Huomenta Jörö Nainen !!! I Can Write This Because SHE Hardly EVER Reads the Blog!

"Rise" Oil on Canvas * Cara Kansala *
 2010 Private Collection

I am an early riser. I wake up with a bang. When my body is finished sleeping it opens my eyes and I am up like a jack-in-the-box. During the first 3 minutes of eye-popping-open action, I have a lot to say.

Of COURSE I do, I have been silent for 8 whole hours! A lot of blanks to fill in. A lot of information to pass along......

SHE does not appreciate this about me. Not at all.

6am

 Eyes Pop Open “PING!”

 ME: HI! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

HER: argghhhblahhhhh.

ME: HOW DIDJA SLEEP? ARE YOU AWAKE? WHAT A GREAT DAY! I JUST PUT THE COFFEE ON! DID YOU HEAR THE CROWS AWHILE AGO? DID YOU HEAR BOOBOO AND NANA FIGHTING IN THE NIGHT? WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?

HER: blarghhhhhhhhhhh..........

ME: WAKE-Y, WAKE-Y, EGGS-N-BAKEY!

I poke, poke, poke her arm.

HER: sssshhhhtop.......

ME: SO, IF YOU GET UP NOW, I Say, GET UP NOW, YOU CAN GET READY, GET DRESSED, GET GOING TO THE HARDWARE STORE, GET HOME AND GET TO WORK!!!!! 

HER:  GET BENT

Last night, The Yummiest Sunset Since Time Began. Raspberry Meringue on a cloud of Blueberry pudding! Definitely a future painting....or dessert!

How to keep your supper warm....

"On Saturday Night Aunt Doris Went to the Bingo and Forgot
 to Take the Clothes Off the Line"
Original,Mixed Media by Cara & Pam

How to Keep Your Supper Warm : Place two sleepy kittens

on top of it and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

In the gallery....

KNOCK!  KNOCK! KNOCK on the door! I answer the door.

Me: Hi!

Lovely Lady holds up one of our 5 x 8 brochures and points to the front.

Lovely Lady: Do you have any idea where this place is?

Me: Ha! Are you joking?

Lovely Lady: No, I’m not joking, there really is a place called The Grumpy Goat Gallery.

I look at the brochure and the huge photo of our house that is on the front.

Me: But you are here.

Lovely Lady: Yes, I know I am here, but I am trying to find THIS place.

Me: But this IS the place you are looking for. This IS the Grumpy Goat Gallery.

Lovely Lady is amazed and exasperated.

Lovely Lady: Well, I don’t  know how on earth I ended up here. What are the chances?

Me: The chances were slim. What luck.

I contemplate telling her that we are closed, but can imagine the conversation that THAT would spark...

Lovely Lady: How can you be closed when the door is open and you are here?

Lessons of the day:
Sometimes when you are looking for something, you find what you were looking for without even knowing it. 
Sometimes when you find what you thought you were looking for but don’t realize it, you realize that what you found was what you were looking for in the first place.

Sometimes when you are closed, you are actually open.

Thank you So much Martha Witcher from Thistle and Rose Handweaving in Utah
who sent Rose Nylund the most beautiful note in a gorgeous hand-made card.
She has put it up above her bed, in a place of honour!

Barking Up the Wrong Tree......

Rose Nylund is barking up the wrong tree!

"Gulliver's Fish Came True" Original hand-carved/mixed media by Cara & Pam

Many people have told us lately that goats will eat ANYTHING.
I have found this not to be true.

Goats will NOT eat:
Turnips and carrots that I spent  forever cutting up into perfect Rose-sized pieces
Lovely goat-a-licious apples that I sliced into slices
Sweet potato peels, bog-standard potato peels or parsnip peels
Clover, grass and flowers that I hand-picked just for goat
Weeds, trees and shrubs that I specifically designated for munching on

Goats WILL eat:
Cat food
Diet Root Beer, Regular beer
Cardboard, $5 and $10 bills
Any plant that was just planted special this summer
Newly planted trees from O'Neil's garden center in Spaniard's Bay
Trident gum...spearmint (in the paper wrapper)
Purina Goat Chow (the only blessing)
and raisin....millions and millions of raisins

Note: Rose Nylund also enjoys eating shoe laces, though it might be the pulling part that she likes the most. I have tripped over my long, undone laces at least a thousand times. Rose thinks it is funny.
I think I need to buy a pair of velcro sneakers and stocks in Sunmaid.

Driving Miss Crazy......

"Sitting on the Dock By the Bay" Hand-carved/hand-painted Chair by Cara and Pam  

"The gang inside our Grumpy Gallery!!"

We heard the RUMBLING coming from over the hill and didn't know what on earth it could be.........HOORAY!  A 30 person motorcycle tour group from Quebec coming to our Grumpy Goat Gallery!

A TRUE STORY
1.We have been crazy-like-a-fox-busy this summer with visitors and commissions and I probably need more sleep.
2. I probably have too much on my mind.
3. I probably need a wee break.
4. I almost never, ever drive the car. Ever.
Am I just making excuses for the tale I am about to tell?
Yes. Yes, indeed.
Last week at the post office:
I left the post office and got into the car. I sat there, in the passenger seat, reading the mail and looking through the flyers for what seemed like an eternity. SHE was taking far too long in there. Minutes ticked by. What could She be doing? Probably chatting or answering an email ....forgetting that I am  in the car. Waiting. Waiting and waiting, I waited some more. I looked through the flyers again and then was SO bored I opened the bills. Where was She? I have things to do! I can't sit in the parking lot all day! Just as I was getting ready to go in and get her, the phone rang. It was Her. Calling from home.She was calling to see what was taking me so long. I was only supposed to be gone for a few minutes. To get the mail. I sheepishly got out of the passenger seat and walked around the car.
I got into the drivers seat and drove home. 
If you can drive yourself crazy, you will never need a chauffeur.

The Blue Nose in Upper Island Cove

"The Blue Nose" SHE got far more paint on her than Rose Nylund did when they were painting Rose's Cottage.

Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast is finally complete! All 3 residents seem to be pleased  although  Stanley has requested that we change the radio station once in a while. You can't please everyone all of the time.

Thank you SO much to Vicky, Katherine and John and Rowan who surprised us with a fabulous visit on the weekend! Katherine did a terrific job entertaining and keeping watch over Blanche and Stanley.
Thank you Vicky for the BEAUTIFUL write-up and photos of our gallery/house on your blog. http://seastrandsstudio.com/ You are a shining star!....and DO check our Vicky's blog...her photographs of Exploits are SO lovely! Makes me want to pack up the yellow peril and hit the road!

Postcards from the Hedge.....that Rose is slowly eating.

"Have a GOATACIOUS weekend!!" Love, Rose Nylund
Rose has actually received some fan mail and a goatabulous picture  from  artist extraordinaire Debi  Hubbs, personally autographed by fellow goat Rupert G. Rumford. Rose is terribly excited about decorating her bed and breakfast with her mail and postcards.
Any postcards or letters for Rose can be sent to:
Rose Nylund
Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast
Box 487, Upper Island Cove
Newfoundland, A0A 4E0
Canada

"Tuesday Night the Goat Fed Us" by Cara and Pam 
Hand-Carved/Mixed Media

In the Gallery this week.......
Lovely Man has been up to Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast to visit Rose.
Lovely Man: So, how long will you wait until you eat the goat?
Me, in a whisper, as I slowly faint to the floor and lose consciousness:  Never.......

They've Landed!

Hooray! The starfish landed on The Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador...and it looks like that is where they plan on staying for a little while! To see them in person check out the fantastic Craft Council Shop and Gallery at 59 Duckworth Street, St. John's Newfoundland!
www.craftcouncil.nl.ca

This week in the gallery....
Lovely Lady is looking at the dozens of giant starfish....
Lovely Lady: What are you going to do with all of those starfish?
Me: Oh, we are going to attach them all over a building in downtown St. John's.
Lovely Lady: Hmmm. Don't the owners of buildings get upset when artsists do things like that?

Thank you SO much to Valerie Morgan, writer extraordinaire who wrote a gorgeous 3 page article on our Grumpy Goat Gallery for this weeks Newfoundland Herald. The Wee Italian and Big Fat BooBoo are very impressed indeed! 

Attack of the GIANT Starfish!!!

Breaking news! Local gallery attacked by giant starfish! They were last seen heading towards St. John's. Keep your eyes peeled to see where they might attack next..........

We Danced in the Snowlight Like So Many Years Ago.....

Image: "We Danced in the Snowlight Like So Many Years Ago...."
Hand-Carved Wood/Mixed Media by Cara & Pam

Above is our latest wood-carved piece. It was a commission from the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador for the Fall Craft Fair. Tickets will go on sale for it sometime soon.........I'll keep you posted!!

This is a photo of one of the many groups of wonderful people that we've met here at The Grumpy Goat!
In the Gallery this past weekend......
Lovely Lady: Have you ever thought of doing your art full-time? You'd probably do quite well.
Me: Hmmm.
Same Lovely Lady Spots Big Fat BooBoo who is trying to sneak into the gallery:
Lovely Lady:  Is your cat swollen?
Me: (in my mind......)
YES. I am swollen too. SHE is a little bit swollen. Fat Aunt Sylvia is REALLY swollen. There must be something in the water here. I can only imagine what Rose Nylund will look like next year. Goatzilla? The Pillsbury Doe Goat? 
Me: (out loud for the real world)
NO. Big Fat BooBoo is not swollen. She's just retaining water because of  a nervous condition. When the food in her bowl is down 50% BooBoo gets nervous. SHE is the same way, but that is another story. 

We Would Likely Have the Worst Bed and Breakfast Since Time Began.....

Rose Nylund's Cottage is ALMOST finished. She opened her Bed and Breakfast, even though the siding wasn't all completed. She is especially pleased with her private deck and yellow chairs. With Blanch Devereaux and Stanley in residence for the summer, she is at full capacity, so no vacancy at the ROSE Cottage Bed and Breakfast for this season!

My Newest Teeny Canvases........

Yesterday....

HER: Do you think you would like to have a Bed and Breakfast some day?ME: Did you have a good sleep last night?HER: No, not reallyME: And what did I give you for breakfast this morning?HER: Um...left over spaghetti and 2 prunes.ME: Need we discuss it further?HER: Nope!