spring fever

 we got new mugs! pretty huh? on sale too of course.....
we got them at pier one and we got two of the floral ones ......and four of the striped ones...i think we need to go back for two more floral ........
they are soooooooooooooo spring like
i was thrilled as we needed new mugs and i just love the colors.... then when we got home, we had to order more firewood.... will real spring ever arrive?

meanwhile i am plugging away with the copyright work. i've decided to split the files into their respective series, and then make each of those series a zip file to upload.
after this i am hoping to do copyright quarterly, and i am hoping to do at least 40 images at a time

so i am working on that.. it's starting to get a bit easier.
i am making the files slightly larger then thumbnails
and i am embedding information into the digital signatures of each image

and also today i am making approximately 4.5 pounds of cranberry orange sauce.
some i'm using for a pork loin, the rest is for table use.
i've got another bunch of pounds of berries in the freezer
along with parakeet seed we got today

i am also drinking a cup of tea in one of our new striped mugs. i like the mug, i think the handle is a bit light weight..... but then again maybe not
i do like it .......i think it's a 16oz mug
i'll measure it later
the floral ones made me want to replace our every day dishes....... we're still talking about that
i can't justify it as we still have ok dishes..... corelle
and these mugs are stonewear..........
we'll continue to think about it

well that is my current news..... oh and it snowed a bit today
ha.........summer will never ever come or so it feels like it now

how about by you?

copyright registration.......plugging along

so the work starts
with me of course kicking and screaming and whining...
why you ask? mainly because i've never done this before and i'm afraid i am going to miss something somehow and screw up the batch registration
 but here i am at 4am......doing a spread sheet with code numbers for the paintings so i can imbed that into their digital signatures when i also resize them and compress them for batch uploading
(say that three times fast)
i am also stoking the woodstove and trying not to procrastinate anymore
i really would like this and our taxes done and behind me
because i really want to just start sending packets out to licensing companies and agents again and then get on with my work
i think i am going to attempt to do the copyrights quarterly and i think i am going to try for 40 per batch copyright
that seems like a decent number- given my average output

meanwhile my poor journal, it's beginning to look like a mess
i have ideas, notes, sketches, designs, floor plans, business information, agents names, series outlines, pr blurbs, future project outlines.
paper cutting size guide lines for the different series
pigment notes and numbers
and general life information, it's more then a journal i suppose.... and it's got scraps of this and that tucked in...papers with notes stashed.... all in what is a drawing journal....(and it's got a few of them too)
not at all like the pretty creative artsy journals of most artists..... but it is my journal...and it, along with this blog is charting my journey

copyright registration

is not for the easily confused.

i'm sure once i do it a few times it will seem silly that i am so confused by it

but right now.....OMG

TIPS and file sizes  ok i been sort of trying to figure this out

i have 70 paintings to upload as a batch

this link tells you how to prepare your browser to start the process as the website is particular about how you do things

and i am trying to see how to do it...... i did find out that windows will zip a folder! i had to go on the net to discover that piece of information 

i found THAT information HERE- how to make a zip file

there there is FAQ 

and TYPES of files you can upload HERE

and a basic guide to online registration HERE

and i had to edit to add this link to a pdf file that step by step walks you through.....i must have read this file a dozen times already....

i am overwhelmed..... i THINK that if i put the files as jpegs on a dvd, then compress them ....that could work?

i'm not sure 

i keep wanting to make the files uniform in kb size but maybe that's getting too fussy?

also do i number each one? use a letter/number code on each painting?

what if i screw it up? can i fix it?

i did ask on the art licensing board but they just directed me back to the websites above...

maybe it really is easy and it just seems complicated to me?

meanwhile...it went up to 60 degrees outside so i let the fire go out, i cleaned the stove yesterday including the glass door ......what a treat to watch the fire dance last night.

i'll clean the ash out again today while i avoid this whole overwhelming copyright thing...

and that's just the tip of the muddle right now

with this i am also being brought up face to face with some deep seated beliefs and emotions connected to my work.

sounds nuts but there it is

i'm working on the files now....i hope i am doing them right

time will tell i suppose

til next time

vi

and now the rain?

i am so hoping that this wildly extreme weather is not the new norm
today it's raining...... hard
snow is melting
buildings in town are falling down
and my painting isn't going well
maybe i should just do the dishes today and forget about painting for today?
it's also very warm out but due to the falling snow/ice....i decided not to go out with the ducks
i figure it's safer to have us all inside
i also spend a day fighting with myself over starting a facebook page for my art.....
and i am still trying to get my sleep deprived brain around uploading files for the copyright office
i know i need to
meanwhile i am trying to think of how to again rearrange my studio
and what to do about the woodash dust that covers EVERYTHING in like three minutes


i really am considering going back to bed.....it's warm enough to leave the stove
everyone is sleeping anyway
i really could absolutely use some more sleep

oye

it's so deep out there even a shovel won't help!

with snow..
it's warmer out today so i took two ducks out to bath them
one pen is collapsed with over 30'' of snow on it covered in ice
the other big pen is ok but not easy to get to
the a frame is covered but still standing
and the big pen out back.....well i think some of the drifts have got to be 5' tall thanks to the slope, wind and snow blower....so that's out

however 2 ducks happily had a bath (together)

all buckets are scrubbed and filled
ditto grain pans
everyone is shifted around
falstaff accidentally got lucky with prudence- (she came out of hiding and i didn't realize it as i was outside attempting to dig out the collapsed pen)
the quail people got their new waterer put up on a brick as they managed to fill it with feed and poop
they have real talent those quail people
they are going to be getting a rabbit cage to live in soon

it's warm out
and stuff is dripping and melting
and we are to get a heavy rain storm... which means that the snow will absorb water.....making it even heavier
i am hoping that it loosens and starts to slide off the roofs out there before

and now when i recover i am going to again attempt to copyright register my paintings
oye
i really do need an assistant or something

i think i need a career coach

as the 7 or so folks that follow me know......
i've been painting
i went back to illustration a few years ago
taught myself watercolor (as i'd only worked in pen/ink, or oils before)
then started to find my mature style and master color work

meanwhile i am working on series and looking for a licensing contract

and i'm overwhelmed

i tried to do my normal step by step thing but my brain right now (maybe cause of the annual winter sleep deprivation?) is not working

and the more pressure i put on it ...or get put on it... the more it is shutting down on me
i think i need a career coach... but one that is used to commercial illustrators- a general career coach won't work and i think a fine art coach won't work either

i've tried to get a mentor through SCORE but they've been disappointing to say the least...
any marketing 101 book is better then what i've so far found through SCORE
commercial illustration is pretty specialized and i think some things that you should be able to find out for a normal business model ...........you just can't for illustration

and instinctively i know that trying to be a generic illustrator isn't going to work ...not for me, not for the field.... there are too many generic illustrators........ and besides i have no interest in working that way.... i would rather go with my strengths as i figure maybe that's a smaller pond but less populated

i will repeat.....i am so overwhelmed
i really need someone to bounce ideas off i think.... without that person trying to force me into what could possibly be something that may not work

the trick is, how do i know if that feeling in my gut is just fear of change or.....if it's the real thing warning me off that particular path.....cause sometimes they feel the same way!

i also know that with the yearly sleep deprivation due to heating with wood- i am so not on the top of my game that it's a struggle just to get through what i have to do...(such as taxes, bernie hasn't done his receipts from otr from LAST YEAR- which means i have to...... and i am not sure where to start- overwhelmed ..... and actually today, sick ... sinus headache and dizzy as hell)

i keep thinking, get an agent....but maybe i need a career coach instead?

i have no freeken idea!

any one have any ideas? please let me know cause i am at my wits end

oh and btw, most of the paintings have been test printed now...and i have an amazon merchant account, so i believe they are ready to sell.
for the 8x10 they are 22.00 each print.  plus 3.00 shipping for up to 3 prints (USA only right now)

now to figure out how to market them to people who would be interested .....
oye
til next time

Valentines day 2014 STORM! * photo heavy

a few of my favorite THINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(ok so who else hears julie andrews singing now?)

i was thinking.. there are thing over and over that i am attracted to.... here is a partial list

• maple leaves, i love sugar maples! love them love the shape of the leaves and the trees
• nests with eggs
• birds
• cookies
• bird cages
• terrarium and aquariums
• knitting and yarn
• sewing and crafts
• books
• cooking
• laura ashley vintage prints
• transferware in reds and purples
• dishes and china
• autumn
• teapots especially vintage ones with violets or in pink or red
• wool tweed coats and jackets
• lace curtains
• carousel horses and some of the other animals
• good leather shoes and handbags (neat and tailored ones)
• small stand up collars and fine but simple details on clothing
• rice pudding
• art supplies
• minature teddy bears in blond colors
• hand made artisan jewelry
• lampworked glass
• antique diamond rings
• rose gold and copper
• hand made alternative houses 
• gypsy vardos and irish cob horses
• british thatched roof cottages and stone barns
• farm animals....( i adore farm animals)
• ice cream, cheese cake and cannolis ..... THE food of the gods

this is my partial list...i was thinking of it all today

as i am getting ready to lay out another painting and started to rummage through my reference maple leaves..... 

these are some of the things that i reach for time and time again..things that you can be sure i'm going to notice

so i was wondering what all you folks had for favorite things?

would you be so kind as to post lists here?

i am very interested in hearing

til then

vi

in the midst of the storm

bernie's phone needed to be replenished....
and i am hoping he's left to come home from work
meanwhile tuesday was our anniversary...37 years
it was mainly a day filled with chores....and preparing for this storm

now at the moment, i am sitting on pins and needles worried about him getting home during this
of course his phone needed replenishing... i am purposely keeping it on per call....as we're switching carriers and i don't want to lose a lot of money or of course...sign up for a plan
i wasn't paying attention though (i'm really that tired)

meanwhile
it's snowing out
ahem
i live in a brugel landscape now- and probably it's just as cold....i know it's just as white
in painting news.....
i finished the quail and hope they will forgive me soon
now i have a few paintings to photograph....something like 20 now
i am trying to decide which is next..... continue work on this more detailed nest series....
flesh out the other series?
move on to the teacup/teapot........
i think however it may be time to move on to something a bit more summery....as a LOT of the paintings in the past year or so have been so very cold.....arctic, winter.....
yeah maybe it's time for some sun and greens?
or maybe i need to do some peoples? i keep thinking of the inuit woman with her polar bear son...
she made me so happy while i was painting her
she almost painted herself
maybe i need to start a couple of series.....and set up multiple painting areas?

meanwhile stay warm and safe if you are within our bitter cold winter area
with this never ending snow and ice

more snow, more storms, more shore birds

i guess the ever growing snow mounds have inspired my flooding fears
as i dreamt that there was a HUGE wave/lake out back..... and that it came down the hill and across the front lawn into a lake that was dug right next to my driveway
however apparently i am dreaming in some sort of mirror ...through the looking glass way cause it came down the right side (as i watched through the front windows) and went over to the left......
in the dream THAT was downhill!

shorebird/gull 4

(and the back yard was UP hill in the dream.....)
but it goes to show..... how utterly pervasive this snow pack is for me
HEY you try getting up every few hours for the woodstove and see how your dreams hold up.

meanwhile we struggle with wet wood..... bored poultry
and quail tails
(still not done with that painting)
however i am doing a series of fast shore bird/gull paintings- some good......some not so good.... all
fast.
it takes less time to do the birds then it does to do the backgrounds which are just sort of random
with speckles added -it's to keep my hand/eye going while the quail resolve themselves-- they make me want to do a few 'big paintings'
i also came smack up against some of the limitations of this studio at the moment, no place to cut paper during the winter.
it's not easy during the summer either but i use the woodstove- i don't actually have that option in the winter..(not if i would rather not burn the house down)
so i was looking on craigslist and found flat files.... but right now there are a few marks against them
1) i don't have the money
2) i don't have a way to get them home (they are huge)
3) i don't have a place to put them
4) i don't have space to refinish them in

oye.....but they would solve a few problems.... like taking the bulk paper off the top of the bird cage and the big shelves (where i can't reach it) .....and the top would be the right height and size for cutting paper
(cause i was drooling over a 10 drawer unit)
if i put it on a rolling base...... i would have it made!
i could even mount a roll of water color paper on it and be able to cut that too!

now we are to be getting a few storms over the weekend and next week...with the already over burdened electrical grid... we may lose electric. although ppl has been reinforcing the grid here since sandy.
for me that means keeping cooked foods in the freezer that are easy to reheat and keeping stock pots etc filled with water for us
water for the poultry will be melted snow if the electric goes out
we really need to get the switch put into the circuit breaker box for the gen so we have water-
and i really need to get back to sleep even for an hour or  so
i think the woodstove is going to be ok for a while now

keep safe everyone

catching up

after the ice age.....

we've been just trying to hang in there and stay warm
our rescue duckling is doing well.... she lost a toe and some webbing but she is eating and had a warm bath today (it was warm enough out to take her out to bath)
she's got a very soft hay filled indoor pen
and i think she is getting used to being here
i am still struggling with the quail painting...
so i took a break and am doing shore birds- so far gulls, this is the second one... they are tiny tiny paintings (photographed against my palette and paint table)
i don't know why but i am

in knitting ......i had to stop my mindless lace knitting to make a cowl and hat for bernie and another hat for me...i have more cowl/hat sets to make for us....since it seems one is always drying ....lost..... got cat spit on it...
(don't ask)

i am looking forward to spring, how about you folks?
we had a very hard time staying warm this winter, even with the woodstove, back up kero heater, and plastic wrapping everything......
we moved the ducks into the main basement (talk about crowded) and i was up every 1.5 -2 hours with the woodstove around the clock

we kept the lights on in the basement 24/7 for extra heat and i put the ash bucket full of hot coal in the stone sink with the lid cracked to keep enough heat for everyone....and dripped the faucets
we did make it through but boy...
i don't care to repeat that any time soon

snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow.....as far as the eye can see

it''s bad..
cold
windy
snowy
did i mention COLD
so cold we put the ducks into the main basement, (the quail too)
i am keeping the door open and running the kero heater in the main house
dripping the faucets
but it's still cold
we've covered everything we could with plastic,
even the storm windows!
so until further notice

remember that it's really cold and i'm up with the stove just trying to keep us warm

i got the fever................ WARNING PHOTO heavy

spring fever it would seems......AGAIN
so these thankfully were on sale at homedepot.....i got three and really would have liked to get more (light blue, a clear purply purple and a white with yellow)--- they looked healthy and are loaded with buds..so they're here now---i have to repot the old ones i have..... and i am going to see about a pebble tray for them
meanwhile we're bracing for a storm..... up to 8'' of snow possible overnight tonight-20 with windchill

i am still wanting a terrarium, but maybe i'll do a water one...... with water plants instead of tropical?
now for today's look back to the archives humor post.......HERE
it is so appropriate for today as it happened during this time of year.....
in painting news.....the quail painting is progressing

oh and...... we have a new duckling..... she is about 3 months old, and had damage to her foot with the extreme cold ......so she came here to live.... bernie is torn about it.....he feels bad for her but at the same time, doesn't want another duck
she's very very scared..... she saw her nestmate/brother get dispatched and processed right before she came. they don't forget that.
so she's resting in her crate..... today i have to bath her and clip her wings
i think she'll be ok, and if i could only convince one of the girls to accept her we'll be great.....it would be best if the younger girls accepted her.....as she is their niece
and we're going to need a name for her i think.....no?

in cooking......i am working my way through chopmeat, (1.99 a pound at giants- i got about 20 pounds and then they ran out...so i got a raincheck too)

chili
meatloaf
salisbury steak
enchiladas

all for the freezer

ok everyone....those who are facing this storm......stay warm and safe
those who aren't
enjoy your week
i am going to start cooking now while watching the snow get heavier

take good care......

zom·bie noun \ˈzäm-bē\

: a person who moves very slowly and is not aware of what is happening especially because of being very tired

: a dead person who is able to move because of magic according to some religions and in stories, movies, etc.

so this is pretty much me today..and the past few days.
bernie's got this now-.......well he is fighting it off now..... he of course didn't get anywhere near as ill as i was.
everything i do, i get the cold clammy sweats, i get super weak and have to sit for a while.....
he's still doing wood,
he told me YOU DON"T BRING THE WOOD IN

ok

believe me i can agree with that one

so today is the start of another marathon cooking session...but it'll have to be slowly done over a few days
this batch is as follows

1. roasted chicken with leeks sauce
2. tomato sauce
3. baked ziti
4. beef stew
5. potatoe with leek soup
6. chicken enchiladas (from the roasted chicken)
7. split pea soup (just for me as he hates it)
8. beef pot pies
9. chicken and dumplins

i am working on it all starting in a few minutes

i will roast the chicken, while that is roasting i'll do the veggies for everything else, and start the sauce.
i'll make the seasoned flour for the beef as well
and roast the potatoes tonight for not only our dinner but for the potato soup
tomorrow i'll make the ziti
the soup
and start browning the beef in the flour mix
sunday i'll shred up the chicken for the enchiladas and i'm going to add some really finely minced veggies to that too
and so on......

i love cooking this way, not only for us for the week but also for us for the freezer
i just hope my strength holds out

the doctor said this was viral......and checked me also for pneumonia
i can tell you that i feel like a damn zombie......the walking dead
only they don't have to cough as much

the plague has arrived........

coughing.......aching.......
dripping, sneezing........ gloppy stuff out of my nose
and of course i can't see well

so........ in case you all wondered......
i'm dead until further notice......

what a difference a day makes.......

24 little hours...........

today bernie started his permanent shift
in all the commotion i forgot an appointment today
i could have sworn it was tomorrow
and while there i got some bad news

meanwhile, the first set of prints i've sold are on their way to their new owner
i hope she likes them
the weather is brutal still
and this morning when i went to check the stove, discovered that not only was it out
but that the house had cooled down to dangerously low levels
we aren't sure why at this point as monday when the temps were lower....the house was warmer!

now i am thinking of offering some of my series as 'print of the month'
with a subscription of 3, 6 or 12 months
depending maybe on the series (cause some series are bigger then others)
i know if i do the crow series it's currently at ten
while the goddesses i think is four or 5 (funny how you forget ....ok funny how I FORGET)
anyway, in addition to looking for representation ....i am thinking of doing this as well
if anyone has any comments on that please let me know. i need you to help me brainstorm.
either by email or use the comments
the other thing is....if i increase my readership i am thinking i should hold a contest.... another thing to consider huh?

i am also hoping for a thaw soon as i need to get back to painting and i can't when that corner is always frozen

 i am also grateful that i cooked ahead in anticipation of not only bernie's schedule change but also that due to the weather we could lose electric (we did but it wasn't long) when transformers overloaded and exploded on the mountains here..... which normally happens every winter that it gets so brutally cold

in other news, today i turned on the kero heater all by myself..... which if you knew me....that's huge!
i am terrified of that thing
but we needed that extra heat this morning........so i turned that on and ran in to throw wood in the stove out back here.

to say i am tired today is an understatement
i'm totally exhausted....
and my eyes are bad again
really bad again
oye

i'm thinking it's time for another miracle
no?

not quite balmy.......but we're warm! and tuesday lookback humor

new scarf

(and i edited to add tuesdays archival humor click HERE)

we got a new back up kero heater.
i ordered it sunday online to be picked up at lowes
bernie ran to get it, we prepped it monday, and set it up yesterday
ran it a few hours in the living room- turned it off when we went to bed
wow
this morning the studio was 74...
the woodstove didn't have to work as hard
the birds water wasn't frozen
and it was actually warm
not florida in august warm.......more like PA in May warm
it's -4 this morning out side and windy!

we did do a few other things... covered the basement windows with plastic
etc

now i know it's been a few days since i posted, bernie and i have been rushing around working to make sure we get through this latest cold snap.
i cooked a lot of stuff ahead due to his schedule change and also ....with the cold snap we used to hear transformers exploding all over the mountain, and we'd lose power
so this way with the food already cooked, it's just fast to reheat on the woodstove
i finally was able to uv coat my digital prints to fill my order during a brief heat wave of 45 degrees
(i didn't open the etsy store yet but i am starting to get orders anyway! which shocked me!)

over the years we've acquired more and more emergency equipment and experience.
we've got oil lamps, and candles, flash lights ( i am really liking the 'headlamps)
water storage, food storage, back up heat
(for back up heat you need to have things that either don't need electric to heat you....or have a battery start.......so woodstove and kero heater for now.... and maybe adding a pellet or biomass stove in the front room for later)

and over the years i've also realized that having food cooked, and waiting helps too....
boy it sure helped us during the power outage of sandy! and we had that generator!
i found it takes a few days to get used to the 'new normal'

anyway.... we're warm, we're fed and we still have electric!

the other good news is that even with the really frigid temps plus windchill, the water buckets did not freeze.....
so i know that the birds are ok
although i am still a bit worried about the quail....but they have a LOT of hay, and each other
plus a lot of food so they should be fine
another thing i noticed is that the birds eat a LOT more during cold weather
i give the chickens extra stuff like suet or even chicken fat....

(they are omnivores and even cannibals so i don't feel bad about it as they will eat each other or a weaker chicken given half a chance - actually that whole 'vegetarian chicken feed' is not healthy for chickens, as they will and should eat bugs etc, it's natural and healthy for them)

i should probably figure something fatty for the ducks....but since i have muscovy and they don't actually have fat layers....relying instead on down to keep them warm,--- they too love their protein in the form of worms and bugs.... small mice, small birds..... reptiles etc..... they also love greens.... so they get some scraps from the kitchen too

we've been putting leftover cooking fats and stuff out for the wild birds and animals too
and luigi the button buck was back but i am hoping he's moved on now...

now with bernie's new schedule, and his location, he can stop at the provisioners to pick up the bulk chicken breasts when they are 1.65 a pound (not bad for boneless skinless, and not injected with saline either so you get what you paid for)-- i can call it in and it will be ready at the dock for him to just pay for and pick up

so are you folks staying warm? safe? i hope so
it's brutal weather out there
i know that the midwest and mountain regions are really in the deep freeze.... arctic type weather so you all stay safe

a week of meals....*** almost

bernie moves to his new schedule on wen.
he had last night and has tonight off.... goes in tomorrow
then has monday and tuesday off
so since i don't do well with schedule changes, i cooked today
here is my list (don't be too impressed )

• pork stew (from scratch today)
• honey mustard chicken legs (froze the chicken in the honey mustard sauce two months ago or so)
• stuffed peppersn ( from scratch today)
• parmesan chicken (from scratch yesterday)

i am going to root around in the freezer as i am pretty sure i have a chuck roast that is just begging to be a stew

and i am going to most likely roast a chicken as well......

possibly a turkey 

and i sure need to bake soon... 

i may also make him a few pizzas and freeze them already made and just ready to reheat

we'll see

now the weather is supposed to again take a nose dive

bernie was home last night so he baby sat the woodstove

today we got another back up kerosene heater...... this one for the front room- we did the prep today and will set it up most likely monday (maybe sunday if it seems it's going to go down to 0 or below then)

and we did some more work on the winterizing downstairs, since i found the water buckets in the duck room frozen

oh and one of the quail got out.... bernie was chasing it through the basement

and i know i shouldn't laugh but it cracked me up to watch that quail run

i cleaned the woodstove today as i have discovered that a coal bed makes for a very inefficient burn in there----

i am really longing for a new house now......all one floor and much more draft proof and energy efficient

i would like a few sources of heat too..... passive solar, geothermal, biomass........

and possibly if we are in an area for it...natural gas

i really would also like tankless water heaters

i would LOVE 14'' of insulation in the walls and maybe 3 feet in the ceiling!

i'm a bit tired of drafts now on my old bones

okey dokey now...

bernie's out of the shower, so i am going to feed him now....stuffed peppers!

on the 3rd day of new years.....a snowstorm dumped on me........

so i was out shoveling us out while i let bernie sleep
he worked over time and hasn't been sleeping
i didn't do too much, just from the van to the street
the snow blower is in the house in the duck room so i used the shovel
then i forgot to make supper (it's in now but is going to not be ready in time)
eggies to the rescue i think
or maybe enchiladas......or even stuffed peppers?
i did manage to keep the house warm during this cold snap
i am extremely proud of me

however then i forgot to put the supper in....
it's always something huh?

i was raised to take pride in being able to do a lot for myself (for ourselves)
i remember my father telling me how fortunate i was that i rarely needed help

so even now that i'm disabled i do as much as i can and i figure i will keep doing that as long as i can

last winter doing it ALL myself was a bit much but doing things here and there
yeah i can do that
so i did

ha
bernie when i finally woke him (late cause i was outside late then did dishes)
got pissed that i didn't wake him
but really he worked very late
and had a rough night himself
he was out in this mess on road calls

i am however letting him get the wood in for me
(which he just went out to do...if he hadn't gotten out there soon i would have done that too)

oye

so....those who got this storm....... how was your snowstorm????

sooooo on the first day of the new year???

well, i exploded a stockpot of ham broth (takes REAL talent to do that......believe me)
while i was not paying attention (cleaning the woodstove)
followed by finding out that the CC had doubled charged me for the truck rental that Ryder screwed up in the first place
followed by luigi the button buck returning to the fold....and wanting bernie to 'open the gate dad' for him to get to our yard

bernie didn't (there isn't a gate) and we're thinking we may have to call the game warden to get luigi to move on
it's dangerous for him and for us to be so tame
which also makes me think that someone has tamed him...\

meanwhile i am having issues with my eyes still so a trip to the doctor is in my near future
other then that we're waiting for this big storm
stay warm
stay safe
(bernie has to work but i think he'll pass the storm in the shop, and by the time he's ready to leave.....it'll be plowed)