catching up

I am so tired. Let me summarize the last few days.

Wednesday I did not manage to finish that drawing. I put in about an hour which was all the time I had, and that included staying up til 1:30am.

Thursday we left here around 8:30am and drove to San Diego. My brother J drove the whole way. 8 hours. I slept a lot in the back seat on the way down there.

Flopped out in the back seat (yes I'm wearing a seat belt). Not my usual vantage point for recent road trips, but a pleasant change:

Saw a lot of cotton bales in cotton fields, cool!

The mood was pretty subdued down there, and it just seemed wrong that Grammie wasn't there at the door to greet us. There were a handful of relatives around the house that night. My brother D flew in from London, arriving shortly after midnight. The memorial service was Friday morning at a church a few miles from the house. There were a lot of people there, most of whom I didn't know. It was a very nice service. Very sad to hear people talk and see Gram's photo up there on the altar, but it was very nice.

I had to leave about an hour after the luncheon finished up. Cousin V drove me to the airport and I hopped on a plane back to Sacramento. I got home around 8. I had missed the wedding rehearsal and dinner that evening, but had to be back as soon as possible since the bride was staying with me that evening and we had to be up and about early.

I wish I could say I slept well that night but I didn't. I tossed and turned and had to be up at 6:30am. This wedding was for a friend I have known since I was in junior high. I can't quite remember the timeline, whether we first met through school or first met through 4-H, but I think it was the latter. She showed rabbits, I showed (still do!) chickens. Several of the bridesmaids met up at a salon early that morning for hair and makeup. We all had curly up-dos. My hair is long. Understatement. I can almost sit on it. How that gal managed to get it all up remains a mystery, except that I had 41 bobby pins in there! It looked great, but with the fancy hair and the over-the-top makeup I didn't feel (or look) like myself at all. Like a doofus, I didn't bring my camera, so I'll have to wait for the official photographer to post his. We all looked super hot, for sure. ;-)

It was a fun day, I only wish I hadn't been so wiped out, I literally could barely keep my eyes open by the end of the evening. I won't even whine too much about the dress. We all looked very pretty, but after 7 hours in it the urge to take the darn thing off was almost too much to bear. A whole day in high heels and a tight dress really did me in. Got home at 8:30, went to bed at 9:30, that's unheard of.

Yesterday I finally got to sleep in, but I HAD TO get that drawing done, so once I settled in to that around noon there wasn't much that could pull me away from it. I worked 11 hours yesterday. The background... JUST the background of this drawing took 13 hours. You might not think that by looking at it. I finished it at 1am last night. I LOVE it!!!!! :-)


"Green Legged Hatch" (American Game)
colored pencil, graphite, on white paper
14x11 inches
$1680, is custom framed

Today I did a few hours of file prep for printing (new cards and prints) and went to the frame shop and the photographer and between that and a few other things suddenly here it is the end of the day and I'm just whooped. I'm going to bed.

Oh wait, one more thing, I am going to Ventura!!!!!!!! Anyone who asked heard the answer "no I'm not going." Change of plans, I'll be there with 13 birds plus sale birds, and a lot of chicken art. ;-)