Our Pets Have Their Own Neuroses!

Why the sudden flurry of posts? Especially since I haven't blogged in months? Couldn't get Facebook to load any photos, that's why! So just went ahead and uploaded all significant from camera since the spring.

Have a slew of new online buddies as a result of my enrollment in Career Step! Career Step is an excellent online medical transcription course. I'm enjoying it so very much. Started in June-- work/study a minimum of 6 hours a day and hope to complete the course by January!

Anyway, was chatting with Marie, one of my new CS friends, and she's a huge animal lover and wanted to see a photo of Gabby sucking Olivia's thumb! Here 'tis Marie! I don't let her suck mine anymore. She's over two, time she outgrew this! She'll still "root" for a thumb when she snuggles with me, but I just hook my thumbs into my fist, and she gives up, settles down, and goes to sleep. Olivia still lets her...think she enjoys mothering her that way!

Okay--MUST get to WORK now!!

Rosie's Skunk Run-In!

Back in April, poor Rosie (12-year-old mixed breed mostly Chow) had a run-in with a skunk! We were leaving the windows open at night, and two nights in a row, I was awakened by an overpowering stinch of skunk--just completely filled the entire house! It was awful! Well, the second night just so happened I'd left Rosie outside, and she got sprayed! Not having any tomato juice, I read online that a mixture of peroxide and dish detergent would do the trick. Site said to leave it on for 30 minutes. I thought 30 is good, 60 would be better, right? Wrong! It bleached her fur! Took her to the groomer's for a trim and this is the result!

That's Grant's Chima with Rosie and Olivia. He's a Husky/Pit Bull mix. A very sweet, obedient, albeit mischievous puppy!

Updating

Hello, hello, hello! Too much going on to even begin to update! Our lives are changing...and it's a bit overwhelming!! Trying very hard to be positive, optimistic and hopeful and to stay in the moment and not worrying, stressing about tomorrow! Why ruin today with worry and anxiety when what you might be worrying about never happens? That's what I keep reminding myself. These days, here today, may prove to be the best days of our lives!! Here Jug and I are finally working together, something we've always wanted to do and Jug is HOME, not traveling!! So I swear, I'm going to just relax and enjoy it!!!!

My camera came yesterday from Canon's repair center. So when Jug and I got home yesterday from going to do an estimate, there was our Miss O lying in the front yard reading so happily and contentedly! She's rereading Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear but only for the third time!!

Hey--did you hear the one about the codependent wife? Each morning she wakes her husband and asks how him how she's going to feel that day! My codependent friends will get this one!!






I couldn't help but be reminded of my mother when I see this photo. She LOVED to read and would have done nothing else if she wasn't also such a perfectionist! She was very disciplined and would only allow herself pleasurable activities AFTER she'd done her work/chores. Shame I'm not more like that!! And lastly I'll say: Olivia: my mama would have loved you so much--would have been so proud of you!!

Updating

Photo above from our trip to Carova, NC last June. Olivia had just gotten Gabby--she was about six weeks old.

I haven't had much time lately to blog or upload photos---so much going on!! Another reason is that I sent off my Canon camera, flash and all lenses for service on the 20th and it's not come back yet....and that prevents me from being able to take any new photos.

Our little business "Painters by Design" has us completely consumed too. We have our first project and we're excited and a bit overwhelmed too! We're planning to spend the next several days making sample boards demonstrating different techniques. Just very, very busy!!

Olivia and gal pals are home!!!!!!!!!!! They arrived late yesterday afternoon (Friday)!! They just had a fabulous time. And this mama is so very relieved they're home safe and sound! She has about 1000 photos! I'm going to show her how to upload the highlights or the trip and she'll blog here. So more later!!

Photo of the Day--Olivia's Grand Adventure!!!!

OLIVIA AND GALPALS GRAND ADVENTURE!!

These were from Sunday as we saw Olivia, Aly and Kristin off on their grand adventure into the west! They met Sunday early in the morning to get final demos from Jug on RV technical stuff and to pack up. While they were getting ready to shove off I sat here at the computer in my studio here in the garage uploading the photos from the party Saturday on the blog. They parked the RV right outside the garage and raised the garage door getting tools and whatnot. Their peals of laughter from inside the RV echoed throughout the backyard and smoothed my furrowed brow! I realized and acknowledged that I am apprehensive seeing them embarking on this grand adventure as we're calling it, let's be real--it is hard to just let her go off like this, but also knowing that we (Aly and Kristin's parents too) are empowering these young women! What a gift we give them! Our faith in them, our ability to know that they'll be just fine sends them the clear message that they can do anything! They are women and hear them roar!!!!

Olivia geting final instuctions. She and Jug took several tours around town this past week providing her with much needed practice driving the RV. It's a Class C and really drives like a big U-Haul truck. It's really not too bad. The most important thing is to drive slowly and anticipate stops long before you would have to in a conventional vehicle. And she does great!

I realize I haven't mentioned the purpose of this trip--Olivia is hoping to go to Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado for her masters in Art Therapy starting in the fall of 2009. I actually went to the website for the school yesterday. Very interesting!! It's Buddhist based! Very much about contemplative reflection and sounds absolutely fascinating. No wonder she is smitten with this school! It seems right and good!! So she has called and made appointments for interviews, etc and asked if she couldn't drive out instead of flying so she could see some of the country. We agreed so long as somebody went with her. So pals Kristin and Aly jumped at the chance!

We've, of course, talked with them a couple of times each day and as of last night they were near Kansas City, Missouri. They should arrive in Boulder today. I think they're planning a couple of days in Boulder and then a couple in Jackson Hole (hoping to hook up with their youth director at Saint Paul's, Trent Moore who now lives in Jackson along with our previous priest Ken Asel) and then take Yellowstone and come on home via the northern route. I swear--you've never seen three more excited young women! What an opportunity!!!

When they finally were packed up and Jug felt were sufficiently prepared we met them at the Coffee House for brunch before they embarked. Here's Jug and very excited Olivia!

Aly and Kristin laughing about the wind blowing the RV door into them.....

Aren't they just too cute?!!!

Photo of the Day--Gabby

Finally got a good shot of our Gabby with ears at attention! Ain't that just the cutest? So much personality packed in such a small package. There's never a dull moment with Gabby. She is a great source of comfort to Olivia. They're inseparable! She's actually leaving Gabby with us while she, Kristin #1, and Aly go to Boulder next week. Have I mentioned that? Maybe--maybe not--can't remember. Olivia is hoping/intending to go to Boulder in the fall of '09 for three years to earn her degree in Art Therapy. So to check it all out and meet with some folks at the campus she's taking Jug's RV and the three of them are trekking across the country! Wow! They're so brave and adventuresome! I'll have to practice a lot of ....hmmmm....right words here....positive affirmations, refusal to "go there" to not just worry myself crazy while they're gone. They'll be fine! Olivia's already had one RV driving lesson and I'm sure Jug will see to it that she is capable before she leaves. And what a fabulous last hurrah for these young women before they all go their separate ways. They'll never forget it. They will be making those lifetime memories that may fade with time but never be erased! The stories they will have to tell!

Curley's Celebrating Kid's Graduation --Part One

Pam Curley, Aly's mom holding one of their pets. We gathered at the Curley's yesterday, Mother's Day (May 11, 2008) to honor Aly Curley and friends graduation from their first four years of formal education. Olivia is not among them as she has another semester to go and will finish in December. Olivia and most of her pals all plan to go on for further education, Olivia hopefully going to Boulder, Colorado (can't recall the name of this school right now) to get her master's in Art Therapy and Aly is going to Western Carolina for a master's in social work, Kristin is going to Pennsylvania for...hmmm....something to do with being a RA or something....she'll have to fill me in better. Trevor is moving to NYC in September for theatre and I think he's planning on some more education as well as working full time in theatre. These are very smart, very grounded, purpose-driven kids! I salute them!

We had a great time yesterday in spite of the dreary weather. Grilled fabulous hamburgers and took a spin around the lake on the Curley's pontoon boat. We sat around and listened to the kids stories and their teasing each other. It was just great fun!

Don Curley, Aly's dad.

My Livvie....

Pretty little thing on the left is also named Kristin. I told her she reminds me of Izzie on Gray's Anatomy. Just classic beauty! And that's Kristin in the middle and Trevor on the right. And of course that's our Gabby watching the water go by....

A very cute Kristin. I did not know until yesterday that she was a sex educator! (Livvie tells me that Kristin has taken three levels of sex ed classes for her involvement in RA at UNC-A) I thought her major was journalism! Shows how much I listen! I just loved hearing the kids talk yesterday about sexuality. They are so open and accepting. Just amazing how frank and honest they are...no hangups there. None of that Victorian/religious crap to contend with. Ah! How far ahead they are of me and my peers at the same age! It's such a good thing....

The Vintage Home Part Two

Inventorying--tremendous task! It took forever! Piece by piece we catalogued the item, its cost and selling price. Then we purchased the Point of Sale program for retailers and entered each item in this program. It's a fabulous program for retailers with capabilities of generating many handy reports and also love how it will print out the UPC labels they are put on each item's tag. It was a lot of work but well worth it.

Course, Olivia helped too! Goes without mentioning that Jug was a huge help! Note--the sign of a true artist: Livvie has paint all over her!

There--see what I mean about how prettily Michelle can showcase the ordinary? There's the oval bowl I thought was so ordinary--Michelle filled it with ....man, what's it called....senior moment....that stuff you put around a house plant??? Lord!! Anyway with that stuff and shell-shaped little soaps and it was so fetching! Michelle wrapped this round table with burlap and then hot-glued moss! Just lovely!

Early store photo. That's the old world piece I mentioned previously that we sold the very first day open. It was an encouraging first day transaction!!

Photo of the Day--Olivia and Gabby

This was taken this past Christmas (2007) in the window seat of the dining room. Olivia's canine best friend, Gabby is such a mess! What a personality this little mutt has! As stated earlier (in posts labeled "Pets"), Gabby was acquired from the vets--a litter of four pups they were hoping to find homes for and not have to put down. Gabby appears to be a unique mixture of Welsh Corgi, Jack Russell, Rat Terrier or some such. She's small, 'bout 20 pounds and full of energy! Very smart and trainable. She's Livvie's constant companion. In this photo Olivia's calming overly excited Gabby with a little pacification of her thumb! Can you believe this? Gabby actually sucks on a thumb or finger! She'll get up in your lap and if she's feeling tired and sleepy will root about hunting for your fingers or thumb until she's finds them and then she settles down for a little nap! And if you start to pull your appendage from her grip, she'll not let you! She must have been weaned too young! Sweet, sweet, sweet! Another great dog, canine companion.

Photo of the Day--Olivia "Casting" Jeremy

Just some photos came across that depict the "casting" process Livvie uses to create the lifesized portraits like she did for her senior show work. Here she's casting Jeremy. She wanted to feature her great high school friend in her senior show but it was too hard to get up with Jeremy for any further sittings. Knowing Jeremy, I'm surprised he sat for this messy, time-consuming process! But he loves his Livvie! That's Aaron provoking Jeremy.

It takes 45 minutes for the "stuff" (can't remember what its called--senior moment) to set up.

Those are straws brave Jeremy breathes through!!

A real trooper! And a very handsome young man!!

Photo of the Day--Grant and Olivia

My babies. Taken 2006 in the window seat in the dining room. I have several photos taken over the years of the two of them together like this. They're six years apart in age and because Olivia had had six years as an only child and got all our attention she was able to accept her little brother when he came along. Accept--yeah, but she still had her moments of intense jealousy! I remember one instance when Grant was still just an infant hearing Olivia in the shower just sobbing and saying between her dramatic sobs: "I wish they'd just send him back!!" Funny! Regardless she considered him to be HER baby and she loved holding him and playing "Mommy". When Grant would wake and cry, Olivia and I would race to him! Course then there were the years of Grant's toddlerhood that a day didn't go by that I didn't hear: "Mama make him stop!" And "Grant! Stop that!!" He was forever interfering in her prissy little girl play. I think she has such a capacity for love and love her brother she certainly does. She's always nurtured him and petted him.

I've been uploading remodeling pics, a few a day, until I got to the master bedroom. For some reason I hadn't taken "after" photos of the master bed and bath. Well, no reason I can't take them now--except I'm such a lazy slug I haven't made my bed yet to get these photos!! Will soon!!

Photo of the Day--Princess Olivia

Not the best quality pic--it's a digital photo of a photo and I came across it yesterday in a CD of my saved photos.

So very typical of Olivia when she was a little thing. She was almost ALWAYS in this costume! I'd bought her the fancy slip for some fancy dress she wore for Christmas one year. It actually had a little bell sown in the slip! She loved it. She was forever parading around dressed up like this. What happened to that? Now she's so casual with her dress! She was such prissy little girl! She loved patent leather shoes too. She called them "tippy shoes" because they made what she thought was a "tippy" sound with each step. So cute!

Have been absolutely consumed seen starting this blog with a new project. I realized as I was trying to find photos for the blog that it would be such a huge help if I knew where the photos where! I actually have not put ANY photos in albums since 2000! Eight years of photos--thousands, I'm sure. So that's what I'm doing. Not doing any embellishment on the pages, just getting them in albums chronologically. I have all photos saved on CD's starting in 2001 when I got my first digital. I'm going to be sure the CD's are labeled with more detail as to what's on them so I can find what I'm looking for quicker. It's a daunting task. I'll be at it for the foreseeable future! Next project for blog: The Remodel. Will upload before and after pics in 2005 of our 3-month remodel project of our home here in Mo. Falls.

Blessings to you,

Kim

Photo of the Day

A favorite photo of our Miss O

Taken while at Carova, NC June 2007

Old Blog Stuff--02-28-2006 Olivia

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Olivia Throwing

Livvie really enjoys pottery. She asked for a (used) wheel for Christmas. This was taken Christmas Eve 2005. She made mugs and bowls for everybody for Christmas! Her great-aunt (my aunt) Louise Hudson Vickory was a locally renowned potter. Livvie likes to think she might have her talent--think she does!

Old Blog Stuff--02-28-2006 Olivia

Olivia

Beautiful, sweet, loving Olivia! Taken June 20, 2005 while playing croquet in front yard. She's very photogenic!She's majoring in art at UNC-Asheville; a sophomore. She can't decide what medium to focus on though--she loves them all. She very talented--I'm sure she do well whatever she does. She's an excellent student--unlike her parents! We have her art decorating every other wall in the house.

The Opening Part Seven

Olivia, Grant and Marina



























Ain't they cute?

























Olivia and pal Aly




















And Kristin!




When I spoke to Olivia yesterday (Saturday, day after show) she was experiencing such great relief to have this behind her. She had quite a journey getting here--lots of hard work and it's such a huge accomplishment! She said, though, that she couldn't shake the feeling that she was supposed to be doing something! For so very long she just couldn't quite relax for always feeling she was supoosed to be working!! Friends, Kristin, Aly, Amanda and others can attest to the fact that they seldom got time with her that she did not have some part of the project in her lap. They'd watch Buffy or X-Files while Olivia also worked!! Such dedication!




I'm so proud!

The Opening Part Six

YES!! A great pic of my great friends Michelle and Joan!!!

Hmmmm.....dagnabit--think Jug took this one!

It's tangible the bond between these two!!

Can you not see the pride beaming from this daddy?

Jug, Kim, Olivia and Grant

Loving sibs--yeah, they really do!

Olivia's Senior Show

We're so very proud!!!!