Monday, October 22, 2012

any excuse to go for a visit...

We took a little trip done to visit the girl last weekend.  She called us saying she was having phone issues, this was confirmed when I couldn't get in touch with her for two days.  Now ordinarily that doesn't mean there is a problem necessarily, we have gone three whole days without communicating.   I usually look at Facebook and know all is well by her posts and frequent sharing of every dog picture she comes across.  But after sending messages, emails, and numerous unanswered texts, I knew something was amiss, but the confirming factor was that there had been no fb posts from her phone.  She did finally get on her computer and let us know her phone had given up the ghost.  We figured something like that had happened, but when you lie in bed at night all sorts of horrible images run through your head.  It's a parent thing, I guess.  Well now we had our excuse to go visit, plus it was spring break and she had two extra days off, and it was the annual Houston Italian Festival which is held on UST's campus.

It didn't matter that my brother, God Bless him, had gotten the phone situation taken care of before we got there.  We figured there were other matters to be taken of, restock the fridge and pantry, check on wheelchair maintenance, and take an overall assessment of the girl in general.

She was doing well.  She had just finished midterms and was ready for some down time.  So we walked through the Italian Festival and had a wonderful time.

We wandered toward the children's area because there were soccer playing dogs performing.  Since the girl is all about everything dogs, this was the first stop...

These guys were too cute...

and they love their soccer balls.

We wandered through the booths of food and trinkets...

there was music and lots of entertainment...

of course he was singing, O Sola Mia...

Benny and I had a great time...

but it was truly all about spending time with the girl.  She looked fine and we were satisfied that all was well, until the next time we need an excuse to visit...

Have fun my girl, see ya soon.  Now it's about time to pay the boy a visit, let's see what excuse can we come up with....







Tuesday, October 9, 2012

it was all worth it....



This past weekend was the annual art show at Utica Square, an upscale shopping area in downtown Tulsa.  It is always held on the first weekend of October.  In October the weather is beautiful, the trees are starting their color change, if the devastating heat from the summer hasn't killed them already.  After the brutal heat of the summer, the cool mornings and mild afternoons are welcomed  and the month is full of outdoor activities.  Since moving up here I have gone to this particular art show for the last two years and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  The shops are unique, the weather is lovely, and it proves to be a wonderful way to get into the fall spirit.

Well this year, I decided to throw caution to the wind and join in the festivities.  This wasn't just a send in your money for a spot, you had to take in some pieces to be judged and then you were invited to join, then you sent in your money for a spot.  Once I got the word I had been deemed worthy of an invite, I began my preparation.  I had some ideas of doing pieces that would appeal to the Oklahoma demographic.  I had done a couple of cowboy themed pieces and added a couple of football favorites to the mix.  I even added a haunted house with pumpkins and a black cat to appeal to the October season.  I thought about my set up and how best to display the art.  I invested in a few simple easels, draped them with fabric and voila I was ready.  Or so I thought...

It turned so cold.  I had been watching the weather all week and knew it was not going to be the weekend of previous years.  The rain chances went up, then down as well as the temp.  It ended up being in the 40's with slight drizzle.  I was lucky that I was placed under an overhang, as I had no canopy or tent.  I had to fight the wind a few times, a couple of pieces blew off their easels.  But overall, I have to admit I enjoyed it.  There was a steady stream of traffic, but not having experienced actual participation, I couldn't really judge.  I heard from others that it wasn't as well turned out as previous years.  Over and over I heard the comments about the freakish weather, it was not like this, ever.

I didn't sell anything, but I did receive some positive feedback.  One lady asked me how I managed to paint in 3D.  Another lady commented that I had a beautiful touch.  It felt good.  It was my family and friends that made me feel the best.  As cold as it was, they braved the weather and came out to show support.  Benny was my biggest fan.  He stuck around all day, getting me coffee and making me laugh.  When we packed it all up at five o'clock, we went to dinner and tried to thaw out.  We were both in bed with lights out by eight thirty trying to decide if we wanted to get up early for Mass or go later.

By morning after a good night's sleep, we ended going to the early Mass.  I realized I had much to be thankful for and it was God Who deserved the Glory.  By the afternoon, after a nap, I was feeling more like my old self and not completely ruling out the possibility of doing this again next year.  Who knows...it should be a beautiful weekend.