Some sort of normalcy

Well that was an interesting time of it, Mum has had her operation and been discharged after 8 days which is pretty normal. Very confronting having your parent going through something like this. My Dad has been copping the brunt of the outrageous family- for those who dont know me personally my Dad is one of nine and his father was one of twelve so we have quite a sezeable extended family. It got to the stage with him that he actually began to let the answering machine pick up the phone which is something my father would NEVER EVER have allowed before this.
I must admit to being oddly exhausted by the whole process so had a very quiet weekend and starting to pick up on doing the backlog of stuff I need to complete for school- eeeks looks like painting and painting to go on with
the list is frighteningly long but I refuse to get stressed by it- we'll see.
This afternoon in between fighting with the washing machine- which wants to wash my floor for me and various other things I took the camera out into the garden to capture some spring for myself for inspiration.
I have to do a diptych about myself in some form- the brief is wide ranging as to materials and techniques so I am actually looking forward to it and I am painting a chocolate sponge cake for another brief- pity I am using an illustration as my guide rather than making the thing for a model- trouble is I would eat it LOL
Check out my garden

Fact is wilder than fiction

The past few days have been a bit surreal to say the least. A dear friend's misfortunes have been much in mind for the past couple of months. And then top it off my Mum who thankfully is a stubborn woman had a heart attack last weekend.
The dramas of the past few months added to the latest would have to make my life seem like something out of Days of Our Lives or the like.
Last week was my Dad's birthday and we were all keyed up for lunch together on Sunday- I had cooked something yummy in preparation the day before and had a bit of a late night- the old insomnia has been kicking in over the past couple of months again but I am keeping an eye on it- so I was pretty dopey when the phone range and it was my Dad to say Mum was in an ambulance on her way to hospital with a suspected heart attack. Dad was doing his best to put a brave face on it all at the time but I could hear from his voice that he was pretty shook up.
I get dressed and go up to the hospital Mum was being taken to- only a few minutes from my home thank goodness. Seeing Mum on a ventilator made it all too real. But thank goodness for my own curiosity when I was able to see the monitor they had hooked up and the readouts were all pretty steady- and for two aunties who are nurses and answered questions straight when I was growing up.
Anyway Mum was hospitalised and went through a raft of tests and found that an artery was completely blocked and two more were sufficiently blocked to require by pass. But waiting for the verdict and while she was operated on was awful. I have never been the most patient person in the world but this was hell on wheels.
They moved her to another hospital here in Melbourne to do the operation yesterday and she came through- after the meeting with the surgeon on Thursday night and his reassuring attitudes of the routineness of the operation I did feel a bit better but honestly this guy was talking about my Mum!! That AINT routine!!To top it off the surgeon who was operating on Mum is a complete hottie- like something out of a soap opera which sort of added to the complete surrealist nature of the past week. Weird the things I notice but this guy had beautiful hands.
Yesterday is a bit of a fog- Mum decreed that none of us go to the hospital yesterday because she was going to be so out it etc. Everytime the phone rang I shot through the ceiling - dopey bloody auntie gave me an ear bashing the night before and I didnt absorb a word. Sometimes my extended family are completely outrageous and on the most part I can deal with them but I didnt need her rabbiting in my ear that night at all. When Dad got the call he rang and let us know she was out of surgery and okay- No visitors today except Dad but tomorrow I am going over and need to see my Mum.
I have seen friends and family lose parents and have dread for that time for me- although everyone assures me Mum will now bounce back better than ever.

Hmmn that could be dangerous- she's a fiery number my Mum- lol just like her daughter.

Sinners Prayer

The resolution aint so good but I am relatively pleased with the piece.
Incorporating stitch and painting
Inspired by Ray Charles and B.B. King doing Sinner's Prayer- an old Lowell Fulson number with Billy Preston on organ on Genius Likes Company.

2 kitties

My two devils together
Miss Jazzy reeks of tomcat and is keeping her distance while she cleans up or the big fella will not be impressed- usually he gives her a hiding when she drags her fluffy butt home after playing with the boys.

Thinking of a dear friend today who has had some bad news and will now go and spend the day in the garden to think of him and his family.

Spring time

Well this morning is glorious and I could do a million things to take advantage of the weather before it disappears tomorrow. But I am tied to the PC at present trying to get my journal up to date for a theory subject- with company.
Miss Jazzy is my adorable fluff ball who is the ultimate lazy kitty. She sleeps 20-23 hours out of 24 depending on the weather. In cold weather she goes to bed to keep warm and warm weather she sleeps to stay cool. She is a positive menace while quilting because she is totally in love with natural fibres. No cheap acrylics for this little aristocat!! No thank you! Wool is nice, cotton is better but silk is just heaven to this kitty. And of course being so cute she tends to get away with it.
She gets up with hubby some mornings and this morning was one of those and goes and plays with her boyfriends of which she had two at present.
Bandit stays with me, the big sook, and she comes in again when she is hungry. Unlike Bandit who is very vocal-and probably snoozing in the sun under the rosemary or my roses- Jazzy does not have a meow. Her attempts at getting food are silent touches and deep affection. And when Mum is busy she does the passive insistence like this morning curling up on the table on my hand the mouse. The minute I move towards the kitchen the little tubby will charge down that hallway looking for food- yes she is round- but she is NOT fat despite getting called Fatty by the M.O.T.H- men can be such bastards lol

Pity about that mouse eh Miss Jazzy?
Despite being a complete floozy and very, very lazy she is actually a very good ratter- ewww she brings them home to share after catching them in our neighbour's fruit trees- the neighbour is pleased- Jazzy is pleased and I have stick the corpse in the bin.