A Bit of This and That

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!