I Love Greys....

.... as in Greyhounds! I painted a greyhound with a fairy on his nose awhile ago and I had so much fun. I had an Italian Greyhound named "JoJo" when I was little....I just loved the sweet guy....I use to tell everyone he was my brother.


These Aceos are in honor of my Grey!

-LET'S PAINT-

-BLACK & YELLOW GREY-

-THE SIMPLE LIFE-

-THEY NEVER REALLY LEAVE US-

-LOVE IS IN THE AIR-

-THE GREY FAMILY-

-

-GREY LOVE-

I wish they were all real and all mine! Does anyone else love this sweet breed?!

Oh How I've Missed You All!

My dear sweet blog friends oh how I've missed you! My last post was in November... one week later I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer! I had surgery ..a hysterectomy and so far so good.

Then you must all remember my daughter Anjelina who was a victim of a violent crime in July of last year...well she had to have another emergency surgery which was related to the first surgery! I was in Florida visiting my new and first granddaughter when I received the news that she was rushed to the hospital....I had to get the first flight back home...all you Moms out there know how bad I felt knowing my daughter was having surgery and I wasn' there!

I am going to keep all the other unkind things that happened in between simply because all of you must be tired of hearing me talk about unhappy things....I swear I am not an "Eeyore" type of person...one who complains about everything...you know the "woe always me" but my family has really had a lot to deal with!

All that said...I can't wait to visit all of you and catch up on things. I have been trying to create as much as I could to try to add to my little Etsy shop. Here are a few...I hope you like them!

I created this piece for the Aceo Challenge.."What do you see when you look out your window"...however I didn't make it on time...my cats all do this...they scratch on the window to come in!

'SOLD'

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Do You Live to Give?

Hi my friends...you might have heard me mention at times that I love Joel Osteen...he is a young pastor and has a program on tv....well I am not what I would call a truly religious person...I do love God...Jesus...Mary mother of God...and I do pick and choose what I love from many other religions......ok...that said...

The holidays are a time to enjoy our families...give thanks for all we have and maybe remind ourselves of others who may not be as fortunate. Don't get me wrong..I am behind in my mortgage....have no idea of how I'm going to buy Christmas presents...and I am desparately trying to forgive fate for this truly shitty year it has given  me both financially and emotionally! But....every year around this time I try to give extra to the food pantry....and try to make gift bags for children with coloring books, crayons, and holiday pencils.

I feel bad because each year I feel as though I have less and less to give....which brings me back to Joel who stated " When you live to give you will have more joy than you dreamed possible!" How true this statement felt to me...I had just finished helping my daughter Mikki serve food to the homeless that night...and my heart was open and how perfect to come across a book I had by Joel and turned to the chapter on giving!

I would like to share a few things that I read that night:

*We were not made to function as self-involved people..we were created to be givers...we will never be truly fulfilled as human beings until we learn the simple secret of how to give our life away...

*If we want our dreams to come to pass...we need to help someone else fulfill his or her dreams...

*Don't feel like you have nothing to give....give a smile...give a hug...visit someone who is ill or alone

*Wake up everyday and say "I'm going to make somebody else happy today!"

*It is human nature to hold on to things we no longer really use...unclasp your sticky fingers...give away those baby clothes...books you already read...those duplicate gifts such as pots and pans...

*Giving is a spiritual principle....not necessarily a Christian principle...

*Somebody needs what you have to give...it may not be your money...it may not be your time...but it might be your listening ear...your arms to hug and encourage....your smile to uplift someones spirit...

*Your arm around someone might just let them know that you care and this can help begin to heal that persons heart...a rescue hug...

*You don't know what one word of encouragement might do...you don't know the impact just one simple act of kindness might have...

*Keep your heart of compassion open...be on the lookout for people you can bless...

My blog friends...so many of you have been there for me through my ups and downs...I haven't personally met any of you...heck I don't even know what half of you look like...and yet when I needed encouragement...you were there...when I needed prayer...you were there...and when I just needed to talk you listened!

So think...who can you bless today...please leave a comment on what you do around the holidays for others...or share if you have blessed anyone lately...or maybe you yourself has been blessed lately!

PAFA Winter Wonderland Giveaway

Whoa...I recently started following this blog and I have been so inspired! They are having an unbelievable giveaway...13 artists are giving away their pieces and many of them are giving 2 and 3 pieces each! One lucky person will be winning it all!

NEW ADDITION introduction!

CATALINA INEZ my granddaughter...my son David and my daughter-in-law did a great job don't you agree?!

"WARRIOR WOMEN" new series in honor of Anjelina

I truly hope you enjoy this ACEO series-it means so much to me

-on hold-

- on hold -

Here is a 4x6 original watercolor...it is the newest of my "Bruised and Broken Series"...this is my very first painting I did after Anjelina was assaulted...I saw some people look at her sometimes like she put herself in a dangerous enviornment.

...and last one is an ACEO original watercolor with a Hiaku I wrote!

1,001 Blessings to you all!