"Maple Valley" By C Caton

"Maple Valley" By C Caton, Completed January 2013

A peaceful country home tucked in among the hills, wildflowers, and trees - just a quiet, simple life.  SOLD

Clyde, my trusty sidekick

I have now, 19 adult guinea fowl, 1 dog, 3 cats, and who knows how many fish in the pond(I started with 10, but they had babies this summer).   All but the fish follow me everywhere outdoors.  Everywhere I go, I feel as though I'm leading a parade!   And then there is Clyde.

I do not normally let "my girls" sit on their eggs, unless I know someone who wants some guinea keets in advance of them hatching, but this year I made an exception due to the aging of my little flock (they are 6 years old this year).

I do not know what was going on down there, but it seemed that I kept finding only dead or nearly dead keets this time around.  I rescued Clyde and one other baby, but the other one seemed to have some sort of neurological damage from the start, as his little legs would barely hold him upright. 

Keet #2 soon died, and that left only Clyde, who was thriving.  

Feeling rather sorry for the little fellow, being left all alone in the world, I promptly took on the task of surrogate guinea mom.

Which leads me to where we are today.  I now have a spoiled rotten little adolescent guinea keet who loves classical music, has his very own bedroom, and who loves above all else, to perch upon said mother's head.  

 Going out for a walk

Clyde is a special little bird, that's for sure and for certain.  He does not make the loud noises that most guineas his age and older are famous for.  Only a songbird-like peeping, which I like to believe indicates his contentment.

I can't possibly send him down to live with the "general population" down at the coop, given the fact that he is a male guinea, and, well - they are a little bit scrappy to put it mildly.  He being the smallest at this point, would make a most excellent target for their aggressions I'm afraid.

If he were a female, it probably wouldn't be an issue at all - but he is not, and so at least for the time being, he is here in the house. 

I can't really complain too much.  He has been a perfect house guest actually.  He's quiet, not too messy and has been quite entertaining as he learns about his surroundings. 

Both of my daughters boyfriends think that he is the coolest thing ever, and so I am hopeful that I may be able to find him a permanent home as a house guinea.

Back in jail...

Abstract #8

Abstract #8 - "Red Sky at Night" By C Caton -

Black and red abstract - SOLD

(Still unable to eliminate the glare - apologies)

Price increases and some random thoughts on art

Those of you who have either dealt with me before, or who perhaps check out my blog here well know that I am totally unschooled in art.

The one thing that I have attempted to "study" - albeit on my own and primarily on the internet - is pricing of art.  And I've got to tell you right here and right now, that I don't "get it".  There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to it. 

But, I do know that the time has come that I must raise my prices - I simply cannot afford to sell them so inexpensively any longer.  Ebay/Paypal fees being what they are, plus the shipping costs, and well - that doesn't leave a whole lot leftover.   I love to paint - I really do - but, my urge to paint is not greater than my urge to eat and have a roof overhead.

So - if there is a piece that I currently have available on Ebay that you like, this is the last week that you can get one at the lower prices. 

Painting artwork is sometimes such a contradictory thing...on the one hand it is a joy and a delight, and finishing a painting is always a bittersweet ordeal.  Then comes the decidedly not fun part for me - the photographing of the piece, listing it online, getting it loaded up onto this site or that one so that others can see it. 

And then finally, another bittersweet moment when your work has sold, and the realization that you'll probably never see it again sets in - but also the realization that some other person or people may glean some measure of enjoyment from it.  And you can't help but hope that your creation is headed off to a "good home" - much like sending a child out into the world. 

Other strange contradictions that I've found regarding art - Now I'm the first one to admit that I don't know a lot about art - but I do not understand how it is that some of these pieces sell for the prices that they do.   I've seen pieces that couldn't have taken more than an hour to paint, that consist of very little skill - some literally are just splotches of color - sell for thousands of dollars.  Why?  Am I missing something? 

Which I guess brings me back to the pricing increase (no, it isn't going to be thousands of dollars) - but really, I just can't afford to spend so many hours working on something to sell for $40 or so, though I really wish I could.     

If I actually lived in my perfect little world that floats around in my mind, I'd give them away to whoever wanted one - but unfortunately even us dreamers have to pay the bills in the here-and-now!

So here it is - last call at the lower pricing.  Just click on the "Items for Sale" under my picture here to see all that I have available at the moment.  
http://myworld.ebay.com/ccatonart 

Heavy on my heart and mind....

All of these women and girls who have met with a horrible end lately....From Malala in Pakistan to Whitney in the USA and all of the countless others.  My heart breaks for each and every one of them...

"If I Could Paint A Perfect World"  By C Caton

To find such a perfect place as this
That exists only in my mind, in my thoughts...

A place to escape this sad human race -
Is there such peace?  Is there such a place?

No "leaders", no "followers", no politics, no religion
To argue and fuss and fight over and over again,
the same old fights since time began.

No kidnappers, no murderers, no thiefs,
No liars, no cheats...

No taxes, no charges, no bills and no fees.

A place to be happy, be kind and to dream -
To watch the squirrels play and hear the birds sing

To watch little children laugh and play

Without the worry, fear and dread
That some lurking stranger wants them dead.

This world that exists only in my head,
Has none of these headlines I've grown to dread...

That someone's dear sister, daughter, friend or wife
Started out their day, just to loose their life.

I don't understand it -
No I don't think I can
This great growing evil
That lurks inside man.

"Away From It All - Fall on the Prairie" By C Caton

"Away From It All - Fall on the Prairie" By C Caton

The trees are putting on their fall performance, and hidden behind them a prairie home - a simple place.  A place where you can "be" - be yourself, think your thoughts, paint your paintings, read a book, write a book,  live your life - and most of all - be happy!

That's the short and simple explaination - if you wish to "delve deeper", then read on...

Every since I began painting, I suppose that it was/is in many ways, an escape.  I can get away from quite literally anything in my paintings.  I can create a world as I wish it to be.  And while I'm painting it, it is almost as though I live there in my painting.  

I look around this "real" world we exist in, and I really don't like what I see.  There are - I know - many, many really good and kind people in this world.  

But the evil lurks everywhere.  Have the men of this world gone collectively crazy?  Have they totally lost their minds?  

Yes I said MEN, and NO I'm not being sexist, I'm stating a fact.  The fact is, that nearly all of the violent people are men.  Sure there are isolated cases of women committing some heinous act, but it is largely and overwhelmingly men.

What's causing it?  Is it some horrible genetic mutation?  A virus?  A vitamin deficiency?  I don't know.  But I do know that it's not an American problem, or a Middle Eastern problem or a South American problem - it is a worldwide problem, and it really does seem to be getting worse as time goes on.

Thyroid Cancer

I haven't ever mentioned it on here, but thought that perhaps I should, because though thyroid cancer is somewhat uncommon, it is increasing and in fact is the most common endocrine cancer.

My own diagnosis was delayed by three years because my primary care doctor really wasn't at all concerned about the 22mm (2.2cm) lump in my thyroid gland that was found on a CT scan after a rather nasty fall.   It was really after I changed doctors - and even then, it took the anger of a family member before I was eventually referred to an endocrinologist. 

It has been my experience that most general practitioners know absolutely nothing about thyroid cancer, and even if your lump is readily visible as mine was, and even if you complain of trouble swallowing and neck pain, they tend to not worry about it at all, even when it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and looks like a duck they still refer to zebras and horses.  It can be frustrating beyond all belief or reason.   About all they do is repeatedly check your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels and tell you you're fine.   What they don't seem to realize or know is that most people with thyroid cancer are euthyroid - have normal hormone levels.

By the time they took out the first half of my thyroid gland, the lump had grown to 3.3cm, of which 1.9cm was cancerous.  I then had to return 2 days later for a second surgery to remove the other lobe of my thyroid - and it too had cancer (.9cm) in it.

It's now been a year since I had it removed and went through the radioactive iodine treatment, and I've just had my 1 year scan - which I am happy to report came back with "no evidence of metatastic thyroid cancer".   Still waiting on my bloodwork, but am confident that it too will be good news.

I still must stay on top of it, as it could come back at any time - even decades later.  But I'm lucky.  Lucky because delay in diagnosis can be a really bad thing.  Mine threw me into a higher risk category due to my age.  The thing is, it was not teeny tiny when it was found.  It may have been in there for a decade.  Had it been diagnosed when the lump was found I'd have had a three year headstart - not to mention it wouldn't have cost me nearly as much money as I had double insurance coverage at that time.  

So the bottom line and my advice to you - if you have a thyroid lump, nodule, whatever that you are concerned about, get yourself to an endocrinologist.   They can rule out true problems from non problems far more quickly and inexpensively than a doctor who knows next to nothing about it.

Know this:

If you have a lump over 1cm, standard protocol calls for a biopsy as a rule.    Again, mine was delayed, and even then came back as "undiagnostic" - so press for answers.

Cold nodules are more likely to be cancerous than hot ones (ones that produce thyroid hormone).   If your thyroid hormone levels are normal, yet you have a larger sized lump press them for answers as to what exactly that lump is doing there.  Do not just take their word for it that "these are very common".  Small ones yes, but larger ones need to be investigated.   Insist on going to an endocrinologist. 

I'm lucky in so many ways, not the least of which is having an endocrinologist who is very sharp - a very bright lady who has taken excellent care of me.  The trick was getting to her in the first place, but once I did things started happening and she got it taken care of.

If you need more information about thyroid cancer, I recommend www.thyca.org