3rd Place!

Tonight I received quite a shock when my friends came up to me at the Vicksburg Art Association Fall Show and told me I had won a ribbon for one of my watercolor paintings. 
I am honored for my name to be among those who have won many ribbons at VAA shows. Watercolor is always the category with the most entries and it is very tough to place in. 


Adding to my excitement was seeing two of my students from the Vicksburg Senior Center sell their first paintings tonight. I am so proud of them I could just burst! They have only been painting for about a year and to see their work sell at this show is just amazing. I don't know who was more thrilled, them or me! 


Next up, the Senior Center Art Show and Sale!

Beauty Shop

For the first time in his life, my husband had to get his hair cut at a "beauty shop." 


The longtime "old man" barbers in town, Monte and Mr. Clark have either retired or will be retiring soon. Long hours on their feet are just no longer possible due to age and health issues. These barbershops were more than just a place to get an "over the ears" cut or a flattop. They were social gathering places where men could get together and talk football, politics, and whatever else was on their minds. 


The shop I go to is not a "fussy" beauty shop. There is not a dab of pink anywhere. It is staffed by  "down to Earth" ladies who are quick and efficient. It took a bit of persuading, but I finally got my husband to let me make him an appointment. 


Turns out, my husband used to skate with the father and aunts of Amber, who cut his hair today. And he went to school with the older brothers of the beautician in the next chair, Rita. It was practically "old home week." 


Nothing will ever replace Monte's, but the transition does not seem to be as painful as I feared. And his hair looks terrific!

The Crash

I have had a lovely birthday week and now I am paying the price for overdoing!

Of course, overdoing is relative. I have gone from the woman who drove 160 mile round trip to and from Monroe, LA for three years to get my Master's in counseling, to the woman who has to come home and sleep half the afternoon after teaching a 2 hour watercolor class.

I have had an activity outside the house every day since last Saturday and now I pay. I have done little but sleep and watch football all weekend.

Ah well, this is my current reality and I deal with it as gracefully as I can. Even if my inner two year old is pouting!

Birthday

My 51st birthday has been one of the nicest ones I have ever had. It began with a overnight journey with my longtime BFF, Teresa to Greenville, Mississippi to pancakes at Jim's Cafe. While there, we also drove over the new Mississippi River bridge, a quite impressive suspension structure. http://www.greenvillebridge.com/, partook of pasta at a wonderful place called Shermans, and found a KMart. Yes, there are no KMarts anywhere close to me, so finding one is a treat. 


My second celebration was with my dear friends Norma and Denny Allman at the FrogHead Grill in Clinton. We shared cinnamon bread pudding and took the scenic route of old Hwy 80 on the way home, reminiscing about car trips on 2 lane roads taken in the "old days." 


Today began with my husband bringing me chocolate donuts for breakfast while I read dozens of wonderful birthday greetings on Facebook! Then we went to the Salvation Army Soup and Sandwich fundraiser for lunch. Afterwards, I told my husband that what I really wanted for MY birthday was for HIM to get a new laptop. The tiny AsusEEEPC that he has been using is excruciatingly slow and has many problems. So, after some protesting on his part, off to Jackson we went to Best Buy where we found him an HP laptop. 


While I was setting up the new computer, the rescues of the Chilean miners began. A perfect ending to a perfect day! 


And there are more celebrations to come!

Corpus Christi

Wednesday, my husband and I are off to Corpus Christi, Texas to visit his oldest sister and her husband. I have never been to this city or their home and I am both nervous and excited. 


Hopefully, I have covered all my bases. I called Southwest to make sure I would have no trouble with my scooter, my BiPap,(bi-level positive airway pressure)  or my many medications. After my experience in Cleveland with my BiPap I am gun shy! I missed my flight while bomb sniffing dogs were called to make sure this device that helps me breathe at night was not an explosive device! 


So, I am praying for smooth airport experiences and enough energy to be able to enjoy this trip. 

Silent Song

Two months have passed since I have been able to sing. It feels like a vital part of me has been ripped away. There is music I cannot bear to listen to when I am unable to sing along. 


I am thankful that I at least have my art to help fulfill my need for self expression. It does help fill the empty place that not being able to sing creates. 


Maybe by this time next month, I will once again be able to raise my voice in song. 

Off to Four Corners

Tomorrow morning, my 78 year old Daddy and almost 80 year old Stepmom are getting in their Chevrolet Impala and heading out to the Four Corners. This is where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona all meet. 


They have no set itinerary. They are just going to drive as far as they feel like driving until they get there. I admire their spirit of adventure. I tend to be a "planner." I want my motel rooms booked and a route firmly mapped out. 


I admit, I am a little nervous as the 'rents go off on this adventure. I have the make and model of the car and the tag number in my cellphone. I made sure they had every number they might possibly need in THEIR cellphone and that Daddy knew how to find said numbers. They do not have a car charger, so I reminded them to plug that phone in and charge it EVERY night, no matter what. They are supposed to call one of the 5 assorted children every night to let us know where they are. And they are supposed to be in a motel by dark every night. 


I feel a bit like a nagging parent. I am both nervous and excited for them. As they become more limited by their health issues, I know that the adventures will be fewer and farther between. 


So I will be praying for protection and safe travels. And hoping they have the time of their lives. 

The Cricket Box

This week, I was invited to speak to a group of retired teachers about watercolor painting and teaching at the Vicksburg Senior Center. It was a bit intimidating to look out into the faces of some of those who taught me many years ago. I was tickled to have a chance to say "thank you" to some of my old teachers and for them to see that I did "turn out" OK.

 

While at this gathering, two of the retired teachers came up to me and offered me and my art a place at their new consignment gift shop, "The Cricket Box." I promptly rented a wall space and am now making it my own with my watercolors. 

Rent is only $25.00 a month, along with the owners receiving a 10% commission on sales. This seems extremely fair to me. I signed on through December, so I am taking a $100.00 gamble on myself. 

I think I am worth it. Time will tell. 

Secret Garden

Bill and I attended a performance of "The Secret Garden" last night. It was a amateur theatre performance, but quite nicely done. Sets were quite imaginative and the mostly young cast did a nice job.


I always loved this Frances Hodgson Burnett story. It struck a chord in me from the time I read it in third grade. I envied Mary having her secret garden to escape to. I longed for such an escape as a child. But, for me, no place felt really "safe." 


When my niece was little, she loved this story as well. I remember her causing her father some distress by going around making the declaration "My father hates me!"  And, if I recall correctly, she locked her little brother (casting him in the role of Colin)  in his room at least once. 

This story was first published in 1910. It is now 2010 and the story seems as timeless and popular as ever. The belief in the healing powers of love, the mind, and living things is powerful and never grows old. 

Mad!

OK, I have to rant a bit. 


My niece, who just started college, is having oral surgery today to fix displaced teeth and a cracked jawbone. Why? Because of a stupid dorm initiation ritual that had the freshman girls walking through a field, blindfolded. 


This is the 21st century! Isn't it time for this kind of stupidity to stop? Now, instead of attending her first day of class, young Julie will be sitting in an oral surgeons chair and will have her mouth wired almost completely shut for the next 6 weeks. 


Being the tough kid she is, I know she will deal with this with humor and grace. I just hate that she has to. 

Difficult Sunday

I spent most of this morning in church fighting tears. For the 4th Sunday in a row, I was unable to sing in the choir or join in my beloved hymns.  I have not really been able to sing effectively in almost 2 months. 


We had a guest singer, Maura McIntosh, who has a lovely alto voice. She is doing what I had hoped to be doing someday, traveling and singing at different churches and gatherings. 


Despite vocal rest, my throat is more sore than ever. I am beginning to despair that my voice will never again be truly reliable. What begins as a minor cold can take me out vocally for 2 to 3 months when the inevitable complications set in. 


I try to wrap my head around what it would mean to no longer be a musician. This is an identity I have had for most of my life. I cannot ever remember a time when I was not singing, and getting attention for being good at it. It is such an integral part of the way I see myself and the way others see me. 


Who am I, if I am not a musician? It looks like I may have to find that out. 

10 Things (Good and Bad) I Have Learned This Summer

1. I can live just fine being online less.


2. "Blame the victim" mentality is alive and well.


3. True friends don't make me fit in a box.


4. Physical challenges have made me more creative.


5. The husband's retirement is not a bad thing, especially since I got HIM a computer. 


6. Now that I get "Lifetime" I see what all the fuss about Project Runway is about.


7. I can still connect with old High School friends and we pick up where we left off 33 years ago.


8. I am basically a mellow person, but can and will defend myself if attacked. 


9. I am smarter than I think I am.


10. I am blessed beyond belief. 

After Katrina

This photo is of one of the two bridges over the Mississippi River at Vicksburg. I was never so proud of my small city as I was after Katrina.

Our people opened shelters, hearts, homes, and wallets. Local merchants would refuse to take money from evacuees for goods or services. Quite a few of our guests liked Vicksburg so much that they chose to stay and become part of our community.

Although Katrina brought out the worst in some, it brought out the best in many more.

Remembering Katrina

Although I was 3 1/2 hours inland, the day Katrina hit was one of the scariest days of my life. Big trees fell all around my house, but, miraculously, none of them landed on it.

My sister was the first to get electricity, so we were 14 people, two dogs, and 1 cat all staying in her modest house. We could not get gasoline, fresh food was in short supply, and terrifying stories of people doing harm to each other for supplies were all over the news.

Fortunately, after about a month, my life pretty much returned to normal. My heart goes out to those still waiting.

Mixed Blessing

Yesterday, I decided to take advantage of the improved hand control and vision I experience when I am on a higher dose of prednisone. Using my new Daniel Smith DuoChrome colors, I was able to a paint a "tone on tone" negative piece. The differences in these colors are subtle and harder to see than the brighter colors I normally use. 


A scan does not entirely reflect the richness or shine of these colors. They are proving to be a lot of fun to work with. Thanks to sales and free shipping, I can afford to splurge on some new art materials to play with. And the fun is just beginning!

Voice Verdict

Thankfully, I have no nodes or calluses on my vocal cords. But, my cords and voicebox are extremely inflamed. I will not be able to sing for several weeks. I will have to severely limit my speech as well. 


The worst part of this is actually the isolation it causes. As a speech therapist once told me, silence is not the way of our world. Writing notes is cumbersome and awkward and not always feasible. I am going to try to have my watercolor classes, because I can show them what to do without a lot of explaining. 


Prayers for healing and the restoration of my voice are appreciated. 


This too shall pass. 

Off to the Doc

After a month of coughing and sore throat, I am crying "uncle" and going to my wonderful ENT to get my vocal cords checked out. 


I want to sing!

Sermon Notes

One of the many neat things I have been able to do on my iPhone is take sermon notes. I am not able to write in longhand quickly or legibly enough to do it any more. So, when I saw the "notes" application on my phone, using it for sermon notes seemed a logical thing to do. I have been doing this since last October. 


Now, sermon notes are not for everyone. But, for me, they keep me focused and I like being able to go back and recall the things that spoke to me that day in particular. 


This morning, I was kindly taken aside and told that some church members are distracted by my use of my iPhone and think that I am texting or surfing in church. Apparently, some of our members do not think it is possible for this 50 year old woman to use her iPhone keyboard quickly and efficiently enough to take sermon notes. 


Back when some of us tried to take sermon notes in longhand, we were criticized for writing in church. It is a no-win situation, I suppose.  I could try dragging my church into the 21st century, but that is probably futile. 


Since I am the person who loads the sermons on to the church website, I guess I can listen again and take my notes at home. 


But, it is just not the same. 

Asthma, continued...

I guess I was hoping to be further along after three days of high dose steroids. Breathing is still something of a struggle. I am still coughing. And I am tired. 


I have not been able to really sing for almost a month and that is getting me down. It seems like the times I can sing are getting fewer and father between. Is singing really all but over for me at age 50? I know people who could still sing beautifully into their seventies and even eighties. I had always hoped and prayed to be one of them.


This has been a particularly hot and humid summer. Many of my asthmatic friends are complaining of the same difficulties. I am not alone. But, most of them are not singers. 


When my hands cooperate, art is helping to fill the void that not being able to sing leaves in my soul. 


But my soul needs to sing again. 


Soon. 

"Zone"-ing

After 3 weeks of constant, not always effective use of my rescue inhaler, I have finally bitten the bullet and let my pulmonologist increase my prednisone to see if I can get this pesky asthma under control. 


Increased prednisone is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it gives me more energy, I have less chronic pain, and I breathe so much more freely. The downside is the feeling of being "hyper", sleep disturbance, and weight gain.  And I get pretty cranky when I wean back down to my normal dose. May have to send Bill off camping for a couple of days. 


But, since breathing is pretty important, I will take the bad with the good and do the prednisone dance.