When Life Gets too Overwhelming... Car Problems and the Flea Fiasco!

September was an intense month! I had so much happening in my life - in my personal life, my art life and my professional life. At work I have my upcoming fall conference next week, which is normal and comes with solid deadlines and the anticipated large work load. I also committed to some outside art projects, (which according to my calendar and careful planning) would work out ok if I stuck to a disciplined and structured studio/production routine. Then of course there's my personal life - I'm getting married in November (one month to date!) and even though we're not having a traditional wedding reception and ceremony per se, it still comes with (its own set of emotions) and things to do. Despite the big things listed above, we still managed to participate in the Ontario Festival of the Arts (which was very successful and fun!) and even attended some fun events. 

We had a great time and ate way too much at Route 66 Cruisin Reunion - Philly cheesesteak, nachos, cheese fries, cheeseburger, tacos, churros, lemonade, tea, a few bites of funnel cake... Mmm!

New this year was the Splash Dogs competition!

Everything was going well and then BAM! we had some unexpected challenges that threw us for a loop. It started with some automobile issues - both of Tommy's cars in the same week! A battery replacement and a car tow for his classic El Camino (which luckily turned out to be nothing major). Then we somehow got a crazy flea infestation on Mr. Gold, who is an indoor-only kitty, which caused him to lick some hot spots that got infected and led to a stressful visit to the vet. Poor Mr. Gold has been living the bubble cat life, which he seems to be getting accustomed to.

Mr. Gold with his more comfortable inflatable cone. On the positive side he uses it as a travel pillow and enjoys long cat naps.

Poor Mr. Gold was terrified at the vet. He hates going there! So we got him his booster shots, rabies and feline leukemia. He's good on shots for 2-3 years.

With everything happening all at once it became too much to deal with and my life was becoming too overwhelming. I had a few emotional break downs and all my energy was gone so I made the decision to withdraw from the art projects completely. It really sucked and it's definitely not something I wanted to do, but it had to be done for my own sanity. I learned a valuable lesson - I have my limits, and for future reference, I know not to take on any outside projects in the 2-3 months before my fall conference. It's way too much work to do all at once.

Upcoming Exhibit - Dias de los Muertos: Remember Me 

October 11-November 10 | Ontario Museum of History and Art
225 S. Euclid Ave., Ontario, CA 91762 | Open Thursday-Sunday, Noon to 4:00 PM
The museum is hosting a variety of programming in October and November to celebrate the exhibit. View the events flyer.

Now that things have calmed I get to enjoy the rest of the fall season, which is my favorite time of the year! This month my fiancé Tommy is exhibiting at the Ontario Museum's Day of the Dead exhibit, running October 11 through November 10. The Exhibit Reception is this Saturday, October 13 from 1:00-3:00 PM. This is Tommy's first time exhibiting in this annual event (I've yet to participate but hopefully I'll finally make it next year).

I sold the last of my remaining Day of the Dead t-shirts to the Museum Store. Yay! The gift shop is open during regular museum hours on Thursday-Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Museum members get 10% off any gift store purchase.