Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime

 I do love Summertime!  My plants are thriving (so far) and my veggies are coming on.  My herb Garden is "as tall as an elephant's eye and it looks like they are climbing right up to the sky"  The yellow tomato is in a pot and seems to like it there.

The   Better Boys and Early Girls are in the raised beds and doing great. The plant that was supposed to be English Cucumbers looks like it just may be Zucchini.  Oh well, I like Zucchini too.

This gorgeous Lily bloomed yesterday.  We have three of them and I love the color.  This just might call for a painting.

The Knockout rose bushes were new last year.  I bought them at Aldis.

All planting and loving care comes from my dear husband, Jim.  My back won't allow me to dig so I just enjoy.  Observe 75% of my time, draw 25% according to Danny Gregory.

Me and My Green Chair

I remember swinging my legs after I jumped up in a chair,  I don't do that anymore but I do have a green chair.   I have been criticized for being too honest and open and I know that there is a price to pay for that.  Now that I finally have a voice and now that I know myself pretty well, I take that risk.  NAKED!

Onward and Upward with my Illustrated Journal

 Sometimes, when my pages are messy, I remember that the pages  reflect me and sometimes I am messy!

I was small when we lived on the farm and that times holds good memories for me.  I felt a sense of freedom back then.  We moved into town, my Mother remarried, and my life changed.  When I want to feel small and happy, I think of the farm.

Traditional Spaces by Toronto Photographers Andrew Snow Photography

I love these wings and I have them and didn't know what to do with them.  Mine are carved wood and now all I have to do is figure out the rest.  WooHoo

My First Handmade Journal

 This was so fun and fast to make.  I followed a Utube clip on Coptic stitching and  TaDa.  On to another one!

Weekend in Rowe Mass with Danny Gregory Woot Woot

This is a weekend I will never forget.  I have been drawing ever since.

The Beginnings of My Journal-Drawings and Words

The Lake at Rowe.  I really enjoyed drawing and painting out in the open air.  It's not perfect but I enjoyed it and that's what's important. I have been given "The Creative License" by Danny Gregory.  I already had the book but now I believe that whatever I draw is OK.  Believe it or not, I own 4 of Danny's books and have only looked at the drawings.  I did not slow down enough to read the words.  Now I am drawing and reading and found "The Creative License" invaluable.

I love to create in so many ways that some days I get nothing done.  Draw, paint, hook wool rugs, sew, quilt, and cook/bake.  It's time to start drawing my creations.

This is supposed to be a Canadian Goose and it turned out a duck!

I used to have trees like that!  They split in the snow.  This is the Rowe Post Office.

Since I love to eat, I have discovered that I like to draw food.

The leg on that table is unique!  The chair was try and try again.

Drawing with Danny Gregory

The Old Stone Church

On May 31, we traveled to Massachusetts to a drawing weekend with Danny Gregory.  Jim and I took turns driving , stopped at Niagara Falls for the night, stayed at Howard Johnson's, got my  Kindle stolen, arrived at Rowe Conference Center and jump kicked my drawing with Danny Gregory!  Drawings to follow.

 

Our Napkins

Ok, let's talk about the napkins.  Isn't it funny what each of us remember different things about an experience.  We saved our cloth napkins, put them in a cubby with our name on it, (I was Joyous, I think) and used the same one every meal.  A little weird to me but maybe I have a lot to learn about conservation.  I will keep an open mind.

Danny and JJ

 

 I believe that Danny Gregory is exactly the man you thought he was.  Kind, generous, and very talented.  I have always thought that I overexpose who I am but I feel like Danny gives me permission to say it like it is or who I am.  JJ is Danny's friend and she is lovely and generous too.  They are both very real and I am happy for Danny.

The Post Office

Phone Booth, Are we in England?

Dew on the leaves, beautiful!

The waterfall

Did I tell you that I love Barns?  I took this photo from the car window.

The bridge to our Cabin

Christmas 2012

Santa? Nope that's Jim, my best friend and Husband.

Christmas Elf?  Nope, that's Lina

Charlie, The Christmas dog!

 Christmas when the children were little was magical.  And then the Grandchildren came and again, Magical!




Now we have young adults and it just keeps getting better.  We celebrated our Christmas last night and had such a good time.



Dinner was Ham, 7 layer Pea Salad, Waldorf Salad and Bacardi Rum cake with whipped Cream!   And.......lots of cookies!  My wonderful neighbors, Ruth, Vickie and Stella brought cookies for us and I bakes 3 kinds.  I tried to send them home with the kids but I think they left a few for us.  Yum.  I will have to pace myself.






Charlie thought that Lexi's coat was a chew toy.  It looked kind of like his fur.  It was removed in time!

Dalton 

Dalton is a welcome addition to our family.  The best hugger EVER!

John and one of his new dishes.

That's me!  I finally got in the pictures because I handed the camera to Jim.  I am holding the beautiful Bath  salts that Lina made for me.

John, my wonderful son!  He taught me how to be a good Mother.

Lexi and Damon.  I finally captured a good picture of the two of them!  Thanks Damon! 

Yes, picture # 2 of Lexi and Damon.  I got two pictures of them!

Maggie our Christmas dog #2

My New Studio

 For the first time, I have places to put my "stuff".  The cabinets are from my son, John.  The counters are the work of my wonderful Husband. I have a "stand at" height counter and a "sit at" height counter.      It's now a room that I love to be in.

I am so thankful for my family, on Thanksgiving and every other day of the year.

Jim saying"Hi".


We had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!  We ate too Much, We played Cornhole and we Enjoyed each other very much.  Damon had to leave early to have dinner with his Dad so I didn't get a Thanksgiving picture of him.  We missed you Damon. 

John not wanting to have his photo taken but I got him anyway.

My pretty Granddaughter, Lexi

Yes, That's, Mamma and Grandmama

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The happy couple, My Granddaughter Lina and Dalton.

25 Years of Wedded Bliss

Yesterday was our 25th Wedding Anniversary.  I went to my "The Artist Way meeting and when I got home, Jim and I went to Franklin Conservatory.  I have not been there in years.  The sun was shining and it was just beautiful!  A great place for an artist date.

 Once you have "experienced a "Chahuly" glass sculpture you would know it anywhere.  I remember seeing one at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis and several in Las Vegas.

After our visit to The Franklin Conservatory  we went to dinner at  Schmidt's in German Village.  We had our first date and Schmidt's and neither of us remembered that until we arrived there.  I guess it was the smell of the Bahama Mamas that triggered the memory.  What a wonderful day with my best friend!