Sunday, February 24, 2013

Portraits, and One That's Above The Rest

Our Hometown Museum


Yesterday was quite a special day. I had no idea how special it was. I've never been to a Gallery Artist Opening before, ever. Our family has always gone to museums and especially when our children were young and at home. We recently wanted to support our hometown so we became members of the Ventura Museum supporters. Steve's got our cards and anyone that comes down to visit, we take them to the few agriculture museum's and especially to our Oil Museum that has traveling displays; all somehow related to our town. We have wonderful docents here and there's so much that's been donated to the museums that a whole other building was needed to hold all there documents. Many people have joined in to document and take pictures and even have made replicas from original plans of the machinery and objects that didn't make it though the years, but need to be seen. Our town's history is important to all of us.

My Steve told me about his mother's event all this past week. I thought we were going to go see his mother's painted portrait at the art museum and I knew that there would be other portraits done and honestly chosen because all were filled with great expression. The artist captured their soul in everyone of her portraits.

Whenever we've been at this particular museum, we have chosen a time when few people were in the building, like "just us" alone. I thought it would be the same so I wore my ranch duds. My pants had mud on the front and my jacket covered my raggity blouse. I didn't wear make-up or even do my hair. Would it help if I said, I didn't know anyone but my family was going to be there? I felt so awkward. Steve's mother was going to be there and we were just going to take her picture with her painting and pictures of the family together. I expected my sister-in-law, us, and a couple of my children.

We arrived early and I saw a few people I knew and then everyone that was someone in Santa Paula was there and dressed fancy-do! This was an honor to the artist a "Gallery Showing" and I know her. She painted Dune's portrait. Gail's very well known in Santa Paula and Ventura County for her artwork and her paintings are sold for way more than we could ever think to afford. I must add her paintings will be those that are priceless. She's that good!

Gail Pidduck and I graduated together from high school and actually hung-out together at our graduation night at a crazy destination called, "Bowl-a-Rama" right across the street from Disneyland. I also now go to Church with her and blessed to know her. Gail's very humble about her art and I can't emphasize that enough. Really, her artistic ability is Santa Paula's pride.

I wanted to hide at the museum, I sat on a bench with my Visiting Teacher from church a bit out-of-the-way, but Steve was sent to get me when the whole exhibit room was filled with people and everyone was taking pictures. I looked at all the paintings. There were a few photographs and a few that were painted by another person. Mostly all were done by Gail. She's amazing! I completely forgot about how I looked and I just wanted to really study all the wonderful faces.

It was Dune's day and she had many compliments on not only her painting but about how she looked and it was just stunning. Dune looked so cute, she stood-out and she was beautiful. I realized how my looks didn't mean anything to anyone. Really, I didn't care that someone knew I just came out of the field, but my feeling was that I was dishonoring my mother-in-law and Gail by not dressing-up more for this event.

She is Very Beautiful!
I can't think of a more grand compliment to someone than to have them ask if they could paint you. If you knew my husband's mother you would know she deserved this honor. She is a grand lady and I'm blessed to be apart of the Lazenby family.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Fun Stuff: Riding Tractor and Gettin' ReCERTifed

I often wish the days wouldn't just fly by like they do. I'm spinning and I'm not talking about all the wool I have to card-out. I'm thinking I've got to get out to the sheep pens and shave their rears before they start lambing. We're having a "work party" on Friday. Getting some stalls ready for the ewes. The weather is crazy right now and we can't depend on it to be nice weather. Lambing at our place, always seems to come when the barometer changes. I've rescued so many newborns! The ewes will have them against the fence and the lamb drops outside the fence and the lambs are screaming-out for the coyotes. I shiver to think, and that's not a pun..it literally shakes me when I been impressed and have had that feeling to go outside in the middle-of-the-night to see a newborn almost drowning in the pouring rain. They're resilient little creatures and perk right-up after they get warmed-up and have some milk in their tummies.

I love my new tractor I received for Valentine's Day. LOVE IT! Honestly, the tractor like riding a toy car at Disneyland and so much more fun! It's a little 225 Kabota. Soon to be Turquoise. We're having a discussion about me painting the wires. Maybe, damask print turquoise. OMGsh, I'm going to do the seat upholstery in that or chevron. I can ride it in the east-wind and it doesn't act nuts, like a few horses I'm acquainted with here.

The tractor has set-out for over 15+ years in the weather and I want to go out and "tarp" my tractor...like it's got pearl glass paint job on it. Ya' think I'm some kind of "Hick Tom-Boy." : ) ❤ my tractor...thank you, **my Love** It's a blast to drive and so easy to steer. I know I'll be able to get a lot of work done and also make it easier to do my chores though-out the summer.

We have been super busy, but isn't life always busy? Dear Daughters and my son, who's got all those Lazenby children, please take note that the time really does fly by us.

My son needs to get married... He can't do it all for his children's growing-up years. Soccer moms seem so busy. As do the Karate moms, baseball moms, basketball moms, surfing dads. Always busy, but do stuff for you. If your passion is to paint a canvas. Don't wait to enjoy your passion, too. Nellie Lee became my dear friend late in her life. She had just begun to paint and was really talented. Everyone was so surprised, especially Nellie and her beautiful landscape paintings were sought after. Everyone wanted a painting for their own wall. Nellie painted for fun and said that this was to keep her going in life and she had always wanted to paint, but didn't have the time. It was only three months later that she died in her sleep. I suppose her wish was granted to be able to paint, but how many paintings could she have done if she had started earlier in her life. Unnecessary, "time suckers" take away from what we would love to do. I may just go out and paint my new tractor and then my big horse wagon, and then all my out-door furniture. Accck! I NEED to clean pens!

I remember nursing my baby, hugging a little child on my shoulder, and helping another do their homework at the same time. There were days that I know I went up and down Ojai Road ten times in one day for all different activities that children needed to attend. Practices, pick-ups, errands for the Dad. Don't ever put-off all that you want to do until you retire. Please remember all of this. I have two terribly damaged knees from falling off the ladder tending horses (my bad, my fault, and completely what I was told to never do) and I did. I feel like now this span of time, is not what I imagined. Injury or not, we are as busy as we have ever, ever been in our lives. The events and activities pour into our day. We care for our livestock, pets, and whoever is over at our house each day and then there's always something that needs tending. I wake-up in the morning and each day I say to my husband, if he's not on duty, what's the schedule today. So don't wait, do what you'd like to do best. Develop your talents now and just leave the "time-suckers" to those who actually think they have a life. My TV hasn't even been turned-on this whole month. There are others and I know everyone knows what takes time-away from their life. I'm proud to say I've never played "Blasting Birds." Oh, it's "Angry Birds!" Steve said, "What? You mean 'Angry Birds,' you can't remember?" Well, I don't do that game.

I missed some very important Church activities these past two months while retaking my CERT class officially. Yep, I have to reschedule and take the time to do this. Not a "time-sucker" at all. I go with Steve to many of his classes, but I feel every once in a while I need to update my knowledge and actually participate in the class. It's so much fun, but that's the way Steve teaches his class. The best part is that he does it by starting on time and ending on time. It feels good to think I can empower myself to put out a small fire with an extinguisher or know exactly when a fire's too big and evacuate safely as well as other emergencies, like first aid.

My Granddaughter In Class Led The Bandaging Exercise
I know I'm sounding like I'm selling my husband's class, but the CERT training is free. Steve loves big classes because it makes for excellent drills. He hasn't ever received extra money for extra people in the class. He usually works and does this on his regular shift and another Captain covers his time away from the station for the class. He's just my Noah, preaching that there will be a time that we need to be prepared. I graduated and I'm not afraid of the disaster to come, but I sure need to learn more and read the book, again.

Time worth spending!
                                                                

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentines Day! Surprises Everywhere. "I Think My Tractor's .." You, Know! AWESOME

Me and My Tractor!
My Valentine's Day present! Yes, I screamed! ❤ I love my husband so much! He remembered how I loved it and, yeah I'm surprised. I dropped and lost my phone I was so excited. The phone is still perfect and not a rhinestone fell off. HAPPY! And ... I have parts tractor!


I was thinking of painting it pink, but right now I'm a bit going toward turquoise.  I don't have any turquoise bracelets, fancy squash blossom necklaces, or rings; I might as well ride in a jewel like this. I'm soooo excited. I don't know what to do first.

We did go to sushi for lunch after my surprise, so I didn't get to cruise Danger Ranch on my new toy. We have roads everywhere, even in Jurassic Park near the Santa Paula Creek. I can't wait. Doing my chores are going to be a lot more fun.

I was still in dream-land when we went to lunch and Steve stood-up to, what I thought was to greet a friend and visit.He knows a lot of people and works a lot in this town near Santa Paula. Soooo, I was watching the TVs in the Sushi Place. I ordered for Steve and thought he was taking a long time. He passed me going to the bathroom to wash his hands and when he sat down. The manager brought a paper called an "incident report" and he started filling it all out. I asked him about it and he said that the guy at the Sushi bar has slumped-over, he lifted his head-up and when he did the man took a deep breath-he wasn't breathing. The firetrucks came, the ambulance came all with lights and sirens. And, I didn't know anything was happening, nothing! I didn't hear the sirens or all the commotion. Steve knew almost all the fire crew and knows the ambulance guys. So many people in the restaurant came over to thank him and shake his hand. He was really shy about it. The restaurant paid for our meals. The guy that was ill said softly he was hypoglycemic and passed-out. Steve almost started CPR, but all the crew arrived. His blood sugar was normal and they knew by his eyes it was an overdose. He received the medication and came back and is fine, for now.

There are three kinds of people in this world, people that make things happen, people that watch things happen and then there's me, who doesn't know that anything is happening. I was still thinking about the tractor and what part to take care of first. Should I use Naval Jelly on the rusty parts or a wire brush? Do I sand the whole thing after that, including the engine? I'm going to reupholster the seat. I may not be able to sleep tonight. No kidding, huh?

Our Singing Mocking Bird and Me