, uprooting her life in Phoenix and returning home to care for our mom...she's a friggin' saint!  Anyway, due to my mother's deterioration, her needs have become more profound, making it an emotional and physical roller coaster for my sis, so she decided she needed to take off a every 2-3 months, just to reboot.

So she left for Michigan last Tues. to visit an old, dear friend who is terminally ill, but still enjoying her life at full throttle.  My mother was already complaining about feeling badly, again, but then what does one expect at 90??!??  My mother went up the road to Las Cruces, NM, to stay with my brother and we knew he and his girlfriend would treat her like royalty, which they did, briefly.  On Friday, Fred called and told me her bp was high, very high.  Long story already made long, I went to her house, picked up her living room on wheels (Buick) since it was more comfortable to drive her back to El Paso and take her to the ER.  She was admitted, eventually, and my brother told my sister of her hospitalization.  She was upset at my mother's condition, but not my bro and me.  You see, the last time she went out of town, Mom ended up at the ER the day after she left, same problem, her leg spasms.  However, we told her to stay put in Michigan, enjoy her time with Julie, her friend, and know Mom is in good hands...she knows there will be bigger challenges upon her return.

So my friends, please pray for Mom and Letty as rougher times are ahead for them. Of course, Fred and I will also be vigilant and there to help, always, but the bulk of that 24/7 is on Letty's shoulders.  Thanks.

Now for just a lighter little transition, we celebrated Mother's Day yesterday since my son, Ian, wasn't here last week on the official day.  Now my hubby was taught never, EVER, use gift-giving occasions to replace broken coffee makers, toasters or anything that deals with kitchen crap (my ex one year gave me those exact thing for a Mother's Day, plus, I didn't get a chance to eat my nice Mother's Day meal at our reserved table at the country club...had to take out a screaming baby, Ian, out to the lounge area since the little guy was hysterical, his autism was still unknown.  I thought that perhaps one of the 4 other adults, who were our guests would come out and take care of him while I went back to the dining area to enjoy a meal, but an hour later, they all came out to the lounge, bellies full and ready to go home...memorable!).  However, I told him I wanted a a cast iron skillet...yes, ladies, you read that right, a cast iron skillet.  During one of my visits to Austin last year, I was staying with one of my best buddies, Irene and she promised to show me how to make chiles rellenos.  Now Irene is not of Mexican heritage but one hell of a great cook and her chile rellenos are the bomb!  I suppose I wasn't paying attention when my mother used to make them and she didn't like making them very often due to all the mess of frying them up.  Anyway, Irene told me a good Southern woman always has a good cast iron skillet for such delectable dishes and I really never considered myself as a good Southern woman since I'm Mexican-American, but I'm also a Texan and this state did participate in that little war back in the 1861-65, so that does make me a "Southern Woman."   So last night, after a really nice steak dinner prepared by my honey, both Ian and he presented me with two cast iron skillets...told him he could purchase them at Academy and didn't believe me since it's a sports store...he was quite amazed at the variety of kitchen ware Academy carries!!  LOL  They're already pre-seasoned, so I don't even have to do that..Yay!!  So very soon I shall enjoy making chile rellenos in my new cast iron skillet along with whatever I can muster.

Well, time to check out...going to run to the hospital for my mother's lunch to feed her.  Take care all, and as always, peace out.

Life in the Slow Lane

Howdy, all.  I know, I know, I said I wouldn't be such a stranger, but ya know what they say about the road to hell.  I told myself, "Myself, make time to blog and do some catching up," but myself sometimes can be a stubborn bitch!

I hope this post finds you happy, healthy and enjoying the upcoming warm weather, unless you live in Alaska or other cold places in the world.  Summer started here in March, but Winter decided it wasn't quite ready to say, "bub-by," so we've had a few colder days in the last 2 months, and I'm not complaining either.  However, all is on track and the temps are heating up and summer is in full gear to make things a bit miserable for some of us, especially those of us who still have evaporative coolers.  This area has been in a drought for many years now and causing great concern; the Rio Grande River down this way looks like the Great American Desert.  The rest of Texas caught up with those of us out here in far West Texas and the Southwestern U.S. and are they having some problems adjusting!  We're ol' pros at this drought stuff, so we can teach them a few lessons or two.  One of the things the city is asking it's residents, is to convert to air conditioning since evap coolers use a H2O and at times, can leak like a cascading waterfall when something breaks up there.  I say, great, city of El Paso, we'll do it, but are you willing to pay us a $6-8K for converting to that system???  Didn't think so.

Ok, here's an observation/rant.  In the last few years, well at the onset of menopause, I gained lots of weight.  I have always had a weight problem, but it became exacerbated by the Big M.  I now shop in the "fat chick" section of department and discounts stores.  Please don't take offense to fat chick, since I have always been a fan of the cartoon strip, "B.C." and love the "fat chick"  and the snake.  Anyway, the other day I was at Macy's and was looking at the regular size clothing and thought, "What gorgeous colours and cool flowing fashions!"  The racks were bursting with beautiful, cool Spring and Summer colours, linens and lose fitting, flowing tunics and pants.  Then I looked across at the WOMEN section, just a matter of 2-3 feet away from the regular fashions, and asked why is it that designers of large sizes think we big girls like the "English Garden" look, bold horizontals or the friggin' graphics as big as the Aztec calendar emblazed on our chests!!!???  REALLY!!!??  I shall also add that the tight, short skirts, the width and length of a 4'x4'' is not appropriate wear for those younger fluffy types or the older fluffy types who think she's "stylin!"

Now I will say that my mother had a lot to do with my attitude about colours, designs and all that is fashion.  Like I said, I have always been fluffy, on and off throughout my life, but never as I am now.  My sister, who is 4 years older, was a picky eater as a child and according to my mother, didn't really start eating till she was 10 years old, after her tonsils were removed, or so the story goes.  I, on the other hand, was a very enthusiastic baby, toddler and child when it came to food...no problems here.  However, as I got older, the "baby fat" wasn't melting as quickly as she preferred, so at age 12, she took me to a diet quack and there, he gave my mother all kinds of colourful little pills, which I obediently swallowed every morning and during the day.  I recall in the dead of winter, I perspired, no, sweated in class, looking as if I had just run a 20 mile marathon in the Amazon Rain Forest.  Well, in less than 2 weeks, I had dropped 20 lbs., hadn't slept in those 2 weeks and was completely miserable...she gave the pills to my aunt instead who wanted them.  My weight was always being scrutinized and eating became a game...what can I sneak and eat and won't get caught.  In the summer of my 15th year, my braces came off, my hair was cut in the Sasson short style, I lost weight and this ugly duckling had become a swan, but I didn't know that.  All my young life, all I saw in the mirror was that fat 10 year old.  My sis also suffers from weight problems and was also under the same scrutiny as I when we were young.  We're both amazed at seeing pictures of ourselves of those days of yore, and can't believe what beauties we really were, but neither of us could see it.  I recall a knit shirt I bought at 18 and it had pastel horizontal lines in lavender and my mother told me it wasn't a good choice, made me exaggerated my hips.  Later, I found a picture of me wearing said shirt with a pair of white pants, standing next to my now ex when we were dating, my arms were skinny and the pants were hanging off of me...I looked as if I were wearing a wire hanger...I was a bone!  But that wasn't the message I was getting.  I don't blame my mom, she was watching out for us and didn't want us to suffer, plus, it was just a thing of her generation since many of my friends were also under the same sort of  fat watch,  but it taught my sis and me a lesson, accept our children's body no matter.  Encourage when needed and always tell them they're wonderful.  Case in point, my daughter has lost 70lbs. in the last 8 months.  She was told she was on the road to an early grave and she had just turned 34, so she changed her lifestyle, began to run and looks wonderful and better yet, feels wonderful.  She has to be on her best physical shape with five children, ages ranging from 13 years-20 months.  I'm so very proud of her, but I was always proud of her.  She knew what she looked like, no one needed to tell her or ridicule her, her mirror worked just fine, but she needed that scare to get her in motion, physically and mentally.  Now she's one of those obnoxious runners!!  LOL

Wow, sorry about that..sometimes I just get on a roll and go with the momentum, as I should be doing soon in my studio. For those of you who do not prescribe to  FB, you haven't seen some of my latest  creations, so here they are.  I have yet to open up my new Etsy shop, so if anyone is interest, let me know.  For the exception of the chicken, donkey and yellow headdress doll, who all have new homes, everything is up for grabs, so please "grab!!"  LOL

 Well, it's time for me to get motivated and get my arse up and out of this office and do some fun work in the ol' lab.  Have a great week, take care and as always, peace out.  Oh, P.S., I know I mentioned a Giveaway...still working on that, folks, but I'll get back to you  later.

This & That

Good Morning, my bloggie friends.  Hope you all had a wonderful Easter or Passover.  We didn't do much in the way of celebrating.  I forgot to put up my Easter Bush and all my other little Easter stuff that I usually display a couple of weeks prior to the holiday.  I guess it was a combination of laziness and a lot of  "la viejitis," or old age!!  LOL  I recall my ex-father-in-law calling it "Oppenheimer's" which wasn't quite like Alzheimer's...his version had more to do with explosive brain matter.  However, I did make a homemade carrot cake, a delish ham, baked potatoes and salad and a few Easter eggs were distributed by your's truly to both hubby and son.

Spring has sprung out here in far West Texas and with it, comes gorgeous days and some not so gorgeous.  Spring can be both a blessing and curse out here.  Everything is in bloom, including allergies, sinus infections, wheezing, dry and itchy eyes, etc., etc., etc.  We also do some real estate exchanges with the state of New Mexico (probably get a bit of Arizona too from it blowing into New Mexico) and Mexico.  Those are the days when you shut your windows as to avoid all the dirt settling on your furniture, but unless your windows are caulked completely with super glue, dirt's going to find it's way in.  Then there's those times when our air conditioner isn't turned on yet and it's blowing and howling and it's 80 degrees in your house!!  Now aren't you feeling a little better about those late snow falls right about now???  LOL  However, when the weather is clear, which it has been the last few days, it's at the "gorgeous" level, plus, our air conditioner is already on, so no sweat till we reach the century mark and beyond...OY!!

Before I post my latest dolls, I wanted to bring something up.  Do you know that Playboy magazine really does have great articles in it....really!!!  How many times have you heard guys say the reason they get it is due to the "articles and interviews???"  Right, and I've got a bridge in London I want to sell you!!  Actually, I  grew up with Playboy.  My dad had this client who gave him a subscription every Christmas for years.  He used to "hide" it under his side of the bed, but we all knew where he kept it.  Of  course, as kids, we'd look at the "neekked" ladies, showing less than what you see on prime time tv these days.  When I entered high school, I began looking at it in whole new perspective, they had damn good writers and the articles were actually good and some of the non-sexual artwork was fabulous.  So when I'd see the old issue in a box up in my Pop's closet, I knew I could have at it and cut out my favorite articles and graphics, unbeknownst to him, however.  I found them the other day and had to laugh...how the times have changed.  I found lots of the articles naive and silly, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing either.  Have we become so desensitized in this world of technology, making our world a really smaller place?  Anyway, I decided to keep them as a reminder of simpler times (yea, Playboy had simpler times) and artwork that were actually drawn or painted and not computer enhanced or air brushed, like everything is now.

Let's hear a drum roll for my new stuff.  I call this series of dolls, "The Talkies," because they look as if they're telling you something and you really need to listen.  I wanted them to be a bit ethereal, I love that word, hence my choice of chiffon fabric for their clothing.  I utilized all these missing pieces of jewelry, that is, earrings without partners, broken necklaces and bracelets, pieces of chains and unused embellishments.  So here they are:

I posted them on Facebook and within a few minutes, I got someone who was interested in the red lady, so she's off now to her new home in London, Ontario, Canada.  I still have the other three looking for new homes, so if you're interested, contact me...I promise I won't bite!! LOL

Last night I attended a lecture given by my young friend, Jessica Pizana Roberts, http://www.jessicapizanaroberts.com/.  I met Jessica a few years back when I was still in school and she was   working on her B.F.A.  I got to know her better when we were partnered to do testing for a foundation under the John's Hopkins umbrella.  I don't never laughed so much with anyone on road trips as I did with her, ok, my hubby and I have some great times too, but for someone as young as she was, she has an old soul along with a sense of humour to match.  Anyway, if your interested in seeing her presentation, there's the link.  It may not be for everyone, but like I said, I know her well and this didn't surprise me a bit.  I invited one of my oldest and dearest friend, Ginny, to attend because I know she'd enjoy it as much as I.  Jessica added her regular flair of humour and it was questioned by one of the students (those goofy art types that are there because they "have to be."  LOL).  She now has her MFA from New Mexico State University and because of that, she should be serious???  Her lecture was about women's body images in today's society and I had to laugh when she showed a split screen of the Venus of Willendorf to one of her costumes....

I turned to Ginny and told her I was beginning to look like her....talking about women's body issues!!!!  LOLOLOL  During the lecture, Ginny turned around and asked me if I wanted a B12 tab...told her I already had mine earlier in the day.  She then reminisced about how when we were these student's age, we asked our friend sitting next to us if they had a joint!!  LOL  Anyway, we had a great time and then went to one of our favorite little eateries and had a salad and pizza.  I also want to show you what she gave me as a "just because it reminded me of you" gift," a pair of La Catrina earrings.  She and her sis had gone to the El Paso Museum of Art earlier that day and she said she saw them in the gift shop and had to get them...they're soooo Georgina!!  Spent a great evening with a great old friend...one of my many blessing.

Well people, time for me to get my day started and head on to the kitchen to get my pork tenderloin out for dinner tonight...making chile colorado (red chile stew) and some beans and coleslaw.  Then back into my happy place, the studio, to complete another framed Cocohead.  Peace out.