The Gypsy on Adventure

A reminder!

I am trying to keep my healthy eating and walking up even in the stress of family stuff and the process of letting go...

Today I looked like a Vampire in my shadow! LOL Today...I passed my goal again...4,291 steps! As long as I hit the 3000 mark I am happy! That is about a mile and a half...building it up!

Today we found out that Retired Captain John Tomac passed away, luckily after a short illness.  Its amazing to me that he retired in 1986! It sure doesn't seem like that long to me! I was working in the Fire Deparment then, but he was always nice to me. 25 years? Really? He still lived in town and had a rich, rich life! He never defined himself by what he did for a living!

You will be missed by those that admired you, knew you, and those you touched in your community!

Grandma Mary (on the left) and her youngest sister Stella...

Grandma Mary is the ONLY surviving sibling out of the 12 Grabowski's.

Well nothing like spending an entire day with Migranes! gah! I keep getting those ocular things! Makes me crazy! I called a bunch of places...my dad is saying he will take care of things...and then of course he doesn't...he has the worst record for doing what he says he will do. sigh.

I don't know...I can only do so much and now I just have to let it go...I did the leg work...

I decided to start a canvas to get some feelings out about my grandmother and try to calm myself down...I used her parents and some siblings...its not done but a work in progress...just to get some feelings out...this part has to dry now anyway.

Talked to my family in Missouri...its like herding cats!

I worked on some art today to take my mind off all the sadness! Working in my CrowAbout Journal...I finished the last three weeks that were posted in the group...I am still behind!

I didn't sleep very good last night...and I felt like a zombie at work today...I did get a lot of work done and the day flew but I felt like I was in a fog. I was able to research some funeral homes and lawyers on my breaks so I am taking Monday off to see if I can connect with these people.  

My brother contacted me...and he is looking into several places as well and found a place to get urns at a good price and minature ones so we can have her with us too. I just want to have it taken care of so we know what the hell to do when the time comes. 

When I talked to dad he said that she sleep pretty good last night...woke up around 9 am...I am glad she is finally getting some sleep! I talked to him again about getting some anxiety medication for her.

Oh! No wonder I have been profoundly sad and depressed this week...as of yesterday Lucy has been gone for 3 years...

Native American Prayer
I give you this one thought to keep - 
I am with you still - I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the sweet uplifting rush,
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft starts that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone - 
I am with you still in each new dawn.

This is grandma Mary when she was young, I was 12...

Shit. REALLY? I am just dealing today with Lucy and my dad calls, it was THE worst 30 minutes...my grandma, the one who is 93, was diagnosed today with Pancreatic cancer...like Lucy.

REALLY? She is going to have to battle THAT demon? They can't do surgery to open the duct so they have to go down her throat to get to it and put a stent in IF they can... I am completely a mess! This is not good. 

I told my dad to call the doctor and get anxiety medication for her, she can't sleep, she was always in denial that she would die at all, let alone by cancer! Tomorrow I have to find out who in their area does cremation because my dad has no idea, and we need to get things set into place before its too hard to handle. Reality bites. I just know we don't have much time. I am profoundly sad and depressed.

The process of letting go of our loved one's is hard, and it it hard for them to let go...When she talked to me it broke my heart! She said "I was so worried about having to tell you....I don't want to upset YOU!" OMG! She is the cutest!

What an awesome day! Got up early...the house was warm, made some French roast...watched Supernatural...then off to meet up with Sarah! We went and saw Iron Lady (not sure how I feel about it yet), the movie made me sad about her, and I did fall in love with her husband! For how staunch she was he was silly and full of life!  

Then we had brunch at The Village Bistro, I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli and Sarah had their Eggs Benedict...we sat outside because there was no room inside...and we froze our asses off! It was cold out there! LOL and then a stop at Maido where I always buy too many pens, and journaly things! LOL LOVE  We also went to Sur Table and I found some cute red kitchen stuff! I am a slut for red kitchen items!

I was a little disappointed, I thought I might have lost MORE than what I did...but since getting serious with WW and the exercise last week, I kept within the points and I lost 2.6 pounds! I was hoping for 50! LOL not really but I was hoping for more.  I have to keep up the motivation! 

Here is some thing to think about!

http://www.empowernetwork.com/Caroline/blog/nurse-reveals-the-top-5-regrets-people-make-on-their-deathbed/

Simple things you can regret on your death bed...change it up now!

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Well although I sat here at my computer this morning at 6:30 am BLINKING! Wondering HOW was it time to go back to work, the day went by pretty fast, and I even remembered how to use the new phones! 

I walked on both my breaks...I had to do some shopping and pick up some healthy food to start my new year off right at work. Another change today, I had breakfast at home, even though I couldn't eat it all, I am trying to eat in the morning! 

7,078 steps today! WOW! not bad for a work day!  Not bad for a fresh start!

Today I heard from Rena..."I have been LOVING my purple scarf of love, it's so beautiful.....I thought the skein was so pretty...but had noooo clue it would knit up into something like that, sooo cool. I really can't thank you enough Carmen, such a treasure, both you....and my scarf..... xxxx"

This is the yarn her mom had in her stash, last year her passed away, Rena gave me this yarn when we met up at Lindsay's house in October! I made her a small scarf and this large one!  There was also enough to make my cowl hoodie!

 

I am so excited that I am feeling good today! I cleaned the kitchen and then sat down to enjoy some knitting...its an early night, I am going to bed to watch an episode of Merlin!

New Beginnings

Since it is my last day off...boo for having to go back to work tomorrow! I slept in until 10! I couldn't believe it! I can't sleep passed 7 usually! AND then I watched the Rose Parade! A tradition I had with Grandma Carmen when she was alive....while I was watching I was cleaning my family room part of my studio...getting the supplies back into the part that is supposed to be my studio...and wow...I am making progress! I can see floor!!! LOL I might be able to vacuum today!

I found 6 Starbucks cards...I put them in my new Starbucks App for the iPhone and found that I have $65 on them! WOWZER! WHY do I keep paying with cash??? I have credit! LOL Oh! I found a $50 Amazon gift card I have been looking for! Now I can buy the books I want for my Kindle!!! WHOOT for clearing out the clutter! LOL

Hey! THERE is my blue/purple lap blanket I was working on with my size 10 addie turbo knitting needles!!!! Gah! I bought ANOTHER pair of size 10 just last week! See the virtue of being clean???? Hahahha  After I was tired I sat on the couch and knit some on that blue/purple lap blanket! Maybe next year it will be ready to give away! I see there are mistakes again...but I am not ripping it out again! It is what it is! 

Todays total walking steps: 3,052 steps.

Then around 8:30 p.m. my son calls from his car he is 30 minutes from my house!!! What? Its almost time to go to bed because I have WORK for the first time in a damn week and you decide to be here! grrrr....so Vernon Surprised me with a late night visit!! Grrrr would have liked to have been able to spend more time with him! about an hour that was it...but he at least stopped in to see me...have to be grateful! He got here at 9:00 pm and left about 10:30 pm and I have to go to work tomorrow! Damn it!  I am so keyed up I don't want to sleep now! :(

The weird thing is after all the years of my ex acting like he was sick, Vernon tells me he now has cancer in both his kidneys...doesn't help he is an alcoholic and chain smokes...not to mention any of the other drugs he does...sad he wasted his life.

Even the obligatory photo...even though I cleaned all day, and didn't get myself together...here I am au-natural! Snort But more important a photo with my kid!

♥Ƹ̵̡ Ӝ̵Ʒ..•°*"˜ ☼¸♪♫-´♥♪♫"♥ ~.¸.☮
.(ړײ)/ .. It is REALLY hard to believe
.«▓　.. my baby is 31 years old today! 
. ╝╚ .. Gah...officially I am OLD! LOL 
......... But so is SHE!!!! hahahahahaஇڿڰۣ-ڰۣ—...இڿڰۣ-ڰۣ—

 

She finally got a diagnoses:

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/  At least it has a name and it's not MS. Which I didn't think it was.

Hope the Mayans were wrong!!

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Grandma Mary!

Today she turned 93 years old! I sent her a beautiful bouquet of fleurs and Godiva chocolate! She loved them! They will send me photos when they can...

Its hard to believe she is 93! She is having a hard time talking too long because she gets so excited talking to me, she starts to loose her breathe!  So I promised to call more often so she doesn't have to go over so much with me...

Apparently she is still stubborn, keeps getting herself in and out of her normal bed, without waiting for my dad in the morning, so she pulled a muscel in her back before xmas...she refused to go in because she WAS going to attend her xmas party! :)  I am glad she got to go! Its important the few times during the year that she gets to get out and see family! 

She was born at 10 minutes to Midnight on the 31st of December and my daughter was born 4:07 a.m. on New Years...I almost had her on time...but the damn doctor wouldn't give me a c-section...breach is not a fun way to have a baby! 

Good Bye 2011

Its always good to reflect on the last year, which wasn't one of my favorites, to see if you accomplihsed what you set out to do or not. Most of the time I have no plan on what the hell I am doing all year. So I then just feel like I am sailing on a turbulant sea without a good sense direction...  It was that way this entire year too.

I feel like I have to be a lot more disciplined in my life this coming year, and really accomplish some good things. I have to stop making excuses for myself and live the life I was meant to. If that has to have flying in it, then I have to embrace that thought and go with it, fear or not. There are things I really want to do.

I need to clean my house up, because once that is done I would LOVE to get some new furniture in here. That includes some recylers and a rocking chair. So in order to do that I think I need to do a few yard sales...and get rid of some stuff! I am packed in clutter right now and I am not doing good in it. And since I can't rely on other people coming to help me, I just have to do it.

But in all honesty its hard, I spent all week looking at this shit and only got a 1/4 of what I wanted done while I was off work. It just makes me so heavy and depressed looking at it! For instance I am looking over at my end table next to my couch in my family room and I told myself I was going to dust the damn thing a week ago...and yet 6 months of dust is sitting on the damn thing! Gross I know...but its true...sad to say. My studio and family room is so bad I keep loosing stuff I really need, like the cord to my DSL camera to charge the friggin battery! REALLY?  So all week I was off no taking photos for me! Some day I will learn that I need to put things away when I am done and quit acting like I did as a teenager...  

Also, I wanted to take some knitting classes last year, and I didn't get around to it. Nor did I clean up the Lucy Spinning wheel, because every time I went to clean it up I cried. So I decided this coming month I am going to contact the yarn shop that has the replacement pieces I paid for and pay THEM to clean and fix it so I will get on with actually spinning yarn on it this year! And that would fulfill two! Spinning classes = knitting classes it is related!

This is the year I am going to start to look into doing art classes in my area...meaning I am going to try to bring in some great teachers and do mini classes and see if this is a possiblity for me to go into when I retire from where I am now! Income for me that will match what I am making now at least so I can stay living in this area...AND enjoy art too!  A friend of mine has some space that we can work if it is not too messy and it is close by...so we will do more talking about this option soon.

I did not nearly spend enough time with my friends this year, another thing I need to change! I want to do a lot more art with my favorite peeps! They get me so inspired! And another reason to have my house clean to HAVE them over here to play as well! Open door policy would be good! 

So some of this is going to be purging my art supplies, I just have to figure out if I am going to send these treasures to Raft or just throw it away and be done with it...or box and ship to a friend! LOL

I need to be a better friend this year. And BE THERE for my friends. This last year had me hanging my head in shame for a few of my friends, I had one great friend go through surgery and I couldn't be there because I was going to an art retreat...but I still felt bad that I didn't see her when I got back.

Life just seemed to snowball me all 2011 and found myself more and more in depression over things I had no control over at all. And I am finally digging myself out of the depression, because really I could not have changed anything that caused it...it was ALL out of my personal control.   I cannot allow other people to have that kind of hold over my moods.  

For instance I have been wanting to go and see Pallie in Oregon for YEARS now and I haven't made it back. 2012 is going to be different IF I can get my ass on a plane it would get me there quicker than the driving does and I could spend more time with her verses driving...AND I want to meet Corinne! A friend online for YEARS now and she lives in Medford Oregon! I could drive and see her from Pallie and on the way see the Bennetts! Now it is just going to have to get over my NERVES for flying and do it!

I also would love to go to San Diego and see Sharla, and help her clean her studio up! We talked about this, so if I get some of mine done to where I wouldn't be embarrassed she could come and help me organize what I have left! LOL 

I want to take more road trips too...WGB and I are talking about going through Northern California, the Oregon coast and Washington on a hunt for possibilities of where to retire...unless I can bring in good income in retirement from where I am we will have to move...the cost of living here is too pricey! I have even been considering buying a mobile home just to stay in the area...instead of having to move away...I love my home city! But I have to be realistic too...

And I am going to be SERIOUS about loosing 4 dress sizes too! I am done with this weight! Gah Sick of it! So I have a lot to do this New Year!

I love this! Gratitude and kindness pointed right at you!

I revisited my favorite temple of sweetness and wrote what have become my secrets to getting back in shape.

1) Be feminine. 

Treat myself like a loving, doting, proud mother would. Relish in all the accomplishments and steps to improvement. None are too small for this Mama: “That’s so wonderful that you only ate one chocolate covered strawberry! I know you wanted more. I’m so proud of my baby girl!”

2) Avoid the masculine. 

Don’t punish myself with extreme cleanses, diets or exercise routines. I will feel deprived, judge myself mercilessly and likely fail quickly. End result: I will not feel good.

3) Make it pleasurable. 

I enjoyed the journey that got me out of shape, but not all things I enjoy are fattening and unhealthy. I wrote down all the things I liked: dancing, favorite dance moves (shimmies, snake hips), favorite songs, wearing costumes, wearing jewelry and sparkly things. I will put these things into my health and fitness routine so that I enjoy the journey.

4) Easy does it. 

I can’t emphasize this one enough: Girlfriend, check yourself before your wreck yourself! I took 6 months to get out of shape. I cannot start where I left off. It’s perfectly ok to dance for only 3 minutes to my favorite song and consider that my entire workout for the week.

5) Be positive.

Focus on the things I am doing and not the things I am not. Whatever I feed grows and I choose to feed positivity and gratitude.

6) Make the re-connection. 

I know the power and euphoria that comes with the mind-body connection. When the time is right, I will feel it again. I trust that I will look forward to dancing once I have made this re-connection. I believe that I will want to put healthy food into my body once I have made this re-connection.

Two months after I wrote the above list, I have happily returned to my full fitness routine and I still eat a cupcake for breakfast from time to time. To read the entire post from The Goddess Life go here!

“I would like to think that everybody that got on a subway and saw some old lady sitting across from them, that they would imagine that a whole huge life lay behind all those wrinkles, and that seemingly nondescript, forgettable [face]. I mean, there is almost nothing less interesting in our consumerist society than an old lady. Um … dismissed. We don’t make movies for her. We don’t give a damn. You can’t sell her anything, she doesn’t buy anything. But just the idea that everything — the whole panoply of human experience, births, deaths, struggles, joy — everything’s in there. And just to imagine that. That’s what I would hope.”

-Meryl Streep (on what she’d like people to take away from the film Iron Lady)

 

Friends help you heal

It's been a rough week a REALLY rough week, and being able to get together with my girls made my spirit heal a bit...we spent some time at Miramar and had a nice brunch and shared Christmas gifts with each other, while we watched the ocean! I love this space.  Then they let us go into a side room where we exchanged the gifts and had coffee and talked.

We took a walk on the beach, about an hour, and found beach treasure and reminded eachother NOT to turn our backs on the ocean! Unless you want to walk in soggy shoes the rest of the day! haha!!! Which we did! And I saw the winged goddess house for the first time! I love that studio space! I dream of having a studio space as magical!

A visit to the Ocean always cheers me up! Half Moon Bay

   

Some days it doesn't pay to wake up and join the work force...days like this I just wish I was retired and on to the next stage of my life. Sigh. I am depressed!

There are some days at work where I just want to retire! Today was one of them!

Headache free!

I started working on a new hat for a friends Christmas gift, and worked in my journal...WGB and I went to breakfast at that little place in Cupertino we like...and the day just sped by!

It has been a good day...no headache...just a tinge...and I am a little sad that Fall is going away and signs of Winter is here...my tree's are getting bare.

Prep work

Well, I must say I am glad I only have one G-kid because I spent way too much money for the Christmas holiday!  Today I prepped the gifts to send to G-boy since my daughter moved him so far from ome! Damn it!  So I got his stocking together and wrapped their gifts packed them up and WGB and I went to Fed Ex to ship them off...here are some of the stocking stuffers I found at Cost Plus! OLD fashioned fun!

Breathe...embrace...love

Well, today I took HALF a day off and met up with my girlfriend Sue who is retired...I haven't really been able to talk to her since her mom passed away, and I miss her SO much at work! I miss her telling me "Your and IDIOT!" when I do some thing silly...or singing...or just talking about things we grew up with. I miss her giggle... 

I couldn't talk about work...I teared up...so we didn't! LOL We met up at Country Gourmet, where I swear each meal is made for 3 people!

So today we got to have lunch together, of course I think it went by WAY too fast! But I was so happy to talk about her mom...and the process. I had just been talking to some one about how we don't even take care of our loved ones bodies anymore...that our culture doesn't understand death, and so we fear it...her sisters and her took care of her mom, cleaned her up, and dressed her and even put beautiful earrings on her before she left them...I think that ritual is so hard, but so important!

I am so lucky she shared those moments with me...it really warmed my heart that she was brave enough to do that. Her and her mom were so close, and I always longed for a realtionship like that, but not all of us can have good parents.  But I am grateful for those that do!

The rest of the day I have spent in my studio making beautiful art in my 50th journal!

I seem to say good-bye a lot

Today I took an extra hour at lunch to be able to have a great LONG time to talk with my friend Maggie who is retiring this month on the 16th. We caught up, we talked about family, and history, and what she is going to be doing in retirement! Her life is changing up fast, she is also getting married again! Moving! And leaving behind some friends and her adult kids...all hard stuff. I am going to miss her silliness and her flare for the drama! She is an actress and I was lucky enough to see her in HAIR a few years ago! We vowed to keep up with each other and I sure hope we do! 

We had lunch at the beautiful Japanese place on El Camino and the food always looks like art!

Catching up in my CrowAbout Journal...and so trying to deal with my weight. Why is my self-esteem wrapped up in my weight right now? And the fact that I am seeing age march across my face, and I am really trying not to let it scare me...but really...these wrinkles are not flattering...I have to stop thinking I am in my 30s and deal!

RIP Dave

 

I am going to miss knowing you were in the world, you always reminded me of John Wayne...RIP Sergeant Dave Kelso...your family is in my thoughts and I carry all the good memories and laughter...at how you used to chase me when I was a teenager and get all my good stuff! LOL :) And all the times I babysat your girls...♥

Catch up in CrowAbout journal...   Today I got my boney necklace! LOVE!

 

Catching up with CrowAbout journal and I finished a scarf!  The special thing about this scarf is that it was my friend Rena's mom's yarn, her mom passed last year, I was so blown away she gave it to me.

Catch up on my CrowAbout journal...

Soulful

Thank you Veterins for all the ways you forged my freedom to sit here and be soulful while I mull over my life today.

Today seemed to scream by so fast as I thought about my life and made some stride in my art today.

I cleaned a bit of my studio day and updated my iTunes and iPhone. It all takes time and I am grateful I had some today.

MARS

See what happens when I can't go to the MARS retreat! LOL

Mini Mars Surprise!

Whew! That is a heck of a drive for one day turn around! Had a flipping blast!!! My Mizz Lindsay Waltman-Ostrom pulled off the biggest surprise ever!!!! She worked with Mizz Rena Veerkamp Askey to also come with Mizz Vicci Henderson to have a meet up with me at the before MARS party!!!

I have wanted to meet these two for YEARS!!!! I cried like a howling baby!!! Screams of delight!!!!! AND lots of jumping up and down!!!! Literally the ugly cry!  I think WGB saw how crazy I really am!!! I could NOT believe they kept it all a secret!!!! I felt like Ophra with a surprise headache!!!! It was flipping awesome!!! Photos and a hella funny video to follow! What a fantastic day!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Most importantly each one of these fantastic artist women friends means the world to me. They feed my soul, they understand me, they love me and I love them!

We didn't know that WGB was taping us! Check this out! LOL Yup we are all nuts!

 

Gratitude

I am so grateful for my friends...I don't know why they love me so much, and I sure love them...its amazing when you have a rough day to come home and find some thing wonderful sitting in your mailbox. A RAK, a random act of kindness! 

It was a good day...just long...and I am too much in my head.  Every one complimented me today on my outfit...and that they thought I was loosing some weight! I don't know, I feel like I am still gaining!

It was a PERFECT night to be walking at Shoreline Park! Except I got bit by a bug! Grr! But it was a great walk! It good to have a walking partner and one I don't have to run after! I am enjoying these walks and getting into the shape I need to be in...I am SO lucky to live in an area that believes in trails and hiking...and the surroundings are so beautiful!

Hum...this is why I am exhausted!

Me, behave?

Seriously?

As a child I saw Tarzan almost naked, Cinderella arrived home after midnight, Pinocchio told lies, Aladdin was a thief, Batman drove over 200 miles an hour, Snow White lived in a house with 7 men, Popeye smoked a pipe and had tattoos, Pac Man ran around to digital music while eating pills that enhanced his performance, and Shaggy and Scooby were mystery solving hippies that always had the munchies. The fault is not mine! 

Its hard to believe he would be 65 today... did you see the google bar today?

I can still remember the first time I saw and heard him, at my friends house at about midnight when the Midnight Special would come on, I think I was 12, and the next day we ran to our "Record" shop and bought Killer Queen! It was around the same time I first heard Bowie and fell in love...

Some times when I hear the music I picture my 13 year old self...what a journey.

Happy I am back to knitting without pain!

Bleh...my back was thrown out when I repotted some of my plants...

Started the 3rd skein on my Seed Stitch Scarf I started last March...from the Angora and wool yarn that is so soft and yummy! So far so good!

Happy Birthday WGB!♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

 

Took him to lunch at ClaimJumpers in Fremont...I love their artichoke that is grilled! :) 

 This is the BEST gourd ever!

When family gets you down...remember

‎"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." - Charles F. Kettering

 

Some times the family drama is just too much...live in the present...don't allow yourself to wallow in the sadness of the past!

Walks...

I am enjoying my walks after work, even if I am sore and tired, it seems to energize me...and fills me up! Being able to walk with a friend and get all the crap of the day out of my head is a good thing!

A fun thing to try would be kayaking on the lake and playing basketball! LOL

Quote

To shed joy around, to radiate happiness,
to cast light upon dark days,
to be the golden thread of our destiny,
and the very spirit of grace and harmony,
is not this to render a service?
Victor Hugo

Waiting for my walking partner, Vanilla who used to hate me is suddenly next to me every time I am outside talking and wanting me to pet her!  As you can see on my walk tonight I found Horton Hears a Who Flowers!!! 
 
  

Then when I got home from my walk I opened the package that Jodie gave me and it was my Tip-in page for my 50th year Journal book! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Being more serious and determined...

I am getting more determined to get my health back, so I am walking at least 2 miles every other day...and its been great having a partner to walk with, we are walking out at Shoreline Park after work. The nice thing is that my partner Jodie is injured and coming back from surgery so I don't feel like I have to run to catch up to some one walking...and we are both doing it for health...of course she has lost tons of weight...me nothing...pout.

While we walk we see some of the strange in Mountain View! Some times you just have to shake your head...we are a funnel! I am not sure what the rebel flag and coffin have to do with anything?  Also, there were Pelicans on the bay!!!

 

Well, last week my new outfit came in, I love this artsy outfit! The drape of the pants, in gauze, has large pockets! It is so much fun and comfy when your back is out!

CrowAbout Journal Continues

Today I was able to finish some more of the spreads in the journal...and with each one I just seemed to relax back into myself more...calming...and I feel like I can at least accomplish some thing.

Week 101

Week 129

Week 130

Week 131A

Week 131B

Seems my back failed me this weekend...Maybe from the long car rides a week ago...so I am pretty much in pain again, not the normal down my leg, but straight into the back where the L4/L5 injury is, and it is a new kind of pain. I think because those anti-inflam drug is working...but I am back on the pain med...for now, to get out of the pain cycle.  For dinner a little comfort food, some lintel soup!

CrowAbout Journal

I am playing catch up with my CrowAbout Journal this weekend...I was able to paint 28 spreads in the book this weekend and then I did this weeks collage (on the wrong page in my journal, sigh) and then went backwards from there... completed 4 layouts (without stories).

The thing I love about this collage group is the fact that it have I used it as my primer for art...no pressure just plane fun, so when all the pressure of life and real art happens I still have this wonderful outlet to just play!

Week 126

Week 100A

Week 100B

Week 100C (There were THREE sheets that week!)

Here are a few of the background spreads