Art Display

This last weekend I started hanging my art work up at Thai Fresh.

As it turned out there was a bit more to this than I realized...and well, it's turned into an ongoing event.

I think I should have everything up by next weekend.. and then it will be officially open!

Here are a few pictures I got up and labeled.

I really love these two, the rabbit is Bonnie my Flemish Giant, and the dachshund is kind of based on Jasmine, although the coloring is different.( the thing about these dogs is really, they all look alike)
What I like about them is how great the Cedar shows through the paint... in my opinion they are some of the best.  They look great above a door way... Just saying.

The restaurant is pretty big, and these are hanging in the back room.

On the morning I showed up poor Jam was struggling with a broken fridge door and she had forgotten to ask the previous artists to take down their work, so I kind of worked within the confines of what I had available.


Any way it was still pretty good, Jerry was able to fix her broken door and few other things, which was
good for me because obviously her mood improved
and it's always good to help each other, yes?

Ok, so these little hens right here, I titled them
Maxine and Jennitta. After my Mom and Aunt, to this day my 85 year old Mom thinks she's the fat one and her sister, Jennitta is so thin and tall....guess who's who..

I hung a few more on Monday and will be popping in during the slow times (before lunch and dinner) this next week and as I said by next weekend I'm good to go.

But there are already around 20 up,  so please stop by and take a look if you find yourself in the neighborhood. I priced everything pretty fairly but if there is something you love but you're having a short month call or email and I know we can work something out..
These creations are my babies but I have so many more that want to be born.... and if you don't want to own any just take a look and hopefully you'll enjoy them.

The End of Manhood

I think he knows something's up..

Last Monday  was a big day for Nemo...

He got neutered.. he was just impossible to house break, I mean he was even marking the food dish.. and worse of all he was marking Jasmine.
Which I have to admit I thought was hilarious..but it was also pretty gross, she was trotting inside with pee all over her.

I read that he would be better about marking after he was neutered.  Also really,.. what does a little guy like him need with testicles? Nothing that's what...

Mobile Neutering service..

So I made him an appointment with Emancipet. A wonderful organization that picks up dogs and cats and takes them into Austin to be spayed or neutered and then brings them back to Dripping Springs..




Juliette and I took him bright and early last Monday morning.. and checked him in..

He's so cute and sneaky..

He was so happy to come home that evening.. he settled right down and got to chewing bones after dinner.. and he seemed like he was going to leave his stitches alone.. of course that didn't last long












So... the next day he earned himself some time in the "cone of shame".. he wore it pretty much all the time.. but every once in a while I felt sorry for him and took it off. He seemed pretty good but  it became  obvious that unless I literally stared at him the entire time he was chewing on his sutures!

 Basically we were making hardly any progress with his recovery.

Then I saw this on the internet... A simple dish towel folded up and duct taped around his neck..

It works great! much better than the cone and he looks so dapper and well read.. don't you think?

And with the cold weather he's all bundled up and cozy!

Making Art

cow crying, watercolor on wood 11"x 24"

In about a week I will be hanging some art work up at a restaurant in Austin, called Thai Fresh.

My husband Jerry has a relationship with the owner and I would imagine that's why she so readily agreed to to allow me to hang my work, sight unseen as it is.

Actually I have been surprised with how much actual work making art involves. I mean it's work, it's not hard but it takes time.

First I have to select the wood I want to use, then I spend time just with the board sitting around where I will see it for a while until I begin to see something in the pattern of the grain, or the knots... you know what I mean? It's a bit like seeing something in the clouds...

Jerry asked me last night when I started on these paintings. It was the law suit that prompted me to just doodle on a piece of wood he was tossing out.. you know just something to take my mind off things.

Now though I find myself drawing and painting for different reasons.. like this picture of the cow crying.
I'm the one crying and it's actually a painting about missing my girls...the whole process is kind of personal.

Ok, so who knew art could be like this? I didn't I'm sure others have made this discovery but it's a new one for me..

I hope it won't bore you to see more of these, I want to show them and please comment if you like.
Also, I set up a Facebook page, called Amy's Art please "like" it .... my kids tell me it's a good thing.

New Art

 I've been busy drawing and painting...

In a few weeks I will be displaying some of my art work..


But.... I wanted to show some of it here first...




Here are 3 separate paintings of roosters on 4 ft. boards.
the knots in the wood determine what the bird will look like...

 this is a simple line drawing of a cow.. my very favorite subject... for now. Isn't she sweet?

and here is a painting of a Watusi... not a good photo but I like the painting... it's better in real life..


Art will be on display sometime in March or late February...

Thanks for looking.

Life Goes On

 Last week my Mom turned 85.

A few weeks beforehand I realized her actual birthday fell on a Friday and I got the idea to put together a party for her. My siblings voted for a surprise party.

So last Friday my niece and sister in law ( well they're divorced but we still think of her as our sister in law took my Mom out for a wonderful day of shopping, lunch, manicures, pedicures and hair styling..

They were supposed to be home by 5 pm. which would give the rest of us time to drive in, set up the house and put out food and decorations.

I got there first with my kids, and we got to work then my siblings their kids started to arrive.
Everyone worked to get things ready.

We kept our eyes on the clock and practiced different "Surprise!!!" scenarios trying to decide which would be less likely to cause Mom to have a heart attack.


 Finally we decided a simple waiting in the kitchen to find us would be safest.


  While we waited we decided to relax...
and have a little pre-party, party..

 we looked out the window ...




and waited..







Eventually they got there!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I think she was happy, and surprised.


I stayed over with Juliette for 3 nights, which is the big reason for selling my cows, so I could spend time with my Mom,  it made sense..

 Then last night Juliette, Tommy and I went to the Opera.

Austin Lyric Opera has this wonderful program that allows students and teachers to attend dress rehearsals for free...

It's so great, the performances are always top rate, and we wouldn't have this opportunity without this
program.

Last year Juliette and I went to 3, performances, and Tommy went to one, he saw Don Carlos and liked it
but wasn't able to make any others.

So when I invited  him  to see Romeo and Juliet, he was actually quite willing to go, he even left basketball practice early to shower and get ready...

You know what? I think that's probably the exact reason they have this program in place...  expose the child to the arts and you just never know what will happen...

Discussion about the story, the training of the performers, the orchestra, the costumes, the set, the language so much comes from it.
Tommy even told me about Tupac ( a rapper) who said Romeo and Juliet is an ageless tale, and can be applied now a days to gang members, .. you know... the gangs are like the two families keeping hatred alive against the wishes of some of the members... members of one gang aren't allowed to be friends or lovers with members of rival gangs.. something to think about.
It was good..

Like the blog title says, life goes on, things are different but things are good....

Goodbye Girls

Last week was bitter sweet.

I sold my cows. It's sad because I miss them, it seems empty here, and I keep feeling like there's something I need to do, but I know it's just missing them.

But it's also good, because they went to a family with over a hundred acres outside of Fredricksburg and I know they will have access to lots of pasture,  I know they are happy... and they went together, that was non negotiable.

There have been many, many times when I felt it was unfair to them to not have pasture, I mean that's what cows are made to do, graze.... and I just don't have the room here for them..

I do believe they were happy here, but still... they are cows and they will be happy there too, they will adapt.

For myself, I needed freedom..

My mother is going to be 85 years old this January and I want to have the freedom to see her as much as I can... and the only way to get freedom was to rehome the girls.

I believe in the old days it was easier, because chances were your neighbors were in the same situation,
and were willing to help each other out, they knew how to care for each others animals...
Today it just isn't like that, it's nearly impossible to get away ...

So for now it will be empty, and I will remember the animals are better off..

I will always remember how special it was to have them, although it was hard work  I learned so much from them.. I can't even write this without tearing up...they helped me grow and appreciate things I really never thought about before...I honestly never really had thought about how much we humans rely on animals for our very lives..  they give so generously, they ask for so little in return.. and they are so gentle..

Maybe my path will come back to having cows again or some other dairy animal but for now I will take some time and just see where I go.

 I will enjoy my freedom spend time with my loved ones,  and see what awaits around the bend.

Update on the Law Suit

So I saw my Mom and sister for New Years Eve and they asked about our ongoing law suit...
and after explained the situation to them I decided to update you readers as well....

Here is the history in a nutshell.
Last February we were served with papers notifying us that our POA was suing us.
We responded that we wanted to work out a compromise.
We then were given a pathetic list of our POA's dream demands, including among other thing, we pay 4000.00 in attorney fees, a new survey (500.00), and pay 500.00 per month if we ever fell out of compliance with any rule again.
At this time a wonderful thing happened, Bill Davis, Lawyer fell from heaven and after reviewing our case
not only agreed to take the case but asked to take it....

Fast forward to now,
Our neighborhood did have a legal POA that was active in the 80s and up til 1994 when it was dissolved by the Secretary of State.
Under the law at that time the POA had 3 years in which to reinstate and they did not. Although they still carried on business during this time...( which was illegal)
Then is 2001 these jokers, in fact our neighbor, our president himself went and reincorporated another POA!! With a very similar name, in fact he only added an apostrophe to the last word, this enabled him to
use the same acronym as usual and none of the home owners were the wiser.
All on their own, with no homeowner votes or knowledge.
Their lawyer, John Lione of Austin is arguing that they simply reinstated the original POA...
Well, they didn't and they know it good and well and I believe Mr. Lione is milking the POA fund til it's dry...
his argument is flawed.... and hopefully he knows it or he really is a dud of an attorney...

So that is where we are.. we now have to pay to have our neighbor and president deposed, out of our own
pocket to try to get to the bottom of this can of worms.... 

You may wonder why we are doing all this, well it's because they are wrong, they are bullies and to be honest... criminals.... and they are going to be exposed....

We were given this job.. and were going to see it through.
I'll keep you posted