On the restorative powers of a beautiful day, dogs and some paint.

My day did not start out as planned. After dropping off my child at school, I was to meet a friend at Panera for coffee and for weekly goal setting. We encourage each other and give each other a kick in the pants when we need it, as we are both unemployed at the moment. Well, she forgot and didn't show.

Then when I got home I checked the mailbox. The check that should have been there wasn't. Again. This is the second time a freelance check hasn't shown up, at least for me, and that's with two different clients. I had to have the first check recut so that I could pick it up in person. I hope it isn't too late to do that with this one because I need the money. But considering my bills never fail to show up, and bills and court summons for former tenants never fail to show up, I'm pretty sure someone else is getting those checks out of there.

I'm not mad at all about the Panera thing. This is a dear friend who would never stand me up on purpose, and she feels really bad about it. But the check thing is roasting my ass because I can't tell you how hard it has been the last week, when everyday requires some new purchase for some class for my daughter, and I literally have to check the account each time to make sure I can cover it.

(By the way, if her teacher is reading this, I couldn't swing the expo marker because they want to sell them in expensive sets. I'm sure others in her class are bringing in these sets, so that should cover my daughter's one. Deal with it.)

Anyway, I needed to turn my perspective around when I got home, so I swept off the patio and took my easel out there. I let my dogs out of the crate to join me. It's a beautiful sunny day in the seventies. Perfect.

Sirius and Luna have never done this before with me, and didn't quite know how to act. Luna discovered that veridian green acrylic paint tastes nasty. She didn't get enough to hurt though. She has been rellishing in the weather with me, laying right beside me. She was a Safe Harbor Prison Dog before we adopted her so she is well disciplined and knows how to act in situations like these.

But Sirius... oh Sirius. He had been discovered running out on the road by Animal Haven. They were unable to find his former owners, so he joined their dogs awaiting new homes. He lived outside in a tall wire pen. The staff at Animal Haven warned us that he is a fence jumper. They had found him several times outside his pen, not to run away, but because he had jumped over to another pen to play with another dog. Since we live in an apartment, this hasn't an issue.

The patio is going to be a learning experience for him. Each new whiff on the breeze has him putting his front paws on the railing. I can tell he wants to go explore the source of the smells. He longs to be Tramp in "Lady and the Tramp", but his mom doesn't seem to understand his needs and won't let him jump. The peanut butter filled Kongs only helped for a little while.

I'm hoping he'll learn to enjoy it with Luna, because I love having them with me. Most of my vitriol for the evil mailbox thief has dissipated for the moment. Optimism has returned. And my painting is loosening up, which is great.

Here's an update on the bulldawgie for Art Unleashed, along with pics of my pups. Don't worry, I'm putting in the darks right now. The painting will look beautimous by the time it is done, which better be by tomorrow morning or I'm toast.