Possum Christmas

Saturday, December 25, 2010 - Christmas Day

Clan Speck gathered at the farm this evening for our Christmas celebration. There were 16 folks this year and food for 50.

The evening was enjoyable and uneventful - until we were about to leave. Hubby was locking up the garage when he saw a nekkid tail disappear around the mower, then into the well pump alcove. He found two teenaged possums huddled there, bedding down for the night.

The alarm was sounded and the whole house emptied to see the critters and to take photos. Much ewwwwing and squealing ensued.

I learned that if you poke a possum with the handle of a leaf rake he will curl up in a ball and "play possum." You can pick him up and tote him away by the tail. Learn something new every day.

The possum pair were relocated to the edge of the woods via tail (by two of the Brothers Speck, not Hubby.)

The farm dogs didn't seem interested in chasing them, didn't even bother to sniff them as they were being toted away. Those farm dogs are worthless as critter chasers! They were probably sharing their dog food with the possums.

The possums will probably find their way back to the doghouse and spend the night there. Good Grief!

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Process notes:
The critter drawn here does not resemble an Arkansas possum in the least. Please don't get the impression we have some genetically altered possum species living here.

The title of this entry in my journal reads "POSSOM CHRITMAS." The spellchecker on my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen was broken. Managed to fix Christmas digitally. Gave up on trying to fix all the possoms. I *knew* that didn't look right.

Wrapping Paper

Friday, December 24, 2010 - Christmas Eve

Actually it is 3:00 AM Christmas Day. I should go to bed but I'm not at all tired. I've cooked all day for tomorrow's family gathering while Hubby played golf. I was happy not to have him underfoot all day.

He and his golf buddies came in from the course and shed man-smells in my living room for 2-3 hours while making lewd comments* about women golfers on TV. (eyeroll) Why do they revert to junior high locker room mentality when they run in packs???

Realized I hadn't wrapped the gifts for the nieces so I dug out an old but unopened roll of wrapping paper. There's no telling how long I've had this. It had the cutest peeping characters on it. Had to draw.

I have to get up in just a few hours but do I brush my teeth and put on my jammies? No! I pull out the watercolor palette and the waterbrush.

I'll probably pay for the lack of sleep tomorrow.

Sigh.

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*"Grrrr...She can grip my club like that any time she wants."

The Mailbox

Thursday, December 23, 2010 - Hubby got his mom a new mailbox for Christmas. He worked on getting the post put together and mounting the box on the post.

My job was to get all the stickery bits on the number holder thingy. The white background oval was a reflective sticker and the numbers were peel-n-stick.

When I was finished I trotted it in to show him. I held it up and asked:

Me: "What do you think???"

Him: "Are those her numbers???"

I tipped my head and gave him a look, wondering when it would dawn on him how silly that question was. Yes, of course those are her numbers. I looked up her address to make double-sure before I stuck them on both sides of the thingy.

He seemed earnest in his query and was waiting for an answer, so I gave him one befitting the question.

Me: "Nope, I just picked some random numbers to mess with the mailman's head."

Sigh.

Decorate!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 - Finally got the house decorated for Christmas today. Better late than never I guess.

I've been wanting to draw these decorations since I pulled them from their box two weeks ago. Yes, I procrastinate.

I love the solemn little snowman. He's my favorite.

A Christmas Story

Saturday, December 18, 2010 - Went to see the holiday lights contest at Mr. Hotdog & Cindy Lou's campsite. Took the hayride tour to see the whole campground, ate a processed hamburger, and drank some hot chocolate that really hit the spot.

The light competition was really fierce this year. The most imaginative display was a lighted canoe adrift on a pond of blue lights.

Mr. Hotdog and Cindy Lou had "A Christmas Story" as a theme, complete with the leg lamp and Red Ryder BB gun. They made a perfect fireplace from a cardboard box and even had fortune cookies in a hubcap.

They won third place. Plans are already being made for next year's competition.

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Process notes: I drew all this from memory. Last year I tried drawing in the darkness out there and decided *that* was for the birds. I could barely see my sketchbook. This year I merely took copious mental notes and drew when I got home.

Really Tall Piano

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - Sketching with Miz Dee in the lobby of Rehab. We decided to draw the beautiful grand piano and the Christmas tree beyond.

I got the legs on the piano just a *leetle* bit long. LOL! Oh well, it looks kinda like a stand-up bar piano.

Miz Dee says she's bustin' outta Rehab on Saturday come hell or high water. She's ready to be back home in her own bed surrounded by "her own junk."

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Update 12/23/2010 - Miz Dee finally did get home on Saturday, Dec. 18th; 38 days from when this whole ordeal first started. Needless to say, she is doing the Pink Bunny Slipper Happy Dance!

Comp Book Covers

Sunday, December 19, 2010

I've been having a ball making composition book covers. This blue one, "Awesomesauce", was my experimental model.



I started with a piece of blue shirting material and Mod Podged it down to both back and front. Next I Mod Podged the maps down, let it dry, then drew on it with metallic gel pens. A final cost of Mod Podge finished it off. The Mod Podge made the cover slick and durable. I can't feel the texture of the background fabric now.



The "Book of Whatever" was filled with my ramblings on pens, inks and journals before I made the cover. It came out so cool I didn't want to pack it away on the shelf. It has a map on the back too, cut from an old atlas I got at the thrift store for $1.00.

What's so cool about Mod Podge is it is stupid-proof. Thick or thin coats dry equally well and equally hard. It can be sanded smooth, so anything coated with Mod Podge can be sanded down (or off) as well. I don't know why it took me so long to discover this great stuff.

Radar Love

EDM #13 - Draw Your Telephone

Journaling:

Hubby called on his way home to say he was picking up steaks for supper and would be home in about 30 minutes.

When I hung up I stared at the phone for a second thinking I surely would like to click the autodial button and talk to Nana for those 30 minutes. I didn't really have anything to say so I really shouldn't call.

As those thoughts were running through my head as I stared at the phone, it suddenly lit up and started playing Nana's ringtone. Yep, it was Nana calling me!

I told her all this and she laughed saying she didn't really have anything to talk about either. She just wanted to natter a few minutes.

The Radar Love between sisters is a magical and wondrous thing.