Where Do I Begin?

All is well in Sandy Land!

Opie Darling III
5.5 x 7.5" watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"

As it turned out, I found out on Friday evening that one of the kittens that Jerry and I were keeping as a girl and had named Betty Boop, was actually a boy. I was disappointed. I wanted a boy and a girl cat. (What parent doesn't?) I had already promised the two calico girls to my blogging friend, Robin Larkspur. She was coming the next day, 300 miles, all the way from central NY with her husband, to fetch them. She had already named them, Pixie and Pyewacket. She even started a blog called PurrrSnicKitty about them. One of the calico kittens that Robin was taking, Pye Pye, was trying very hard to be my favorite. She wanted to be with me, purring and talking and jumping up on the cage when I came into the room. She reminded Jerry and I so much of our little Princess as a kitten who had just passed a couple of weeks ago at age seventeen. It was heartbreaking because Cutie Pye was quickly succeeding. She stole my heart away from Betty Boop. Then, when I found out that she was a he, I had no strong feelings left for him/her at all. 

Bobby Boop?

I had already cried for days thinking Cutie Pye and I would have to part, however I knew I would get over it. I was going to stick with the plan. After all, a deal is a deal. I couldn't do that to anyone, let alone a kind good friend like Robin. 


We all had a wonderful, short, pleasant visit on Saturday into Sunday morning with Robin and her husband, Jim.  They are the kind of people you feel like you've known and will know forever, in this, previous and subsequent lifetimes. Robin is such a magically sweet, loving person. The time went by way too fast. I couldn't sleep at all on Saturday night, knowing my favorite kitten would leave me in the morning.

Princess Cutie Pye

It was a beautiful morning. We had breakfast, enjoyed the wildlife here at the Sandarosa and took some snapshots. All too soon however, it was time to put the kittens into their travel cage. I put Pixie in, no problem. Then when I lifted Pye Pye up, tears immediately shot out from my eyes and I began to sob. "I didn't want to fall in love with you," I said; "but I did". To make a long story short, Robin graciously traded Cutie Pye for her new Pyewacket, (or Pye Man) and everyone is going to live happily ever after!

Princess Cutie Pye and Opie Darling III

Thank-You Robin, Thank-You Universal Mind!!

Exciting things are happening here in Sandy Land everyday.

Stay tuned, updates coming soon!

Hugs and Purrs,

"No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat,and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch."  ~ Leo Dworken

Spirit Bears and Kitten Distractions ~ SOLD

Spirit Bear - 5.5 x 7.5" - Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10" 

This week just evaporated into thin air! I didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but I was able to do some sketching everyday and finished this one Spirit Bear painting from last week's sketchingeveryday drawing.

Friend and fellow artist, Lee Gates, booked a private watercolor session which lasted most of the day on Tuesday. ( Surprise - more bears!) We were both pleased with her end result.

The itty-bitty kitties currently living in my studio have been such a wonderful and fun distraction! It's totally amazing I've gotten any work done at all. I'm finding I need to take kitty breaks every couple of hours just to play with them and laugh. (Their momma is still at large, BTW. We caught two raccoons and one groundhog last night.) 

Today I had a brilliant idea (if I must say so) and I set up a kitty corral in one of the corners of the room, using two 6 foot folding tables. I put the kitties in a small cage and opened it up inside the enclosure.

Bold little Betty Boop was the first one out.

Little brother, Opie quickly followed her lead.

Then he had second thoughts and returned to the safety of the cage

with his sisters, Pye Pye (left) and Pixie (right).

Before long, all four of them were going wild, running in and out and all around the little cage. I sat on the floor right in the middle. They leaped and ran over my legs as we played with their favorite toy, the feather on a string. After about an hour, I fed them and moved their beds into the corner by the cage. They are all totally zonked out as I type. I think this will be a great new temporary home and a way to socialize them, without them hardly even noticing.

Jerry had me take a few shots of our flowers in the back of our house this morning. He wanted to show the guy at the garden center where he bought them. We don't have any in the front. It's very plain. We want them where we can see and enjoy them.

I love this brass planter with lion's heads that Jerry picked up for me at the scrap yard. The plant he later purchased fit into it perfectly. I think it makes a bold statement at the studio entrance. I'm so lucky to have a hubby that's always so supportive and constantly lavishes me with gifts!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my art, kittens and life in general! Hearing from you is always greatly appreciated. Really!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Wishing you joy and gratitude everyday, even for the little things in life!

Love and Hugs, 

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things."

~ Robert Brault