A brief respite from posts

    I know that usually I devote my posting to publishing pictures of recent creations.  I make use of the adage of a picture is worth a thousand words.  Could that be?  Am I just lazy?  It seems like I'm exploring all the creative outlets possible with my clay, sometimes water colors and even textile endeavors and then the marketing or "tooting of my own horn" has to come into play.  I'm telling you it's exhausting.  I love creating, I just wish people would instantly know that I've done the creating with my constant words.  When ever I do look at either this blog spot or my web site, I'm appalled at the amount of time that has escaped since the last post...forgive my human weaknesses.
   I have been busy.  I'm always busy.  I've spent a lot of time setting up my space at ArtForms LLC, www.artforms-gallery.com in Pittsburg, KS.  And not only that which isn't all that time consuming, I'm doing the accounting work for the gallery including figuring the commissions for the approximately 20 artists involved and the financial reports that will allow the partners to file their individual income taxes.  It's very important to me that each artist is paid correctly and that means working with the other 19 artists who work in the gallery to make sure sales are correctly recorded.  It can be challenging but I do love working with numbers too!  I know weird artist working with numbers and enjoying it..go figure (oh,  a little pun there).
   And then there is Joplin Regional Artists Coalition www.joplinrac.org  where I'm the Treasurer.  It's a growing artists group local more to Joplin, but still within a 100 mile radius.  That's more of a keeping track of members sort of thing, but yes, it too involves numbers...just not quite so intense as ArtForms.
  Then let's see, I've done shows in Topeka, KS and Atlanta, GA in October.  There were three or four different open house/Christmas shows in November and December.  The one in my home was a great success.  It was over a couple days that worked better for people's schedules.  It was a bit strange in that my "regulars" didn't necessarily come and spend a bunch (with a few exceptions), rather I had new people who hadn't been to my studio before...some who came back a second time...always nice.
  The best thing was Christmas...both of my girls were home and in celebration of that and because it was about time , I bought myself a most excellent Christmas present...a St Bernard puppy!!!  Her name is Lucy and she is, well, she is a puppy first of all and a St. Bernard second of all.  My hope is that she will be a therapy dogs just like her greyhound "cousins".  I know she loves everyone...maybe with the exception of that pet turkey she met last Saturday.  She didn't really know what to make of that. 
   The only down side is my beloved 10 year old male St. Bernard has bone cancer which has been operated on once so far.  I'm going to take this a day at a time, but my priorities are shifted for a while and I trust that everyone will be understanding.  My dogs are my family too ...so there, there are some words, but I'm going to add a pic just because...