ZEE Oh well, it's only one letter difference, haha.
In some cases that could make a helluva difference, lol.


OT ..... Lot more done this afternoon even though it doesn't show in detail.
I had to work the horse many times, couldn't get it right. As it is right now I'm quite happy with it. Probably won't do anything on it anymore except for the top line of its neck, the light part.

He now has a buckle belt, watch on his belt, fixed the stirrup, did his hands but one doesn't show well enough so I'll have to do it again.
And I added press studs on the chaps and small buckles on the saddle bag.
I think that's about it.

I'm stuck with the part of the saddle underneath/behind his rear end.
Its colour is very close to his chaps. Not sure how I am going to make it stand out more.

No more painting tonight though. I'm shattered, hihi. Doing the horse really took up a lot of time.

Thank you, OldCoot! Very kind :) I'd missed your post, but very much appreciated!

I'm going to have blood drawn this afternoon to have my hormone levels checked.
I mostly want to know how high my estradiol (form of estrogen) level is.
I suspect it's not high enough yet. But in order to get permission to increase the dose I need to know what it is.

I've been walking with wound film over the area they draw blood from to prevent contamination. Apparently you can easily get that in spite of thoroughly washing, clean clothes etc.
I thought it wouldn't be that bad the first time I had a blood test. Clean clothes, had showered and used clean towels and so on.
Yet I did have contamination?!
Estradiol level was 664 while with the dose I use you can only get 400 provided your body takes it in really really well.

Now I got the gynaecologist to approve of another blood test. Meaning I can have way more checked than via the GP.
Full testosterone check as well :)
Testosterone is important for women as well for heart, brain, muscles, nervous system and so on but also libido and having a lust for life, feeling inspired to do things etc.
I don't think there's anything wrong with mine, but I want to know regardless.

I'm now on HRT for 8,5 months. But I feel I'm not there yet. Hence wanting to know my levels.

Fingers crossed that the wound film did its work and I have a good estradiol sample this time!

Not that cold, huh?! I do think -30C or -40C is extreme :p

I always feel that white people in Canada, US, and AUS show just how adaptable humans and human bodies are.
All white people there have European roots and we don't have the extreme weather conditions here that you do have over there.
Somehow your European ancestors managed to survive and adept.

I never forget what my girlie told me when she lived in the US. She and her then US husband & family went rafting one day. For them it was nothing too extreme.
Halfway through they stopped and my daughter quit from doing the rest. Her husband found her childish for giving up.
But she was scared to death as the river was really grumpy -and she doesn't scare so easily- and for her it was physically way too much as well. None of the others, Americans, had a problem.

I think a few generations of hardship has altered people and their bodies? Made them tougher. They had to in order to survive.
Apart from that, The Netherlands is as flat as a pancake bar for a small part in the east. But we haven't got mountains or raging rivers, nor life-threatening wildlife etc. And no extreme weather.
Our fight is against water --> almost half of The Netherlands is below sea-level.

Nevertheless, nothing is impossible. I managed in Indonesia (stinking hot & humid), Australia (desert, at first freezing cold, then stinking hot & dry) and I manage to live with the sh*te weather we got here, haha. Lots of rain and always windy.
As long as I don't have to chop wood or shovel snow, hihi. I need a man for that

Thanks you, Zee!
Also for telling me it's called a hat brim :)

Thank you so much, Merry!
I always like sharing while I'm still working on something :) It's as if I'm not painting by myself, and that feels quite good.
But you're right, most people would post the finished painting and that's it.

I indeed do not think it is him. But there's gotta be more attractive men in Canada, hihi.
In the meantime I'm gonna keep looking here. Not sure if I'm cut out for Canada's cold. Or the amount of snow you can get.

Good thing you fixed the forum board again :)
You sure got the magick touch!

Thank you, and you're welcome!

Lot more work done today:
Added part of the backside of the chaps...
Made the horse a little lighter/brighter brown...
Made the saddle bag larger...
Put the rolled up slickers behind the saddle...
Painted in a couple of straps and rings
made the saddle blanket shorter...
Oh and the lasso...

The light patches on the horse will get glazing (thin coloured layers)

QUESTION: is the rim of his hat too small? What do you think?

Thinking... these disappearing posts are starting to get up my nose!
Just like most emojis don't show up when you click "add smiley".
Best not go to the loo here either. Since nothing is working right they probably don't flush anymore.

Sounds good to me! I'll do my own banana, I love bananas :D

I once fell in love with a Dutch Canadian during carnival.
He had moved to Calgary with his parents but came back to celebrate carnival in The Netherlands. That only lasts a few days, but was long enough for me to fall head over heels in love.
And then he went back to Calgary, leaving me heartbroken.
This man for me better not be him, hihi.

OT -------- nice sunny weather again, like yesterday :D
We had night frost which usually means clear skies and thus sun during the day.
Unfortunately it's supposed to get cloudy later on and snow is forecast.
Not a whole lot but 2cm is enough to derail life in The Netherlands, hihi.

Hahaha, maybe next time? Then you can bring a few cans of maple syrup with you?
You know, I LOVE pancakes with sliced banana in 'em and then drown the whole lot in maple syrup!
I haven't got any anymore.
Time to get me a new bottle soon!

So my man lives in Canada??! What the heck is he doing over there while I'm here?!
I don't mind moving, IF he's worth it, hihi. And does that on-1-knee thing first

You got that right!! (about church) It used the Templars then stabbed them in the back when getting rid of the Templars served them better.
But the French king instigated that whole thing.

The star sign Snake is short and also shortens either Scorpio or Sag time -or both- as of course there's only 365 days in a year.
I believe Snake is 14 days only.
I don't know who decided to get rid of it. It does mean people born in that time period may find that the qualities of Snake suit them better than Scorpio or Sag. There are people who adhere to the 13 signs.
My own birthday is May 13th, so it doesn't matter to me, hihi.
I'm a spring girlie! Born on Friday the 13th :)

After not painting for half a year I´m working on a new canvas again!

First couple of sessions I was struggling, almost as if I´d forgotten how to do it.
Also because I am using a different technique for certain parts so there was a bit of trial and error.

This is where I am right now. Still a helluva lot to do but at least you can now clearly see where this is going :)
Colours are a bit brighter than the real thing but I had to tweak it a bit otherwise his shirt looked totally off. Seems the camera doesn't fancy aquamarine blue, hihi.

Hihi, you were too late, Zee!
I scoffed the last bit last night when I got a bit peckish.



I feel good! Lots of blue sky and the sun is shining.
What more can a girl want?
Oh yes. A nice hunky bloke for a partner who brings her flowers on Valentine's day and gives her a kiss that makes her toes curl.
Where are you?!?!!!

I was born on Friday 13th :)
I have always heard it used to be a good and positive day until church persecuted the Knights Templar on a Friday the 13th.
Ever since Friday the 13th was made out to be a bad day.

Friday itself was always good as it's named after Frigg, the Norse goddess of motherhood, marriage, fertility, the home.

As for the number 13... I believe that it's church's doing that it got a bad name. Especially related to the Knights Templar story.
These knights had become very influential an rich and the French king felt threatened by them. If memory serves, he owed the templars money that he had borrowed, and he couldn't pay them back.
He then schemed with the pope to have the Knights killed.
Prior to that the pope had worked with the Templars, had supported them etc. But he also wasn't too keen they were getting so influential.
So they captured them, tortured them in the most horrible ways so in the end they confessed to whatever they were forced to confess.
And of course they were made to confess to evil, diabolic stuff and heresy.

As for moons... every couple years we have a 13th full moon.
Zodiac sign... there originally was a 13th; Snake, in between Scorpio and Sagittarius. It was removed from the Zodiac at some point.

Feeling a little bit un-rhythmed. I think I just invented a word :D

Had wanted to paint this afternoon, but I had to go to my GP's to pick up my meds (hormones). That couldn't wait as I was about to run out of my oestrogen gel this weekend. And you cannot just quit using that, could cause a heart attack.

I got my stuff now, but it's almost dinner time. Thank goodness I got Chinese left over from yesterday.
Meaning... I can paint a bit and maybe later on this evening as well :)

Sleepy time for me now ***yawn***
Gone 1 again.
It's been a great day, I'm still happy and smiling. Only difference now is that I'm yawning a lot too, haha.

Let's hope it works! It's getting a bit spooky, hihi.

You best find it, fast! It's spread to other threads too! It's contagious?!

You best find it, fast! It's spread to other threads too! It's contagious?!