the things I can find to do.....

I should be painting. It's amazing the things I can find to do to avoid that activity. And it's not that I don't enjoy painting, it's something else.

So, today, what did I do?

1. Went to Serrano's for hot chocolate and a newspaper, which I came home and read completely.

2. Chopped firewood. Actually I used my chain saw to cut up 4 logs, and trim off the slash.

3. Cleaned up more of the dog yard.

4. Mowed the side yard and the back yard.....again.

5. Swept the patio and rearranged the tables and chairs.

6. Swept the walkway thru the garage into the house.

7. And then, I cleaned all the kids' stuff in the living room, built the $15 bookcase I got from Target for the closet, and rearranged all the stuff from one bookcase to two. I sorted crayons, pencils, paints, paper, brushes, scissors and glue also. Got them a lot more organized.

So.....this is what the kid's korner now looks like:




And here's one of all the games organized on the bookshelf in the closet. Of course, you know that this meant I had to clean out the closet too.



But doesn't this all look so nice and neat? And then I made lasagna for dinner, and now this is the second blog post in two days. Like I said, the things I'll do to avoid painting!

new paintings at dream pastries

It's county fair and rodeo week in Castle Rock. So, I have three new paintings hanging at Dream Pastries in honor of the week.


ODD COW OUT This painting I have done before in colored pencil as part of a collage of cowboy pictures. Changed a few things, and tried to keep the background simple so that the cowboy and the cows would show up.


JANIE JILL - This is from a photograph that I took at a clinic several years ago. After the photo was taken so I could frame the painting, I changed the hat to a darker brown, and made the shirt red so they would pop against the sky better. I was in a hurry so I didn't take a whole lot of time for critical thinking.



THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY - This is also from the colored pencil drawing of the cowboy scenes. I've used this cow three times now. One in colored pencil, with the horse turning it, one in watercolor with a tessellated background (not one of my better paintings), and this one of the cow by itself.

So, which one do you like the best?

Mary, Mary quite contrary....

How does your garden grow?


With silver bells and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row?


All of these pictures were taken around the patio and driveway. The second picture is one of the herb pots that Clyde has started. This one has rosemary, basil and spicy basil. The others have more rosemary, oregano, lemon thyme, and mint. Very pretty, very scented.


Petunias.

Strawberries.....

And more strawberries, with real strawberries !!

More petunias and lilacs and hollyhocks.

The pansies are really going to town.


Sunflowers with my friend Linda's old bicycle. I think the sunflowers are going to hide the bike before they bloom! Better planning next year.


Rhubarb, which is the best growing plant we have. We also have pumpkins, chives, and some volunteer squash. And the tomato plant even has a couple of tomatoes on it.

And the best part? It's been raining so much to water them!

The painting -- Opportunity

Here's a photo of the painting that took honorable mention in the watercolor section of the PLAG spring show this year. It's a little distorted, and has some glare from the camera since it was under glass in the frame. (Some day I will be a little more proactive and take pictures the correct way--before framing and with the tripod so they aren't distorted.)

Until then, you all will just have to suffer with my bad photography. LOL!

However, if I can brag, this is the second year in a row that I've gotten a ribbon. Not the best painter, but at least the judges like what I do.

From the party

This year, I actually made the old man a cake for his birthday. Got a good recipe for a carrot cake, made entirely from scratch. Yes, this was more than dump a box of ingredients and some egg and oil into a bowl and mix it up. Actually had to grate the carrots, chop the nuts, and mix all the ingredients. Then floured the pans, and baked the cake.

Then I made cream cheese frosting, and decorated it with large gumdrops cut for petals and reeses pieces for the center of the sunflower. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides.



Yes, it does look a little concave in the middle. Why do you ask? I BAKED it!!

Spring in Colorado...always a surprise!!

Spring is a wonderful season in Colorado. Mostly because a lot of years, it doesn't actually happen. We jump straight from ski season into road repair season. This year, road repair season has actually started, and ski season isn't done with yet. Therefore, no spring.

May 5, 2011:
I think it's really cool to see spring flowers covered with snow! They always look so pretty.

Then, two weeks later we had the craziest weather. These are coming home from shopping on May 19.

Looking west, there was blue sky and sunshine.


Looking north it was a completely different season.


And looking east, still winter.


What you can't see here, is about 15 miles east of here there was a tornado. And we had lightning and thunder during the snow storm. I call that thunder snow.

Autumn is another season that can disappear overnight here, but you'll have to wait til September or October for those pictures.

Another zoo day and some flowers

These are the flowers that Ed and Rachel sent me for mother's day. That was a really nice surprise. I have to admit that when I saw the box on the counter, I thought that Clyde had sent them to me, but no. Ed picked them out and had them sent. I hope he did something like this for Rachel too. Thanks you guys!!

Miss M is wishing for her two, er, no, three front teeth for Christmas. But wait, there's another loose one on the bottom, so I guess she's wishing for her FOUR front teeth for Christmas. Alls I got to say, is taking a bite of something is not going to be easy for her for a while. No front teeth at all!!
We got up and went to the zoo on Saturday. First really nice, sunny, and hot day we've had all spring. What, spring, do we even get that season here? Naw, just goes from winter to summer all in a 24 hour span. But the kids were happy to be outside and enjoying the nice weather.

And where's the fun if you can't make faces at the camera?

One of the really big chairs at the Big Backyard exhibit. They all tried to catch the chickens that were running loose, but thankfully they weren't able to. I just had visions of beak marks all over their arms and hands.

The playground below the Big Backyard has cement mushrooms (toadstools?) that are for climbing on. G was able to climb them all, he is the tallest, and they did have some conveniently placed steps and handholds.

C however, couldn't reach the steps, so he just climbed up the front of this one. Grabbed the ledge with his hands, and swung his legs up and walked up the front. Just like a mountain climber (or goat if you wish). That kid is going to be something.....can you say grey hair Bekka?

Miss M was able to get this close to a peacock and grandpa got her picture. Just before G came over and scared it away.

The daffodils were in bloom, and they were gorgeous! Now, where are mine? I've not even got a little green sprout coming up. Maybe next year if they don't rot in the ground....

And after the first time Clyde lost us in the monkey house because he was doing this, I caught him at it some more. Really, we walked by him at least two times in the monkey house, and he never even looked up. Then we left, and he had to call to find us. Course, then I had to go back and find him because the stroller wouldn't go thru the door that we used. So here he is outside of the otter pond.

And here outside of the Big Backyard.......

And here in the playground. What a way to enjoy the zoo.

OK that's all I have to say about being busy texting. Guess you can get the gist of what my feelings are about it..;)

Misc., and Grand Junction

At the end of February we went to feed the ducks. They weren't eating, just swam around. Clyde figured it was mating season and they weren't interested. Oh well.

Here's the Miss M with the feather she found.



Here's Mr. G showing off for the camera.



And here's Mr. C being a copycat!!



After the non feeding of the ducks, we went for gelato. Miss M is certainly enjoying hers.



Bekka and I left for Grand Junction about 8 pm on the 23rd. Not exactly my idea of a good time to leave, and I really thought it would be earlier, but the cub scout tour of the police station didn't exactly get out on time. But we left G with Grandpa and took off. By the time we hit the freeway, both M and C were asleep in their car seats. So that at least made for a quiet drive, even if it was going to be almost all night!

The next morning, after sleeping all night, even if it was in the car most of the time, I caught M and C eating breakfast. Not exactly the most cheerful faces, are they?





And this one of Wyatt, who really didn't have anything to be grumpy about because he did sleep in his bed all night.


It seems Wyatt has a pink motorcycle that you plug into electricity to charge the battery. Even uncharged they seemed to enjoy it. Here is Cordelia pushing Miss M.


And Miss M and Mr C:


Here's Ed in his knee brace because he tore his PCL snowboarding. Sounds like it's time for him to maybe start giving up all the young people sports! I was only a little older that him when I tore my ACL, and I didn't give up skiing. It took Clyde breaking his leg for us to taper off on that sport!


M, Wyatt and Cordelia doing something at the table. Look how Wyatt is concentrating on what they're doing. We played games and put together puzzles while we were there.



I found these little bubble wands at Walmart before I left, so I picked up a couple of packages, they were 3 for a dollar. And then with a bottle of bubble soap, they had fun. Course Wyatt had trouble with the concept. He thought it was a lollipop and he should be eating it! UGH!



C concentrating on his bubbles, while Wyatt looks over his shoulder.



Cordelia at her birthday party. The kids got to decorate the driveway with all different colors of chalk. I never thought of that for a party game, but it sure got their attention!



All in all it was a good trip.

When I got back, Clyde and Gnarly got into an altercation (have no idea what Clyde did or why Gnarly responded the way he did), but Clyde had teeth marks on both arms. That was Tuesday.
Thursday we took him (Clyde) to the doctor because his hand was all puffy and red. Infection time. He got a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

Friday afternoon the hand was a little more swollen, so it was off to urgent care, where he got two shots in his fanny, and more antibiotics, and told to come back on Saturday for a checkup.

Fortunately, by Saturday, the swelling and redness had gone down. So now he's still on antibiotics.

I've been doing yardwork, and have two more raised garden beds ready to go. I have blackberry and raspberry bushes to plant in them, but didn't plant them today. Good thing, it's been snowing since about 1:30. I've also been spreading the horse manure all over the yard. Clyde gets it with the tractor and dumps it for me and I rake it around. It'll hold moisture so the grass can grow. Maybe someday I'll have a grassy yard.

My Perspective

The other day (last week) the Old Man in Black Forest described taking the two dogs for a walk. Well, let me tell you, he completely understated the entire adventure.

I took Gnarly, the small Newf. He's a very enthusiastic two year old. The Old Man took Grizzly, the larger, and much more sedate Newf.



After about a quarter of a mile of Gnarly jerking me forwards and backwards while trying to play with Grizzly, Clyde suggested that we trade dogs. This worked find for a short while. We got to the spot where the two yellow labs come running out from their yard to greet us.

Not knowing that we now had TWO Newfs, they happily charged out. Grizzly perked up his ears, well as much as a Newf can perk up its ears, and ran forward to greet them.
They stopped, took one look at this huge dog and turned tail and ran.



Griz followed, happily pulling me along (totally a non match for me!). I let go, not knowing that Clyde was right behind me being pulled by Gnarly, who was desperately trying to catch up with Griz.

So I'm trying to stop, Clyde is trying to hold onto Gnarly and push me out of the way. Fortunately, he realized that something had to give, so he let go of Gnarly.
Both dogs disappeared into the yard after the labs.

Wisely, I let Clyde go after them.

Warning....really long post.

Well, it's been a long while. Since before Christmas, but it's not all my fault. Clyde has been hogging my computer. I bother him if I'm in here while he's working, and since he's taking classes at CTU now, after work he needs it for his classes. And he will deny it, but everytime I sit down in here while he's work, he asks "Don't you have something to do? You're bothering me and I might need the computer."

So all I manage is the bank accounts while he is out feeding the horses, or first thing in the morning while he's still sleeping. ERRRRRRRR!!!!

So this first picture is me in the hat and scarf that Bekka made me for Christmas. Sorry about the quality of the picture, I don't usually try to take them in the mirror. I know others do this just fine, but it's not my best work.



Last weekend, Rachel brought the kids over to visit. She finally has reliable transportation so she can come without Ed if she wants. It was a very busy weekend, so I didn't get many good shots. But that's not all my fault. The nerds weren't doing a whole lot. Here they are with Cordelia playing the game and G and M watching intently.



This is Miss M on the computer when she finally got a turn. I missed the best shot of the weekend, that was Wyatt with the earphones on, sitting at the computer with his hand on the mouse looking like he knew exactly what he was doing.


We had strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream for desert one night and as you can see, they loved it!! Wyatt is coming out of his shell, and is much more personable, and he didn't even cry when I went near him.



Thursday, Brandi and I went to Dream Pastries to change out the paintings that I had up there. They had been up for about 3 1/2 months and it was time. We went with a flower theme. So here are my latest paintings (all copyrighted of course.). This one Brandi suggested that I title 'Garden Party'. I am so not good at titles. Not enough imagination.



This one is an older one, and I'm calling it 'Ladybugs' even though there are sunflowers in it too.
Clyde wasn't sure about this one, until I brought it home framed and he hung it on the wall. Then he liked it.



The top two are quarter sheets of watercolor paper, so about 11 x 15. The next one, while the photo came out smaller (I had to crop off some blurs around the edges) is a half sheet of watercolor paper so 15x20 just for the painting. I'm calling this one 'Promises'. Can you guess why?


Here is what the wall looks like. Mine are on the left, and Brandi's are on the right. She is using more subtle colors and experimenting with monochromatic colors. I'm still the bright, in your face colors that I really like. Maybe eventually I'll try the more subtle colors.


Dream Pastries is on Perry St. in Castle Rock. The have the best lunches and pastries! We had lunch there, and brought a lot of pastries home, along with chili and a sandwich with potato salad for Clyde. They even make their own mayonnaise there. Really a great place to eat.

Today we went to Petsmart to get X a rabies shot so we can get him groomed. I've managed a little around the ears and head, but I can't get all the mats out. He is going to be a lot less fluffy for a while after all the mats come out and before the hair grows back. This little girl came along, and she really likes dogs. She stayed and petted and talked while her father did his shopping.





Got right down on the floor with X, and petted and hugged. No fear at all.

And here's a face picture of X that I took. He's got a really sweet face, and it's about half again as big as Gnarly's. His eyes are larger too. Everything about him is larger......





I'll try to update more. Just have to get to the computer!