"Inside His Heart..."

...today...a team of cardiologists

using highly technical cardiac catheterization devices

will travel ...

working their way

along intricate cardiovascular pathways

to determine what is causing my Dad problems.

As they to their job

Mom, Jack, Susan, Scott and I will sit on the edge of our chairs

awaiting their findings...

while Mark, far away in Chicago, awaits a call.

We will all be looking

to the Divine

for

guidance.

"You Asked For It..."

...You've got it! :)

My Night Blooming Cereus in full nocturnal symphony,

with

a couple of early morning lingering solo notes

tossed in for good measure!

Enjoy!

Happy Cactus Monday All!
Total Bloom count this time around is 64!

"Go Directly To Jail..."

...Do not pass "Go"...Do not collect $200.00."

or

$700,000,000,000

for that matter either!

Where have the "good ol' days" gone...

when Monopoly was just a innocent and fun-filled family game...

and I could be the "banker"???

EDM# 191

"Draw some paper money"

"It's Almost Time Again..."

...For a bit of plein air painting!!!

A cold front is coming into the state this weekend...

Temps are to drop to the mid 80's and really cool off at night.

It will be most welcomed

by both me and my outdoor sketching friends...

the tall and stately palms

of the Hassayampa River Preserve. :)

I wonder if they have missed me

since my last visit?

"It's a Pygmy..."

...Pygmy Barberry, that is...

All dressed up in autumnal splendor!

And...For any of you curious readers out there...

to date...

there have been 53 blooms... and we're still counting...on the

Night Blooming Cereus! :)

A Girl's Gotta Do..."

... What a Girl's gotta do...

and usually there is some form of shopping involved!

Herein lies the last of my full page views of art

completed in Jennifer Lawson's little Maruman sketchbook

"Transitions."
(Click on images to enlarge)

The top photo shows Jennifer Lawson's art

from the wild roses to the high heel to the clothing store...

"Spoil Me Rotten"...

then comes Anita Davies art...

two purchases made...an new outfit and some fun flowers...

...and the scent of a woman :)

then my art...

a art emporium sale and a day of plein air in a courtyard.

My portion above was inspired by a quaint and lovely artisan

shopping destination in Sedona, Arizona

known as Tlaquepaque.

(Check out this link...supremely well worth it.

The word "Tlaquepaque" means the "best of everything."

Tlaquepaque was once a lovely tree nursery sporting gorgeous specimens.

The trees are still there and form an enveloping canopy of coolness

and a softened foreground

to views of crimson red rock formations of the Sedona area.

As the years went by

A quaint Mexican style artisan village was then constructed on the property

amongst the towering trees.

It was

complete with romantic courtyards, colorfully tiled stairways,

balconies overflowing with luscious flowers,

bougainvillea climbing along stuccoed arches and tiled roofs,

bubbling fountains, wrought iron gates,

cozy peaceful courtyards,

high end galleries filled to the brim with treasures,

and intriguing brick passageways.

It is a shopper's delight and a photographer's heaven...

For years

I spent time and money browsing the shops

and

zillions of rolls of film photographing

any, and every, thing in sight...until seemingly out of nowhere

it occured!

Poof! Shazamm! Pazowie!

a wonderful magical transformation happened...

We had planned to be in Sedona

for bit of an extended getaway and a friend's wedding.

Prior to that, I had completed a workshop with Grace Haverty

all about keeeping a sketchbook travel journal.

The change to come was to be meteoric!

A backpack replaced my purse...and

my sketchbook and plein air goodies replaced my credit cards.

Roaming from shop to shop

was replaced by sitting in a cobblestone courtyard

breathing in the "Ahhhs" of the day.

Moments in time became vibrant memories

on my sketchbook journal pages.

My spirit became revitalized...my imagination invigorated.

And

I have been a "new woman" ever since!

I am

that girl above in Jen's book! :)

Now, that's what you call a Transition! :)

"Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life." ~Oscar Wilde
Hmmm...Don't quite know about that...:)

HAPPY 63rd ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!

We love you! :)

"Inside My Mind..."

...and some more of my art
on pages 20-24
of Jennifer Lawson's little Maruman sketchbook entitled
"Transitions."

My art begins the first four pages
of the "backside " of the sketchbook...
and ends where the bougainvillea vines blend
with Jennifers wild roses.

I chose to include a postcard here because

it was through an international postcard exchange

with Anita Davies

where I started, with baby steps, on the path to "blogdom"...

...and now, just a short while later,

I am here exchanging Maruman sketchbooks with fellow artists!

That is a transition which still takes my breath away.

I chose the Monument Valley region to be on the postcard

not only because

of its "wild west" beauty and universal appeal,

but also because

of its unique location in both Utah and Arizona...

a space transition of monumental proportions to be sure! :)

If you look carefully you will see that

the cactus was painted in various stages of bloom...

The quote:

"Change is the only constant." ~Ghandi

is one of my most favorite...

and has especially helped me bear through many a bump in many a road.

The vines stemming from the bougainvillea branches

are from my imagination...actual "Bougies" don't have them...

Through bits of calligraphy I attempted to illustrate

how transition in its various forms

can be growth...a new beginning

for each of us.

This theme was an interesting challenge...

it went beyond visual pen marks,

and brush stokes,

and choices of color...

into a unique artistic space for me...

and a inspirational transition for sure!

The last full reveal of my work in "Transitions"

will be in tomorrow's post...

Hope you will stop back by for a visit! :)

"Translations..."

...Understanding All the Pieces...
of my "chain of consciousness" interpretation of the theme

"Transitions"
in Jennifer's little Maruman sketchbook...

(Click on images to enlarge)

From left to right above...
my art...Jennifer's art...and a wee peek of Anita's art...
Jennifer's pages have a quote about the universe...
It reads:
"The clearest way to the universe...
is through a forest wilderness."

A close up of part of my 10 pages in Jen's book.
The quote reads:
"You are part of the universe
no less than the stars and trees.
And you have the right to be here.
Whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt, the universe is unfolding as it should."
~Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Yet closer views of my pages...
here I attempted to show the vegetation of the desert,
the forests of Maine and Sweden, the flowers of the fens,
and even a corn plant from Illinois... (where I was while working on Jen's book)
The bubbles just happened to "float in" from
Anita's art work on the back section of the book. LOL:)
The sun "rays" and the roots of the plants mimic
the lightning and patterns of growth shown in Anita's pages following.


An ancient petroglyphic figure emerges supporting a tree
whose branches intertwine and change into Jennifer' forest.
The three "squiggles" is the Hindu symbol
"Aum" or "OM"
a Hindu sacred sound that is considered the greatest of all mantras.
It represent several important triads:
the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven and
the three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva
fondly worshipped in Indonesia and Bali!

"Om" mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe.
To me
it was a perfect symbol to include here.

Well readers...in a nutshell...

"that's my story...and I'm stickin' to it! "

In my post the next two days

I will reveal the rest of my pages in Jen's book.

Stay tuned! :)

"She's At It Again...!"

...More Nocturnal Activity...

Showing off 5 of her bloomers to her batty late night friends

for the third time this summer season!
TSK! TSK!

What a "flirt" my Night Blooming Cereus is!

I can tell

she's even lining up more activity for the coming nights...

flower buds are sticking out of her everywhere!

One thing she isn't...is shy!

One thing she is...is the local queen of the night.

Here's a bit of "bling"
left just dangling from one her arms this morning...
some "spent blooms" from her Saturday night out on the town!
Should I "ground" her?
...her life's foundations thus far have been pretty "rocky".
Oooh...but, she is such a pretty child...oooh!
What's a mother to do???

I confess, though, that
I did take a peek inside some of her personal things
in an attempt to try to figure out what makes her tick...
and I think she will be just fine.
It's just one of those "stages" youngsters go through! :)

Happy Cactus Monday All!
May all your cactus children treat you well!

"From Soulbrush..."

"Ooooh! " I said squealing with delight!

"Lookie here!"

This awaited me Saturday after sleeping overnight

in my blogland message box!

Thank you

so very much Soulbrush!

...And

a boisterous "WooHoo!" was heard all throughout the land!

This is an award for arty blogs in WORDS,
PICTURES,
DRAWINGS
and THOUGHTS...

Joyfully presented to:

Brenda at Amber Ridge Desert

Susan at Socially Sketching with Susan

Anita at Anita Davies

Kathleen at Hammeredplayer

Kazumiwannabe

Lisa at Artsyendeavors

Sandy at Myfiddlestix

Karla at Ramblin' Roads

Mia at Miasketchbook

Julie at A Succulent Life

Shirley at Paper and Threads

Claudia at Time Passages

Pippa at Pippa's Porch

No Way

Alberta and Ava at AmusingMuses

Deborah at Silverwoman Studio

Serena at Art By Serena

Arty Em at Creative Art Journal

Angie at Artvizions

Fran at Artsyfran

John at John A Lookin Around

Stephanie at Deliberately Creative

Lisa at Lisa Reed How I See It

You know the rules, now pass it on!

Spread the JOY! :)

"Politics Bugs Me!!..."

Click on photo to enlarge...I feel like bee #3

It always has...! :(

The Presidential debates left me in a really dark funk tonight.

I tire of the posturing,
and the creative interpretation of the "truth",
and the fingerpointing,
and the double talking,
and the "I, I, I'ing..."
and all the rest of the bunk.
It drives me Bonkers!
It happens on both sides...all the time...and it bugs me!

....And
...then there is the $750 Billion"Bail out"!
I'll save that for another night.
$$$Grrrrr!$$$

"All For One..."

"Winter is an etching,
Spring a watercolor,
Summer an oil painting
and
Autumn a mosaic of them all. "
~Stanley Horowitz

"Nothing New Here?..."

... Just the "same old...same old"!

Doesn't matter where you live...yardwork is inevitable!

When we were back in Illinois

Scott and I worked one day
using a small hand saw and tree clippers,
to trim overgrown bushes and trees and hedges and the like...
bagging 14 jumbo recycling bags full of yard waste
and tying together 4 huge bundles of thicker limbs
to be carried off the next day by Waste Management.
And...
That didn't even include mowing the lawn, edging, pulling weeds,
"yadda, yadda, yadda...!"

It was just more or the "same old..same old..."

we have done every summer.

We knew yard work in Arizona was inevitable too,

and we also knew it was a different animal...entirely!

Everything growing in the desert has some sort of thorn or "bite" to it

and it is ferociously fearsome to tackle!
This morning , Domingo and his 2 man crew

worked for 2 hours using power "whackers" to tame

8 thorny bougainvillea bushes,

5 Mexican bird of paradise,

2 spiked Palo Verde trees,

and one Canary Island palm...

all gone "wild and woolly" since we were away.

Thorny prickly yard debris was everywhere

piled 3-4 feet high in places

from front to back!
Palm fronds and branches and limbs

were lifted with pitchforks and thrown into
the back of a huge open "soon to be overflowing" trailer cart.

Like a myriad of snowflakes in a windstorm,

papery dried bougainvillea blossoms were spun everywhere in the air

given flight by blasts from two powerful yard blowers.

Nothing new here...

Yes, again, the "same old...same old"-just Arizona style.

Hmmm...

"Nothing new here..."

In proofing these words, now in the wee hours of this day,

I find my spirit unsettled.

I have spoken only of mundane things.

Trying to be witty and clever and light...

Chores, and routines, and piles of yard waste...

the "same old ...same old."

Not once thinking or speaking about a bigger picture.

My heart aches for those who are experiencing

numbing loss this year due to uncontrollable forces of nature.
Lives and spirits and property have been brutally bashed.

No one ever knows when strife will happen.

No day should ever be the "same old same old..."

Every day really counts...Lives must be lived with gratitude,
Blessings must be counted daily.
I pray that with faith and hope all will be able to

piece together the broken bits of their spirits

their hearts, their homes and their days...

"Yet Another..."

...sketchbook peek...

from my Midwest Travelin' Journal

of two favorite late summer Illinois garden flowers.

To me...

the Indian Blanket flower heralds the coming of autumn

with her bold graphic display...

while the delicate Hollyhock bloom whispers nostalgic stories

of sentimental bygone summer days.

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.9"

...ROAD TRIP TO the state of WISCONSIN

and to the

Beautiful Geneva Lakes Area!

And relax...ahhhh...we most certainly did...
right there on the shore
sitting comfortably basking in the sun...and sketching!

It was a gorgeous day...

everyone in sight seeming to be enjoying

the last lingering bits of summer.

It was so refreshing to sit by a body of fresh blue water...

cool breezes on our faces...

a pleasant change indeed from our desert home!

We hiked a bit along the lake...mainly near Williams Bay,

then sauntered through the town and shops

of Lake Geneva herself.

We stopped for an informal bite to eat ...simply delicious...

and sat outside

watching all the people either casually strolling by

or

cruising the streets in their vintage cars.

It was a glorious day...we took lots of pictures...

Of beautiful vintage lamps... and homes... and shops...

...Staying until almost dark.
After stopping at the Yerkes Observatory on Williams Bay at sunset
for a quick peek at its fantastic architecture
we made the star lit journey back to Illinois.
It would be just a few quick short days remaining
before we would head back to Arizona.

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."
~Seneca
Yes...I agree...road trips really do rock! LOL :)

Indian Summer..."

PICNIC!!!
...Thanks to an online open invitation...(see my side bar )

from Soulbrush.
This is is an all day event that transcends time zones!

Click here for the specific details if you like...

There is still a bit of time to join in! :)

Hope to see you there!

Click HERE to see what everyone is bringing...

Here is what I am bringing...

"Live each season as it passes;

breathe the air, drink the drink,

taste the fruit,

and

resign yourself to the influences of each."

-Henry David Thoreau

And

best of wishes to each of you for

a "Happy First Day of Autumn Cactus Monday" !

WooHoo!

Now...were about to be a havin' us some real good fun! LOL

"Change Is In The Air..."

Farewell, Pastel Summer...we bid ye fond "Adieu"...

Hello, Jeweled-toned Autumn...we warmly welcome you!

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
~Albert Camus

"Live each season as it passes;
breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit,
and
resign yourself to the influences of each."
~Henry David Thoreau

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.8"

A "SUMMER'S END" GARDEN OF JEWELS...
"Illinois Prairie style!"

...Perky ebony Black Eyed Susans...

...Chirping emeraldy crystal-winged Cicadas...

...Powdery pink-purple Cone Flowers,

And, last but not least...
a grouping of lily-like ivory white Hosta

...drawn during an all-day rain shower...

now nestling safe and dry in this artist's traveling sketchbook!

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.7"

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE...

"Main Entry: chore

Part of Speech: noun

Synonyms: assignment, duty, effort

errand, housework, job, scutwork, stint, task, work..."
-Thesaurus.com.

I guess it doesn't matter where you live,

or how you view the world,
or what you do for a living,
well...that is, unless you are a "gazillionaire"
The immediacy of "Chores" continually surfaces in our lives.

It's a curious little concept...

for it's just a matter of one's perspective

as to whether the chore is a positive or a negative task.

For us...actually, just Scott...on our Illinois trip...

it involved scraping,

sanding,
priming,
and painting

outdoor window sills, trim, and garage door panels...

readying the place for the onslaught of cold, wind, and snow.

For me...

there was no scraping or priming involved...

Just a bit of lead free "efforting" in my sketchbook

one Illinois summery sunny afternoon.

Looking back on the day...I think both our painting efforts

turned out just the way they should have....
living proof that...

it's true

the results of chores...

just like the results of life...

are determined by a simple matter of one's perspective.

Oooh, yea...

and when the going gets tedious

it doesn't hurt if you "whistle while you work" a bit!

(A nice cold Corona with lime works "magic" too!) LOL

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt. 6"

ALL AROUND THE HOUSE ARE...

...Spigots and Outlets and Vents...Oh MY!

...Hinges and Handles and Lamps...What JOY!

...A Front door, a Wreath and two Handles more,

...A yellow Weber Grill...right by the back door!

Now...
One day it rained from morning 'til night...
And being from the desert...this was a great sight!
Puddles, and spashes...bricks and toes soaking wet,
'Twas a great day for sketching...think of it always? You BET!

I hope you've enjoyed this artsey "house tour"
For when the drawing bug bites...there just is no cure!
A last fact to add...and...I do so with glee:
Is that the sketches above were all done "Lead Free! "

WooHoo! :)