Plans Never Pan Out

I had visions for this Saturday......

I planned to upload my faces to flicker for my Suziblu class. (which is wonderful by the way)
Clean up studio from my last art marathon.
Start my healing journal
Finish my pages for a skinny book swap due next week.
Do household chores that have been put off for this weekend.
Finishing touch on my project.
Then put all my new artwork on my blog.

Maybe tomorrow.....I have baby boy today.
Change o plans....

Hmmm...think I'll bring out his crayons and gigantic size pad of paper. Maybe we can have an art day.
Yeah right...maybe 15 minutes.
He's my little whirlwind...constant motion till he drops.

Oh well...there is always Sunday.

Chewy is HOME!!!!

Thanks to everyone that commented or sent me email with their thoughts and prayers. Its very comforting to know I have so much support. Love you guys!!

I got the call at a gas station by Indiana Dunes... around 10:30 Thursday night
Someone had found CHEWY!!!! YEAH!!
I quickly called and Sharon told me her son had found Chewy...though it was more like Chewy found him. Chewy is waaay friendly. He had been jogging in the park which is huge and Chewy started jogging along with him. So he had to take her home. They were planning on keeping her till they saw one of the fliers I had put all over the neighborhood. She said after she saw it she couldn't keep her no matter how badly they wanted to. She had already bought Chewy all kinds of stuff, which I said I would gladly reimburse her for.
I told her I was out of town but I would call my daughter and her boyfriend to pick her up. ( Only reason I was ok with going to Michigan is cause Anjelika was going to be home and I had left my cell Number on the fliers, nothing to do but wait, since everyone was searching for her everyday}
I was jumping up and down and hugging David. I was ELATED....quickly called Anjelika..no answer..Called Kirby..he picked up and I gave him Sharon's info and asked him to pay whatever they spent and I'd give him the money when I got home. He was just as happy and said he was going right away.
They called me when they got home. Chewy was a bit weird when they got there..maybe just confused about her new surroundings but went nuts when she got home. Jumping and playing when they got her home.
I called numerous times Friday and Saturday...And when we got home Saturday late afternoon.
Gave Chewy tons o love!!
Kirby made the fence hard to get out of and hard to get in for that matter.... but we don't want to go through this ever again!!!
My empty nest dog.... love her to bits

Michigan on a Harley

Yep that's me and the Harley

and now I am sunburnt

We have been looking to sell our property in Tn and find something a bit more closer to home.
I don't see the point of having it since we never get a chance to get there. It's 10 hours away at least and a weekend jaunt it surely isn't.
So in the past month or so we have been discussing Michigan. I want something 2 hours away at most. Not only is it perfect for a weekend home, but if we retire early (like we hope to do) it's close enough to the kids.
On Thursday, David calls me at work with the great idea of taking off Friday and heading out on the bike to cheer me up. It would be our first long ride and we can see how well I do, take my mind off Chewy missing, and we can go up the shoreline and see what Michigan has to offer.
One I got home from work, I packed up...not much considering we are on a bike..(wanted to take some art supplies but there was no room)check out the helmut laws in Indiana and Michigan...and off we go.
Well I'm here to tell ya..I'm on my way to BUNS O STEEL...not from exercise mind you, but from being on a Harley at 60mph on an expressway..tollroad. I seriously don't think I could have squeezed my buttcheeks any tighter. By the time we were in Indiana but butt hurt and so did my fingers from digging into David's side every time a truck went by and I thought we'ld be blown off theh road. Needless to say he was not a happy camper. We got off just before the Indiana Dunes and he was livid. His neck hurt from wearing a helmet (no helmut law in IL) and the added stress of worrying about me freaking out. It was mostly the neck pain. After his 2 surgeries, its never been great and the fact that we left after a full day of pipe bending didn't help.
But David being David, he quickly calmed down and wanted me to enjoy riding as much as he does. Well ain't gonna happen on an expressway thats for sure.
We got on rt 12 and even though its 55 mph, somehow it's different for me. I relaxed and actually was ok...
On one of our many stops I had gotten a call..one that made my trip a much happier one...but thats a post all on its own.
So what should have taken 1 1/2 hours took 4 hours with all the stopping and my freak out.
We got a hotel and settled in..I was EXHAUSTED.
We checked out Niles, Michigan and surrounding towns and New Buffalo. I want close to the lake ..David wants land with no one close by. Hmmm compromise. But we both agree we love it around there. One thing he brough to my attention was how nice an quiet the towns were. And how loud our family is. A family gathering is full of music and lets face it..the boys have a wife and fiance that are loud...in a good way...very lively. You'ld think they were from my side of the family. So maybe on the outskirts of town is better...some acreage where we don't bother anyone.
So he will be going to Tn in the next month to begin selling that property so we can buy in Michigan.

Lost

Chewy got out of the yard an I've spent my whole day looking for her through the neighborhood. Don't think I've exercised this much in years. I'm sweaty, exhausted and sad.

I made flyers and put them up all over. Spelled Shih-Tzu wrong on the flyer and had to use my sharpie and fix all 50 of them. I was in such a hurry didn't even pay attention till I got home from Staples. ya think she would have mentioned that its not spelled Shitzu.. kinda forgot the H

She is such a friendly dog that I'm sure someone has her.
Hopefully someone calls me and tells me that they have her.


I'm miserable...

.

She looks so pathetic here. But its right after we got all her hair cut off. It was too hot out.

A Proud Moment

Busy weekend...48 hours just isn't enough time to cram in everything you HAVE to do and everything you WANT to do on your days off of work. And cram I did. I cleaned up the house, ran around shopping for groceries and misc. stuff, Anjelika's car broke down and had to wait for a ride, worked on 3 projects simultaneously, visited with some friends, babysat, went to park, made dinner, cleaned up again and went to a neighborhood block party. WHEW!

the tricycle race



Damien teaching Desi how to play drums

Thrilled he is allowed to play REAL drums

Little Sister and the Bullies
(Tony and Laura are next to each other)

The proud moment??? Well that didn't come from me or David.

After Tony and Laura finished their set, Mr. Ling, the organizer, took the mike to thank them for playing. He announced how Tony was only about 11-12 yrs. old when he had seen Tony play ( he is a music teacher at the Catholic school by us) and asked him to play at his wedding over 10 yrs ago. He said he was amazing back then and how he still kills on a guitar. He then gave Tony a big bear hug. Now that's a picture I wish someone had taken.

The wonderful Mr Ling playing a mean violin

My "ME" Day

Took Thursday off because.....my laptop is here again and because I needed a ME day.

So I began planning my ME day.. hmmm what did I want to do???

1. Read all my emails that I couldn't read due to hubby's too slow computer.

2. Check all the art I've missed during this downtime

3. Check out blogs

4. Pick up some paint I need for suziblu class I'm taking.

5. Work on some projects in progress.

6.Picinic in the park with my baby boy Desi.

7. Answer emails

8. Update my blog.

9. Clean up house and start laundry

10. Surprise hubby with dinner and a very cold beer when he walks in the door.

11. Go with David to a friends house to watch Bears pre-season game

Most to be done by 4 pm. Ambitious??? yes, for the time frame


What I actually ended up doing.....


1. read some emails.

2. Called BFF and let her know I was home so she could come over and hang out..in afternoon.

3. Bought paints and ran into a GF I haven't seen in bout 10 years...made plans for later in the day.

4. Sat in MAJOR traffic..OMG , don't people work on Thursdays???? or are they having their own me day?

5. Had 1/2 hr. with baby boy at the park..no picnic..mommy n him were meeting up with her dad for lunch. Dropped him back off just as it was time for them to leave.

6. Gathered all supplies needed for class and set aside.

7. Found a drawing I did last year for a class on faces. The instructor helped me with shading some of the hair. I was proud of my first attempt nonetheless.



6. Layered some more paint on one of my ongoing projects.

7. read some more emails..answered a few.

8. GF that has been MIA for 10 years came over.

9. Met Hubby at door with cold beer..um, no dinner

10 BFF came over with her new grandbaby and parents in tow.

11. Missed Bears game (David went) to make dinner for my company

12. Updated blog a little.



My days never work out like I plan...................

3 Weeks of Upheaval

The last 2-3 weeks have been rough... My laptop died, had out of town guest, family drama, and I've been on overdrive at work. Finally got my laptop back! Whew.... Now its got a new motherboard and LCD screen..Our house is our own once again, Everyone is back from vacation at work and the family drama..well...does that really ever go away??? I have to realize the kids are grown and it's their life and not my own. The decisions they make affect them and not me. They need to follow their own path...wherever that may lead.
My son Tony was set to get married May 9, 2009 to a family friend's daughter, who we absolutely adore. Tony is an amazing guitar player and Laura has a killer voice and they have a band that plays out frequently. He has been pursued by several well known bands to join them and for different reasons he has always said no. Last year he was going to move out of state to join one of these bands but changed his mind and proposed to Laura instead.
The ball rolled....Laura got a dress....the hall secured...wedding party chosen...on and on.
So a little over a week ago...The bomb drops.
The wedding is postponed.....INDEFINITELY.
Tony is moving to join a band that has been touring steadily and plans on starting a European tour. The biggest shocker is that his strongest supporter is Laura.
She says that if Tony doesn't pursue music, he will never be happy and that she never wants him to wonder what if..... Smart girl. I have to agree. I know my son and he has been frustrated for quite awhile musically.
His sister who was planning to go back to school in the fall and is now postponing school in order to move in with Laura so they don't lose the huge and cheap apartment they now rent. She's always had a hard time in school but she was determined to stop working and just concentrate on graduating with her degree. In her eyes, she is helping her brother and putting her plans on hold is not a problem.
Repeat...not my life.
Everyone is now excited for him. I know he is nervous. He is not only leaving Laura, family, friends, and great job but he is headed for the unknown. That's always scary.
But he NEEDS to do this.
Its his art.

And I am proud of him... how can I not be? He is brave.
He is following his passion.