Happy Halloween & Best Friends Update

Well, Happy Halloween everyone!! Just a brief entry for now. My agenda for today is to get my goodie bags made for the trick'o'treaters tonight (I know, I know...I was to already have this task finished...go figure!!) and I need to prepare for our Pack Rat unit to show up tomorrow to unpack the rest of our "stuff" (yucky chore) and go thru it to decide what stays and what goes! Also I need to get out and vote early to avoid the crowds on Tuesday, although I don't think that will be the case, avoidance that is, because Bobby TRIED yesterday and the line was wrapped around the building!

The "Jane update" is that she actually went out to eat supper the other night (YAY JANE) and she is managing fine. She is finding ways to get things done (things she probably should NOT be doing) but she is getting a bit of cabin fever and sick of being off her feet. I try to keep her entertained by phone daily...we can spend HOURS on end too.... and although this situation really stinks for her, it has been GREAT for me because I have been afforded the gift and luxury of being able to talk to my best friend every single day!!! It's great :) OH YES....JANE IS A NEW AUNT AGAIN....CONGRATS!!! IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

The "Bart update" (my other best friend) is that TODAY IS MOVING DAY!!! (another yuck chore!) Good luck sweets and we'll be singing "well we're moving on up!!" in your honor :)

So, time for me to run and get some "things" accomplished. Hope everyone has a great Halloween and love to all!! Lisa

Another GLORIOUS day at the beach...

We have had gorgeous weather at the coast...although Mother Nature took her time on delivering "said weather" over the span of the weekend, but today is phenomenal & just another one of those days when you walk out onto the white sugary sands of our beach, not wanting the day to end...hoping the clocks will stop and time will stand still so you can just soak it in forever!! Yesterday was overcast, windy as all get out, and the water was choppy and rough most of the day. As we headed out for a boat ride we encountered a group of dolphins yet again. We are so blessed with the visits we receive from these magnificent creatures. When we spot them we always stop the engine and just sit to watch them, as they provide lots of entertainment when they are having play time, or we just sit and remain in awe of their grace as they swim through the waters, breaking the surface so close to us we can hear them blow air out of their blow holes. They come into our inlet to feed sometimes and we can just walk right out to the end of our pier to watch them, or simply sit on the back porch and enjoy the view of them from our rocking chairs...talk about relaxing!! Yesterday they were surfacing only about a foot away from the boat....so how lucky are we, as human beings, having these graceful animals trust us enough to come alongside the boat, especially when Angus & Oscar, our 2 very sweet but very loud labs, stand there barking like 2 crazed dogs, acting like they'd give anything to jump in and play with the dolphins. I can only imagine what these creatures must be thinking when they see or hear Angus & Oscar.....oh look, it's a couple of those 4 legged hairy land animals...so sad they can't join us :) na ne na ne boo boo :P Magical encounters like those with the doplins make us so grateful for the life we live along the coast :)

Soooooo, too bad reality will set back in soon and we will return to the "real world" for more work, work, work.....YUCK!!! Yet, we are so blessed to be self employed....so, HOORAY!!!!! Life is great & wonderful, all kidding aside, all complaints aside, and we are just so fortunate to be living this wonderful life we are so priviledged to lead...especially when it's at the coast :) --as if you can't tell how much we LOOOOOOOOVE the beach!! :)

PS -- for those of you that have been emailing to ask about Jane, she is doing fine, suffering from a bit of cabin fever....darn that squirrel!!! .....but thanks for asking and I will continue my "job" of entertaining her by phone as much as I can while she's off her feet...and speaking of that, she got quite the lovely cast recently....it is HOT PINK no less!!!...but she continues to improve and thanks for asking about her! Love to all!! Lisa

Complaints About Time...or the lack thereof...

It seems that time manages to slip past me too quickly these days (same thing I complain about ALL the time!!) and I find Halloween is quickly approaching and I need to get my little goodie bags made for the kids in the neighborhood...both of my neighborhoods actually, my old and new!! The one thing I made my neighbors promise was not to forget me on Halloween (we only moved about a mile away) so I said they must all load up in the car and come by our new home. On the street which I lived for quite some time, I am honored to say that my home has always been one of the highlights of our neighborhood. I always tried to carve as many pumpkins as possible, sometimes we might have 15 or 20, each one different, and then there were times where I only had enough time to carve one, depending on how hectic life may or may not have been at the time. It has always been great watching the kids in our neighborhood grow over the years. Seeing new families become a part of our community and watching the new kids grow from toddlers to younger age children, right on up to being teenagers and become adults. There are many that are now in college or getting married...also, some new faces are seen too. As in life, ever changing and growing and moving in different directions, our neighborhood has done just that, both the old & new, so and I guess it all really dates me a bit :) but hey, I'd rather still be here to live, love, and laugh as much as I possibly can. So, I MUST get busy trying to prepare the treat bags for the kids that will pay us a visit next Friday...TRICK OR TREAT!! :)



Now, some great news is that I sold another black and white print from the web site (thank you Scott) ...it is always so gratifying and humbling to know your artwork will be displayed in someones home or given with love to maybe someone else as a gift. Even more great news is I sold more prints at THE SHOP ACROSS THE STREET last week. I can't say too much because it might spoil a surprise for someone, but there is a very sweet girl that bought the prints, and I was fortunate enough to have the pleasure to meet her in person when I stopped in the shop to say hi to Kelly, the shop owner. The young lady bought 2 of my 20x30 prints for Christmas presents this year...so, I am over the moon that someone has given me the gift of purchasing my artwork!! I can't tell you how much it means to me knowing something I created is loved by someone else...I sent a text message to my dear friend Bart when I got the order and he sent a message back that "I was an income producing artist" which made me feel so very WONDERFUL! Thanks my "BB" for always being my biggest support :) and now it is time for you to COME HOME! (inside joke...but NOT a joke) !!!!!! Bart is SOOOOOOO talented in his own right, yet he always makes me feel like I am the one with the talent, but you should see how truly talented HE is :)



LuLu has been pushing me to paint a holiday mermaid....I have sketched out Valentine mermaids and Christmas mermaids and Halloween mermaids and St. Patrick's Day mermaids and July 4th mermaids (and on and on)....I just have not painted any yet, again here I go complaining "NOT ENOUGH TIME"!! Every time I am at the beach I promise myself to get some painting done (yeah, right!!) but it WILL happen one day. We've been very fortunate and blessed in the world of Real Estate, even with the market the way it is right now, so I have been busy helping Bobby with that. Our office manager Ronnie just welcomed a new granddaughter, (cutest little girl with this incredible head of hair) so I have been working at the office a bit more so Ronnie could be with her daughter, right where she should be, with her lovely family!! Congratulations Ronnie and family for your newest addition to your family, that sweet little angel!! Even when we are at the coast we are lucky to be able to work from there, given fax machines and computers and all that stuff. I have book work that needs doing....again, where is all that TIME that I need to do everything that I WANT to do, and the things I NEED to do (complaints complaints complaints!!) but, I could not ask for a more lovely view than the one out in my back yard when I am sitting and working on the computer, when at the coast, but it also can be distracting as well. Watching those fishing boats and shrimp boats, watching the pelicans glide over the water in all their grace, seeing the guys that are out in the water, literally IN the water, digging for clams....well, if I get started I won't EVER shut up!! With my love for this place....let's just say I could go on forever and ever and ever....blah blah blah :)

So, getting back to complaints about time and the lack thereof....this weekend is getting by me and again I have not touched a paint brush, not even a made a sketch of a new mermaid, nor even been out with the camera, but my mind has been spinning with ideas...and the weekend is not over.....YET!!!! SO, I vow I will try to get something creative accomplished before Monday rolls back around...which will be any moment with the way time is flying (more complaining!!) but for now I am at least getting another blog added (major accomplishment) before we head out to dinner with neighbors...seafood of course, what else?!?!! -- it's the BEACH for crying out loud :) The annual Sea Turtle Hospital's Lobster Dinner is tonight to help our wonderful flippered friends, with a silent and live auction and more, all to benefit our wonderful sea turtle hospital on Topsail Island, NC!! You really should visit the hospital at some point if you are ever in the area. The work they do is wonderful and amazing and so greatly appreciated by those of us that love our little turtles. We are so fortunate that these wonderful creatures return to our island every year to make their nests and lay their eggs before heading back out to the big blue!! You will be so glad you went if you have the opportunity to visit :) So, with that said I reluctantly leave the keyboard to get ready to head out for the evening. Sending love to you all :) Lisa

Pure Happiness Via A Day At The Coast...

Well, today has been an absolutely GORGEOUS day here on the NC coast!! It's been the type of day that makes you want to just go out on the beach, never leave, and never go inside again :) The water seemed so blue, the sun splashing it's rays on the ocean making it look like diamonds sparkling in the distance, the waves crashing & seagulls crying out to anyone that will listen, providing the perfect soundtrack to life at the coast...and you just know that life is great in our wonderful little beach haven, and that feeling creeps in, the one that just surrounds and envelops you and you know in your heart that everything is great & wonderful, AND...Heaven is right here on Earth I tell you!! The temperature is perfect this time of year. Windows and doors WIDE OPEN, breezes carrying inside the sounds of the shrimp and fishing boats cranking up their engines, whether it be in the wee hours of the morning, late at night, or sometime during the day....the sounds of those mighty vessels heading out to sea to bring back all that wonderful NC seafood!! (unfortunately I am allergic...go figure!!) The winds have been perfect today, not too strong, just enough breeze to wash over your skin making you KNOW this is as great as life can get. Perfect temps, perfect breezes, a perfect mixture of sun and white puffy clouds in a perfect blue sky....well, let's just say my love of the coast is as vast and wide and deep as our lovely Atlantic Ocean and the wonderful waters that lie beyond. What a treat of a day for me!! It was so great, wonderful, and fantastic (no words to truly describe what is in my heart about the feelings I have) knowing I am so blessed and fortunate to be able to work from my "office space" here at my desk, looking out through the wall of floor to ceiling windows/doors at that perfectly gorgeous site I am so lucky to call my back yard....working, doing my "real job" of Real Estate, all the while seeing the boat traffic, hearing the gulls, watching those magnificent pelicans glide across the surface of the waters of the inlet, so close to the water you could swear they must be touching the surface, yet your eyes let you know they are just above the surface and never even break the waters. It has always been a miracle to me to watch these creatures skim across the waters without even the tips of their wings touching the water surface. I love the beauty of that site, those pelicans gliding, having a calmness rush over me as I watch those wonderful birds just glide with little to no effort whatsoever :) ... and now this lovely day is coming to an end. With Fall on our hands the sun has now moved from over the trees where the mouth of one of the marina entrances opens to the waters beyond, spilling out into our inlet, and is now more due West over the treetops on more inland and over the top of the seafood market down the road. It is always something to watch those gorgeous sunrises & sunsets ever changing throughout the year. Living in the city I do appreciate and love a gorgeous sunset, now more than ever with our growth, but when at the coast, well.....let's say words don't even begin to describe what we are fortunate enough to watch occur daily in our beloved little fishing village. How did we ever get so lucky I often wonder.....and I look towards the Heavens and give my thanks, and then thank my lucky stars and my guardian angel I know that is always with me, and then I thank the love of my life, my loving hubby (my soul mate and best friend and my world) for this awesome gift!! Life IS good....xoxo Lisa

Never Enough Time...

Well, there is never enough time to do all you want to do. More days have flown past me and we have been working hard, just not working on any art, which is a bummer....but we've been fortunate to be busy otherwise in my "other life" of Real Estate. I did sell another painting at The Shop Across The Street . A husband bought it for his wife for an anniversary gift, which made me feel wonderful it went to such a loving home!! Back to Real Estate though, we are truly blessed people and we are thankful for our clients, and I for my wonderful, hard working husband....smooches Bobby xoxoxo!! My best friend Jane took a tumble, my little "squirrely girl" herself, and now will be on her back for 6 to 8 weeks....way to go Squirrel Head!! I will have to keep her entertained by phone, not hard for me, for those of you who know me all too well, this is something I excel at, the art of talking!! My other best friend Bart has an exciting move coming up...just hate I won't be there to "help" -- yeah, I would help keep him entertained whilst the movers do the moving :) Oh well, hang in there Bart and we'll be singing "Well we're moving on up" in no time my sweets!! Not much other news to report. Been doing more photography than painting lately but any creation is good!! Went for an incredible long weekend to the beach....OH MY GOSH, PERFECT WEATHER!! Can't wait to go back as soon as possible!!
We had a great first weekend at THE PARADE OF HOMES so visit our community at http://www.johnsonslandinginfo.com/ and go out there if you have time, such gorgeous Victorian homes in Johnson's Landing!! Very exciting first weekend we had!! Thanks to Chris Q for all the hard work! Well, gotta run for now.....the Real Estate world is calling for some of my time! Love to you all, and thanks as always for all your support for me and Lu!! Keep the emails coming as I love to hear from you all!! Lisa