Diocesan Convention 2011

Today and tomorrow is our yearly Diocesan Convention, this year we are in Racine for it. Workshops, Vendor booths, Eucharist and Dinner Banquet are featured today, then tomorrow is business, elections, resolutions, passing budgets, reports of ministries and more.

Here is our Christ Church delegation... I made it for the workshops and vendors, but couldn't attend the dinner banquet this year since I had to drop off some of my art things for tomorrow's art show in Milwaukee, and although I thought I could get back in time, traffic and road construction between Racine and Milwaukee was just HORRIBLE! I was stuck in it for an extra 45 - 55 minutes...uugghhhh!
So, instead of fighting that going back to Racine, I just came home after dropping off stuff at Flux Design.

Now it's time for more work on my torso for tomorrow's benefit "Celebrating Brad", then catch a few hours of sleep, and up early to head back to Racine in the A.M. for more Diocesan Convention before the Art Benefit tomorrow afternoon/evening.

*yawning already and still need to work a few hours*

A Work in Progress for a VERY Worthy Cause

This coming Saturday, Oct. 15th, I will be one of many artists who will be "doing art" live, at an event that will benefit two worthy causes and is a tribute to a wonderful young man, Brad, who left this life way too early, but who still touches many people in awesome ways. Brad was a good friend to many, and also to my daughter, Kasey, who attended MIAD with Brad.

From the Celebrate Brad website... "Bradley R. Germata, born December 23, 1982, lost his heroic fight against cancer on October 12, 2009.
Brad loved art. Whether it was making art, going to see art, learning about it — he was there, and he was excited. Brad graduated in 2005 from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) and pursued his artistic dream, working as a graphic designer at the advertising firm Marx McClellan Thrun, in Milwaukee’s Third Ward."

Brad's family and friends have set up a foundation ... All proceeds from each and every Celebrating Brad – A Tribute to Art & Life are paid equally to a communication design student at MIAD (via the Bradley Germata Scholarship Fund) and to support cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Cancer Center.

If you are in the Milwaukee area, or anywhere close by, I hope you'll consider coming to Celebrating Brad – A Tribute to Art in Flux!
Join us from 5-10pm, Saturday, October 15, at Flux Design, 811 East Vienna-Milwaukee.





I have to do some of my art project for this ahead of time, since it requires many hours of drying time between phases... but I will be doing a finishing of it at the event, along with also donating another piece (Adam II) to bid on as well.

Come and see all the wonderful art, great offers from areas businesses to bid on, as well as great music, good food and beverages, and support this wonderful tribute.



Here are some phases that the torso art I am calling "AN ARTIST'S MUSE", have gone through already ... see more on a video slide show I'll have at the event too!







This is the insert I am adding ... but just setting it in there temporarily to see how it's fitting... then I had to brace up and box in the insert area to have something to eventually glue the insert to... using all sorts of spare things.. yardsticks and more.




I also had to do some downsizing of some of the torso's attributes.. *L* to better fit the insert in later. Then spackle a little more, and when it dries more I'll be sponging on some stain all over, then lots of coats of polycrylic ... some other details added to the outside as well...

Sooo... come on over to Flux Design on Saturday evening and see (and bid on) the finished torso!

Roarin' 20's Party

I attended a fun (although small) party at our Church tonite... we made the Parish Hall into a SpeakEasy. It was a nice night of great appetizers, fun times, and fun costumes.




We imbibed with "illegal" drinks... it WAS Prohibition times you know, so they were hidden in paper bag sleeves..*S*











Some of us even "smoked" a few candy cigarettes, danced and shimmied to 20's tunes, got thrown into the "slammer" and more!






And toward the end of the night, we went to visit my Aunt Shirley who is temporarily in a local nursing home recovering from some leg/back ailments. She was glad to see us all, as she had really wanted to attend this party too!





It was a fun night with fun friends!

Animal Garden, Dancing Horses, Giant Pumpkin Photos and more....

After the Pet Blessing Service at Church, the Sunday School kids, parents, grandparents and teachers headed to have fun at Animal Garden and see the Dancing Horses show. It's always a hit with the kids and adults!





Baby animals to pet, new animals to see, and experience.




The baby kittens were a big hit with all the kids!





After the baby animals we all went in to eat our sack lunches we'd brought along and wait for the Dancing Horses Show to start.









It was a GREAT show!! Lots of fun... and we had seats right up front where the horses at some points towered over us! Fun for all!







After petting some of the beautiful horses, we headed over to see the bird show, which is a lot of fun! Talking birds, doing tricks and making us all laugh!












And then it was time to head home to pack up from the overnight, and take the grandsons home ... AND to get some grandkid photos with our son's giant (876.5 pound) pumpkin!












Jorden always has a good time with Uncle John-John!!









A fun and exciting weekend with the grandkids!! Thankful for each and every one! xoxox




Time to head home and crash on the couch I think! *lol*

Blessing of Pets Sunday

We have a yearly service at our Church the first Sunday in October, the day closest to the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of animals and the environment. At this service people can bring their pets to Church to be blessed. In the past we've had dogs, cats, fish, lizards, sheep, goats, chickens, and horses. This year we just had a lot of cats and dogs.

It makes for a fun, chaotic church service at times... *L* Here are a few photos from the service.



Even the dogs greeted each other at the "passing of the peace".. *L*

And here is my dog "sister" Lady... with my Dad and Mom and Fr. Bill.













Having all the grandkids at Church with us was nice too!







Following the service, the Sunday School kids, parents and grandparents headed to Animal Gardens and the Dancing Horse show...more photos of that to come in my next post...

Grandkids Overnight With Gramma & Gramps

We had all four grandkids overnight tonite...first time for an all night slumber party with them ALL together! Fun night.. but exhausting too! *L*

Trips to Good Will, and the Dollar Store....dinner, and then Rockin, Sockin Robot fights, puzzles, drawing, hide and seek, and tag games...

Grandpa John was exhausted just watching them..*L*



Then it was time for a movie ... so we could watch part of the WI Badger game and win!! GO BIG RED!!



And time for each one to make their "nests" of blankets and pillows to sleep in for the night... quiet time, with their video games, while I cheered on the Badgers..*L*






So, now the children are nestled, all snug in their beds (nests), and visions of relaxing is dancing in my head! *lol* ... more fun tomorrow!