The OMG Monday

I’m going to Cathy’s.

Tomorrow.

For five nights.

I have not done- anything- to prepare except take Daya to Costco so she has food.

Also, today is a work day but I got most of everything done by noon.

I made a list, because nothing is straight in my head.

“Make a list” was the first thing that went on my list.

(It feels good to check things off)

My train leaves from Penn tomorrow at 11, so I do have some time in the morning to pack.

But I need to do laundry. I want to come home to everything nice and clean, including my bed, although I’m sure it will be covered with cat fur.

Also on my list is going to Target. I want to do an Easter basket for Daya this year.

Anyone who thinks they are too old for an easter basket needs to grow up and realize you are never too old!

I really appreciate that I can leave Daya for 5 nights and she will take care of the cats, water my plants, and in general be awesome, trustworthy and responsible. So I did an Easter basket this year and I think she really likes it.

She is just like me in that she really goes for the white chocolate, so I made sure to put a lot of that in.

And there are 2 money eggs, each with $10.

Also, we are both in general really watching our food and being healthy

I got way more candy than would ever go in an easter basket, and I told her I will be sending her easter candy in July while she is in Chicago.  And I will, too.

A few weeks ago when I met Daya’s NJ friend and we were all talking, the topic of food prep came up and that i wish Daya would let me help her and do more food prep for her. And I do like to help her with that, but she mostly wants to do it on her own. Daya said “I like to control my food.” And it occurred to me that I am EXACTLY the same way. And I have been like that for so long I didn't even realize it anymore.

I mean, it even bugged me back when I was married and my ex would do food prep for me when I went to work but it often wasn’t the way I wanted it.  And I did say something to him but he just ignored me. 

And truthfully, if you are living with others and you eat together, you do lose control of your food prep, especially if someone else is preparing it. So I realized my kid is just like me after all.

I did tell Daya this and that I really understand it, and if she wants me to help with food prep I will follow her instructions exactly and respect it, because I’m the same way.

Even what Daya eats is…. Well, I see my influence there.

I do not think she realizes how incredibly fortunate she is to be in a household where 1) she can do her own prep and 2) we are set up for healthy eating. And I don’t even question the things she wants or likes, or I have introduced them to her.  (She used to think my nori snacks (the seaweed sheets) were gross now she buys 2 huge packs at a time at costco,) My kid eats really well in general and makes the best smoothies. Left to her own devices, she has really good eating habits which is awesome at such a young age.  But I went veg when I was 16 so I had to learn it, too.

Anyhow, back to the present, I’m glad I don’t need eggs because the price skyrocketed.

I know there is a supply issue right now but my shitty (you cannot imagine how shitty my neighborhood grocery is if you are used to those huge nice shiny suburban ones) store now priced 18 eggs at… $7.89.

And that 1 dozen is …$4.89.

HELL NO. I love eggs but …not for those prices.

I get 5 dozen at costco for $8.

Grey Sunday in Brooklyn

April really is the worst weather for painting. Not the cold of December-January.
April is the worst month.

I was not sure what to do with myself today, and there was no rain in the forecast so I figured I should go out and paint. The cherry blossoms are just starting to bloom so I went to Brooklyn to see what I could find.

The weather was not nice.  It just was not nice out.  I was dressed ok to paint but even with the not-nice weather, the garden was pretty crowded. And of course it did start to rain.

The rain smelled very good- so instead of painting i wandered around for a little while and then I adopted two plants from the shop.

Derwent Stalking, Ended

The Unruly Chives mess caused me a bit of a stubby pencil problem.... I need a refill on one of my Derwent Coloursoft pencils.  I have had my 72 tin FOREVER and I rarely use it but I have been lately.
(I believe in having all the art supplies.)

I went over to Blick to pick up a few open stock pencils... and they have all things Derwent EXCEPT Coloursofts. What a bummer.  So I had to do an online order and.... well I went ahead and ordered my Derwent Shade and Tone set that I have been stalking.  Its in-stock at Blick online.

So I can stop stalking it now.
Fingers crossed Blick actually has it and isn't just saying they do.

Unruly Chives

I have been feeling weird lately, I don't know why.  Can't figure it out. I don't know if it's me or just the energy of the world in general but I feel strange, fatigued, and uninspired. There's nothing wrong or anything concerning going on, I just feel really weird and blah. And I don't feel like painting.

I'm sure this funky haze will pass eventually.  I decided to just let it be and be where I am and not worry about it, even though it has been going on for several weeks now. 

But in the absence of painting- both plein air and studio work, I decided to just do some sketchbook work instead.  Small pages that don't require a lot of time, thinking, or commitment but still keep me doing something.  Normally I don't show sketchbook work, but today, wow I messed up and I should have known better and I'm very annoyed with myself.

I started a new book and all I'm doing in it are little plant paintings in watercolor and colored pencil.  Just something small and nice to do. And a couple of days ago I did a little drawing of my crazy chive plant.  I called it Unruly Chives.

Today I felt like taking out my oil pastels and I did a page facing my Unruly Chives, which was a huge mistake.  How could I forget that oil pastels- if you go all the way to the edges of the page- mess everything else up on other pages?

It messed up my (very nice) page of Eastshade Bloomsac, and I was Not Happy abut that.  I salvaged it as best as I could.  I'll probably end up re-doing it on another page. 

I will have to re-do this page. :(

The new unruly chives also messed up the other unruly chives so I just have to leave it and say that's what happens when something is unruly. I want this book to be nice and neat so it bugs me.

Seriously though, how could I forget that about oil pastel?

It's ok as long as it is taped off... as it, like chives, is definitely unruly.

The Very Long Wednesday

Daya needs government ID since she will be flying to and back from Chicago by herself this summer.
So that means going to the DMV. I can't believe she's old enough already to be going to the DMV!  She could get her learners permit but we really don't have time to get her into driving lessons (bc dance). So I got her a non-driver ID which she can have for 8 years and we don't have to rush the driving thing.

It's a LOT faster to get a non-river ID! We were in and out of the DMV in a half hour!

Daya wants a new bank account with a debit card so we tried to do that, too, but we have to wait until she gets her ID in the mail. Then we went to her dr for all the medical forms for her working papers and also her summer dance intensive.

I did get the estimate for Isis.... ugh...
Branwen says it looks good, minus the CBC which we just did yesterday.
So they are taking that off.

*********
My friend Sharon asked if I want to go see The little Prince on Broadway with her tonight.  It is still in previews and someone at her job gets free tickets.  So we went.

It was...... well, I didn't really know what to think until the second act.
Once I figured it out I liked it a lot, but I had to adjust my perspective.  I guess that's in-keeping with The Little Prince, come to think of it.

When you think Broadway, you think singing, musical theater, and a play.

There was almost no singing in this show and it most certainly was not a play.
It was all dance. With a narrator.

The dancers were superb.  There was also a lot of aerial acrobatics which was pretty incredible.  Visually it was really beautiful, stunning actually.  But it was more along the lines of going to the ballet than going to see a broadway show. Also, I forgot most of the first half of the book after the sheep drawing, so it was a bit harder to follow.

The second act was all about being on Earth and I remembered almost all of it from the book and that honestly made it more enjoyable.  Sharon's recollection of the book was a lot hazier than mine and she was totally lost.

So, for The Little Prince, if you have in your mind that you are going to see dance theater, you'll love it.  If you are looking for musical theater or a play, you'll hate it. If you remember the book (and like the book), you'll love it.  If you never read the book or forgot it, you won't get it at all.  The people right in front of me left during intermission, which was fine with me because I got a better view!

Isis at the Vet

Isis has been having coughing fits.  It's been going on for years.  Some days seem worse than others, but I haven't really been worried about it. She's fine otherwise.

But I thought I should take her in.  She hasn't been to the vet for a couple of years and I think it really is time to check out the coughing fits.

Even though Isis could for reals win an award for Friendliest Cat in the World, she's beyond evil at the vet.   I sedated her, clipped her claws in advance, and she already has no fangs (the vet staff was relived when that happened), so she can't really do any damage.

So anyhow I took her in and it cost me $570 for exam, bloodwork,  and vaccination updates.  Most of that is bloodwork, I don't know why it is so expensive!  To find out what is causing the cough, the vet wants to do a tracheal wash.  They put her under mild sedation but she is still awake, stick a tiny tube down her throat, and make her cough with saline.  Then they collect samples of lung fluid she coughed up and test it.  Plus 2 chest xrays.

I'm going to do it.

Also, apparently Isis gained THREE POUNDS over the last 2 years since I have been working from home! Oh man.  My cat has covid weight! 3 lbs is way too much though- she's almost 15 lbs now!

Isis needs to go an a diet. She's really not going to like that.
Furball does everything Isis does, so she got FAT too!

Pebbles will not gain weight but I wish she would.

Art Day in NJ

I went to New jersey today.
I have to *really* like someone to go to New Jersey.

Leah is still in town, and I went to visit Janet.  Leah is staying there tonight.
We all went to a drawing session at Michele's house- she runs The Bunker Creative which is an art group I have been drawing with lately.

Which reminds me I never did post the drawings from last week.

Anyhow I had a wonderful visit with Janet. She has a gorgeous house which is filled with wonderful art.

This is Kirby:

A fantastic print in Janet's kitchen:
Sienna Art Studios

Janet started photographing her paintings for prints because it's a huge money saver to learn to do it yourself. I need to figure this out.  Janet did a year of research and she's going to help me.

Monitor-calibrator-thingy:

Then we went to Michele's house to draw Dante, who is amazing.
I did a painting which is complete crap. 

It looked a lot lighter in Michele's basement, but when I got it home it ended up being dark and.... orange. I'm just going to reuse the panel. 8x10 oil

Michele has three hairless cats who are really weird and wonderful.  I didn't think I liked hairless cats until I met hers. I kind of want to paint them.

The train ride home was pretty fast.

My Linen Closet Door Now Closes & How I Hopefully Saved My Plants

Last week at the greenmarket I saw the sign about old linens for the baby goats.
It stuck with me all week and not only gave me an urge to refresh my bathroom- including getting new towels, rugs, curtain, toilet seat..... but also to clean out my linen closet.

Honestly, these things were long overdue.

I have been using towels I got before Daya was born and... all of a sudden it REALLY started to bother me. Then one of the other towels I have had hanging for too many years over a few different bathrooms suddenly tore along the seam, rendering it unusable.

I decided to bring everything to the market for the baby goats.

First, I made a big mess.

I cleaned it all up and packed a LOT of old stuff and donated it.

My linen closet door now closes all the way and stays closed!!! This is a miracle.
It has not closed properly for a long time.

The linens I brought filled up most of a large trash bag.
The goat people were very excited.

Also, Isis has been eating my chive plant and she did find my spider plant and wants to eat that, too.
I need to protect them, so I got her some cat grass, which hopefully she will prefer.  We will see.
She did immediately start chewing on it.

I cannot have her eating my spider plant, and I don't want her chewing on my chives!!
The cat grass guy at the greenmarket said she should prefer the cat grass and leave my other plants alone!!