BLUE ANGELS

I'm ready -- BRING IT!
 

On Thursday and Friday the Blue Angels were flying RIGHT over our house practicing! But TODAY was the Air Show at the Naval Air Reserve Base a few miles from our house ... with our camera batteries charged .... we were ready for them!  ENJOY!!!

We did not ZOOM the lenses on the cameras -- we wanted to show you how close they come to our house!

So Cool!  It's like you can jump up and touch them!

 

They just went over our house and the sun is shining on them!

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

Here they come!

 

This is NOT zoomed in .... they were right over our house!

CRAZY!!!!!

And ... there they go!

 

I have to go through some more pics .... I'll post more tomorrow!!!

GO BLUE ANGELS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A

YEAR MAKES ....

This year, all over the country it seemed Spring/Summer weather would never get here ... last year I am so glad that it was warm in March and April so that we could give Muffin her sulfonated lime treatments outdoors ...

I am thankful that the weather cooperated and that she was able to run around and enjoy herself a little ... she was in so much pain and lost a lot of weight! Below is a picture taken at the end of April last year -- you can see all the scars and patches of lost fur ....

 Here is picture of Muffin taken TODAY -- you can see a black patch on her -- but this year it is SHADOW! You can see that most of her fur grew back and her fur is soft and healthy! We use Donvite in her food and she eats Blue Buffalo food -- good nutrition was key to getting her back to 100%.

And ... here is a shot of Muffin posing for me ... she's so good! You can see Shadow has been on the prowl tearing out stuffing!!!  Muffin still has a few scars, but that makes her UNIQUE! My sweet MUFFIN!

Meet Artist ....

If you have read my posts, you know that I love art! And .... I love meeting new artists. I met Dana Lynch about 7 months ago at a local Holiday Craft Fair and was drawn to her work, and her personality!

Dana & Leah at the Funky Finds
Spring Fling

Here is DANA ... her work and her words ....

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU --
I am married and have a wonderful extended family; children and grandchildren. My step-daughter, Leah, is the push and inspiration behind daLea Art Creations. I'm a private person that enjoys time with friends and family. On our property, we engage in "Wildlife Management" which includes deer, ducks, birds and a host of other Texas wildlife. (Including pesky feral hogs and sometimes coyotes) My studio is usually the "great outdoors". We have enough acreage for me to head off to the woods, place my canvas flat on the ground (sort of a Jackson Pollack technique), crank up the music, dance, sling paint and sometimes even use an air compressor. I take the painting back to the house for the finishing touch. I was going to list all that I am passionate about but just ended up with the word "life".

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST? --
Too many to list but Jackson Pollack, Salvador Dali and Richard Koppe to name a few.



HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PAINTING / HOW LONG HAVE YOU WANTED TO BE AN ARTIST? --



Set designed for the
 Henderson Cty Performing Arts Center
THE FOREIGNER

 I started painting and constructing sets for the Henderson County Performing Center in Athens, Texas about 15 years ago as the Technical Director. I made props and started playing around with faux wall and floor paint techniques. These same techniques started finding their way into my paintings. I still volunteer at this wonderful community theatre. For more information on the Henderson County Performing Arts Center click on the link.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE A PAINTING? --

Varies with my mood...from hours...to days...to weeks!

WHAT MEDIUM(S) DO YOU USE? --
I have used oils, acrylics, glues, caulk, mulch, cellophane, cloth, plastics and aluminum. I will continue to use different mediums as I explore new ways to express myself.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PAINTING? --
Usually my favorite painting is the one I am currently working on. I hope that I always improve...or at least stay interesting.

 "Birth of a Rainbow"

 

IF YOU COULD MEET ANY ARTIST AND SPEND THE DAY WITH THEM, WHO WOULD IT BE? --

Salvador Dali, his surreal landscapes and objects amuse and intrigue me. He seemed to be a performance artist, not appreciated in his time.

"The Persistence of Memory"

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ART (BY ANOTHER ARTIST)?

Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory", and  "The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory"

I was curious as to what these pieces looked like -- so I went to the following link MoMA Learning to see Salvador Dali's work.
You can click on the link to see many great artists and their work!


DO YOU DO COMMISSIONED WORK? IF SO, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
Yes, I do commissioned work and like the client to be a part of the process as far as injecting their ideas and giving me an idea of their expectations. My favorite piece was the Chicago Skyline in an architectural abstract background.

DO YOU EVER START A PAINTING AND THEN JUST CAN'T FINISH IT?
No, but I have painted over some that I just wasn't satisfied with...sometimes more than once. (My paintings have a lot of texture!)




WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
I get my inspiration from people, music, places, nature, space...whatever jumps into my mind at the time.

This painting is called "Sunset Tree"

I WANT THIS ONE!!!!!!  MY OBSESSION WITH TREES MAKES ME WANT THIS!!!!



WHERE CAN PEOPLE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU?

Visit Dana's website here -- Dana Lynch Art

Like her Facebook page here -- FB Dana Lynch Art

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT YOU?
Since I do not have a "formal” art education, only hands-on and experimentation, I have been able to work "out of the box" easily because I just don't know better! Love it!

HERE IS DANA'S BOOTH AT THE FUNKY FINDS SPRING FLING EVENT!

I ALSO HAVE A FEW OF DANA'S PIECES ....

I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!!!

 

"Release Number 4"

I think this is entitled "Despair"
But I see Solace ....

  

From Dana -- Thank you again Laura for giving the Arts an extra boost!

You are welcome DANA!!!!!

 

SOCK it to ME!

I wish I could take credit for these ideas -- but I found them in the March, 2014 edition of Woman's Day Magazine. If you're like me, you probably see dozens of things you want to try in magazines! You cut things out, or put them in your memory bank and think you are going to do them. Then LIFE happens and you never do them ... These are so easy and take SECONDS to do!

ENJOY!!!

Do you have SOCKS that have lost their mates?    OR    Do you have socks that are old and you want to get rid of?  Here are some cool ideas that I truly wish I would have thought of (though I thought of some other uses for socks after reading this) ... the magazine had 5 ideas ... but I actually came up with 1 idea a while ago -- so, since I'm writing this, I'm putting my idea in the NUMBER 1 spot!  : )

Umbrella in the SOCK!

#6
Keep the car dry -- Leave a sock in your glove box for rainy days. When you bring the WET umbrella into the car, push it into the sock so that water is soaked up instead of dripping on your floors and seats!  Here you go -- look how easy! MY EXTRA BONUS TIP -- keep 2 socks in the glove box and use one to wipe off the inside of your door if it's raining really hard!

The top of the SOCK on the
wrapping paper

#5
Store gift wrap -- Cut a small section from the sock and slide it onto the roll to keep the paper from unfurling MY TWO CENTS - (if the sock is stretched out or it's too loose, you could also use the WHOLE sock and put one on each end). Tape rips the paper and rubber bands always seem too tight and some of your paper gets ruined!





Dryer Ball

#4
Freshen up your laundry -- Make a scented dryer ball. Dab some essential oil onto a cotton sock and then roll it into a ball. Tuck that little ball into another sock and pull it over (TURN IT INSIDE OUT). Toss the ball into your dryer - when it loses it's scent add more oil. I've made one, but do not know how long the oil scent will last.


#3
Soothe sore muscles -- Fill a sock with uncooked rice and knot the open end. Microwave for about a minute in 20 - 30 second increments, or until it's warm to the touch. Apply to sore muscles! AHHHHHHH! I've tried this and it really WORKS!!!!!  It stays warm for about 30 minutes.

#2
Move furniture -- Slip socks onto the legs so you can carefully slide the piece of furniture without scratching the floor! How ingenious is this! MY THOUGHT - If the legs of the furniture are too thick, you could lay the sock underneath the leg!

AND HERE IS MY NUMBER 1 IDEA!

VOILA!

When Muffin was a PUP she would go through chew toys and stuffed toys like they were WATER! I was at the pet store and touched a toy, when I squeezed it, it sounded like a water bottle! (I think they really are water bottles!)  I came home, took an empty water bottle out of the recycle bin and put a sock on it and tied the end ... I gave it to her and she LOVED IT! It helps with teething, makes a fun sound, and is soft - because of the sock! Best thing is, when the bottle flattens out, take it out, put it in the recycle bin, WASH THE SOCK, or just replace the bottle!  Fun for the PUPS ... on the CHEAP!

Here you go ....

 

HEY ... I want one of those!!!!

 

NO SHADOW! You can't have this toy!

Mom gave it to me!

Muffin approved!!!!!!!!

Don't worry -- I gave Shadow his own after I finished taking the pictures of Muff!