I Love Camping! But not the Flies;-(

We have gone camping a couple of times now and have enjoyed the time in the mountains. The big problem we have had this last time is flies. I really do not like them! The flies will land on my legs and cause me to itch and that makes me not so happy.


~This is the grotto that I love to camp at, very peaceful~



Our camping grotto that we  had last time was taken by other campers. We had to pick a place up the canyon and unknown to us, a place where the herd of cows love to hang out. Yes, real cows, cowboy cows and what do cows leave behind? You got it, cow pies;-) What loves cow pies? Yep, flies! Buzzing and annoying flies. No worries though, because my lovely oldest daughter went down to Walmart and bought a cheap, but nice screened tent. After my youngest and his big sister put up the tent, I was (we) were happy campers once again. We left the trailer up the canyon to come home to take a shower and will be going back up tomorrow.

I did manage to finish a complete journal dedicated to my wild trips in the mountains the last time up the canyon. Got started on a new journal this time around and wrote a lot. There are times when I am in bed and want to jump up and start writing, but I do not. What I should have is a notebook by my bed, in my bag, the car, bathroom, and here and there...well everywhere I am there should be a notebook. That way I can write when the thoughts come to me. Write! Write! Write! Leave your thoughts for those you love! Create, go now and have fun!

Too Much Time Between Entries, My Bad!

I am finally getting ready to go camping! However, my favorite campground (see photo) to go to is probably still covered in snow and/or too many people. What I really want to do is to go camping and where I go, as long as it is in the mountains, does not really matter. I will take my trailer, books, writing stuff, art stuff, dogs, bird, a child or two, husband, misc. camping gear and of course food and head to the canyon near my home.

The camping is rustic, but not too far from home, which means my husband can come and go to work and home (he likes to take a daily shower, not much for getting dirty;-) taking care of business. My trailer does have a potty, so camping would not be too rustic;-) The key is, we just want to go camping!

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer with your families and taking time to be creative or relaxing with a good book. If not, take the time to do something for yourself, it fills the creative well.

I will post more often. I know that I have made that promise before, but now that I am not working there is more time. In order for my writing to get better and read by more people, it is key that I write more. My goal is to write more, plain and simple, right? So, hold me to it and I will. Now go create!

Merry Christmas and Happy However You Celebrate to My Blog Friends!

My Dad took us up Kolob Canyon and I was able to take some cool photos. (Note to self: Add more photographic trips in order to take artistic and fun photos to my New Year's Resolution list.)

    I know that it has been a very long time between blog entries, and I am sorry for that. Many changes have taken place in my life that has taken me away from updating my blog. There really should be no excuses for slacking on keeping my Blog Friends updated. I will add keeping my blog updated more often to my New Year's Resolution list.

    Now, back to what I have been doing. I believe that many of you know that I have gotten back with my Mom and Dad, and in doing such has helped me tremendously. We went down to S. Utah to visit them twice, once to see them after their long summer travels and another time was for Thanksgiving. Both times were fantastic.

    My parents took us to Zion Lodge for Thanksgiving dinner and even though my lovely Mom tried to add some weight on me with all her fantastic baking, I lost weight. In fact, between working and watching what I eat, I have lost three pant sizes. Yeah!!!!!!!!!! Still have more to go, but I will get to the size I wish to be and shall be, (not going to add it to my resolution list because it may sabotage my path to a smaller me;-)

    I know that this blog entry is short and I promise that I will be better at adding more in the future, plus more often. My wish for you all is that your Holidays are happy and filled with love. That your future in the new year is bright and filled with all that you and your families need.

With love, Rhonda (aka: The Philosopher Artist)

Now go create and be happy!

I Have Been a Busy Girl!!!

Hi to all my blog friends,
I know that it has been a long time between posts, but a lot has been going on this summer.

First, we did manage to redo the trailer, not completely, but the floor, wall and the decor is really nice. There is just a few more decorations I want to do. They will have to wait. We got to go camping a couple of times and will be going the weekend after Labor Day.

Second, I am getting healthier by the day! In fact, I got a job outside of my home and it pays money;-) not much, but that is not the reason I took the job. I am a Classroom Instructor (teacher's aid) at our local charter school. My son went there last year and he really wanted me to be a substitute, but the instructor job came up and I went for it. They hired me before I got home to read my email. My son was so excited he did a little happy dance. I work about 34 hours a week and I drive there by myself. Many of you who have been following my blog know what a major deal all this is. The only sad part is, now I do not have much time for art. I will save my Sundays for art and perhaps Saturday, too.
I worked on my Partnership Artist Art Journal today and that was fun. Need to let it dry before sending it off to my partner in AZ.

Finally, the best part of the summer is getting back with my father and my mom after nearly 15 years of not speaking to them. It is a long soap opera story. Long story made short; I just thought that my dad did not want to have anything to do with me after marrying my mom (step-mom, she is now my adopted mom). I got to see them for a bit and hug my dad and mom, plus we talk every weekend (they are a retired traveling couple). Just that little bit of time with him (them) helped my health a great deal.

So, you see it has been a busy summer. Now fall is coming and then winter, but there is always time for love and art. 

Now go create beauty! 
     
(Top photo is of Mt. Timpanogos one of the highest peaks in Utah, over 13,000 ft above sea level. The campground is around 8 to 9000 ft. a very beautiful place to be. One of my favorite spots in Utah. I love Aspen Trees. In fact, I have several in our yard.
Bottom photo is of a blooming Iris in my backyard up against the fence. We had a cold spring that lasted into June and my tulips never really bloomed much.;-( maybe next year.)

My Trailer & Happy May Day!

Happy May Day!
I am still working on my vintage trailer(it actually belongs to my hubby) and not doing much in the way of art. Perhaps working on my trailer is part of my art, because it is taking some imagination to figure out how to fix the problems and to update the decor. Yes?, No?, Maybe? Anyway, here are some photos showing some of the damage that can be done if you do not pay attention to water.
I have fixed the wall and will be adding white bead board over the walls, the outer walls. Hubby fixed the floor and we will put down some kind of tile. He has also fixed up the peeling paper off of the ceiling and will be priming that and the bathroom today. I am sewing covers for all of the cushions and making curtains. We also have to fix the potty because someone got into the trailer during the winter while the trailer was in storage and burnt a sanitary napkin and tossed it into the toilet and burned the bowl. It did not cause any holes but an ugly black burn mark with bubbles. In order to fix it we have to use a two  part epoxy filler and a two part epoxy paint, which is a lot of work, but unless we find a new used (yuk!) toilet we have to do the work.
There is a bit of work to do on this 35 year old trailer but have you seen the prices of the new ones? Yikes! Besides that they just do not have any history or style, just blah, blah, blah, same ole stuff.
Well, today I am going to work on the cushions, since it is still storming outside. I hope to have them done soon. I will post some updated photos when we get done.
Once it is done I am going camping! Even if it snows;-)

Now you all have a happy and creative day!

Where Have I Been?

It has been a long, long time since I last added a new post to my blog, my bad! Well, here goes my excuse as to why it has been too long. First, I got really sick, second, I got really busy and finally, I got really lazy. There that sums it up, now onto more important details.
I did do a few pages for my AJS class and some artist journal pages in my partnership journal, but other than that I have not done too much in the form of art. The obstacle in the way of my art, is that I have been dreaming of Spring and Summer, which means camping. Now that I am feeling better and have medication to control my panic attacks I want to go camping, but my trailer needs some work.
I also got the notion that I would like to spend a month in the mountains working on a book. Alone or semi-alone in the mountains away from the safety net of my home where there are neighbors to come to my rescue if I have a panic attack, which I have not had to do in three years. I want to be free to drive to different places and not be afraid. I want to be back to my ole self again.
My hubby and I fetched the trailer a couple of times from the place we store it at and began working on making it pretty. It was a dirty mess and had a bit a dry rot, but mostly the decor is tired looking. We have been working on it as often as the weather will allow, which in Utah is not very much and because our garage is up a steep driveway we have to work in the street. It will probably take us another few weeks to get it done. As long as it is done by the first of June I will be happy.
And that my friends is what I have been up to. Stay tuned for photos.

Now go create some magic!

The Rest of the Story: January 2010 Art Journal

I have at last finished my January 2010 Art Journal. Yes, I know it is now February and the journal should have been done by the last day of January. I tried real hard to keep up with it, but life and other art projects got in the way. Okay, I take on too much and at the time it seems like I can get it all done, and yet somethings get pushed to the side and done later or perhaps never done. At least this project got done and it was a lot of fun doing it.
Some of the pages or prompts are not done in order and some of Milliande's prompts I did not do. My journal only contained sixteen pages, therefore I picked the prompts that fit or that I liked. It was fun watching her videos which you can see on YouTube. She is an amazing women and very talented!

Anyway, here are the rest of the pages I did in this journal. I hope you like them and that some bit inspires you to create. Have a fun and very creative day!

This is he back cover. Date finished: 2/8/10 [only eight days late;-)]