July 1, 2024 Monday--5am

Good morning!

Monday I went over to watch the boys.  I was really sore for some reason so I only stayed a couple of hours.  Ian had made the first recipe from the Sugar Free Kids recipe book I gave Ian for his birthday (also got walkie talkies).  Leah had put that on his Amazon list because Ian has been interested in cooking and baking lately.  He made Monkey Bread--and it was delicious!!  We played this board game called Castle Panic.  Had a good time.

Tuesday Keanna came to clean.  I cancelled my poke 'n peek appointment with Dr. Noah on Friday.  Talked it over with Leah.  I don't think it is really all that necessary.  I already had the urine test to look for cancer cells and that was clear.  I decided that I will talk to my oncologist, Dr. Failing, about it end of the year when I go for my six-month checkup.  If he can convince me it is imperative, I definitely want to go less often (maybe every two years) and I think I want to see if I can get a different urologist.  (Don't shoot me, but I also refuse mammograms.)

Wednesday.  Doing my own version of the ICADs...well, I wanted to use my time to improve my drawing skills.  I really do enjoy having pictures or photos to go by so I can try to copy them...especially when I am SO out of practice.  Trying to get the perspective right is difficult for me.  And I wanted to attempt to learn how to draw animals.  I've rarely tried to and never try humans--lol!  I wanted a big stack of color pictures to go by so I can spend time in the studio listening to audio books all summer.

Anyways, I spent the entire day searching online for photos and drawings of various items that interested me off of the prompt lists I had printed off the week before.  Double checked the first couple I printed...had lots of ink in the printer...and spent the day having fun and getting excited just thinking about the next few months before I move.

BUT...when I was done and went to take the huge stack out of the printer tray...what?  That bumble bee is supposed to be black and yellow!

I check the printer ink.

Supposedly plenty of inks!  BUT only the first four I printed had color!  All the rest are blue!!!

AND...even though they all looked perfect in the previews before I printed them...a random 1/4 to 1/3 of them where gigantic and cut off at the sides of the page!  AWK!

I can't even describe how totally deflating that was for me.  

I had to just walk away for a while. 

I can bring in my laptop and try to relocate the pictures when it comes to coloring them...and in many cases just for help drawing the missing parts...but that makes it all more of a chore.  Oh well.  It is what I am stuck with.  I am not going to start over.  I was so upset I haven't even done anything but run the cycle to clean the printer heads...which didn't appear to do anything. *sigh*  I'll have to deal with the printer later.  I can print in black and white, anyways.

We had a thunderstorm during the night that ripped my petunias apart.  (They have recovered and are perky again now.)

Thursday.  I was already down in the dumps over the blue cut-off pictures.  Shouldn't have watched the debate--lol!

Friday.  Shall we say boob-tube escapism.  Watching more Star Trek Discovery--all day.  I've never seen all the various spin-off shows.  At least it was a day cool enough to open the patio door.

Saturday.  Another open-door day.

I decided to at least attempt some of the simpler drawings.  Taped down the cards onto both sides of two of my art cutting boards.  Tried to draw them.  Perspectives are off, but I made my attempt at...a fork...

spoon...

kids' safety scissors...

and a set of paint brushes.

I haven't tried to color them yet.  Searching for them online again sounded exhausting.  But...oh! oh!  I just now remembered that I think I downloaded most of them in order to make a print...so they went somewhere into my computer.  I just need to find them--lol!  (Told you I am not computer savvy--lol!)

I know--these ICADs are not actually done.  But I figured I could show you whatever I did manage to do.  Posting on my blog keeps me somewhat accountable, anyways.  Finished or in-progress or never to be returned to...I will show you what I have been up to.  I have to keep reminding myself that it is all just play and practice.  And it did get to be fun as I worked away on these. :)

Saturday night.  Was chewing dinner when I felt something shift on the left side of my jaw.  PAIN!!  Awful sharp shooting pain!  I couldn't chew.  It hurt to even swallow.  I think I dislocated my jawbone!  Couldn't really close my mouth all the way.

So I spent the night massaging it and moving it slowly around and up and down over several hours.  It was gradually improving so that by the middle of the night I could move it more without jolting pain.  

Sunday.  Managed to sleep three hours.  (So glad I have neck pillows!)  Kept working my sore jaw again after I got up.  It was less painful than it had been and by late morning it was pretty much back to normal.  I could even gingerly chew again.  Whoohoo!  

Man!  That was something else!  I know I was told like 20 years ago that I had arthritis all over and even my jaw was bone on bone...but I never had it go crazy on me before just chewing.  Whew!  But I'm okay again.  It's still a bit raw feeling, but the shooting pains are gone.

So, what a week.  Started out quite nicely, but kind of took a turn on Wednesday--lol!  Well, I am on the end of season four (out of five) of Discovery because I had a lot of escape time last week--lol!  There's that, anyways. 

Sunday was a door open day again.  The pansies survived the wild windy thunderstorm. 

Allie kept me company all week. ;)

I can chew again...and try to find the downloads of the colored and complete pictures inside my laptop.  Wouldn't that be nice?!  I bet I can find them.  That would be awesome!

I got some paints and palettes in June and will be getting a few more in July.  When I get them all put together and set up I will show them to you.  A couple of them are kind of the medium-priced paints and the rest are really inexpensive.  This reminds me so much of the early 2000s when I made all of my tiny palettes!  But this time I can get real empty metal palettes on Amazon...and even some pretty ones--whoohoo!  Can hardly wait to show you. :)

Did I tell you that I am getting things now because I plan to do a kind of self-imposed no-buy after I move?  A no-buy for art, craft, card, and writing materials...all of them.  Only replacing things I use up that are needed...not wanted.   You know...the more boring stuff--or less exciting, I should say.  I can get excited over tape and glue and envelopes--lol!  ;)  

Anyways, that is why I have been getting paints I have been looking at for a few years.  Ever since I was in Wanderlust when I couldn't actually DO anything--lol!  Did not join WL this year, BTW.  Wanderlust kept that part of me alive these past few years--in a good way.  But now I've gotten to the point where I want to be doing and not just watching, you know?  Plus, I'll have some student grade watercolors I can readily share with the boys!  If they show any real interest and are careful with the supplies, they could use any of my paints.  I'd love to have us playing with watercolors in my studio one day.

I'm rambling.  But I usually am, aren't I?  LOL!  Well, I shall see you next week, my friends.  Stay well and cool or warm, as the case may be.  Follow your heart.  Things always work out in the long run.  Thinking positive! *hugs*

P.S.  

Blogger was in a real mood today.  Did allow me to use a colored font but not decide on font size or spacing of paragraphs.  Noticed I suddenly had centered photos again and I am not sure how long it has been doing that.  It did not want to go back to the left border and kept popping them in centered--every time.  Even automatically centered some of my writing and not just the photos.  So I have no idea what this will actually look like when I post it--LOL!

  

Blogger.

  

You get what you pay for, eh? LOL! ;)