Dancing Lottie

Even with the rain, today was over 100 degrees, so I'm in a funk and can't post daily.  This is an old picture taken during the Garden Tour.  Don't we three look fabulous?  The sunglasses are hard to see, but they are guitars.  Sometimes I'm so chic I amaze myself.  We are in front of Mary's lovely home, the first on our preview tour and Barb is the first person Lola interviewed.  What I'm doing in the picture only heaven knows.  But I can assure you a good time was had.  As you can tell we three are ready for our closeup Mr. DeMille.

First Guitar in Randall's Garden

Here's the first finished piece in Randall's Garden to be displayed at the State Fair of Texas this year.  I have artists e-mailing me daily to display their sculptures.  Some send pictures and I'm amazed.  

Saturday morning Rebecca and Ken Boatman hosted the media committee meeting for the White Rock Lake 2008 Artists Studio Tour.  Everyone on the committee agreed I could cross over with media for State Fair Sculptures.  Of course I recruited everyone there for a sculpture.  Laurie works with paper, but I feel sure with all the creative people on this tour we can figure out how to put even paper outdoors for next year.  She creates fascinating pieces and needs to be at Fair, too.  

Marty started the WRLAST over 15 years ago.  This tour if the mother that began the other tours and Marty is the mother of the tour.  Everyone's got their act together.  Think how much I'll learn for our neighborhood White Rock East Garden and Artist's Tour and the State Fair.  Plus, we now have Laurie signed on to be the Artists Czarina for the Garden Tour.  She's recruiting Betsy.  Here come the professionals.

I'm all pumped up and enthusiastic, but it's 106 outside right now, so I've made the house as dark as I can get it and still see to get to the thermostat and hope the air conditioner is holding up.  I am so done with this weather.

Art in the Garden

Let's talk "art in the garden".  I only wish the pictures could capture the true color of this hibiscus flower.  It's a red/pink no human could duplicate.  For at least the last 4 years our deck has been falling apart.  Miss Indecision keeps thinking about what she wants and as a result does nothing.  This hibiscus was in a pot forever and would bloom once or twice a year.  Last winter I didn't take it in before a freeze and thought I'd lost it.  Rather than throw it away - I can't throw anything away, I stuck it in the ground in a shady area.   Every day this plant treats me to one to three blooms.  But it's the color, which I wish showed up in this picture, that's so astounding.  

Now I'm finally getting bids on a new deck and thinking why not expand it a few feet?   Of course, the hibiscus is right in the way of the expansion.  Don't know if it's worth giving up these beautiful blooms every morning just to have more room on the deck.

Any thoughts?

State Fair of Texas pieces

Here's the beginning of the State Fair pieces I'm doing for the walk through fountain that has the flags advertising the museums Bob designed at the State Fair.  Thank you Karen for you class on armatours (sp)?  The are messy to make, but as you can see make a great base for the stain glass mosaics.  My special order lipstick red and other grout colors came in so next pictures will be of this guitar with grout.  I'm now working on a blue guitar and am making the keyboard.  I'm naming the fountain pieces "Randall's Garden".  When/if James Randall gets famous with his band he might remember to treat Mom and Dad to the world tour.  Hopefully, by then his music will be a bit easier.  Only our bravest friends have heard his band - chain saw rock and roll is not for everyone.

East Dallas Art Gardens

I have to brag, the rose and Japanese Maple are in my yard.  This is the Bobbi/Lola rose.  When they went to the rose emporium they brought it back for me.  When it blooms it takes my breath away.  The Japanese maple is the one Barb grew from SEED in her yard.  How impressive is that?  I kept the maple in the living room in the front window for months after she gave it to me.  I was going to put it in a pretty pot and leave it in the house, but decided to put it in a clay pot close to where I weld.  I check on it several times a day and it's fine outside.  Someday, I'll be able to plant it in the yard.  Like the roses from my Mother's, Grandmother's, Aunt Evelyn and Aunt Rita's gardens these two plants given to me by friends make me smile every day.  May you have "given" plants who do the same for you.

Billy Bob's Texas Casino Crew

Here's my Casino crew.  Vicki, Pat, me and Geana standing in the Bull Rider Derby, my very favorite game in the whole wide world.  For a mere 50 cents you roll your ball and your bull goes across to race for first place.  First bull across wins solid gold colored Billy Bob's Casino token.  Four players wins one token, five to seven wins two tokens and eight to ten wins three tokens.  The tokens are worth 20 point to redeem at the gift counter for FABULOUS prizes.  I personally wear the "Casino Princess" diamond tiara to prove the fabulosity.

Vicki, Pat and Gena are the best.  And I realize how lucky I am they are in my life.

BARBAREE BEAT

Last night the Barbaree Babes including new Babe, Vince, came over to view the White Rock East Garden & Artisan's Tour video the boys made during the preview tour.  Though I got my camera, we were laughing and eating so much I didn't get pictures until they left.  

The boys cooked a fabulous "snack event" and then we sat around the TV while the Lola, our star, did her thing with the neighbors.  Mitch is going to edit later.  Marty insisted most of Lola's off the cuff comments must remain and she's right.  Lola's a natural.  The neighbors were great and we laughed until we cried.  I suggest we rename the Barbaree Babes the "Fun and Laughter".   

Vince said the birdhouse thief continues to steal.  I hope someone who reads this (since I know thieves can't read) tells you if we ever find out who you are know you will have the wrath of the entire Barbaree Babe group.  You think you're stealthy - stealing Vince's birdhouses, wait until you deal with us.  Again, SHAME on you.

I'm going to get on the internet and find an upcoming cat show.  Somehow we've got to get behind the scenes so Lola can interview the cat owners.  This girl is a natural born interview star.  Mitch said he can get a clipping of the video on this blog soon.  Stay tuned, you won't want to miss this.  

Here's Logan, Bob, Randall and Mitch after everyone left.  The boys stayed for the BlackJack walk.  BlackJack may have had the best time.  Everyone gave him a bite of the video crew's gourmet delights.  Today BlackJack spent most of the day asleep under Bob's drawing table trying to recoup from company last night.

Oh, and to the person in Lake Mary, Florida, who reads this blog - I know you're learning to shoot a gun.  We may need you for the birdhouse thief, be ready, be stealthy, when you get the call.

Earrings and Movies

I sent Steve (my very first boyfriend) 6 pairs of my earrings.  He wants to show them to the lady who now has a boutique where his flower shop use to be.  Steve owns a funeral home in New Iberia and has his flower shop inside.  I'm delighted he's going to be my "agent" in New Iberia, Louisiana. 

Steve mentioned the theater on Main Street has been totally renovated and looks just like it did when we were children.  The theater was built in the 1920's in beautiful art deco style.  

My grandmother and I use to go to the matinees at least once a week.  Maw Maw didn't drive so we rode the bus the whopping 6 blocks.  Of course, since we were on the bus schedule, we were not on the movie schedule.  We always walked into the beautiful air conditioned lobby when the movie was half over.  We sat down and enjoyed the second half of the movie, the following cartoon and then the first half of the movie.  Toward the end of the first half, the Big Ben clock ticking in Maw Maw's purse would ring.  Remember Baby Ben and Big Ben clocks?  She had the large square face one that ticked loudly in her purse during the movie.  When the alarm rang I would shrink in my seat.  Maw Maw would stand to her full height in her very high heels with her large tall hat.  If you measured the floor to the top of her hat she was probably a statuesque 5 foot 3 inches.  Slowly, very slowly she'd pull on her gloves, look down at me and say so the entire theater could hear, "Lottie Kate, get up, it's time to catch the bus."  I would slink behind her down the isle.  How I had enough sense to be embarrassed, I don't know.  This is how I attended the movies until I was at 10 years old.  To this day if I see a Big Bend or Baby Bend clock in a flea market I worry it will start to ring and someone will throw me out of the store.

IKEA

I've been daydreaming about redoing our back deck.  I'm thinking a fountain that might turn into a pond, that might turn into fish.  I design and redesign it in when I'm driving or doing other mindless things.  

Randall told us he wanted a bed for his birthday but to wait until he and his roommates found a house to rent.  They found the house so we met him at IKEA today.  Thank goodness we left early since IKEA's in Frisco, Oklahoma.  We drove and drove.  We got there before Randall and wandered a bit with the masses of humanity who had the same idea we did.  Randall arrived and by them I'm all confused, but he'd been there before with Caitlan, so I wandered while he and Bob got the job done. I suggested a treat since things can get nasty when low blood sugar attacks me.  The girls told me they always stop to eat while shopping there.  

After Randall picked out the bed, mattress, bedding and shelf we had to go downstairs and put them all on a cart.  Mr. Patience (Bob) is good with all that, but I was ready to be outta there.  Then we had to try to get all this stuff, mattress included in Randall's car.  He and Bob  stuffed it to the ceiling.  I decided to direct Randall as he backed out of his parking space.  Safety first - so I didn't see the lady walking, we just scared her a little.

Bobbi and Laurie told me yet again when we met for a Babe event last week how wonderfully cheap IKEA is.  Well, sure until you add it all up.  Remember my daydreaming deck?  It will be floating in the clouds a bit longer.  

BlackJack

I had two short errands to run and BlackJack said if he could go he'd drive.  Yesterday I vacuumed and cleaned the entire car.  No puppy mung in the car?  Let's fix that.  BlackJack jumped in and immediately picked shotgun secret agent seat.  What happened to "I'll drive, Mom"?  We rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof and drove slow enough for BlackJack's ears to go back but not flap when he stuck his head out the window.  

We went by Aunt Lynn's house to give her a check for the fun things bought at her last sale.  I told him I was just dropping the check in her mailbox so he could stay in the car.  That was fine with him since he's afraid of the house next to hers.  On to the post office.  I dropped the letters in the box since BlackJack was on the lookout for any cats in the parking lot that might need herding.  Thank goodness none appeared.  Home and exhausted dog immediately under Dad's drawing table for a good nap for the perfect escort.