Friday, June 14, 2013

Mid June!

 Me thinks that I slept through the last few weeks. Actually, I've been very busy sorting out my life. I admit that I did forget about the Give-away. Oops! Stacy drew names from a straw hat. Raewyn, who I've contacted. Nellie, who I haven't and Amy who sent me an email due to a comment issue. I've had that happen myself on some blogs when I want to leave a comment.
 Yes, I do love birds! Always have. There have been a few pet birds in my life ending back in the early 80's when I'd enough of cleaning out cages. I much prefer the visitors to my yard but did they have to eat up the few bunches of grapes that I planned on enjoying? I'm considering pulling out the grape vines and planting some type of non-edible vine in place. Much easier to purchase organic grapes, though, the birds do enjoy them.
Some good news! The cancer marker test remains normal and the mammogram was normal as well. Cancer-free! The next appt. with the oncologist is a year from now so to say the least I'm celebrating big time! Can you believe that head of curls!? That was six months of hair after losing 98% of it to chemo. I still had a fringe in the back that I kept. I wasn't fond of the Orphan Annie look so I walked into Supercuts on Tuesday and asked the gal who greeted me if she thought she could find a hair-style amongst the curls. She was positive she could and happily she did!

I haven't had short hair in over 30 years but I'm liking it now, especially in the brutal heat that hit the desert already. 114 degrees last Friday and it's been hovering around 108 ever since. June temps usually aren't quite this intense.

I celebrated by gifting myself an iPad and discovered some photos I'd forgotten about when I downloaded them to various albums. (I'm so confused as to where I stand saving photos to 2 external drives, 2 clouds, and now the iPad. Oh, and Shutterfly for pics that my daughter emails me. I'm overwhelmed over the 1000's of photos that exist on my devices.) Anyway, I ran across this one and I believe that's it completely digital but for the life of me I have no memory of creating it or how it was done. I do have an inking though. There is a watermark on it so I must have decided that I'd post it someday. This is the type of look I'd love to achieve with paint.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' ~Eleanor Roosevelt

7 comments:

Julie said...

Wonderful news! :-) I'm so pleased for you that you're cancer free! Your new hairstyle looks great too. A new hairstyle is exciting and scary at the same time. Suddenly you fell like a new person and can be. I liked the sound of 'sorting out my life'. Ack! Can you believe those temperatures? I would be hibernating in that sort of heat.

Penny said...

wonderful to hear you are now cancer free. Sorry agout the heat. Thinking of you, oh and I like the new hair cut.

Caterina Giglio said...

I would love to achieve that with paint one day too! and your hair looks fab, getting mine cut tomorrow, midlength curly bob, for summer... your curls are great, and so very glad you are so healthy!! wooohoo! xx

Janice Price said...

Love the hair, mine came back wavy but as it has got longer its almost straight. Great news about the check up those words cancer free are so good to hear. Congratulations on dancing with NED (no evidence of disease)
love
Janice in England x

Pam Huggins said...

What wonderful news! Cancer free. Wow Gail! What an incredible journey. I'm so pleased to hear this.
I love your hair cut- the stylist did a great job.
And your photos are stunning! That red bird is so regal and the digital composition is definitely your work. Beautiful -every one of them.
1000's of photos sounds overwhelming- but I'm sure you'll figure it out. I've got the majority of mine on DVD's- but now I worry the DVD's will be compromised. It never ends!

ART*ticulation said...

Wow curls curls curls! Beautiful and so awesome cancer free. I just know you will enjoy your iPad to the extreme.
I got mine a few years ago and I now rarely even turn on a computer :)

Marilyn said...

Gail, so happy to hear the good news! Celebrate every day!!!!
I love your painting. I know what you mean about the background texture just sitting with nothing.
I truly love the last image!