Found this photo on the computer and had to share it.  These are the replacement kids I had when mine human children left home to make their own futures.  The dog is part Lhasa Apso and Shihtzu.  She lived with us for over 17 years.  She was the runt of the litter, the one no one wanted. She survived the longest out of the litter and was the smartest dog I ever knew.  The white cat is a Blue Tipped Siamese named Katie.  I saw her as a kitten and really wanted her however I did not want to pay $400 plus veterinary bills.  A few days later the breeder called and said I could have it for free!!!  The Tabby cat on the bottom is Winkie.  She lived on a farm with lots of cats who were going to be destroyed.  She had a weepy eye that would close, thus her name Winkie.

Hope this cheers you up Laura.

This drawing was created for my long time friend Laura who I grew up with on West 52nd Street and now lives in California.  She is the one who showed me how to doodle in a journal we made.  In one of her posts she mentioned she was feeling down and tired from the move to her new home.  She was responsible for moving her mother into a new home at the same time.  I felt this was as good of an excuse as any to doodle a picture for her.  I had to be different so I colored it in with just about every marker I owned.  I then added Stickel glitter to some items such as the fish and owl.  I put plastic flowers on her hat and filled all the eyes in with a clear glaze to add dimension.  You can't really see all of this unless you can see it in person.

Her reaction was worth it. She truly loved it and posted a beautiful message on her blog.  She called me her little sister!  I have always had my "real" sister Jan, the next door neighbor Nan and Laura who lived a few doors down.  They were all older than me, yet didn't mind me hanging around with them.  I find it an honor to be among the West 52nd girls.

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.  As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

                                        1.   Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

                                        2.   Free your mind from worries - Most never happens.

                                        3.   Live simply and appreciate what you have.

                                        4.  Give more.

                                        5.  Expect less from people but more from yourself.

For some reason I started to have a real passion for drawing.  It started in a condo at Myrtle Beach.  There we had a reunion of childhood girlfriends that pretty much haven't seen each other for maybe 40 years.  We are the West 52nd. Street Girls!  We decided to each bring a craft to teach or show the other during our one week stay on the beach.  Between shopping, eating and walking the beach we found time to gather around the table and do crafts.  I learned how to knit a scarf with only five stitches.  We made crystal bracelets and we each sewed a journal together.  That really peaked my interest.  I am an avid scrapbooker and knew I could use this.  Since Laura, showed us how to Zen Doodle I have been hooked.

Below is an example of about my third drawing.  This is a different version of my doodling.  The designs are spaced further apart making it more like a drawing.  I have hidden words into the photo to make it personal.

It started during my lunch hour when I wanted to know how to draw baby animals and found some lessons on Google.  After I knew the kitten would come out half way decent, I decided to make this one for my childhood friend, Nancy.  She has been my friend since I was born on West 52nd Street in Parma, Ohio.  She has come in and out of my life as the years have gone by and have always kept in touch.  She said she wanted a drawing from me so this is what "came out of me" for her: