Awww, Come ON!

I have a cold.

Actually, to be more precise, I have my husband's cold. I had it settling in yesterday morning, and it was coming on strong last night. I didn't sleep well, because I had horrible nightmares, like my in-laws suddenly moved in with us and the only thing coming out the taps was mud, that I somehow caused by using those toilet-drop-in tablets. (Yeah, I dunno what's wrong with me either.)

The one upside to nightmares is that you are so relieved that it wasn't real, you can pretty much face anything else that's coming that day! And what was coming was... *gasp* a mammogram.

OK, I just cannot get over that word. I feel like it should be a ripped guy in very little clothing, cowboy hat, with balloons, showing up to sing something. They need a new word, because in my head it always looks like "Ma'am *wink* o-gram" and then I start giggling like a 12-year-old. Because I'm mature like that.

Speaking of maturity, I think they should have wine at mammogram places. It would really liven things up! I walked in to the windowless waiting room of gonna-get-squished doom, and they basically had an assembly line going of women who were all miserable to be there, and avoiding eye contact. That's no fun at all. I mean, we already know what's coming and there's no way to make that part fun, so why not liven up the waiting room?

Anyway, I survived. I feel like I chest-planted into cinder blocks, but I survived. WHILE I have a cold, mind you.

I bring this up, because my husband came down with this cold on Sunday and proceeded to basically... well, act like he's dying. He got the dreaded MAN-cold. I think I read somewhere that the man-cold is a real phenomenon and that they get sicker or feel worse than women do. I dunno. I kinda want to dispute that, but ok. Whatever.

The real kicker isn't that anyway, it's that apparently with this cold comes a whole bunch of water weight. It BETTER be water weight. Unless I'm sleep-donut-eating, it can't be real (and we don't have any donuts anyway... wait, maybe that's WHY we don't have any?!) But it's demoralizing just the same. Stupid scale. Stupid cold.

Ok, there's a slight chance I'm a wee bit grumpy. A small possibility.

On to brighter news! Yesterday, I didn't feel up to my daily painting, but I did do this one today:

4x6 oil on loose canvas. I decided to focus more on his face, so there was a focal point. I really think it makes a big difference in the painting.

I also managed to finish this little 5x7:

5x7 inches, oil on cradled wood panel. 

That one had been kicking around for a while, so it was good to get it done. I also finally photographed these three ultra-mini paintings:

2x2 inch, oil on stretched canvas

2x2 inch, oil on stretched canvas

2x4 inch, oil on stretched canvas

It's kind of nice to get a few done, and then processed (have to take pictures, post them for sale in my shop, etc. It's more work than you would think!) Now I have deadlines to focus on, and stop procrastinating by doing other work... is it procrastinating if you're still working? Seems like a gray area to me. Just sayin'.

*sneeze*

Brrr!

I'm posting without all the new art to share, because I'm trying to remind myself that I'm not only going to post when something is done! (That whole blog-resolution thing I had going.)

Well, except I will share pictures. I like visuals for my art blog.

So, it's cold out here. COLD-cold. Last night I was out with my husband at a business dinner and it was -19 F (-28C) with a windchill about -30 F ( -34C). Now, folks, that's just cold! Parts of your body just go numb, after screaming at you in agony for a few seconds. It's not pleasant.

This morning, it was up to 1 degree (-17C). Interestingly, it feels just about as cold. Possibly because the windchill isn't that different. But the sun is out, and the snow is blowing around outside in the most amazing patterns. In the field next to my house, it actually looks like a frozen ocean, complete with waves. (These are from instagram for the most part, I'm trying to remember to use the account: kyraart - I had deleted my original one when they had their sneaky policies in place.)

This doesn't really do it justice. It's amazing, wave-like, and dynamic!

I did have to go out in it (hence why I took a photo), to retrieve my daughter from a friend's sleepover. Oh, the things we do for our children.

I brought my co-pilot in the car with me though so we could shiver together. 

And once I got home, I...well, I'm still not warmed up. Every time I venture farther than 10 feet from my fireplace I end up chilly again. Fully socks, or no, it's cold!

I'm working on getting my spot back in front of the fireplace. Lily won't leave it.

My first projects for my art in 2014 actually came out of left field for me. Granted it was my own fault, because I wasn't paying attention. I'm part of an artist collective that does an auction every month with a theme. This month's theme is Marie Antoinette. So, I have two sketched out:

And I got to work on them yesterday. I heavily salted their backgrounds, and I'm hoping I haven't over done it.

They always look like zombies with the violet layer. Long ways to go, but it makes me wonder about stopping at this point on a picture... a purple girl... Might be kind of cool?

Today, I've been too cold to work. My joints hurt in my hands. Some of this is without a doubt due to the cold, but some of it is the over indulging I've been doing for a while. If my body swells, my hands don't work as well. It's unfair, but true.

Tomorrow, my husband and I are starting a new fitness plan, and with it we'll be locking our food back down again too. I'm hoping that clears up most of the issue for me. The rest? Well, I'm contemplating painting with an electric blanket on my shoulders!