It's been too long...

 It has been a long while since my last post, and yet it doesn't feel like that long ago...  Time does fly, even if we're not having fun, it has one speed, one motion: forward.

Health wise I'm doing good overall, nothing worst than the usual pains and aches which often come with aging...  The last few days I've been having one "symptom" that is bothering me...  After coming in for outside, it's been twice now that I'm really having some vision issues.  You know after you've been "flashed" and you see spots for a few minutes?  It started like that yesterday afternoon, after having spent some time outside with the pooch, when I came in I was seeing spots.  Given that it was sunny and bright out, I didn't think much of it until the spots started changing to stripes, like zebra lines going and going.  I could walk and such, but could not really read nor look into a mirror - it made me dizzy.  After an hour or so I didn't notice it anymore.

Today, I sat outside some, in the shade (I can't do sun much anymore... the joy of getting old...er, urgh) and when I came in I was seeing "stairs" like pattern, but mostly in my right eye... that lasted a good 45 minutes to an hour...   I just got back from being outside, and my eyes are ok, I'm wondering if it is related to my glasses as both previous times I was wearing my glasses, which are for reading and do transit darker whenever in the sun...  Anyway, I've made a note of these "events" and will tell my neuro when I see him next... could be nothing or something related to MS.  We'll see. Ah!

I don't have a migraine, I'm feeling good, no nausea... just seeing weird moving patterns in one eye... fun!

During my last outing with the pooch, I lay down under the gazebo and listened to the noise around us.  Since living here, we've noticed that during the day it is VERY quiet as well as after 9pm...  Summer noises are very different from Winter ones, and this goes for smells as well.  Hubby often calls me "bloodhound"... I smell things... must have been a dog in a previous life...  

Rather than hearing the humming of the A/C, I heard the 640 traffic a few streets over...

Rather than hearing ice cubes falling in the ice bucket, I heard a kid plunked in a pool...

Rather that hearing my husband blow his nose for the xth time, I heard birds chirping...

After hearing the loud noise of a mower, I could smell the fresh cut grass... nothing says summer more than that.  After hearing my neighbor coughing, I could smell the joint he just lit... oh wait that's not just a summer smell...  After hearing the nails of my pooch going up and down the stairs from the patio to the door, I could hear her bark at the neighbor's cat taunting her by the fence...

So, life is good.  Despite the heat wave and humidex through the roof, I will take that over winter any day  Love having my toes out, in flipflops, and this even if my feet are always cold.  I'm not crazy about doing sweet nothing and sweating, or sweating so much my glasses fog up or slide down my nose... I will admit not being a big fan of gardening, I hate bugs and this year my lilies have been eaten, almost cut all of them off... beurk...  My planters are doing well and love seeing those colorful flowers, so pretty. 

Keeping busy with the few clients I've kept and doing this and that... like painting rocks, organizing a virtual meetup to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Postcrossing... yep, I still do the postcards thing.  I will admit that I'm sending less these days since the prices of stamps went up... it's getting to be an expensive hobby, but I still enjoy it!  Still selling postcards as well.  I'm importing less from the States since things are nuts over that side of the border since their last election it did NOT get any better!  Haven't traveled and not planning anything either... Home is the place to be for both (or rather all three) of us!

And voilà, this was my little update in the world of Stinkypaw! 😏

More Rocks!

 Here are some of my latest rocks...  Truly enjoying this...

An oddly shaped fish..

A celebratory elephant...

A 3 colors ice cream cone...

I was really happy last week after I've hidden this one by the foot of a trailer and then saw it posted on the Bacefook group aROCHEmoiunSOURIRE - after hiding about a dozen of them, to see one as posted by the lucky person who found it...  

Last month, when being treated by my osteo I had mentioned this activity of mine, and she was really curious, so this morning when I went for (yet, another!) treatment I gave her this cutie...

According to her, it looked good enough to eat! ah!  On my walk back home, I picked up a few other rocks and painted some more...  I'm liking the smaller rocks, a loonie or twonie size.  I've made a few that I'm not even sure if I want to hide them, there are just too darn cute...

Look at this one, I just love it!

... this cute panda face...

Or even this Blue m&m's that I did last night... just too cute!!  

When I picked up that rock, with that chip on the side, I knew what it was going to be!  I love how it turned out. 

When I see rocks their shape talk to me... as if! Ah!  No, but in reality I let the shape inspire me that's for sure!

I'm Back!

 
Well, hello world!  It's been a while and since life is slowly but surely getting back to normal (as normal as it can given who is writing!) and things are finally setting down, I thought I'd write some more...

Don't get me wrong, I kept writing postcards all the while, but in the past few weeks, since April actually I've also slowed down my participation in different games, etc. but kept on sending out my "officials".

You'll be happy to read that our renovations came to an end, after 18 long weeks of patience and muchos dineros BUT we are very happy with the end results.  This is now home!  

My office, generally referred to as "the Cave" by the Husband shows that I live there.  Despite very little efforts on my part, to be honest, it's a mess in there but it is MY MESS and I love it!  I can work when I need to, and do my artsy stuff when I want.  

We have, for the very first time, a nice patio set, and the room to actually enjoy it!  Check it out!  It went from this, with two camping folding chairs...  
to this, after delivery of our new patio furniture...  

I've taken out my sewing machine and the left over material I had bought in Hawai'i years ago, and made a few cushions... 

Isn't it inviting, to relax with a cold drink and shoot the shit?  I would think so!  I love it!

One day, as we were heading to DeSerres in Boisbriand for me to look at different supplies for watercolor painting, I found a painted rock on the ground as I got out of the car. It was so pretty.  Don't you think?  

I'd been talking with a friend about doing that for a while, and finding this rock brought that idea forward especially since on the back of it also said: "Keep, Hide or Replace Me. Please publish a picture on Facebook in the group aROCHEmoiunSOURIRE"  I kept it for a while and posted it in the group.  That started a new thing for me... being on the look out for rocks!  I started with an odd shaped one, mid April.

I quickly realized that painting on a rock is not at all like painting on paper, so I got myself some acrylic paint pens.  That makes a big difference in the details.  

I left it in front of a mail box down the street and was happy to see it gone by the time I walked back. 

Then I painted this fish...

which I left on a stop sign post by the grocery store we go to.  Hubby had to go back the next day and told me there was no stone left!

I'm attracted to smaller rocks, but they are harder to paint on and to stick the ID for the group on them is barely possible.  So I 'try' to get bigger rocks... like this one, which I loved how it turned out.  

I had found the perfect spot to hide it, on a trail near home.  

By the time we walked that trail again, the owl had flown away!

The group had a theme for the month: a little house, so I painted this little one and also left it at the stop sign post on our way in the grocery and when we walked back it was no longer there... 

So I've been painting rocks, and hiding them in the area...  Here are some of them...

Was hidden at Première Moisson on chemin Gascon.

  hidden... 


and these two...

and finally this little one, left on steps leading to a trail

At the moment I have a few drying from the varnish coat I gave them and today on my walk to the mailbox I actually picked up two more (blank ones).  I know I'm no artist and I'm enjoying doing this.  It does calm the brain, so that's always a good thing!

While doing all this I also started watching some tutorials and took on watercolor painting.  That is something totally new to me and I'm loving it even if it can be frustrating at times, but I see my evolution... slowly but surely, I think.

Ok this will conclude this post for today, and I'll be seeing you around!

TTFN