I Will be an Artist! Update 3/7/19

| it is what it is.

I was pretty happy being a nurse for many years but when I retired I had no plan for what comes next, then I read that anyone can be an artist so I thought I’m anyone, I  will be an artist.

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I am a woman wondering what comes next, open to new ideas, willing to exchange thoughts but confused and restless about who I am now in these later decades of my life.

Being a twice-retired person of meager resources and advanced age, I started out cheap, buying craft paints and board panels and skinny canvas. I painted flowers the ‘one stroke’ Donna Dewberry way. (she is the one who said anyone can paint) I had fun painting pretty flowers for children and sold them at school and community sales.

But lately, I have been watching u-tube videos of abstract painting and this is my new favorite way to paint.  I am a self-taught (artist) painter with help from U-Tube videos, Mr. Lang and Ms. Dewberry and  Mr.Tim Gagnon plus a heap of art how-to books  There is so much to learn, so many new ways to create art, I’ll need another life-time to learn all this , maybe next life?

By the way, this painting became an  amazing table! Resin was the perfect  finish!

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sold

Update 3/7/19

Still of meager resources and even yet older, Life has moved on with me to a very new reality, an old lady on wheels. And I’m loving this new life style with GiGI my gas guzzling RV and my Smart car youcandoitBabe.I’m excited to get my life in my tiny RV settled soon so I can get back to painting I’ll need to find a space, I thought perhaps I’d paint outside at the table but it is really windy here, not sure it’s always as windy as it has been here lately, maybe it calms during the summer. Other than the wind, I think this is the best place to be now, warm and snow-less.

Update 7/19

I found a space to paint in, Kathy’s Studio is almost a reality.

Sexism

| it is what it is.

My smart car is a 2013

You would think that car builders would know that women drive cars too. So why don’t I have a mirror in the visor as the passenger side does? A simple thing, is it the same in your car? I just find it annoying and can’t find one to add. It’s the same in my RV, no mirror. I like to check my face before I get out of my car, don’t you?

Oh well, nothing to go on and on about, but really?

I’m told the White House Christmas tree has been cut in New Mexico and is on it’s way to DC with stops on the way and is stopping in Truth or Consequences today, I would have gone to see it this afternoon but I was in town this morning and it’s too far to go twice in one day. I wonder how it will be decorated this year. And really it’s just a big tree at this point.

While in town I did several errands and bought a light weight camp chair because now is a good time to go down to the lake and sketch trees, the weather is perfect to scout around but I get tired and there isn’t a place to stop and rest, now I can have a seat, it’s a simple thing made in China (of course) easy to put together. Too bad I gave away my backpack would have been handy. Tomorrow Charley and I’ll go to the lake and I ‘ll take a sketch book and watercolor pencils and enjoy the day. Expected temperature will be 65, so happy I’m here!

We have a pot luck dinner here for Thanksgiving, I’m thinking to take Ron Ponche because I’m not a great cook My sister-in-law made this for the holidays and if you got a bottle of her ron ponche it was much appreciated. I had her recipe for a while, it is made cooking the eggs and cream I remember and delicious! But here I’ll just buy a bottle of Rum and add to Rice’s Egg Nog which is pretty good, I like it. Will be better with spirits (Carta Vieja?)

I haven’t taken photos of our home lately and the light was nice so I took a few tonight,love my tiny space!

Charley is a little too big for his bed,his long legs are usually dangling out over the edge.

Let Me be Honest…….

| it is what it is.

I’m not sure how long this is going to be fun…or an acceptable life style …..forever? So far it’s been one year for me in my 1991 22 foot RV Tioga Montera

It’s like roughing it all the time, in a tiny space.

It’s never having the comfort of a nice and spacious bathroom and tub to relax in, meaning time is not taken to care for myself. A quick shower (in a tiny cold space) isn’t enough time to really soak your feet, shave your legs, (yes 76 years old women may shave their legs just not as often as before.) And remembering to empty the dark tank isn’t something you need to think about in a regular situation, but really as long as everything works as it should it’s not too bothersome.

But mostly I like it !

But I am liking being alone maybe a little too much. I don’t feel like socializing though there are plenty of opportunities to socialize and very nice people to get to know. I’m socially lazy… and inept.

And I don’t care.

But you know what they say about old people being isolated and lonely. I think it must be different if you choose to be alone, and aren’t usually lonely. I may be a little x-centric, yes, no doubt I am (even while spelling).

And I have Charley.

Caballo New Mexico is the Best Place to Live

| it is what it is.

It must be.

We always miss the worst the weather offers.

It’s going to be a sunny 68 tomorrow

everywhere else looks mighty chilly or damn cold.

even snow.

I sat painting in my studio much of the day with my little heater on and the hot lights but didn’t paint anything much, just fun using craft paints on canvas paper, I’m still getting warmed up to use my good paints. Lately I use craft paints for the first layer and go to my fabulous fluid paints to finish, today I painted some cactus plants against a New Mexico sky. No photo yet of it but here is my work blending colors. I like it, it’s kinda cool on 16 x 20 and I painted another thing on the back! I’m painting on both sides, you’ll surely like at least one side and when you get tired you just turn it over! It’s a twofer! Anyway.

I just finished reading a biography of O’Keeffe, what an interesting life she led and lived for over 90 years. I want to go to Santa Fe soon, I believe there is a museum with her work there. I’m remembering the first time I went to Santa Fe. I went with the idea of studying Chinese Medicine, it was cold, there was snow. I had just left Panama so the stark change in the weather was such that I stayed just two days and left crying. I could not do it. I may wait til Spring to go, now that I remember it is colder there than here.Yeah, I’ll wait.

My road trip with Charley has been postponed til Spring. I realized that 4 days traveling to VA in my little car and another 4 days getting back home was not a fun way to spend 8 days. Then I heard about the frigid weather happening along my route and am glad I changed my mind. We’ll go in the Spring in my RV and hopefully I will be able to tow my car and take my time to enjoy the ride.

I’m reading 1000 Best Dog Training Secrets. I’m wondering if Charley is too old to learn new tricks, or even basic skills, he does know ‘sit’. I don’t know how old he is. He’s not a young pup, he never learned to play, not interested in balls….no interest in fetch, when we go to the dog park I tell him, find the ball find the ball where’s the ball and nothing. Exasperating. I’d play with him, but how to teach a dog to play?

Lots of commands to learn and teach, I think he’s teachable, I hope I have the patience to teach (and learn).

My Studio!

| it is what it is.

I’m sitting in my almost finished studio and I’m so darn pleased! The latest additions were my front step made for me by my acupuncture friend (who is doing very well), and my lights that will even keep the studio warm during cold winter days, no need for a heater! Thanks to Dan they even work!

My studio is well supplied with paint and much of the stuff an artist needs so now I’ll see if I am an artist or just a wannabe artist I’m taking another online class that teaches me so many techniques and simple color mixing that I know nothing about.

It froze a couple nights, not all my plants look like they’ll survive. darn.

People say I should sell my RV and live in here! No, but now I have places for everything I love to do. (eat sleep and goof around) The simple life style actually costs a bit but now I think I have everything I need and even what I want. ( but I’d love a bathtub!)

Charley and I plan to go to VA for Thanksgiving, I don’t have a hook up to tow my car yet so (yeah that’s the next thing I’ll need) we will mosey along in the tiny car despite my son’s belief that it doesn’t belong on the highways. PooPoo I’ve done fine on highways.

We’ve got some Huge RVs in the Park

| it is what it is.

and there is my little GG. It’s okay, she’s my favorite but I’ll avoid seeing how the others live in their luxury rides, so I don’t compare theirs vs my GG. I’ll take some photos tomorrow, I’m told one is worth almost half a million $$$$$$. Nice.

I’ haven’t written much lately but we’ve been busy here. We take a Qigong lesson 3 times a week at 9 am for about 15 minutes to get the day started, lead by my neighbor for free.

Qigong (chi gung, or chi kung) is a form of gentle exercise composed of movements that are repeated a number of times, often stretching the body, increasing fluid movement (blood, synovial and lymph) and building awareness of how the body moves through space.

When you practice and learn a qigong exercise movement there are both external movements and internal movements. These internal movements, or flows, in China are called neigong, or ‘internal power’. These internal neigong movements make qigong a superior health and wellness practice.

My flower garden looks pretty, I’m thinking about a veggies garden behind my studio, I noticed on Etsy a seller for seeds for mini veggies that would be fun to grow.. just another project idea.

I have a couple interested in acupuncture I gave them a treatment today on my massage chair, that chair was one of my better buys.

Charley sheds like nobodies business. It’s not his fault I know. I’ve bought half a dozen lint/dog hair picker uppers and I try to keep up but my car is beyond any hope of keeping it hairless. Which brings me to the fact the Charley really doesn’t like traveling. I plan to go to VA for thanksgiving in my little car and it’s alooong ride (2000 miles) I have to find a way for him to settle in calmly. I think his previous owner never took him in the car, and weren’t very good to him, he shows some signs of abuse.

I’m confused, I’m republishing this but I think I already did but it’s not on my list of posts and it has already been viewed? Anyway, ignore if you already read it!

IC UPDATE, no good news here

| it is what it is.

As though having IC is not bad enough now I’ve read that taking some medications long term is being reported as causing an increase in mental clouding….sometimes called dementia.

I’ve taken elavil for about 30 years and I feel sluggish all the time and concerned about my mind.! I’ll start tapering it down while I start something recommended called PEAORA POLY 500 dietary supplement. (sold on the IC website.) This has been used in Europe for years for pain management. I’ve started with one tablet daily to start and will taper back on the Elavil, which is kind of scary, but I’m hopeful.

I’ve added this information from the IC optimist website.

For interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder patients struggling with intense urinary frequency and urgency, physicians often prescribe anticholinergic medications such as Amitryptiline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil) or Nortryptiline (Pamelor), Oxybutynin (Ditropan, Oytrol) or Tolteradine (Detrol). Unfortunately, their use has now been linked to cognitive decline and dementia in some patients who use it daily for long periods of time.

New research from the United Kingdom studied the medical records of 58,769 people with dementia and 225,574 without dementia, all 55 years or older. They found that long-term, daily use (3 years or longer) of certain anticholinergic medications were associated with a 50% higher risk of dementia, including: bladder medications for overactive bladder, antidepressants, antipsychotic, anti-Parkinson’s and epilepsy drugs. The study found no significant risks for two other types of medications also used by IC patients (anthistamines and skeletal muscle relaxants)  although the number of patients using them were small. The authors strongly suggested that anticholinergic drugs should be prescribed with caution in middle-aged and older people.

We asked Dr. Robert Evans for his thoughts on this issue. “We have always known that elderly patients can develop mental status changes, confusion and even dementia if exposed to anticholinergics which is why so many of us prefer to use Mirabegron for pts with overactive bladder” he said. “I rarely use anticholinergics in patients with IC as I do not think they help decrease frequency.  The reason is that IC patients void frequently because of pain not because of overactivity. These meds will not decrease voiding frequency since they do not help with pain.  I especially want to avoid them on patients who are on other drugs with anticholinergic activity such as antihistamines, tricyclics or gabapentin.” 

Thankfully self-help strategies can also help! Many IC patients have learned that their frequency and urgency is often triggered by certain foods and beverages.  If you are struggling with symptoms and still drinking coffees, sodas, green teas, black teas, there is hope. You could feel much better in a relatively quick period of time by modifying your diet and eliminating these risk foods. It’s certainly worth trying, right?

Spring/Summer 2019 IC Optimist Magazine

You can find a more extensive discussion of this topic in the Spring/Summer 2019 IC Optimist, the ICN Member magazine. Learn more here! 

References:

  1. Coupland C, et al. Anticholinergic Drug Exposure and the Risk of Dementia. JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 24, 2019. Accessed June 30, 2019 – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamai nternalmedicine/fullarticle/2736353

This new study is going to challenge the already challenging treatment of IC, now we can’t take the medications that allowed us to improve our quality of life with IC.

50% is a impressive number!

Flan de la Casa

| it is what it is.

Have you ever laughed uncontrollably about something no one else thought was funny?

I didn’t want to forget to write this post idea so I made a voice memo to myself. I tried to add it here but haven’t been able, just as well because I am laughing so hard it I couldn’t speak and all that is heard is my hysterics you would have laughed too I’m sure! uncontrollable laughter about what?

As I was almost falling to sleep I got this image of my family. My son who was 8 or 10 in this dream-like state, he says I want hot dog buns. This never happened in real life and again I’m laughing. Hysterically all by myself.

then there is the time………with the family in the car going out for dinner and my daughter says she wants flan de la casa we all started laughing, but no one knows why it was so funny Even today I can still grin about it, I guess it was just the moment, even now it makes me giggle.

Then there is the time…… in Austin I was driving my sister and her daughter about to show them a bit of Austin and I couldn’t get out of the parking lot. Yeah big time hysterical laughter.silly ladies.

Yeah, none of those examples are really much to laugh about but all caused hysterics.

Hysterical laughing is almost frightening, there’s the sense of being out of control, tears rolling down your cheeks and then you probably look pretty silly. But you are laughing and that is good for your soul

(this needed some editing and made me laugh all over again)

Stuck on Pause?

| it is what it is.
Charley being Charley

About being stuck. I’m not really stuck. I just have periods of great activity that alternate with doing nothing.

I read a lot, I alternate my reading with something of value to my brain with thriller books in between. 2 thrillers to 1 bio or history . I’m reading The Kingdom of God is within you, by Tolstoy perhaps an odd choice for one with little or no interest in religion but I like to know stuff, to know why I have little or no interest.

I ‘m having trouble getting into Don Quijote in original Spanish. Really a tough read for me, but I’ll come back to it. This is what I do because I don’t have television. Really happy I can get plenty of library books on my ipad. If I didn’t I’d probably be more productive….but less informed.

I have (had) a nice 24 x 24 canvas that I didn’t like how it turned out so I sanded it down and put a coat of white house paint on it, lacking gesso. I’ve been curious to use a new set of inks and thought to give them a try on canvas though I doubt that is the usual use for them. I liked how they looked with just abstract forms and beautiful transparency but I wasn’t happy with the center of the painting and tried to cover it again with more white paint, then I spilled the blue paint…….and then I spilled the black. then trying to get it all together I messed up the whole canvas. What a waste! Maybe I can do a do over again. tomorrow.

We have seen some beautiful huge RV’s here lately but most just stay a short time, the snowbirds haven’t arrived yet, early for them still. CJ (owner) has regulars that come every winter. I’ve been here nearly a year, time flies.

It was chilly this morning Charley wore a sweater, so did I.