Friends, Periodontics and Colonoscopophies

This morning while  cleaning up this birdbath I grouted yesterday, the phone rang.  I've left this phone handset outside in the rain so often it's lost it's display so I have no idea who calls.  I heard Jamie's voice and before she could speak I said, "2:00, Houstons today for lunch, I'll be there."  She said no had to cancel.  Her Periodontist (sp?) just called and can fit her in.  She started telling me about her gum trouble.  I told her to look on the bright side.  Gum surgery drugs are the best.  A moment after she hung up, Martha Dawn called.  I told her Jamie just called to cancel lunch and why.  Her reply, "I'll probably call and cancel our next lunch because of a colonoscophy (sp?) or something."  Honestly!  I gave her a hard time.  She told me to get over it, we're old and this is what happens now.  She just had a birthday, she's many months younger than me.  However, after her colonoscophy remark (how do you spell that word?) I'm switching our age and I'm going to be the younger by many months.  

Barbaree Babes met tonight to celebrate Cynthia becoming a Babe and her birthday.  Lauire had all of us over for lasagna and we all brought side dishes.  All there but Glo.  A good time was had.  I told Laurie we had garden tour after meeting.  We made her the Artist Czar.  I'm going to be her assistant with a fancy title, too -  Czarette.  

Babette, Czarette, I think I'm finding my ette ness.  

More Forest Hills Animal Blessings

Here's more animal blessings during the Forest Hills  and Little Forest Hills Alert! sponsored blessings last Thursday evening.  Of course, my favorite is the second from top of Bob, ourdarling BlackJack and Sergeant Rod.  

Forest Hills Blessing Of The Animals

The Blessing Of The Animals last evening on Forest Hills Boulevard.  Dogs, cats, turtles, gerbils and a few humans were blessed by Father David Houck of St. John's Episcopal Church.   Forest Hills and Little Forest Hills Animal Alert! put on a wonderful event for neighbors and their furry or shell children.  Giveaways, education for pets, Animal Alert! registration, raffles, pet photography and of course lots of sniffing accounted for too much fun.  

East Lake Veterinary Clinic and Nadine's Pet grooming came out as business sponsors and we thank them very much.  I'll have more pictures in the next post.  

Hot Flash Art Girl birthday party

Another Hot Flash Art Girls birthday party.  Happy Birthday Lynn.  I'm sure you're a year younger.  Sissy e-mailed us she was bringing a cake to glass class.  We were all talking about Lynn's sale and who bought what.  Of course she had to tell everyone how I put my foot in my mouth at the sale in the back yard.  Lynn's not bothered by my antics unless I'm yelling my faux pas around strangers during her sale.  She gave me looks that could have shot me off the ground and landed me in a tree for the rest of the sale, but you know me, steely glare went right over my head.  I stood there and yelled at her again.  Wish I could blame stuff like that on the heat, the non-rain or something.  But I'm so consistently Foot In Mouth.

Speaking of Lynn, Bob's going help me take her godson to the Blessing Of The Animals the neighborhood is sponsoring on Forest Hills Boulevard this evening at 7:00.  I'll get pictures even though you and I know BlackJack will be the cutest person there.  We'd take Miss Calico, but tonight when we're sleeping she'd take her revenge somehow.  She not the little traveler. 

Artist's Totem Garden At the State Fair of Texas

Monday Rebecca drove Rusty and me around the State Fair of Texas in a golf cart so we could pick out locations for the sculpture artists and the Totem Garden.  Rusty gave us the lagoon just like we wanted.  What a beautiful backdrop for the Totem Garden.  So far we have 24 artists signed up and several more who are going to give me an answer soon.  There are so many good art shows going on this year with the Texas Sculpture Association's 25th anniversary in October, many artists are swamped.  Rusty said he'd even put out a media release before the Fair if I have the information ready for him.  And he said I can put as much information out to the media as I want.   I'm hoping the Totem Garden will be the big hit of the Fair.

Here's an example of a few totems I know of:  Juli's mosaicing a giant pvc pipe. Wait until you see this mosaic art.  Barb is knitting in wire for a totem.  She practiced with a wire necklace that belongs in an expensive jewelry store.  Jay will be forging something spectacular.  Marty's beautiful ceramics will grace a totem.  Becky will incorporate her "Becky" glass.   I have no idea what Sweet Glo will come up with.  But I can tell you the artists for this garden will wow the crowd.  More about these fabulous artists and their totems to come.  Oh, and I've unofficially named the Totem Garden "Friends of Lottie".  Sounds perfect to me.

I'll have pictures soon of areas where other sculptures will be placed.  There's lots of good spots from the lagoon on toward's the fountain Bob designed where I put my sculptures last year if I get my act in gear this year.  Hopefully, this are will be known as "sculpture way".

I'd better get started on my totem.

Lynn's Estate Sale

East Dallas Art Garden's blog has a garden picture today featuring Lynn.  Doesn't she look perky?  Lynn's estate sale was great as always.  Lots and lots of people.  I love going and visiting with people I know.  It's all about me and my social life.  I bought a lot of pristine stuffed animals for our redemption arcade at Billy Bob's.  Then told Lynn I'd come back for the bricks in the back yard.  Today I hauled the bricks home.  Quit counting at 128.  Brick hauling has me "stove up" now as my grandmother would say.   I'm hoping to start a vegetable garden in the one little spot in my back yard that gets sun and thought surrounding the little garden with bricks would look nice.  Hopefully this time next year the bricks won't still be stacked up along my fence.  I wish I'd taken more pictures of the lovely back yard.  

Lynn let me dig up a few plants.  I love plants from someone else's yard.  They have personality.  One of my favorites is a Japanese Maple Barb raised from seed in her yard and gave me.  Every morning I open my front window shades so it can have morning light inside the living room.  I know I have to let it go live outside someday, but not just yet.  The Bobbi/Lola rose is flourishing in the back yard along with my Mother and Grandmother's old roses.  Talk about personality.

Just in case you've forgotten or didn't know, Lynn is BlackJack's Godmother.  Without her no BlackJack.  You can imagine how we feel about her.

Tomorrow I meet with the State Fair of Texas to firm up the location for the "Friends Of Lottie" (my unofficial name) Totem Garden.  There will be lots of progress reports on this.  I'm hoping it will be the talk of the State Fair when it opens.  

Shame Shame on Birdhouse Thief

Look at this face.  How could someone steal from this wonderful man?  

I went to Lynn's Estate Sale this morning and Vince was there.  Vince told me since the White Rock East Garden and Artisans Tour someone has been stealing the darling birdhouses he has nailed to the top of his back yard fence.  SHAME SHAME on you, birdhouse thief.  What is wrong with you and why don't you leave the country?  How dare you this to Vince?  I wish a group of us neighbors had been hiding when you did this shameful act and you'd have been the recipient of our wrath.  Shame shame on you.

Now in the back of my mind I'll be worried when I open my back yard for the White Rock Lake Artist's Studio Tour in October.  Thank you for ruining my day.  

State Fair Sculptures Begin

Wasn't the rain delightful yesterday?  The cool weather and clouds before the rain threw energy into me and before I knew it the guitar sculptures for the State Fair of Texas have begun.  Here's pictures in progress today with sunshine, oh well, can't have rain every day.  Although growing up in New Iberia, Louisiana, I'm pretty sure we had rain around 3:00 every after noon.  I'll ask  Steve, my boyfriend when I was 3 years old and he will remember.  Our afternoon rains were the best part of the day.  All the kids would play under someone's carport.  Every house had a carport and garage.

I remember one afternoon I was sitting by myself under the carport and the other kids were out playing.  A man was painting the carport and asked why I wasn't playing with the others.  I told him I was punished for life.  He asked why.  I'd found some house paint and painted my name on my Mother's 1956 Holiday "88 Oldsmobile - four door (with no bar between the windows) two tone turquoise and white incredibly beautiful automobile.  Somehow I thought my name painted on the door enhanced the beauty of her new motor car.  Others (those with power) didn't quite see it like that.  Even during my 100 years of punishment under the carport watching the rain, I thought the Oldsmobile looked better with my little touch of art.

Magic and Paws

Paul gave me a job today.  I'm welding a magic trick for him.  Can't show you a picture or tell you about it.  Paul would yell at me and the Magic Secret Death Squad would hunt me down, cut me in half, take the pieces and make them disappear in a puff of smoke.

Thirty five years ago when I got a call it was to ask me to be the cute dumb magic assistant.  How the mighty have fallen.  

I do have a picture of the tree I welded for the Saturday Top Hat and Tails event for Paws In The City.  You can't really see the tree for the cards with cute pictures of dogs and cats.  I hope every card was taken.

Tiling and Hot Flashes

Last September we had a leak in the master bathroom and the water spilled to the adjoining little powder room carpet.  I pulled the carpet up right away.  I knew I had enough tile left over from when I tiled the master bath.  A mere 9 months later here I am tiling.  I started a very long two weeks ago and the floor’s still not finished.  

There’s lots of time to think when you’re on your hands and knees tiling and grouting.  The ceiling fan turned on high doesn’t keep hot flashes at bay.  So I spend a lot of time deciding the worst places I can be while “flashing”.  Perhaps on my knees on the bathroom floor is not as bad as welding class when I have to lay down on the cement to let the flash pass.  

Oh, wait, I know.  How about during a board meeting that’s gone on for two and a half hours and I’m eating the 4th brownie home made by our hostess?  There’s at least one other lady at the meeting my age and though I would never single her out - JUDY - it would have been nice if you’d said something about it being a little warm while I was fanning myself so hard with my paper plate I sent brownie crumbs to stick on the ceiling.  

Back to the powder room floor.  Of course I’m out of grout.  Just a little to go and the grout bag is nothing but dust.  Perfect excuse to delay completion to the day before our Christmas party.  

Another East Dallas Art Garden

I was delivering a bottle tree I welded and passed by a yard on a corner.  I peeked in and saw this delightful little zen looking area.  I asked my customer about it when I delivered the tree.  She didn't know the neighbors, but walked over with me so we could look like we were casually talking while I snapped the picture.  This area seems to be really big on natural yards and these two pieces fit.  Not that a bottle tree wouldn't look great, too and keep those nasty evil spirits out of the house.  But did I remember to take a picture of the bottle tree after we placed it?  Nope.  Also welded a tree for the Paws In The City, Top Hat and Tails event tonight.  I put a lot of little rods on so she can hang around 150 cards on black velvet strings.  I painted the tree white so the cards will look great.  Hopefully people will be in a generous mood and buy all the cards.  Didn't get a picture of that tree either. 

White Rock Lake Artist's Studio Tour

I finally found this picture of Becky and Kay when they came to check out my studio for the tour.  We're cute.  My studio passed and then we went to see Juli's studio.  Blew mine away.  Maybe if I slap a little paint everywhere it will help.  I can always buy a couple of plants the day before the tour.  Will be spectacular if the Bobbie/Lola Rosebush blooms that weekend.

Becky and Kay told me to line up girlfriends to help during the tour.  The first day of the tour is October 18th, my birthday.  Guess what present I'll be asking for this year?    

Hardy and the Penguins

Bob and I had lunch with Darling Hardy today at Garden Cafe.  Since Hardy set up this blog for me, I thought it only fair to tell him I'm going to start writing about our amusement park experiences since he is one of my favorite people and we did do parks together.

Seven Seas was a sea life park in Arlington Six Flags took over to run for the city in the summer of 1974, I think.  Hardy put on a fabulous underwater puppet show.  Weldon, another friend put on a delightful live parrot show.  

Seven Seas was built on a hill.  At the bottom of the hill Bob put in a games midway and I ran the games.  Further down the hill past the games was a big wooden fence.  Animal parks are notorious for escaping animals, some non-threatening others who will eat you.

We didn't have a lot of business that summer so tom foolery ruled.  One day I'm standing at the entrance of the games and in the corner of my eye I notice two small blurs at the top of the hill.  I turn and the blurs are two penguins with their little wings out.  They're sliding down the street?  As they gather speed I see their feet are strapped into tiny parrot size roller skates.  My mouth opens about as wide as their eyes as they speed past me flapping wings - I assume trying to stop.  Who knows what's going through the minds of penguins on roller skates flying down a hill?  

Faster than you can say, "OH S*&^T!!!", the penguins are airbound toward the fence.  WHACK, they hit the fence full in the face.  I run down to them.  They hop up and start to attack me.  Again, corner of my eye, I see Hardy shaking so hard trying not to laugh with Weldon hiding behind him.  Both pleaded total innocence.   When they explained, you'd have sworn the penguins broke into the parrot show, stole the skates and strapped them on hoping to  become the Tanya Hardings of their day.

Just a day in the life an animal park.

 

Another Garden Tour

The birdhouse is at the entrance to this adorable back yard garden on the Far East Dallas Garden Tour.  Look inside the big water pot and there are little goldfish inside.  This lady is on the White Rock Artists Tour.  Made we want to go home and repaint my studio a wild color for the tour this year.  Sorry I didn't think of that this spring when it was cooler.

The next garden Barb wanted me to see starts with the picture candle tree on the fence.  How do you suppose they made the branches?  I saw it in person and should have asked.  The homeowners were delightful and would have shared.  The table and chair are on a little platform jutting out over Ash Creek.  Picture a meal there early morning or evening.  Got to get a source on old oxygen tanks so I can make a bell like in the last picture. 

Enjoyed all the yards that I could see through the sweat dripping in my eyes.  Saturday was steaming.

Tuesday Tip Day - HELP

I'm trying to find tips for next Tuesday and this is harder than I thought.  Please send me tips.  Anything, I don't care.  Stranger the better to keep my interest.

Here's one I was thinking of using next Tuesday and decided against it.  Bob has a dear friend from back in the old Six Flags days.  Bob has lifetime friends whom I inherited when I married him.  It was just understood Bob's friends were part of the deal.  

Bob's friend Bill lives with his wife and two daughters in a large old house Bob named Toad Hall the moment he saw it over 20 years ago.  Bill's wife never appreciated Bob's humor.  Bill decided to turn the 3rd (I told you it was a big house) floor into an exercise room.  Bill bought one of those machines where you hang upside down.  I asked him why and he said it would make him taller.  

You know I believe anything anyone tells me or I read so I seriously considered buying one of these inversion machine things.  All my friends talk about how we're shrinking - shoot I've always been the shrimp in the group.  

A few weeks later, Bob gets a phone call from Bill.  He's in the hospital, broke his neck.  Apparently the inversion machine broke while Bill was hanging upside down.  Bill was on the 3rd floor hollering and no one hears him.  Kind of interesting no one realizes he's missing for several hours, but we won't go into that.  

See, this could have been the perfect Tuesday Tip - How To Grow Taller Through The Magic of Machines.  But when machines turn against you it's over.  Bob had a Jaguar that hated me, but I'll save that for another blog.

So please, send tips for Tuesday Tip Day.  You could be the Tuesday Tip Day STAR!

Sales on the Garden Tour

This couple bought two of my pieces during the Garden Tour.  They were delightful, but I had a hard time getting them to hold the kisses long enough for me to get the pictures.  It's not easy being a cameraman and director.  I asked for her card (to send a thank you note) and I promptly put it in such a safe place I only found it last night.  

The first piece, I was experimenting how to stack, but be able to take apart for transport.  The square pieces of metal seemed a bit blah so I mosaiced the inside of each square with colored glass.  The second "cactus" piece is cut out metal with fused glass inserts.  Both pieces were the perfect heights for a couple to stand behind and kiss.  I'll remember that for future pieces.

She's the manager of MINT, a wonderful Asian restaurant at Central and Forest.  We've been there with our supper club and other friends.   Most of you know I don't travel past Northpark unless someone drags me, does that tell you how delicious and fun MINT is?

Tuesday Tip Day

I was talking to Bob about what to keep writing and he suggested a tip day.  So now Tuesday is Tip Day.  

JoAnn gave me this one.  She found this guy who gives tips on saving money.  He's Clark Howard and these tips are pretty cool.  At Cosco, marked down items end in 97.  At Sams, clearance items end in a penny amount like .73 or .47.  If the bar code number has the letter C after it, it's a clearance item.  I had no idea.  Picture me at my next Sam's visit with numbers shooting out of the top of my head as I try to remember this.  Not my best look.

East Dallas Art Gardens should have some garden tips, so here's some overlooked and underplanted perennials for our area.  These are from the Far East Dallas Garden Tour.  

Basket of Gold

Butterfly Weed

Heartleaf Bergenia

Golden Wave

Blanket Flower

Gayfeather

Beard Tongue

Gloriosa Daisy

Yellow Fall Crocus

Rain Lily

As a PS, my rock rose is blooming and is the only plant in my yard that will continue through the nasty nasty 100 degree weather we will endure during what will seem like 13 months of summer.  

Another great tip is log onto the Arboretum's website.  They change the pictures of the gardens often and you can just keep entertaining yourself with their beautiful pictures.

Now that Bob gave me Tuesday Tip Day idea I'll be looking for bizarre tips in the future.  Stay tuned.

James Randall's Birthday

Today is James Randall's 20th birthday.  I remember Bob's Mom saying to me in the hospital, "Don't blink, or he will be gone."  Didn't think I blinked, but.  

Last night when Bob and I got home from Billy Bob's around midnight, Randall was home with his two dear friends, Caitlan and Christy.  I asked them to go on the BlackJack walk for old time's sake.  They said yes.  

The summer Randall turned 16 and was driving, he had an 11:00 curfew.  Since most of his friends didn't, they ended up at our house and we all went on the Blue Dog walk.  Neighborhood patrol named us the "walking gang".  Later that summer, Blue started to have disc problems.  We were clueless.  Blue started to lay down in the street to rest.  Then a few blocks from home he would lay down and not get up.  Randall, Derek or another friend would end up carrying him the rest of the way.  To the vet's and on to the wheelchair.  Randall and his friends had so much compassion for this wonderful dog as he learned to use his wheelchair and for almost two years we continued Blue Dog's walk/roll every night. 

Our Blue Dog and now BlackJack walks with Randall and his friends, Randall, Bob and me and now mostly Bob and me every night have been the best memories.  Even now I bring my phone and I call Randall every night during the BlackJack walk.  Sometimes he answers, sometimes not.  Randall's a busy college student.   Bob, BlackJack and I just want him to know we are always thinking of him on our nightly ritual.  Can't find a picture of Randall or BlackJack, but here's The Darling Blue Dog smiling as he says, "I Can Fly".

Creative Art Center and CityARTCal

Tonight was the big soiree at the Creative Arst Center with CityARTCal.  Artists collaborated on fused glass, metal, mosaics, paintings and fiber arts to donate to both the live and silent auction.  Proceeds benefitted the Creative Arts Center.  I've always loved this mosaic in the pottery room.   

I met Vet, a mixed media artist and fiber arts teacher.  In the following pictures you'll see her and her student's wonderful Diva Dolls.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of Vet, but aren't the dolls something.  

The donated pieces were great and showed how much the artists support the Creative Arts Center.  The auction netted some incredible deals for the bidders.  

Thanks to Sherry, Diana and Jennifer whose hard work pulled off a lovely evening for all.

Here's new friends and old.