My Little Corner of the World

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of my blogging buddies! 2011 was wonderful. I'm looking forward to starting 2012.

Tonight we're spending a quiet evening welcoming in the new year.
I wish you all the best in the new year!

She'll Be Here on Tuesday!

2011-12-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

Mom will be here on Tuesday. Guess what I'm doing! Yes, that's right - cleaning the house. I also baked oatmeal cranberry cookies and chocolate chip cookies today. Yummy. I've been taking a break and browsing blogs. I've seen some absolutely gorgeous paintings. You guys rock!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

I hope you have a wonderful holiday! I would like to start my day thinking about all that I am thankful for. (Actually, my day started 3 hours ago when I got up to walk the dogs, but you know what I mean.) My husband and I are in love and enjoy each other's company. I'm very good friends with my sister Tammy. My parents taught us well and their three daughters grew up to be happy adults. My sisters and I like to spend time with our parents. Our grandparents were the best!

I've been blessed with wonderful animals now and throughout my life. They've been my children and have given me much love.

I'm healthy. I'm seldom sick, except (oddly enough) I'm sick today. I have a cold or something. The cool thing is that I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner. We're going out. Jim asked me this morning what I would have done if we were having Thanksgiving here like we usually do. I said that I would have handed someone the ingredients and told him or her to have fun:)

I love my job. I love working with students. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to teach. I'm even more grateful if my students have actually learned something from me:)

I'm thankful for having discovered you artists here in the world of technology.

I love my little granddaughters. I got them the easy way by marrying a man who already had children who grew up to have children of their own. One of my favorite things to do is to paint with my oldest granddaughter.

I could go on and on, but I don't want anyone to fall asleep reading. In short, life is very, very good. I am truly blessed.

Waaaaaah!! This Is Really Hard!

2011-11-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I went here http://www.fcembranelli.com.br/english/at-demo1.html to do a demo by Fabio Cembranelli. Oh my goodness! Let us say that my painting looks nothing like his. The best thing I can say about my painting is that although none of my roses look like roses, one looks like a very large pansy:) We have Thanksgiving break coming up, so my plan is to paint, paint, paint.

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

What Does It Take to Get Going?

2011-11-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

I love Olivia Quintin (you should visit her blog and see why) and I was thrilled to read this interview on Carrie Waller's blog http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2011/11/friday-feature-olivia-quintin.html?
Please check it out. Her art is brilliant, loose and lively. She said the best advice she received as an artist was to not be afraid. All day I've heard a voice (with a French accent:)) saying, "Don't be afraid." If I spoke French, the words would be in French, but the extent of my French vocabulary is "bonjour", "merci", and "au revoir." Be sure to read how she feels about watercolor. It's exactly the way I feel, but she said it much better than I. I love the phrase "swimming in watercolor".

There's no way around it - no magic beans, no divine inspiration - I have to put in the time in order to improve. Olivia is one of the artists who participated in 100 Washes. They're all wonderful artists. I would say they've inspired me to work harder, but since I haven't been doing any painting at all, I have to say they've inspired me to get to work.

There are other blogger friends who inspire me, too. Lucinda and Sherry are two of them. They're just as busy with life as I am and yet they manage to squeeze in things like painting, Italian lessons, weaving, knitting, and other activities.

I have to get going on this. Time is flying and I've got a lot of things on my to do list. Things like learn French, learn to play the piano, learn to knit, start a rock band...

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

2011-10-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

If you want to start out your morning truly revved up, check out the live performance of Manfred Mann and his Earth Band on YouTube - "Blinded by the Light". If I knew how, I would post a link. I'm not sure why I decided to go there this morning, but I found it, started singing along and rocking out. I don't understand the song - I just like it:) Jim has already left for school, so he missed my stellar performance. Oh, well, there will be a second show when you get home, Baby.

Good Night!

2011-09-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

I hope that you will still stop to visit. Good night! I've been a very bad, bad blogger! I have so much to tell you that I hope you don't fall asleep reading this. (Are you still there?)

Next week is my birthday. Hooray! I would like to say thank you to Teresa at Blueberries, Art and Life and her friend Darnell for Darnell's Fresh Strawberry Cake recipe which Teresa posted on her blog a couple of months ago. I've been saving it to make myself a birthday cake. I began today. I bought 4 pounds of the most luscious looking, sweet smelling strawberries on the way home, chopped up two pounds of them and put them in the refrigerator to let the juice flow overnight.

I also would like to thank Katherine Thomas for inspiring me to finally redo my bulletin boards at school. They look pretty good if I do say so myself.

I never finished painting my African violet that I talked about in my last (ancient) post. My violets are still alive (which I consider to be really cool because I've never managed to grow any before), but they haven't bloomed in two months. I should have taken a photo so I could have finished the painting from that. Excuses, excuses:)

We took our granddaughter to Wisconsin in August. If you want to see what pure joy looks like, you have to see my dad on his new jet ski. We went to his cabin. We went for a ride on the pontoon boat (which is my style of moving on water) and then he got out the jet ski. I knew there would be trouble when my 76-year-old father spun his baseball cap around backward, put Jade on the jet ski and took off flying! It was great! She was screaming, "Faster, Grandpa, faster!" Jim and I were standing on the dock saying, "Thank goodness they both swim like fish and they're wearing life jackets:)" Jim took the jet ski out for a spin later. Dad tried to talk me into it, but no thank you:)

Well, I'm going to make the rounds to try to catch up with you all.

My Sister Told Me to Post Something

2011-06-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired by a couple of things this weekend. The first is that Jim is taking a rendering and illustration class and he's going to draw every day. The second is the four artists going on holiday together in Provence and blogging about it. http://paintingprovence.blogspot.com/ What fun!

Today I pulled out the watercolors and started a painting of one of my African violets. I also took photos of the art that is hanging in our living room, so I could show you how things look since we did all that work in the living room. However, there is a great big honkin' flash mark in the middle of each photo and I don't know how to shut off the flash on Jim's camera, so... I'll not post any photos today:)

We're going to have our granddaughter stay with us a few days while her dad is in Houston at the end of the month. I'm going to get some of that jumbo sidewalk chalk and a long jump rope. I have to brush up on my jump rope chants. I can remember two. Jim says he'll jump rope with us. He knows a chant I've never heard of.

Well, it's time to do some lesson plans.

This is what I've been up to

2011-05-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

We set the tile, grouted and sealed the grout. The carpet layers did a great job installing the carpet. We have to install the baseboard, stain the French doors, put furniture and art where we want it and ta-dah - we'll be finished with the living room. (Briscoe is looking in. He and Rosie spent a lot of time outside or in our bedroom while we were working.)

Since I have no art of my own to share right now, please check out this show http://www.robertlangestudios.com/

I commented on Ali's blog that I think whoever came up with the idea of these two to exhibit together is brilliant. I wish I could check it out in person.

I love this!

2011-04-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

Check this out. This is one of the sweetest videos I've ever seen!

http://5thworld.com/Paradigm/Postings/!Wisdom/OrangutanAndHound.html

This is why I haven't been painting on paper

2011-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Jim and I have been painting walls. We painted the living room. We tore out our old carpet and old tile. We set tile in about a third of the living room. We've been having fun working on this project, but, boy, are we tired at the end of the day! We're going to have carpet installed in the rest of the living room. I've also taken a moment to watch the roses bloom in our backyard:)

Sarah Stilwell Weber (1878-1939)

2011-03-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is from The Saturday Evening Post Jan/Feb 2011 edition. I found some more of her illustrations by googling her, but I've been unable to find a biography. I love her work.

Good Night! How Could I Never Have Heard of Her?

2011-03-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just fell in love with an illustration in The Saturday Evening Post on page 80 of the January/February issue. (Yes, the magazine is still in print and it's fabulous.) Have you ever heard of Sarah S. Stilwell Weber? I googled her and found some of her work here http://giam.typepad.com/100_years_of_illustration/sarah_s_stilwell_weber_18781939/
I couldn't get this to show as a link, but I'll edit tomorrow when the kids come over and they can show me what I'm doing wrong. (Sometimes I can get things to work and other times...) Check it out. Her work is lovely. I want to learn more. Maybe someone has written a biography.
Tell me what you think of her.

Do you have a favorite shade of green?

2011-03-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

Do you have a favorite green in watercolor? If so, would you please tell me the brand and the shade? I do mix greens and there are some shades I like straight out of the tube, but I'd like a few more to choose from.

It Might as Well Be Spring

2011-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto - what a combination. I think theirs is the best version of "It Might as Well Be Spring". We had some rain yesterday and a little more today. It was lovely. I love the way the air smells.

Here are a couple of sketches I did today in my moleskine sketchbook. Jim gave me roses for Valentine's Day. This is one of them. The strawberry is from the grocery store:)

Things to Do While Your Husband Is Sleeping

2011-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

We get up at 4:30 a.m. I feed the dogs and cats and then we take the dogs for a walk. This morning, Jim didn't wake up at 4:30. It's so seldom that either of us sleeps in that I tried to be very quiet and keep the dogs quiet so he could sleep a few minutes longer. I brought my moleskine sketchbook and paints out to the kitchen. If the dogs know I'm right there, they're less likely to wake Jim up. Because the sun wasn't up yet, I couldn't go out to paint in the yard. I ended up doing this little sketch of strawberries and blueberries. My blueberries look a little anemic, so I'll go back in and darken them.

A New Palette

2011-01-29T16:28:00.000-08:00

I bought a new Masterson palette from Daniel Smith. I had never tried this type before. I love it! I will be doing some more little sketches tomorrow. I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Saturday!

Thank Goodness, It's Mole-Uh-Skee-nuh!

2011-01-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

When I first saw the word "moleskine", it made me sad (kind of like when I found out that the bird I thought was a morning dove was actually a mourning dove)and I thought I would never buy a moleskine sketchbook. Then, when someone told me how to pronounce it correctly, I decided I would get one. It seems that moles no longer give their lives for the sake of art. Hooray!

Here are some little white flowers that are in our backyard. I don't know what they are called.

My Project

2011-01-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

I painted two little watercolor sketches today. It was such a pleasure to be outside with the dogs on another sunny, glorious day. I will post the sketches as soon as my photographer wakes up from his nap. (I still haven't learned how to use Jim's camera:)) As I was out there soaking up all the good vibrations from our dogs and our yard, not worrying about the quality of my painting - just happy to be painting, I decided that my project will be to paint little sketches of parts of the backyard until I fill up my sketchbook or the weather sends me back indoors. Today I painted my cactus again and my geranium that survived the winter. (I didn't know that geraniums could survive cold weather, but this one is planted right next to the house, so maybe that helped protect it.)

Jim is awake. Here are the photos.

Plein Air Painting

2011-01-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

I've painted outdoors approximately two times in my life a long, long time ago - once for a class I was taking at UNLV and once with a group of artists at an old ranch in North Las Vegas. Today I decided to try again. The weather was perfect - cool and sunny. We have a gorgeous cactus that bloomed about two months ago and still has flowers. It survived our recent 22 degree temperatures, not to mention the 5 summers that it has lived through. Desert plants are so hardy. This one is right next to our patio.

I moved outside and with the warm sun on my back, I began to paint. Here is what I have learned so far. (We have a three day weekend, so I'm going out again tomorrow and Monday.) When you're out walking or hiking, you don't notice this as much, but the sunlight changes rapidly! I'm out there getting all toasty warm in the sun, relaxing, enjoying looking at my subject, breathing the lovely fresh air, listening to the dogs running around the yard, listening to the birds, sketching and... the shadows have changed and then... the shadows are gone! Okay - tomorrow I will paint more quickly. In fact, I may break out my little moleskine sketchbook and try to do several little watercolor sketches.

Another thing I learned is that your paint dries much faster outdoors.

I have also learned to shade my paper with my head:)

I also learned that I want to buy a couple of new greens. (You're not reading this, are you, Jim?)

Gratitude Friday

2011-01-14T14:44:00.001-08:00

I'm very grateful to Sue at a brush with color for posting a poem from T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. I read it, fell in love with it and ordered a copy from Amazon. This is one of those books that I want a hardcover copy of rather than putting it on my Kindle.

I'm also grateful that the sun is shining very brightly again here in the desert. Although we had some rain and some cold weather (22 degrees!), it's gorgeous now. I hope it gets better soon in all the places that are having floods and heavy snow.

Do you think it's odd that along with my T. S. Eliot, I ordered Earth, Wind and Fire's Greatest Hits? Hmmm... I think it's an interesting combination:)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a happy New Year! To start the year right, I have some movie recommendations. The King's Speech is excellent. I hope the movie and the actors win Academy Awards. They deserve it. I also enjoyed True Grit. (If you go see it, there are two parts where you should cover your eyes. Jim's not as quick at that as I am...) I had mixed feelings about going to see a remake, but my new philosophy is to give it a chance if it seems to have potential - treat it as if it were a play.

I also have a rental to recommend. It's called Easy A. It's hilarious. I love the actors and the dialogue is very clever and funny. I almost didn't rent this one because I was afraid it would be too silly.

Yikes! We go back to school on Monday. We had a great vacation. I guess I'm ready to go back. I love my job.

A Christmas Gift and A Christmas Card

2010-12-29T16:42:00.000-08:00

When Randi came over to take care of her furry brothers and sister while we were out of town, she noticed that the toilet seat in our guest bathroom was cracked. She got an idea for Christmas. She bought us a new wooden toilet seat and had our three granddaughters make some fun art. The girls made butterflies with their hands, signed and dated their work. There was no way I was going to put the girls' art on the toilet, so it will hang in our hall. Jim came up with the idea of taking a family Christmas portrait and putting it under the lid using the seat as a frame:) This is possibly the strangest, most fun Christmas gift we've ever received:) Thank you, Randi. We really like it! Jade (8), Ivory (4), and Lucy (2), Grandma and Grandpa think you're wonderful artists!

I also wanted to share the Christmas card I received from my friend Charlotte Lang, an artist who lives in Mesquite, Nevada. She makes lovely watercolors and also does pottery.

Saturday

2010-12-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

Mom arrives from North Carolina on Tuesday, soooooo... guess who's been cleaning the house? I haven't even started my Christmas cards. I've done a little shopping. I haven't started decorating. Yikes! Here I am talking to you:) It may not be what I should be doing, but it's want I want to be doing! I hope everyone is well and is further along with holiday preparations than I am.

I read about a wombat book on Mimble's blog and checked it out. The author is Jackie French and she and her books are delightful. I ordered a book for Jade, my granddaughter. If you have time, check this out. Thank you, Mim. This made me laugh. http://www.jackiefrench.com/wombat.html

I'm Still Here

2010-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

I read about The Little Art Club on Katherine Thomas' blog, so I have become a follower. I hope it will inspire me to get some painting done. I want to do some Christmas cards. Katherine's drawings are awesome.

I just finished Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. She's an award winning author whose work I love. If you're in the mood for a good mystery, pick up one of her books.

Jim is reading Battle Cry of Freedom. It's about the Civil War. For awhile, he was reading mysteries and I was reading history books and now we've switched.

We went to North Carolina to visit my mom for a few days at the end of October. I'm posting some photos. I want to paint the one with the bird. Is it some type of heron? We sure had a wonderful trip. We went to the Biltmore, toured the mansion and walked the lovely grounds. We also hiked at Chimney Rock Park - absolutely gorgeous!

Gratitude Friday or Who Was That Woman?

2010-10-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

Who was that woman who said, "Our granddaughter is staying with us while her dad is out of town, so there will be art galore"? Yikes! We're having a blast, but we haven't made any art. We've been reading in the evenings. She has a log for her teacher and we sign off on what she reads. Last night, we read a chapter from It's Raining Cupcakes. Wednesday night, we read Little Beauty and a story about farm animals who enter a talent show. All three of us spend a lot of time laughing.

We do a kind of relay in the morning trying to get to school on time. Jim isn't in the classroom any longer, so he has had the responsibility of getting Jade to her school because his schedule is more flexible than mine. I help her get ready and drop her off to Jim on my way to school. He handles the final leg of the journey during which they stop for hot chocolate:)

I am very grateful for having the opportunity to spend time with our lovely little granddaughter.

A Lazy, Lovely, Rainy Day in Las Vegas

2010-10-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today, we had some rain and a few hours of overcast skies. It was a nice change. Up until now, we've been having temperatures in the 100s, which is unusual for this time of year.

I've been reading a novel by Julia Glass on my Kindle. Thursday night, Jim fell asleep before I did. I felt like reading, but I didn't want to wake him up by turning on the light. I used the light on my Kindle cover for real for the first time. (The times I just played with it don't count.) It gives off just enough light to illuminate the page. It's a really cool feeling to be surrounded by darkness and read with this tiny light.

I kind of fell out of blogging mode the last couple of weeks. I have to make the rounds to see what you've been up to.

A Quick Note

2010-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't done any painting because I'm trying to get back in the groove of school. I have wonderful students as usual, but I've been tired each day when I get home.

The only artsy thing I've done is Jim and I went to the Harvest Festival with a friend of ours. We'd never been to it before. It was a lot of fun. They had arts, crafts, food and entertainment. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. We bought two prints by Richard Curtner. He does collages. Check out his work on the Internet. It's beautiful and it's different.

A cool thing that happened is our Kindle arrived on Friday. I played with it yesterday. It is an amazing piece of technology. You can download about 3,600 books on it. You can download magazines and newspapers, too. A lot of books are free because the copyright has expired. Newer books are cheaper than the print editions. For me, it won't replace the library or bookstore, hardcover or paperback books, but it's a wonderful supplement. It's wireless, so you can download books at the airport, etc. It will fit in your purse. It's approximately 5"x7"x 1/4". As I discover all of its secrets, I'll share them with you. I'm in love. This was supposed to be shared with Jim, but I think he'll be getting his own one of these days:)

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

2010-08-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

"Bittersweet, sweet and bitter, bitter and sweet." The Big Head Todd lyrics perfectly capture my feelings about this time of year. It is cooling off. We have to go back to school. We will get another beautiful bloom from our roses now. The light is changing and the daylight hours are fewer.

I haven't gotten much painting done. The last one I completed may turn into a collage...
This is the first stage... I liked the sky and had fun with it, but things went downhill from there. Oh, well. It's only paper and paint. It's only paper and paint. (I don't know what the heck that black mark is. I somehow managed to save it when I was resizing the photo, but it wasn't on the original photo. Hmmm.)

I finished 2 mysteries by P. D. James last week. It was the first time I'd read anything by her. I liked both of them.

By the way, is anyone a Big Head Todd and the Monsters fan? I love their music.

Gratitude Friday - Madame Lee Pivornick

2010-08-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

This post is eleven years late. Jim and I are very fortunate. We had fabulous teachers in high school. Madame Lee Pivornick was one of them. She taught French and English. Jim was in her French class and we both had her for senior English. She was elegant and eccentric. She wore silk , chiffon, high heels and a French twist. (This may not have been the fashion of the day, but she had her own definition of hip.) She expected excellence and good manners. She was classy. She loved Europe and the United States. She loved Las Vegas. Her enthusiasm and upbeat attitude just bubble in her writing - she wrote a book called Continental Fling. Jim and I found a copy in Special Collections at UNLV yesterday. We had so much fun going through it. It was a travel guide written in 1965. She flew from Las Vegas to New York and then cruised across the Atlantic to Europe. The captain and crew on the ship were French. Champagne was served at dinner. There is a photo of Madame on the bridge with the captain. She is steering the ship. She said that she and Madame de Gaulle are the only people besides the captain who got to steer the ship. She said that the passengers were all practicing their French with the crew and learning new words on the way over to Europe.

In addition to teaching high school, she taught French at UNLV (Nevada Southern University at the time) and she wrote travel columns for the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review Journal. She was the French Club advisor at Las Vegas High School. She took the French Club to France in the summer.

As adults, Jim and I talked several times about contacting Madame, but we never did. Oh, how I wish we had. She died in 1999. I wish I had thanked her for getting Jim through French grammar and getting us both through Great Expectations and Macbeth. Most of all, I wish I had told her how I admire the way she lived her life. She was so special and she did exactly what she wanted to do. She was a superb teacher. I hope she was happy in her personal life. Jim and I think she must have been. She did so much traveling and in class, she never seemed to have a bad day. That has to be a sign that all parts of your life are good.

We took notes on Parisian restaurant recommendations she made in Continental Fling. Paris is on our list. When we go there, we're going to one of the restaurants she recommended and we will drink a toast to Madame.

Some of the Sweetest Faces You'll Ever See

2010-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Wild burros on the road to Bonnie Springs Ranch - aren't they gorgeous?

Water Lilies By Jade - Watercolor

2010-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our granddaughter spent Sunday and Monday with us. We went to see Ramona and Beezus (thumbs up), we went bowling (the rails for little kids are super), we went to Bonnie Springs Ranch (she liked it as much as her great grandmother did when we took her there last spring) and we topped off the visit by doing a little painting. What do you think? She's eight years old. She did this all by herself. I just kept her company while she painted.

The British Open

2010-07-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

We watched quite a bit of the British Open and I have to say we were completely charmed by the winner. I usually root for Phil Mickelson. I also like John Daley, but I will gladly add "Shrek" to my list of favorites. He's gracious, poised and loves the game. I would love to walk the St. Andrews old course. I don't play golf, but I think that is such a beautiful place with a wonderful sense of tradition and history.

New Windows, Hooray!

2010-07-18T08:10:00.001-07:00

Workers are installing our new windows. They are energy efficient and they are pretty! By Las Vegas standards, our house is old. I like to preserve or restore things whenever possible, but windows from fifty years ago just don't do the job here in the desert. I originally had my heart set on Pella or Andersen windows, but I fainted when we got a quote. Jim picked me up off the floor and we decided to go with a different company.

I thought the installers were going to be here on Friday, so I secured the cats in the guest bathroom Thursday night. I wanted no escapes through doors or windows. The guys didn't come until Saturday. (Having read Diana's posts about Italian workers, I thought maybe I wasn't really in Las Vegas... Maybe I was in Italy:)) The cats weren't too happy - four cats, one bathroom, no cat tree - not a good thing. I moved them to a bigger room last night. My philosophy on punctuality has become much more relaxed. (Diana's construction stories always have a happy ending, so what the heck:)) I now say there is no reason to stress as long as we are not left with a big hole and no glass covering it overnight. I'm getting used to their schedule. If they're supposed to be here by 1:00, they'll be here the next day. If they're supposed to be here by 7:00, they'll be here by 8:00... The important thing is that they are really nice guys who are doing a super job.

If you can't say something good about someone, sit right here by me. - Alice Roosevelt Longworth

2010-07-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ha! I have to find a good biography on this woman.

I'm almost done with Pride and Prejudice. It's excellent. Austen is so witty. What really surprised me is that she wrote it when she was just 21. It was published years later and I'm sure there was some editing, but I'm amazed that a 21 year old could write this! Of course, I will read more Austen. I have no idea how I missed her. I've read many classics, but no Austen until now.

In the last two weeks, I also read The Brutal Telling, a mystery by Louise Penny and Prayers for Sale, a novel by Sandra Dallas. I recommend both books. Prayers for Sale is about the friendship between two women in 1936. One of the women is 17 and the other is 86. It is an uplifting book. I don't want to give too much away about it. I don't want to spoil the ending for you if you decide to read it. Both books are quick reads, but they're not fluff.

Happy Birthday, Tammy!

2010-07-08T06:21:00.000-07:00

Tammy and her friend Lissa
Candy and Tammy
Tammy, Tracy and Candy

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Sherry, I Did My Best

2010-07-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Jim took quite a few pictures, but in most of them, my dad isn't facing the camera. Here he is with my youngest sister and my aunt (his sister). It would have been a good picture, but his eyes are closed!

On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin, Grand Old Badger State

2010-07-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

We had a break between summer sessions and we flew up to Wisconsin for my dad's 75th birthday party. My stepmother had the party at their cabin on Lake St. Croix. We were there for a long weekend. The weather was gorgeous. We got to visit with both of my sisters, and my dad's three sisters and about 45 other people. My stepmother has 6 children so it makes for a big gathering with children's spouses and the grandchildren. We ate like little piggies. Dad took us for a pontoon boat ride. It was a blast.

Jim's daughter Randi took care of our furry children, the garden and the house while we were gone. Good job, Randi! Thank you!

We're back home in the desert. This is the painting that I talked about in the previous post. I was playing with colors. I know it's not my best painting, but I like the colors if I do say so myself:)

Gratitude Friday - A Day Late, or A Contented Candy

2010-06-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love being so happy I could walk on air, but there is something to be said for contentment. I am grateful for the times, and there are many times in my life, when I feel contented. Today is one of those times. I'm surrounded by a bunch of cats, a couple of dogs and a husband who love me.

We took 60 pounds of love to the vet this morning for shots and she didn't disappoint me. "I love you, Mr. Vet! It's me, Rosie! I don't care if you take my temperature, look into my mouth and give me a couple of shots! I love you! I love the world! I will jump on you and give you kisses!" That's our Rosie.

After that, we went to breakfast. The food was good and we had fun just talking and laughing.

I did some housework. The house and the yard look pretty. The house isn't immaculate right now, but it's clean enough. Quite a few flowers are still blooming and the grass is filling in in a couple of bare spots that we have in the yard. It's very nice. It's a peaceful refuge.

I talked to my sister who lives in Wisconsin. We discussed some things that make us sad. We laughed about some other things.

I read a little.

So far, it's a beautiful day.

On a Sunday Morning Sidewalk

2010-06-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow last night. It's well-written and well-researched. Had I lived in his time, I would have liked to have been friends with Mr. Hamilton. He was brilliant, a great writer, a mesmerizing speaker, charming, funny, brave and had a strong sense of honor. Last year, I read a biography of John Adams. He was intelligent, disciplined and accomplished a lot in spite of all the political intrigue he had to contend with, but he was grouchy and felt sorry for himself. He also was pretty hard on Hamilton. I would have been friends with George Washington. I was surprised, but I don't think I would have liked Thomas Jefferson. He was intelligent and wrote well, but I think he was wily and a bit of a coward. He did a lot of behind the scenes political maneuvering. By the way, the American political life seems to have required a strong stomach right from the beginning. Oh, I would not have liked Aaron Burr at all.

I made chili from my mom's recipe this morning. I also baked banana bread from a B & B recipe. Oh, my goodness, it turned out great!

I finished my desert scene. Finally! The bad news is that it's awful. I almost posted a photo in spite of that, but I don't know how to use Jim's camera and he's taking a nap. I don't mind posting flops. How else can you learn?

Enjoy your Sunday. It's a beautiful day here.

Lazy Sunday

2010-06-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm too lazy to paint today. Summer school starts tomorrow. We're doing two 3 week sessions and then it's v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n! Woohoo!

I noticed from comments on my previous post that Jim has begun campaigning for an electric car. Hmmm... Sorry, Honey, too expensive right now.

I'm still reading a biography of Alexander Hamilton. It's excellent, but I'm not exactly breezing through it.

Saturday Morning

2010-05-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

I bought this today.

This morning I met Lorraine, my friend of 40 years, for breakfast at The Omelet House. They have the best breakfasts! Lorraine and I get together there once a month to chat.

After breakfast, we went to the Book Magician, a used bookstore. This place is so cool. They have a cat named Merlin (Mortimer?). I'll find out for sure next time. He's 21 years old. I gave him a nice massage and he rubbed his head on my foot. Lorraine bought 5 paperbacks and I found this treasure. It's in perfect condition - jacket and all. I love used books. I love to find inscriptions and wonder about the previous owners. Frank Dold of Toronto, Canada wrote his name in the back of this one. I thought he might be an artist, but I couldn't find anything about him on the Internet. By the way, this book was originally priced $50.00 and I bought it for $16.00. If you live in Las Vegas, check out this store. It has a wonderful kind of mystic, hippie, San Franciso, gentle atmosphere; not to mention great used books!

Sunflowers for Randi

2010-05-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

Randi, the smallest one is just starting to open. The one by the patio reaches the patio cover and looks like it's still growing. We love them.

Your dad and I are trying to figure out what your secret to a bumper crop of tomatoes is. Maybe we should be proud of ours, though. After all, our crop has increased by 50 percent over last year. It looks like we'll have 3 tomatoes this year:)

Sunday Morning

2010-05-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning we made a run to the neighborhood doughnut shop. It's a family-owned shop. I love these people. Their doughnuts are out of this world.(The "x" number of pounds I've put on are not a mystery.) The weather was perfect. We sat out on the patio, had our doughnuts, milk for me and coffee for Jim. Our sunflowers are starting to bloom. They're taller than we are and their leaves are huge. The oleanders are in full bloom and we still have some roses blooming. The mockingbirds are singing like crazy. Does life get any better than this? I feel (and look) like a big, fat, contented cat. Can you hear me purring?

Gratitude Friday - Sweet Memories

2010-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

I'm very thankful for the sweet memories of people who were in my life in the past. I was thinking about my grandparents this morning. They were the best. They lived out in the country. Their house was on fifteen acres surrounded by small farms. There was a creek that ran through their property. One thing I remembered this morning was taking walks with my grandma and seeing lovely wild pink roses growing.

WIP - Mountains

2010-04-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I'm working on. I'm playing with some colors.

Rockin' Out in My Truck

2010-04-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

I had to drive across town on Friday. During the trip, I listened to a classic rock station. What fun it is to rock out while driving! First, I got into it with Aretha - R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Then there was a little bit of Beatles' music, "Something". Then I heard a song I hadn't heard in years. It was "No Matter What You Are" by Badfinger. I love that song. It was so good to be listening and singing along. I didn't know anything about Badfinger, but remembered a lot of their songs, so I did some Internet research when I got home. I had been thinking, "Oooh, maybe Jim and I can see them in one of the Rock 'N Roll revival tours. Well, they have a tragic story. Before I read about them, I checked for live performances on YouTube. An earnest young man with a look about him that took me back to my high school days was singing his heart out. He and his buddy wrote almost all of the Badfinger hits. They also wrote a song that was a big hit for Harry Nilsson, "Without You" (a song I'd assumed Nilsson had written that I absolutely love). The Badfinger version is awesome!

In a way, I wish I'd just left it alone. I could've ordered an album or two online and continued thinking of Badfinger living happily ever after. They're not. It makes me very sad.

Gratitude Friday, A Day Late

2010-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hooray! I'm very, very grateful that I can begin to wean off of this acrylic device that I've had to wear in my mouth for the last 6 months (TMJ treatment). Bring on the crispy fresh fruits and vegetables! Hello, cashews, walnuts and peanuts! Woo-hoo! Note to Kablooey: My secure word for making comments will no longer be "medrueli".

My mom's visit went well. She'll come back to see us for her birthday in December.

Does anyone have a good recipe for spinach lasagna? Are there any Italians out there who can tell me if the word is lasagna or lasagne?

Gratitude Friday - Thank you, Jim.

2010-04-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you for 11 wonderful years. I love you.

Today is our anniversary. We went to The Broiler tonight to celebrate. Jim had steak. I had lobster. Jim had an extra glass of merlot for dessert. I had creme brulee. We had so much to talk about - memories, plans for the future. It was a perfect evening.

A Visit to the Bellagio

2010-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Bellagio Hotel Casino to see the conservatory and botanical gardens. Gorgeous! For spring, they have snails made of roses (Check out that beautiful snail!) ,bumble bees made of carnations (Carnations I tell you!), giant ant sculptures, mushrooms, frogs made of moss (Yes, beautiful, soft green moss!), tulips, sculpted olive trees and water splashing through the air. If you come to Las Vegas, be sure to see it. They change it for each season. The rest of the hotel is beautiful, too. One area has a handblown Italian glass ceiling. Another celebration of spring has beautiful unbrellas hanging from the ceiling. There is no charge for admission and the garden is open 24 hours a day.

Woo-hoo! Spring Break Is Not Just for College Kids!

2010-03-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

For Autumn Leaves - a photo of the linen closet door which was done by the original owners, Connie and George.

It finally feels like spring. Our roses are on the verge of blooming. They all look healthy and have lots of buds. Jim gardened all day yesterday and today. We went to Star Nursery twice this weekend. Fun! There are three climbing roses in the corner. We planted them last spring. We also planted ground cover roses in front of the climbers last spring. Jim planted the pink bougainvillea yesterday. He planted purple, too.

Gratitude Friday

2010-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tammy asked me to contribute a painting for the Paws for Love silent auction. It made me feel really good. Now, I hope that someone actually bids on it...

There is a recreation center near our school. They often have activities for senior citizens. I was pulling into the parking lot around lunchtime on Thursday. There was an elderly lady walking through the parking lot. She was using a cane. She had huge rabbit ears on her head. When we were nose to nose through the driver's side window, I waved at her and she lifted her cane to me. She had lovely white hair and a beautiful face. She looked so happy, that she made me happy. I'm grateful for little glimpses into other people's lives. Moments of happiness...

Mom is coming for a visit. She'll be here on Tuesday. We always have a great time when she's here.

Friday Is My Favorite Day!

2010-03-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Do you know those movies where people dance around alone at home? Well, that's not just something they thought up for the movies. I'm the girl who, a few short hours ago, was dancing around dressed in my drinkin' pants (men's blue plaid pajama bottoms) and a tee-shirt to the cranked up (very loud) music of Jackson Browne. My tune of choice was a slightly obscure song called "I'm the Cat". It's good that I was home alone because I probably played the song twenty times - over and over and over:) Jim may like Jackson, but I think he would have have run screaming from the house. It just felt so good - dancing, singing along, and doing a little housework, too. Rosie and Briscoe are my best audience.

Jim has installed Windows 7 on our computer. I do not know how to do anything with photos now. Our old photo software is gone. I have a half-finished painting to post and I want to show you our patio, but I can't do anything until Jim has time to teach me how to use the new stuff he has installed or is installing.

Diana Strinati Baur (see my blog list - creative structures) has a very nice post on things that previous owners have done to her home. She shares my feelings on the subject and writes so eloquently about it. Our house is old by Las Vegas standards. We bought it in an estate sale. The original owners lived here almost 40 years. My big old love of a dog Teddy and I stumbled upon the house when we were walking one day. I peered in the windows and could see the possibilities. We made an appointment with a real estate agent, didn't even walk all the way through the house and made an offer on the spot.

The couple that had lived here left the house to a nephew. He took everything he thought was of value out of the house and put it up for sale. The house was full of good vibrations even though it was dirty and in a bit of disrepair. We got some of the house's story from the real estate agent and put together other pieces of the story as we cleaned and began moving in. Connie and George (the original owners) hadn't been able to keep up with things in their later years, but they stayed in the home that they loved up until the end. We have preserved some of the imprint they left on the house. For example, the door to the linen closet is at the end of the hall. It has a wallpaper scene of a Middle Eastern alley which has definite funk value. Also, the light fixture at the front door has the colors of the rainbow. I almost got rid of it, but Jim said no. Now I'm glad he did because I love it - more funk value.

In our shed, we found old maps on which Connie and George had marked the routes they took on vacations. There were some huge pots and pans. It turned out that Connie and George had owned an Italian restaurant here for many years. We found cards and a cake decoration for their 50th wedding anniversary. Connie and George had a good life here. Candy and Jim love it here.

Gratitude Friday - Lovely, Lovely Deb Harvey

2010-03-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting back to my blog. Hi, Everybody! Here is a photo of the print I won in Deb Harvey's drawing. My photo doesn't do this beautiful fox justice, so please pop over to Deb's blog to get a good look. Deb's timing was perfect. This really cheered me up!

Our patio cover was completed this week. Although we did the demolition ourselves, we weren't confident of our ability to install it, so we hired a contractor. It is beautiful! Photos to follow.

I have a sketch done for a new watercolor.

I finished reading Tim Russert's book, Big Russ and Me. (I had to use italics - I can't figure out how to underline.) I liked the memoir.

Yikes!

2010-02-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I called in sick today. Thank goodness, I'm seldom sick. Today I just couldn't go in. I hate to miss school. I feel really sorry for the substitute who tries to figure out my lesson plans. I have a tendency to scribble notes over my plans as I go. I know I didn't scribble over anything for Wednesday, so, with any luck, the sub won't put a hex on me.

Good news! I received my beautiful print from Deb Harvey. I will post a photo this weekend. Deb does gorgeous work! Thank you, Deb. I love it!

I Was Going for Cheerful...

2010-02-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

We've had two gorgeous, sunny days in a row. I was going for cheerful in this little watercolor. Hmmm... Is it cheerful, or is it...? Oh well, I've got plenty of paper and paint:)

Sun, Sun, Sun Here It Comes

2010-02-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm posting a WIP flower for you. The sun was shining today in beautiful Las Vegas. In celebration, I had to start painting a sunflower.

We had a wonderful day today. I pruned the roses - a tad late, but I think it'll be ok. Jim weeded. We have 25 rose bushes, but I didn't have to prune all of them. Some of them were just planted last spring, so I won't trim them until next year.

I have found a wonderful author. Her name is Louise Penny. Jim and I went to the bookstore as our Valentine's Day present. I bought Still Life which is her first novel. I started reading it yesterday and I finished it today. I fell in love with her characters. I visited her blog. She seems to be just charming. If you're in the mood for a good mystery, check this book out. Tracey, I know you'll like it.

I also bought a biography of Alexander Hamilton. I'll let you know how I like it. (I may not get around to it right away. We made another trip to the bookstore and I bought another Louise Penny novel.)

Now that the sun is back, I'm anxious to see how our solar panels will do. I don't think we've gotten an accurate picture so far because of all the cloudy, rainy days we've had.

We're off tomorrow for Presidents' Day, so I'll finish the sunflower then.

Gratitude Friday

2010-02-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful to have had Jack as a friend for the last 12 years.

Thank you, Deb Harvey, for picking me as the winner of your lovely print.

I'm grateful to have stumbled across Kablooey via Susan Abbott's blog. Check it out. You will laugh. I tried to post a link, but I couldn't get it to work. I'll see if I can get someone to show me what I'm doing wrong and I'll post it later.

I think that the last time I posted I was too lazy to even put paper on a board. I'm ready to paint now. I'm glad.

I'm grateful for the friends I have made through blogging. What kind, talented people!

I'm grateful that the sun was shining here today. I know that the rest of the country has been having wacko weather, too; but it's hard for me to believe that we have received one half of our annual rainfall already!

Saying Goodbye

2010-02-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to Jack on Friday. He and Jim were very close. He was Jim's stepdad since Jim was 9. He was our buddy. On Friday, we went over to his house to sit with him. He knew we were there and talked to us a little, but would drift off to sleep. We went home around 8:00 p.m. and got a call 45 minutes later. He had passed away. We went back over to wait for the hospice and mortuary people. As they wheeled him out the front door, the grandfather clock chimed 10 times. It seemed like something that would happen only in the movies. He was a very brave man. We're going to miss him like crazy.

A Bit of This and That

2010-01-30T16:18:00.001-08:00

I finished my scene from Corsica last week, but I don't see anything in it that I like. However, I will keep on because that's how I will improve. Besides, painting is fun.

How strange that I have so little to say. It's so unlike me:) I have a small floral that I want to get started on , but I'm too lazy to put the paper on the board, let alone do the preliminary sketch.

Last week, a student asked how to spell "fuchsia". This is what I wrote on the board: "fuscia". I stepped back, "Hmmm. Something looks funny..." A student asked what we were going to study in grammar the next day. "The past perfect tense," said I. What were we really going to study? The present perfect. I think my powers of concentration are a little off this week. There was another example I was going to give, but I forgot what it was:)

I've been cruising around blogger land and really enjoying many of the posts I've found. Great art and wonderful writing!

Jim's stepdad and our good buddy is having health problems. We love you, Jack.

The sun was actually shining here on January 23 and we saw it today, too. I like the shadows in this photo and, of course, two of my favorite subjects are catching some rays. (If you look closely, you can see the rain on the patio.)

Gratitude Friday

2010-01-08T18:20:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful that Jim loves me and I have proof. We ate at Marie Callender's today. Jim had a special that included a piece of pie. He let me choose the kind of pie and he let me have the pie. My choice: blueberry, of course. Giving away your dessert - now that's true love. (He may have just been full, but I prefer to see it differently...)

I played with the Nova Scotia scene a little more. This is the completed painting. I am ready to start a scene from Corsica.

Still Playing

2010-01-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest painting. I'm going to play with it a little more. It's a scene from Chester, Nova Scotia that I was going to paint for the Virtual Paintout a couple of challenges ago. I missed the deadline, but decided to do the painting anyway.

If you like detective novels, I have a recommendation. I just finished The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke. It was very good. James Lee Burke really gives you the feel of New Orleans. He uses the language well. The man can write. I love his characters Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell.

Back to school tomorrow... I love it and yet I could get used to hanging out around the house with Jim, the cats and the dogs; reading, painting, talking to my mom and my sister on the phone and watching old movies.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm working on a scene from Nova Scotia. It's not one of my best paintings. (That's putting it mildly.) I will finish it, though. I will learn something from the experience and I can always use the back of the paper to try something else:)

I finished a biography of Johnny Mercer yesterday. It's excellent. It's called Portrait of Johnny by Gene Lees. Mr. Lees doesn't particularly care for the music of my generation, but I won't hold that against him. I like the music of his generation:) Mr. Lees writes well. He's a lyricist, so he gives you an insider's point of view. He was also Johnny Mercer's friend. I'm caught in Johnny Mercer's spell. I ordered a copy of the documentary that Clint Eastwood did on Mercer. It is supposed to have a bonus disc with Mercer's watercolors on it.

I just started a book by James Lee Burke. Barnes and Noble was having a big sale. Jim and I took advantage of it. He's reading about Sherman's march to the sea.

I guess I'll pop over to your blogs to see what you guys have been up to.

Gratitude Friday

2009-12-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have one word for you: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! Woo-hoo! I love this time of year! The weather is perfect, so we'll do some hiking. We're flying down to Tucson for a day to see Jim's dad and stepmother. I'm going to do some more baking. The cookies I baked last weekend were consumed by students:) Best of all - I have time to paint! Yes, paint! And I don't mean paint the walls (although they could use it).

I would like to wish all of you bloggers a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Thank you for being my friends in the blogging world!

Gratitude Friday - A Day Late

2009-12-12T19:40:00.001-08:00

I'm thankful that I had such a nice visit with my mom. She went back to North Carolina on Thursday. I miss her already. She'll be back in the spring.

Sherry, This Post's For You

2009-12-12T15:10:00.001-08:00

Have you ever heard the song "Born Too Late"? Sherry, you were born too late! Here is my dad when he and my mom took some kind of boat trip probably before you were born. I know I'm biased, but I think he was pretty cute and still is!

Gratitude Friday: She's Here!

2009-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

My mom is here visiting from North Carolina. She hasn't lived here in 17 years, but when she visits, the phone rings constantly and she's busy running around with old friends. It's so much fun having her here. She really revs things up for us. We went for a nice walk this morning. She may be a little older than I am (I'm not allowed to reveal her age), but I'm the one who has to try to keep up with her. A couple of years ago, we had a pedometer war. Guess who the winner was? It's like being around the energizer bunny.

I'm very grateful that she flies out twice a year for a visit. She's my mom and my buddy. Jim is crazy about her. The cats and dogs love her, too. Life is very, very good!

Our Guest Bathroom

2009-11-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of our guest bathroom project. We painted, tore out the old tile, installed new Italian porcelain tile, hung one of my paintings, got a new shower curtain and bath mat and tah-dah!

We install the red oak baseboard tomorrow morning and this project is finished just in the nick of time. Our deadline was my mom's arrival on Wednesday. I can't wait to see her.

I'll post another photo after we install the baseboard.

Gratitude Friday (A Little Late) Thank Heaven for Little Girls

2009-11-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful to Jim for having two children. I don't have children, but because Jim does, I get grandchildren! They are terrific. Jim's son, daughter, her husband, Jim's stepfather and Jade and Lucy (our granddaughters) came over for Thanksgiving dinner. It was so much fun. Jade is 7 and Lucy is 1-1/2. They were both born on April Fool's Day. During dinner, Jade's dad asked her what she was going to do in the school talent contest. Jade said, "I'm going to play the trombone." I asked her if she knew how to play the trombone. She said, "Not really." I thought that was so funny. I admire how brave she is at the age of 7 - brave without being obnoxious. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I'm looking forward to watching her grow.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gratitude Friday - Farmer Jim Harvests His Crop

2009-11-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

These are the photos of Farmer Jim's first tomato crop. The crop was harvested on Sunday, November 15. After harvesting, we divided it in half and ate it in one sitting:) We would have had a crop twice this size, but Rosie (our Lab)ate the other tomato. The tomato that Jim and I ate was delicious. We had no complaints from Rosie about her tomato. We're going to try to do better next year. (It's unlikely that we could produce fewer tomatoes.) Anyhow, I'm glad Jim gave it a shot. I can say, without a doubt, no matter how few you produce, tomatoes that you grow yourself are absolutely delicious.

Gratitude Friday

2009-11-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Our solar energy system has been in for over a week. Our meter is running backward. We are waiting for an inspection and then for NV Energy to install a new meter.

We are meeting some friends tonight at the Italian American Club for dinner.

Life is very, very good!

Gratitude Friday

2009-11-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

I love words. I love languages. I love to read. I love animals. I love to travel (even if it's a blogging trip). Thank you, Blogging Buddies, for introducing me to so many new words, new creatures, new colors and new places. (I should say new to me.) Wimberries - thank you, Teresa. Car park, Katoomba Falls, Mt. Kootaloo, courtesy of Mimbles. Shags - thank you, Penny. Quinacridone coral from Susan Abbott. Snowy, Dermott, Tuscany - thank you, Robyn. Scottish croft from Sherry. Sammy, Peter and Tebow, courtesy of Tracey. This blogging thing is fun and I've learned some things, too.

Gratitude Friday

2009-10-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't done any painting lately, I thought I would post a couple of old paintings. Our computer hasn't been completely restored since the Great Blowup, so I don't have access to Photo Impact Pro to edit the pictures. I did both of these in a class with Charlotte Lang. They are quarter sheets of Arches 140 lb cold press. One is of some pots that we did from one of her sketches. We experimented with the efffect of salt. The other is Lake Mead. The assignment on that one was to use only 3 colors. The only color I can remember was scarlet lake. I had never used it before. Charlotte gave me some to try out. It's a great color. Charlotte is a wonderful friend. I wish I could see her more often. She lives in Mesquite, Nevada and usually spends the summer in Utah. We don't get up there very often. She and her husband don't like to fight the traffic here.

Now, getting back to Gratitude Friday, these are the things that I am thankful for today. First of all, Bombard Electric called yesterday and said, "We're ready to schedule the installation of your solar energy system. We can come out tomorrow morning at 6:30." Hooray!!!! As I type, there are brackets on my roof and an inverter in my art room. They should be finished with the installation in 3 days.

I'm also grateful that Jim and I feel so energized. We are going to paint and tile our guest bathroom this weekend. He has already started, so I have to make this short. Maybe we got fired up because things are finally going well with the solar. Whatever it is, I like it. I will post pictures of everything that has been happening around here. I wonder if I can talk him into reinstalling my Photo Impact Pro...

Pottery

2009-10-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Diana Strinati Baur's blog http://creativestructures.blogspot.com/yesterday. She recommended checking out Liz Kinder's work http://www.lizkinder.com/. Please check out both sites. These are wonderfully creative women. When you stop by Liz's site, be sure to read "About Liz Kinder". She is very funny!

Well, I have to get ready for school. Enjoy your day!

Gordon Lightfoot in Las Vegas - We Love Him

2009-10-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Jim and I went to the Gordon Lightfoot concert last night at Aliante Station. Aliante is a beautiful new hotel on the northern outskirts of town. The showroom was small and very intimate. We had perfect seats - fifth row exactly in the center. It felt like Gordon was making eye contact with us all night (even though he probably couldn't actually see much of the audience because of the lights shining on him and the band). He was perfect. He sang for almost two straight hours. He told one joke and one anecdote about Doug Kershaw and Jerry Jeff Walker. The rest was pure, beautiful music. His concerts are magical. We saw him for the first time last spring in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. If you haven't listened to his music in a while, pull up some of his videos on YouTube. You'll fall in love with him all over again. His old songs, his new songs - lovely, magical, ethereal. His band - fabulous musicians.

We grabbed a bite to eat after the concert. This was a big night for us. We didn't go to bed until after midnight. For us, that's late. We get up at 4:30 a.m. every morning. This morning, we got up at 5:30. (Thank you, cats and dogs, for not meowing and barking for your breakfast.)

I'm trying to work in some painting. Why is it so hard to squeeze into the schedule?

Goodbye Enclosed Patio or Candy and Jim, The Demolition Duo

2009-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

We are trying to have a solar energy system installed. This is not easy. It could be easy, but ... We originally applied to the program a year ago. Things finally started rolling (a little bit) in August. Anyway, the latest snag was with the power company. They talked to the City of Las Vegas Building Department about our screen room. The building department said that a permit had been pulled for the patio, but not for the enclosure. We've been in the house ten years and the patio was enclosed approximately 40 years ago. We didn't want to tear it down because we feel that the original owners have left good vibrations all over this house. They loved this house. (They passed away and we bought the house in an estate sale.) We want to leave some of their imprint on it. The screen room wasn't exactly what we would have done, but it had funk value. Well, we had to tear it down. We got most of it done today and we'll finish tomorrow.

I will post pictures, but I'm very tired. It's time for bed:)

Gratitude Friday

2009-10-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

A friend and former employer died on Tuesday. His name was John Harmon. He was a great guy - a good old cowboy from Texas. I'm grateful to have known him for over thirty years. He will be greatly missed by many. Rest in peace, John.

Gratitude Friday

2009-10-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for the perfect weather we're having right now. I even love the light at this time of year. It's different - softer, quieter.

I'm grateful for this big, black cat who jumps in front of my monitor whenever I sit down at the computer. It's Cary Grant's way of telling me to love him, which I do. I love his brothers and sister, too.

I'm grateful for all the people who make me laugh. My mom, sisters, husband and dad are all funny. What cracks me up about my dad is that he is so pleased with himself when he does or says something funny. He cracks himself up. I also have made some blogger friends who can really make me laugh. Thank you all.

I'm grateful to John L. Smith for writing a terrific article in the Las Vegas Review Journal this week about Jim's stepfather, a World War II veteran and a Las Vegas gaming pioneer (and a very nice guy).

A Tree

2009-10-03T18:08:00.001-07:00

This is a tree in our neighborhood. I'm not sure what kind it is. It must be a desert tree, but I don't think it's native to our desert. The next time we go to the nursery I'll look for one and get the name.

It's a 10-1/2" x 14-1/2" watercolor on Arches 140 lb. paper.

Gratitude Friday

2009-10-02T15:35:00.001-07:00

I'm thankful for the blogger friends I have made. I love reading their blogs and reading the comments they make on my blog. This is so much fun.

I'm grateful that today is Friday. I'm ready for the weekend. I'm going to finish the painting that I'm working on.

What a Nice Thing to Do

2009-09-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

My blogger friend, Autumn Leaves (Sherry) gave me this award. Check out her blog Of Mice and Men and Cabbages and Kings. The link is at the right side of my blog.

Thank you, Sherry! You are very kind.

According to the rules, I am supposed to share 7 things about myself and then pass the award along to 7 other bloggers. Here are 7 things you may not know about me.

1. My sister, Tammy, is a dancer. My mom and dad can both dance beautifully. As for me? I can't dance, don't ask me:) How did that happen?

2. After I retire, I'm going on the road in a rock band with my granddaughters. Jim will be our roadie.

3. I may be the only woman in the United States who hated the movie Titanic. I know hate is a strong word. I really mean it.

4. I used to be afraid of almost everything - talking in front of a group of people, driving, being absent from school, going to a school dance, not being invited to a school dance, doing things alone, etc. As I've gotten older the fear has gone away.

5. The only kinds of meat I eat are fish and poultry. I haven't eaten any other meat in over twelve years (except for two times I ate food that I didn't know had beef in it until after I took a bite. Then I didn't eat any more of it.) Eventually, I would like to eliminate all types of meat from my diet.

6. I love animals. I can't stand it when people don't care for their animals properly.

7. I can sing along with most of the songs from musicals prior to 1975 - everything from Fred Astaire movies to Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm not too sure Jim appreciates my ability. There have been several mornings he has been awakened by my thunderous rendition of Oklahoma.

Gratitude Friday

2009-09-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that my husband is romantic and sweet. Here is what he brought home for me today.

We now have two teeny, tiny green tomatoes on our tomato plant. Farmer Jim is very, very proud.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

2009-09-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we go out to breakfast on Sunday mornings, we drive past the construction site of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. Things are moving right along on the project. This organization was created to study, treat and prevent diseases like Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's and dementia. The building was designed by Frank Gehry, the architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Dancing House in Prague. I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Okay, I have a few chores to do and then I'm going to paint. Hooray!

What Would Julia Say?

2009-09-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

In My Life in France, Julia Child describes this group of women she met in Germany as being nice, but "incurious". It made me wonder if she would think I was incurious (a very undesirable characteristic in her view). Then I realized that my wondering about it showed that I'm not incurious. Ha!

I think I would have liked to have been Julia's friend. What a life she led!

Gratitude Friday - Who Said I Can't Drive 55?

2009-09-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Pap test results: Normal
Mammogram results: Normal
What more could a girl ask for? To top things off, when I went in for the mammogram, everyone there was nice - including the other patients. My appointment was for 6:15 a.m. and they had me in and out of there by 6:45. Amazing!

At the end of April, Jim planted some tomato plants in a Topsy Turvy planter. Neither of us had ever grown our own tomatoes. Nothing happened. The plants grew bigger and bigger, but no tomatoes -not even a flower. Guess what! Today Jim spotted a teeny, tiny tomato! Farmer Jim is very proud. It may sound silly, but I'm grateful for this tomato. It's so cool!

This is Candy rapidly approaching 55 with a smile on her face, joy in her heart and the breeze blowing through her hair. (At almost 55, you don't give a hoot if your hair gets messed up a little.)

Julie and Julia

2009-09-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Go see this movie! It's wonderful! Jim and I saw it today. We both loved it. Julia Child was a fascinating woman. Both she and her husband worked hard and accomplished a lot during their lives. I'm also reading Julia's memoir and have about 90 pages left. Like this movie, it is excellent. Julia is an inspiration. She had such a zest for life!

As for Julie, she is also an interesting person. I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to spoil the movie for you. Just go see it and we'll talk.

About twenty-five years ago, there were a lot of patches of desert scattered throughout Las Vegas. My friend had horses and we used to ride in town. You would see road runners and lizards and other interesting creatures. Now, it seems as if every square foot of land has been built on - no more lovely pieces of natural desert in town and no more desert creatures wandering in the city limits. That's why I was so thrilled at the visitor we had last weekend. (You'll have to look hard. He's by the ceiling of our screen room.)

Gratitude Friday

2009-09-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I guess it's actually Saturday. I'm very thankful for the beginning of fall weather. I love this time of year. The mornings are cool, but it is still getting very warm in the afternoon.

I'm also grateful that Jim loves animals as much as I do. He became a fan of cats when we started dating. Until then, he hadn't been around them. He had no idea how interesting they are. Right now, all four of the cats are napping. (Jim and the dogs are napping, too.) I love just watching the cats.

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme

2009-09-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

I picked up this book at Costco last week and started it yesterday. I'm on page 91, so I haven't gotten very far, but I think it's very good. Julia Child fell in love with France. She tells about her life there with her husband and about learning to cook at the Cordon Bleu. Her charm, honesty and her sense of humor shine through. She may also have been a bit snobbish, but nobody's perfect:)

Gratitude Friday - Back in School

2009-09-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

After a month off, even though I love my job, I felt a bit grouchy being back in school. I've come home exhausted every night. However, I had two things happen that reminded me how fortunate I am to have this job.

We were working on the simple past tense of regular verbs. I put examples of the spelling rules on the board. If you haven't studied English grammar lately, you really don't spend much time thinking about the rules. If a single syllable word ends in consonant, vowel, consonant; double the last consonant and add ed. If a word ends with a consonant plus y, drop the y and add ied. If a word ends with a vowel plus y, just add ed. There are more rules, but I'm sure you get the idea. (By the way, I love grammar, but I know not everyone feels the same.) Halfway through the lesson, one of my students said, "I understand! I understand!" She was thrilled. She had a great big grin on her face. I am grateful to that student for making me feel so good about teaching. I'm also grateful to her for making me remember how cool it is when you're working hard to learn something new and all of a sudden, everything clicks. Yahoo! I get it! (Time for me to take some more classes myself.)

Yesterday as I was getting into my truck to leave, a student came running over to me. She threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug. She hadn't been to school in at least six months, but she told me she was there to register and was coming back on Tuesday. I'm grateful to her for making me feel so good. She didn't give up. Hooray!

One more thing. (Did you used to watch Columbo when you were a kid?) I'm grateful to Celeste for taking time to stop by my blog and comment. She really brightens my day. Check out her blog. You won't be disappointed! It's pure magic.

As always, I'm grateful to Diana Strinati Baur for starting Gratitude Friday.

Oh! One more thing. I'm grateful for my "blogger friends". (Please see the right side of my blog.) They are the most interesting people! I love getting glimpses of their lives.

Our Backyard

2009-08-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Jim spotted this decorative copper sprinkler at Lowes. We fell in love with it and decided to buy it. At first, we were going to put it in the front yard. We wanted to test it. Jim hooked it up to the hose in the backyard so we could see how it would look. We like it so much that Jim is going to run the conduit for it and leave it where it is. We're going to buy another one (or maybe two) for the front yard.

We have climbing roses and ground cover roses in this garden. We planted the roses last spring. It will take awhile for them to get established.

Ben and His Shadow

2009-08-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've posted photos of all of our furry kids except Ben and Smitty. They kept running to me every time I would try to take their picture. I finally caught Ben sitting still with no desire to run toward me. Please note that he's sitting with one of his hind legs between his front legs. (He didn't want you to think that was his tummy.) Now the camera and I are after Smitty. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.

Lake Superior

2009-08-24T15:23:00.001-07:00

I painted this from a photo Jim took when we were at Wisconsin Point. In the distance beyond the lighthouse, you can see Minnesota. Im going to paint it again and move my horizon line so that it doesn't divide the scene in half.

Finished!

2009-08-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished floral.

Jim is watching golf. He just spotted two golfers he was on the golf team with in college. They are now on the Seniors Tour:)

Please check out Laurie Manzano's work at the The Blue Mule Gallery. I just love her paintings! Here is the link http://www.bluemule.net/pages/paintingsmanzano.htm

Floral WIP

2009-08-22T18:30:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a painting of clematis from a photo taken in my dad and stepmother's garden. I'm going to let it sit tonight, look at it again tomorrow and finish it.

Corkboard In Progress

2009-08-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here it is. Our craft project for the art room. As you can see, Jim needs to get on the stick and consume mass quantities of wine to help me complete the project. (He's watching The Coneheads as I write.) I'll be able to use it as soon as it dries. I'll add more corks later.

Gratitude Friday

2009-08-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful to Diana for coming up with this idea. I makes me stop and think (an activity that is beneficial to everybody:)).

I'm grateful to Rosie and Briscoe (our dogs) for getting up in a good mood every morning. They're ready for adventure. Yahoo! Let's have breakfast and go for a walk! Come on everybody! Let's go, go, go! Their attitude is contagious. It also amazes us. Jim asks, "How do they do it every morning?"

I'm grateful to my high school Spanish teacher, Mr. Sergio Alvarez. He gave me an excellent foundation for learning the Spanish language. Although I'm not fluent, I can get by. I took Mr. Alvarez's classes many, many years ago. I'm gearing up for the new school year and I plan to use some of Mr. Alvarez's ideas in my English classes this year. It doesn't matter what language you're teaching or learning; certain principles remain the same. Mr. Alvarez was an excellent teacher. Maybe, someday, I will be, too.

I'm grateful to the people who have taken time to view and comment on my blog. Oh, how that brightens my day!

I'm grateful to Jim for being so nice to me.

Gratitude Friday

2009-08-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

This morning, with my usual grace, I fell and landed hard on my knees and my right arm. (No, I'm not grateful that I fell:)) I'm grateful that I fell on the carpet and not the wood floor or the tile. I'm also grateful that I didn't hurt myself except for a couple of bruises. My sister asked if I'd ever had a test for osteoporosis. I told her that I administer my own:)

I'm grateful that Jim and I have a perfect view of the sun rising over Sunrise Mountain every morning during the summer when we reach the top of the hill on our morning walk.

Now, the big news: I'm grateful that Gordon Lightfoot will be here in concert in October and we're going to go buy tickets tomorow! We saw him during Spring Break on Vancouver Island. His music is beautiful.

A New Idea for My Art Room

2009-08-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted a place to put up paintings before matting them or just to look at them if I'm not going to mat them. I thought I could make my own corkboard and Googled "cork" to get some ideas. I found this http://www.wineintro.com/products/corks/corkboard.html
They had a clever idea - use wine corks to make a cork board.

Jim is going to help me. We're using an old cupboard door that Jim removed when he installed our dishwasher. (I love the wood that our cupboards are made of.) Jim is making a frame out of quarter round. We started saving wine corks a while back with a vague idea of using them for something. I don't know if we have enough corks, but Jim says he's willing to drink more wine to help me out:) I'm going to glue the corks we have and then fill in the rest later. Working on this project has made me stop and look at wine corks. Most of them have words or drawings on them. They're interesting.

My Husband Is a City Boy or Which Came First The Chicken or The...

2009-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

When we were on vacation, my husband had his first experience with an outhouse. My sister and I thought it was pretty funny, so we had to document the experience. He was so proud.

Also, he made the discovery this year that a hen can lay eggs even with no roosters around. I love him so much. He makes me laugh all the time. When he learns something new, he is absolutely delighted just like a little kid! I only wish my grandpa was still around. He would have enjoyed this.

More Wisconsin Photos

2009-08-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Lucius Woods facility is made of logs. The lake is behind the stage. What a great place for a concert! In one photo, you can see the rainbow that appeared during the break in the concert.

Lake Superior is beautiful. It looks just like the ocean. It's about 350 miles long and 160 miles wide. I have to go to Wisconsin Point, which is where this photo was taken, each time I visit Wisconsin and I always get my feet wet - no matter what the weather is like.