What a Day!

Today was one of those errand days that seems to be full to the rim, but you don't really feel like anything gets done.  We all have 'em and they're a necessary evil, but doesn't make them any more fun.

Checkup at the Dr. was the worst.  What should have been a quick 30-45 minutes turned into 2 1/2 hours.  What a waste of time.  At least my blood pressure is good.  (Amazing after that long wait!)

AND.....I did get a little studying done.  Getting ready for abbreviation test, so I guess it wasn't a total waste.

Next, a quick stop at the pharmacy, over to my brother's for a few and on to church.  Every Wednesday night we serve a community meal and not only is it a good opportunity to serve our area, I don't have to cook!

Now, home, balancing the check book.  Whoopie!

I'm gonna go get a little shut-eye, but I always like to post something visual on each post.  So...get ready to be aaaamazed!  (Well, maybe not)

Yep, that's a triple yolk egg.  Nope, has nothing to do with anything posted here.  Just an odd tidbit to throw in.  I knew when I got the egg out of the nest last spring it had to be a double-yolker, but was proved wrong when three rolled out.  Having never seen anything like that before, I had to document it.  Now you know if it ever comes up in a useless trivia game.  Triple yolk eggs ARE possible!

'till next time-
Sherry

Learning Goes On and On!

Well, I went in last night and decided I was going to "personalize" my blog.  I wanted my own photography, change the colors, etc, etc, etc....  Discovered there's a reason I use a template! LOL  It was a disaster! 

This was suppposed to be my background. 

Had words all over the place.  Posts were in places I didn't even know I had!  So, forewarned...if you ever log on and not sure exactly what's up...I'm trying to learn a little more and I've made a mess!

Top Blogger:
Are you keeping up with the Top Blog contest?  It's down to two great blogs and we've really had some good ones to choose from.  Gives me something to aspire to!!  Go to: www.blogguidebook.com to vote.

(Woo-Hoo!  Me cheering them on...)

(Took this pic at the Houston zoo with the intention of painting him and haven't done it yet.  I think I'll give it a whirl today!)

Now...in a different direction...

I've been working for some time now on a medical transcription course.  I've made some progress, but have been way too slow about it.  So...I'm going to start posting my progress on here to keep myself accountable.

For those of you following this...could you do me a HUGE favor?

If you don't see something posted here every day showing some progress, smack me!!  OK?

I've just finished Unit 15 and have a final abbreviation test and my final Medical Terminology test to take.  My plan is to have those finished by Sunday evening.

I'll post everything I do including study time and hope to be working in the field in a few months. 

Thanks everyone!!

Feeding Time:

My littlest granddaughter (she's 1 1/2)and I just finished feeding the dogs, cats, and chickens.  Had to break ice on the water dishes and as we were headed down to feed Molly the beautiful sound of honking pierced the air.  I don't know if these geese overwinter here or they were just momentarily headed the wrong way, but they were going east.  In the last 15 or so years large flocks of them have started just staying here year-round, but it was an amazing sight to see nevertheless.  Hundreds of beautiful birds filled the air and Annlyn was mesmerized by them.  It was a moment of complete enjoyment sharing with her.

'till next time-

Sherry

First Snow-Puppet Show

We got our first snow of the season today.  Well, some people did.  None at my house on the east side of the county, but the west and north side got their roads covered.  Needless to say the comments on Facebook ranged from child-like glee to Scrooge personified.

It was very early for snow in our area and it decided to disappear in the twinkling of an eye.  But, hey, when it gets up to 44 degrees, snowflake demise soon follows.  Personally, I like the way it snows here.  We don't get enough of it for it to get old. 

But, we also don't get enough of it for the state to invest in snow removal equipment.  This brings everything to a grinding halt when it makes it's appearance.  Lends an air of excitement at the prospect of it.  Every loaf of bread and every gallon of milk disappear from grocery store shelves and children wake up during the night to see if there's enough white stuff to cancel school.  (I'm just as bad about checking throughout the night!)

Having grown up in south Louisiana, snow is still exciting for me.  I know, I know, if I lived in Michigan I probably wouldn't feel that way, but I so look forward to flinging back the curtains, turning on the Christmas tree lights, getting a cup of hot cocoa (homemade, of course), a good book, and just watching it fall.
Now, if I just had a fireplace....

Saturday night, a group called "Band of Believers" came and brought a puppet show to our church.  It was a lot of fun for young and old alike.

This sketch was done from a pic I took back in the summer.  We had an awful dry spell this past summer.  Pastures burned up, trees died and 100 degree temperatures for weeks at a time.  When we did get fortunate enough to get a small shower it was always localized.  It would drop a little here and a little there.

We have more than made up for it recently.  We've had days and days of rain.  It's overcast and dreary and I'm missing the sun,but it has been so welcome!!!

 Did this sketch waiting for my mother at the doctor's office.  FINALLY learning to take advantage of every chance to sketch.  Starting to fill up sketch books and it's such a blast!! 

'till next time-
Sherry

 

Late Welcome!

Must take care of something I neglected very early on.  Should have already done this!!

I'd like to welcome Teri, Chris, Donna and Elizabeth.  Thanks for joining me!!

Rockin' Christmas Parade

Good morning all! 

Wrote two posts yesterday, but didn't get anything posted.

Well, actually, I wrote one and went to post it and apparently I hit the wrong button.  It disappeared, never to be seen again.  I guess it's floating out there in cyberspace somewhere.  Who knows, it may show up ten years from now on some supertechno-apparatus.  Seriously, do you ever wonder where stuff goes when you can't find it, but you didn't delete it?!

So, I wrote another one, got sidetracked with phone calls about the Christmas float our church is working on and once again, not sure where it went.  Told you from day one I'm not real computer savvy.

Well, I just ran out of time to do another and after coming in from the parade last night, was just too tired to think straight.

Maybe I should have done it then, it would definitely would have been interesting to decipher!! LOL

So, after many hours and much thought; numerous jokes and brainstorming sessions, the float materialized.  Had a glitch at the ninth hour concerning the music.  The system we thought we had fell through and as of 10 a.m. still didn't know what we'd do about it.  But, when you leave things in God's hands, in His time things get done.

Although he thought earlier he wouldn't be able to get to it, my wonderful son came through and using an inverter (to avoid generator noise) and a portable stereo mounted in his truck, we had lot's of "quiet" lights and delightful children's voices singing Silent Night and Away in a Manger.  He did a great job pulling the float too.  Thanks Jacob!!

It was the best parade ever and as we all met in the park afterwards, we were treated to a mini-concert by another church's praise band and that was followed by a spectacular fireworks display and lighting of the park decorations.  It didn't get below 50 degrees and no rain.  A wonderful evening!! And to top it off we won the theme award (which was "the music of Christmas")for the church division.  It was our first time to do a float, but I'm thinking it won't be our last!

'till next time-
Sherry

Parade Day

Well, hey!  I found the post I thought I'd lost.  It wasn't in the drafts yesterday, but I just looked and found it there.  Where had it been?!?!  Out there with all those text messages that get sent and arrive two weeks later, I guess...

At any rate:  here's the post that should have come before the last one! 

Christmas Parade day dawned dreary and drizzly.  Plus, due to the fact that my dogs barked at coyotes all night long, it arrived way too soon!  And we worked on the float 'till after 10 last night so, by the time I zonked out, morning wasn't too far away.


At least my alarm is not jarring.  I have my phone set with Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  Nice, gentle way to wake up.  Look it up on You Tube.  Beautiful music!


So, my littlest granddaughter and I are spending the morning together.  We fed and watered dogs, cats and chickens.  Have seven baby chickens that are coming along quite well.


Then, we took the Mule (wheeled, not four-legged) and the dogs and went for a run.  We have an odd assortment of dogs.  A little one that is a mix of Jack Russell, Beagle, and Feist.  She's Lilly Belle.  Then, there's Little Bear, who isn't quite so little anymore.  He's solid black and is a mix of Australian Shepherd and Akita.  Our "old" dog, Muffin, is 14. 

She's a mix of Chow and Catahoula.  Poor thing has very few teeth left and walks very stiff, (she rides a lot!)but she's still plugging along and I don't want to think about the day she leaves us. 


Last, but not least is Molly.  She's a 3 year old Bloodhound and is like a big kid.  I had thought about training her as a search and rescue dog, but because of schedule changes we no longer volunteer with our local fire dept./search and rescue.  Besides, I don't think I could keep up with her rambling these mountains. 

 We do train some though and if you get lost, I can guarantee she could find you!  She tracked my hubby after he drove away in his truck!

Gotta' get busy now, so...

'till next time-
Sherry

Happy Thursday

Hey!

Once again God has smiled down with beautiful weather in our area!!  A nice day for a drive, which was a good thing because where I live it's a drive to almost anything!!

Took my mother for a doctor appointment about 1 1/2 hours from home.  I'm learning to take a sketchbook with me, so I managed to get a sketch of the waiting room.
Got to have an epiphone! (mighty fancy word for ah-ha moment, isn't it?)  I've been drawing since I was a kid and it's always pulled me like bugs to a zapper, but there's also always been something about it I just didn't get.   Learning to SEE!  Really see!  Remembering what you saw and being able to reproduce it. 
I've always been amazed at how an artist could see something once and remember enough details to paint it hours later.  Hopefully, I'm not the only one that has managed to be a complete failure at this.

Well, as I was sitting in that room, I started to notice little things that stood out.  Used to be that a waiting room was a waiting room.  They're all practically the same right?
It's wierd, but I can right now, 5 hours later, remember how the ceiling tiles looked.  The color of the walls and how the light played on them.  The odd little circles in the plastic frosting film on the window wall.  The color of the urn in the corner and how the light made shadows on the simple metal picture frame.

I'm not really good at recording these details yet, but, maybe with time and a lot more sketching that will come along.

I haven't added the color washes because the merry-go-round hasn't slowed enough.   Will likely have to wait 'till tomorrow.  So...

 

'till next time-

Sherry