OMG! Kink!

Today has been great. This morning after Tony and I did our morning chores outside he was sweet and took Angel and Blue, two, sweet, two-year-old Chihuahuas to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic so they could be neutered and spayed and get their shots and he dropped off Toto, so he could be groomed, because I did not have the time to play "Beauty Shop" with him, because I had too many things to do and take care of.

While T. was gone I did the Chihuahua's intake papers and Zeke's, the little Yorkie that we adopted out in July and then was returned to us and then I sent their pictures with their descriptions to Pat, our wonderful web master, so she could put them up on our utopiarescue. com site.

All three of these tiny dogs are two years old and as sweet as they can be. I took their pictures this morning before Tony took Blue and Angel to Hoegemeyer's. In alphabetical order is Angel, Blue and Zeke.

By the time Tone got home I had our taco salad lunch ready and the papers were in order for him to go to Medina to get Trigger's and Buttermilk's vehicles registered with the state and a check to pay to the county tax assessor.

While T. was gone to Medina to make our vehicles legal to drive Hazle cleaned the wooden floors of our trailer while I started a load of clothes washing in Queen Bee. Then I sat down at my laptop and began writing my bi-monthly column for Texas Animal Imprints magazine for their digital December issue.

Around 5:00, when I was nearly finished writing my column, Tony took off for Kerrville to pickup a "cleaner version of Toto. By the time they returned I had sent Joni, the editor for Texas Animal Imprints my column with a few of Tony's and my pictures.

When T. and T. returned home, a little after 6:00, Mama, Abbie and Belle sniffed him to make sure that Toto was the same dog that left here this morning. When everyone was finally convinced that it was Toto, Tony and I left the trailer and jumped into Kermit, so Tony could add several more feet to the pipe down at the creek, that provides our water, because the water level had dropped so much. Here are a couple of pictures I took, standing in the middle of a once beautiful, wide flowing Wallace Creek, while Tony lengthened the pipe, so we can have water.

This evening Kinky called me with some great news about the Saturday nights November 26th Bonefit and December 17th Bonefit, at The Springs Music Hall in Salado, Texas. "Nance, Billy Joe Shaver is going to do the December 17th show with me. Isn't that great news!"

"OMG! Kink, I love it. I love Billy Joe and...!"

Y'all have a great evening and please keep praying for us to get some rain and for the Fire Fighters fighting our states many wildfires.

Missing—Gone—Disappeared!

Last night before I started writing my blog, I checked my e-mail. I received a note from Carol and it made me chuckle when I checked out this picture, because I've never seen a pretty, pink pair of welding gloves. Carol wrote: "Just had to brag! James got these for me today. He takes good care of his help!"

After showing Carol's pink welding gloves to Tony, I started writing my blog and the weirdest thing happened right after I posted it—thanks to Mercury in retrograde. As soon as I posted it, Tony immediately read it on his computer and he laughed a few times, as I copied and pasted it and filed it away on my desktop. Then I reread it on the computer, like I always do after I post a new blog, so I can try to catch any spelling or grammar errors that I missed. And, I found one—a really big one!

The fourth paragraph up from the bottom was suddenly missing-gone-disappeared, causing the next paragraph and the story to make no sense at all, so I quickly opened up the file, that I had just saved to my desktop, to see if I had somehow deleted that paragraph where Tony asks me to buy some Static Cling, because he keeps getting shocked outside, and it was right there—in black & white—I had not deleted it. So I copied and then pasted the paragraph back into my blog and reposted it. 

After I checked to make sure the paragraph was back on page where it belonged, I clicked my comments folder and I had one new comment from Mari, of the NoMads. Mari wrote:

"Now I'm not complaining, mind you, but I'm going to have to ask you to "bridge the gap" between the paragraph that begins "on our way home" and the paragraph that follows. 

It could be that age has also affected my comprehension, not just my memory, but I really want to find out for sure, so please help me, Obewan Nancy - you are my only hope." After laughing at what Mari had written, I posted her a comment to tell her that it was now fixed and I was blaming Merc. Then I went and told Tony about the paragraph suddenly missing and he told me that it was there when he read it.

Today has been great. This morning after walking eight miles with Sansone and her friends inside the trailer, I checked my e-mail. My new friend, Joni Johnson Daniel, the Publisher for "Texas Animal Imprints" magazine wrote to tell me that Texas Animal Imprints new web site is now up, so I checked it out and it looks fantastic and it has a page that allows you to download older issues of the magazine in PDF, so you can read them. 


A little after three o'clock, T. and I went over to the Lodge to visit with Kinky and his friends, Rambam, Frank and Brian Kanof, the talented, professional photographer from El Paso. And it was a fun visit, especially for Tony, because he beat Brian in two games of pool. The Medina Bulldog Rules!


Y'all have a great evening!

Ham-At-Heart!

I have four good reasons why today has been a great day—thanks to my good friends e-mails from Cindy Pickard, Joni Daniel, Patty Kearns and Phil Houseal. I am so lucky to have so many great friends.

I will start with Cindy's exciting news first. Last September 23rd & 24th Cindy and her son Andy's must see "Manitou API—Where The Sun Rises" documentary premiered at the Taos Center for the Arts and it was a huge happening to say the very least.

Well, today, Cindy sent me an e-mail asking me to check out the comments made after their premiere showings in Taos, so I did and it blew me away, even though I knew they would be great, because I love their latest documentary and you can check the comments out at: the8thfire.org. I am so proud and happy for her and Andy!

Joni Daniel, my good friend and publisher of the great Texas Animal Imprints magazine sent me some great news, too. The November / December issue is now out on the stands for sale and she is sending me some free copies of the awesome magazine, so I can send out some copies to my friends—with my very first magazine column in it! I can't wait to see my words in print in her magazine. I am so excited! Thank you so much, Joni! Tony and I are thrilled that you are coming to see us between Christmas and New Year's Day!

My dear friend Patty Kearns sent me an e-mail telling me that she will be in Kerrville over the Thanksgiving holidays to visit her dad and Peggy and family and I am so looking forward to seeing my funny, Floridian friend. Patty is one of my favorite people on the planet, because she is so interesting and has a fantastic sense of humor. She makes me laugh so much that my back always aches after every time she and Peggy visits. I know that she could be a standup comic if she wanted to do it—she's that good.

Now, to top off my happy day, my good friend Phil Housel over at K.I.S.D.'s Club Ed sent me an e-mail that literally blew me out of my saddle and made Tony and me laugh out loud! Phil wrote to tell me that the column he wrote about me for Club Ed will appear in tomorrow's Kerrville Texas Community Journal and Boerne Texas Hill Country Weekly newspapers and he sent me a link to it, so I could read it and when I read it that's when I fell off of the horse so to speak. Phil is so sweet and his upbeat and kind words about me nearly made me tear up. What a nice guy.

After T. had read Phil's article, we clicked the link to watch the short, but funny video that Phil took at my watercolor class last week, taught by my new-found incredibly, talented artist friend Joan Sullivan. I love Joan and after talking to her for over an hour on the phone last week, after her fun watercolor class, we discovered that our lives have somewhat paralleled each other and we have so much in common that it is weird-in-a-nice-kind-of-way. And, now I can say, "Joan is my newest soul sister to add to my list!"

I know that I hammed it up in Phil's fun video, because I am a ham-at-heart, but I was having such a good time with the ladies and also because I was no longer embarrassed to smile—new teeth will do that for you—trust me.  : )  My favorite part  in the video was when Phil asked Joan, the cute, perky redhead, what she thought about my portrait. And all that I can say is, "Joan is one fabuous artist, but she's a really bad fibber."  : )   And, if you watch the video you will have to agree with me. I think her nickname should be "A3P"—Always Paints Pretty Picture. Here is Phil's video on Club Ed's Facebook. Be prepared to laugh.

As I end tonight's blog I am thinking about throwing a party and inviting all of my friends, because I would love for everyone to meet each other. But, because my friends live all over the globe, maybe I can figure out how we could do it by using the internet. I'll ask some friends how we can do it and get back to y'all. I think it would be really cool and Tone and I could do it live from Outer Space or the Space Ship and maybe I could get Kinky to join us! Talk about a blast!

P.S. Cindy, as I write this, I am wearing The 8th Fire hoodie sweatshirt, the "Turtle" which represents truth in the Seven Teachings and designed by the talented Taos Pueblo artist Jonathan Warm Day, but of course, you know that! Next time you see him please tell him that I loved reading his book, Taos Pueblo: Painted Stories and that his designs for the Seven Teachings are so beautiful that I wear one of them almost everyday.

P.S.S. Joni, I have already started writing my column for your next publication of Texas Animal Imprints January/February magazine and I cannot wait to see my very first column appear in the November / December issue! See you after Christmas and please drive careful!

P.S.S.S. Patty, I mailed the signed books out today and I cannot wait to see you and Peggy next week, over the Thanksgiving holidays. I can't wait to talk to you and laugh until it hurts.

P.S.S.S.S. Phil, thank you so much for your kind words about me and literally making my day. Like Harley and I often say, "You're one of the good guys." And I know that Club Ed wouldn't be the success it is without you. So, please don't ever quit—you're Club Ed and me and Kerrville and the surrounding Hill Country folks love you! And, please tell"A3P" that I am going to sign up for her watercolor class in February. I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Y'all have a great evening!

Ruff Draft!

Today has been good and I hope that my 1st and probably last "fasterpiece" watercolor, Canyon of Forgetting, made all of you laugh as much as Tony and I have. This morning started out a little crazy. After I had walked six miles I got a phone call about one of our dogs that we adopted out a year ago was found in Austin and I want to thank my good friend, Ellen Cooper for helping me get the dog back to its owners.

Speaking of Ellen Cooper I want to also thank her and her husband Charlie for giving me that beautiful cactus, because this morning it bloomed and it is absolutely beautiful. I noticed it this morning while I was in Outer Space watering my plants. After telling Tony to come see it we took turns shooting it. Here are a few of my pictures.

Before coming inside I noticed a Daddy Long Legs, so I shot it, too. 

This afternoon we had a few visitors come out, but unfortunately no adoptions, because the people just wanted to take a tour of the rescue ranch, so I spent most of my day working on the story that I am writing for Texas Animal Imprints and my ruff (rough) draft looks pretty good I think. And that is about all that has happened today. I'm fixin' to make some popcorn and do a little reading.

Y'all have a great evening.

The Canyons Of Our Minds!

Today has been wonderful. This morning I received the sweetest e-mail from Jimmie and Nelda and it made my day. I honestly love these people as if y'all couldn't tell. Then I opened up an e-mail from my friend Joni Daniel, the publisher and editor of Texas Animal Imprints, the incredibly great magazine that I am so excited about writing a column for.

Joni had sent me some ad copy to approve that she had designed (I aka Undepressable Press is running an ad in the November / December issue for my new book Meanwhile Back At The Rescue Ranch: The Dog Days Of Cousin Nancy and I absolutely loved the way the ad looked. It was brilliant! So I immediately shot her an e-mail to tell her so. "Joni, I love it! It's absolutely perfect! You're the best graphic designer in Texas. I can't wait for everyone to see it and..."

Well, since the Dunns from DeQueen, Arkansas had already made my day—I decided that Joni's fantastic design of the ad will make my day tomorrow. All I have to do is look at it first thing in the morning and it will make my day, so I am looking forward to waking up tomorrow morning.

This afternoon after lunch Buttermilk took us to Kerrville to get dog food at H-E-B. After Tone loaded the dog food into the back of Buttermilk I said, "Tony, I want to go the craft store to buy some watercolor supplies. Is that okay?" He laughed as he started Buttermilk.

"Watercoloring?" T. asked. "Like in elementary school? I thought that you were going to write your column today for Joni's magazine."

"Well, I was, but I got writer's block and I need to do something different. Hopefully, I'll start writing it tomorrow. T. ever since Cheryl Ratliff gave me that book, Canyon of Remembering by Lesley Poling-Kempes—I can't put it down. It is a fantastic read and the jacket artwork by Bryce Burton is so beautiful I can't quit admiring it, so I want to give watercoloring a try."

"That's fine. I'll get a haircut at Snippers while you get your watercoloring supplies, okay?" Thirty minutes later after Tone's ears were lowered, he came into the craft store as I was about to check out. As the friendly cashier started ringing up the cash register I saw our friends Denise and Les walk into the store, so I half-hollered, "Hi Denise and Les! We meet again!" We laughed.

Denise and Les are our friends that we always run into when we are in Kerr town. Usually we run into them at the H-E-B, Walmart or Home Depot, so this was a first for us at the craft store. After hugs and a short, but fun visit we adios-ed them and headed home.

After we left Kerrville and passed the last Mini-Mart on the right, I pulled my sack full of art supplies from the back seat to check them out. "I got a deal on this boxed "Deluxe Art Set." It was originally $34.00, but it was on sale for $17.49." Then I started laughing as I stared at the wooden box in my lap. "It says it is for ages 6 and up!" Tony started laughing. "And it has a choking warning too, Small parts. Not for children under 3 years! I guess I'm safe."

Then I showed him the brushes and the paper that I had bought, which were pretty expensive, as we went up the mountain pass.

Before turning off of 16, we went to the mailbox to get our mail. Besides bills and junk mail, there was a tube package sent from our friends, Mary and Roger Peach in Wichita, Kansas. They are the ones who bought Kinky's broken electric typewriter, the one with the dysfunctional F key. 

When we got home Tony opened up the tube and pulled this out. Their note read: "Roger made this for Mr. Rogers and the patent is pending. Hopefully, Mr. Rogers won't eat it in half like he has the other leashes. Love, Mary and Roger."

\

Tony and I laughed at Roger's genius invention and we hope it works, because Mr. Rogers can eat a leash in half faster than any dog that we have ever had. We plan to try it out tomorrow. And, I love the rainbow colored"Woofstock" leash. Thank you, Mary and Roger! Come see us.

This evening, when Tony went fishing, I decided to watercolor even though I don't know how and in less than thirty minutes I had painted my first watercolor and it was a total disaster. I used the jacket artwork by Bryce Burton as a model and I apologize to you, Bryce. You're an extremely talented artist and I'm not. The proof is in the painting.

When T. came home I lied, in a serious voice, trying not to laugh, "Tony! Come look at what I painted! I am so proud of this!" Tony came over and took a look. I could tell that he was trying not to laugh as much as I was.

"It's good. I like it, Nance," he lied. And, that's one of the reasons that I love him so much.

All I could think of was "God bless you, Tony—you big fat liar. Pants on fire..." Here's Bryce Burton's beautiful artwork for the book Canyon of Remembering that inspired me—followed by my sorry attempt, Canyon of Forgetting to be an artist. I hope my so-called art makes you laugh as much as it has made me laugh!

 

And here is my goofy thirty-minute watercoloring. That I've signed and titled it the, Canyon Of Forgetting. I think my black cat's tail could be mistaken for his leg, so I guess maybe he could be a Manx.

Tomorrow I plan to write my column for Joni and then create another "fasterpiece" by Cousin Nancy. As a joke I have just put Canyon Of Forgetting up on eBay for auction for $5.00 to cover the shipping costs—with half of the money going to the rescue ranch. The item number is 130438156784 and I hope that you will check it out. Happy bidding!

Y'all have a great evening! I'm going to bed. Good night and sweet dreams.

The F Key!

Today has been great. This morning after doing my chores, drinking my breakfast smoothie, I walked six miles—then I called Kinky to ask if I could come over to the Lodge, so I could read the just published September / October 2010 magazine article about him in Texas Animal Imprints: The Celebration of Animals & Nature that our great friend, Connie Strong wrote. I also had something I wanted him to read by Connie Strong.

The first thing I did when I arrived at the Lodge was to read Connie's story that was sitting on his kitchen table, because Kinky was talking on the phone in his office. I had just finished reading Connie's great article about Kinky and the one she wrote on Texas' cartoonist Ace Reid, when Kinky walked into the kitchen to greet me, "Morning, Nance. Did you read the article?"

"Yes. I love it—it's great and so is the article about Ace Reid. Connie is a really talented writer don't you agree?" Kinky nodded his head, yes. "Connie e-mailed me this yesterday. It is an advance copy of the article that she wrote about me and the rescue ranch for the Texas Animal Imprints November / December issue," I said, as I handed him the three pages that I had printed out. "Kinky, with the exception of the beautiful Foreword that you wrote for me for my first book—Connie wrote the sweetest and most flattering article about me and Utopia. I'm serious. When I read what she wrote about me, it made me cry just like your Foreword did when I first read it. Please read it." Connie's kind article about our rescue ranch didn't make Kinky tear up like it did me, but he said after reading it, "It's good, Nance. She's a great writer."

Late this afternoon I went back over to the Lodge to give Kinky some mail that had been mixed with ours and to get him to sign his album cover for "Lasso From El Paso" for our friend Greg. While I was sitting at the kitchen table Kinky left the table and went back into his office. When he reappeared he was carrying his old electric typewriter. "I will be right back, Nance. I've got to throw this out."

Before he opened the door I said, "No, Kinky. Can I have it?"

"Why?"

"So I can try to sell it on eBay and give 50% of the profit to the rescue ranch! Seriously, I think your fans would love to have one of your used electric typewriters—it's a collectible and worth some money." Kinky laughed as he sat it down on the kitchen table. "Will you sign it? It will make it more valuable." Kinky left the kitchen, again and returned with a black Sharpie pen and signed and dated it.

As he carried it out of the Lodge, to put in Buttermilk's backseat I asked him, "Does it still work?"

"Yes, but the F key doesn't work. I guess it could still be used somehow." I burst out laughing about the F key not working. Then I made an off-colored remark which was pretty funny, but not suitable for my blog and it made Kinky laugh.

When I came home I quickly cleaned it up and then I took this picture of it and then I put it up for auction on eBay with 50% of the profit going directly to our rescue ranch.

If you want to bid on Kinky's used (dinosaur) electric typewriter the auction number is: 130430483965
and my seller name is texauthor and it will post tonight at seven o'clock PST. The auction will run for seven days and I have my fingers crossed that it will sell at a high price, so I can help our rescue ranch, T.'s and my retirement fund and so I can brag to Kinky that I was right about it being worth a lot of money. Wish me luck.

P.S. I want to do a big shout-out tonight to Connie who made my day—"Connie Strong Rocks and So Does Her Writing!" And I cannot wait for y'all to read her awesome article when it comes out in November.

P.S.S Joachim, Kinky asked me tell you hello and congratulations on your December baby! And Tony's and my friend Susan Burke in Bandera wrote that she loves your cat, Kinky and she had a cat that looked just like yours. Please give your Kinky a hug from Susan and Me.

Y'all have a great evening!

Pain In The Back!

All day today I have thought about what I was going to write about yesterdays super fun interview with Connie Strong. Connie arrived on time at one o'clock sharp with her friends and co-workers: Joni Johnson Daniel, the publisher for Texas Animal Imprints, photographer Mary Chavoustie and Joni's sister Juli.

Tony and I liked these bubbly women the minute that they got out of their vehicles. It was hugs first and introductions second and then we went into Outer Space so Connie could interview me and that is when the real fun began.

After playing a quick round of musical chairs so Mary the photographer could shoot me Connie asked me if was okay for her to record our interview and I told her that I didn't mind one bit even though I know that I sound like Gabby Hays on helium. Connie started her little white tape recorder and then she began asking me questions about our rescue ranch and of course I talked way too much—as I always do—just ask anyone who knows me, or better yet ask Tony.

Ten minutes into the interview I realized Connie was a pro at interviewing people, because she already knew a lot about our rescue ranch and she had come prepared with a list of questions to ask me. I was so relaxed and having such a great time answering her questions, telling rescue ranch stories and laughing with her and her friends I forgot that Mary was busy shooting me while Connie continued to interview me. I felt like I was just sitting around visiting with dear friends. In other words it was the best interview I have ever had! Thank you, Connie, Joni, Mary and Juli for a fun day!

After the interview I invited everyone to come inside the trailer so I could show it off and they loved it, but not as much as they loved the Miles of Chocolate that Ben had given to us. We laughed and talked some more inside the trailer then we outside so I could show them my Space Ship and writing cabin and they loved them, too. Then Tony and I gave a tour of the rescue ranch so they could meet all of our great dogs.

Before "the girls" left we rode around the ranch looking for, Gabby Hays, Roy Rogers and Little Jewford, but unfortunately they were nowhere to be found. When it was time for them to leave they didn't want to leave and we didn't want them to leave so we hugged each other and then they departed.
After they left Tone said, "I really like those women. They were so fun and down to earth..."

"I know, Tone. Me too."

Then we ate lunch and let Buttermilk take us to Kerrville to get some groceries.
When we got to Kerrville we decided to go see Sandy and Jon before doing our grocery shopping at the H.E.B. "Sandy, I love reading Drop-Ins! It is a real hoot! I gave my copy of Tom Wells book Strange Seasons: Summer to Patty in Florida and I need to buy another copy of his book." When we walked out of Wolfmueller's Books Tony was carrying four new books in his arms: three by Elmer Kelton and one by Tom D. Wells.

I wish that I could write ten more pages about how much fun we had with Connie, Joni, Mary and Juli, but I can't because this afternoon at straight-up four o'clock my back went out and it is aching pretty bad.
When it happened I hollered at the top of my lungs for Tony to come help me. When he came running into our bathroom I was hunched over trying to buckle up my pink overalls. "Nance, what's wrong?"

"I threw my back out, T."

"How?"

"Well, I had to go to the bathroom to tinkle and when I stood up—it went out." Tony started laughing. "It's not funny, Tony! It hurts like you-know-what. Ouch! Could you get me one of my walking poles so I can use it like a walking cane?" Tony fetched the pretty wannabe cane and I limped into the kitchen with T. right behind me. "One last thing, Tone. Could you please unplug my laptop and put it up here on the breakfast bar for me. They say that standing and walking is good for a bad back. And could you find the Aleve in the kitchen cabinet for me?" Tony moved my laptop, but he could not find the Aleve. "It's gotta be over at Kinky's," I said. "In fact, I remember taking it over there several months ago when his back was out." Tony took off for the Lodge and returned ten minutes later with the Aleve—thank goodness! After I took two Aleve I said, "I'm sorry for being such a pain in the back, Tone."

Well, it is now nearly nine o'clock as I stand here typing this at the breakfast bar. My back is already feeling much better even though I haven't sat down in five hours. Tony is in his office planting or plowing on his virtual farm and I'm fixin' to go plant myself in bed. Good night.

P.S I want to thank Matt, Meghann and Casey for coming out this morning and volunteering on their day off. It was great seeing you. I love y'all!

Y'all have a great evening!