Goodbye Daylight Savings Time....Happy Wet November!

Ok, ok...so I haven't blogged  for a while.  Yeah, for weeks.  Actually almost 2 months. 

I have to admit, I would be more encouraged to blog if my readership would grow and if readers left comments so posts became a conversation...instead of what weirdly feels like just talking to myself.  Which, like most creatives, I already do without blogging.  I would even appreciate someone courageous pointing out if my posts are, well, kind of pointless, so my blog is not worth the time to visit, read and comment. That way I could plot a new course of action! Which is why I just pushed outside my own comfort zone and expressed my thoughts.

So.... with that said (and hopefully stirring up the pot), I am here now blogging! And... all is good!
 
Hope all has been well with you, as well.  Summer was such a busy time of outdoor activities and, social events, I kind of forgot about blogging.  I mean, I still posted on FB and Instagram via mobile devices, but let's face it-- who wants to sit indoors at a computer screen when summer is beckoning outside?!  (Sigh.  Now that leaves are turning and I need a coat, hat AND gloves, I really miss my no-fuss summer walks!)

It is actually very symbolic for me to write to you at this transitional time of year.  My life is currently in transition.  Not just the normal seasonal changes or "I'm-geting-older" changes so many of you are also going through. Bigger stuff.  Life event and new chapter type of stuff.

Almost everyone and everything around me is in a state of flux which affects everything I do--like a domino effect.  As 2017 slowly slides to a close, I foresee lots of changes for 2018.  In fact, I see 2018 shaping up to be one of those milestone years. You know what that is...those are the crossroads you look back at later and realize shaped the path you walked.

So, with that said...so far this year we have celebrated the birth of a new grandchild...little baby Sophie....who, amazingly resembles my grandmother--something that makes my heart fill with joy each time I see her smiling face or hear that adorable little giggle.

We have also had loss. 

Tuxedo passed over the Rainbow Bridge this summer at the ripe old age of 14.  He was the first dog we have had who just literally laid down and died--no fanfare, no drama, no hard decisions to make.  He was always the dog who belonged to himself. So he waited until he had some "alone time", somehow managed to crawl over to the spot where my scent was the strongest, lay down and peacefully let go.  He had already said goodbye in his own way earlier that morning so he was ready to go see his buddies Shady, Tyler and Sudsy.

 Till next time....
Gail

Summer Bliss Topped with a Hint of Fall

Hope everyone has been enjoying the summer!  Have you been traveling or enjoying local festivals, and farmers' markets? Or have you been chilling in the hammock and sipping ice tea?

While much of the country may still be in toasty hot mode, Chicagoland and neighboring parts of the Midwest have been enjoying a more moderate summer. In between the record breaking rain (and subsequent flooding), our temps have been comfortable enough to keep windows open part of the day and throughout the night.  That definitely saves on our air conditioning bills!

However, temps like these also remind me of what is just around the corner. Since it feels a little bit like autumn, it seemed logical to stamp some fall-like cards--especially after I received my "happy mail" with samples of my brand new fall stamp images from Impression Obsession!

Happy stamping!

Interesting how I don't post much in summer because I just don't want to lose any of that precious time outside. But, the moment it starts to feel and smell like fall, I return to my regularly scheduled blogging.

So this post will be more of a social experiment than the usual sharing photos, events and updates in the lives surrounding the Green Family Craft Zoo. Mainly because this week has had drop dead gorgeous fall weather which we all know will soon come to a screeching halt, slowdown and then....end in the world again turning colorless in shades of white, black and grey.

And so I ponder, as I look outside and marvel at the brilliance of autumn...the psychedelic trees and all the orange, red, brown and yellow leaves scattered over all the beautiful green grass. Fall is one of my most productive seasons to create art because I am surrounded by color on my walks and I am inspired by the color palette when I return.  Which is why I am always sad to see the color slowly fade and disappear.

 Do we really say goodbye to summer and fall with the turning of a calendar page or the changing of the clocks? Or can we hold on to it in our hearts and experiences? In my case, I hold onto summer in my still healing broken toe...but also in the videos and photos that capture the sights, smells and sounds of nature (OH SO MUCH GREEN all around me!) and outdoor festivals, events and fun times.

Saying Goodbye to Summer...

The summer of 2016 has been a relatively peaceful one in the Green Family Craft Zoo.  Lacy Lulu has settled down and has become a delightful dog instead of a crazy psycho puppy.

Tux is still holding his own at 14.5 years old, although he is pretty much deaf now and only responds to sight commands. Thankfully he can still see pretty well! (And this, folks, is why it is crucial to teach hand signals simultaneously with the commands to sit, come, stay, etc!!!)

And Maggie...well, Miss Maggie still barks too much but she is also aging gracefully.

Actually Miss Maggie gave us quite the scare this summer.  An undetected insect bite sent us to the emergency vet with her. That was QUITE an infection!  She wore that soft cone of shame for weeks! And, the fur still hasn't completely grown back.  She currently looks like an ad for Target!

 

Summer has been good.  Bittersweet, though, to see it turn cooler and days getting shorter.  I wish I could just hold on to summer....make it last longer.  But, I can't.  So I will remain hopeful that the next several months will be kind to us in Chicagoland and spring will arrive at the expected time.