I’ve just added my latest blog design to my gallery, Harvey Family History. This is a different kind of blog - in fact it’s more of a website design. I laid it out in a way that displays the contents of the blog as a family history/genealogy site, and added a nice photo album for family photos and heirloom images. This is all new to Sue, blogging in Wordpress, but she’s excited and catching on quick!

I’m excited to see that photo album fill up, she’s got so many really fabulous and antique family photos that are so interesting to look at!

I’ve been trying to grow vines for 5 years. Morning glories. Clematis (several times). Nothing. Finally - this year, I have Clematis. It has successfully played me all summer, though - made me think it was a spring bloomer and then going nuts now that the weather has cooled.

What the heck does a girl have to do to get a flowering vine to grow on a trellis? Try, and try again. (And again, and again, and again.)

It’s about dang time.

I really love gossip. I’m normal, I’m a girl. I do not like drama, though. Drama is meant for professional actors.

If you’ve got gossip, I’ll listen. I love to know stuff, stuff that seems naughty to know. I even love to know stuff that’s nice to know. Am I going to form an opinion on anybody based on that gossip? Probably not. Gossip is what it is, word of mouth that has very likely been altered by the perception of the person dishing it. I take it for what it is.

Drama, however, I’m not so fond of. I don’t take anyone’s side other than my own. I know what I know, and I know that I don’t know the truth and I probably never will. Really, there is no truth - there are only opinions and perceptions.

Lately, there’s been some drama. There are dramas between bloggers - other bloggers, that I will not be part of. I do my best to like everyone, and stay out of the middle. I am not going to take sides on issues between people, the only thing that comes of that is an opinion, and that’s only based on the perception of exactly half of the people involved.

I’m not saying I’m not going to lend an ear or friendship to the one sharing their side of the story, but I’m not going to be one to get sucked into being on someone’s side over anything.

There’s been drama in my own life, too. I don’t like it, either. I can tell you that I’m glad I have the friends that I have, who I can share things with and they are intelligent enough to look at the situation objectively, and as much as I’d love for them to smother me in lavish “you’re so right’s”, I wouldn’t ever expect it. I realize that even in my own drama, I’ve got one perception and someone else has another. I wouldn’t think any of the people I’m close to would treat someone poorly over any feelings or opinions I’ve shared. In fact I’d prefer they didn’t.

No one is ever right, really, and I’m not too proud to apologize just to have peace, regardless of who I think is right or wrong.

There’s only common ground - be it one square inch - where you have to find some peace for the sake of sanity.

For everything else, there’s Mastercard.

A while back I got to working on my new gallery layout. Well, it’s done.

I launched the all new & improved (makeover #6? #7? Anyone?) Intricateart.com -slash- ArtistbyNature.com this evening. Phew. It’s a doozie of a website - and I’m quite pleased with how it all came together. (with Wordpress, of course!) I’m especially tickled about the search feature and results, I’ve spent a lot of time in each of my paintings detailing out the notes to pick up any possible search terms so searchers wouldn’t miss anything.

I’ve added the primary menu to the top of my blog, too. See it? Right up there? No, down a bit. Over. Yep, that’s the one. If you ever want to head over to my gallery to have a peek and (ahem) leave me some very nice comments on my work, you can do that. Or you could even (nudge) check out my prints and (ahem) start thinking about the holidays! Alright, alright. Knocking it off.

What else can I do to make your stay in my gallery more enjoyable? Lemme know, wouldjya?

P.S. I’ll be adding the last 5 projects I completed to my gallery tomorrow. Must. Go. Sleep. Now. zzzZZzzzZZZZ

me and all my friends
we’re all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there’s no way we ever could
now we see everything that’s going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don’t have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it’s hard to beat the system
when we’re standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that’s why we’re waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it’s not that we don’t care,
we just know that the fight ain’t fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we’re still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

I’ve had a huge crush on John since before he was “popular”, this new album, though - Continuum, is perfect, especially today. If you love his guitar, his soft deep voice and his lyrics - it’s just another great CD to add to the collection.

Oh. Yeah. It’s done.

I just launched MommaK’s fall blog design, it’s been in the works for a while now. Custom everything, as always - that main graphic, just so you know, is comprised of over 10 separate images and custom graphics. You’ll never see another one like it.

It’s insanely pretty, you HAVE to go see it. Go. See.

Are you still here????

I’ve never seen an Oriole before, but according to BDI, that’s what this is. Woot! New birds in my yard! She’s sweet, and curious. I’ll try to get better pics next time!

Even the gibbons know she’s a monkey. She’s my little Chickeymonkey, and she’s five today. Happy Birthday to my little big girl!

Me: “So, you’re gonna be five, huh?”
Chick: “Yup!”
Me: “Does that mean you’re going to turn into a gorilla, or an ape? Now that you’re getting bigger?”
Chick: (Making a sad face) No. I don’t wanna be a gorilla or a ape. I wanna stay a Chickeymonkey.
Me: “Yeah, you like being my little Chickeymonkey, don’t you?”
Chick: “Yeeaaahhhh” (grins)

*****************

Me: “You can have french toast sticks,”
Me: “Or you can have some cereal,”
Me: “And you can have some milk.”
Me: “You can have some grapes in your lunch, if you want,”
Me: “But you can only be four for ONE MORE DAY.”
Me: “Then you have to be five.”
Chick: “Awww Maaaaan!”

*****************

Me: “So, how old ya gonna be again?”
Chick: “Five.” (holds up this many)
Me: “Wow. That’s a LOT of fingers.”
Chick: (giggles)
Me: “So then what are you gonna do?”
Chick: “Then I’m gonna be SIX. And then I’m gonna be SEVEN, eight nine TEN and then I’ll be the same as Catybug!”
Me: “Yes, well, by then, Catybug will be 15. I don’t think you’ll ever catch up.”
Chick: “Awww Maaaannnn” (rolls eyes)

*****************

A day in the life. What I wouldn’t give to have my biggest complaint be that mom is yanking my hair out when she is trying to brush the knots out. To be five again. To have such a wonderful, helpful big sister to play Littlest Pet Shop with, who only tortures you on occasion. To be a snugglebug, cuddly little kissyface brown eyed munchkin whose smile lights up the room, whose giggle is contagious, whose dry snarky sense of humor is too much like her mother’s. Who eats every ten minutes and chooses peanut butter on a spoon more often than not because “that’s protein, mom!”

And to think, five years ago today I was in tears, not knowing whether or not she was going to make it. Wondering how I could possibly help her fight for her little life, lungs under-developed, broken collarbone, tubes winding in and out of her little body in her little incubator oxygen tank. Crying that I couldn’t nurse her, couldn’t hold her. All I could do was feel her little fingers wrap around me for short periods of time a few times a day. Bringing her home finally, after a week in the NICU, and I swear I never put her down.

Now I can’t even pick her up.

Happy Birthday, Chickeymonkey!

Love, Mom

My gerbera daisies are still blooming - I even have clematis this year (go me and my 5 year failed vining attempts!), and there are 5 freshly clipped roses on my dining room table.

I am going to miss my flowers.

I turned the heat on lastnight, for the first time, and I mourned the loss of summer. We’re expecting our first frost in the next few days.

I woke up this morning and put on a cozy warm fleece shirt. My nose is cold. My fingers are cold. My toes are cold, and I’ve had socks on for three days in a row. In another month, I’ll be buying bundles of stargazers to keep me from dropping off into a snowy cold depression from what appears to be a long winter coming.

I go through these transitions every season, a few weeks of “icks” and then it passes, after I’ve gotten all the summer clothes packed away, all the winter sweaters, jackets, coats and gloves washed and ready to go. I’ll get over it.

I’m just a spring and summer girl, that’s all. If I lived in a warmer climate, I’m certain I’d be happy all year.