Week in review

Between two intense blog hops and being gone every day this week, I've had no time to make art. Can you believe this month is over half over?

On Monday, my friend Scott and I started out to go shopping. True to form, he got lost and simply drove around until he found a familiar street.

I should make him a sign that reads "Real men don't ask for directions." I'm sure that's his motto.

I failed to get a picture of the outside of the building, but here we are inside the deliciously cool air conditioned Harbor Freight. It's where serious tools are sold.

We spent over four hours in the store, which is quite small. Scott tends to roam from one part of the store to the opposite part, then back to where he had been previously. Had we gone aisle by aisle, we would have been out of there within two hours.

My reason for going was to buy my new drill press. Mine is still in the box in my laundry room, but it looks just like this, only unassembled. Scott offered to put it together for me, but I'm not sure if I want to put it in my basement studio or in the garage. Wherever it goes, I'll be able to lift and move it, because it's a whopping 37 lbs. (16.78 kg), which weighs less than the container of cat litter I bought yesterday!

I had no time to think about the drill press's final location because on Tuesday, I took my friend Billie to lunch to celebrate her birthday. We had been planning this for MONTHS, and something always came up, either with her or me. It finally happened.

I took her to one of her favorite restaurants, an Italian place. She began with soup, I opted for the Italian salad,

and we both had manicotti. I caught her as she plated hers.

I was so busy taking photos, mine was still sizzling in the serving dish when she was ready to dig into hers.

On Wednesday, I got a call from my friend Joseph Peck, my musician friend (see my sidebar). He said he and his band were stopping in Kansas during their midwest tour. He said they would be in town for two days and one night. When I recently redid the main floor craft room, I put all the altered and swap books in boxes and put them in the guest bedroom. I was going nuts trying to find a place to store them (short of pitching them in the trash).

I kept looking around every nook and cranny of my overly full house (do you have that problem?) and zeroed in on an untouched space.

Before long, they were under the buffet in my dining room.

I have no idea if seriously doubt I'll leave them there, because I'm pretty sure they look as cluttered under there to you as they do to me. But they will be OK through Tuesday, and then they can go somewhere else, probably back in the boxes I took them out of.

Because it's so stifling hot and sticky humid even the AC doesn't help, I am trying to clean at night, rather than during the day. Yesterday I went grocery shopping, so I am at least all ready for four guys who can probably eat me out of house and home in two days. And I plan to do all my cooking outdoors, too. Just can't see heating the house even more than I have to.

I'm really trying to get around to all the blogs I want to and/or usually visit, but life, the heat, and a slow internet connection have taken their toll on my computer time this week. If it weren't for all of you, my blog friends, I wouldn't be here. So please understand, if I don't visit in the next couple of days, it just means I'm doing things I don't normally do: vacuuming, dusting, cleaning, and organizing my tiny fridge and freezer. So thanks for understanding and for your continued support.

Today's blog is one I discovered during One World One Heart (see my previous collaborations page) and just found it again this morning. Victorian Whimseys is authored by Nancy Malay who lives in Minnesota in the US. She has been published in several magazines and in 2008 was named one of the country's top artists by Early American Life Magazine. She makes lovely items, including Santas and Halloween art. I seem to be running behind this year, but Nancy is planning ahead and has several Santas ready to show and sell. I'm sure you will enjoy her blog today.