February 18, 2013 Best Dressed

Today's topic: Best Dressed

I am certainly not a candidate for best dressed in any category.  And neither is Clyde.  We usually look like a couple of hicks in jeans and worn shirts and baseball caps.

But the dogs?  Now that is something to consider.  I dressed them up (well, with a huge amount of help from Clyde, because, you know, they don't get dressed up all that often either).  And they certainly don't sit still.
That's why Clyde has a hand on Gnarly's head, and is shoving a liver snack in his mouth.  We did manage, buy treating Rosie, and counting to 3, and me snapping the pictures as Clyde removed his hands, to get one of Rosie without hands.   But it was a challenge.

The other thing is;  I think Clyde is getting tired of helping me take the pictures.  Especially when it means trying to get wiggly Rosie to sit still.  Guess I need to think of something else for the next week or so.

But on the upside, I am getting to use Photoshop more.  See y'all tomorrow.

February 17, 2013 Shared space

Today's topic: shared space

I was wondering what shared space I should show you, and then it hit me.  We have a California King bed, not small by any means.  But I get the edge on my side of the bed, and Clyde gets the edge on his side of the bed.  In fact, he has woken up with his feet on the floor because they have been pushed off. I have caught myself starting to roll off the edge several times.

The dogs, however, do not have this problem.  They sleep in the middle of the bed, and push when they stretch out across the bed.  I suppose if things get too crowded, Clyde and I can sleep in the dog beds at the foot of the bed!

February 16, 2013 Heaven

Today's word: Heavenly

This is another assignment from the digital photography class I took several years ago.  This is composed of 4 or 5 photos.  We had to illustrate a quote.

I have many photographs of the sky, clouds and rainbows.  Sunsets and sunrises.  In Colorado, the sky is always changing.  I love the clouds.  They can be orange against a turquoise sky at sunset, or shades of purple after a thunderstorm.  I have even seen them growing into a huge cloud with orange, pink, green, blue and yellow shades.  Sometimes they are light and fluffy like an armada of ships skidding across the sky.  Sometimes they are dark and menacing, with just the hint of a spin of a tornado forming.  Last summer, when the Waldo Canyon fire exploded into the city, the clouds out here were orange from the force of the fire.
It just depends on what is happening with the weather, and the time of day.

Other times, the sky is this beautiful blue, not a cloud in sight.

And Colorado really does have the golden hour right before sunset and right after sunrise, when there is a golden cast to the light, and the trees and the grass just glow with the rays of the sun.

Rainbows here are intense, and I can really see the end sometimes, just a quarter mile away.  Of course as I move the end moves, but still it's almost as if I can reach the end and find the pot of gold.

At night out here, the stars are bright, the milky way is easy to see.  There is a glow to the south that is Colorado Springs, and a glow to the north that is Denver, but right above there are millions of stars.  Something that you don't see in the city.

Living out here is heavenly.  And the opportunities for photography...well, it's a photographer's heaven.

February 15, 2013 Reward

Another day, another word.

Today's word: Reward.

Chocolate, the ultimate reward for just about anything.  And it's Friday night, so I deserve a reward.

This reward would be so much better with wine, but I am woefully out of wine, and it's a long drive to the liquor store to get some.  So, I'll have to make do with hot tea.  Oh well.

February 14, 2013 Romance

Today's word: Romance

But this is what came in the mail:

A picture of Cordelia and note!

And a card (large) made by Wyatt.  I had to squish the cover (left side) and the inside (right side) and I put the words from the back "handmade just for you by Wyatt" across the whole card...So sweet for Valentine's Day.

Made my day!

February 14, 2013 Makeup for Feb. 11, 2013 Tasty

I am not having much luck at keeping up with this. That is why today I am doing Monday's word: Tasty

Before (on the 12th) I had mentioned that I didn't cook. And Clyde took exception to that. And he volunteered that I could use his cooking instead of mine. So, I'm showing you what I made, not what he made.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate coffee cake from Sally's Baking Addiction 

I do not consider baking the same as cooking;  I am more apt to bake something than cook something.  I do bake a lot of cookies, and muffins, and even some cupcakes, depending on the occasion.  I bake with my grandkids.  I do NOT cook with my grandkids.

This next is soft chicken tacos that we have had a couple of times now.  I came up with the idea, Clyde cooks the chicken and makes the guacamole.  I cut up the olives, lettuce and tomatoes, and grate the cheese.  That's as close as I get to cooking usually.

But, this morning I did make him an omlette with provolone cheese, bacon, avocado and salsa.  Guess that's cooking also. 

Hmm, maybe I do cook more than I think.

February 12, 2013 Good Times

Today's word: Good Times

 This is becoming harder.  I missed yesterday's word: Tasty, but then, since I don't cook much, what would I have posted?  Oh, I suppose I could have taken pictures of the two 450ml containers of barium sulfate that I had to drink this morning for the cat scan, but let me tell you, I wouldn't use tasty to describe that!

This is from last September.  More good times with the grandkids.  We visited Wishing Star Farm's fall festival.  Lots of fun for the kids, and lots of photo ops for Grandma.  I caught this one when they were down by the pond, and the sun was low in the western sky.  I like the almost silhouettes of the kids, and all the sparkles on the water.

February 10, 2013 Lucky

Today's word: lucky

I am not lucky at cards, the lottery, or any kind of gambling.  Never have been, never will.  I'm even unlucky at slot machines!

What I am lucky with, is my life and my relationships.  I'm lucky to live in Colorado, I'm lucky to be married to Clyde, I'm lucky to have my 3 kids and their spouses.  And I'm lucky to have 5 happy, healthy grandkids.  I'm lucky to still have my mother with us, and Clyde's parents, too.  I'm lucky to have friends and people in my life.

With that said, I pray it won't all fall apart tomorrow.

February 9, 2013 Adventure

Today's word: adventure

Gabriel had an adventure.  This was the day of the biannual District 11 Elementary Schools Strings Festival.

He's the one waving.  This took place at the Mitchell High School gymnasium, and the entire floor was filled with students with string instruments (mostly violins).  All of the bleachers, and the rest of the floor was filled with parents.  Quite a crowd.

They had the 4th graders (first years) on one end, and the 5th graders (second year) on the other end.
A total mass of people.  And the kids played, alternating between 4th and 5th grades.  And the whole thing was filmed, and I think on the news, but since I don't watch TV per se, I don't know.

February 8, 2013 Center

Today's topic: Center

I could have shown you a target, with my bullet holes in the center of the target, but that's not really my center.

My center is family.  And the center of that is Clyde.  I center my life around my family.

Of course there is more.  More family, and friends, and animals (horses, of courses).  Everything else is secondary.

Of course, I may move the dogs to secondary, or last, if they don't quit racing around in the house and making a lot of noise!

February 7, 2013 My View

Today's topic: My View This is what we woke up to this morning. A couple of inches of new snow!

And Rosie likes it!

February 6, 2013 Saved up

Today's topic: Saved up

Bet the photo got your attention.....don't get too excited, there's only about $10 there.

But one way that I "save up" for something, is by saving my change.  But not just any change.  I save the new coins only.  There are only quarters, nickels and pennies in this collection since there have been no new dimes yet.

.

I really don't have a goal for this money.  I usually just save it until the container gets heavy, and then decide what I'm going to do with it.

February 5, 2013 Arrangement

Today's word: Arrangement

Or, as I do all the time, rearrangement. Or repurpose.

But, I am always making do with what I already have.

So, I rearranged my downstairs studio (the repurposed family room).

And I had a big box of paper (drawing, tracing, watercolor, bristol board, newsprint) that was sort of unattractive.

And I had an entertainment center that was mostly gathering dust, and full of junk from when Clyde had his office down there.

Well, the tall part, where there used to be shelves for all the electronics, was big enough to hold the largest of the sketchbooks, so it became a place for paper storage
.

The section on the left, has a place for a TV, and there is one in there. Below that, Clyde can put the dvd player and the kids can watch their dvd's down here.

And the cats still have their safe place behind the TV and on top of the center. And I can use all the other spaces for art supplies, or whatever....

All of that is better than taking the center to Goodwill, and then having to find something else to use!

But, I do still have a minor problem.

Even with the rearranging, I don't have a place to store paintings. So, I use the bed in the spare bedroom and clean it off whenever we have company.

I guess, now I need some of those big flat drawers to store the bigger papers, and the paintings.

February 4, 2013 Daily LIfe

Today's topic: Daily life

My typical day starts with tea and something snacky.....Then it's downstairs with the tea, water, and the dogs to get my daily dose of exercise (well, almost daily) on the NordicTrak.  I've had this exercise machine for 28 years, and it's still being used.  Not daily for 28 years, but enough that it's rolled over from 0 to 1000 kilometers several times.

Next up is cleaning the cat boxes and feeding and watering the cats.  Then I (and the dogs) come back upstairs, and the day continues....

I didn't do yesterday's topic:  Bedside for a couple of reasons.  The first of which that would be another picture of Rosie sleeping by the bed, and the second of which, I'm not sure I want to expose you to my haphazard housekeeping style!

February 2, 2013 Repetition

Today's word: Repetition

To be really good at anything, you have to practice.

 Ballerinas repeatedly practice their positions and moves.
 Reining horses practice their moves with their riders all the time.
 Ice skaters continuously practice their moves.
 Golfers practice their shots, as do basketball players.
 Musicians practice a lot.
 If you want to be good, you practice.

 Artists should always be painting, drawing, sculpting, whatever to continuously improve.

 The book "Outlanders" said that to be really good, you need to practice 10,000 hours, minimum.


 Giftedness or talent will only take you so far. The rest is practice and persistence.

 One way I practice is to "do over" something that I think has real potential, but isn't turning out like I want.

 I was going to show you what I mean with pictures of a painting that I redid several times to get it right. Unfortunately, not only can I not find the practice paintings, but I cannot find the photograph of the finished piece. Bummer...

So here is one that I've started two times, and it's not working, yet.

First try:

I'm not liking the way the chain link in the background is turning out.  Too defined, and too precise.  I want something that is more blurry, and the background behind the chain link is way too dark.

Second try:

I spent a lot of time masking out the chain link fence, then painting the background.  Where I've painted the chain link on the left side of the flower, I'm not liking how it's turning out.  But this time, the rest of the background is fine.  The sunflower, I'm thinking now, is too small.

So, now, I can just give up, or I can try again.  I'm thinking I'll try again.  I just have to let it sit some more, and do something else in the meantime.

February 1, 2013 You, today

Topic for today is "you_today". I took this to mean me, today.

 Of all the things I am: wife, housekeeper, dog and cat and horse caregiver, artist, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, grandmother, bookkeeper, bill payer, shopper; I would have to choose Grandmother as my favorite role.

 I love to have the kids come and stay with me. They have been coming since Gabriel was a baby. I have always enjoyed having them. even before they were potty trained.

They've been introduced to kittens, puppies, and baby horses only hours old.

 I've provided them with all kinds of art supplies, they've played on the computers here, we've made cookies (not always successfully- Valentine heart sugar cookies come to mind that puffed up and spread out over the edges of the cookie sheets).   We even made a gingerbread house and train (from a kit, and it did come out lopsided, but it was fun!)

We have ice cream before bedtime, and they always expect that...We can't go to bed without ice cream.
I even don't mind having chicken pot pie every time they come because they eat it so well.  And our milk is always flavored: raspberry, strawberry and vanilla.

We've spent days at the zoo, tramping all over to see the animals, and they all have their favorites.

We took the three oldest ones to the botanical gardens in Denver and tried to "herd" them thru all the gardens-kind of like herding cats.

We feed the ducks at the pond in Monument, we've hiked in Bear Creek. We've gone to hockey games, and had lunch together.  We've gone on picnics, and we play at the parks a lot.

And now I have my own supply chain of boy scout popcorn and girl scout cookies, all over again!

Sometimes I wish I could have them all the time, but usually after a couple of days, this "young" grandmother is ready for them to go home for a while!