The birthday revisited

Joel as Santa last year with a friend's child.

Our room at Moondance

I was just retelling the birthday story to my mom and enough time has passed to make it somewhat funny...so I thought it might be time to share it here. Be forewarned: if you cannot stomach stories containing vomiting references, you better stop here. (I promise, it's more comical than wretched)

My birthday was last Friday--December 5th. I turned 48. Far too close to 50, but that's a post for another day.

On Thursday evening and again on Friday, Joel accompanied me to work to play the part of Santa for our annual holiday parties for the families that we serve. I played Mrs. Claus. Nearly every kid in attendance sat on Joel's, er, Santa's lap to have their picture taken. Joel is a fantastic Santa. He was a real trooper handling on those kids.

Following work on Friday, Joel and I went to dinner at Famous Dave's with my kids. It was nice having dinner with my kids...then we headed home.

I was wiped. Joel obviously was too, because I think he was in bed by 10:30. I was a little miffed that he went to bed so early on my birthday, but truth be told, I was exhausted too...and I think I was in bed at 11. At the time I was thinking we were both getting too old to have a late wild night.

Around midnight Joel said he wasn't feeling well...and soon enough I heard some wretched sounds from the bathroom...Santa was puking. About an hour later, I was in the other bathroom doing the same. Thank god, we have two bathrooms...we needed them both.

My first thought was that our dinner at Famous Dave's was making us sick...cause frankly, that was the first thing coming out. (Not recommended) I managed to reach my son, who was not sick. Then I thought it was my birthday lunch. I was a little pissed that I was being hit with food poisoning for the second time in 6 months...and on my birthday no less.

Sometime around 2 in the morning, with Joel and I each in separate bathrooms puking, I heard a LOUD crash. I rushed to Joel's bathroom as quickly as I could and tried to get in. Joel was on the floor in front of the door. Eventually Joel was able to get up...and when I knew he was reasonably ok I returned to what I had been doing...in the other bathroom.

A few hours later I heard Joel moving around...and got up just in time to see him crash to the floor in our first bedroom (we were by that point sleeping in separate beds). I tried to help him up, but couldn't...and he couldn't get up on his own. Finally, I just threw him a pillow and blanket and told him to stay put until we were stronger. We crashed for a few hours.

Eventually Joel managed to get up to the bed...and immediately puked again (thankfully in the Twins pail I had given him hours earlier...yup, we were each puking in his n' hers Twins puckets). I couldn't handle that yet and ran with my pail to the back bathroom. (Essentially we switched beds and bathrooms).

In the morning light it was easy to see the damage that had been done...in Joel's first collapse in the bathroom he had poked his eye with the door jam...not a flexible door jam, but an old, SOLID door jam with no metal tip. We were lucky he didn't rip his eyelid open...but his eye was completely swollen shut and about the size of a golf ball. On the second fall, he skinned up his knee pretty good.

Still too weak to think about going anywhere, we slept most of the day and ate a few crackers and applesauce. About 5 in the evening I took Joel to the ER to have his eye checked out. The doctors were pretty impressed...but no real damage was done (thankfully).

We had planned a number of activities for my birthday, but obviously everything on Saturday was cancelled. Fortunately, we were able to salvage the trip to Red Wing to stay at the Moondance Inn that we had planned for Sunday/Monday. I told Joel both my eyes would have to be swollen shut to miss that. It was a lowkey trip, but there wasn't any better place to recuperate. We lounged around in our jammies and soaked in the hot tub. And Joel pampered us both by booking massages at a local Red Wing spa.

Oh ya, I should add that it probably wasn't food poisoning at all, but a nasty bout of the flu...a whole bunch of folks at my work were sick as well.

So that's the birthday story...who says we're too old for wild nights!

Tillie's Beans

Sorry for the long overdue post. Work (meaning that 9-5 job) is in that holiday frenzy mode. And then for my birthday, I got the flu. Thankfully the flu came after the birthday dinner with the family...but it was/is nasty stuff. Me and the hubby are still recovering. But I managed to salvage a lovely few days away at the bed & breakfast we love. It was just where we needed to go to recuperate.

Now back to the grind. And speaking of grind...as in coffee...

A big announcement: Last week I dropped off four of my paintings to be hung at my favorite morning coffee shop: Tillie's Bean located at 2803 E 38th Street (right near the light rail station). The paintings include the Birch Trees pictured above. More on this later...I just wanted to get the word out. Stop by to see them. And buy some coffee (I can't recommend the best coffee...I'm not a coffee drinker...but the chai is Wonderful).

More later...

Etsy Treasury and second sale! Yippee!!!

I'm so psyched...it's been a good night on Etsy. First, I snagged a treasury. It's hard to explain, but it's a gallery of other people's stuff that you put together...and then hope it's featured on the front page of Etsy. Anyway, if you have a minute, take a look, click on some of the items, cause it will help me get to the front page.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=23227

Second, I sold another necklace! So weird too...cause I accidently relisted it so someone might see it for their treasury. (I meant to relist a different necklace). It's one of the first necklaces I listed.

I'm not sure I'm going to sleep tonight!

James Taylor singing "River"

Just a little holiday treat for folks...it's not exactly a holiday song, but it's on JT's holiday CD...anyway, it's peaceful...this performance of Joni Mitchell's song was performed by James Taylor at a tribute to Joni (with whom he had a little fling at one time, but that's ancient history)...anyways, enjoy.

Monday, Monday

It's been sort of a wild, crazy Monday. So far. The good part of the day was waking up, checking my Etsy shop (a morning ritual that I take part in every morning over oatmeal) and discovering that my Etsy shop is being featured on another Etsian's blog. How cool is that? I'm hoping it will bring some viewers to my shop, but if you have a minute, please wander over to this blog and then visit dragonfly's store. She features practical, but stylish baby items. Her blog site is:

http://www.dragonflyfinedesigns.blogspot.com/

I plan to be promoting some other Etsy artists over on my site from time to time, so please check that out as well.

So I blissfully head off to work and when I get there discover a gruesome site within 5 feet of my desk. A mouse had been caught (and killed) in a rat trap, which created a bloodbath. Fortunately the trap had flipped over, but it created an ugly scene nonetheless. I found someone who removed the mouse, but the mess... No, I did not clean that up...but hid it by the strategic placement of a large garbage can. (Thank you Susan for doing that nasty job).

You may ask why my work is using rat traps. I work in a very old building that was once a convent. It's a beautiful building, but old and the little critters find there way in...even up to the 4th floor where my desk is. A few folks thought they saw a rat, not just a mouse...hence, the rat trap. I refuse to believe that there is a rat in our building. I can barely deal with mice.

After that it's been a crazy day of running around. I'm hoping for a peaceful evening at home.

Modpodge

All right, I know I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. Not exactly, really, since I've written a few posts on my art blog.

Part of it is that I'm sick of the gray. The gray that has been our sky for the past few weeks. Whenever there has been any sun, it's been gone by the time I get home...because then it's dark. Weather-wise, this is my least favorite season.

But on the other hand, the next 6 weeks or so is one of my favorite seasons...the holiday season.

I've been busy working on holiday crafts. Much of my free time of late has been spent over at my workshop, um, I mean studio. There at one table I'm working on a few new paintings. Then, when I need a break from painting (or something needs to dry), I flip to another table where I'm working on holiday crafts.

I'm working on several sets of holiday ornaments...the kind I've been making for years with tissue paper and modpodge. I love modpodge. And tissue paper. My hope is to have these featured in my Etsy shop soon.

Have you seen my Etsy shop yet? It's been slow going. I've had 2 sales. Only one sale shows because I sold a necklace to my sister-in-law (thanks Claudia) off of Etsy. When I'm not working the 9-5 gig or at the studio, I'm sitting in my recliner beading. I have new necklaces I'm getting ready to list on Etsy. Take a look, please. I don't really care if you buy anything, but if you stop by "heart" me...it's a mood lifter. Think about checking out some of the Esty shops...it could lead to some holiday shopping right at home!

So that's it for now. I'll let you know when the new items are up on Etsy.

Vacation Wrap up

Sorry for my tardiness in writing about my trip to Arizona. I guess writing while I listen to election coverage is as good a time as ever.

It was a wonderful trip...good to get away. And Sedona is inspirational on many levels. First off, geographically it is a fascinating area. The red rock canyons are spectacular...and unlike any other part of the country I've seen. Sedona is the center of red rock canyon land. The colors of the rock are something to behold, coupled with the bluest of skies...amazing. I couldn't take enough pictures of the red rock...and I don't think my pictures really do them justice.

And then, Sedona is a very "artsy" community. The town is filled to the brim with various art galleries/shops. It also boasts a very nice Community Art Center. We tried to take in as much as we could, but battled sensory overload much of the week. The weather...outstanding. It was a little warmer than average when we were there...and I was thrilled. Highs in the mid-80's, no humidity (making for good-hair days!), no clouds, crisp air. We managed to set aside a little time to sit by the pool!

There were lots of bead shops in/around Sedona...and my favorite was actually going out of business, so I scooped up lots of good deals. I did manage to make a few necklaces while in Arizona (and they're up on Etsy already!).

One of the side trips we took during the week was to an abandoned copper mining town named Jerome. The town is now "inhabited" by various artists...basically they have taken over all the little shops...there are still a few saloons set up as such. It was a lovely town to wander through and see alot of original artwork...often with the artists present. We actually stopped to watch a glass blower do his thing. I actually enjoyed viewing art in this venue much more than in the overpriced galleries of Sedona.

It was hard to return home...in the sense that it's hard to return to the reality of "real life", which includes juggling work, the chores of keeping a home running, family obligations...I am relieved that Minnesota bounced back from it's brief interlude of cold weather to grace us with a few more warm days. I hear that more winter-like weather is on it's way soon. I think I'll be pulling out those "warm" Arizona pics quite a bit this coming winter.