Summer

What a BUSY summer and now its just about over! The kids go back to school in 2 weeks, I still have to school supply shop and I have my first big show of the season next weekend! Panic is trying to set in, but so far I'm keeping it at bay. I probably only have about 2 or 3 studio days before I get everything ready for the show. (I'm not ready)

The season started out at a nice relaxing pace, even with the news that my husband's cancer has come back. He started treatment, and the doctors seem to think the prognosis is good. (Not great, only good. But still, good.)

Then his parents passed away. It was an event filled with mixed feelings. Of course, sadness for the great loss, shock that they both passed on the same day, and then a peaceful (?) feeling in the knowledge that this is what love can do, when one won't live without the other. We all knew his Dad would not live long after his Mom died, but no one thought he would follow later that day!

On the morning that we heard that his Mom had passed, we were on our way to pick out a new puppy. 14 years ago, we got our first dog, Spencer, the weekend Princess Diana died. On our way to pick out the new pup, my husband recalled that event and said it was only fitting that we get a new puppy in honor of the passing of another great person, his mother. No one could have foretold the irony of his statement. When we arrived at the shelter, they showed us the 2 pups left from the litter. Of course, we couldn't make up our minds, so we adopted them both. It was when we got home, a few hours later, that we learned of his father's death...

Since adding these 2 hurricanes of chaos to our home, we've been busy cleaning up puddles, poop and chewed up furniture, baskets and toys! What a great distraction for the kids, though. And my husband, who I think really needed it most of all. Except for the day we got them, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Well, aside from that madness, we've gone and visited Niagara Falls. The kids had never been, and I had never been on the Maid of the Mist boat ride. It was AWESOME! I loved everything about the whole day- the boat ride, the walk up next to the falls and lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe! We ALL had a great time on our vacation in our own backyard!!

August brought the Erie County Fair, the third largest county fair in the US. With the Fair comes my daughter's 4-H Rabbit show and filling my antique mall case in our special fair building. Then there are the countless days of going to the fair to check up on the rabbits, participate in rabbit events, bring more inventory to replace the sold antiques, my antique mall work obligation and then just a day of FUN at the fair!

The fair ends this weekend and then it'll be time for the Elmwood Arts Festival next weekend! I think I'll breathe again after Labor Day...

I can't tell which one of these photos are of MY kids!

Everyone has a great time at the Fair!!

No, I did NOT do this. I don't do rides. Ever.

My Creative Life

I still haven't gotten the chance to weed my garden, but the flowers appear to be thriving despite my neglect. I only just recently started "living the creative life" full time, and with the onset of that came the disorganization of my home life. I often wondered why people used to make such a big deal about women, primarily mothers, balancing work with home. I get it now.

Creating art everyday has become somewhat of an obsession of mine. I worry about two things when it comes to my art. 1). That I've started "this" too late in life and I don't have enough time to produce and /or make it productive and 2). that this creative "frenzy" I feel will end (like it has before when real life interfered) and it'll all be over. I hate when its over. I just want to create and create and create. Therein lies the problem. Nothing creative about vacuuming or doing the dishes. Or weeding the garden, although planting my garden had been an expression of me...

I just need to learn how to balance my home life with my creative life. Or maybe just realize that if I just devote an hour in the morning to the housework, I CAN have it all...

Ok. Enough about all that. While I was neglecting everything except my children this week, I created the Niagara Falls collage and finished "Art Comes From Your Heart". The Niagara Falls collage (better name yet to come) needs a really gaudy, by that I mean ornate, gold frame around it. I need to shop the flea market tomorrow...