Cats and Grandsons...

I haven't posted in a while, other than my recent "argh" post about creativity.
For the last couple of weeks of April, I was
a. preparing for,
b. enjoying, and
c. recovering from
a visit with my grandsons.  Two five year old bundles of energy.
Holy cow, if I could only bottle that.  Not an original sentiment, I know, but true.

It was wonderful to see my daughter again, give her all the hugs I wanted to give her during the years she was in Japan.  It was also good to get to know her husband better--he's a pretty great fella.

And I got to spend serious quality Granny Time with the twins--we went for walks, we dug in the garden and planted flowers, we read stories, blew bubbles, all kinds of stuff.  I kept forgetting to get pictures because I was TOO BUSY HAVING FUN.  Usually the hubs has the camera, but he was off on a business trip.  Next time they're over here, I'll get a picture of them with their gardening aprons and "diggers".

I did get some when I took the kids to the duck pond, but again,
we were really busy.  Seriously, there were turtles!

 

Maybe my lack of creativity was more a simple case of recuperation-- they wore me out with their constant motion and noise!  I didn't realize how quiet my life is until after they all trouped off to their new apartment.  It occurred to me, in the deafening silence that followed, that most days, after the hubs turns off the morning news and goes to work, I don't have any noise...no radio, TV, or anything, until he comes home again.  I'm busy all day--in the office, the garden, my studio, the kitchen & laundry room, but the only noise is an occasional conversation with the dog or a real estate business call.


So with the quiet having reasserted itself, and my creativity seemly evaporated, I employed the Just Do It therapy: tending to the "boring parts" of my creative job.  I had a bunch of wood and clay cats sculpted and ready for sanding, (my son-in-law commented on them hanging upside down from the ceiling in my studio).  I hate sanding.  But I made myself sand, and sand well.  Like magic, the need to press on with paint, stain, and assembly followed.  I got lost in the zone, where the hours fly.  Maybe it was a reward from Mr. Miyagi (my grouchy old muse), because now I'm raring to make all kinds of things.

The seven cats are now finished, but I haven't decided yet whether to list them on Etsy.  I'm trying to build up inventory for the doll show in August, having gotten down to very few dolls left.  More pics later, but for now, here are the cats.

Bleu

Starting from the far end: Le Tigre, Boo, Xena, and Boots.  The one in the lower left is Harley.

This is Sergeant Pepper.

Now I may have to make some big cat pillows for the twins' next visit.  :~)