¡Bolsa Bonita!

Oh, right

2012-02-17T16:39:00.002-06:00

I wish there was a way to translate my late night, head-on-the-pillow thoughts to blog posts because a LOT has been going on. I just haven't written about it.

Making a switch from all purses all the time, to purses plus photography has been thrilling but a ton of work! It's not only the balance of time, it's the balance of what I WANT to do (shoot, work in the darkroom, shoot some more) and what I NEED to do (work on purses, work on website stuff, eat, shower, etc).

Getting back in to the swing of things with photography has been surprisingly easy and extremely fun. First, I actually remember how to print. I wasn't sure I would remember since it's been 8 years, but once I stuck my negative into the enlarger and turned it on to focus, it was like I never left...

Something I did forget is that with photography there comes the men. Male photographers. Now, I'm probably about to write something that will put off those men out there who are just regular guys and happen to love photography, so just know this is not about you. I have many friends and acquaintances who happen to be male and happen to adore photography. What I'm talking about are the, er, stranger set of male photographers. (and there are SO many!)

Let's face it, photography is kind of a geeky thing. It attracts a lot of geeky guys who like to obsess on technology and long for the chance to use their skills to do some nudes.

yep.

"Trust me, I'm a PROFESSIONAL photographer."

When I was in my 20s I was attending an opening where a man came up to me and said, "I love your laugh, would you ever consider letting me do some nudes of you?"

Really? Gross. Get away from me you old freak.

(this doesn't happen anymore, I was young, remember.)

My friends and I used to laugh at the men who would show up to photo exhibit openings wearing their photo vests. Was there a need to have all their lenses and extra film on hand while viewing the exhibit? We would guess in advance about how many photo vests we'd spot. There was always at least one. Yes, yes, we know you're a PROfessional photographer! oooooh.... ahhhh... oh please let me pose nude for you!

Last week I went in to Half Price Books to see if there were any gems in the photo book department. The photo books are at the end of a narrow alcove that's not conducive to having more than one person it in unless you're willing to be very, very close to the stranger browsing books.

I walked in, started reading titles and was immediately bombarded with geeky man photographer energy as an older guy came in and nearly rushed up on me. I was SO annoyed. The store already smelled like man sweat so I was primed to be furious at any man who dared even look my way (I know, this is crazy, but I get like that sometimes). I darted out of the tunnel of photo books and waited him out. While I waited, I started thinking, "Am I just being a psycho and this guy wasn't doing anything at all?" but while I was contemplating my neurosis, I noticed I was extremely close to a man browsing the art books but didn't want to sprint away from him with a scowl and an angry mutter. I felt justified in my intense reaction to the disturbance of my personal space.

I noticed this same geeky man photographer energy when I did the show last weekend. Should I be afraid one of those guys is reading my blog? Please. The interest in me was fleeting. But annoying.

Here's the deal. I am used to women. Women buy purses. Men who buy purses for women are generally super nice and needing a little help. I like them. I like my purse customers immensely. I am not used to having to have long conversations with older men about photography. I love talking about photography, but when I'm at a show, trying to make a living, I do not want to talk to a guy about his passion for landscape photography. I do not want to see his website. I do not want his card. I want him to BUY my photography.

I know it's because I'm just so fascinating that these men can't stay away.
HA HA HAAAAA!!!
I'm kidding. It's not me, it's the photography. I'm telling you, it brings out the geeks who want to talk lenses and cameras and digital vs analog. Fortunately, shooting with a plastic lens camera usually shuts them down pretty quick. Big cameras don't arouse my interest... and my non-technical approach to photography stumps them.

It's Friday, I feel feisty. This post is a little random and nuts but it kept me from doing the dishes this afternoon!

Happy weekend!

Feb Austin Flea

2012-02-12T13:01:00.001-06:00

Whee!!

The long running Austin Flea is really coming in to its own. The show started as a small event comprised of a bunch of friends who gathered to sell some stuff. Now it's a full blown, well organized, bustling event that has captured people's attention because it's bursting with local talent.

View from my booth:

Yesterday I enjoyed a new booth location which happened to be the very brightly lit STAGE. My, my. Not a time to be shy. It was an interesting set up since the stage presents a bi-level booth opportunity (ie: I had to constantly "invite" people to find the stairs to the stage to see the rest of my stuff that wasn't floor level). I think next time I'll really have my display figured out!

Yesterday was also the debut of "Liz Potter Photography"-- in combination with my purses. The combo is not always going to work for shows, but at the Flea, things are casual and fun and no one blinks an eye at a fuzzy tailed squirrel purse hanging next to a black and white print. I used the show to feel out what people were interested in, how to display photography, and how to try running two very different businesses.

Here's part of my set up:

Being on the stage meant that I had a booth up high and a lower level where people could walk by and shop. It was pretty cool.

What I found was that people still love black and white. Hooray! I snapped the following pictures with my iPad (so professional)-- I'm up on stage and they're shopping the booth from the floor. Bi-level goodness.

I sold prints and cards and had some great conversations with people about travel, photography, and even home decorating! A man bought 4 cards to frame and put in his family's bathroom in their 1940s house! Love it. The thought that my photos from various trips to Mexico will be looked at daily by strangers is kind of thrilling to me.

When I got home last night, my feet hurt from loading and unloading with high heeled boots on, my head was spinning from all the activity, and I was simultaneously exhausted and excited. Henry, who had been inside all day, made me suffer a little for leaving him alone. I let him out and back in about 5 times in the span of 20 minutes.

(this is actually from the other day, it was dark last night when I got home, but I felt like the photo illustrated the activity! I am Henry's personal slave.)

He finally stopped torturing me and plopped down beside me as I unwound from the day with queso and a horror movie (Don't Be Afraid of the Dark). I fell asleep a few times and had to rewind. ha ha!

Next up:
SXSW! yikes. Austin is FLOOOOOODED with people, which we love and hate at the same time. The city, which is already so full of life and energy, bursts wide open with thousands of out of towners enjoying all that this city has to offer.

I'm planning on being set up on South Congress for the Saturday of the interactive part of SXSW and then the following weekend (Thur, Fri, Sat) for the music fest. All in March. Which is creeping up fast.

Tomorrow I step into the darkroom for the first time in 8 years to develop 8 rolls of film. I thought it had been longer since I was a member, but my friend and president of the darkroom (Shelley!), busted out her battered notebook and found that I was signed in as a member in 2004.

Wish me luck!

House sale success!

2012-02-03T17:12:00.000-06:00

Wow!

For those of you who trekked out to the Bolsa Bonita headquarters last night, thank you. I had soooo much fun!! Not only did I get to spend the evening with two friends who were also selling goodies, I got to meet customers formerly only known online and even some neighbors!

I took some sad pictures with my iPad, but you can get a sense of the sale:

I had a LOT of stuff (have a lot of stuff... )

Most exciting was selling some cards and prints of my photography. I was so flattered! I'm looking forward to selling some at the Flea next weekend!

It's a good thing I made some money last night because the Humane Society hit me up again today with an email about the recent rescue of 56 animals from a hoarder. When I get the emails from them, with the photos of dogs shot in the face with pellet guns or huge numbers of animals rescued from hoarders or abusive situations, my heart melts. I can't NOT send a tiny bit of money, hoping that enough people send little amounts too and it adds up.

Today's donation was titled:

Rabbit and Guinea Pig Hoarder Fund.

It's a funny name for a horrible situation!! The AHS normally doesn't take small animals, but they weren't about to leave the poor bunnies and guinea pigs! That's why I love the organization. They do good work and they help raise awareness of the need to protect animals. They even have a new hotline for calling when you suspect abuse. Don't think I'm not going to have the number on speed dial next summer when I witness the German Shepard around the block, in his thick coat of hair, trapped outside in 100+ temperatures.

Anyway...

don't get me started.

Happy weekend!

Bedhead and the bank: Busted.

2012-01-30T12:24:00.001-06:00

This morning I left the house with a serious case of bed head. I was only going through the bank's drive through ATM and straight back home so I didn't do anything to the curly mop of crazy hair that also had a super flat side (pillow side). When I drove up to the machine, it spit out the guy's card who had been in front of me. He was already long gone. So I took his card, made my transaction, and then had to walk inside the bank to turn in the card! I must have looked insane.

Oh well.

Speaking of looking insane... here's a little Busted in Austin for you!

Last week James gave me his old copy of Busted in Austin, which is so juicy I can't put it down. They really select the finest for the cover:

Sorry it's not a great photo-- I held the paper up to my computer's camera! See the guy on the top row, 3rd from the left? That marking on his face is not newsprint smudged on the cover, it's on his face. What the... ? His crime? Unlawful carrying of weapon. Rambo style.

Look at these two who were busted for possession!

Inside the magazine it's page after page of this:

They categorize some of the Busted with titles such as "Happy Campers", "Busted Beauties", "Bearded Bandits", and "Heavenly Hair".

Check out some of the Heavenly Hairs....

HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!!!

When you go to the website, you have to click on the mugshots individually to see the person's crime, but not on the cover of Busted in Austin, print edition! Your photo AND your crime are displayed. Nice.

I feel like this was something I could relate to today:

I better get going so I can keep tidying up my house for the big sale this Thursday! (and maybe fix my hair)

A little bit of everything

2012-01-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling like an octopus right now-- eight arms simultaneously going at full speed on an array of projects! But it's fun and that's the goal of 2012, have FUN and be productive.

Misc. things I've been up to (that aren't work related):

Practicing my target practice with the slingshot I bought myself for Christmas (photo soon...)

Watching The Artist with a friend who fell asleep at least 4 times, making us giggle like kids in church.

Getting back to my yoga practice which has helped the pain in my arms, hands, and wrists so significantly I feel like an idiot for not making time for it during the holidays.

Eating a lot of toast for meals (sheer laziness and toast is delicious).

Taking photos! Planning on taking photos! Dreaming of taking photos!

Joining the darkroom coop I left at least 10 years ago.

Having to relearn the process of printing from negatives.

Loving that negatives are a part of my life again.

Misc. things I've been up to (that are work related):

Setting up (gasp!!) an Etsy shop for my photography! oye, tedious.

Printing greeting cards and prints to mat and package.

Organizing a huge sale at my house (check news and events page!)

Getting ready for the February Flea (see link above!)

Working on wholesale catalogs for my photography.

Setting up a Bolsa Bonita page on Facebook. finally.

Applying to shows and seeing that there's no way to mix purses and photography!

Finding that I better get going on making a new body of work if I ever plan on applying to art shows (that will not have my purses but may take a look at my photography).

Meals on Wheels:

James has let me know that next Tuesday may be his last day on the program. His veteran's pay is increasing enough to make him ineligible for MOW (unless he pays for it, which I'm guessing he may opt for). I think I'm going to have to figure out a structured way to visit him on occasion. I write "structured" because James is a talker and I could wind up spending hours with him! ha ha!

Yesterday he handed me his print copy of Busted in Austin. It's a gem. They really pull out the hilarious mug shots for the front cover. The ones who are drunk are either slumped over, looking off to the side, or smiling. The ones who are stoned are always smiling. The rest just look scary.

For Christmas I gave James a book on Hollywood trivia, ranging from old movies and stars to fairly recent pictures. He received it with thanks but added that he really wanted a Bible trivia book! He cracked the book open and read from the open page... which happened to be about the movie, Reefer Madness. Great. A week later, after he had time to look at his new book, he was raving about how much he loved it and reading long passages to me. I noticed he had the wrapping paper still folded up in his open brief case of medications!

Yesterday I gave him a belated birthday card. I felt so bad for forgetting but had to explain to him that I'm not good with dates, especially birthdays. He said he didn't want to say anything the week before because he didn't want to make me feel bad! AW!!! He loved the card and put it up against his framed photoshopped photo where he's standing by his rig and a white, glowing Jesus is super imposed next to him. My card is getting top billing.

This post really needs some photos, but I have too much going on at the moment to gather them!

I do have this--- a photo of the underside of roosting peacocks taken at the Mayfield Park in Austin (a lovely place if you've never been-- try to go when there aren't a load of screaming kids being scolded for chasing the peacocks)

And then there's Laguna Gloria... oh my. So beautiful. The perfect little get away when things seem overwhelming.

(can you believe this is Austin in January?)

... more from the trails at Mayfield Park...

And that's it, folks.

It's live!

2012-01-19T00:32:00.000-06:00

I want to write about James and the peacocks I saw last weekend and all sorts of random stuff, but I'm tired! I spent the last 2 weeks working on adding my new photo cards to the website, and they're officially UP! Done! For now...

Greeting cards!

Next week I go to a darkroom coop meeting to join and get back in the swing of things (I haven't been a member in over 15 years!! Wish me luck!)

Balance

2012-01-12T23:52:00.000-06:00

So...

I've been fixating on photography for about 3 weeks and it's getting to the point where my brain almost shuts down from the amount of ideas and plans that are constantly churning.

I figured out why my love of photography is hitting me so hard this year after being dormant for so long.

It was a hard year. A HARD, HARD YEAR. I worked till my hands and arm went numb, I sewed a zillion new styles to try to sell ("try" being the operative word), I scrambled to figure out what to make and sell when the usual best sellers sat around collecting dust. It was hard work and tiring and kind of soul sucking. I love to sew, I love to design, and I love my purses, but to feel like I'm sewing to make a buck and nothing else is not a good feeling. The silk totes had to be put down while the mustache pillows were mass produced. Do you know why they're so expensive? Because if I'm going to make them, that's the price of my pain. ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!!

Oh. I shouldn't admit that.

Well anyway, photography lives in a realm of "I do this because I love it, period". I don't care if anyone else likes it and I don't care if I don't make money from it. It comes from a place in me that I have no control over. It just IS. I also love the snippets of memory that each photo preserves for me. I love that they in turn can tell a story for someone else, even if it's nothing close to the reality.

Case in point:

It looks kind of sensual and romantic and weird all at the same time. Where is it? Who is it?
The reality? We're in Oaxaca at the end of a long trip in Mexico where my friend was tired of me and had reached a point where he didn't want to leave our scruffy hotel room, but he didn't really want to talk to me either. After a run in with someone who tried to grab my camera (who I swatted off of me, thank you very much), he got all paranoid and wouldn't let me go off on my own. But he didn't want to go out with me. So we stayed in the room like a 24 hour siesta and read and I wrote in my journal, and we waited till it was time for me to catch my flight home and for him to continue traveling on his own. Romantic? Not a teeny tiny bit. (wasn't ever, even from the start- he and I were just friends). I got tired of hanging around doing nothing and asked him to put on the clown wrestling mask I had bought at the market. He obliged. And that's the story behind this photo. I love this photo!

This year I want to live a balanced life, where I can work and love my work, but not be so overwhelmed by it that I lose the joy. I need to have a project--- photography--- that can provide untainted joy! It will help me when I have to work on projects that pay the bills.

What is your joy? Better find it!

Making a good life a better life

2012-01-09T23:10:00.000-06:00

I decided to make a new year's resolution to take at least one photo a day, as a way to start the discipline of practice. I thought of that idea about a week before Jan 1st, and today, January 9th, I just remembered that plan!! oops. No photographs have been taken.

I love the start of a new year, not only because it marks the end of a very busy holiday season, but also because it really does feel like a fresh start! No matter how sucky the year before was, I feel hope for the new year.

Last year I learned some lessons about letting things go in my life that were not serving me well, though I thought they were "fun". In reality, a reality I was blind to, they didn't serve any other purpose than to make my mind crazy and kind of unstable. It took the help of a close loved one to point out that my activity wasn't as fun as I thought it was and that it was affecting me in ways that weren't healthy... and I was kinda angry and frustrated and annoyed all the time. (all I'm talking about is an addiction to reading blogs that were unsettling to my mind, nothing too incredibly juicy!) At first I was defensive and thought such a trivial thing as logging on to blogs and reading and joining in on the controversies and "fun" was my business, and besides, it was NOT affecting me so go suck an egg.

And then I stopped the activity for the sake of showing respect to people in my life. If something isn't really a big deal, then it should be easy to stop, right? ("I can stop anytime I want, I just don't want to!"-- ha ha ha!! Ever hear that?)

And guess what? It had the remarkable affect of making my mind much more peaceful and eventually led to seeing things in my life in a clearer way. As in: who CARES about the idiotic things people fight about on blogs. IT'S THE INTERNET. Whether it's how to craft the right way, what fabric designer isn't showing sensitivity to all humans everywhere because she only shows little girls with brown hair, who is "right" in politics, what yoga is the best and how to do it the right way, or any other topic that can turn from fun to blood sport so easily, it's all a load of noisy crap. I needed to get a life.

So I let that all go and found more peaceful, innocuous replacements. It was a useful exercise in looking at myself closer than I usually like to, identifying things that aren't really as fun and interesting as I think they are, going through the painful process of letting go, and then (fortunately) seeing that it was all worth the trouble. It's a basic formula for learning what makes me happy and that's all I really want.

This year is the year of finding what really feeds my soul, not just letting go of what damages it.

I go here when I want to cleanse my pallet of internet junk: http://www.madeinslant.com/
All art all the time. So refreshing!

The week after the holidays is a crazy, fun, busy, spazzy week of feeling totally free from making purses, mailing orders, doing shows, and worrying about the holidays. My "rest" comes in the form of making use of this freedom and having the time of my life doing the projects I want to do, for no other reason than they bring me joy.

This year's project was digging through boxes of photos and negatives that I've collected over the years, editing it all down to a handful of photos I feel like others might enjoy, and... starting a side business! Because, you know, I'm really not busy enough. har har.

I graduated with a degree in photojournalism. I worked in the field for awhile, exhibited work, compiled portfolios of work, and even sold postcards and prints. The selling of my work led to being introduced into the world of retail and then the purse making began. The purse making led to making extra money to travel where I shot loads of photos. Eventually purses became my life. And now, after a long hiatus, I'm finding that passion for photography again and it's very, very strong. I may have to deal with digging out the old stuff and having fun with it until I can manage to find time to work on new stuff (as in, getting back into the dark room!!! ahh... the smell of fixer... ), but I'm finding it to be just what I needed to fire up my soul.

Coming soon...
greeting cards and matted prints. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

I've neglected to write about all the funny stuff going on before and after Christmas, but I'll try to get around to some of it soon (I can't leave a James story left untold!).

I figured kicking off the new year with a Henry photo would be nice. Last night I took a hot bath to ease out of 2011... this is what was still happening as the tub drained:

Let's hope all of us have such a relaxing year...

I wish

2011-12-19T18:28:00.000-06:00

Things I wish I knew how to do and do well immediately:

Linoleum cutting and printing

Playing the trumpet

Break dancing

Quilting

The trash swirl

2011-12-16T16:00:00.000-06:00

No... not Walmart (the ultimate trash swirl in my opinion), the one(s) in the ocean. The ones I fixate on.

I was at the office supply store the other day and watched as the cashier helped the guy in front of me, putting one or two items PER PLASTIC BAG. He left with 5 bags. I came close to blurting out, "Don't you know about the TRASH SWIRLS!????"

But she didn't care.

Who cares. Marine life? Whatever.

wow. I just deleted a super rant.

I just deleted another one.

Moving on...
The holidays are coming to an end soon and I'm kind of ready. I love the holiday shows I do, but it takes an amount of work that's super human and I'm tired.

I've tried to stop and think about what I'm thankful for so I don't get crushed by the stress and work because I am thankful for a lot.

After Thanksgiving I was talking to Mr. S (another one of my favorite Meals on Wheels guys) and I nonchalantly asked him about his Thanksgiving, not considering that he had spent it alone. He told me he doesn't like the holidays because he's alone and he doesn't have any family left. I stood there feeling a jolt of guilt for worrying about all my piddly problems when I have friends and family all around me, all the time.

This past Tuesday I drove up to his house and his weirdo friend (who used to live with him, I think?? Moved to another town) was outside smoking. I walked up to him and asked if I needed to go to the door to give the meal to Mr. S. He said, "No... but are you in such a rush?" uh... well... I do have 5 other meals to deliver, but...

He slowly bent over and crushed out his cigarette asking me if it was completely out. He had dark glasses on and explained that he had just had surgery and couldn't see much. He said, "You're just a silhouette" but then added, "I like those jeans!" and "Your husband shouldn't let you out of the house in those jeans!" (I was actually wearing turquoise colored corduroys, but whatever.)

What I've learned concerning comments about "my husband": roll with it. What it translates into is "Are you married? and if not, then I guess I have a shot!" So whenever an old man mentions my husband, I suddenly have a husband. Back off, old man!

Then he launched into all his illnesses with agonizing details, describing how he didn't know there was a pill you could take to alleviate pressure and how it would have been nice if the doctors had given him a pill to help the pressure on his lungs! Hey, I know how to help with the pressure on your lungs, lean over your oxygen tank and snuff out that cigarette and then never pick up another one! What is it with old dudes smoking over their oxygen tanks?

I know. I'm bad.

Finally he got around to telling me that Mr. S was at the vet with his cat, Bear. I know Bear. I talk to him a lot but he hasn't let me pet him yet. I know he means a lot to Mr. S, though so I like to discuss the cat! Right then, Mr. S pulled up and got out with an empty pet carrier. He told us that Bear had an obstruction in his intestines and needed to stay at the vet for a few days. He then said he was really worried they couldn't fix him and he'd have to be put down.

You know this tugs at my heart strings like nothing else... I gave him my phone number and told him to call me if he needed anything-- any help with Bear or anything at all.

He called yesterday with his warbly voice and told me Bear was okay and that he was coming home. I was really happy to hear that. Bear is his family. Even though I have family, I understand how precious pets are and how they're included in "family".

I hope the Mayans are right

2011-12-05T11:48:00.001-06:00

I'm kind of ready for the Apocalypse.

I'd like to opt in for the "those who don't make it" group.

But anyway...
I got this fabulous photo from a guy who has collected a couple of my pillows! (thank you, Marco!)

As tired as I get around the holidays, there's always a surge of energy when I get to meet my customers-- whether in person or online. This past weekend I did a little show called the Austin Flea where I met a few customers who had ordered online, each telling me about their purchases and how much they love their bolsas! So nice!

Every holiday season I get to enjoy all the orders placed by men. Knowing that they're buying their sisters, mothers, girlfriends, or wives my hand made purses is pretty thrilling. I really love all the secrecy-- the notes to leave off the return address or to send it to their office instead of the home address. These are gifts given with a lot of love.

I have a pile of work to get back to, but had to log on to my blog to delete all the current spam comments (sorry for the current comment settings, I had to do it to prevent the current slew of pharmacy comments to continue), and decided to pop in to say hello.

At least someone around here is relaxed:

Henry, taking a siesta... he just fell asleep against the leg of a folding table I have set up to dry my silk screens!

Late night... I'm sitting at my computer furiously working on processing orders... Henry is clearly ready for bed.

Henry, enjoying a clean pile of laundry yet to be hung on hangers and put away ... again, I'm furiously working on my computer... this is what I see by my side.

I've never met a cat who loves to lounge on his back as much as Henry does. What's so great about it is that he likes to have his furry belly rubbed so I get to snuggle with him when he looks so cute!!

The 3 worst things

2011-11-28T14:48:00.002-06:00

So uplifting!

What can happen around the holidays to cause an extra layer of stress for me? That would be 1) my sewing machine breaks, and 2) I sew through my finger. Check and check.

BUT!

After 24 hours of panic, woe-is-me-ing, trying another sewing machine and hating it for not being as good, I decided to have another go at fixing my main machine. When it broke, late Friday night, I tried to figure out the problem. Fortunately it's the foot pedal and fortunately I have a machine from the mid-1960s so it's not all that complicated. But because I was so overwrought in the moment, I didn't have success. My second try (okay, actually the 5th try), there was success!!! Duct tape really can do everything! There were 2 moments where I feared electrocution, but obviously I survived.

Then I sewed through my finger. The needle actually broke. It's hurting to type. I'm looking at the gash now and grossing myself out.

So what's the third worst thing that could happen? That needs a Meals on Wheels James story to explain:

Last Tuesday James was on fire. Of all the times I wish I had a video of him, this would have been the best. It started with his saying, "I have some numbers for you!" huh? He handed me a piece of paper with 3 digit numbers in a column. He told me those were area codes of phone numbers that, if I receive messages on my answering machine from them, I should never call back. As if I would call a telemarketer back. He said, "They're from Nigeria and you'll be charged $2,000 per MINUTE if you call back!" Way to exaggerate, James.

He reached over to his land line and pushed the play button on his messages to show me it was a hang up. I noticed a magazine by the phone called "Busted in Austin" with the front cover showing rows and rows of mugshots! I said, "James, what's this magazine?" and he said, "Oh, that's my favorite magazine!" I had to ask, "Do you ever recognize anyone?" "Oh yeah, cousins... friends... mainly cousins" (said, "cuuuzzins"). I said, "Wow!" and he repeated his statement, making me crack up even more.

**** sidetracking for a moment: I just looked up busted in austin and found this hilarious website: http://www.bustedmugshots.com/texas/travis-countyhttp://www.bustedmugshots.com/texas/travis-county
Here's a screen shot of some of page one's offenders:

Personal favorites:

public intoxication (nice sideways glance)

Harassing a public servant (whoa. Jessica is not someone I would mess with)

Public intoxication (I don't think it's sunk in yet that she's been arrested)

I tried to look up more (you click on the mugshot and it gives details!!), but a notice popped up telling me I had reached my 3 mugshot limit and needed to register! HA HA HA!!!!! This may be the best thing I've found lately.

So anyway, what James has is a print version of this type of thing. I can see why he loves it.

After talking about Busted in Austin, James took the conversation to his favorite place: death. He told me he had to drop off his burial papers today and went on to explain (again-- this is a story I've heard) that he's being cremated. He got the cremation and the urn for $1,300. That's pretty cheap! Then he said, 10 years ago when he made the cremation arrangements, he asked his pastor if it was okay to be cremated. The pastor told him it was okay because...

"When you get to Heaven, you get a new body. If you kept the body you're in now and looked at God you would explode."

Wow! I think the combination of James' Bible studies and his love for violent action movies is colliding.

Then he said, "Moses knew not to look at God! He did this..." and then James acted out how Moses turned away from God, kind of cowering. James explained that since only the side of Moses' face was exposed to God, his beard turned white! James has a lot of special insight into the Bible.

Egging him on, I brought up the Ark of the Covenant (my knowledge being pretty much solely based on Raiders of the Lost Ark). He said, "Oh yeah... they say it's in Ethiopia but I know it's in Jerusalem! It's under a Muslim mosque where no one can dig. But it's okay, if anyone touched the Ark of the Covenant they would explode."

Let me now review the 3 worst things that could happen around the holidays:

1. My sewing machine breaks

2. I sew through my finger

3. I look at God in my earthly body and I explode

(and I guess I could add a 4th: being published in Busted in Austin!)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

One relative about another relative:

"At least he doesn't talk. He's just a malevolent presence."

Happy Thanksgiving!

*the identity of the relatives has been kept anonymous for their protection, and mine.

Sneak peak at something new!

2011-11-05T15:49:00.000-06:00

This comes from an idea that bombarded my brain late one night...

Not on the site yet so it's a tease for all lovers of cute and especially for all the crazy cat ladies, but I couldn't resist!

Yep, that's the Teeny Tiny style... with a cat and a fuzzy tail! (and velcro closure!)

I'm already working on a larger screen to do larger bags. Do I have a million other things going on and not really have time for some side project? You bet! But that's what happens when an idea explodes. I can't continue work until it has been explored.

Hairspray: good back then, good now

2011-11-03T11:41:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I went to a cousin's wedding out in the Texas hill country. It was really beautiful and the bride was beaming (snapped this pic as they exited as Mr. and Mrs.!):

As a person with wavy/curly hair, I've always struggled with finding the perfect hair products. Some work for awhile and then stop. I don't understand this phenomenon. There will be a day where the curls bounce and gleam and I wonder, "What was different about today?"-- only to be followed by a month of fly away wisps over lanky waves.

The wedding was outdoors so I decided to just go for the gusto with hair products and not worry about how my hair feels, just how it looks. Therefore I allowed the potential for helmet head. This totally freed me! I browsed the hair products at the drug store and decided "finishing spray" sounded less daunting than "super hold hair spray".

I have discovered that I love hair spray.

How have I gone this long without it? (of course, there will be the day I look back at old photos from this time and wonder how I could have done that to myself). It's fun, it smells kind of good, and the slippery parts of my hair that cause all the trouble are firmly plastered into place! Wonderful!

Here's a photo of me with my Mom from the wedding-- proof that hair spray is doing it for me (the proof being that I didn't need to clip my hair back for it to stay out of my face):

When I was a kid, hair spray was fun in a different way. A more dangerously fun way.

I found this photo of my friend Lori and remembered all the good times we used to have with fire. And hair spray. Scary!!! (we were in 7th grade when this photo was taken). I'm sure her parents would have loved knowing we were making flame throwers in their living room.

ha ha ha!!!!!

AND! She's wearing a wig! We'd just hang out in wigs and burn stuff.

I kind of want to try this with my new "finishing spray" but I'm too scared. I can't even do it outside because everything is so crispy from the drought I might burn down the neighborhood.

:::

I haven't reported on James in awhile (Meals on Wheels James). He was at a doctor's appt last week so I missed him. This week he was really into showing me photos in an album. I love looking at his photos because there's never any order to them and there's always great commentary.

He had a stack of loose ones (always) and he handed them to me to look through. He told me about each one-- pointing out the woman he was "with" for 9 years and "should have married", her grown sons, and other miscellaneous people who had gathered for a funeral. James is always going to funerals!!

The last photo was a woman in a coffin. I couldn't tell if it was the same photo he showed me awhile back or a new photo of a new dead person. He glanced over and said, "Oh, that's cousin Ruby". Right... it's the old photo. He must have re-printed it. He prints his own photos and does a great job!

Origami Yoda

2011-10-17T13:11:00.000-06:00

This weekend I was driving home after running errands and about a block away from my house, on a very quiet street, was a lemonade stand being manned by mom and 2 boys. One boy had on an outfit that was either pajamas or a Halloween costume (one of those one piece outfits) and a helmet. ha ha!!

I stopped and got a lemonade for $25 (tipping them generously with a whole $1). On the table, blowing off one by one while the lemonade was poured by mom, were a bunch of randomly folded pieces of paper with crude smiley faces drawn on them. When I picked one up off the ground to put back on the table, mom said, "Those are origami Yodas". ha ha ha!! Love it!

I probably shouldn't admit this, but yesterday I watched 8 hours of zombies on tv. I needed to really dig into a project and there happened to be a first season marathon (followed by the 2nd season premiere) of The Walking Dead.

Needless to say, I was in heaven. I ironed, cut fabric, organized purse projects, and watched zombies being bashed to bits. By the end of the marathon my eyeballs were toast.

::::

I almost forgot to write about my weekly experience with James, my Meals on Wheels guy!

Last Tuesday, I walked into his apartment and, as usual, he said, "Do I have something to show you!!" as he hoisted himself out of his recliner. What he had to show me was a slick, magazine style funeral program he picked up at a friend's funeral. Whoa, James, why do so many of the things you show me have to do with death? (but of course I think it's hilarious because it's so morbid and he's so nonchalant about it). The program was like a mini year book with pages and pages of glossy, color photos of the man and his life.

James went on to tell me that he had been a neighbor back when he and his 2nd wife (remember, they're still married even though they haven't been together in 10 years-- he needs her driveway to park one of his cars), used to live in a "ritzy" neighborhood.

Then he moved on to his weekly movie review. I can't remember the title of the movie, but it was another high speed chase sort of movie. Seems like a lot of the movies he watches star The Rock.

I told James, "well... I'm not really into those kinds of movies..." but he quickly said, "Oh no, you'll LOVE IT". ha!

I wonder what James would have thought about 8 hours of The Walking Dead? Probably not enough action.

Death by DMV

2011-10-03T12:07:00.001-06:00

It is not an exaggeration to say that going to the Department of Motor Vehicles will add a few more wrinkles to ones face. And those wrinkles appear moments before they snap your new photo.

My license expires tomorrow, on my 45th birthday. Of course I had to wait till the very last second to renew it.

I put on a cute dress that seemed a style that could last at least six years on my driver's license without being mocked (unlike my current one which was critiqued harshly by a friend recently, accusing me of wearing shoulder pads-- which was a sweater but she wasn't buying it. And yes, my hair was slightly Bon Jovi, but it wasn't that bad!!). I also put on some simple jewelry that wouldn't date me. I tried to make my hair cute by putting products on it that I rarely use, making my hair cute for an hour and 55 minutes, 5 minutes too short to actually last until my photo was taken. Droopy.

Despite my efforts, the new photo is so close I actually look naked. There's no clothing or necklace to be seen. And when the first photo was taken I could tell I blinked so when the guy showed it to me, I said, "My eyes are sort of closed" and he let me take another! Unfortunately I overcompensated and now my drivers license photo will show me looking like I just drank 10 cups of coffee. I'm wide eyed and crazed. I also look like I'm flexing my neck as if I'm lifting weights. Only 6 more years of this photo.

Being the type who likes to always be prepared, I had reviewed as much info online as I possibly could before going in to the DMV. The fee for anyone over 18 getting a license is $25. After 85 it's $9. I mentioned this to the kind Indian man who was helping me and he made a sly smile and said, "After 85 you renew every 2 years." I guess that makes sense. It's probably rough going between 85 and 91, they gotta keep tabs on you.

I passed the vision test, which may have been an act of God. The last time I took it, during the part where I could only look using my right eye, I couldn't even tell how many characters were in the row. (my eye doctor explained why this happens with that eye, but I can't remember-- something that glasses can't correct) My left eye is fine, it's the right that's crazy. When I walked up to the desk today I had my reading glasses on, preparing to take the test with them. The man asked if they were for reading only or long distance. Not knowing how to answer without being caught in a lie (the lie would be that I use them to drive, but I actually only use them to read and sew and watch tv), I said they were for long distance... but paused enough for him to say, "Why don't you try the test without them." So I pressed my forehead up to the viewer and found that I could very easily read the numbers. No problem! I whizzed through a couple lines and then he said, "And now read that last row." I saw no row. Nothing. A blank. Then I realized it was a row that only my right, blind eye was supposed to see. I strained that eyeball to the max and made out a few numbers, not knowing if I had even said enough of the numbers-- he said, "Try again, you only missed one". But which one? The last? Or did he mean I missed a number all together? I strained again and guessed hard and fast. He said, "You missed one, but you still pass." Whew!

The thing about the DMV is that it seems like they do things to purposely mess around with people. The parking spaces were so narrow no one could fit in them, so all the cars were jammed up next to each other and several women in mini vans were re-parking over and over trying to figure out how to wedge in the space. Then inside there's a line running perpendicular to the door and beyond that 3 long rows of sad looking people facing you, staring as if they had been out in the dessert for 40 days and 40 nights.

There is no information anywhere. If you come unprepared, then you're screwed. One lone person mans the desk for the first line. After that you're given a number and join the zombies in the sitting area. The numbers show on a screen and are also called out, the problem is, the numbers don't go in order, there are actually 3 sets. I was 030 but on the screen there showed a 021, 214, and 567. Three sets. I'm sure there's some secret system they've got going on, but it seemed random to me. After awhile the numbers leading up to mine just stopped. I started to worry that after 024 they just shut down the station where that sequence was being helped.

Eventually it started showing again and 029 was called. I stood up so I could peek around the barrier between the seating area and the row of desks where people were getting their licenses. I spotted 029. He was about 3,000 years old. Elastic waist band, plaid pants and a mighty, mighty stoop. It was going to be a long wait before 030 was called. I wonder if he only had to pay $9?

After 2 hours I was done, temporary license in hand.

Crazy.

Felipe! oh, and ACL

2011-09-20T18:35:00.002-06:00

First things first:
Felipe is finally in his true home. I feel completely safe letting go of him now! Here's what happened-- the woman who found him running free contacted the hippy woman who supposedly adopted him from me. She (hippy woman) told the new woman that she was just fostering the dog and he was available to take if she was interested (fostering!!??? WHAT!!?? That was not the deal). The new woman, being instantly in love with Felipe like I was, said she'd gladly take him. So now Felipe sleeps comfortably in the bed of his new mistress and is loved by not only the woman but her roommate as well (and a couple kittens!).

I'm still recovering from ACL, but briefly, it was good. The weather wasn't too hot or too stormy and the dust was under control. The park's grass seemed to handle the hoards well so many people were barefoot and enjoying the soft grass.

I have photos. They will be posted eventually. I'm filling orders I got in before the festival so my week is already busy!

Thanks to all who stopped by my booth!

Felipe, rainbows, and coming up for air

2011-09-10T14:35:00.000-06:00

There is no way to write about how busy I've been. I'll just leave it at: all work and no play make Liz a very strange and potentially volatile individual.

But ACL is next week!! I'm actually really, really excited about it despite all the work it's going to require (and has required). And then it's over. Life resumes!

Today I got an unsettling call from an agency called Home Again. It's for lost pets. Yep. Felipe is on the loose.

AGAIN.

Remember Felipe? The Chihuahua I rescued then found myself fostering and then finally finding him a good home? (or so I thought?)

Well, when I handed him over to the hippy lady who seemed like she'd give him a nice, loving home, I had mixed feelings about cutting all ties. I didn't give her the info for her to register his microchip, so he was basically still linked to me through Town Lake shelter. I wanted to believe he was truly in his forever home, but because I had grown so attached to him I felt like I needed to somehow be his guardian angel! I know, very crazy and very clingy. But hey, it has paid off.

On the phone with an agent from Home Again, I was connected to the local woman who found him running around her apartment complex. She reported that he looked pretty scruffy but was very sweet and came right up to her. That was promising. He ran like crazy when I first rescued him! He must be feeling secure now!

She called around and found that he was registered to me. I hope the shelter doesn't put a black mark next to my name now that they've been called about the dog running loose.

But anyway, after a discussion about Felipe's history, I gave the woman the name and number of the woman who supposedly adopted him from me. She could even live in the same complex, who knows. But the fact that he was running loose doesn't make me happy one single bit.

The good news is, even if the hippy woman flakes out and doesn't want Felipe back, the new woman has already fallen in love with him!!! Amazing! She assured me he would be in good hands no matter what. I expressed my semi-obsession with his well being so she knows I am to be updated on what happens!

She has already bathed him and clipped his hair! HA HA! She also reported that he plays well with her cats. Nice.

I almost wish she would just keep him.

:::

The other day when I dropped off the meal to James for Meals on Wheels, he was on a tear. I mean, he always is, but this time he really talked non-stop. We don't really have conversations, it's more speaker and audience. I'm the audience. This is what he said (among many other things):

"I don't know how familiar you are with Scripture, but do you know about rainbows?"

um.... huh?

"Rainbows are God's way of telling us that he's not going to end the world by water, but with fire."

Oh, right right... Noah's Ark... but... I don't remember anything about fire, James. Doesn't that come much later? Like in Revelation?

Then James casually says, in his deadpan way which always makes me wonder if he knows just how hilarious he is:
"Someone needs to tell Rick his state's on fire."

We went from rainbows to God to fire to Rick Perry. I love James.

I have to get back to work! A Felipe update will be posted, don't worry!

Blue Genie at the Oasis: Phase Two

2011-08-21T16:19:00.000-06:00

The display is done. done done done.

I couldn't be happier-- here are some pics!

review: space before-- before the walls were up (this was at the artist orientation, which was pretty darn exciting)

(painstakingly stretched 2 Ikea curtains I stitched together on the wall to create a nice canvas for the bolsas!)

This was after 2 days of going out to the Oasis to set up... this photo makes me very happy. In fact, let's look at a close up:

I love my spinner rack!! I put an adjustable "skirt" at the bottom so I can raise it or lower it depending on my inventory. I also threaded strips of the curtain material behind the wallets and phone cases for a little extra pizazz.

I couldn't resist sewing on some hot pink pom poms...

New item: phone cases-- little and cute, padded and pocket-ed... coming to my website... ????

Well, I'm tired. Time for some tea to get me going for the rest of the day...

Blue Genie at the Oasis: Phase One

2011-08-17T22:37:00.001-06:00

I lost count of how many hours and days I've spent getting ready to set up shop at the Blue Genie out at the Oasis, but I do know that I was there today setting up my display for 7 hours. And I'm not done.

So far this is what I have:

This is what I started with:

I'm thrilled about how things are coming together. Sometimes I map out a plan but then it doesn't work the way I envisioned. This one did.

I'm heading out to the shop again on Thursday (and possibly Friday) to finish and tweak. And try not to obsess!

Exciting stuff!

I wish every day was Tuesday!

2011-08-16T17:56:00.001-06:00

That's what James said to me today when I delivered his meal for Meals on Wheels. He was in a really good mood and full of his usual unintentional funniness. I purposely goaded him into an outburst by mentioning Rick Perry.

"Oh man! That guy... I heard some lady the other day say, 'he has the best hair!' and I said to her, 'yeah, but what's underneath it? No substance!' But she wan't listenin' she just wanted to talk about his hair." Then it escalated into "He's the biggest a*#hole on the planet!" which made me bust out laughing. He chuckled and said, "Oh, it'll all come out. It'll all come out."

James has a rough voice that's also kind of rich and full and high at times. It makes everything he says extra funny. When I asked him what he thought about Rick Perry's desire for Texas to secede he laughed a guttural laugh and went over to a map on his wall to explain about the history of Texas and other states. He asked, "Do you watch that show How States Got Their Shape?"-- no, I don't, "Oh, it's SO GOOD. I love it!"

James seems to be one of those types who gathers information and actually retains it. Unlike myself. At this point I should practically be a scholar on certain topics (okay, maybe just Big Foot), but I never remember anything! In a way it makes life great because things are fresh and new all the time!

The conversation veered back to familiar territory: movies. He told me about some ninja movie he just watched that he really enjoyed. "You better like blood! Oh man, you will looooove it!" James. Why do you think I love blood so much??

Then he talked about a movie he rented called Jump the Broom and basically told me the entire plot and the ending-- the surprise ending. He said jumping the broom is something "Black people do at their weddings"-- but he didn't do it at either of his weddings. Then he told me that he's still officially married to his 2nd wife and that he maintains a friendship with her because he needs to keep a truck in her driveway! ha ha ha!!! For 10 years! ha ha haa!!!! He chuckled as he told me that.

As we were leaving his apartment to go to the parking lot and off on our separate errands, he said he thought about asking me for my phone number.

Oh James, I thought we covered this!

He was kind of rambling which gave me the opportunity to not really answer. Then he asked if everything was going okay in my life... you know... and I assured him it was. He said that if anything ever goes wrong, he's there for me!

Hmm... I'm not sure what turns me on more, the fact that I deliver meals to him as a volunteer, or the piles of folded laundry that's permanently stacked on his sofa, or the open brief case filled with his prescriptions.

WHY does he think I have any interest in dating him?? Of course, I tell myself that his desire is more about companionship, and because James isn't that old (I'm guessing late 50s, early 60s? I have no idea) he sees me as a peer. That and we get along well in periods of 15 minutes once a week. Why wouldn't I want to be his girlfriend? We could watch movies with lots of action and bloodshed together in his sweltering apartment.

He does have a super fly car.

One of the clients who I thought was long gone off my MOW list reappeared today. I was kind of bummed out because it's the old man who smokes over his oxygen tank and says weird stuff like, "I'm a Mason, give me some of your business cards and I'll make sure they get in the right hands." huh!!??? I don't know about that... Do Masons like squirrels with fake fur tails?

I rolled up to his group home and walked down the sad, sad hall. I was greeted by a young employee in the living room area who told me the guy is in the hospital. Something about his lungs. I said, "Maybe it has something to do with his smoking and the fact that he already needs an oxygen tank?" and the guy said, "I didn't want to be the one to mention it..." ha ha!!

An adorable little dog appeared right then and came up to me. He was larger than Felipe, but still pretty little. He had a sleek, blond coat and looked like he was ready for all the affection I could give. So I gave it. AW!! So cute! The employee said the dog is the house dog and he'll jump in anyones lap for some love.

That makes me happy that the sad group home full of old men who have had hard lives has a sweet little dog to give them unconditional love.

Well, my hand hurts so I need to stop. I sliced it open trying to use some pliers that also have a wire cutter on them. Cuts flesh too.

The debris field

2011-08-14T14:50:00.001-06:00

Actually, make that debris fieldS. My whole house is a maze of debris fields.

This was my living room yesterday (it has taken on a new form of mess since then)-- Henry promptly got on my ironing board since I had flipped it to use the wooden side to cut with my exacto knife! He looks like he's on a raft! (he kind of is)

In this photo are the following projects:
eyeglass cases to be ironed and priced
price tags ready to use
pillows waiting to be ironed and filled with forms
signs being made for displays
notebook filled with lists and measurements and other things that make me feel organized despite the debris fields.

If all goes well, tomorrow I load in to the Blue Genie store at the Oasis. Since I was the only eager beaver to be ready to move in Monday morning, I'm the only one who may have to wait out the fire marshall who, last I heard, hadn't finalized giving his certification to the shop.

I can't imagine what the guys of BG have had to do in order to get a retail shop up and running. I feel very fortunate to be one of the first vendors to try it out! My display is going to ROCK. It better... I've been brainstorming about it for months now!

When people say to me, "I work all the time!" I wonder if they mean they wake up and work, break for lunch, then work, break for dinner, then work, then sleep. That has been my life for the past week.

Obsessed with chevron stripes:

Hallelujah Y'all!!

Eh?

2011-08-13T17:28:00.000-06:00

Today I had to drive across town to use a very juicy 50% off coupon at Hancock Fabrics. They had a big sale today on notions so I went later in the day to avoid the craziness. All the employees looked haggard.

While my items were being run up a booming voice filled the air from across the register. "I'M TAX EXEMPT" shouted the 4 foot nothing elderly woman with curly white hair. My cashier and I looked at each other and started to laugh. I said, "you know we're mocking our future" and she agreed. When the old woman yelled, "FOR RESALE" I decided I was going to have to stop her on the way to the parking lot and ask her what she makes. I can't even begin to imagine.

A loud ringing started up and everyone in line looked confused for a brief moment before a collective "ohh... " filled the air. Hearing aide. Two women walked up and got in line behind the old woman and one of the ladies said to the other, "The ringing is louder up here!"-- um... because you're now right next to the source perhaps?

After I finished up buying all my goodies, I looked up to see where the old woman was. She was gone. No longer in line, not on her way out the door, and not in the parking lot. Was she an angel? Did she just drop down to give us all a light hearted chuckle and then vaporize? I was so curious about what she makes! Oh well.

When I got home I checked my email and found one with the title: Dating for seniors.
Who's laughing now?

The crazy life of a purse making hermit

2011-08-12T11:24:00.001-06:00

Last night I watched 3 episodes, back to back, of Ancient Aliens. By the end I was a believer. I mean, who else could have helped the ancient people of Earth make such things as Ankgor Wat? HA HA HA!!!!!

Those shows are so hilarious. I always love the guy who is such a true believer that he sees proof in everything. The conviction of the true believers is so strong that it's almost infectious. Though I rarely see the evidence as clearly, I start to think maybe I do... maybe those rocks in Peru really were carved by ancient aliens. Who knows!

The Alien super power must have been working for me while I watched the History channel because I got a LOT done. Did I hit a portal to another dimension? A dimension of super powered sewing?

You know what is really making me mad lately? The fact that I can't stay thin and still eat pizza, french fries, and houses made of cheese. So not fair.

Update on Texas silk screen: Done, accurate spelling, and successfully used! Pillows and purses are being cranked out! The third time was the charm.

Henry has really ratcheted up the love since Felipe went away. He's so much more adoring and wants to be near me wherever I am. Poor guy. He was not happy about all the attention that Felipe demanded (and got). I haven't called to check up on Felipe yet because I want to make sure the woman and her son are 100% bonded to that dog and not considering giving him back. I can't handle it emotionally (I still get teary eyed thinking about his sweet little face), and I definitely can't afford the time it takes to handle having him around. Hopefully he's curled up next to her right now and they're as happy as a dog and human can be!

Weekend plans: sewing, ironing, tagging, building displays. And eating pizza. Time to pull out the elastic waist band clothing.

Topics of discussion

2011-08-09T11:11:00.000-06:00

James was on fire today. Topics discussed were:
Dentures
Cremation
Embalming
The true story behind The Changeling
Law and Order
Dental implants
Wearing a hat

When I walked in to James' apartment he started off by telling me one of his friends died of unknown causes. Then he picked up his phone, dialed a number, had it on speaker phone and when the guy answered he said, "What's goin' on old man?" and made plans to drive over soon. This was a friend who was also friends with the man who had died. This friend is also the one who went to the funeral parlor to see if he could see the dead guy in advance (they wouldn't let him). James said the guy had been dead for 2 weeks but that embalming usually lasts a long time. Then there was some talk about how one gets darker because all the blood drains. ew.

James said he talked to his pastor and was given the okay to have himself cremated. It's already paid for.

What's so hilarious about James is that everything is said matter-of-factly. Unless it's about Law and Order, then the dramatic side of James comes out. He told me all about an episode he recently watched with the enthusiasm of someone who had actually experienced it.

I gave him a short movie list of movies I thought he might like:
The Changeling (Angelina Jolie version, not the horror film-- which is one of the greatest movies ever!)
Winter's Bone
The Skeleton Key

He had seen the first two. He liked The Changeling and told me about the true story-- which I already knew but enjoy all James' recounts. About Winter's Bone he just said, "Man, that was weird!" I doubt there was enough action in it!

He hasn't seen The Skeleton Key so he may rent it. The only reason I suggested it is because it's kind of a good voodoo story with some suspense. Who knows if he'll like it!

James told me that he considers me a true friend. He thanked me for putting up with all his stuff. I told him he's my favorite stop of the day and that I don't consider anything he tells me to be a bother. I know how it is to be alone for long periods of time and then see someone you like to talk to. I kind of have an explosion of chatter. James does too, so I get him!

Today's plans include finishing my 3rd Texas silk screen and working on all the purses I need to have ready by next Monday for the Blue Genie store at the Oasis! My set up time is 10am Monday morning. I build the display... which of course I love because I'm a control freak, but it sure is a lot of work!

How many times can I mess this up?

2011-08-08T11:09:00.001-06:00

I'm having a very hard day.

Let's take a moment to look at some cute stuff before I complain:

(no, he's not back... this is an old photo and one that makes me weepy when I look at it!)

(there's my boy! click on it to make it large and check out his expression)

Okay.

So, I've been making silk screening screens the old school way by painting on the design (in the negative space). It's tedious but the screens are indestructible and have a more "arty" quality to them since they're not perfect. I like that my mirror image cat screen has two cats that look alike but on closer examination are slightly different. I like that the lettering I've painted for my Texas shape with "Hey Y'all" has a quirky look to it. So when I make a screen, it takes a long time and a lot of patience.

The Texas screen I mentioned above? I'm about to paint it for a THIRD time. I'm trying not to have a complete melt down. I made my first one, showed the design to many people, screened a bunch of pillow fronts and purses and even finished a few pillows. Then my friend looked at it and said, "Isn't Ya'll actually spelled Y'all?"

I stopped breathing.

I had just spent hours and days working on this design. I used fabric that I was running out of. I had even dropped off a pillow to a local shop (shh... someone will just have to get the misspelled version). I was so mad at myself and so sucked of all my energy that I couldn't even cry. I just boiled inside.

I had even taken photos of the pillow so I could use it to apply for local holiday shows...

And so I made another screen. This time I was really careful to get the lettering spaced out well and the star in the Texas to be really great. Today I pulled out a strip of fabric to screen, screened 5 designs and then looked at it and saw YA'LL.

YA'LL

I did it AGAIN!!!!!!! Someone just come kill me now because I don't want to live with this mistake anymore.

How did I do this again?? Maybe it's because I'm tired and overworked and out of my mind? I made 2 screens exactly the same. Same mistake. Unbelievable.

Anyone who does hand lettering knows that it's easy to make spelling mistakes because you're concentrating on the drawing aspect of the lettering more than spelling, but to do it twice is really beyond forgivable. I know that Y'all is a contraction for You All... and I know it's slang, but it still follows the basic rules of English. Texas English, that is.

And so I'm off to paint my THIRD SCREEN. And I'm not going to make this mistake again.

Hours lost.
Fabric wasted.
Brain fried.

If I live through ACL another year it will be a miracle.

Slippers are for HOME

2011-08-05T21:25:00.001-06:00

Home use ONLY, people!! Do not put them on and go to the store! You're in public! And if you're pairing them with your actual pajama bottoms, that look like they've been worn for a week, then I suggest your friends and family stage an intervention.

That's my Friday advice.

The other night I watched Winter's Bone, which was far better than I expected. From the description of the movie, I was expecting it to be harder to watch, as in, gory and maybe a slice of society I'm not sure I want to see that close. But it was a great study in the dynamics of a community and family and the girl in it was excellent. I love it when I see a really good movie!

I miss Felipe! (and yet I really don't). Last night I was moaning about how I was worried he wasn't being walked as long and as fast as he likes it and how I was worried he was being crated too much and how, basically, he may not be getting the spa treatment he was getting here. My friend reminded me that whatever is going on, it's far better than running down the street, full of fleas, hot and hungry. True.

But still! Felipe! I hope you're doing okay little dude!

I keep expecting the phone to ring and for the voice to be the woman who adopted him telling me he's terrorizing the cat too much. I hope everything is going okay in their home-- you know I love cats so I care about the well being of her kitty too!

I can't believe how much work I'm getting done without that cute dog around. It's so liberating! I've been silk screening like a mad woman and making the most excellent pillows and bags! Here's a current favorite:

Time to get back to work. I'm watching back to back episodes of Ghost Adventures and loving it! (while sewing, of course).

You gotta see it!

2011-08-03T08:23:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had some funny conversations with my Meals on Wheels friends.

First there was James. There's always James to give me laughs and sometimes cringes (which make me laugh later). He opened the door and said, "Hey beautiful!" then went inside for his routine of shutting off the tv and smooth jazz and talking to me non-stop the whole time.

The movies he reviewed this week were Time Code ("It wan't any good... kept showing the same scene over and over and over. I fell asleep!") and a movie called Ironclad, which he loved. Here's the poster for the movie, which will give you a hint about the genre:

Blood. Will. Run.

Nice, James. Good to know you really love an action movie where the more gore the better! For some reason I find it hilarious that this is his favorite type of movie. That and old Westerns where the men fight and keep their hats on the whole time. He likes tough guys.

He described a scene where one guy chopped off the other guy's arm near the shoulder and then grabbed the wrist (demonstrating this on me) and used the severed arm to beat another man to death. "Oh man, there was blood spurting out everywhere! He was just beating that other guy with the arm like it was a bat! You gotta see it!" Chuckling the whole time.

I have never expressed interest in extreme gore so I'm amused that he often recommends these types of movies to me. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy a good beheading every now and then, and I certainly like vampire attacks, blood soaked zombies, and pustulant demon possessed people... but bloody battles? Not so much. Well, I did like the scenes in Gladiator... especially the sword and shield fighting... maybe James has me figured out more than I realize.

The funniest thing about James is that he not only describes movies, he often gives away important plot information that one should not know going into the movie... "Aw yeah, then she turned around and killed her husband! And she got away with it!"

When we were walking to our cars I pointed to one of the cars in the lot that has an elaborately painted hood. I don't even know where to begin describing the image, it has so many layers of weird and fantastic. I had never seen that particular painted hood so I was really intrigued that there are two cars in his apartment parking lot with this type of decor. The other is a big boat of a car with "Unstoppable" scrawled in script across the windshield and a bare chested, Mayan (?) warrior standing against the scene of a pyramid. You know I'm in love with that painting.

James said that there's a guy in the complex who does the painting and then described how he takes the hood off the car, takes it into his apartment to paint it and then puts it back on! I'm so very interested in this now. James said, "I'd like him to do my hood sometime." oh my god. WHAT would James have on his hood? A bloody battle? I think he'd probably have Jesus or maybe Moses and the Ten Commandments. Maybe a bloody Bible scene! I think I'm going to have to ask him next time.

Next week I'm for sure bringing my camera.

After James I delivered a few more meals and then hit the house where an elderly couple lives and has a caregiver I meet at the door each week. My uneducated guess is that he's from some place like Cameroon. He has a thick accent which sounds really cool when he says things like, "We have a secret" when I comment on how green the grass is (the secret is a sprinkler!). Today I walked up to the porch and a roly poly orange cat was standing there looking at me. She did that swishy thing that's basically an invitation to pet her, but as I was bending down, the door opened and the caregiver said, "Oh noooo.... oh, that cat... no, she'll bite you! Don't pet her!" Of course, I already had and she didn't look like she was too interested in biting, but I can see where he might not be a cat person.

He said, "She's a free range cat" and I said, "She's kind of taken care of by the neighborhood?" and he said yes. She had a collar on that was printed with a cute lizard pattern. She not that feral! Plus, she's chubby! It made me laugh, though, because he was obviously a little afraid and also annoyed by the cat. He stayed at the door until I walked away (knowing, I'm sure, that I desperately wanted to pet that cat!!).

One week I went by that house and instead of the caregiver (who I had mistakenly thought was maybe a family member), an old, white man opened the door. He was dressed like he was about to go golfing at "the club"... huh? um, Meals on Wheels? Not the usual client!

The hour of my day each Tuesday is always filled with interesting things and interesting people!

Yes, I cried

2011-08-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

Last night was, as a friend put it, "bitter sweet". While it was delightful to work and not worry about Felipe, I missed having that little ball of constant love being so near me all the time. It's not a mystery why people love dogs, especially breeds who adore their masters so much. Felipe provided more constant love than any pet I've ever had and though it was a bit much to handle sometimes, it was also much appreciated! Who doesn't need constant love?

Henry came to the rescue. That's my guy! He immediately sensed Felipe was gone and followed me around, sleeping near me and asking for pets, even giving me some soft head butts now and then. He let me sleep through the night and greeted me in the morning with more sweetness.

I shot this video the other day in hopes of having it put on a rescue site to lure tiny dog lovers:

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this every morning?? Oh! It's making me cry again!

I took this photo yesterday as Felipe flopped at my feet and turned up the "cute".

I hope he had a great night in his new home. I'm going to call her later to check and am hoping for a good report! I bet her little boy fell in love and now Felipe can't leave without some major 3rd grader heart break!

This morning I received an incredibly kind email from the man who helped me capture Felipe on the very first day. I had dropped off a flyer at his house yesterday hoping that a dog owner such as himself (ie: seemed to really know what he was doing with his little pack!) would know someone looking for a dog. His email thanked me for helping little F and then he wrote that if I didn't find a home for him in the next 2 weeks he and his wife would give Felipe a trial run in their home!!! Can you believe that? So there is a plan B if he doesn't work out with his new family!

What an adventure!

And... he's gone

2011-08-01T20:36:00.000-06:00

Tonight around 7:30 I got a call from a woman who had just seen a poster for Felipe at the local food coop (I figured it was a good message board because they approve the posters and hang them behind a locked case-- plus I had hopes that people who shop there aren't total jerks).

She just moved here from California with her young son and cat and they had been talking about getting a dog! She said she saw Felipe's photos and had to meet him! Within 1/2 an hour she had met him and loaded up all his things and was off for a trial run. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to say a long and tearful goodbye to little Felipe!! It's going to be weird not kissing his little head 2,000 times a day!

I have a great feeling about this woman. One thing yoga has taught me is how to read people's energy pretty quickly and she was calm, gentle, and yet not too soft... know what I mean? Like she told me he could use a bath! HA HA HA!!!! That was after I handed her the bottle of dog shampoo, but still. I love it. I love a straight forward person who is also kind and gentle.

She has experience with little dogs so I know I'm handing him over to someone who won't be overwhelmed by his ~~incredible neediness~~ strong desire for affection.

I hope, hope, hope this works out. She has the option, of course, to hand him back over if he's not a good fit for their family, but I'm feeling positive that Felipe is in his new and loving home for good.

And I'm so sad.
I knew having him this long would make it so much worse to give him away because every day he showed more of his personality. His comfort level with me and his surroundings had gotten to a place where he seemed very trusting and relaxed. He followed me around because he wanted to be near, not because he was scared or worried. He'd flop on his back and sleep or turn his head in a way that said, "please rub my belly!"

What I'm thankful for is that I eventually knew, without a doubt, that I couldn't keep him. It was iffy at first because he's a happy, loving creature who I couldn't help but love, but once the reality of life with Felipe settled in, I knew it was not right. The main reason? Henry. Though Henry tolerated him, he was also given less attention and I could tell this was not going over well with him. He likes to seem self sufficient, but he likes his attention from me! It made me feel horrible because Henry is my main man. Always. To see him sleeping in the laundry room to be as far away from us as possible made me sad! Now Henry can come up on the bed again and know that there won't be little Chihuahua eyes staring at him or a little nose sniffing his butt.

I told the woman that if she did keep him that I would have to visit. She agreed with a big smile and then we hugged. I know Felipe has found his new mamma!

Weekend

2011-07-31T21:35:00.001-06:00

Friday: saw The Trip, laughed my butt off and then ate delicious food at Koriente.

Saturday: worked in the shop downtown, Cypress Vanguard, met some nice people, worked with a fellow coop member and cut out purses. Saturday night: good times behind the sewing machine.

Today I had a bout of something that I can only guess was a combo of stress, migraine, dehydration, and possibly an allergy to aspartame. I woke up feeling fine, walked Felipe, drank some coffee, worked, and then a headache crept up on me that quickly turned into something so horrible I contemplated going to the emergency room. My head started spinning and I felt like throwing up. I took a nap that didn't seem to do much. I had the chills on top of it. After guzzling water, forcing myself to eat, and being patient, the symptoms became manageable enough for me to be relatively normal (ie: I could sit up and I didn't want to die).

I hate to admit it, but I think this was all triggered from my new love of Crystal Light. At the shop someone brought in a bunch of single serve packets and I discovered how delicious they are! So I bought my own and have been consuming a lot of lemonade and fruit punch. And I like it strong. The other day I was talking to my neighbor and noticed her glancing at my mouth. When I went inside I saw that I had a Crystal Light mustache. Bright red.

So anyway, knowing that Crystal Light is like liquid cancer but drinking it with abandon anyway, I had a suspicion that it would do something to me eventually. I could be wrong, but I do think my current 2-3 drinks a day (according to the Crystal Light packaging, that's 4-6 servings... I told you, I like it strong), kicked me in the butt today.

Oh, did I not mention that after coffee I had a big glass of fruit punch? ha ha!!! I'm pathetic! Anything slightly sweet is a drug to me.

I'm cutting out my aspartame drink and seeing if I feel better. I always hate it when something bad for me actually makes me feel bad. I'd rather live in denial and shave off a few years of my life.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Look out for over-dosing on Crystal Light!

The news

2011-07-25T17:23:00.000-06:00

Which is horribly boring.

I did do a fantastic show this past weekend, for which I have photos but not on my computer yet... it was the Austin Flea, a show I've been a part of since it started. What was once a bunch of friends getting together to set up simple booths and donate money (instead of a booth fee) to a local charity, is now a booming, bonafide show. And it's awesome.

Next one is September-- the weekend before ACL. Do I dare to do it? I probably will since I've officially lost my mind.

Why have you lost your mind, Liz? Oh, I don't know, it might have something to do with a little warm, fuzzy, brown eyed creature who has taken over my life! Why will no one adopt him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????

Note to self: no more rescue dogs unless it's in a similar situation and death is a sure outcome. Like a tiny dog running down a 4 lane street and knowing that no one is seeing him and he's fearless.

Felipe, while a very good dog in most ways (yes, most), is still a dog. A needy dog at that. While I have to seduce Henry into letting me love on him, Felipe is there for me 24-7. I woke up with him staring down at me the other morning. Mamma needs her coffee first, little man.

The neighbors have visitors-- cousins around the same age as the kids. I'm on high alert. That's way too many teenagers to be within 500 ft of me. I actually drove around the block this afternoon when I saw that they were piling out of the mini van next to my driveway. I wasn't in the mood to chit chat or hear any begging about coming over to visit Felipe. Grumpy!

I wrote a blog post last week about James (Meals on Wheels) and Blogger ate it. I was too tired to re-write it, but I'll touch the highlights:

As usual he opened the door and said, "I have something for you!", but this time it was actually a real, solid thing, not some crazy news update! He handed me a plastic bag with two plastic containers in it. He said he saw them at the store and thought of me and how I could use the to help me organize in my business. Is that not the sweetest thing?

James is about to go off the Meals on Wheels program because his veterans pay is doubling and he'll soon make too much money to qualify. He told me he was in Vietnam and exposed to Agent Orange so the government is giving him more money. Whoa! I'm very happy for him, but also very sad that he'll be gone. He's feeling the same way because he's made some friends through MOW. He's by far my favorite client and I look forward to catching up with him weekly. I told him I'd try to stop by every once in awhile as I do my route.

Maybe tomorrow I'll bring my camera and see if he'll let me take a photo of him-- or us together. He probably will.
I'm going to miss James!

Why do people have to be so weird?

2011-07-21T12:04:00.000-06:00

I got a call today from a man I know (barely) through Meals on Wheels. I really like this man, he's friendly and seems normal... if I can even claim to be a judge of that! He's not a client, he works for MOW. He originally showed interest in Felipe but then decided it might be hazardous to have a little dog running around with his 92 year old father-in-law who lives with them. Agreed.

Today he called and said he has a friend through MOW who is interested in adopting "the puppy". Why do people call small dogs puppies? He passed on my number and I just received a call from the friend.

It did not go well.

First of all, I could barely understand him. He sounded like Marlon Brando in the Godfather when he had all those cotton balls stuffed in his cheeks. I finally got that he and his wife wanted the dog and that they don't have children. Well, okay, that's a good start.

Now that I have really gotten to know Felipe, I'm not about to hand him over to just anyone without quizzing them a little. So I started with the simple stuff: Are you willing to walk him?

Oh yes! garble garble garble.

huh?

Fortunately, before he called I was looking at the application Blue Dog Rescue has on their site for potential adopters. My friend Laura told me it might be a good idea for the person wanting Felipe to fill it out. I had just read through it when this guy called. I told him that I was in touch with some rescue groups and was told that I should ask some questions to make sure the dog will be well taken care of.

Did I offend him? Possibly, because he abruptly said, "Oh, okay... well, I'll keep looking." What?? I am so confused. I was at a loss for words and said, "uh...." trying to figure out what was happening but he had already said, "Thank you, have a good day."

Dude, if you're not going to take care of this dog, then he can't be yours. He is an animal who requires care. He doesn't need pedicures and cute outfits and a diamond collar, all I'm asking is that he's not left alone for 16 hours a day, gets a walk at least once a day, is fed well, not disciplined in some weird way, and is never ever abandoned again.

When I had lunch with Laura a couple weeks ago she told me that the application is good for weeding out the crazies. Now I think I understand. She said some people who are looking to adopt a large dog will sometimes write that the reason they're interested in the dog is because it looks like it would be a good fighting dog.

Really?

You know I'd love to toss those people in a pen with a lion. A hungry lion. Or a bear. Maybe a polar bear.

Felipe and I went to a friend's house last night to watch Insidious. They just got a brand new, huge tv with surround sound so when the menacing music started, it must have been quaking Felipe's little body because he barked really loud! We all jumped out of our skins and then busted out laughing. Eventually Felipe got used to it and slept on my lap, but he still got some squeezes when something in the movie made me jump!

The movie, by the way, is okay for about the first 75% of it and then it gets pretty stupid. My expectations of horror movies are fairly low, so I cut them some slack when rating them. The devices they used for scaring the audience were almost absurdly standard, but the timing was good so it really did deliver a few good scares.

Felipe's dreams came true last night and he slept with me in my bed. Surprisingly, it was the best night sleep I've had in days. It really helps to get some shut eye when there's not a little dog barking and whining his head off in the other room all night!

I put a separate blanket on the bed and tried to move it far enough away from me so I didn't have to sleep like a mummy. He bought it. He dug his little head under it and buried himself immediately. Henry jumped up to sleep at the foot of the bed and you should have seen his face when he noticed something moving under the blanket. I was laughing out loud it was so funny. I was momentarily worried that Henry thought it was some form of play and would pounce on the wiggling bundle, but he didn't. I think he knew.

Yesterday I smoothed things over with 13 year old kid's grandma. I saw her outside and said that I hoped I hadn't upset the boy too much. She said, "Nah, he's okay. He did come in and tell us that you said, 'She said WE are not taking care of our dog!'" --- see? He lied. I laughed and said that I actually specifically meant him. ha ha!!

She said he's begging to adopt the dog and can't see any reason they shouldn't have him. I whipped out the best weapon I could think of: "You know, Chihuahuas live to about 16 or 17 year old and he's only 3." That's right, grandma, let's put things in perspective. You know very well who will be taking care of this dog once the newness wears off. Oh, and did I mention he'll bark and howl and whine all night if he's not sleeping in your bed?

Basically, NO WAY will I let them take Felipe. Their already semi-neglected dog would be forgotten completely and that is not okay with me.

If I can't find a home for Felipe soon, and I end up enduring longing looks from the neighbor boy, I might have to force the issue on the kid. I will get him to walk Felipe while I walk their dog and the route will NOT be shortened because he's a wussy and the pace will NOT be slowed down because he's out of breath. And he'll be mildly lectured on what it means to care for a dog. (am I a totally mean person? Is it wrong that I like their dog 1000 times more than their kid? Is is extra terrible that I just changed 100 times to 1000 times?)

I could really turn up the heat and do it early in the morning when I know he's still in bed. Drive it home that dogs need to be walked when it's cooler (though, honestly, when I take Felipe out in the middle of the day before I leave for a couple hours, we only go a few blocks and he's better equipped to deal with the heat than their huge, thick-coated dog).

Stay tuned for more tales of Felipe the Chihuahua!

I'm sleep deprived and cranky

2011-07-20T13:12:00.000-06:00

Guess who isn't a fan of being in the crate overnight?

And guess who instigates things every other hour at night with the loudest meowing he can muster?

And guess what human is at the end of her rope?

This is what I know: I am a cat person.
I love dogs and I love animals, but to own one is a totally different ball game than visiting one. I'm not one who thinks it's okay to have an animal who doesn't receive the best life possible so that means I'm not just going to stick little Felipe outside all the time and hope for the best. He gets walked (now 2-3 times a day), he is paid attention to, he is watched closely so he doesn't develop weird or unwanted behaviors the next owner will have to break, and... well, he's so adorable I want to be kissing that little tiny head of his all the time! Constant kissing takes time!

Sewing? What's that?
(actually, I have been working-- it's not an option, it's just more interrupted than usual).

Yesterday I barked at the neighbor's 13 year old boy. Chalk it up to lack of sleep combined with my general dislike of kids that age. I try to be patient with him because he's my neighbor and he can't help that he's 13 and annoying as hell. But yesterday the sight of him made me lose it.

I was in the backyard with Felipe when I heard their gate open and saw their dog bound into their backyard. Before I could round up the little Chihuahua, he was over there saying hello. Two seconds later a sleepy headed 13 year old boy's face peeked around the corner and said, very excitedly, "Is that who I think it is?"

He looked like he had just woken up and it was 7pm. He also looks like maybe he hasn't showered in a long time. Teenage boys: GROSS. That alone annoyed me for some reason. I think it's because he's on summer vacation but all he does is sit in their house watching movies and playing video games. Is that what kids do now? I don't know. Really, I don't know.

He met the little dog on the day I found him running down the street. As written about previously, he "helped" me with photos and de-flea-ing. And, as any kid that age who doesn't have a life, he fell in love with the live doll and decided to not only name him Peanut (so wrong), but also that he needed to adopt him. He actually said to me, "I want a dog!"... which made me have to reign in my immediate anger and gently say, "You have a dog."

YOU HAVE A DOG, YOU IDIOTIC KID.

A dog he ignores. A dog he doesn't understand or is willing to understand. A dog who he treats as a huge burden and annoyance. A dog he jerks around and yells at constantly. A dog who has bonded with me which adds to his annoyance.

So when I ended up having to adopt Felipe in order to save his life, I decided I needed to keep him secret. I told the grandma what I was doing so she didn't think I was pure evil, and she agreed that keeping the dog secret from the boy would lessen the drama (ie: begging to adopt him).

That lasted a week.
So back to the boy and his excited question, "Is that who I think it is?"
"yes... his adoption fell through and I'm keeping him until I can find another home"

The kid got a look on his face like, "Maybe I can have him!" and I nipped that in the bud immediately.

"No. YOU are not adopting him. You can't even take care of your own dog."
To which the kid blanched and said, "I do take care of her, see?"-- pointing to the dog that he had just let out in the backyard.

I had already pushed it by telling him he didn't take care of his dog, but it was too late, I was on a roll and my desire to defend the sweet dog he has was too overpowering. I said, "But you don't walk her."

He said, in pure teen-boy manner, "I could walk her!"

"But you DON'T"

That's when he started looking very flustered and moved towards the gate to get away from me. I continued, "She'd like you a lot better if you walked her and developed a relationship with her."

Lost on him, of course.

He sulked away, no doubt to go inside and fabricate some story about how mean I am and that I insulted him.

I LOVE their dog. She deserves better than to be let outside every few hours (sometimes less) to pee in the backyard and then basically be treated like she's a huge nuisance. I get that she's big and that she requires work, but so does a 7 lb Chihuahua. Dogs take work. A LOT of work.

On that note, I need a nap. A nap sandwiched in between a hot little dog and a grumpy cat.

Napping

2011-07-17T10:48:00.000-06:00

Lookism

2011-07-16T18:49:00.001-06:00

Well, I've just been made aware that not everyone finds a tiny, scruffy dog adorable. I took him out today (he loves to go on trips!) and when he met a few people, instead of the usual "awww!!" and a readiness to give and receive affection, there were looks of mild disgust. Faces with expressions as if there was something rotten in the room.

Maybe it's because I found him in a desperate situation and maybe it's because I've seen how much Cesar Millan loves Chihuahuas (and anything Cesar loves, I love too), but I immediately thought Felipe was a tiny bit of heaven. How can anyone look into that wee little face and not love it?

I was looking for a photo of Cesar with a Chi, but found this one instead... look how handsome he looks! (you know he's my favorite)

The other day I met at woman who told me about her dog, a blind Pekingese. She said she was at the shelter and no one would adopt her, so she did. Then, in a voice with some semi-scary aggression in it, she announced that dogs are "GIFTS FROM GOD." wow. I immediately loved this woman. Come on, she adopted a blind dog and she's willing to fight you if you don't like dogs!

Felipe is still in my home and getting more and more comfortable every day. Friends insist that he's mine now, but I'm not really sure he is. I'm still looking for a good home for him. I love him so much and I think he's the best Chihuahua anyone could ever ask for, but for my life style and my energy level (ie: I feel like I'm managing more than I'm capable of as it is!), I don't know if it's a good fit. It makes me sad to write that and I actually tear up when thinking of saying goodbye to him, but I'm trying to be realistic.

Dogs are a huge responsibility. Now that I know him a little better, I'm seeing all his funny personality traits come out and learning what makes him happy, calm, excited, and bored. I can't hand him over to someone who won't ever walk him. He sees the leash and starts doing flips. He trots around the neighborhood like it's the best thing in the world. How could I deny him of this? And plus, he's super fun to walk! He's so little it feels like a deflated helium balloon is attached to the leash. Not exactly how my neighbor's lab/Rhodesian ridgeback feels on a leash.

I also don't want to hand him over to someone who is going to make him neurotic. He needs to be given boundaries so he's not yapping his head off or being too needy. So far he's been fantastic about responding to "no!" or even a stern, "hey!"

I'm pretty sure he thinks his name is Cutie, since that's what I call him all the time. ha ha! When I laugh he wags his tail, it's so sweet.

Tomorrow I hang a poster in the yoga studio in hopes that a yogi will want him. I've had to revise the poster several times so I don't sound like too much of a maniac (my demands on who can adopt him). I have a conscience, I can't deliver him to a home that will not be the best place for him. Until then, he will be treated to Spa Liz over here.

Taking a moment to have a hissy fit

2011-07-14T09:46:00.000-06:00

I just took my neighbor's dog on a walk and passed by the German Shepherd we always see... sitting out in the yard, full coat of hair, showing behaviors that only come out when a dog is left alone all day every day. The dog will be out later when the temperature reaches 100+ but do the owners let it in? no.

The city ordinance is that if there's "shelter" an animal is okay outside. Shelter?? You mean the plastic box outside that's shaped like a house? How about putting the owners in thick, fur coats and leaving them outside all day. Would that "shelter" be of much use? It's probably 200 degrees inside the dog house.

I'm livid.

We passed by and the German Shepherd lunged at us as we passed. When I rounded the corner I saw one of the owners outside mowing his lawn. I gave him the most aggressive evil eye I could muster but knew he had no idea why this woman walking a big yellow dog would be giving him the stink eye.

I spent the whole walk dreaming up ideas to shame these people, but in the end I had to be honest with myself and know that nothing will change... people are idiots. And for every dog I see penned up in a back yard all day and all night, there are plenty more I don't see. Tucked away in the neighborhood or behind tall wooden fences so the shame of the owners are not seen.

::::::

And now that that's out of the way, how about an update on Felipe?

He's doing very well. Henry has adjusted to having a little brother around and Felipe has become slightly less clingy. He'll actually sleep a few feet away from me when I'm working instead of trying to be glued to my side. He'd be very happy if I were a marsupial.

He's loving the back yard and likes to go bask in the sun even though it's like a microwave outside. So far I've found that he's actually house broken. No accidents and no marking. He holds it all night long! What a relief!

A few of my potential adopters have fallen through, but I'm determined to find the perfect home for him. Now that I know him a lot better, I feel like I know what kind of home would be best for him. Unfortunately, the longer I have him the more attached we get to each other-- potentially making it harder for both of us to let go.

And don't say, "You know you're keeping him, Liz" because I'm still on the fence! ha ha!!!

Doing everything wrong and hoping for the best

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-06:00

Before picking up Felipe from the shelter, I read a lot of information about Chihuahuas online-- how to introduce them to other pets, how to crate train them, how to house break them, their energy level, etc. I seem to only be doing 1/2 of the things the right way! Felipe is being kind and going with the flow of this cat lady trying to be a dog lady.

Fortunately, today I had a long lunch with my great friend Laura (of Metalsgirl) who knows a LOT about dogs and specifically Chihuahuas. She really helped because left to my own devices I'd be suffering from sleep deprivation very soon.

The online advice about crate training explained how to get a dog used to it... over time... but how about in a matter of hours before I need to go to bed and get some sleep without worrying that the dog isn't peeing on everything? I got Felipe to get into the crate with a little help of some tasty dog treats, but after shutting the door, he started making these awful, almost human-like whines that went straight to my heart. He looked at each wall of the cage in desperation and then whimpered very effectively. I knew I was supposed to ignore him, but knowing something and doing it are two different things.

I knew I was not only to ignore it, but also to not allow him out while he was whining (if I chose to break down and let him out). Well, how am I supposed to stop him? I tried to get him to a lower level of pathetic doe eyes and opened the cage.

And then, of course, it was right up into bed with me where he slept glued to my side all through the night. I woke up nearly every hour (sweating, he's a hot little animal) making sure I wasn't squishing his 6 1/2 lb body and also checking to see if he was still next to me and not off peeing somewhere.

At 5:30am I got up and put the leash on him for a quick pee trip outside. That allowed me to actually sleep a couple more hours without worry.

Tonight it's the crate, in another room, with a Kong filled with peanut butter and a mantra, "He's still more comfortable than at the shelter. He's still more comfortable than at the shelter."

Check out his little harness!

So far I've observed the following:
He really likes the way Henry smells.
He loves car rides.
He loves walks.
If I let him out, he will pee (and poop, which gets a mighty applause) and doesn't show too much interest of doing it inside.
He doesn't seem dog aggressive and actually looks like he might like some brothers and sisters.
He loves to be next to me AT ALL TIMES.

While I adore the affection of this little creature, it's kind of intense when trying to go about my daily life. Things have been put on hold for awhile and it's making me anxious. But my love of animals is over coming my need to get everything done on schedule.

I took this last evening. He still doesn't quite understand that Henry isn't into being charged, even if it's to say hello.

Felipe is not into toys, so Henry immediately took over his little squeaky teddy bear! ha ha!!

Felipe

2011-07-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

I'm so tired... only time and energy to post a few shots from earlier this evening. Felipe (yes, that's his name!) has been in the Bolsa Bonita headquarters for approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes. So far there has been a LOT of sniffing Henry's butt, eating, napping, exploring, and running around the back yard. Not a lot of barking, which is really nice. Hopefully not temporary. I took him on a short and brisk walk (he's super speedy!) hoping it'll make him sleep tonight. Wish us all luck...

watching Felipe run around in the yard (click to enlarge for full effect)

Felipe is 6 1/2 lbs. Henry is nearly 15.

Friends?

We'll see!

And his name is...

2011-07-08T16:59:00.001-06:00

The animal shelter called.

That's right, guess what's going to be in my house soon? The Chihuahua! They were going to kill him. KILL HIM!!!!! They said no rescue groups had room and no one came to adopt him. Since I signed the paper saying to call me, they did.

Tomorrow I go fill out paperwork. Monday he gets neutered and I pick him up.

Tuesday I wake up to my cat clawing out my eyeballs.

Actually, I'm working on my introduction plan. I'm not so much worried about the cat as I am the other dog... there's a lot of bossiness in this house between the animals, add a Chihuahua and it could be WWIII. We'll see.

My hope is to find a home for him, either through word of mouth with friends or a rescue group who can find someone while I foster him.

This is from the day I found him:

What is that face telling you? The shelter named him Paulie, but I associate that name too strongly with someone I know, so that's not going to happen. I like human names for dogs and tend to go for ones with a "y" sound at the end. Any suggestions?

You should...

2011-07-07T11:38:00.001-06:00

Make diaper bags
Make laptop bags
Make back packs
Add more pockets
Add more zippers
Add more snaps
Lengthen your straps
Shorten your straps
Make bigger bags
Make smaller bags
Make fanny packs
Make lunch bags
Make dog carriers
Make leather bags
Do custom orders
Have an Etsy shop
Stay away from Etsy
And please, could everything be under $5?

sigh.
So much is thrown my way! I'm overwhelmed most of the time. I try to keep up, I try to do what people want while maintaining my love for creating, but sometimes I just have to say no.

No reason for this post other than to lead into my current fixation...

Yesterday I called to check up on the Chihuahua (named Paulie by the shelter!) and was reassured that the shelter will do everything they can to find a home for him. On their site is the following video. Not exciting, but if you want to see a wee little dog wagging his tail and sending out "adopt me, please!" vibes, then this is the video for you! 31 seconds of tail wagging might be what everyone needs right now:

Cousin Ruby

2011-07-05T11:14:00.001-06:00

James... my favorite Meals on Wheels guy... he never lets me down! Every week he brings more smiles into my day!

One thing he always does, which still catches me a little off guard, is to say, "I have something to tell you!" making me think it's going to be personal. It's never personal. It's usually about TV. ha ha!! Today it was about an episode of Law and Order he watched. The conversation started with, "How do you feel about stem cell research?"

Um...
That's kind of like, "How do you feel about homosexuals?" or "What church do you go to?" or "What's your stance on abortion?"... tricky territory here in TX. I said I didn't know enough about it to make a solid decision (lie) but then sighed in relief as he went on to tell me how great it is and how it can help a lot of people. Then he told me about the Law and Order episode, play by play. At one point I forgot he was describing a television show!

As he went into the other room to turn off his smooth jazz I glanced at the little table by his tv chair and saw some photographs. I knew I would hear about them and I did. One was a photo of James standing next to a really tall man-- turns out he's a pro basketball player James ran into while getting his oil changed! ha ha ha!!!! He took a photo with him!! I love James!

When he picked up the photo to show me, I noticed that the one underneath it was of a woman in a casket.

oh.

Not wanting to ask, but really wanting to know, I just silently hoped that James would tell me about the picture. He did, of course. He picked it up and said, "This is cousin Ruby" like it was a portrait of her while she was alive and it's normal to have a photo of your cousin dead in a casket. He explained that she died a year ago and he had the photo out to give to his brother (??). He told me Ruby was a fine looking woman and she had all her own hair, "None of that fake hair crap". He showed me the program from the funeral where it had a nice picture of Ruby while she was breathing and she was indeed a nice looking woman.

The conversation ended as all the conversations have ended in the past month: a discussion of the movie Liar Liar. I have it here at home, I just haven't watched it! I promised him I'd watch it before next week. He came close, but he didn't say, "You'll laugh for three days!" he did, however, say, "Can you imagine if you couldn't tell a lie!?"

That was all the excitement for the MOW route today. Everyone was pretty quiet. There's one woman who is a little bit bonkers who gives me something different each week. Sometimes she's talkative and lively, other days she's distracted. Today she came to the door with the phone in her hand so she just took the food and shut the door. She has one of those eyes that goes way off to the side. I always wonder if people with eyes like that see more or less. Do they have super peripheral vision or are they only able to really focus out of the eye that points forward.

Wish I could ask her.
Maybe I'll ask James if he knows. I bet he does!

(still fixating on the Chihuahua by the way...)

No, you are not adopting a Chihuahua

2011-07-03T11:16:00.001-06:00

Help me! I've fallen in love with a dog that I really can't have!

Last night I went to the Town Lake animal shelter site to look for the little dog I picked up Friday. He was on the "found dogs" page and this is the photo:

I almost feel physical pain looking at that picture. I think I'm losing my mind.

I forced myself to read up on the breed to help me talk myself out of bringing this guy into my life. The pluses are that they're smart, affectionate, and bond to their owners. The downside is that the bonding can turn into a sort of territorial, "this is MY human" kind of attitude making it hard for other pets in the household. They also need a lot of attention (which would be fine if he was the only pet), can bark a lot (um, no thank you), and as with most dogs, there's a lot of maintenance that I really can't afford.

But...
He's so cute!!

Someone else in this house may disagree:

That's actually the one thing that's keeping me from driving down to the shelter and picking up the Chihuahua. Henry would not be happy and his happiness is what I live for, right? There can only be one prince in my house and that title has been taken.

I'm going to keep my eye on the little dog and hope that he gets picked up by another rescue group or is adopted directly from the shelter. The last resort, of course, would be adopting him myself... but surely others will see his greatness and want him just as badly as I do? Surely?

If you're in Austin and reading this, will you go adopt him and then invite me over for visits? ha!

A Chihuahua changes the day

2011-07-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish today, but found myself ditching most of them and having a doggie adventure instead!

After walking the neighbor's dog I headed out to Home Depot to get supplies to build a display rack (that's right... I'm handy). On a very busy street I saw something running and at first thought it was a squirrel risking his life in the middle of the 2 lane street filled with pick up trucks. I got closer and realized it was a little Chihuahua and it was running at top speed. I nearly caused a pile up because I put on my breaks, then turned on my hazard lights and jumped out of my car. The dog darted off down the street on the side walk. I tried to chase it but it was hauling butt.

Conflicted, I got back in my car and started towards Home Depot again. I got about 2 blocks away and decided I would be a horrible human being if I left that little creature roaming the streets. I turned around. I found him on a street that turned off the main one and got out again to try to catch him. He looked semi-interested but when I got close he bolted again. After a lot of running, a lot of backing up in my car and trying to coo at him enough to make him want to come up to me, I saw a man in his front yard noticing what was going on. He came to the rescue. The dog went into his yard and was sniffing around, pausing enough for me to watch him (he bolted when I got near) and for the man to get his dogs! He was pulling a total Cesar Milan by getting his pack to come out and help. And they did. It was amazing. The Chihuahua was very curious about the new dogs and they formed a circle sniffing each other. I was able to get close enough to grab the dog's collar. The man brought out a leash for me to borrow and the little dog and I were off.

The dog had a collar but no tags.

You can only imagine Henry's face when I opened the door and was followed in by a little strawberry blond dog. Henry likes dogs, so I knew he wouldn't do anything aggressive but he did give me a special glance. The dog sniffed Henry and Henry sniffed the dog. They kind of followed each other around the house for awhile so I decided to go run some of my errands and hope that Henry would be a good baby sitter.

I bought some dog food which he gobbled up and then I noticed he was covered in fleas. ew. I decided to give him a bath. ha ha!! I knew it wouldn't kill all of them, but maybe enough for him to stop scratching like crazy. He didn't like the bath.

I went to the pet store and bought some organic flea killer since it just seemed wrong to put poison on a tiny little dog that's barely bigger than a squirrel. It smelled kind of nice too, like perfume!

I ran into the neighbor's 13 year old boy when I got home and made the mistake of telling him about the dog. The boy went wild. He HAD to see it. I told him to meet me in the back yard so he could help me put the flea stuff on and take photos. He obeyed and despite it being a rather frenetic experience overall, he did help when I needed someone to hold the dog while I scrubbed him down and killed all the fleas!

Look at this face:

As the day went on the dog got cuter and cuter. His initial skittishness wore off once he realized he was safe and being taken care of. After a bath, food, water, de-flea-ing and loads of affection, the dog took a nap in the sun and dreamed, twitching and breathing heavily. He took his little paws and covered his face then stretched. I nearly squealed out loud. I had to say to myself, "You are NOT keeping this dog."

I got some advice from various friends and decided to take him to Town Lake animal shelter, the shelter run by the city which is not officially a no-kill shelter. There are tons of rescue groups in Austin, but they rescue from the Town Lake shelter, not directly (unless, I'm sure, it's an emergency). I was told that recently many of the rescue groups were adopting out at such a rapid pace, they were basically helping Town Lake become a no-kill shelter.

Okay.
I guess I can part with the adorable little guy and feel confident he'll be okay.

He happily jumped in the car and road in my lap to the shelter. When we walked in the staff all reacted very positively (because you'd have to have a dead heart not react to this...)

I filled out a form that would enable me to check up on him and adopt him if he was in danger of being put down. I would be shocked if I got a call. He's a great dog and seemed like he really wanted to be someones pet! He attached himself to me so quickly and wasn't too aggressive towards Henry. If they were to live together, Henry would soon show who's boss around here.

Why do people leave their pets un-spayed and un-neutered? WHY???? Because they want the animal to experience the miracle of puppy-birth? Because they don't want to take the "manliness" away from him? GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Spay!! Neuter!!! Come on, people! Get it together.

So that was my Friday. Work? hey, another day perhaps.

Good luck little Chihuahua!

True tolerance

2011-06-28T22:03:00.000-06:00

I have the movie, The Dilemma, paused at the moment. I'm working on a batch of silk screened purses and thought a good comedy would be nice. It's kind of dumb (Ron Howard, why have you forsaken me?) but I'm going to watch it anyway. I figured I'd get on the computer and write a little to break up the movie!

Today was Meals on Wheels and James was in good spirits, as always. He gave two thumbs up for the movies he rented last week (The Adjustment Bureau and Unknown). I told him I had Liar Liar at home, prompting him to say, "You're going to laugh for three days!!". ha ha ha!!! Then he said, "Can you imagine if you couldn't tell a lie?" which made me think about all the hilarious, truthful things James would say if that actually happened to him. He seems pretty up front, though, I can't imagine he's lying much.

Last week when I went to rate the movies I had watched, Netflix asked me two questions to help them better suggest movies for me. I've had questions like, "How often do you watch British comedies?" and "How often do you watch movies based on classic literature?", but this time it was "How often do you watch satanic movies?" and "How often do you watch movies with Satan in them?" Sadly, I had to check "often". Hope that's not scaring anyone. I can't help it. I like satanic movies.

I watched The Rite (suggested by James!) and it stunk. I mean, it could have been good... based on a "true" story and all, but it just didn't have good pacing. Unlike the Exorcist, where the movie made the audience feel like demonic possession could happen to them, at any time, The Rite didn't have that same scare factor. Yeah, yeah, some kids in Italy are possessed. Who cares. A girl in an apartment with her mother? In the United States? Now that's scary. Time to donate the Ouija board to Goodwill.

But anyway...
My topic for tonight is tolerance because I just read something on my neighborhood's list serve that made me cringe and smile at the same time. There's a business on the corner of the busy intersection down the street that also acts as a sort of bus station that is generally used by Mexican Americans to bus directly to Mexico and back. Some of the people in the neighborhood are having a hissy fit about it. I think some are concerned that there's no license for them to be running this particular type of business from that location, but my gut tells me there are just a lot of (racist) scaredy pants who think a bus load of Mexicans can't be anything but bad news.

Well, hey, I'VE ridden on one of those buses! Years ago I decided to try it and see if it was easier than driving to the border and parking in a secure garage and then walking across the border. I went to the location of the bus "terminal" (not the one in my neighborhood), bought my ticket and was loaded on the bus within minutes. It was chop-chop! No time for dilly dallying. I was the only white person! ha ha!! No one even blinked an eye at me. I loved it! Unfortunately, the trip took way longer than if I had just driven to the border myself, but it was definitely an experience I was glad to have had.

There was an email from the neighborhood "reporting" that she saw the bus pull in, but was at the red light so long she didn't have a chance to take a photo of the licence plate before the bus pulled out. So that means the bus pulled up and loaded, then left, within the time it took for her to be stopped at the stop light. Is this sounding like something that needs to be reported?

I think it's a difference between how people in the States view bus riding and how it's done in Mexico. In Mexico, it's a popular and well-run mode of transportation. It's an "every man" kind of travel, not just the sketchy people (sorry, that was a generalization, but if you've been to a Greyhound station, you have to sort of agree with me).

What made me smile, reading the emails from the neighborhood, was one written by a man near my block, who basically said, "um... I think I'm missing the problem. Can someone explain?" ha ha!

It has taken me almost my entire life to finally start to understand what true tolerance is and what having an "open mind" really means. Not that I always practice it, but I'm able to catch myself faster than I used to when making statements, judgments, or forming opinions about certain groups of people that aren't fair.

Recently I was semi-involved in a conversation between 2 people bashing Texas. Okay, well, you're living here aren't you? Why don't you just MOVE away if it's so horrible? And though I've been known to say things like, "Austin is the only place to live if you're going to live in Texas!", I've actually changed my mind. For me, yes, I can only see myself living in Austin, but that doesn't mean that I think the rest of Texas sucks. Texas is great! It's as diverse as any other state. There are jerks and there are wonderful people. Is there somewhere where only wonderful people live? I don't think so.

I may not agree with some of the dominant political views of the state, or have the desire to live in a tiny town or huge city, but I see all the people who desire different things and have different ways of thinking as adding to the diversity, not damage some ideal vision I have of my life in Texas-- or Austin. I don't want everyone to be the same. That would be annoying.

To help me to stop seeing others as Others, I try to see the common denominator, not what separates us. It's actually pretty easy (though hard to put into constant practice since it's actually easier to see how people are different and stupid). For example, the Meals on Wheels old guy who smokes over his oxygen tank and wants to print up a mini Constitution for me is a lot to handle sometimes, but when I think of his basic needs: someone to listen to him, kindness, and respect, I can connect and smile instead of wanting to run away. My reaction to him softens him and we start communicating on a different level... a more, dare I say it, human level. And it's nice.

And that is my message for today. I think it's time to get back to work and back to my movie!

too tired to do much but link

2011-06-27T12:59:00.000-06:00

The weekend was... !! Whoa!! So much going on. I'm whipped. I'll write about it soon, but here's a fun little article in the Texan (UT's paper) where I'm quoted! I told the cute, young journalism student to make sure she made my quote into English. ha ha!! I was so hot and tired at the festival I know it was part English, part gibberish. Anyway, here's the article:

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2011/06/27/city-comes-together-‘keep-austin-weird’

You'll laugh for THREE DAYS!!

2011-06-21T12:56:00.000-06:00

That's what James, one of my Meals on Wheels guys, keeps telling me about the movie Liar Liar. Every week I deliver his food, go into his apartment and talk to him while he puts the food in the kitchen, turns off his smooth jazz and the television (muted), and grabs his videos to return to Blockbuster. We walk down to the parking lot together and chat. I've grown to love him more than any of the other clients! He's so lively!

The man lives in a tiny, hot apartment that isn't really messy but more crammed. Neatly crammed. For some reason he keeps his folded clothes on the couch, like a dresser. Today I noticed a big brief case opened on the table full of medication. Despite his bleak living conditions and his illnesses, he is always upbeat, funny, and charming. We laugh and laugh about stuff and I leave wishing I could hang out with him a little bit more (but know better... since it would probably quickly turn awkward. He was, as you may remember, one of the many MOW dudes to put it out there that he's an available bachelor).

Today he told me about how he calls the cops on the guys who gather at the little creek behind his apartment and drink beer and pee in the creek. I think he can see them from his balcony. He said it makes him mad because there's a big turtle that lives in the creek and he doesn't need to be living in water that's full of beer and urine. ew! He described the turtle coming up to the bank and sunning himself for hours. He stuck his neck up and turned his face towards the sun saying, "He just sits like that for hours! He's a reptile, you know!" ha ha!! James, you're awesome.

Liar Liar is in my Netflix queue. I have no way out on this, I have to watch it. But who knows, I may laugh for 3 days!

I'm about to attempt to steal back some of my previous MOW clients. A couple months ago I developed nice friendships with two men who lived in the same apartment complex (they didn't know each other). One is young, mid-50s, but suffered a stroke so he's disabled. He's SO funny. The other one had neck surgery, but gets around better than the stroke guy. Both of them are nice and I really enjoyed seeing them each week. Suddenly, they were off my list.

When someone disappears off the list, it could be temporary, or maybe they don't need the service anymore (or they can't fund it). The two guys were replaced with two women who both live in an apartment complex right across the street from the men. Like a crazy person, I stare at the door of the neck surgery guy when I'm leaving the other apartment complex since I can see it from the road. Last week I actually saw another MOW volunteer at his door!! HEY! He's MINE!!!

So I'm going to call and see if I can get things switched around again.

Fortunately, there have been some who have disappeared from the list who I'm glad to not see ever again. The nut job named Kristmas is gone, the guy who drives his scooter on the street like it's a car and was never home is gone, and the man who smokes over his oxygen tank and thinks I'm a retired nurse hasn't been on the list lately.

I'm gearing up for the Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K happening this Saturday. Lots of sewing! Lots of squirrels!

Gerald, Jody, and walking a 13 year old

2011-06-18T11:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was wild at the Humane Society! Two cats pooped on me (yes, ON ME), one cat hissed at another cat while sitting on my lap and then sprang off to crouch in the corner hissing (and I had to pick her up while she hissed and put her back in her cage... scary!), and 2 cats got adopted during the time I was there!

The biggest news is that Mister (remember him?)

has a "Adoption Pending" sign on his cage! This is huge news. Mister is the longest cat resident at the AHS and needs a very special and patient home to go to. I heard that his previous foster family is adopting him. I hope they throw a party!

In the cattery I noticed a whole slew of cats marked with yellow dots on their cages, meaning they're Level 2... and meaning, I can't pet them. A couple cats I petted just last week were now on this "bad behavior" level and it made me irritated. I think because I know some idiot volunteer did something to make the cat aggressive (ie: the cat was bugged and probably hissed or took a swipe at the volunteer) and now is paying for just being a cat.

See how I always take the side of the cat?

Yesterday I witnessed a young volunteer jab her finger into the cage of a hopped up Level 2 cat as it swiped his paw at her with hate in his eyes. She was scolding him saying, "You're Level 2 because you play too rough!" and then continued to taunt him. Hmm... if I was a cat in a cage with a human poking her finger in at me and scolding me, I'd want to draw blood too. But then, I guess even as a human I can sometimes be a Level 2!

Gerald, the hilarious looking and sounding cat that I fell in love with last week, is now banished to Level 2. Look at this guy:

Come on, now. That is one cute cat!! He's huge:

His meow sounds like a goat with a sore throat and he responds quickly if spoken to. Yesterday I talked to him, he came up to the bars and then sulked back to his kitty bed. If he's around next time I go by the shelter, I'm petting him. I figure there's gotta be some grandfather clause that allows me to pet him since I pet him before he was Level 2. Right?

And then there were the poopers...
One was an adorable little boy kitten who was alone after his siblings were adopted without him, but that may have been due to excitement. Plus, he was adopted as I was there! yea!

The other was one of the sweetest little orange kitties I've ever met. Kyle.

Oh, sweet sweet Kyle!!! Before I looked closely at his cage, I was petting him and he was wanting to come out and be on me. I held him and felt something a little wet. By his tail. I ignored it because he was so gentle and sweet, especially for such a young cat (9 months old). We sat on the table and he rubbed up against me and wanted to be near me the whole time. As I picked him up to put him back in his cage, I felt the wet area again. When I reached in to put him safely back in the cage, I noticed a weird glop of something on my arm. ew. Then I noticed his cage and how it looked like the poor little guy had diarrhea all over it. I mean, even against the window. I changed his litter and tried cleaning some of the cage, but with a little cat scrambling around while trying to clean, it's hard. I asked the other volunteer about him and she said he had been returned for obvious reasons. So... is he always going to be a poopy cat or is it something that can be fixed? He's such a sweetheart, I hope it's something that will go away! Poor little guy!

Here's a quick shout out to another orange cat who is older, but adorable in his odd looking way:

ha! That's Miller. He's long and lean and purrs quietly while his eyes are half closed, enjoying an affection given to him.

I could go on about the Humane Society, but I'm starting to feel a little Crazy-Cat-Lady.

The other night I caught the re-make of The Amityville Horror on TV. When I was in 6th grade, I read the book and it scared me to death. I remember reading it under the sheets with a flashlight (of course) and then staring out my window into the dark backyard, knowing that I was about to see the demonic eyes of Jody the pig at any second.

Remember Jody? The demonic pig that the little girl would see and the family thought it was her imaginary friend until one of the adults saw the glowing eyes coming from the little girl's window? Why a pig, I have no idea, but Jody is integral to the story of Amityville in my opinion. How many ghost stories have demonic pigs?

And you know what? The remake of the movie changed Jody into the ghost of a dead little girl! Excuse me!!! Jody is A PIG.

To illustrate how Jody is so burned into my memory that 30 years later I still think about her, let me tell you about a night a couple years ago (which I've written about before, but I like to tell stories over and over). I was up late in my living room. The curtains over the back doors were open and the back yard was pitch black. When I glanced up, I saw two red eyes flashing at me from outside. My heart nearly stopped.

JODY!!!!!!!! I knew she'd find me eventually!

Can you believe that is the first thing that popped into my mind? Turns out, the glass was making a weird double reflection of the blinking red light on my iron, which was on the ironing board where I had been working on purses.

Walking a 13 year old:
I wrote about how I'm walking the neighbor's dog here (scroll way down if you choose to read it), and how eventually I'd need to teach their 13 year old to walk her so I didn't have the full responsibility for the rest of the dog's life.

This week I forced myself to start the process. I mentioned to the family that the kid was invited to come with us anytime he wanted to. I knew he'd need a little more of a push, so I mentioned the walks every time I saw the boy and acted like it was going to be crazy fun to go... which was hard work! I like my silent walks with the dog.

Today when I went next door to get the dog I said, "Do you want to come with us?" and he said, "Sure! Let me get my shoes." oh man. It's on.

Of course, the dog was crazy today, so happy to be out but also a little distracted by the kid. I talked to the boy about other things so he wasn't too fixated on his dog, but did manage to slip in some tips. We were only about a block away when he said, "Is there a shorter version of your usual route that we can take today?" ha. I told him yes and we cut through a street to get back home. I sent him on his way and the dog and I continued. She was on super good behavior once he left, of course!

I guess when you're 13, you don't like to do anything that feels remotely chore-like. This is going to be a long process.

By the way, I got into ACL again!!

A new day, a new cat to obsess over

2011-06-10T21:58:00.000-06:00

Today's petting session at the Humane Society was extra nice because I met a really nice volunteer who was actually SANE and, more importantly, the cats seemed to adore her. She was an older lady and was just talkative enough for me to like her, but not so much that I wanted to explain that part of the reason I love being around the cats is because they don't talk.

She had this awful looking cat--

in her lap at one point and seeing how much love she was giving the cat gave me hope that someone else would have a connection and bring her home.

Now, I know I shouldn't say any of the cats are awful looking, but come on. That is one scrawny, weird looking cat. Not that I don't love her... but I think she would even say she needs a make over. Poor Dawn, she's five years old and I suspect has had a rough life so far. She just needs love and affection so she can feel safe, start eating more, and eventually fatten up a little and not look so crazy. What I loved about her, besides the fact that I saw her step out of her cage so gently and curl up on the volunteer's lap, is that her eyes were shaped like the drawings of aliens everyone seems to draw after an "encounter".

She would close them half way as she soaked up the pets and they'd tilt upward on the ends. Very cute.

Speaking of cute..
Is it surprising that the kittens are adopted almost immediately? How could anyone on planet earth resist something like this:

Dillon. He was snoozing so soundly that I let him sleep and didn't do the selfish thing by grabbing him and forcing him to love me. His hair has an extra layer of fine, long hair that stands up all around him like a kitty hair halo.

Some of the cats I spent time with aren't on the Humane Society site yet so I couldn't grab their photos. Wish I chould. Gerald was one who definitely needs to go to someone with a great sense of humor. He's a big, pale yellow/orange cat with wide set eyes and a meow that sounds like a human trying to imitate a cat's meow. He pounded me with his head and his purring and I fell in love with him. I'm rooting for him.

I got hissed at today!! There's a huge, wild looking cat named Tiger who was really mad that I was trying to end the petting session. The cat below him kept sticking out his paws and trying to get my attention so I decided to end my time with Tiger. As I pulled back from his cage he hissed! ha ha!!!! He's a WILD looking cat. Beautiful, but maybe a touch of actual wild cat blood in him.

And then I saw this adorable creature:

She's like a miniature version of my dear boy, Henry–

She's 2 years old, small, pretty, and so affectionate and sweet I did actually consider bringing her home for Henry.

I just hit a button on my computer that made everything turn tiny. Like the font size is now 8pt. I'm too blind for this so I'm ending this thrilling blog entry and futzing with my computer to get it back to large print. ha ha!!

Happy weekend everyone!

A little bit of random

2011-06-08T22:36:00.000-06:00

I'm currently addicted to watching Men of a Certain Age, Ray Romano's new show on TNT. I know. Fancy cable show!!

I love Ray Romano. I can watch Everybody Loves Raymond over and over like it's some sort of weird security blanket because of the familiarity of it. I love shows where adult siblings fall back into childhood patterns of behavior, I think it's so hilarious. And, of course, I adore Peter Boyle.

So Ray Romano has this new show about 3 men who are childhood friends and now all in their late 40s. I won't bore you to death with the details, but again, it's the kind of show I love. Relationship issues with older people. The older I get, the older I like for the actors to be-- preferably a bit older so I continue to feel young.

I missed all of season one so I ordered it on Netflix. I got in a disk, ate up 5 episodes in 2 days and then realized I had just watched the second half of season 1 and the first half was still in my queue. duh. Of course, before watching season one I had already watched a few episodes of season 2, so I guess ultimately it doesn't matter what order I watch them in. How sad is that? I feel extra granny now.

I've had to buy a few episodes on iTunes because they're not available through Netflix or online. I hate buying tv, but I justify it by telling myself it's way cheaper than going to one single movie. For some reason the episodes take about 11 minutes to download, which seems long. I wait till the last minute and then try to hold my breath till the end. Sadly, I cannot do it.

Henry is looking at me and huffing. He just let out a woeful meow because he wants to play. Just a minute ago he was perched up on my keyboard but he got super annoyed when I started trying to comb out his thick coat. It's so dense because of the double layer of fur so the comb really tugs at him. He allows me to do it for awhile and then he bites me to tell me that's enough.

Now he's scratching at a mirror, looking at himself. ha ha ha!!! What does he think when he's looking at himself in the mirror, but also scratching at mirror? What a weirdo.

Uh oh, he's up on my desk again and looking at me. He's also batting things off of it and meowing in a very annoyed tone.

I better go.

Cypress Vanguard

2011-06-07T14:37:00.001-06:00

I'm in! (read about the shop here!)
The shop is full with new designers and I'm one of them... here are some pics:

Front room: By Jeannie Jewelry, Megan Summerville Fine Lingerie (gorgeous stuff...)

Back room... sunny and bright! Jenn Hearts Art, Foxy Fusion, Anne Marie Handbags, Savannahred clothing, LaLa clothing, and me... Bolsa Bonita! purses, jewelry, dresses!

Upstairs is still filling out, but so far there are awesome jeans by Toombas, purses by Sylvie Marie, clothing by Capa, clothing by Sixchel (sorry, no photos yet-- they're coming!) and hair accessories by Hair Candy.

We're planning a fun launch party to kick off the shop's new designer influx, so mark your calendars for Sunday June 26th! Tentative time: 10am-6pm.

I'm going to start posting my work schedule at the shop on my website so anyone who is interested in catching me there can know just when I'll be there! I think I'll put it on the retail page where the shops are listed: http://www.bolsabonita.com/informacion/retail.htm

Until then, I'll tell you:
this Friday 5--10-6
Fri June 24-- 11-7 (may change because the weekend is so packed)
Sun June 26-- 10-2
Sat July 2-- 11-3

Prepare to cry. In a good way.

2011-06-03T17:52:00.001-06:00

This is the sort of thing that makes me love Austin. People are good.

Today I spent 2 hours at the AHS and witnessed a guy look for and find a cat to take home with him. Tux. Sweet little black and white kitty with loads of love and spunk. I hope they get along and make each other happy!

I met a big fluff ball who immediately crawled in my lap and made himself at home. I found out that he's 8 years old! That's pretty old for the shelter-- most are kittens or cats from 1- 2 years. Some are 4 or 5, but 8? wow. He plopped down and proceeded to hiss and swipe at any other cat that tried to come up to me for petting! ha ha ha!!! Bossy! When I tried to lift him, he became dead weight. You know, he made himself as heavy as he could, like "No way am I leaving this comfy spot!" Eventually I got him off, but it made me laugh at how stubborn he was. I just went to the website to look for his picture, but he's not listed! Maybe he got adopted this afternoon!

There are some cats who are bouncy and loving from the get go and others who need a little coaxing and (probably) a comfortable, safe home for their personalities to really show. One of those cats is Molly. She's huge, she's 4 yrs old, and she's a little shy.

With the more reserved cats, I talk to them until I get a sign that my eyes will not be ripped from their sockets if I stick my hand in the cage to pet them. Some cats don't give obvious signs and I have to wing it (always ending with good results, I might add-- no blood yet). Molly let me pet her and slowly started to trust that I am indeed a crazy cat lady who is only there to make her feel good.

I always leave with a silent wish that all the shy kitties or ones who are freaked out by the noise and activity find people who see beyond their shelter personalities and bring them home to flourish.

Other animal news:
Several months ago I set out to fix a problem I've been anxious about for years. My neighbors have a big, athletic dog who is only put in the backyard and never walked. She's pretty much an indoor dog because that's where she's learned to feel comfortable. She's a Rhodesian ridgeback/lab mix so she's playful, goofy, powerful, and wants to sniff eeeeeeeeeeverything.

I've seen her in the backyard for years and knew she needed something, but didn't really know what (let me remind you, I am a CAT PERSON, I do not know -- did not know!!-- about dogs). Then I stumbled on re-runs of The Dog Whisperer and became enamored with Cesar Milan and his talents and super human gift to understand dog behavior.

Ahhhh... the dog needs to go for a walk! That's it! That's what was gnawing at me but wasn't clear. But then I had to figure out how to ask the neighbors if I could walk their dog. I love my neighbors. They're nice, they're always there for me, they look out for me, and we get along perfectly. I knew that they had no idea the dog needed to be walked because they sort of rescued her right after their 200 year old Pug died, and my guess is they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. They basically invited a small pony to live with them.

Anyway, I told them I'd like to walk around the neighborhood and it would be more comfortable doing it with a dog than by myself. I do feel a little weird just walking around by myself, and getting out of the house is imperative for my mental health since I work from home, so the request to walk the dog would benefit both of us.

They said "sure!" and handed me the leash.

She's never been walked.
NEVER
N
E
V
E
R
E
V
E
R

She's strong enough to pull a 3 story building down and her energy level is extremely high. I've never walked a dog other than my boyfriend's dog (which is not a powerhouse and doesn't have the energy the neighbor's dog has). I studied The Dog Whisperer and tried to remember all the techniques he teaches for establishing the pack leader (me) and for making the walk a structured activity.

The pack leader starts the walk and ends it.
The dog should always be beside or behind the pack leader.
No random stopping for sniffing or marking.
Calm, assertive energy!
Correct when needed, reward good behavior.

Well, what if the dog is so happy to be out of the back yard it's trying to rip your arm off? And what if there's no way you can out-walk the dog unless you're an Olympic runner (and even then, I'd like to see one try), and what if this is a dog who has never had rules, boundaries, and limitations (Cesar's words!)? And a cat person is trying to walk it?

Our first walk made me break out in a sweat because of the energy it took to reign her in. It was winter and I was in a heavy coat. I looked like I had jogged for 10 miles. We went about 4 blocks. But I had hope. I knew once I started this activity, I could never give it up, so I forced myself to believe it would get better.

Here we are after a walk where I'm sweating my butt off:

She gets hugged a lot, I can't help it. I also stop our walks to kiss her head sometimes. I don't even care if I look nuts. She's so cute!!

With the weather turning blazing hot (why did it go from the 70s straight to the high 90s?? WHY????), our afternoon routine has been disrupted. I haven't figured out the best time to do it (this is also based on when the family is home) so it's been erratic.

Yesterday I went to get her and she came out with a cone on her head. She has a hurt spot on her foot that she won't leave alone. I knew I should have taken off the cone and walked her, but I tried walking her with the cone. She looked so goofy I kept busting out laughing (I'm now the crazy dog walker in the neighborhood because I talk to the dog out loud and laugh often). She kept bumping into things and I know the cone was impeding her hearing. Poor thing!

I was bad today and didn't walk her, but tomorrow I'm going to take off that cone and give her a long, luxurious walk.

More tales of the dog will follow!

I guess I should mention I moved into a boutique downtown where I have a big display of my purses and will be working some in the shop! I know! I just write about cats and dogs on my blog, but really... business is happening!

The shop's name is the Cypress Vanguard and here's a little info on it: http://www.bolsabonita.com/informacion/retail.htm
I'll be working a shift Sunday from 10am-2. Come on down!

PS: all the cats in the last post have been adopted!! Whee!!!

The Charlie Brown Christmas tree dog

2011-05-27T16:08:00.001-06:00

Last week the Austin Humane Society rescued 150 dogs from an animal hoarder. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOGS. I don't understand how this happens. I was sick to my stomach thinking of the neglect those dogs suffered, but was happy to know they were found and taken from that environment.

Here's a photo from the AHS newsletter:

That's just one of the dogs they found covered in feces with its hair in matted dread locks and so neglected it could barely move. Some of the dogs had such over grown hair, their breed couldn't be identified. One dog was almost overlooked because they thought it was a heap of old carpet covered in feces. Then someone noticed it had eyes. No dog had veterinary care (obviously), was spayed or neutered, and they were all malnourished. What kind of person can live among 150 dogs, their feces, their sad eyes, and be okay with it?

Yesterday I went to pet the cats and noticed things were buzzing at the shelter. The cat area looked like it was taking 2nd seat to the dogs because of the huge influx of animals and what could only be an overwhelming work for the staff! I did my best to empty litter boxes and clean up. And love and adore the cats, of course!

Mister was in a bottom cage and had a batch of kittens above him. They were loud because they were wrestling and running around. He looked annoyed. ha ha!! Mister doesn't like kids either.

This big girl is one of my latest favorites (Shelley):

She is huge and her fur is so dense and soft she's like a bunny rabbit.

I made the rounds to all the cats and got to hold many who invited themselves to climb onto my shoulder and rest against my chest. It's heart breaking to see a cat who looks like maybe he wants to escape, but all he wants is to be held and petted. aw!!

While I was coming out of one of the social rooms, another volunteer had a dog on a leash who didn't look like she wanted to move. The dog looked like it was from the group recently rescued. She was... how do I put this... not an attractive dog. She looked like a kid who cut her own hair with dull scissors and her body hung low like a mother with a recent litter (or maybe many, many litters). The volunteer was coaxing her along so sweetly with treats and telling the woman with her that the dog probably didn't know how to be on a leash. Slowly the dog started walking. She didn't look scared she just looked like she needed direction.

Later on I was dropping off the dirty cat litter trays and had to pass by the back hallway where stacks and stacks of crates and cages were against the walls. There were piles of blankets and towels and it smelled horrible. I knew it was from the recent rescue. The volunteer passed by with the little dog again and I heard her tell a staff member that she had just been adopted.

It's things like that that make me feel as if humanity is not totally on a steady decline. If people are still willing to rescue the weak and the not-so-beautiful and see the little soul beneath it who just wants a safe home, then things are going to be okay. I told my boyfriend about it and he said, "It's like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree dog!"-- exactly!

I'll end this with some cute kitty pics:

This adorable kitty is named Spanky. He's so affectionate and soft, I love the triangle of white on his little face!

This is Belle, a long haired beauty who looks a little wild in the photo, but is very sweet.

If you live in Austin and are looking for a pet, please go to the Humane Society! There are tons of wonderful animals there waiting for you! Can't adopt? Donate!

Real de Catorce

2011-05-25T15:47:00.000-06:00

When I redecorated my bedroom I decided to find a photo that would make me feel great when I rolled over in bed and looked at the wall. I have a row of photos from various trips to Mexico that line my hallway, so I looked over each one and finally decided on a picture I took of the small town named Real de Catorce and moved it to the bedroom. I wish I had the digital file, but I can't find it.

I've been to the town 3 times, but I don't know if I'll ever go again. I was lucky enough to go before a movie was made in the town (a Brad Pit movie!), bringing attention to the quiet beauty of the crumbling town. Now I read that many wealthy Mexicans and Europeans have descended on Real and opened hotels and built homes. I'm happy for the people of the town because I know the influx of money and tourism will help, but I'm sad for me. ha ha!!

Many, many years ago I used to drive to Laredo, park in a secure parking garage and walk over the border with my back pack to the Mexican bus stop. From there I felt like the country was at my fingertips. The Mexicans know how to do the bus thing. They run on time and they go everywhere. First class is air conditioned, has a bathroom, and little tv sets so you can watch movies (often in English and subtitled in Spanish). It's been a long time since I've been so I don't know what it's like now. I doubt it's much different!

I could write a novel on my trips to Real de Catorce, but I'll just leave you with some photos I found on a disk the other night as I rummaged around looking for something. The photos and my descriptions are from the mid-90s and 1999. I'd be curious to talk to someone who has been recently to hear what it has turned into.

The town is dusty and quiet and is surrounded by mountains echo every little sound. Walking away from town, the sound of a donkey braying is par for the course. I love it. Donkeys are so cute!

The photo above is close to the one I chose to put by my bed. The one I framed has a large yucca plant in the foreground. The scene is from a path that leads from the town into the hills. It's a wonderful walk, obviously has a great view, and there are mysterious things along the way like old stone fences, structures that are long abandoned, and even a mine!

Above is the floor of the town's main church. It's dark wood that creaks in a warm and familiar way and is smooth from years of being walked over. If you click on the photo you can see it larger-- seeing that there are "doors" in the floor that allow panels to be lifted. There are graves beneath. On my 3rd trip, I was alone and was a little sick from a popsicle I had eaten from a street vendor (I couldn't resist!). I walked into the church and saw that they had stripped the floor. I don't know if they were going to stain it or paint it, but my heart sank. I don't like change. ha!

In the back of the church is a huge room with vaulted ceilings. From the floor up are ex-votos made over the years. My heart almost stopped when I walked in and saw them. They're so beautiful all together and tell tales of healing from sickness, injuries and other things in life that the saints helped families and individuals to overcome. There are odd things tacked around, like the braid in the photo above. Sometimes photos or other nick nacks. LOVE IT!!!

On the outskirts of town is another church surrounded by a high, stone wall with elaborate entrances to the field. This is one of them. It's such an odd and haunting scene to see ornate structures in a desolate landscape.

Here's the church... bleached a creamy white and standing like a sandcastle. It's one of my favorite things in all of Mexico. The graveyard goes all the way up to the entrance and the graves continue, flat, on the floor of the church.

The inside is airy and left open for all to enjoy. I never saw anyone there and I went several times during my 3 trips. The walls and ceiling are painted in water color like paintings. It's such a beautiful place.

Looking at my photos and remembering all the adventures makes me want to go back! Even if the gorgeous church floors have been re-done and there are fancy hotels (I can't imagine that.. the places I stayed were extra rooms families would rent out for dirt cheap). It's the kind of place you go to be quiet and enjoy the lack of hustle and bustle. Cowboys offer rides to the hillsides (which I did on my 3rd trip even though I was about to puke), donkeys bray, old buildings sit in rubble, and everything echoes off the hills.

The Rapture and other business

2011-05-24T15:28:00.000-06:00

On Tuesdays I deliver meals for Meals on Wheels. It's pretty much always an adventure and I've neglected to write about it! I started late last year during a time when I felt busy but also had a strong desire to give back. Now, I'm not some altruistic do-gooder, I'm actually pretty grumpy about a lot of things, but there are 3 areas where my heart melts: old people, children, and animals. In finding ways to volunteer, I had to assess my feelings about actually working with any of these vulnerable populations.

I love old people.

I love animals.

Kids bug me... so they were booted off my list of who to help (I know, that's so bad, I shouldn't admit it). I want them to be taken care of and I worry that so many are neglected or don't have the support they need, but someone else is going to have to pick up the slack in that area. I'm not a kid person.

A couple years ago, before I came to the wise conclusion that children are not the ones I need to help, I decided I was going to suck it up and become a Big Sister. You know, have a Lil' Sis who I can mold into a creative, self confident young woman. That was the dream. I got the application and started the process, but then found out their need was not one-on-one with kids, but going to a school and hanging out with them in the cafeteria. uh.... elementary school cafeteria??? THAT IS WAY TOO MANY KIDS FOR THIS GRUMP.

I politely declined. And felt horribly guilty for it.

In the past 6 months I was able to find my perfect volunteer opportunities: Meals on Wheels and petting kitties at the Humane Society! I love it. Even when it's hard sometimes, I love it. The key to finding volunteer work that you'll stick with is doing something you feel genuinely connected with, and for me that's serving a community of elderly people in need and socializing animals so they can find good homes.

So anyway, my current favorite guy on my MOW route is James. He waits for me with his apartment door open as he sits parked in front of his big screen tv. I say hello to get his attention and he always jumps up with an enthusiastic "hello Liz!" and then rambles on a little about what he was watching on television.

Today it was about the Rapture that didn't happen after all. He said, "I marked this so you could read it" and handed me a little Bible with print so tiny you'd have to have more than 20/20 vision to see it. I squinted and tried to find the distance from my eyes that would allow me to read it. As I held it at arms length, he handed me a huge magnifying glass. ha ha ha!!!!! We both cracked up. It was very handy! I might have to get one!

It was a verse in Revelation about how no one, not even Jesus (James made sure to point out), knows when the Rapture is going to happen.

Okay, so let me go back a little and let you know that James likes to talk about God and Jesus. A LOT. He usually has a t-shirt with something religious on it and wears a hat that also proclaims his love of God. At first I was a little skittish about it because religion is not something you just gab about with anyone, but now that James and I have a relationship, he seems to know when to cut off the Jesus talk and I know how to handle what he throws my way.

About the Rapture, I agreed, whole-heartedly, that no one knows what God is up to.

Now let me get to the real reason I love James: he's an avid movie watcher. He rents them all the time from Blockbuster and each week he walks down to the parking lot with me because he's on his way to turn in his last 2 movies and pick up more. He shows me what he rented and gives me reviews. Being a holy man, I figured his tastes would run fairly mellow. No way. He's really into action and he doesn't seem to mind if they're the bloodiest, most horrific serial killer movies!! It's crazy!! Today's movies set for return were The Rite ("They said it was supposed to be scarier than The Exorcist, but it ain't. Still pretty good, though, that Anthony Hopkins is good") and some hit man movie with a British guy who always plays a hardened criminal. ha ha ha!!! I love James.

Last week I jotted down a quick list of movies I thought he might like, including No Country For Old Men (being mildly worried he hadn't seen it, would watch it and then think I was crazy for subjecting him to Javier Bardem in that role). He loved the list, even though he had seen most of the movies already. He saw No Country For Old Men and said, "Oh man, that guy was evil!" ha ha!! Of course James has seen it...

He had jazz playing when I came over so I asked if he had seen the Ken Burns series on the history of jazz. He hadn't. He said, "oh I LOVE smooth jazz! That's all I listen to!" Oh wait, smooth jazz? ew! I seriously don't understand why anyone would listen to smooth jazz when REAL jazz is so great. But anyway, I doubt Blockbuster is going to have the 10 disk set, but I'm going to check on it for him.

Today I also saw a woman who used to be a co-worker outside with her pig (her pet pig of 11 years). Or should I say, HOG. This is not a little guy, it's not this:

It's this.

I told her next week I want to try to remember to bring my camera and hopefully catch her out in the yard again (she's down the street from one of the clients).

My next stop was Mr. Smallwood who I also love. He always compliments me when I'm wearing a cool t-shirt or a cute sun dress. Today I saw his cat outside and noticed she had a lot of red in her black coat. I commented on how pretty the color of her hair is and he said, "It just turned that way!" I said, "You mean, from the sun?" and he said yes, the sun bleached it... well... is that even something that can happen??

Then I walked back to my car and the cat was spraying my front tire.

Another woman I really like has a care giver who often opens the door. Both women are very nice and talkative. The older woman has a hard time getting to the door with her walker so I always know when she's there alone. It takes forever for her to answer. The caregiver looks a little like this:

Today I asked the caregiver about the dog in the house. The elderly woman has a long haired Chihuahua. I had no idea there was such a thing! It's super cute! Of course, I had to slip a mention of Cesar Milan into the conversation and found that she too is a huge and very adoring fan. We talked about how he's the smartest man on earth and how it's always the humans creating the problems. ha ha!! We also agreed that he's very cute. I almost died when she said, "I love catching the very beginning of the show when he says, 'I rehabilitate dogs, I train people'" I say that to my boyfriend all the time, in Cesar's accent.

There are two women (who don't actually look all that old, but it's not a requirement that you have one foot in the grave) in a large apartment complex. One always reads the label on the meal and comments whether she likes it or not. The other has a son who was at the door once and explained to me that the writing on the window (done in a grease pencil? or marker??) was written to the people who have broken into their apartment twice. I can't remember all it says, but I do remember the end where it says, "God Bless... you gonna need it!" ha ha ha!!

Last week I was at the most decrepit client's place (some sort of sad looking assisted living complex) when I passed a guy in the hall with an ankle bracelet. As in: he's under house arrest or something. I wondered how far this guy could actually go... I mean, it's not like that place is full of healthy people who could make a run for Mexico. I doubt the anklet is needed.

Today I found the old man in his room. It was dark because he had the curtain drawn. He was sucking on his oxygen and told me he felt really dizzy today. Poor guy. I know his medications make him feel rotten on top of the ailments that they're trying to help. He said he felt sick and mentioned his roommate was sick too and then nodded in the direction of the other bed. Oh! There was another man in there! He was sacked out. Or dead.

I leave that place every week and feel so bad for the elderly who end up in places like that. It can't be a fun place to live... or to go to die.

One of the next caregivers I saw smiled at me and simply said, "It's a good day."

Yeah, it is a good day.

The art of focus

2011-05-23T10:21:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I did a little trunk show in a gallery. It was fun meeting new people and catching up with other arty women I've known for years.

The pizza place next door opened at noon and I was there at 12:01 to get a slice and some ice tea. I walked in and recognized a guy I used to work with at the School for the Blind. We chatted for a minute and then he pointed to the wall full of art and told me one of the students was having an art show. I was nearly speechless as I looked over the body of work... a cohesive body of work, I might add, the kind of thing you go to school for... you know, learning how to find your style and producing work in a way that makes a statement. This kid is making a statement. He's visually impaired, not totally blind, so it wasn't like someone drawing in the dark. The drawings, ranging from small to nearly life size are like folk art that some gallery owner in NYC would discover and turn the autistic kid into a multi-millionaire.

I was floored.

I went back to the trunk show and raved about the work to the women set up next to me. When they went to grab lunch and check out the art work, they returned with forced smiles and "yeah, it was... interesting". ha ha!! No, ladies, it's fantastic. It's weird, but hey, not everything can be bluebonnets and windmills.

The guy I talked to actually works with the kid who produced all the drawings. He said they realized that the teenager was more focused, and more able to tolerate anyone talking to him if he was able to draw and produce art. So they let him draw, and draw, and draw.

I relate to this. There are certain things I do in life that completely occupy my brain to the point that anything that was stressing me out, making me sad, angry, or crazy just melts away in the background. It's a way to reset by being so focused on something that all else is put into perspective. My brain gets to rest while being completely single minded about colors, textures, and design. Those two things, the things that can take over my brain completely, are designing purses and redecorating.

My mind has been bursting with ideas for about a year now... so many I can't keep up. That's an ongoing thing, fortunately! Inspiration is a drug.

After my month of shows in April, I needed some serious R&R but was too wound up to just relax. So I decorated.

My plum bedroom, which had disintegrated into something akin to a college student's first bedroom in a rental house, needed a total re-do. Often when I redecorate, I don't plan I just go to the hardware store and find a color that calls my name.

For the bedroom, a deep, chocolate brown was saying, "yes, Liz... oh yes!" and so my bedroom is now chocolate brown (aka: Behr Spiceberry):

So cozy!!!

A trip to IKEA for curtains and my room was transformed from messy dorm room to luxurious, restful retreat. I hung the thick white curtains from the ceiling to give the room that luxury hotel look, and found dark velveteen curtains to cover the closet opening. I hung one of my favorite photographs from a trip to Mexico so that I could roll over and see it and have happy thoughts.

But why stop in the bedroom? The bathroom was due for a paint job too. And pink was on my mind (the color was hard to photograph... it's "Strawberry Yogurt" by Behr and it's yummy!

This is a James Brown poster I've had since the late 80s when I first moved to Austin. There was a time when incredible poster art was tacked up on phone polls around campus and I would grab what I could. This poster is advertising music and beer at a local club that's no longer around.

My poor plant. It's not supposed to be sagging like that, it's just very, very thirsty.

After painting, I hung my towels and discovered how dingy they looked! For $15 I bought some new ones at Target. They're white... which is hard to see since the pink is reflected on everything! The bathroom glows.

With a white sink, toilet, bathtub and tile, the bathroom looks so bright and girly. I love it. I love my new bathroom (tile floor is something I did years ago... nearly putting me in my grave it was so time consuming and tedious, but it looks cool!)

I was in heaven during all the redecorating. My mind was so focused on refreshing everything and making my environment a place to love and feel good about that it lessened a lot of the stresses in my life that had become almost too much for me to bear. I was able to face my busy life again knowing that I have retreats like my pink bathroom and chocolate brown bedroom!

Help, I'm in my 40s and don't know how to dress

2011-05-17T17:43:00.000-06:00

I woke up from a great dream the other night where I was trying on some sparkly, vintage baton twirler outfits. In my dream I was imagining how great they'd look worn as a top with a snazzy skirt over them. I wish I could remember exactly what they looked like, but they were cool... like this one:

See, that would look awesome with a skirt over it!

And that's what I was thinking about while I was still half in my dream state, but then I fully woke up and remembered that I'm in my 40s and the days of wearing costumes is long over.

Unfortunately the strong desire to wear costumey clothes is not over. This past year has been my year of forcing adulthood on my wardrobe. Before you get all, "wear whatever you want, Liz!" and "Who says you have to 'grow up'?!", keep in mind that I'm trying NOT to look like the crazy lady who makes squirrel purses. My tastes may be a bit eccentric, but I'm not arty and eccentric enough to pull off the look with true style. You know what I'm talking about, the older women who wear dramatic scarves and large, expensive jewelry handcrafted in a small village in Italy, or shifts with oversized sunglasses and head scarves... I'm not quite there yet. Another 20 years or so and maybe I'll wrap my head in a silk scarf.

I've been watching re-runs of What Not To Wear on TLC and studying their advice. Sure, it's a bit cookie cutter sometimes, but they do have some wisdom. Like how wearing clothes that are too young for your age actually make you look older (and sadder). This all hit home one evening as I mingled among women my age and slightly younger, and realized that I stood out... but not in a good way. I was wearing a cute vintage sundress that I've had for (gulp) about 15 years. It was hot out, my love for seersucker was in high gear, and since I don't often hang with... how do I put this... "mainstream" women my age, I was blissfully ignorant of my strange clothing choice until surrounded by wrap shirts and dark denim and stylish "mom" clothes. One woman, who I hadn't seen since college, told me she liked my dress but it had a message behind it... "You know, we're in our 40s now, it's not college anymore".

ha! I know, I'm kind of making that up in my mind, but it's what I had to tell myself after the evening was over.

I've done what the What Not To Wear hosts would approve of and started wearing cute jackets when it's not 1,000 degrees outside, and when I want to put on my psychedelic, homemade skirt with a t-shirt, I remind myself that I'm too old to be that funky. (and then sometimes do it anyway because why do the people at the grocery store give a hoot? At least I'm not wearing sweats and slippers in public).

I was at the Post Office once and noticed a woman at the counter who looked college age. She had on short-ish khaki shorts, a fitted t-shirt, and bleach blond hair, but something was off. I stared at her back trying to figure out what the deal was and then she turned around. Oh. Wow. The body looked 20-something, the face was definitely 60-something. It was shocking and freakish. I mean, that's great that the woman looks so good for her age, but to wear the same thing as a college student made her look freakish.

I do not want to be the mismatched body/face woman.

In April I did 4 shows and saw the opportunity to get myself in some cute, age-appropriate outfits. Unfortunately the weather kept me from wearing my awesome little jackets, but otherwise I think I did okay. Not knowing what the weather would be like from early morning till night for outdoor shows, I decided to do a layered outfit so I could peel away clothes as it got hotter. Somewhere I had seen someone wearing a belted sweater and thought it looked kind of snappy. I googled belted sweater and got this:

After I stopped laughing, I started thinking, "some of those are kind of cool!" and then got scared of myself.

Then I found this number:

Which is actually called a belted "blanket". What woman in her right mind wants to belt a BLANKET around her body?? If the gorgeous, tall, slim model looks like a circus tent then what hope do the rest of us have with this outfit?

That's a Calvin Klein belted blanket by the way... not some photo I found mocking belted sweaters.

Does she have her fanny pack under there or something?

But then I found the look I was going for:

Besides the schlumpy looking middle shot, the others look cute and polished and that's the look I want on my aging body while I still have a waist.

But then it was blazing hot in April and I didn't have to belt any sweaters after all.

While part of my plan is working and I'm considering more put together and age appropriate outfits, I'm also finding myself regressing in areas that I never thought I'd enter again and that is: wearing shorts.

Shorts make me feel queasy. Not shorts on other people, shorts on ME. If I jogged, I'd be wearing leggings with one of those cute jog skirts over them. I just can't tolerate shorts. Then I started walking my neighbor's dog in a neighborhood where wearing my cute sundresses and skirts (as I normally would when it's blazing hot out) beckons unwanted calls from passing trucks. I decided I needed to ugly-it-up and in my book that means slapping on some shorts. I found some at Target made specifically for my body type: small waist, big butt and thighs and was oddly ecstatic that they fit. I bought 4 pairs.

Today I wore a sun dress I made about 5 years ago from a vintage sheet as I delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. When I took it out of my closet, I had a moment of confusion. I love this dress. Yes, but it's kind of "young". But I love it. But should you still wear it? But it's white and sky blue and tomato orange and there are big happy flowers on it...

I put it on and got compliments from 2 of the clients! But to them, I AM young. ha ha ha!!!!!!

Oh, hey, I have a photo of me in the dress from years ago (another sad thing about wearing clothes that I've had for 85 years, they show up in photos over a period of time where the dress is the same but I continue to age):

Now that I've written this crazy post, I don't have a way to wrap it up other than: I'm trying. Really, I'm trying. Age Appropriate is hard.

Move over Cesar Milan, the cats are coming to town

2011-05-16T17:42:00.002-06:00

I stumbled on a show that's trying to be like The Dog Whisperer, but with cats!! I'm thrilled! The guy is, of course, not as fabulous as Cesar, but he's okay. I don't see this show lasting long because how many times can you tell people their indoor cats just need to be able to look out the window?

I watched 2 episodes (back to back! very thrilling...) and shook my head as I saw a guy holding a big, potentially cranky cat in his lap like a baby. Dude, that's not how most cats like to be held, especially if they're already glaring at you. The cat was still for a moment, making the guy think he liked it, and then he jumped off his lap with a little clawing action for good measure. And then the guy threw up his hands to the cat whisperer and said, "see!? He's bad!" NO! YOU are bad, mister cat hater!

Another guy would grab his poor cat as soon as it came into the room, wrestle with it, scrub it down on its belly like it was a dog, and then wonder why it growled at him and scratched him. Dogs are dogs, cats are cats. Why is this so confusing? The cat whisperer gently told the guy that with cats it's best to let them come to you and show you how they like to be touched and petted. Most don't love to be man handled.

It made me think of the crazy Level 2 Cat people I've encountered at the Austin Humane Society and how they often do things that I would never think a true cat person would do. Like drag an ornery cat out of its cage and try to cradle it. Does he look like he wants to be grabbed and then cuddled against his will?

(just try it, human)

A couple weeks ago I met a nice woman who introduced herself and told me she moved to Austin from New Zealand a year ago. I asked if she had volunteered with animals in NZ and she said no, that she signed up with the Humane Society because she thought it would be a good way to meet people. I immediately pictured all the weird volunteers I've come in contact with and laughed. I said, "I know this is kind of rude, but you're the first normal volunteer I've met!" She laughed and said, "Yeah, not everyone is very easy to talk to..." and then I added, "And they're super weird!" She said, "So weird!"

Is that where I'm headed? Will I be old and weird and not be able to relate to humans any more and only want to go in to the AHS and boss around the cats in my tan "Volunteer" t-shirt?

I told her my encounters with the Level 2 Weirdos and she admitted that the cat she had in her lap, who was eating up the attention, was in fact a Level 2 cat and she is only a Level 1 volunteer! ha ha ha!! She said they had a special relationship... and it was obvious they did (that cat, by the way, was adopted the next week... I wonder if she's living with the NZ woman!?)

On Friday I had my 2 hour visit with the cats where I met a Henry look-alike (with the same glint of higher intelligence in his eye) and a kitten named Templeton. I'd show you a photo of the kitten, but he's already in his new home! Aww!!! He was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. Gaw. No wonder people can't resist kittens. He woke up when I opened his cage, stretched with a cute little meow/yawn and wobbled over to me so he could cuddle up as I held him. He's going to grow into a big orange kitty-- his paws were already sturdy and thick!

So here's Xavier, distant cousin to my dear Henry:

Unfortunately, Xavier is on the Level 2 list so I can't pet him. I thought about it, I mean, would anyone know unless he clawed my eyes out or something? The New Zealand woman did it! But I chickened out, being a "rules" kind of person. Maybe this week, Xavier!

Here are some of my favorites right now:
Chloe, who is only a little over a year old but had a litter of kittens-- she's tiny and has enormous eyes. Look at her little mustache!

I hope that irresistible face lands her a home soon.

Then there's poor Jack who has been there awhile. His glamour shots don't do him justice... he looks... well, he looks like he's a little drunk. And about 900 years old. See?

He has the glossiest black coat and is the kind of cat who comes right over and sits in your lap. I love him.
Oh, and check out this cat--- her name is Pinky because she's PINK. For real!

And if someone is looking for a cat who is very vocal about wanting some love, there's Murdock. He called out to me the whole time I was in the Cattery and went wild as I pet him.

There always has to be a bizarre cat, and now that the snaggletooth William is in his home, the bizarro cat is Telly Two Smiles.

The poor guy must have gone through something rough because one side of his face is pulled up so that his teeth and gums are exposed. Like TwoFace in Batman:

Despite the "smile", he's a handsome cat and very affectionate. Poor guy!

I have yet to meet this orange and white kitty, but I can't wait... this is Peter!

Oh my god. How can I resist that face? He better not be Level 2! I'm petting him anyway. shhh.

And speaking of Level 2 cats that I adore, don't forget Mister. He's still there and he's still giving me the eye:

I guess I better talk purses for a bit.

I've come out with the cutest bunny purses that I just posted on my site! They're in the Hipster style and I'm having a great time with silk screening and fake fur!

I'll be at the Gallery Black Lagoon this Saturday from noon to 6 with a bunch of other vendors. Come on out! Free snacks and booze! And cute furry bunnies!

(by the way-- as usual, the photos I posted of the cats were all taken from the AHS website! I visit it often because I'm in training to be a weird Level 2 Cat person)

I've seen 1,000 faces and I've rocked them all

2011-05-07T10:14:00.001-06:00

What a ride the last few weeks have been! First Dallas, then two weekends in San Antonio and another in Dallas!
One of my many compilation CDs I burned for my road trips was an 80s, early 90s music collection. I cheesed out. What can I say, I love the music from that time (I think everyone has a special connection with music they knew in their late teens and 20s). I've never been a huge fan of Bon Jovi, but I added a few songs just for fun (and to be honest, I kind of love them now). When I heard Bon Jovi belt out, "I've seen a thousand faces and I've rocked them all!" I laughed to myself, thinking I feel exactly the same way, Jon.

It's too much to report all the details at this point, but I'll share some photos. First, I'll recap Fiesta Arts (April 9 &10th):

I have done a lot of shows over the years, but have never been a vendor (or exhibitor, as we are called in an ART show) in a full fledged, juried art show. I'm more of a craft show vendor because what I do is more craft than art. I do, however, feel that my craft is artfully done, so I'm thankful that the Fiesta Arts jury saw that and invited me to the show.

San Antonio is a city with history, culture, art, and a bustling community of people who embrace color and fun. They respond to my work differently than any other city and I always look forward to meeting new customers when I'm in SA.

For the Fiesta Arts Fair weekend, we experienced a preview of summer... that is... it was SWELTERING. The exhibitors around me, all from Northern states, poked fun of me for being so dramatic about the weather since they figured I should be used to it. Well, yeah, when it comes in JUNE, not mid-April. It was in the 80s the week before and now the weekend was in the mid-90s? That's a dramatic shift that is noticeable, even to a Texan.

Set up was Friday, which was wonderful... hours and hours to tweak and perfect my booth. My boyfriend drove down from Austin to help make my weekend feel like a mini vacation on top of all the work. Dinner at Green was one of the highlights of the weekend! YUM!!! He opted for the healthiest thing on the menu, and I went for the worst. Being vegetarian doesn't mean it's all about green stuff. If it's fried, I want it!

Cutting to the chase, here's my booth:

On Sunday my Mom surprised me by showing up with friends! They drove to San Antonio from Comfort... it was great to see them. My mother took this photo of me... she said, "Now look to the side!" which made me laugh--

Here I am with my Mom:

If I had written about this show right after it happened, there'd be a LOT more... but I'm too late.

on the next: King William Fair! April 16th.

WOW! I love the KWF, and every year I see returning customers who make the fair even better. I had a new booth location that turned out to be great. Here are some photos:

Shoppers who see me every year-- they're picking out purses for an Italy trip they're planning! I love it!

As usual, people bring out their dogs and dress them up for the festivities!

I love that guy... he's stuffed into a child's Guayabera shirt and even has his own medal!

With a huge booth (10x15!), perfect weather, and friendly neighbors, I can't say a single negative thing about this year's show. Only one jerk! Amazing! She insisted I was losing business by not making my Ziptote straps long enough to put on only using one arm (she suggested this in a rude way, not as friendly advice-- which I always welcome). Well. Maybe so, but I'm too adamant about aesthetics and for that style, the straps would look absurd being long. Sorry lady. Move along.

Two weekends later, I found myself in Dallas again for the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash. I went from having a 10x15 booth to a 6x8 booth. Oddly enough, I kind of enjoy the challenge of making different displays. The show was on a Saturday, and instead of killing myself by getting up in the middle of the night and driving to Dallas Saturday morning, I chose to indulge in a little R&R Friday and put myself up in the Hotel Indigo downtown. All I wanted was rest, pizza, TV, and my book.

Not bad for a "fancy" Holiday Inn, right?

JUST KIDDING!!! That's the elegant and absurdly expensive bedroom display at the Museum of Art (the Wendy and Emery Eves Collection which is TO DIE FOR)

But I was happy with my little room in the historic building that was renovated for a "boutique hotel":

Cozy!

I drove into town Friday early afternoon, dropped off my stuff in the room and walked to the Dallas MOA. Gorgeous, sunny day, glistening buildings all around me, and excitement about seeing a bunch of art.

After walking through the dimly lit Stickley exhibit, I headed off to see ancient art... which I love because there's so much mystery around the ancient past!

Much to my delight, there was an Egyptian sarcophagus on loan with mummified feet sticking out.

I took a photo of this sculpture, on the edge of the ancient Greek area, and was tsk-tsk-ed by a museum employee because the sculpture is on loan and I wasn't supposed to take photos of anything not in the permanent collection. Oops. Well, here it is!

ha ha ha haa!!!! Naughty naughty!

I suddenly felt very, very tired and headed back to the hotel. I shot this on the way back... whenever I see colors that inspire me, I try to take photos to remember for purse designing:

I love that frosty blue/green with brick red.

After an accidental nap (I really just wanted to rest my eyelids), I woke up and needed pizza. I drove to the pizza parlor that I go to whenever I'm in town for the Deep Ellum Arts Festival and they remembered me! HA!!!

A long, hot shower, pizza in bed, TV, and reading about the Mitford family was my night in Dallas.

Saturday was the show and it was a great little shindig. Very well organized, well attended, and in an awesome building that used to be an old Sears Roebuck (or so I heard). Here's my wee little booth wedged in between two friendly and talented vendors:

April, you were a hard month, but a great one.

Now for the most important news of all:
William and Liam were adopted and now live in homes where they can be loved!

Good luck, handsome kitties!

Kitty therapy

2011-04-20T18:13:00.000-06:00

I now have two shows I need to blog about since they were both fantastic and I have a bunch of photos to post, but I have to write about the kitties first.

This month has been so busy I feel like I almost don't have time to breathe. I had to email the Humane Society and let them know that I was not ending my volunteering but would be MIA for a few weeks. Today I started my catch up. I decided my penance for not being there for the cats would be that I would not only spend hours petting them, but I'd clean out their litter boxes too. ha!

I really can't describe the feeling of spending 2 or more hours petting cat after cat and feeling the love they give back. It's a high that I feel fortunate enough to have found! I was happy that some of the cats I've gotten to know have been adopted, but I missed seeing them!

I immediately went to my newest favorite, Liam. The last time I saw him he was brand new to the shelter and scared. He wasn't eating and took some coaxing to get out to let me pet him. Once he did leave his little bed, he was all love. This time I noticed a note on his cage saying he was shy. He is shy, for the first 2 seconds, and then he turns into a love machine who butts his head against me and can't get enough petting. I noticed he was the only one with a covered cat bed- like a padded igloo. I guess they wanted to give him a safe hiding place. Oh- here his photo from the AHS website:

Sweet guy! I hope someone finds him and takes him home! He needs to get out of his igloo.

I also visited Mojo, another cat who has coloring close to Liam's:

Even though this guy is over 2 years old, he has a kitten-ish enthusiasm and practically rolls out of his cage trying to get as many pets as possible. ADORABLE!!!!

While in the Cattery (the room where all the cages open up into the center while visitors can see the cats through the plexiglass sides of the cages), I encountered two Level 2 Cat people. I'm beginning to think a prerequisite for being Level 2 is to be super geeky. An older man and woman walked in with their volunteer shirts tucked in tightly to their high waisted pants and looked like they were ready to get down to Level 2 Cat Volunteer business. The woman immediately went over to Mister, my secret favorite even though he's a handful. I'm NOT allowed to pet him. He's almost beyond Level 2. I've posted photos of him before, but here's a refresher:

He looks like he wants to kick butt, doesn't he?

When I walk into the Cattery, he's always staring straight at me. I'm lured over to his cage before any of the others. All I can do is talk to him, so I do. He eventually starts rubbing against the bars and taunting me with mischievous cuteness. I tell him I can't pet him, but boy, if I'm Level 2 and he's still not adopted, I'm definitely going to have a go at petting Mister.

So Level 2 Cat Geek goes over to his cage and opens it up. I can't watch. I hear hissing and growling and the human saying things like, "Why do you have to be that way, Mister?" ha ha ha!!!! Maybe he doesn't like the way that tan t-shirt is tucked in so tightly to the tan pants!

His cage has signs all over it saying things like, "Mister needs a LARGE litter box" and "Mister needs to have his scratching post, please do not remove" and of course there's the warning that he is only to be handled by Level 2 Cat Volunteers.

The volunteer gives up and goes on to another. Meanwhile the guy she's with has decided to extricate another Level 2 cat from his cage. I hear growling, like "I'm going to KILL YOU" kind of growling and glance over to see the cat spread eagle on the guy's chest, claws on either shoulder and on his torso. The cat's face is right in his and it's mad as hell. WHY do volunteers try to take the cats out of their cages???? I do not understand this. It's pretty easy to tell which ones will be willing to be held, but even then, I go slowly. It's an intense environment with a lot of barking coming from the dog area and a room full of cats in cages. Sometimes all it takes is for one to see another one while out of its cage and it starts to growl.

Of course, you know all of my self righteous mocking is going to come back and bite me in the butt when I eventually get my Level 2 Cat training and face the level 2 cats myself. I'll probably have Mister rip my eyeballs out on my first try at petting him.

I made the rounds in the Cattery and then headed off to the social rooms in search of the wonderful William (aka: Snaggletooth). I didn't find him until the 3rd room, but it was worth the wait. The cats in the other rooms were, of course, all incredible. I walked into the first room and sat down in on the bench. I started talking to the cats and three of them came over, like I was the Pied Piper! ha ha!!! Two brothers, little yellow cats, and a sleek black cat surrounded me for all the pets I could dish out. They kept walking over each other and hissing at each other, but no one wanted to be the one to leave.

In the 2nd room I met this girl, Velvet:

Not only is she a beautiful calico (the photo doesn't do her justice), but she's sweet natured and affectionate. Her coat is SUPER soft, thus the name. If you want a calico, go get her!

Speaking of calicoes, I forgot to mention another one of my quiet favorites, Tori.

For someone looking for a mellow, loving cat who has a hilarious face and a gorgeous body, this cat is for them!

Finally I got to see William. Remember William, with the big tooth that sticks up from his bottom jaw?

The little orange kitty with the jade eyes and the soft fur? I love him! I played with him some and then turned my attentions to a little cat I hadn't seen before, Bianca:

She crawled in my lap and snuggled up for some petting. Again, I was thinking, "how can people NOT like cats?" Yeah, I know, there are the Misters of the cat world, but even then, you gotta love his big personality!

A cat I've known since I first started volunteering demanded some attention, so I gave it to her. Her name is Lovey and I honestly can't believe she hasn't been adopted.

She beautiful, she's social, she's gentle, but she's almost aggressively affectionate. While petting her, I had my face close to hers (okay, I kiss the cats, probably not what I'm supposed to do, but they let me so why not?). She started licking my whole face with her sand paper tongue. She was grooming me! Then she got her tongue caught up in my hair so I had to stop. Plus, her tongue was so rough I felt like I was getting microdermabrasion. It almost hurt.

Reluctantly, I left the Humane Society, but plan on going back Friday. I have a lot of hours to make up for! And... I can't wait to see the cats again!

April Shows: Dallas #1

2011-04-11T18:10:00.001-06:00

The Deep Ellum Arts Festival was a week ago, but so much has happened since, I feel like it was months ago! I'm so behind in my reporting!

Deep Ellum is a crazy part of Dallas that has a flair, if you can call it that, which gives the free street festival a vibrating energy. The crowds were huge, every breed of dog was out with its owner, women walked in towering shoes, children in strollers, children running wild, the Hari Krishnas did their "parade", the Hug Box was out giving hugs, and the weather was sweltering. What happened? Where did spring go?

oh right.
It's Texas. Why don't I know this by now?

Well, here I am in my booth, wearing a long sleeve shirt because I was in denial that the weather report would be accurate.

Set up Friday went well, but it was long... hours and hours of setting up "shop" and then sitting in the booth as the festival opens for the weekend. Fridays are usually slow at this festival. As a fellow vendor said to me, "Fridays are 'why?' days". ha ha!

Saturday started off great with breakfast tacos and coffee delivered, a coolish morning, and everyone looking a little more rested than the day before. I was ready for my day of meeting interesting and nice people (and not so nice, see below). Check out this cute photo of 3 young purse lovers!

(I'm taking photos to keep me from freaking out that they were grabbing my silk bags and one had a lollipop)

For shows like this, I keep a notebook where I jot down funny things I see or hear people say. The following is what I recorded over the weekend:

People are nice:
A chubby little Spaniel plopped down in the shade of my booth so I took the opportunity to pet him and talk to his owner. She said he's about 7 years old and that she found him a year ago wandering the streets. He had a broken hip, worms, and was starving. Though she had no intention of adopting him and tried to find the owners, eventually she fell in love and decided it was okay the owners were never found. "Too bad, he's mine!" She said he's turned out to be a great dog. I love stories like this!

People are funny (but not always on purpose):An older woman was flipping through my bags and said, "I'm looking for peace signs." I told her I didn't have any prints with that symbol and she said, "Peace signs are what the kids want."
ha ha!!! I must be out of the loop.

A woman admiring a squirrel bag asked, "Do you just kind of make them, or what do you do?"

A little girl complaining to her mom: "I'm hot!" Her mom said, "Pour some water on your head" Little girl said, "No! I'm not going to do that! I like to pour it down my shirt!"
(not a bad idea!)

"Where do you get all your colors?"
huh?

Woman casually strolling the booth: "I lost my son and husband, but I'm enjoying the solitude."

Vendor next to me who has teenagers: "I forgot my earrings at home. I was too busy cooking and screaming!"

Funny stories customers told me:
"If you see a woman in Austin chasing squirrels in her nightie, it's my sister. She's afraid they're going to get run over by cars."

After watching a woman put on her glasses to see I mentioned how I need my reading glasses to see anything anymore. She said, in a thick, syrupy Texas accent, "Oh I know, I went to the doctor because I thought I had an eye disease, but he just said 'No. Age'"

A woman shrieked when she saw one of my squirrel bags and said, "My boyfriend talks to squirrels. He makes a little sound. His friends make fun of him."

Two friends, who I could tell had been friends for awhile, were discussing the convenience of across-the-body style straps on bags. One woman said, "My dad wears a 'man bag'" Really?? "Oh yeah. He wears it on the plane in protest. He doesn't think it's fair that women get an extra carry on! He's in his 60s, he's a farmer, and he wears his 'man bag' with his overalls." (by far my favorite story)

I was chatting up one woman who told me about how she and her family had just been out taking pictures in the blue bonnets (In case you're not from Texas, this is kind of a traditional thing to do when the bluebonnets bloom... usually making for a lot of kid pictures where they're squinting in the bright sun in a sea of bluebonnets on the side of the highway). She took out her digital camera and showed me a photo of her daughter. The she clicked to another and said, "Oh, and look at this little girl... she was so cute... I don't know her, though. We're just in everybody's business!" Only in Texas do you take photos of other people's families and get away with it.

Most obnoxious person (because there ALWAYS is one):
Marching in from the street, straight into my booth without pausing till she gets to the back and is standing 3 feet away from me, a woman yells, (yes, yells) "... NOT FOR SEVENTY DOLLARS!! MY COACH BAG COST $70!" And then she turned around and marched out. Holding my tongue, but irritated, I snapped a photo of her.

So, come in my booth and insult me and I'll post a photo of your butt on my blog, okay? Nice barbed wire tattoo around your upper ankle, it goes great with your Coach bag.
And besides, aren't real Coach purses a lot more expensive than $70? Maybe she should have yelled out, "My FAKE Coach bag cost $70!" hmm... that doesn't sound as good.

Anyway...
Fortunately 90% of those I meet are sane and nice. The other 10% fall under slightly insane and/or rude. ha ha ha!!!

I haven't written anything about my new love of dogs, but I'll get to it eventually. I've slowly become a dog lover because of getting to know my boyfriend's dog over the years, but the intensity really increased when I started watching re-runs of The Dog Whisperer. I can't get started on it now or the blog entry will be 2,000 words longer, but let me just say:

Cesar Milan is the smartest man alive.

I love him. LOVE HIM.

People would be standing outside my booth with their dogs and I'd try to lure them in just to pet the dogs! I think a lot of people mistook it for a vendor trying to sell her wares, but really, I wasn't that interested in the human attached! HA! I did get some good pets in, though. Look at this little cutie:

When the sun set and the temperatures cooled, there seemed to be hope for another day of surviving Texas. I took this shot of my booth next to the artist beside me (I was fortunate to be surrounded by very talented and very friendly artists!)

Over all the show was a success even though it was extremely hard. Long hours, heat, bright sun, lots of noise, and all the work it takes to be "on" for hours and hours, really took a toll on Sunday. I had a headache all day long and by the end I felt like I was about to collapse. I packed my car, cranked up the a/c, put in my Moth Radio podcast, and got on the road. While stopping for gas, I decided an order of large french fries from the Whataburger and an ice tea from the gas station might be just what I needed. Guess what? It worked! All I needed was a dose of caffeine, some grease, carbs, and lots of salt! It's my new post-show-fatigue remedy!

My next show in Dallas is April 30th and is one day and INSIDE. Hallelujah. Come see me if you're in the big D!
Handmade Bash 11am-5pm 1409 South Lamar, Dallas TX.

Coming soon... my report of the Fiesta Arts Fair in San Antonio (fabulous!)

Meals on Wheels and More

2011-03-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

I've been volunteering for Meals on Wheels for about 5 months now and when I see the official name, "Meals on Wheels and More", I laugh because the "and More" has such a special meaning to me. Like, it's MORE entertaining than I guessed it would be! It's MORE insane than I ever thought it would be! It's MORE heartbreaking and maddening and delightful. It's just more...

The clients change ever so often, so I'm not delivering to the same people I started out with. There are a few that remain the same, but others who have dropped off the list (possibly because they were on there temporarily while healing from surgery, etc). I had to learn to let go of my attachment to certain people because I have now learned that they don't always stay on the list.

I had a group of men who I really loved because they all had big personalities, were kind, funny, and fun to talk with even if only briefly. They're all off my list! Wah!!! I miss them. Replacing them were a few people who took time warming up to. For awhile I would see Tuesdays as "delivering food to grouchy old people", but things are starting to look up. The grouches are softening and I'm getting used to some of the odd balls.

Today a man who kinda sorta asked me out (!! dude! You're old and I'm delivering meals to you!!), mentioned being a truck driver in the past. I asked him about it and he said, "come on in, I want to show you something!" Before you get all scared for my safety, the apartment is teensy tinesy, the guy is old and I could over power him if I chose to, and he is genuinely a sweet man who is probably lonely. So he brings me inside over to a bookshelf where there are two framed photographs. One is a picture of him, as a younger man, standing in front of a cement truck! Love it! Then he points to one on a lower shelf and says, "see who my partner is?" I see a young man standing in front of a truck and a super imposed picture of a glowing Jesus!!! He's standing by Jesus!!!! oh man. I'm loving this guy. I do have to keep him a little at arms length because of his enthusiasm for my "beautiful smile", but he's okay. I just interrupt him when I sense the conversation going towards something weird.

Last week I had to sub out my route because I had jury duty, so I was flattered that a few people mentioned missing me! I wonder who subbed? Hopefully they were nice to my people! I will admit that it's not always easy being nice to them, but I try to remember that some are very lonely, some may be in pain, and some are just old and irritated. It's not ME they're reacting to, it's life.

I had a small, white haired woman, who reminded me a lot of my grandmother, on my route for awhile. When I first met her she was about to start chemotherapy. She was very sweet and seemed to enjoy seeing me. Through the weeks, her health took an obvious downturn as she lost her hair, looked more and more tired, and took much longer getting to the door. The last time I saw her she looked very upset and said, "I want this to stop. NOW." I was kind of confused so I asked her if she meant she didn't want the deliveries anymore. She said, "Yes. Stop it." and then handed me the meal back. I said, "You don't want today's meal?" and she said, "NO. I want it to STOP." It was very upsetting.

I'm sure she feels rotten. The chemo is obviously very harsh on her and what was once a nice thing to happen during the day-- lunch delivered by a person who would say hello, get her mail, and talk to her a little-- is now too tiring for her. I know that when I feel bad, I don't want anyone around, even if they're there to try to help me feel better. No. Go AWAY! So I get it... but it still felt bad.

So yeah, there's a lot MORE to Meals on Wheels than driving around town delivering hot meals to shut ins. It's an emotional roller coaster that I subject myself to because I know the people need help. To smile and chat with the decrepit man sitting in his scooter smoking a cigarette over his oxygen tank and griping about the government is not something I love to do, but since I figure so few people would give this guy the time of day, I might as well suck it up and be friendly. Maybe it'll give him one less person to hate in this world!

Kitty bliss

2011-03-25T14:28:00.000-06:00

Fridays are usually my Humane Society day where I spend 2 or more hours petting cats. It's one of my favorite times of the week!

Today I brought my snap shot camera in hopes of getting either a video or a close up of one of my favorites, William (aka: Sir Willow Snaggletooth). He is a DOLL. He was also nowhere to be seen so I figure he's either in the back having something done to him (what, I have no idea) or maybe there's an event this weekend and they're rounding up the kitties to show off out in the community.

I took advantage of having my camera and snapped a few pics of new cats to add to the photos I grabbed from the AHS website. First I met Patrick, a very sweet and loving guy who acted like he was right at home with a human giving him loads of love (photo from website, not me):

come on! Look at him!

How could anyone pass him up?

The most exciting thing that happened today was that I got to meet Mister, who has been in the back since I started volunteering. Mister is the cat who's lived at the shelter the longest because he has a .... let's say, "big personality". Poor guy!! He looked right at me the moment I stepped in the room and I went over and talked to him through his bars (I'm not allowed to pet him because he's a "level 2" and sometimes even "Staff only" kind of kitty). When I looked into his face, I recognized the fiestiness that I see in Henry's eyes sometimes. It can be too much for a lot of people, and I can understand how a person who wants a calm or always-affectionate lap cat kind of kitty might be put off by Mister. I immediately fell in love with him. He rubbed and rubbed up against the bars and talked to me a little. He kept his eyes on me the whole time I was in there. I was DYING to pet him. Here he is in his online photo from the Humane Society:

And here he is today, rubbing his face against the bars!

There was another volunteer in there with me and she was cracking me up because she was insisting on trying to turn all the cats into lap cats. I guess since Henry is not a cat who loves to be picked up, and doesn't spend time cuddling on my lap, I tend to think most cats don't enjoy being in that position. If they act like it, sure, I LOVE having a cat on my lap, but if not, I'm not going to force the poor animal. This woman was grabbing them from the cages and sitting down with them. It was so funny! Some liked it, some were put back in their cages pretty quickly. She was more daring than I.

Another guy I met was Jack, a sleek, black cat with eyes that looked like flashlights being turned on simultaneously when he opened his eyes:

He was so comfy in his bed, I just let him lounge as I rubbed his head and watched him blink his beautiful eyes.

Luke, the cat who likes to hide out under his bedding, is another of my favorites. I don't think he's scared, I think he just likes his fort. I don't grab his bedding and whip it off of him like I've seen a couple volunteers do... I mean, come on, would you like someone to rip off the roof of your house while you were sleeping in bed? I don't think so. He's very sweet and loves to be pet, it's just that he needs a little time to come out. Here he is peeking out:

And here he is after some petting where he was trying to ratchet up the "cute" to get me to pet him some more! (which of course worked!)

One of the new males is gorgeous-- white with brown markings and eyes that cross in an endearing sort of way. He's a total lover and his name is Johnny. Once you start petting him, he flops down and rolls around like it's the most wonderful thing he's ever felt in his life. I bet he's adopted soon... who in his or her right mind could resist this sort of enthusiasm for love?

The newest cat is named Liam. He's a big dark orange and white cat with big eyes. The note on his cage said that he's new and shy and isn't eating. It's suggested that he's given some calm attention and maybe it would coax him to eat. I talked to him for awhile until I could tell he was okay for me to open the cage. Once I started to pet him, he went crazy with affection, ramming his head into my hands and even my chest. He'd let me pet him for awhile and then nibble on his food-- just a few bites, but I was happy to see any eating at all. He then smelled the wet food and gobbled down the last few bites. Then back for more head-ramming petting. I spent some time with him since he's new and probably nervous about his new surroundings. He's going to be a great pet for someone, I hope he gets adopted soon! Here's the photo they have on the website:

Look at that big face! Aww!!! Liam needs a safe home!

I went looking for my favorites who hang out in the social rooms, but saw that one room was closed, one room had a single cat, and the other had a few people in it already. I went in to see the lone kitty, Popeye. wow. He is a freaky looking cat, but over flowing with affection. He must be a certain breed because his limbs are much longer than a normal cat and his skin was funky- kind of wrinkly. He had some fur issues going on too, like it was spotty and only long in some patches. He immediately jumped in my lap and curled up.

Here's a close up of his sweet little face:

(Blogger isn't letting me post the photo the right way so you're just going to have to turn your head to see him!)
Look at those loving eyes... he needs a good home!

Unfortunately, that weird body of his is going to repel some people...

He can't help it! His personality makes up for his unglamorous looks.

In the other room, I met a woman who was about to adopt this kitty, Rosie:

The woman was so nice and obviously a cat lover. She told me that 2 years ago her cat died at the age of 22 (!!) and it's taken her this long to get over him and find a new one. She said Rosie seemed immediately attached to her, so she wanted to adopt her. Rosie was loving on her and then gave her a lick on her hand as she said goodbye and went off to fill out paperwork. It was kind of thrilling meeting the woman who would be giving this sassy kitty a new home!

Can you tell I'm obsessed with the cats at the Humane Society? I LOVE going there and spending time with them-- they give me so much positive energy it makes me feel giddy!

Fortunately I have my own handsome dude to come home to and shower with love....

Happy Friday everyone-- go pet a cat!

Civic duty

2011-03-23T14:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had jury duty. I was summoned, and I was picked. I've never served on a jury, and though I was slightly intrigued, I also couldn't help thinking of all the WORK I had sitting at home. Come on, people! I worked for the State for close to 11 years and was never called for jury duty. During my state employment I would have been paid and I would have had a chance to skip the daily drama of the School for the Blind. But no. They call me when I'm self employed and my time is actually 1,000 times more valuable and no one is paying me to be out for the day.

But whatever. The experience turned out to be so Seinfeld-ish, it was worth it.

Twenty or so people showed up and were put in a small room with chairs and pews. Yes, like church pews (is this a Texas thing?). The old woman next to me was sketching out what looked like house plans on a tiny notebook, and a young guy with braces sat on the other side of me. Being in a closed room with a ton of people, and having a super sense of smell only leads to one thing: being very uncomfortable. Fortunately the young guy smelled strongly of soap, so I scooted close to him and silently thanked his mother for bringing him up right.

We were all put in a certain order and shuffled into the courtroom to be asked questions by the judge and lawyer. The first questions had to do with our eligibility. One strange looking man started making a fuss about being self employed and how he was losing money. Hey, so am I, okay? Stop your griping. The judge reminded him that the case would probably be taken care of by late morning (it was already 9:45-- we had been there since 9 am). But of course, this guy had to raise his hand anytime something was mentioned that might eliminate a person from serving. Everyone was silently, but still obviously, sighing and rolling his or her eyes when his hand shot up.

The lawyer started asking questions about how we all felt about "non-physical barriers", which brought on a collective, "huh?" She gave an "example", which was clearly what the case was about, and explained that it could mean something like the painted lines on the ramps getting onto and off of the freeway. You know, that long triangle that's supposed to guide you into merging into traffic? Well, you're not supposed to cross it unless you want a ticket. Some people brought up how, if it's raining hard, you might not see the markings. okay. Well, wonder if it's not raining? What if there is so much traffic, and everyone is going over the painted lines, and you can't see them? hm... okay, well, you're still breaking the law. Then they wanted people to raise their hands if they felt this situation would make it difficult to penalize anyone for breaking the non-physical barrier. All the men around me, and myself, raised our hands.

We were then put back into our original room to fill out paperwork and to wait and see if any of us needed to be brought back in for further questioning. I got called. Of course.

The lawyer wanted to know if my opinions about the lawlessness of crossing the non-physical barrier would affect how I would make a decision as s juror. I said no, even though I will cross that painted part when trying to get over the 3 lanes to get to my street from the off ramp of the interstate. Then she asked if it would affect how much I would decide to fine a person. I said, yes, it would... I would probably be lenient, depending on the situation. I thought for SURE this would get me out of it.

No such luck. I was chosen with 2 other women and 3 men.

We were put in the jury box and introduced to the other man in the room... the defendant who was defending himself. oh brother.

I'm not sure if the lawyer and accused need to watch more courtroom tv shows, or less, but obviously they both felt the need to be dramatic. And while the judge explained that we would never sense how he felt about the case based on his facial expressions, he managed to practically mime out his every thought. During the whole case, he rolled his eyes, raised his eyebrows, sighed, lolled his head over to the side like, "I can't believe this is happening" and looked at us with amusement. I had to stop looking at him at one point because I couldn't take it any longer.

So the case was:
A guy in a Hummer (seriously, I heard that and thought, "GUILTY"!!!), crosses over non-physical barrier during rush hour and gets pulled over by a traffic cop whose sole purpose is to be out in traffic looking for aggressive drivers. Seemed clear cut to me. But no, the defendant swore on his "son's life" that he did not do it... and he had a witness! Yes. His billy bob friend was able to describe how he was a passenger and yet had his eagle eye on the road the entire time and his friend/boss did NOT cross that line.

sigh.

The woman lawyer said "objection!" so many times the judge looked annoyed. Meanwhile the defendant bore holes in her head with the hate beams coming out of his squinty eyes (while giving the juror puppy dog eyes).

The cop was there too, and he had to draw (shakily) a diagram on the dry erase board about how things went down. He was calm and direct. He had been a police officer for 19 years and spent much of it on street patrol. When asked questions that would have gotten a very spicy response from someone like me, he would just calmly reply.

"So, are you sure you didn't mistake his car for another that actually did cross the barrier?"

"Well, it was a white Hummer up on big tires, so no, it was easy to keep track of."

Basically the guy was driving a monster truck.

While I did believe that the driver believed he did NOT cross that line, I believed the cop more. People do mindless actions all the time or things done so often they don't realized they're doing them. Years ago I had a car that got flat tires constantly. I became the fastest flat tire changer in the world. I talked to the guy at the garage and he asked if I hit curbs a lot. huh! Puhleeze, I NEVER hit curbs, and told him so. Then I realized, after this being brought to my attention as a possible reason for all the flats, that I actually do hit curbs. On a daily basis.

So this guy probably goes over that line every day and thinks nothing of it.

There was much discussion about speed, length of the barrier, and time of day. All were different, according to the cop and he defendant. The cop was saying the barrier was at least 200 yards. The defendant claimed it was 50-75 feet. When asked if he meant "yards", he said, "Yards? I don't know what a yard is, I only know feet". There was a hushed pause as everyone probably wondered how this guy functions in daily life.

I think he felt he was being tricked. Actually, I know he thought this because he said, "You're trying to trick me!" when the lawyer was asking him to specify on some mundane fact of the case. He also mentioned it being "tricky in this room", making me think he felt like he was being manipulated to look guilty. Dude, it's traffic court. No one is tricking anyone.

We were finally ready to deliberate, which I felt would go quickly since it all seemed obvious to me. Wrong.

The three men and I were all ready to hand over a guilty verdict. The two women were not. We discusses and hashed out the details and the reasons we felt we believed the police officer more than the guy, but the women held out. We kept asking them, "Other than seeing an actual video of the event, what other evidence would sway you to come to a guilty verdict?", and got the answer that we all needed to remember that a person is "innocent until PROVEN guilty" and that there was no proof. Again, this is traffic court... no one is going to jail, no one is getting a felony on his record. Relax. He jumped into traffic with his huge, monster truck Hummer and got caught. End of story. All the proof we have is the cop's story. Maybe he made a mistake, but I'm willing to side with a man with 19 years of experience, who was looking for aggressive driving, had a calm demeanor, and had no reason to lie rather than a guy who admitted, "I usually just pay for my tickets". hmm... how does your insurance feel about this recent ticket, I wonder?

One of the 3 men was an older man, very well dressed and soft spoken. I looked to him to be the voice of reason. He managed to re-word the same idea in 6 different ways to try to persuade these women that the information we were given would be the only proof and that's all we had to go on. He turned to one woman, the dufus of the group, and asked, "How do you feel about this? Guilt or not guilty?" She exclaimed, "I don't like to judge people!" and we reminded her that for now this was our role and we all had to make a decision. Then she said, "Well, I can't decide because I don't want to make any judgments" and the older man said, "You should have brought that fact up during jury selection because we have to make a decision".

After re-hashing the case, she blurted out, "I don't believe in the death penalty!" The older man and I met eyes and had a silent conversation about how idiotic this woman was being. The guy next to me, who had earlier leaned over and muttered to me, "He didn't know what a yard is..." and we both whispered, "GUILTY!" and busted out laughing, said, "No one is going to die in this case."

After an hour, we called in the woman waiting outside the door and told her we could not come to a decision. She left for a long time and finally returned, telling us the judge wanted to speak to us. By this time, the next case was in the courtroom and it was 1/2 full, all eyes on us as we filed in to the jury box to be mildly scolded by the judge. He basically told us that we HAD to make a decision and that those in the minority should seriously consider the judgement of the majority. He didn't say it outright, but he meant, "Please, for the love of sanity, come to a decision about this ludicrous, tax payer-money-wasting case."

Back in the deliberation room, we went over things again. The one woman was really holding out. Miss Against-the-Death-Penalty caved. Finally, after offering her some sort of deal about finding him guilty but giving him a low fee, she rolled her eyes and agreed.

It was now 2:30 and we had been there since 9am. The man was found guilty and his fine was $10.

And that is my day of jury duty story.

Meeting new cats

2011-03-20T16:26:00.000-06:00

This week I've been to the Humane Society twice to pet kitties. One day I was so stressed out, so out of my mind because of over stimulation, that I went right over to the AHS and pet the cats for an hour. It was very calming. Those cats are like a drug!

Great news!
Kenneth and Sunny were both adopted last week!

Today I met a few new cats, many of which were what I like to call, "the weirdos". I love the weirdos. Like Sir Willow Snaggletooth (who has been renamed "William"-- I guess they worried the name might not help him get adopted!). Remember him?

Awwww!!!!! He is a darling cat who would be in my house immediately if I could stand sharing my love (which I can't. Henry is the prince, after all). If anyone in Austin is reading this and wanting to adopt a cat, I would suggest checking out this funny-toothed kitty. He has big, clear jade eyes and a mellow disposition for his age (not even one year old yet!). He's a lover, too.

One guy I met today was sort of sitting like he was in a recliner in the corner of the social room (where several cats live together). His name is Mojo! His eyes were kind of half closed like he was drunk and he was skinny and gangly. See, look at cute Mojo (photo grabbed from the Humane Society website)

I talked to him until I could tell he was totally up for some petting. When I started to pet him, his body quaked, like he was being given an electric shock. At first I was worried he was scared, but then realized, no, he's just a weirdo. He rubbed the sides of his mouth against me, trying to get his scent on me, and then he started doing it with his mouth open. I've never seen that before. I knew he wasn't trying to bite me, but I'm afraid others might misinterpret his weirdo behavior. I hope not! He was funny!

Another little guy I met was not the most attractive cat I've ever seen. On top of that, he was a weirdo. Meet Toby: (oh, and, I hate to say this but he's better looking in this photo than he is in real life! I know! I'm so bad... but hey, it's true. Not everyone can be as handsome as Henry)

When I pet my own cat, the fabulous Henry, I can tell when he's very relaxed because he's extra soft and pliable. When he's more tense, or alert, I can tell his muscles are tighter and he just feels harder. This kitty was like a rock with a little fur on him. He didn't meow or purr, so I wasn't sure he was enjoying my pets until he finally flopped over on his side and pushed his head into my hand. This is the sort of cat that I hope a special person will find and see that his qualities are a far more subtle than the cats who flash their emerald eyes or sing to you and purr like crazy. I bet he'll turn into a sweet little guy when he finds his home. Toby, I'm rooting for you!

One of my current favorites is Luke. He's a gorgeous cat but he loves to sleep under his bedding, so you never get to see him! His cage looks empty! Here's a photo...

Gorgeous, right? And so, so sweet. I love the boy cats. He was out today so I got to pet his whole body and not just his head peeking out. I don't think he's actually hiding out of fear, I think he just likes to be in his little fort. Hey, I don't blame him!

I can't wait to get the newsletter telling which cats have been adopted! It's so heartwarming to know the cats I've had the chance to meet are now cuddled up in someone's home and being loved.

April shows galore

2011-03-18T09:44:00.005-06:00

Hey!
Do you live in San Antonio or Dallas? Well if so, you're about to be barraged by Bolsa Bonita! I'm doing 2 shows in each city!

Here's my calendar:
Deep Ellum Arts Festival
Dallas, Tx
April 1-3 2011

Fiesta Arts Fair
San Antonio, Tx
April 9,10 2011

King William Fair
San Antonio, Tx
April 16 2011 10am-6pm

Handmade Bash
Dallas, Tx
April 30 2011 11am-5pm

I've been working on new bags and will be showing them off at all the shows listed above. In May I hope to put a bunch of new work on the website for those who don't live in Texas!

Random news from my life!

2011-03-04T19:15:00.004-06:00

I just got home from my first 2 hours of volunteering at the Humane Society and I feel like I'm on some sort of feel-good drug!! I got to pet and snuggle with about 15 or so cats. whee!!! free love!

About a month ago I realized that what I thought was a hub of the main Austin Humane Society is actually THE Humane Society and it's about a block away from my house. I looked at their website and found that there's volunteer work that basically boils down to petting cats for 2 hours a week. I immediately signed up. I had to go to a general orientation and then a specific Cat Level One training (which was kind of basic and hilarious, but not everyone can be cat experts like myself. ha ha ha!).

Now that my training is complete, I'm ready to pet away!

There are two areas to visit and play with the cats. One is the "Cattery" where they're all in individual cages that open into one small room. Only employees and volunteers are allowed back there. Each cage has the cat's name, age, and description hanging from it. I'm a Level 1 Cat volunteer, meaning I can't play with any of the cats that have yellow dots by their name. They're the ones that have potential "behavior problems" or some other issue that requires more training. I, being a self described cat pro, scoff at this, but I will follow the rules and wait till I can get my Level 2 training.

I walked into the room and was alone except for about 30 cats. A lot of them were sleeping. Others just looked at me. As soon as I started to talk to them in that cooing voice all animal lovers do, some of them started to speak up. Some rubbed against their cages, others stuck out their paws. I went over to the first one who vocalized and took her out of her cage.

We're allowed to take them out if we want to play with them on the table. It's sort of odd because the table looks like the type that would be in a lab, with a sink at one end-- not the type of area I would normally put a cat on to play with it. There are a couple carriers on the table that are used if you want to transport the cat to another room. Honestly, I forgot where else we can take them so I'll leave that information till next time when I can ask someone.

I just realized I can snag photos from the website so you can see some of the cats I met today! (You're probably clicking off this blog right now, aren't you?)

The cat, Ella was a full grown kitten, lanky and soft with a glint of mischief in her eye.

She explored the table and then we played with a toy. Then back in the cage. I made the rounds from cage to cage, opening them, cooing, petting, talking, and wondering how anyone can NOT be a cat person.

What's fun about cats is that you can make them talk to you by talking sweetly to them. One cat let out the funniest, hoarsest meow that led me straight to her cage. Meet Ms. Martini:

Adorable!!! Look at her crazy face!
She has the skinniest long tail ever! Very vocal in a way that might not make everyone want to adopt her, but so sweet.

This one almost made me adopt on the spot:

He's a big, male cat who had a much more mellow feel about him than most of the other cats who were young and ready to roll. His name is Peanut. I know he's resting in his cat litter in the photo, but don't judge him for that. He's a big, burly, sweet guy. Like my Henry! (but of course, no one compares to Henry's greatness).

Check out Sunny:

He was rubbing up against me like a maniac and pushing his head into my face. His coloring is so cool... his eyes match his coat almost exactly. He's super skinny because he's a teenager, so it was funny to feel his little body trying to hurl its weight against me when I'm used to my cat who weighs nearly 15 lbs.

When I walked in to the Humane Society, I thought that 2 hours was going to feel like a long time, but once I started petting kitties, time flew by! After about an hour and 15 minutes in the Cattery, I ventured into the visiting rooms, where a number of cats roam free together.

There are 3 of these rooms, I randomly chose the middle one. Inside were 7 cats, all sleeping. I started talking to them to see who would respond. One little guy raised his head, stretched, and came right over to me. We had a love fest for awhile and then I sought out another sleeping cat. When this one raised his head, I knew I was looking into the face of the cat described as having "interesting teeth". His name is Sir Willow Snaggletooth. His bottom fangs are as long as his top fangs, and to make it even weirder, one of them shoots out so it's actually outside his mouth even when his mouth is closed! Look!

Darn, you can't really see it. It's on the right on this photo... disguised by his white hair. It sticks out FAR. So far that when I was sitting on the ground, I felt him rub up against my back and his snaggletooth sort of hooked into my jacket!

Then I met Kenneth.

A true lap cat. He came up to me with pure, open love and plopped down right in my lap, pushing his body into mine and wanting to rest his head in my hand. He has a little black coloring on his mouth, making it look slightly open all the time and giving him a hilarious expression. He sat in my lap as a couple of the other ones circled my body looking for pets.

I pet the sleeping ones and then decided to go into another room full of free roaming cats. When I walked into the hallway I was met with a dozen Boy Scouts. They were being divvied up to go into the petting rooms. I watched as Kenneth was approached by 4 young boys and kind of wanted to scoop him up and save him from their boyish energy. I'm sure he was fine...

I realized I had been there for 2 hours already, so I left. There will be plenty of time to pet the cats in the future!

I'm pretty behind in writing about all the fun stuff in my life, but I'm going to try to catch up before it's just way too late. I figured I'd start with the Humane Society news since it's not too out of date!

Purse news:
I've been silk screening like crazy and hope to have some super cute bags made up for April. I have 4 shows on 4 weekends, all in San Antonio and Dallas. Shows are great places to introduce new work because I get immediate feedback on the designs. I can't wait!

Hope everyone has a fun weekend planned! I might have to slip over to pet the cats again! ha ha!

2011 and spiffy new walls

2011-01-02T21:20:00.009-06:00

Hey!
Hello?
I'm here!

While my boyfriend visited his friend in Houston over the weekend, I holed up in my house and completely re-decorated my office. I can't think of a better way to spend New Year's Eve... gazing at my glorious new office. I actually finished it about 5 minutes till midnight!

A while back I switched my bedroom and office because the street noise (and the neighbor's kid who is so loud it's like he was standing at the side of my bed) was waking me up hours before I was ready. My bedroom is now in it's cozy little area of the house and my office is in the brightly lit and sometimes loud, front room. When I first moved in to this space, it looked like this:

Not bad, right? Kind of warm and inviting.

But then it turned to this (because I am a slob):

Now, I must point out that a) the plant in the photo is not DEAD and neglected, it's my bougainvillea that has dropped its leaves for the winter, and b) the walls already have spackle on them to cover the nail holes. But the bunched up carpet? The rubble on the floor? The awful, horrible, hideous piece of fabric that I hung up as a curtain in a rush years ago and never hemmed... well, that's just shameful, but what can I say. I'm a slacker sometimes.

Check this out!
A coat of Behr Wethersfield Moss and some snappy curtains from IKEA and a new room is born.

At night, it's so cozy...

Since I have so much stuff for my business, it's spread out in several areas of the house, including my office- which now has a tall shelf where I keep fake fur, etc. I covered the front with this wonderful textile I found on Etsy last year.

It's vintage and has a great weight and drape (I'm sure it's a rayon blend, it's kind of slinky). The selvage says "COHAMA HAND PRINT SPRING GLORY". Awesome, right? Look at the fantastic colors...

So that's what greets me as I walk in to the office each day. And then I see my calm, green walls and my new curtains that make me feel all organized and grown up, and life is good.

Today my man and I went to the Harry Ransom Center on the UT campus to see the photo exhibit which closed today. It was truly amazing. The collection (the Gernsheim Collection) has many photographs seen in books on the history of photography. It's always kind of awe inspiring to see the original of something historical. Some of the prints were so sensitive to deterioration from light exposure that they were covered in thick velvet covers. We had to lift them to see the images (which was pretty cool). This image:

... was printed straight from the negative. Meaning, the negative is the same size as the print. Meaning, the negative was over 14 inches by 19 inches. Huge. The print was crystal clear, as if the pyramids were right in front of us. Can you imagine what the first photographers went through in order to make pictures? We sure have it easy now!

Hope you all had a great holiday season! Henry says hello!

Recharging

2010-12-08T10:53:00.003-06:00

I know... it's been awhile since I wrote anything on this poor, neglected blog!! It's been a busy year.

The holiday season is in full swing, with 3 shows behind me, one on-going, and a 2-day event coming this weekend. If you have not made it out to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar, I highly recommend that you do! It's bursting with art work, handmade soap, soy candle, jewelry to die for, t-shirts, handmade toys, my purses... and so, so much more. The show is open daily from 10-10 (sometimes later, check their special events!) and runs all the way to the last second: Dec 24th! Even the latest of the latest shoppers can get rad handmade gifts!

This weekend is the Cherrywood Art Fair. I can't say enough good things about this show. It's 2 days, there's music, food, and vendors galore. It's indoors and outdoors and in an elementary school that evokes a true neighborly feel. Get your butts to the art fair, okay???

I've been busy, busy, busy sewing new purses for all the events and filling orders and re-defining the term "hermit". During this season, I get a little stressed (to put it mildly), but one thing this year that has really grounded me is my weekly delivery for Meals on Wheels. Seeing the people I deliver to week after week pulls me out of any funk life throws on me. It recharges me in a way that feels almost magical.

Recently a new client was added to my list. She reminds me of my grandmother– my mother's mother. She's short, white haired, and incredibly sweet. Yesterday when she opened the door, the tiniest little dog greeted me with eager affection. The woman said, "That's Rhett Butler!" HA HA HA!!! How can I dwell on life's worries when I get to experience things like that?

The list of clients varies from week to week because some people may drop from the program or just be temporarily off due to surgery, etc, but in general I see the same people. It's fun to get to know some of them slowly and to see how they're doing each week.

One man, who I barely got to see in the beginning, has become someone I really look forward to talking to. Several weeks ago he had spinal surgery because he was losing the use of his arms. He has a HUGE incision on the back of his neck which I get to see each time (I ask how he's doing and he shows me stitches, or how they're not taken out, etc– kind of gross, but kind of cool). Yesterday he told me how precarious his condition had been without his even knowing. His doctor said that before his surgery, a strong hug could have paralyzed him! When I said goodbye, he grabbed my hand and squeezed it. After I rounded the corner of his apartment, he called out, "Thanks for asking about me!"

I hope that you all will remember those around you who might need a little extra human contact this season (or anytime) and take the time to give it. It's so easy for me to get wrapped up in my work, in my life, in MY MY MY.... but when I raise my head up from the sewing machine or computer and see the world around me, I remember that we're basically all the same. We have the same troubles and delights and if we recognize that in each other, there's a camaraderie that naturally happens and life gets a whole lot more hopeful!

Happy holidays!
(AND COME SEE ME AT THIS WEEKEND'S SHOW!!!)