High Winds in Indiana...

I was just telling my husband how much I loved my big beautiful tree in our front yard, and the very next day, whammy..lol...straitline winds came in the middle of the night and broke our tree down to the ground..and my poor husband was home alone, as I was working the overnight shift at work..He thought he was headed for Kansas, as he watched the cushions from our 3 seater swing fly across the patio and the swing fly into our small pond..There was no bad weather at my work, so I had no idea what he was facing at home..One of the newly installed wooden fence panels also came flying into the yard, toppling over the cement duck that he and our 2 grandchildren had just painted..I just sat there and almost cried when I saw the tree gone...how amazing that the wind could just bend this big beautiful tree and snap it like a twig..The good news is, my husband is fine and the tree missed our house by inches and it didn't do any damage to our plants and flowers as it landed in some flower beds..Our yard looks so opened up now..and bigger..I guess that's a plus..lol..

Happy Mother's Day (a day late..lol)

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's day and spent the day exactly as you wanted..I had a wonderful peaceful day, spent out in my beautiful flower filled yard, with all of my children and spouses and grandkids..Okay, all my flowers are not in bloom, yet..lol..but my yard is full of buds ready to bloom and I can imagine how beautiful they are going to be.. We have lived on our 1 acre country home, surrounded by corn fields for over 20 yrs and have finally gotten our trees and perinneals looking pretty good..my husband has worked really hard thru the years in our yard and I get to sit back an enjoy his hard work..My daughter in law always brings me the most beautiful flowers or bushes on mother's day and this year she outdid herself..bringing me a beautiful multicolored Butterfly bush..I have never heard of this one, but the photo is gorgeous and I can't wait for it to start blooming..We planted this one near my kitchen window so I can view it and hopefully be able to spot our hummingbirds up close..My oldest daughter brought me a very healthy and large pink/purple lilac bush and we planted it near my paint room..you just can't get a better fragrance than lilacs..okay, maybe a peony..which I am so happy to say that mine looks like it is going to bloom this year..I can't wait..Life is good..lol...

I am also happy to say that I have returned to painting, after a 4 month absence...As many know, my husband lost his job, of 27 yrs as a concrete driver, back in Jan 08 and I had to return to the 'real job' world..Which I might add, I don't mind because I take care of mentally challenged adults, and have returned to my passion of helping others..BUT, I have been working 32 hrs of overtime each week and have had no time to indulge in my other passion of painting..I closed my paint room door, put all my paints away, cleaned my brushes and just worked and slept..I have returned to more normal hours, gotten my knee problems pretty much under control and have the energy and inspiration to paint again..I am working on a small vintage wicker hamper, and a few cutom orders..it feels so good to have the passion back again..but my mind races so fast with all the ideas, that I have to slow down and just think of one thing at a time..which I have never done too well..hahaha

I have a new litter of chihuahua puppies..getting bigger and stronger every day..Our white doberman, Dozer, now 5 1/2 months with his newly cropped ears, is growing so big and beautiful..all legs and clumsy..lol..always in training and learning so quick and retaining what he is learning.

I recently received a lovely email from Kim of Twice Remembered, that is doing an article on vintage gumball machines on her blog..she came across my hand painted gumball machines with my pink roses and has asked me to be able to use mine on her blog..of course, I said yes and was honored that she felt mine were good enough to be posted on her blog..I visited her blog and it is wonderful and full of wonderful ideas and inspirational photos....take a minute or two and sit back and enjoy..

So until next time, I'll be painting and enjoying spring and all it's beauty...hope you all do the same and take care..