3 posts from December 2007

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The puppy is gone.

Last Thursday before I left for work, I kept hearing a wimpering outside. I searched, but couldn't find anything. That evening, I heard it again. This time, I opened the door just in time to see a puppy skitter into the bushes. There she was - hiding under the chimney of the house, behind the bushes. It took us an hour to get her out. She was so scared. Right from the beginning my husband said, " You know we can't keep her. She's going to be a big dog". Well, I called the shelter, the local vet and put an ad in the paper. No one claimed this sweet, german shepherd puppy. I think she had been abused as she ran anytime we would raise our hands - we just wanted to wave her to us(come here puppy), she thought she was going to be hit. We spent the weekend, with a terrible snowstorm outside, getting her socialized and housebreaking her. She loves the snow. Well, dear hubby found someone at his workplace to take her. They are a family with kids and a big yard for her to run. He took her, and her toys and food, this morning to pass her on to them. he said they were very nice and already had a name for her - Annabelle. I hope she blesses them as much as she blessed us.

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Mid December. Wow.
So much to do...so little will to do anything. I just want to stay in my nice warm house and curl up with a book or work in my studio.
The Realtor lunch went well. They "complained" about how hard the trivia and other games were - but they laughed and had a good time. You need something different every once in a while. I'm very happy to have ended my time on the board of directors, and it was a good way to depart.

I decided to decorate for Christmas. This is the year of collections. On the mantle is "Santa World" on the funky 1/2 round desk is "Creche World", on top of the china cabinet is "Angel World". Another table in the family room is "Christmas tree world". The big tree in the window looks lovely. I borrowed dad's tall skinny tree that Mom bought when they lived in the condo. Much easier to deal with than the big Mountain King. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

I'm not working on any swaps this week. I've never received the autumn September swap back from Shokupan. Very disappointing. It was a 3 item exchange and then you had to send postage for a flat rate box. Pretty expensive for a swap. I wrote Shokupan, but I guess she's offline. The swap site has been overrun by these wierd, french collage artists. I think that "swap" doesn't translate the same way in french. They are not interested in swapping - they just want to get people to visit their website and buy their weird art. On Swap-bot I have fared a little better. I've sent out 2 business idea swaps, a Christmas matchbox swap and 2 clothespin doll swaps. In return I've gotten a clothespin doll and a matchbox. Still waiting on 2 ideas swaps and a clothespin doll to arrive. I'm signed up for a couple in January that are more "art" oriented. I always send mine out in the first week after getting the swap partner address. No one else seems to be so "quick".

There is so much war and famine and illness in the world. I suppose being dissed in the world of swaps is pretty petty to complain about.God is so good to me. I just pray he never removes his hand from my life.
Time to get to work. - Indygirl

The cold of winter is here...and the leaves still lay like a thick carpet over the lawn, as I haven't had an opportunity to rake them up. Needless to say, there are no Christmas decorations up at my  at my house either. I love looking at the lighted Christmas tree, but I hate all the work of putting it up and taking it down. Theologically I have trouble with all the pagan origins of most of the decorations, anyway. I'm not sure how much I will do this year. I talked to Dad about getting Mom's santa collection out of the boxes and putting them on my mantle. I can't decide if that would make me happy or sad.

On an artsy note, I did a clothespin doll swap last week. Very cool. On of my partners loves Bon Jovi, so I did a Jon Bon Jovi doll for her.The other didn't give me any big clues in her profile, but her favorite color is red, so I made her one I called,"the lady in red". It turned out awesome, (in my humble opinion). I painted the peg red and then sculpted the chest and head from red sculpy and place it on top. The part of the peg that most people use as the neck became the waist. I embellished with small red and gold beads. I've looked around the internet and don't see anything else like this out there. I've done a couple of other explorations with this technique. I think I could make a whole series of whimsical clothespin dolls like this. Oh....and one of the best things - I found something to do with those stupid, unrecycleable, water bottle tops. I cut eigth of an inch wide by three quarter inch long slits in the bottle caps for each of the clothespin "legs". They make perfect stands for the dolls and can be painted or covered with fabric. Mui Groovy!

I'm preparing for the Realtor Christmas party. Thank heavens I'm not the V.P. next year, so I don't have to think about setting up these meetings and parties! In the past the parties have been brunch, entertainment and about an hour of drawing out names and handing out door prizes to each person. This year I'm having a reception table with  punch and nuts/mints. Lunch buffet. Music. Games. A small gift wrapped in a white embellished sack,(already completed and sitting in my spare bedroom), and a little tulle circle filled with candies as a favor. Everyone has been asked to bring food or paper products that will be given to the Community Sharing foundation. I'm planning on taking a nice picture of everyone at the party in back of the food stuff. Good PR to run in the newspaper. One of the bah-humbugs on the committee didn't want the board to give gifts to the attendees. She couldn't believe that there were people who would be attending who wouldn't get a Christmas gift otherwise. She owns a Real Estate company, and has many agents who probably don't make 10,000 per year. In addition to the agents who are having financially difficult times right now there will be office help from some of our bank affiliates and other vendor help, who just don't make alot of money, and being adults, most of the gift giving will be for the children in their lives, not among the adults. I think sometimes it's hard for people who have so much to have their eye open to those around them who do not fare as well. Anyway, the gifts are nothing big or spectacular, just nice little things for their desks and pockets - like paperweights, candles, card holders and thermo mugs.

Just an added note. Happy birthday Sara. You will probably never read this, but incase you do, know that I was thinking of you on your birthday and hoping you are well.