Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature

Thursday Thirteen #28

April

2006

Thirteen Things about Leanne, Thursday, April 13, 2006
My other Thirteens1. I We finished the harp, and it works! Cait is taking it to music class today to turn in. It’s not perfectly in tune, but we did take it down to the music store to get some help with tuning it.

That thing took me hours, and gave me blisters, and had me cussing – and sweating – and cussing s’more. I’ve done more math in the past week than I’ve done since high school Algebra. I told Cait that if she gets a good grade, it’s mine – and if she gets a bad grade she can keep it. ha! I’m totally gonna pass fourth grade this time! Dude! I’m so excited!

2. Our local zoo is having free admission this week – and they have a whole new “little” Austrailian Outback kind of area. The kids have a long weekend so we’ll probably go, and then you’ll get to look at even MORE photographs of critters!

3. Inbetween drill bit changes, jigsaw cuts and fine tuning – I did some landscaping this week. I think I may even have the beginning of a :gasp: tan! I picked up a bunch of mulch and river rock, and really went to town on some things I’ve been wanting to get done for a while in the yard. I’ll get pics after things start to bloom and it actually looks like something!

4. I finished developing one of my blog/website projects, ThursdayThirteen.com. It has also needed some fine tuning this week, but it’s fully functional now and the very first check-in entry is up, have you left your link there yet? We’re hoping everyone who participates (since it does vary from week to week) will check in with their links, and then you can go through comments and see if there’s anyone new you don’t normally visit. There has been a great response to the launch so far, and now I’m saving my pennies and checking my credit card balances to see if I can get one of everything in the merchandise store.

5. I have two more projects to work on, but I think – I think?! CAN I? Is it TIME? I think I am to a point now where I can PAINT again! on CANVAS even! WOAH. That’s freakin’ me out. I will have to ask the ants if I can work in my studio, they seem to have taken up residence in my skylight. (It would kinda suck to have them trapsing over one of my wet oil paintings, you know?) One more thing on the list of “things we gotta fix if we’re gonna sell the house and move.”

6. I really want to move. We like Tennessee and Alabama. Right now I am really leaning toward Alabama, because the twang is better there I think. That’s what it’s all about, anyway. The twang. And the slower pace. And the warmer weather, big tall trees, beautiful skylines, and a total lack of corn. Oh how I love anything that is not Illinois! Get me OUTTA HERE!

7. Yes, I’m taking my kid to the doctor. I had the appointment scheduled, and we’re all good, and the rash is looking better, and it figures – right? You always get better when you make an appointment! Except for when we went to the music store, and she was running, and I told her not to, and she took a nosedive into the pergo, and ouch! That hurt! Only no – it did NOT, because now I’m TICKED OFF because YOU TOLD ME NOT TO RUN and I GOT HURT and I HATE IT WHEN YOU’RE RIGHT, MOMMY! NO! I’M FINE! DON’T TOUCH ME!

grrr.

The bloody nose is fine. The huge bump dead center on her noggin? Not sure about that. Glad we’ve got that appointment scheduled now, though.

8. The guy at the music store makes me feel like I stepped back into the 80’s. He’s got the rock & roll guy hair, long and stuff, and he’s got the guitar playing fingernails, but he is SO nice. So now I’m confused, because I’ve stereotyped them all along. They’re really not all party animals who only hang out with girls in g-strings. That’s like – really wierd. I’ve had a hard time wrapping my brain around that one – and I’ve caught myself creating scenarios during our conversations that he’s going to jump up onto the counter and break an electric guitar over something and throw it off into the aisles of sheet music.

I need therapy.

9. That baby bird photograph I took the other day? The little guy in our gutter? Well here’s the rest of that story. He hopped out of the gutter and made a sputtering topsy-turvy flight over to the swingset and proceeded to hop to and fro. He was new to flying, and I feared for his life. He was close to the fenceline, and I couldn’t bear to watch. I ushered the girls away into the driveway, I put my camera down and distracted myself doing something else. I have no idea if the bird made it, or became a mid-afternoon dog treat. I don’t want to know. I can’t think about it. Jeez will you please change the subject? This is really depressing. (That cat lives a block away, and was photographed separately, believe it or not!)

10. I found a house that I love. Here. It’s so pretty! I hope it’s still for sale in a year!

11. 8 bags of river rock + 4 bags mulch + camry nice big roomy trunk = everything fits great ÷ that’s really heavy stuff = tires rub against top of the wheel well, you moron. Way to break your new car! (No, I didn’t. It was touch and go there though, potholes and all that.)

12. Ben and Jerry’s Berried Treasure Sorbet is not only quiet delish, but it also makes you completely numb inside your whole mouth, and the pure coldness touches the very marrow of your bones and causes uncontrollable shivering in a 75 degree environment. How yummy is that!

13. Once again, trying to remember dreams to blog them in the new digs – suffering from CRS. I think I’ll just call that project a total flop and hope it’s like making a doctor’s appointment – everything suddenly gets better. I think I can I think I can, I think I can!

I wish you all a wonderful, pleasant, warm and sunny Easter weekend! Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Prickley $#!%

April

2006

Over the past week and a half, I have been dealing with this arm. Just the one, just a few times a day. I am at a loss now, and offer up my kid to the knowledgeable mom’s out here who might know what the heck I’m doing wrong. Because there’s no temp and nothing else associated with it, I have not bowed down to the expertise of our family physician – yet.

Cleaned with antibacterial soap. Clears the redness and reduces bumpies by half in half hour or so.
Locoid applications, a Rx hydrocortisone – seemed to irritate it. Did nothing to clear it up.
Washed, dried, bandaged in cotton overnight. Nope.
Washed, dried, medicated with benedryl cream overnight. Nope.
Benedryl cream after antibacterial soap. Helps clear it up faster, but it returns mid-day.
Washed bedding. Nope.
Washed pillows. Nope.
Bleach water solution on mattress. Nope.
Removed all stuffies from bed. Nope.
Use hypoallergenic, dye-free, scent-free laundry detergent and fabric softener – I’ve done this for years.
Pull hair up out of her face/arm area in case hair oils are causing it (she twists & plays with her hair with that arm).

Nothing. Nothing is making this go away. She goes to bed, she sleeps on her left side with her arm curled underneath her body. She wakes up, it looks horrible (see photo). I wash the hell out of it, let it air dry, put benedryl cream on it – it looks okay until mid afternoon. Another application of benedryl, it’s okay until bedtime. Then the itchies start. More benedryl, bed, and here we go again!

She has a tiny bit on her trunk – where her arm rests against her body while she’s sleeping. It’s not red, it’s just prickley looking, and it clears up about an hour after she gets up. It isn’t anywhere else, just this arm.

I’m pulling my hair out over here, help?!

***UPDATE*** It’s contact dermatits -she has a viral infection that displays itself as a rash. It would have gone away (as it was it was starting to clear up a little), doc said it can last anywhere between 7 days and 3 weeks. So, she’s on predensone and a strong steroid cream. Thank you all for your words of wisdom!! xox!!!

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Filed under: Home n' Hearth

Peep!

April

2006

Get your head out of the gutter. (Now scroll down.) :meow:

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Filed under: Available for Purchase, Photography Prints, The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

Oreo (Tuxedo Cat)

April

2006

Oreo – Waiting for the door to open
(this is the first of two images that will tie together – it will make sense later!)

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Filed under: The Photog in Me

The Weekend in Birds

April

2006

House Finch
Blue Jay #1, Collecting peanuts

Blue Jay #2, Waiting for more peanuts

Red Bellied Woodpecker #2, eating plain old variety bird seed

How passionate am I about our birds? Well, I was so excited to see the Red Bellied Woodpecker come back that I think I started to pee my pants. I didn’t want to put my camera down to go to the bathroom! Seriously. He is one impressive bird. Look at that beak! (Yes, I know, the better to peck holes with, m’dear!)

We also did some landscaping today, baby steps through the summer to get the house ready for market. Yardwork did wonders for my anxiety level today.

I’ll plant a few more things tomorrow morning and get back to work on building that harp.

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Filed under: The Great Outdoors, The Photog in Me

ThursdayThirteen.com

April

2006

THURSDAYTHIRTEEN.COM

Now open – the central hub for all things Thursday Thirteen related! Whooowie! I’ve had this domain for a while now and finally got a chance to develop it. Some minor tweaking and some content to add, but we’re ready to rock & roll! C’mon over and have a look at how we’re going to improve the Thursday Thirteen, and really take it to another level!

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Through The Curtain

April

2006

Our sunrise was going to wake me up whether I liked it or not- blaring through our curtains, it still stung my eyes at 6AM. The full sized image is very cool, the gradient of color embedded in a curtain pattern until the blinding light looks like it’s burned a hole right through.

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Filed under: The Photog in Me

Better Day Ahead!

April

2006

My own personal thought police (see Thursday Thirteen #26) allowed me to vent yesterday, because otherwise I would have been found on the floor of my living room, kitchen, dining room or studio (I pace. a lot.), dead from an axiety attack or something.

Those of you who stopped by and offered your words of support, I thank you. I know that you only joined me in my anger and that it was a temporary passion that caused the words to fly, and it is what it is. Those of you made uncomfortable by the situation, I understand.

As a business owner and visual artist I had every right to take the action necessary to protect my copyrighted materials. And that’s where it ends. My content has been removed from the domain; I’ve been in contact with the artist and things have been resolved.

Usually when my thought police kick in it’s because of situations like this, so let’s not allow this to get all distorted and hateful. It happened, it’s over, we’re moving forward now.

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Filed under: Chit Chat

Thursday Thirteen #27

April

2006

Thirteen Things about Leanne, Thursday, April 5, 2006
My other Thirteens1. I’m working on that getting away from Blogger post. Truly. I am. I was going to make this TT into a theme about it, but I didn’t have the heart. I couldn’t. I hit backspace over “Thirteen Steps to….” so fast my fingers spun.

2. My sister, her boyfriend and their two kids have been staying with me for a couple of days. We ate chinese lastnight – and this was her fortune from her cookie: “You will be hungry again in one hour”. She felt cheated and betrayed, and somehow manipulated by their advertising. I can’t blame her. That fortune can only mean one of a few things, right?

You’re such a pig, it’s obvious that when you stop eating, you don’t stop for long.
We’ve laced your food with something so that it will run right through you. Muahahahaha!
You’re at a chinese buffet, and you’re eating like a bird. Goofy American! Have some ice cream!

2. Another fortune cookie keeper – on the backside you get to “learn Chinese”. Fun, I say! Who knows if anyone pronounces it right, but what the heck. We give it a shot every time. Lastnight we learned a new word, “Fish”. Fish, in Chinese, is “Yu”. So here’s my question. If I didn’t like their fish, and I told the waiter “Yu Suck”, would he take offense?

3. How many lightbulbs have I blown in my dining room this week? 5. FIVE. Why does my light fixture hate the clear light bulbs with the blue tint? Hates them. Blows them up within 12 hours of realizing they’re there. Something Yuey is going on with my fixture. (get it? haha! I am so funny I should stand up!)

4. I was helping my sis get a map to the funeral services they attended during their stay. My sister, who is logistically challenged, saw a chunk of road on the map and said “wow that’s a long ways!” between point A and point B. I assured her that it was just a few miles, she would have a hard time getting lost. Her boyfriend had a blonde moment and tried to explain that “the road isn’t as long as it appears on the paper” in a way I can’t even articulate in words – and then we got into a whole “objects on map are smaller than they appear in real life” funfest. We laughed until we cried.

Next time you want to confuse a young driver, hand them a map from mapquest and tell them to look for the big red star in the parking lot of their destination. Just like on the map. It’s there, I swear it.

5. My nephew and I watched the Eagle’s Nest cam for quite a while yesterday, there are two eggs! They should be hatching (both nests) in the next week. We’re all excited here to see those bald little Eagle babies making a bunch of noise. If you haven’t been there, I have two links in my sidebar to two different cams. Our favorite is the top one, thanks to Nancy for the link!

Updated Look at her eggs! Yayy for babies!

Updated again 7:08PM CST: We were so excited to catch the switch! The mom & dad take turns on the nest – boy there were squawks of delight that made us squeal over here in our chairs! They even gave eachother a lil affection before the change. Awww…

6. I’ve been trying too hard to remember my dreams lately, and now I am only remembering little pieces of them! I hate when that happens! I even bought a domain to have a blog specific for my dreams. All the pressure – and now I don’t have any content. Just my luck.

7. One dream I keep meaning to write about is about a friend I used to have that I miss very much. I dreamt it in a Brady Bunch screenshot mode, so she was in one of the corners and I was in another one, and we were also both online. I was writing or talking to someone about how sad I was that our friendship ended, why I was so hurt over some words that were exchanged that ultimately caused me to pull so far back from our friendship that it killed it. She never understood how I could have possibly been upset, because she was so upset herself, and she ended up crying when she realized how sad I was over the whole thing.

The strange thing – all the stuff in my little Brady Bunch box is true. My mind embellishes her side because I would truly have no idea. I am a loyal friend, truly – you couldn’t find a more loyal friend – until I feel used, manipulated or betrayed.

8. I have two paintings by that same old friend hanging over my bed, and I think about her every day. Even though our friendship ended nearly a year ago.

9. I’ve been feeling a little anxious lately, my heart has been wonky – I think it’s because I really want to move. Every day that passes I am more and more uncomfortable and I like our property less and less. We have so much to do to get this house ready to put on the market. I’m dyin’ over here. Send help!

10. I was contacted by a magazine who wants to chat with me and maybe include a bit about me in an article, and it took me a week to gain up the courage to call/e-mail her back. I am probably nervous for nothing, because I probably chewed my fingers about it for too long and she found a new person to interview. That is also just my luck.

11. We went to Payless lastnight, because my sister wears these strange chunky shoes that look like a leopard had a hairball moment all over, that are also very uncomfortable. We ended up with new shoes for just about everyone. For the kids, the girls all have matchin’ clogs:

For the moms, we went retro:

12. I about flipped out yesterday morning when I looked out at my bird feeders. I got one shot. Just one. And it’s not that great, but I’ll show you anyway.

13. My prize question of the day: if mushrooms are a fungus, how is it that they go bad? Mold on top of fungus. That just seems so wrong.

******************************************A special prize goes to Lisa, for noticing I can’t count! Yayyyyy!

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