SHuSHu!

It has been over a year since I've posted, but we have moved to the Coastal Bend of Texas and it has been quite an adjustment.  After living in North Texas for almost 20 years, being four miles from the Gulf of Mexico is like being on another planet.

We also had a sad moment recently when we lost our beloved cat, ShuShu.  She was featured in some previous posts and this beautiful girl is terribly missed.  She was 14 years old and a big personality!

Have a happy holiday and look for new project posts in the coming year!

ENCHANTED FOREST OF VULTURES

On a dark and stormy winter's eve, a lamp glows in the sacred trees.

Circling silence in the quiet of night. Stillness with no sound of flight.

Entering into their final hours with solemn silent wings...

The wind turns and feathers rest on the breast...

Of the secret song they sing.





Poem and photography by Janette
These photos taken at Eagle Mountain Lake. Hundreds of black vultures nest in this region and on magical nights such as this, we have the privilege of watching and listening to their evensong.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS MONEY!

You are getting a little "Christmas Money" aren't you?! Well, I have a few suggestions for treating yourself! Check out a couple of items at DejaVuDream.

Spring is not far away and this gorgeous shell necklace would be a perfect start for your Spring wardrobe!

Get your Retro 50s vibe on with this Saint Germain electric blue jacket. Great detailing and a classic!

The "cat hat" boy will capture your heart with this vintage Chico vest. Check out mom on the reverse side! 100% cotton and made for a great pair of jeans!

If you haven't visited us lately, hurry back for more quality vintage. More Bob Mackie Wearable Art will be added soon like this stunning Egyptian inspired embroidered Peacock feather tunic!

Happiness Is......

A favorite "daddy sock"....

A long afternoon nap....

A sunny spot on a sick day!....

A beautiful day at the lake.....

Toasting a "cat brain" under the lamp....

Getting a "daddy hug".....

Meditation on a full tummy.....
Have a Happy Happy week!!

BODY PARTS!

Sharing some of my work companions at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. I work in Lewis Library and we check out "body parts" to the medical students, professors, and outside teachers. I didn't have room to share all the bodies with you, but here are a few favorites!

Edgar's "in the closet" for repairs, but he likes to take little sneak peeks to check up on his companions!

I told you Edgar was keeping an eye on everyone....especially the "pretty girls"!

Handsome Harry waits patiently for someone to notice him! He could use a facelift or maybe just a little more skin!

Everyone could use a hand once in awhile....we have a few to go around!

Maxine and her new beau are just hanging out! Maxine is the one with all the patriotic colors....a girl has to be different to get noticed!

You do want your doctor to study brains....in case he finds one while examining you!

Now for the best one...... ALIEN BABY ........our personal favorite!!

All the OB/GYN students get to meet Alien Baby and the pelvis he (or maybe she) comes from! Guess I could title this "Mother and Child" (at least parts of them).

Okay folks.....ready or not.....it's Showtime!!

Hello world, Alien Baby has arrived and is ready for lunch....which way to the breast buffet!

Maxine bids you farewell for she is busy making Halloween plans....and you hurry back for more ghoulish posts in the near future.

EYE FOR AN EYE

Just posted this mixed media art in my ArtAfterDark Etsy shop and I wanted to share this "handsome" guy with you! I created this piece for a mask themed show and liked it so much I kept it for several years. Now, he wants to live with someone else who considers him "a catch"!

Love this lightweight modeling clay. Beautiful terra cotta color! The Arches paper background has a watercolor mix of blues and greens. The canvas is Lumiere bronze! I sprinkled the mask and paper with Lumiere gold.

The gallery wrapped canvas is 8 x 10 inches! Click on the photos for a closer look.

Honoring a Loving Companion

It is with great sadness I begin an overdue and long delayed blog post about the passing of our beloved Dalmatian, Oreo. In March of this year, Oreo became very ill. Within one week she was so seriously ill that we made one of the hardest decisions....to part with our girl, loving and faithful companion of ten and a half years, to mercifully spare her the agony of a disease we could not cure or control. Oreo was suffering from a previously undetected, deeply embedded, abdominal tumor. Causing her extreme pain, it was an aggressive invasive malignancy. After many tests and a week in the animal hospital, trying to determine a diagnosis and/or treatment, she became suddenly worse. We were told it might possibly be inoperable and if removed,the tumor would cause Oreo many weeks (most likely months) of chemo and painful rehab with a good chance it would return. We loved Oreo too much to let her suffer because of our selfish wish to keep her with us a few months longer. We were with her until the last breath and we have added her small wooden box of ashes to a growing collection of our "fur children". We miss her every day. ShuShu, our cat and her constant friend and companion, misses her very much too.

Oreo and ShuShu, the constant nappers!







A more gentle soul was never born.....we miss you, our sweet girl.

BLUE MONDAY!

Just a quick hello to let folks know I'm still among the living! It's not really a "blue Monday" since I have found my "MUSE" again and am on a creative roll! A wonderful thunderstorm and the approaching Autumn perked up my imagination! Thought I would share the gorgeous blue glassware a friend of mine collects! Isn't it beautiful?!! Have a great week and stay tuned for more posts!

OREO'S NEW TOY!

Just a few pics of Oreo with her new favorite toy! It's a slow day and I thought I would share this pretty girl and her new soon to be demolished obsession!

HAPPY EASTER!

A time for renewal and rebirth....and launching those big new projects with much success!

art by Janette

MOMMA BIRD....MASTER BUILDER!

I saw this little tree in a busy parking lot and upon closer inspection, noticed this amazing work of art. An industrious and talented little bird built an incredible nest of twigs, plastic and (most of all) string! This little momma wound the string around branches, twigs, etc. to create an anchored work of art! Look closely for the string....I've never seen a nest quite this unique!


See towards the center of photo (the straight line) for string that is repeatedly wrapped around small branches!

Click on any photo for a real close-up and you will see even more intertwining of various types of string! This was no "bird brain builder"!!

The string is visible in the nest along with her assorted building materials! She was so creative! Look to the upper right branch, this little bird wrapped a piece of string around the branch and into the nest!
Look to the left of the left branch and you will see a straight anchor string....very clever!

Here is another view of an "anchor string" (towards the middle). This little momma wrapped that string around the bottom branches (see limbs on bottom of photo). She was building a nest to withstand a Texas tornado.....and it did! Isn't Nature amazing!?

JUST BECAUSE......

Just because......I haven't posted much lately and it is beginning to look a lot like Spring! The moon is full, the air is balmy and I smell Spring on the horizon. Listen to the earth and you can almost hear those little leaves growing and buds popping! Rebirth and renewal are here.....can Halloween be far behind (yes, I know...I'm always thinking about Halloween)!!

art by Janette

DID SOMEONE MENTION VALENTINES!

Well, I almost slept thru Valentine's Day! After being snowed in for several days and so cold I couldn't sleep, I had to catch up! Eight or nine inches of snow may not sound like a lot, but in Fort Worth, it is a major event. Over 200,000 homes throughout the Metroplex had no electricity for several days. We were "trapped" in our home with no electricity or heat because of downed tree limbs and icy slopes. We packed our food in snow and burned every candle and flashlight we could find. We don't have a fireplace so no heat source was available and the temp in our house was forty degrees for three days! Hotels were full and taxis were scarce. It was a nightmare, but it is over and we are so thankful for all the things we take for granted....heat, hot food, transportation, lights!! Now, you know why I had to take a nap!!

We still have lots of tree branches to cut up, a fence to repair, a downed power line in our driveway to avoid (until the power company makes it to our neighborhood). We are slowly returning to a normal schedule, but we just wanted to take a few moments to soak up the heat, hot water, warm food and lamplight!! Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone!

art by Janette