Idyllic

Isn't this an idyllic setting? It looks so peaceful and calm in the summer sun. Of course, at some point in the near future, this scene would become alive with harvesters and threshers (I think, anyway. I'm no farmer, after all.) The wheat would be cut and separated from the chaff and leave this beautiful field shorn and ugly with stubble. The picture would become something different altogether. I'm glad that Alissa captured this scene in its perfection and that I was able to paint it. Now it will always look like this in our minds.

Of course, after another season, the field would likely look pretty much like this again, and the cycle would repeat itself. I guess that's the way life is. Sometimes it's pretty, and sometimes it's not. However, I guess the ugliness serves a purpose. If you didn't harvest the wheat, it would grow ugly anyway, and you wouldn't have the grain for use in so many products. In life, the bad times tend to make the good times seem even better. So I guess there's a reason for everything, and God knows what the reason and purpose are. We may not always be able to figure it out, but we don't have to. We have God to help us with that. Life is good...

Ice Storm

January is the worst winter month around here, and this week was the worst of this month. The ice storm we had would be minor to many, but it has been crippling around here. It started with snow on Monday night to be followed by freezing rain all day Tuesday that was followed by snow again Wednesday morning. Many trees and branches all over the state have been downed by accumulated ice, and so many people (actually about 500,000) have lost power, including my dad, my daughter, my son, and us, all for varying times. My dad and my son are still without power two days after losing it, but we got it back after 24 hours. Dad's house is not habitable without electricity, so he is staying with my sister, who only lost power for a matter of hours. Doug and Kellie and we were fortunate enough to have gas burners to help warm our space, so we got to stay put. We were in the dark, listening to a battery-powered radio, all of last evening, but our gas fireplace kept us toasty and warm. I must say I am glad to have lights and television and a computer available tonight!

Because we live in a new house, our trees are too small to have lost branches, so that's good. Also, our developer plowed our streets and driveways. However, as you can see, my baby weeping crabapple is now sobbing, bent clear to the ground. Everything in the yard has a thick coat of ice on it, and the weather is still very cold, so it's not melting. They are saying it may melt by the weekend, only to be followed possibly by a heavy accumulation of snow on Monday and Tuesday. Anyone would think it was winter around here, and as anybody who knows me knows-- I HATE WINTER! However, if I can hang in there through February, I will have a whole month on the beach in Florida, where I sincerely hope it will be warm. Life is good...

P.S. When checking this out, I noticed that the last picture is upside down, but it doesn't change the fact that the rain chain is coated with ice...

Out of My Comfort Zone, All Right!

Talk about being out of your comfort zone! This painting, which uncharacteristically took me three sittings to complete, is definitely not like anything I have ever tackled or even wanted to, for that matter. However, I have joined an artists' group, the Visual Artists of Bullitt County. This is a group of professional and amateur artists that meets monthly, and each month we create a picture to take in and share with the others. The paintings are voted on by all the members, and first, second, and third place winners are chosen each month and published in the local paper. The first month, my sunrise picture won third place, and I was very happy about it, especially with the competition I saw there. The second month I didn't place, but that was fine. We didn't meet in December, but this coming week we have a meeting. The group voted to have certain themes every other month for the paintings. Alternate months will be free choice. This month's theme was Tuscan or wine-related paintings. There is a local winery that will hang some of these paintings in their place and offer them for sale. I am not too good at still life, so I decided a scene would be better. However, I had a hard time locating a scene that I could draw inspiration from. I am not a wine drinker, and I have no particular affinity for Tuscany. Finally, I found a picture of a small house with this table and wine out front. I took that picture, which I think was actually a Mexican hacienda, and added some tall shrubs and flower boxes and other touches, and this is what I ended up with.

This picture represents firsts for me in many categories. For one, I usually copy a complete scene when I paint, but I had to mix things up for this one. I usually don't draw the picture before painting, just block it out generally. This one I drew on the canvas first. Also, I usually finish a painting in one sitting, maybe two. This one took three, and for the first time, I went back after I thought it was finished and made changes to improve it. And, as I said, the subject matter is a first for me.

I must say that I found this project to be somewhat of a chore, and I am not particularly pleased with the final product. After it was completed, I can see where the shrubs were not placed the same on both sides. The house roof was too tall, so I covered it with a tree branch that wasn't in the original drawing. The whole picture looks very amateur to me. However, I am glad that I tried this. It's a good idea to get outside the comfort zone once in a while to see just what you can do. While I doubt I will be doing any more pictures like this one, I learned alot about my strengths and what I need to work on to improve. Our next theme will be in March, when I am in Florida, but I will have a southwest picture ready anyway. I can do those! And in May, it's sunsets--my favorite! So I'll keep on painting. Life is good...

Interview

I commented on Alissa's blog that she could interview me, as she had been interviewed by one of her blog friends. These are the questions she sent, along with my responses.


1. Excluding your spouse, children, or any other immediate family members, who is your favorite person? Why? You don't have to include names...

My favorite person, outside of my family, is my friend Rose. I have many friends whom I like a lot and have a lot of fun with. However, with Rose, the connection between us was almost instantaneous when we met 15 years ago on my first day of teaching at Maryville Elementary School. We discovered that we had a great deal in common, not only in our teaching styles and desires, but also personally. I never feel that I must explain myself or my actions to Rose. She understands me and my life, as I understand her. She is a naturally kind and compassionate person. I hope it means that I am, too, since we have so much in common!


2.Are you a dog or a cat person? Why? Actually, I would say I am neither, since I am not big on pets. I didn't grow up having a pet, so I don't miss one if I don't have one. I like both dogs and cats okay, but if I have to choose one, it would be cats. They are independent and clean, but they can form a bond with you. You can have them around for company, but you don't have to lavish attention on them for them to be content.


3.If you could have only one talent, and you could be awesome at it, what would it be? Why? If you mean by talent, something you can do, I guess I would choose painting. I can do it, but I am not awesome at it. I love to do it, though, and I have a great appreciation for art. If by talent, you could include personal traits, I would choose to be awesome at helping other people succeed. Why? Because it feels good to help others.


4. Someone offers to tell you the exact time and date that you are going to die. You know they will be telling the absolute truth. Do you take them up on it? Why? Absolutely NOT! I already try to live each day as if it were my last and enjoy my life I would not want to be counting down the days until I die, worrying each day that I won't accomplish all I want to do before my time is up. I already know that life is short.


5. Laundry--as needed or once a week? Usually I do laundry once a week, which is plenty often enough for two people. I could go longer, but it gets to be an unwieldy job that way.


Okay, that's my interview. If you read this and want to be interviewed, leave a comment that says, "interview me." I will send 5 questions, not necessarily these, but questions of my choosing. You can publish the interview in your blog. Then you can interview others, if you wish.

Happy New Year-Redux

Happy New Year, 2009! The couple above represents how we celebrate the holiday in our house. Actually, we are usually awake at midnight, but we may not be awake immediately before or after the hour of midnight. We long ago gave up partying on New Year's Eve because we choose to steer clear of holiday revelers who have had too much to drink. I used to be a little disappointed to be staying in, but now I like the quiet way we celebrate. Well, I do wish we could still rent some movies like we used to, but then I guess we'd have to get a new DVD player.

Like any year, 2008 had its ups and downs, but probably both were magnified a little more than usual, making it definitely a year to remember. Of course, there was a financial crisis that has affected life in the U. S. for many. Gas prices hiked to an outrageous high this past summer, taking about $300 a month more out of our pockets than should have been. There was a very long presidential campaign before the November election of a new president. The biggest crisis of the year was my dad's failing health. He started with a MRSA infection in February and continued to have a series of crises throughout the year. He is currently on 3 antibiotics for several different conditions, but we believe and pray that he is finally on the mend and that 2009 will be a better year for him. Doug and Kellie have been a casualty of the housing crisis, continuing to make payments on a house in which they do not live while waiting for it to sell in a slow market.

On the plus side, we are thankful that both of us seem to be quite healthy, aside from the usual aches and pains that accompany aging. After Terry's bad year in 2007, 2008 was quite a relief. Also on the plus side, we bought and furnished a lovely new house and then moved into it! And while our portfolio suffered some losses this year, we still have sufficient income from our investments , and we both have pensions. The financial crisis that is direly affecting many has not caused us great hardship. All of our kids and grandkids are doing well. Doug and Kellie moved to the farm and started on extensive renovations Chip got a better job and a substantial raise, allowing him to quit his second job. Alissa held on to her job in spite of cuts by Murray State. Nobody in our family has to depend on the taxpayers to support them. We are surrounded by a loving family and friends. Overall, we have been blessed, and life is good....Happy New Year, 2009!

The Return of Mr. Christmas

Once upon a time, there lived a man who loved Christmas and all the decorations that make a place look festive. Mr. Christmas loved decorating his house for Christmas every year, and he couldn't go to a store in the fall without perusing the Christmas section to see if he could find something new for his collection of seasonal items. He started with simple things but soon progressed to animated displays. It got to the point where it seemed that Clark Griswold lived in the Christmas house. There wasn't a surface or wall that wasn't adorned with shiny tinsel or lights and figures. Mrs. Christmas loved decorations as much as the next person, so she just smiled and enjoyed his hobby along with him. He was retired from his job, and she still worked, so much of the decorating was done without her help, except for the tree, of course. Every day she would come home to something else to look at. Eventually, the Christmases had over 30 storage containers of decorations. It was a good thing they had a large storage building for all the stuff! Of course, neither Mr. or Mrs. Christmas loved taking the decorations down as much as they enjoyed putting them up, so they often hired one or more of their adult children to put them away.

Mr. Christmas was always very cheerful and happy about his decorations until one day about five years ago. All that changed a few weeks before that Christmas when Mr. Christmas had a slight stroke. While he had no physical damage from the stroke, he had damage that wasn't so easily seen. The worst was to his emotions. He felt unsure of himself and lost all interest in his surroundings and what was going on around him. He wanted nothing to do with Christmas, and he only tolerated the decorations that Mrs. Christmas chose to put out. It was not much better the next few years. He would grouse about decorating and going to all that trouble when nobody but him and his wife was there to enjoy it. The Christmases would only use a fraction of their vast collection of stuff. Then two years ago, Mr. Christmas had a hip replacement which was followed by serious complications. That year he had absolutely NO interest in Christmas and refused even to have a tree. Mrs. Christmas finally convinced him to allow her to put up the small artificial tree so there would be someplace for the presents to be displayed. That was the worst Christmas season the couple had had in their entire marriage.

It took Mr. Christmas almost a year to recover from that experience, but by last Christmas he was beginning to come to. The Christmases were going to move to a new home, and so they chose a few new decorations and picked the ones they liked best from their huge collection. They gave a few treasured pieces to their kids, too.

This year when the Christmases went to get the decorations they had set aside for the new house, Mr. Christmas just looked at it all and said it would never all fit in the new place. Well, once he got started, he couldn't stop. He was having such a good time, they went back and got more stuff from storage. They bought new things, especially for outside, and now the house and yard are very festive, probably the most elaborate in their neighborhood. Mr. Christmas is back! And Mrs. Christmas is glad to see him having so much fun. Life is good!

Pitiful!

We are sitting here watching Jay Leno, and he is hosting the "Battle of the Jaywalk All-Stars." While watching it makes me laugh, I can't help but being appalled and dismayed at the pure ignorance of these young people that he puts on. If they had a lick of sense, they would and should be horribly embarrassed at their lack of basic knowledge of geography, history, and science. Things that everyone should know, like who was Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln, are way beyond these kids. They think that Alaska is an island and that it's all the same as Canada. They don't know the three states in which water exists. And they just laugh when their ignorance is pointed out to them. I have seen others, including older adults, exhibit such ignorance on the show in the past, too.

It all makes me, a retired teacher, wonder what is actually being taught in school these days, but I actually know. The questions asked were basic elementary facts. I taught them myself many times, although I figured they would have to be taught more than once before it sank in. When I was a child in elementary school, we learned the multiplication tables by third grade as a matter of course. By fourth grade, I could identify all the states and their capitals. By fifth, I could identify at least half of the U.S. presidents. This was all memorized information that took a lot of practice before being imprinted on my memory. However, once I knew them, they were mine for life. I tried to emphasize this to my own kids and to my students, but it was like pulling teeth to get them to learn anything that they had to memorize. You had to make a game of it, and they still might not learn. Why learn multiplication facts when there are calculators? Why learn geography or history facts if you can look them up on the internet? Well, one reason why is so that you don't end up on Jay Leno looking like a complete idiot! Maybe this stuff is considered trivial to learn these days and of not much use in everyday life, but old person that I am, I still think there is value in learning to memorize certain facts. If you have kids, please don't give up when they don't want to put forth the effort to memorize facts. Keep at them if you can. After all, they may end up on "The Tonight Show" one of these days! Life, in spite my rant, is good...

Happy Thanksgiving! 2

For a change, we are having Thanksgiving at home this year. We are usually in Florida visiting Dad, but since he is recovering from surgery and already surrounded by people, we are staying home, where it's colder than normal and nasty. While we are in the unusual situation of being able to have all the kids, their spouses, and their kids here for the holiday, I must admit I miss the Florida trip. Usually, I prepare a Thanksgiving feast the weekend before the holiday, so I am used to cooking a turkey dinner, so that's nothing new. This year we were going to do it the Saturday after the holiday, but both boys work in retail and must work from 10 to 10 that day. And Andy must work, too So we moved it to the actual holiday.

Of course, the move still had its problems. As with most families, the boys must find a way to celebrate with both their families and their in-laws. They will be having two Thanksgiving feasts. Alissa won't be able to see her in-laws, who live in Arizona, but since Andy must work both Wednesday night and Friday morning, she and her family will be coming up and returning home on the same day. It will be a long day for all of them.

However, I appreciate all of the kids making an effort to get together for Thanksgiving. It will make it a special day for me, and at least for that day, I won't be missing Florida! :) Life is good...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

And He Cooks, Too!

Since his retirement, Terry has taken up doing several household chores. Now that we are in our new house, he sweeps the floors almost daily, and he does the dishes every night after supper. Of course, he does the dishes because he hates the noise the dishwasher makes, and I won't wash dishes by hand. Therefore, he has taken on that task, which is fine with me.

Most of the time, I do the cooking, although he sometimes pitches in, especially when he feels I'm not doing something correctly. Since he has been retired, he has watched a LOT of cooking shows, and now he knows all there is to know about the proper preparation of food. My almost 39 years of experience don't seem to count for much. Seems I've not been cooking meat correctly all this time. Mind you, everyone ate what I fixed without complaining, but now I find out that I have been either turning it to mush or drying it out. Of course, it's probably true, because I like my meat cooked all the way through, but tender, so I do a lot of braising. I like the way I cook, even if it is wrong.

Okay, I'm off track here. I do appreciate all of Terry's help, even in the kitchen. And if I don't feel like making dessert, and he wants some, he will get up and make it. Hence the picture. The other night at about 8:30, he decided he wanted some muffins, so he headed to the kitchen. He couldn't decide which Martha White kind to make, so he made three varieties--strawberry, blackberry, and lemon poppyseed. These are quick and simple to make, and they are light, so it made a good treat. He used cupcake cups in the muffin tins, and the muffins stuck to the paper of the cups, though, and he was disappointed. It didn't matter. The hot muffins tasted delicious, and I didn't have to make them. That was the best part of all! Life is good...

Happy Marine Corps Birthday!

You can see we have added a few temporary items to our outside decor. Today is the Marine Corps Birthday, as most Marines and their families know, and nobody else probably does. I don't know how old the Marine Corps is, but I know it's well over 200 years. Terry served proudly in the Marines from 1964-1968 during the Vietnam War. While he didn't spend time in Vietnam, he was still a vital part of the war effort, although fortunately he came home safely and wasn't reviled as many servicemen were. Terry's descriptions of what he went through in boot camp make me shudder, but he is very proud of having survived that and feels it made him a better man. Some of the things he describes would in no way be acceptable today, and I wouldn't have considered them acceptable then, but he took them in stride. He said that the tactics were necessary to turn the men into team players who responded to orders unfailingly and enthusiastically, as would be necessary in battle. To this day, he will attest to the value of his service in the Marine Corps, and he remains loyal to it. We have a corner in the den devoted to memorabilia, and for years he has almost considered the Marine Corps birthday more important to remember than his own. I used to think this was silly, but since it has remained important to him, even after 40 years, I have tried each year to remember the day and bake a cake and sometimes even give him a small commemorative present. The kids call and wish him a happy birthday, too. I must admit I don't know what the Marine Corps did to inspire such fierce loyalty in its former members, but it certainly was effective. I guess that's one of the reasons the Marines are the go-to guys in times of crisis. They get the job done.

Of course, the Marine Corps birthday is the day before Veterans' Day, when we honor all military veterans. How appropriate that both holidays should be so close together. Happy Veterans' Day to one and all, and Happy Marine Corps Birthday to all those present and former Marines. And many thanks for all your service and protection. Because of you, life is good...

Happy Halloween...

...now that the holiday is almost over! I must admit that I am a big kid at heart when it comes to holidays, and I like this one a lot. Of course, Halloween has changed a lot over the years. When I was a kid, Halloween was mainly for kids, but it was a big deal for kids. My mother always made us original costumes-no cheesy store bought ones for us! We three kids would go out on our own from the age of six or so and visit our whole neighborhood of around 100 houses. We carried large brown grocery bags that we filled, brought home and dumped out, and went back and filled them again. We had huge amounts of treats, including apples, cookies, popcorn balls, and other things besides candy. We always had a ball!

When our kids were little, I decorated the house with cardboard cutouts and homemade decorations as well as jack-o-lanterns. Like my mom before me, I considered it a point of honor to make original costumes for our kids. We lived on a farm where in 29 years we had only about 3 trick-or-treaters stop by, so my sister and her kids would come out, and we would go to downtown LJ and trick-or-treat there. Of course, by that time, it was necessary for parents to accompany their kids, but we stayed in the background as much as possible. The kids still got some homemade treats, but this was about the time that people were finding pins and razor blades and poison, so they could only eat unwrapped food if they knew the source personally.

As the kids got older, we accumulated a variety of decorations, as Halloween decorations were becoming more popular and sophisticated. I now have a large collection of stuffed pumpkins, and cobwebs and spiders, as well as some witches and other decorations. Of course, the kids grew up, but I continued to decorate and to add to my collection. The kids may have grown up, but I guess I didn't! However, I notice that there are a lot more decorations in yards these days, and adults dress up like the kids do. So maybe I am not so out of sync.

This year we moved to a patio home, which fronts a subdivision of homes with families. I got out my decorations, and I only put out the pumpkins and a few witches, thinking that in this new house that we didn't need as much. However, when I was done, Terry asked me where the skeletons and the cobwebs and witch hats were. I had thought he would think I was silly for decorating, but he wanted the whole kit and kaboodle! So here are two old people with a house full of Halloween decorations and nobody but us to enjoy them. Drew was impressed when he was here, but I believe he's the only company we've had. I looked forward to tonight when we might finally get trick-or treaters. I bought three bags of fun-sized candy bars, but only one family came around. They said that there were very few trick-or-treaters out, in spite of some gorgeous weather and Halloween being on Friday. I guess with all the businesses and churches having trick-or-treat night or parties, the kids don't get around to the neighborhoods much anymore. I guess this is safer for the kids and easier for the parents, but this is a tradition that I am very sorry to see die. I loved going out when I was little, and many of today's kids are missing out on a lot of fun. I'm glad that Alissa and the boys went out. Oh, well, at least I bought candy that I like to eat, and I have enjoyed my festive decorations. Life is good....

Isn't This a Peaceful Scene?

I believe that Alissa took the picture from which this painting comes early in the morning, when she takes a lot of her pictures. I am sure glad that she gets up and takes these beautiful dawn scenes because I am not an early riser and would probably never see dawn if it weren't for her. I used to have a Garfield poster in my classroom that said, "I don't do mornings!" That sums me up perfectly. Unfortunately, my body clock is off with the rest of the world. School started too early to suit me, but I had to adapt for the majority of my life. Retirement is a blessing to me because I can now stay up later and sleep later than I ever did. I still set my alarm during the week to get up, just not until 9:30. I would probably easily sleep another hour or so if I didn't set the alarm. I have established a habit of staying up until about 1:00 A.M. with Terry and then going to bed to read for a half-hour or so before he comes to bed. So you see, I don't really sleep any more than is recommended. My schedule is just a little skewed. Most people look at me as if I am lazy when I say that I sleep that late in the morning, but I like it and I'm glad that I have reached a point in life where I can get away with it. Terry, who always was a morning person, adapted to a later schedule when he retired ten years ago. He can still wake up fresh and alert early in the morning when he needs to, but there is not a need to at the moment. When we bought our new house, we had shades made, and the one in the bedroom is a blackout one. The room stays dark even on the sunniest mornings! :) They say when you get older, you tend to wake up earlier, but that hasn't happened for me, and I don't care if it never does. Keep taking pictures, Alissa--I'll enjoy morning through you. Life is good, and so is sleep!

The Difference Between Grandparents..

Our grandson Drew, who is seven, came to visit for a few days during his fall break last week. He was ready for his "me time" with Grandma and Grandpa, since his brother had had his turn last summer. In the pictures above, you see the difference between Grandma's idea of a good way to entertain a grandson and Grandpa's idea of the same. Bet you have no trouble guessing which is which picture!

Drew came armed with big plans to go to a play, eat in a restaurant, make Halloween decorations, drive the golf cart, and go to16 museums. We did fit in all those activities except the 16 museums. Grandpa doesn't do plays and museums, and he feels left out when I take Drew away for the day for stuff like that. So we kind of compromised. I took Drew to a play, but museums will wait for another visit. We spent more time around the house where I entertained Drew by playing games and making decorations, and Grandpa entertained him by putting him to work helping with some outside work and taking him to Lowe's, Grandpa's favorite place besides the farm. While I think Drew generally enjoyed himself, I think he was kind of bored by the time he went home on Sunday. There are no kids around here that we know to play with him, and there isn't a lot of outside space to explore like there is at the farm. And Grandpa watches news instead of cartoons in the afternoon.

I would have liked to have made his time more exciting, but I hope he had a good time anyway. I certainly did enjoy his visit and the chance to interact with him all by himself for a change. The kids grow up so fast, and time gets away from us all. Before we know it, he will be too big to enjoy a visit with us old people. So I will enjoy the time when I can get it.. Life is good!

I Guess..

...I'm now a professional painter. Monday I took 6 small paintings to the Salt River Gallery and Gift Shop, and they accepted all six on consignment. Because of the small town venue, I priced them at a level where I hope people will be interested in them. Even so, I doubt that anything has been sold, and it may never sell, but the pictures are on display with price tags on them, so I guess that makes me professional. My daughter-in-law is making me some business cards, too. So if ever you happen to be on I-65 going through Shepherdsville, KY(Exit 117), stop in at Paroquet Springs Convention Center and visit the gallery. You will see lots of local artwork besides mine, and pretty soon you will be seeing some of Alissa's photos as well.

Hopefully, I will earn enough to pay for my supplies, which can be costly. Paint and canvases are not cheap, but even more expensive are the frames. Some of my canvases can be displayed without framing, but many need a frame, and even the simplest ones are costly. I must admit, though, that I will continue to paint, even if I don't sell a thing. It's just too much fun. And now that I have convinced my recently retired friend to join me at the library on Mondays, it's even better!

I have been working on preparing the gourds that Alissa gave me last year. Then I'll paint them, too. I have stocked up and have at least a half dozen canvases and a new watercolor tablet and paints. And Alissa wants me to paint some cabinet doors for her. I have enough projects to last quite some time. Hooray! Life is good.. and so it art!

Politics

First, here are the last two paintings. I'm still not satisfied with the first one, with the big white blob that looks so pretty in the photo but doesn't translate to canvas very well. The second is a small picture of a couple of apples done from a picture someone lent me. Now on to the subject matter of the day...

Well, the campaign season is in full swing, and the oratory fists are flying, each side trying to land knockout blows to the other candidate. However, by now when things should just be getting interesting, I am feeling campaign exhaustion. I think our election system has gotten way out of control over the last several elections, with people starting to run for office almost as soon as the inauguration is over. After a few years of bitter debate within their own parties, candidates for the major parties emerge to run against each other for another several months . During that time, things that were said about them during the primaries by people of their own parties are brought against them now by the opposition.

And let's not forget the mudslinging. This is another deplorable habit that has gotten increasingly worse over the last several elections. Each election cycle, the candidates promise that they will take the high road, but then someone somewhere says something that hurts someone's feelings, and they're off to the races. Things are beginning to get personal and nasty about now, and it makes me think less of both candidates. These candidates, who may have high ideals about politicking and governing, are coerced by their campaign managers to get in the first blow.

Now we add in all the entertainers who somehow believe that what they think is important, and they add to the propaganda being put out. I have been appalled over the last several years by the amount of public figures who feel free to not only criticize the president, which is their right, but they have gone beyond criticism to outright ridicule of the elected leader of the United States. Now their ridicule has been extended to Gov. Sarah Palin, whom they don't really even know. I believe our elected officials deserve our respect, if only because of their position. You don't have to like them, but it's so disrespectful to call them buffoons and idiots. Apparently, civil discourse has lost its place in America, and it disappoints me.

I guess you can tell that I am pretty much disgusted with politics in the United States and the direction the election process has taken. I admit that I do not think that either candidate would be a particularly good president. However, none of this will keep me from making a choice and voting in November. It is my right and my responsibility, and I as a U.S. citizen, I take that responsibility seriously.

Wow! The debate is over, and so is this post. Life is good....

No Picture This Week

As usual, I went to the library on Monday to paint, and I did so, copying one of Alissa's photos. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the light effect I wanted, and I ended up layering so much white on the picture in an effort to cover the blue underneath that it became too thick and blotchy. I have decided, on the advice of a painting friend, to try lightly sanding the area and repainting it. I haven't done this before, so we'll see how it works.

Meanwhile, the local gallery has accepted my paintings for display and sale. Yay! However, I have to make out some sort of detailed invoice, and I have no idea how to do that. My computer doesn't have a program for generating invoices, so I will have to figure this out. I am excited, though, to have a chance to put my pictures on public display. Alissa's photos were also accepted, so both of us will have the opportunity to sell something. Of course, now I have to decide which paintings I am willing to part with. I have no trouble giving my paintings to family and friends, but selling to strangers where I won't see them again? I didn't think I would be emotionally attached to my work, but I guess to some extent, I am, after all. At any rate, I will have to part with some, as I am running out of room at home to display and store them, and I have given so many to family and friends that they don't have room for them, either! I guess this is just another of sign that life is good!

Hopefully, I will be able to fix the painting and post it next week....

Look! Another Award

Thanks to Judy for the award! She has given me two, and I am pleased to have both. Of course, I must tag Alissa at Life's Little Adventures and Susie at Susie's Space, both of whom publish regularly and are fascinating to read. Both of them take great pictures, too! I will also tag my sister, Peggy at Count It all Joy. She has an interesting blog, too, but she doesn't write so often.

Nothing else is going on right now, but we are all eagerly looking forward to Peg's weenie roast tomorrow night. It's her eighth annual event, and the weather is supposed to be just about perfect for it. More on that later...Meanwhile, life is good........

More Detail...

When I took my paintings (and Alissa's photos) to be juried last week, they were judged to be "acceptable" by Bullitt County Arts Council standards. While this beats "below BCAS standards," it's not as good as "excellent," which is, by the way, how Alissa's photos were judged (Hooray for her!!:) While the jurist said that I have potential and should keep painting, (s)he said that my paintings lacked detail and that the frames took away from the look of the paintings. I don't know, but I do know that watercolors do need frames. For the record, I took my last sunset, my thistle, and my Hawaiian beach acrylics, and my flamingo and a sunset silhouette in watercolors. I think they've all been posted at one time or another on the blog. The last won first place in two local contests. The jurist suggested that I take a painting class or two. I couldn't argue with the critique or the recommendation to take some classes, but I probably won't add much detail or take classes because I am happy with the style of my painting, which I consider to be impressionist. I have noticed that my painting has gradually improved since I have been doing it on a more regular basis. I pick up techniques from other painters and some programs on television. At any rate, the evaluation said that it was "possible" that my paintings were good enough to sell in the local gallery. The jurist would definitely accept Alissa's photos, though. We are supposed to get letters, so we'll see the formal results then.

Okay, on to the painting. You can see it is from one of Alissa's photos, and I thought it would be an easy one to add detail to my work. As you can tell, it's okay, but it isn't one of my strongest works, in my opinion. From a distance, it looks great, but close up you can see that I don't have a really steady hand for details. I think I am best at sunsets and silhouettes, so I probably should just stick to what I know. However, I can't get better if I don't try. They are organizing a "guild" of local two-dimension artists, and we are going to meet monthly and try different things. The object is to have a project to paint and then bring it in for critiquing by the rest of the group. I think it will be interesting to see how the same object looks different when painted by different people since everyone has his/her own style. There will also be guest artists who can give us pointers. I am excited about this "guild" and am looking forward to the first meeting in late October. Meanwhile, I'll keep on keeping on at what I'm doing. I'm having fun at it, and life is good!

Move Over, Drew and Nick!

Talk about your battle scars! This is the grandpa of battle scars. Drew and Nick have nothing on their grandpa. Apparently not wanting to be outdone, Grandpa stepped into a hole on Sunday and scraped his leg up big time. He and Chip were out looking at some dumpsters when he stepped off what appeared to be a curb and actually was a step into a big hole, and down he went. Of course, one might worry about damage he could have done to his new hip, but that was unhurt, thank goodness. This is bad enough and has attracted attention wherever he goes. It is really just a series of bad scrapes, but it looks bad enough that the doctor we saw today for a routine checkup insisted on giving him an antibiotic to prevent infection.
You can see that while the large sore stings and pulls, he is managing okay. He doesn't seem to be suffering any lingering stiffness in his joints, which is good. All I can say is that he is definitely not growing old gracefully. He's doing that sliding in feet first stuff. I know not to talk, though, because I am naturally even less graceful than this, and it's only a matter of time before I embarrass myself in this manner. Meanwhile, I will commiserate with him and remind him that life is good!

Another Addition

It's been awhile since I have had a chance to post or anything to write about, in spite of the continuing busyness of our life. However, as you can see, we finally have finished our little patio that we added outside the sunroom. It is tiny, as you can see, but since I am usually the only one who uses it, it's plenty big. Terry sits out there occasionally, but I will sit out there for hours on a nice day. It's a perfect place to settle with a good book. Lately, the days have been pretty hot and humid, but the evenings have been nice, so it's getting plenty of use. Next to the patio, Terry mulched the area, and we put our potted lilac that we brought from the farm. It blocks the view of the air conditioner. If you look at the front of the house, you can see our potted crape myrtle. It was sold as a patio plant, and it has a lovely ivy sharing and hiding its pot. We have just about finished our landscaping, but I still want to add a few trees. I think a nice Japanese maple in the side yard that I can see from the patio would be nice, and in the front yard, I'd like a flowering tree. I love a weeping cherry, but I would also take a redbud or a dogwood. We'll see. We are just getting to the time of year to plant trees, so I'm hoping we get them in within the month.

It seems as if we always have a breeze at this house. During the day, it is often blowing across the front of the house, but as evening comes, it seems to change direction and come around the back. That makes a great breeze in my face when I am on the patio. We may not like the wind come winter, but right now it's quite welcome.

Each day we are in the new house, I am finding more to like about it. It is so easy to keep clean, it's beautiful, and there's plenty of room for the two of us. I know Terry misses his farm, but I don't miss it like I thought I might. I love it here and am very grateful to have this brand-new and already up-to-date house. Life is good!