Trying to Organize My Basement WorkRoom

I'm beginning to think that I'll never get my basement organized into the work area that I dream of. For one thing, I have way too much stuff! To really have it organized, I need lots more cupboards and shelving to hold this stuff that I have collected over the years. I won't show you pictures of the piles of cartons and boxes of this "stuff" I'm talking about, I'll wait until I get my shelving and/or cupboards so I can show it all nicely organized. For now, I'm trying to set up different workstations so I can have an area where I can keep all of the supplies I need for the type of project I'm working on. I have set up the old sink area as my stained glass area. Here is a couple of pictures of it. I'll post more basement pictures tomorrow, all of a sudden I'm so sleepy, I can barely keep my eyes open!

Being "crafty" brings me great pleasure. I like to try anything that looks like fun and with so many art mediums out there, everything looks like fun to me! The downside of doing so many different things is that I become a "master of nothing" and a "dabbler of everything". I started off with a little corner in my bedroom, doing mostly mixed media collages and over a period of seven years (+/- a year or two), I have now filled my entire basement with my craft/art supplies and my vast amount of collectibles that I like to think inspires me. Some of the things I have continued to stay interested in are collaging. I've posted pictures in the left column of a few of my collages and a couple of paintings I've recently done. Sorry the pictures are grainy. I haven't yet upgraded to a better digital camera, but it's on my wish list! I also like painting, but I'm not very good at it, so with some reluctance, I'll share a couple of my paintings in the column on the left.

Tina's Surprise Visit!

On Monday, I was up to my Mom's for a short visit because I wouldn't be watching Taylor for a few days. I like to be there on Mondays because my brother David makes a loop through Zanesville on his way to his work week in Columbus, and stops by to visit his Mom. When he pulled up, the first thing Mom noticed was that "he has a woman in his truck". When she got out of his truck and was headed towards the front door, we both exclaimed, "It's Tina!" Tina is David and Charlotte's eldest daughter and lives in Tennessee with her husband Frank. She has a busy schedule with her job as an RN, in addition to teaching and going back to school to finish up her Master's degree, so we don't often get to see her. We were especially happy to see her this time because she has been sick and has put us through a scare with her recent blood vessel problems in her brain. But there she was, like a ray of sunshine, just in time to make her Grandma's birthday on June 23 a extra special day. The picture on the right is Tina and her Grandma Thompson, and you can see they share a special bond between them.

The picture on the left is of Tina and her beloved "Daddy". He, sadly, was taking her to the airport after her short visit to celebrate Father's Day with him. His children cherish him, as do all of his brothers, sisters, as well as his precious wife Charlotte and his Mom . I was so happy that I was able to be there to see both of them. I love you Tina and David!

Being a Grammy

We are so fascinated by our newest addition to our family! This is a picture of me, along with my daughter Jenna, and my son's daughter, Taylor. She is staying overnight with us tonight and what a pleasure it is to have a little one in the house. Oh, the yummy smell of her after her bath tonight....it brought back such wonderful memories of when Tyler and Jenna were babies. She makes us smile just by looking into our eyes and yes, I've fallen in love with this tiny creature with the most marvelous blue eyes!

Mammy's Flower Bed

I just returned from spending a few days with my precious mother (Mammy, to me). She will be 86 years young on Tuesday, June 23. I love staying with her and enjoy every minute we spend together. I love to putter around her place, doing little things for her. She loves her flower beds, but due to arthritis and a recent mastectomy, she is no longer able to tend to a garden. All of her seven children contribute to enhancing her garden in some way, either by contributing flowers, mulch, fertilizing, or providing special ornaments to enhance her enjoyment of beauty in her flower beds. It takes so little to make her happy and we all trip all over ourselves in showering her with those little things that give her pleasure. Here is a few pictures of her flower beds that I took during my visit.