Jackson and a New Truck

Barrie's new Pickup

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Barrie has never driven anything but hand-me-down or borrowed "junk" vehicles in her life! She has been shopping around for the last six months or so for a nice truck, and found what she wanted at Teton Motors. (online shopping). She had wanted her dad to go with her to Jackson today to look at it, and for some reason, he balked. When she came by this morning, I told her I thought we should go to Jackson, so we did. And she drove her new truck home. It's not a new truck, but has low mileage, and looks brand new. It is "GM Certified" ( I think that's the term) which means it has a good warranty. Her payments are affordable, and she is walking on Cloud 9. She will have to put a flat bed on it in the future so she can put her dog boxes on it.

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My friend Dee send me e-mail with a bunch of photos of "retiree" bumper stickers. This is one of my favorites.

Friday

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If you are familiar with the book by Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", you will recognize this drawing by Picasso, which is one of the exercises in the book. I found this in one of my old sketchbooks. I drew the figure upside down, and it still amazes me how problems in drawing are so much easier to spot when you view it upside down. Drawing things upside down is a wonderful exercise, and I need to do it often. You can literally feel the "change" in your brain.


This is a drawing of a poinsetta I found in one of my old sketch books. It was fun to do.

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A beautiful sunny day today. There is a slight breeze, but nothing like the horrible winds we have had the last couple of days.

I am still working on the "negative drawing" of the grass in the calf drawing. I should have just drawn the grass and ground like I usually do. Oh well - it's not like I'm pressed for time!

Bad Color in Photos

After I looked at the photos of Vicky's watercolors yesterday on my large desktop monitor, I saw how bad the colors were. I took the photos under fluerescent lights, and far from the window, so they all had a bad color cast. I should never try to edit my photos on my laptop computer. The screen is so small, and is not bright enough for my old eyes. When I look at them on my 24" desktop monitor, it makes a huge difference.

So here are Vicky's paintings again. Much nicer color.

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Here is Conley working on his latest painting. He does such beautiful detailed work. He has promised to demonstrate to us next week how he uses a spray bottle to do his skies and background.

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I finally had my driveway plowed yesterday. It is a curved, drive-through driveway and on a hillside, so it was not an easy job.

Art Day

I enjoyed meeting with the art group this morning, but I didn't accomplish a thing. Well, yes I did! I enjoyed the company and the visiting, and ate cookies and drank coffee. I also photographed a couple of Vicky's paintings, and am showing them. She is SO talented. And she is too modest.

I photographed Conley working on his latest, and will post it later. Another very talented artist.

I was disappointed that Terry was not there today, and that she had taken down her paintings she had displayed in the art room. I will get her later.

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Vicky's paintings

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Aren't these great?


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Cold and Windy Tuesday

Woke up this morning to wind and below zero temperatures! Brrrr. I don't believe it has gotten above 8 degrees today. My little "weather station" says it got down to 20 below last night. The wind has not let up all day.

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This is my mother's watch. I don't know how old it is. The "chain" was included in the photo just because. It is not the band. It is such a pretty and dainty looking watch.

This is a photo of Barrie riding for Charles P. on the drift. It was taken several years ago, and published on Pinedaleonline.

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I finally got my act together and went down and renewed my drivers license today. It has been expired more than a week.

I am getting my driveway plowed tomorrow. They would have come today, but I noticed Barrie had left her snow machine trailer in the driveway. She will have it gone tomorrow.

Vicky has laughed at me - I am going to have the neighbors' place partly plowed too, because they sometimes have 7 or 8 vehicles down there and are parking in the street and blocking my driveway. I have called the cops and they came up and had them move some pickups one night. If I knew who they were, I would have called them myself instead of calling the cops, and I would rather have a place plowed for some of them to park than call the cops . They are not really bad neighbors, but are just "dumb kids". Besides, who knows, I may need to ask them for help on something some day.

I'm looking forward to art group tomorrow at Rendezvous Pointe. Lynn says the room has been "uncluttered". It really was getting to the point where things needed to be reorganized and stored somewhere. I just wish whomever is doing it would come and do the same thing in my house!

I want to remember to take a camera tomorrow, and maybe Vicky, Terry, and Conley will let me photograph some of their work and post it. Hope so - they have some beautiful work.

New Snow

I woke up this morning to a beautiful new snowfall. We must have four or five inches of new snow. Everything looks so pretty. When we don't get wind, the snow piles up on top of fence posts, tree branches, and bushes.

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A couple of drawings from old sketchbooks.

I have been enjoying Cristy's portraits so much!

I had forgotten all about these portraits I did of first graders years ago. I'm not sure why these two are still in my old sketchbook, as I sent them all home with kids. I would choose one student a week, have them "sit" for a portrait while their classmates draw them. Then each student would write something about the model, and we put everything up on a bulletin board. I know I drew quick sketches of the student, but have no idea what became of them. I probably threw them away. These drawings were done from photographs I took. I wish I had not thrown away the sketches.

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The new heater I bought for the downstairs bedroom worked very well. It has lots of settings, as well as a timer. It is nice to be able to put Kasey in there for a nap - where she's not distracted by things, including a cat who wants to play with her.

Sunday

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This is obviously a well-used sketch book. It is held together with duct tape. It says "Take Me Along", and I did. It has been to a few workshops, and is also the sketchbook I used when I started working through Betty Edward's book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".

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Kasey and Barrie having a "spitting" contest.

One of Kasey's favorite things is "In me mouth". When she sees me with my spray bottle, she comes up with her mouth wide open and says "in me mouth" - and I spray water into her mouth. She squeals and giggles and opens her mouth again for more. Who can figure?

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It got so foggy last night about 10:30 that I couldn't even see the highway. I expected to get up this morning to heavy frost on branches and fences, but the fog was gone, and no frost. I was kind of disappointed. I love it when everything is covered with frost.

I am working on the drawing of the calf, but it is going slow. I am attempting to put in the grass by "negative drawing". Mike Sibley, in his book "Drawing from Line to Life" gives several demonstrations on how he does it, but my attempts are not too successful.

Because I got frustrated with the grass, I started a new drawing of a cow and calf moose. What's that you say? When am I going to finish something??

Saturday

I am just now getting aound to getting on the computer to check email and to read blogs.

Barrie and Kasey arrived this morning just as I got up (late, as usual). I tried reading another book and discovered I had read it before. So I went to bed fairly early. I was awake at 2:00. I got up and took some Tylanol PM, just in time for the cat to feel frisky and start to play with her bell balls. I did go sound asleep after a bit, and didn't get up until 10:30!

Barrie decided to just hang out instead of going out to run dogs. I cleaned up the kitchen, and made a pot of potato soup. Kasey took a good nap in the back bedroom away from the cat. I just got a new electric heater for back there. I think it is probably more energy efficient and safer than the old one that was put in the wall years ago. I remember Lynn saying some friends loaned her some when their furnace didn't work, and I decided to try one. My back bedrooms were built on a slab of concrete, and there is no way to vent the furnace back there. I usually just keep a heavy curtain across the opening in the winter.

I finally have all the ornaments boxed up for the basement. I repaired the skis on the little wooden penguins, and found the last of the little balls behind the couch. In the meantime, the cat had knocked the box of balls off the table and broke four of them.

Really searched hard for missing things today. Started out with Kasey's juice cup missing, and we found it after Barrie had brought in the new one she just bought. Then I found the missing ornament, then found the little wooden hammer for the pounding bench, then one stacking ring and the ball that goes on the top. We are still missing two stacking rings.

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I picked out a couple of things from my old sketchbooks to scan today. The first is one of the earliest drawings I rememeber doing. I sat and make sketches of my Mom, Dad, and their dog, Louie. Barrie and I got a laugh out of these.

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I took Tracy's senior pictures, and this drawing is from one of them. I think this is probably the best portrait I ever did of her.

Friday

Some more old photos from scanned slides.

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This photo of the Tetons was taken when I took the photography class at Teton Science School. Got some great shots during that week.

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Barrie, about 5 or 6 years old, waiting out an August hailstorm at Fremont Lake. She is barefoot, wearing a swimsuit, and her down jacket and knit hat. And protecting herself from the hail with the lid from a cooler. We had gone about half way up the lake in a boat, and I wonder why we were smart enough to have her coat and hat with us?

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Old Sketchbooks

Tonight I got all my old sketchbooks out and looked through them. There are about 12 of them. A pretty interesting trip back into the past! So be prepared to be bored with scans or photos of some of the pages! My drawing skills were better in the past than they are now, and I think it is because I did so much more drawing and sketching.

Almost all my old sketchbooks have pages on which my girls, and also Kelly, drew pictures . I'm so glad they are in there. I don't remember drawing when I was a kid. I know art classes were not offered in school back then. I don't want to say how long ago that was! I just remember being upset because girls could take "home ec" class, but not agriculture.

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Do you think cats have a separate nerve center for their tails? My cat appears to be sound aleep sometimes, but the tip of her tail is still twitching. And sometimes she watches the tail twitch, then hisses and attacks it.

Thursday

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I worked on this painting yesterday in art group at Rendezvous Pointe. It is pretty close to completion. I am rather pleased with how the elk turned out - they're not perfect, but I have not painted many elk before. Especially just a couple inches high!

I will try to finish this today, and compose another one. I think I would like it better with soft subdued mountains in the background instead of that big hillside.



I have so many sketchbooks around, some of them are really old, and none of them are full! Sometimes I look through them, just to see what I have done in the past. It is pretty interesting. I found this drawing I did - an attempt to copy a drawing Albrecht Durer did of his mother. I wonder if his mother ever saw it, and if she hit him if she did! It's an excellent drawing, but surely she wasn't THAT ugly!

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Lynn's applesauce and apple pie sure looked good. Several years ago, a neighbor of my brother at Riverton had a couple of apple trees that were loaded. I don't know what kind of apples they were, not the kind you polish on your sleeve and eat. They were kind of small, and tart. I ended up with a lot of them. I canned some, made applesauce, froze some in slices, dehydrated some, and made a couple of pies. I found a recipe for apple pie filling (canned) that was delicious. I think I canned about 7 quarts for pies. Lynn mentioned how tiring it was peeling and slicing all those apples. After I did all my apples, I saw a hand cranked apple peeling machine advertised. I wonder how it worked.

I bet it took me more than two weeks to get through all those apples. I don't do that anymore!

I put all the apple peelings out in my back yard, and the next day there were several deer there eating them. Later, I took a bag to my mom's house in Riverton, and picked up a bunch of crab apples off her lawn. The deer enjoyed them too.

I am so envious of all the things Judi and Rolli are seeing. The old missions are so beautiful and so interesting.

Tuesday

Kasey's Watercolor

Some day I will turn Kasey loose with a brush, paints, and water. But probably not until we can do it outside in the summer!

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I don't know why anyone would be interessted in a recipe from one of the worst cooks in town, but I wanted to try to post one. I have seen several other blogs where the blogger posts recipes and cooking hints.

This is not my own recipe, so don't worry. I got it online. I am always on the lookout for interesting looking recipes, always hoping I can find something fool proof that I can actually make!

I have en;joyed most of the inaugeration activities this morning on TV. I am excited about Obama becoming President, and think he will make some positive changes for us all. I am however, getting pretty bored with the newspeople interviewing anyone they can find who can talk how they felt, or what they thought.

Just heard that Senator Ted Kennedy collapsed at a luncheon and has been hospitalized. Senator Byrd, also, I think required medical attention.

Monday

Lynn mentioned that she hadn't seen my blog lately, and I just haven't had anything to write about! Not much happening.

I have had Kasey several times, and of course she is always fun and entertaining. I have taught her to "belch", hold her hand over her mouth and say "Oh My!" Is that bad, or what? She has been sick again (ear infections) and Barrie has been sick again too, and they both went to the doctor this morning.

I helped Kasey paint a watercolor this afternoon. She loves the colors.

I had thought about doing an oil painting, just because I need to do something different for a while, but I have decided it would be too frustrating with the cat. What a mess that could be! She was so curious when Kasey was doing her watercolor today, and I had to watch her closely (and spray her once in a while) to keep her from walking in the paints.

I am making progress on the pencil drawing of the calf, and have finished the hill in the background on the watercolor painting of elk in the snow. Haven't ruined either of them yet!

I am reading a book by Tony Hillerman about the Navajo policeman, Joe Leaphorn. I have read this one before, but it has been so long ago that I don't really remember it very well. I have ordered four new books from Amazon. I seem to be reading a lot more lately. I know I should use our library more, but I can never be sure I will get a book back on time.

I read "Brown Bear" to Kasey several times today! I have bought her a dozen or so new books we keep at my house, and several people have given her books.

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Kat just discovered my screen saver yesterday. She acts interested, but doesn't get too excited about the fish.

Saturday

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This is my latest sculpture from Alice. It is mounted on suede deer hide and is bronze. I haven't decided where to hang it yet. It is about 10" by 22" and there are several places in my house it would fit nicely.

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"Waiting for Spring"

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The cat had a very traumatic night last night. I went to bed fairly early, and woke up about 2:30 this morning. I could hear her crying. I came downstairs and found her shut in between the dining room door and the screen door. Poor thing! She had to have been in there 6 or 7 hours. She was sure glad to get out - purred and rubbed on my legs.

This morning, it appears she has thought it over, and has decided to get even with me. She has done everything naughty she can think of. I just caught her dragging my cell phone across the living room floor by its little loop handle. It was on the dining room table. Maybe I should kick her outside for a while.

I am still looking for one stacking ring and the round top for Kasey's toy. And the hammer for her peg pounding bench. I have gone through the computer room waste basket and the bathroom waste basket. I have looked under everything, including couch and chair cushions. I still have one bag of garbage to go through, which is a possibility. It is an empty cat food sack that I use for glass and other items that I don't put in the compactor. It's all clean - nothing gross in it. Kasey put one of her books in it once. During my searching, I have found a few pens and a lens cap.

The tree is finally in its bag and ready to go to the basement. The ornament box needs some organizing and getting things fit in better. And I am still hopeful I will find a few more oraments. I found two in Kasey's basket of toys this morning while I was searching for the missing items.

The batteries in my cordless mouse died this morning. No indication they were getting low like it usually does, it just died. The cursor made a slow spiral descent to the bottom of the screen. I had never seen that before! It looked like a duck that had been shot out of the sky.

Friday

I think the last pencil drawing I did (of the buffalo) was not very good. I have been looking at it across the room, and am just tired of trying to figure out how to improve it. Some drawings just don't work.

Here is the next drawing subject for me. I went out to photograph the old barn and buildings on Hittle's place years ago, and found this little guy laying down in the corral by the barn. Hittles were branding a ways up the road. Either they missed this calf, or decided he was too young and would catch him later. I hope he inspires me to do a good drawing. I have started it, but am not very far along yet.

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My brother and sister-in-law called me last night from Bullhead City. They planned to be in Quartzite today. They both enjoy getting out of the Wyoming wind and cold, and seeing the sights. Alice finds many art shows to attend, and also place to buy supplies for her work.

I told them to watch for a big white truck and fifth wheeler from County 23 Wyoming, Hank and Deb. But with the thousands of people gathered there, I doubt if you will connect with each other.

Knitting Socks

Gina mentioned that she often made socks of different colors and didn't try to make them match. Here is a photo of one pair I made.

I bought this little kit (so cute, couldn't resist it) at Knit on Purl in Jackson. It was a small basket with six balls of yarn in it, a colored photo, and a pattern book. The patterns are quite detailed with charts for numerous designs, and also illustrations and instructions to embroidery designs, novelty stitches and edgings. The pattern has directions for six sizes, from infant to men XL. They are knit with a set of four double pointed needles. Not for beginners, and at times I felt I had bit off more than I could chew.

I only made one pair. They ended up too large, but it really doesn't matter. The yarn is tapestry yarn, not washable, and probably would have holes after one wearing! I've thought about buying some good quality sock yarn in bright colors and making some more.

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Here is the photo (postcard) that came with the kit, showing all the different color combinations and patterns.

I really hadn't planned on getting back into knitting this winter, but who knows? I guess I can do whatever I feel like doing!

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Tracy called this morning. They are getting ready to go to Florida for a week. She is looking forward to some warm weather.

Earlier this winter, Paul had his skiis stolen while skiing at Breckenridge. Last week, they were in Denver attending an attorney convention, the valet did not lock their car when he parked it, and Paul's golf clubs were stolen. I don't know about the skiis, but the valet service at the hotel will replace everything they lost. The poor valet is probably out on the street looking for a new job.

Wednesday

Oh, the life of a cat!

Kat is becoming more mellow every day, at least at times. She still suddenly attacks anything near her, including me or Kasey, but is spending more time being relaxed and friendly. Barrie held her in her lap and petted her this afternoon, and actually got her front toenails trimmed without her even fussing.

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Here is one sock I made for Kasey - the other is about half way done. She seems to like it and I think it fits, so we will see how it goes to wear a pair all day. This yarn would stripe better on an adult sized sock. Also, the colors are not the most attractive. I have used other self striping sock yarn with beautiful shades of blues, tans, etc. but this yarn is far from beautiful.

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The planned power outage this afternoon was actually kind of pleasant, not too cold, and quiet and peaceful. I got some reading done. And the power was back on before they said it would be. I'm sure glad we didn't have the problem they had in Utah where the two hour outage lasted 2 days for some of them!

If you haven't checked out Cristy's blog lately, you should. You'll find a link to it in my sidebar. She has been doing a very challenging "portrait a day" activity. She also is showcasing some of her students' recent work. Look at her "Rainbow of Chaos" link in the sidebar of her page.

Dee C joined our painting group at Rendezvous Pointe today. Fun to have her! Dee and I taught together for years. She had started a watercolor class earlier this year, and seemed frustrated by it. I think she will enjoy the fact that we sometimes laugh a lot, visit more than we paint, and that everyonein our group is so helpful. There are some very talented artists in our little group, and everyone is so supportive of the others. I have learned so much from each and every one of them!

Finished Buffalo Drawing

Buffao drawing in pencil

I think this is finished. I'm not sure my darks are dark enough, and not sure I got him "shaggy". I can always do more work on it later, after I look at it a while.

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I finally closed my blinds today on the south side of my art room. It is so pretty out (but windy), but the sun is so bright on the snow that I can't see for a while when I look back at what I'm doing. Never thought I would complain about the sun shining!

I called the cops last night about my neighbors. If I knew them I would have called them, but have no idea who lives there - just a bunch of young guys. They have room in front of the house to park four vehicles, and they park three there, plus a snow machine trailer. There are always from six to eight vehicles down there. When the propane truck made a delivery for me last week, he couldn't get anywhere near my tank. I think maybe he knocked on their door and they did move a couple. pickups. Yesterday I had to squeak by a pickup that had been parked close to my driveway, partway up the hill. Last night, Barrie told me my driveway was completely blocked by two vehicles.

So I called, a cop came up and talked to them, and they did move the two that were blocking my driveway. But I don't think they understand that Hill Street is really a street, even though it's not plowed, and they shouldn't block it. They now have two dumpsters right in the street.

OK, bitchy old lady! Enough! Calling the cops is not high on my list of fun things to do. At least these guys don't seem to have big drug gatherings or throw their garbage out in the yard, like some former ones.

I am only partially through cleaning my upstairs bathroom today. Having a cat has it's drawbacks. I cleaned the litter box, but I need to sweep the floor. Sometimes I guess she steps in something wet (or worse) when she gets out of the box and shakes her feet. This leaves little gobs of litter material stuck to the walls and the side of toilet stool. Well, you don't want to hear about that.

Sunday

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No doubt about it, that is a "plumber's butt".

Kasey has gotten tall enough that she can climb up on my couch by herself now.

Her Mom (and her day care provider) don't allow standing up on furniture or climbing all over. So Kasey "sits" when she gets up there. She doesn't stay long - sitting still is not her favorite activity.

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Kasey was here most of the day yesterday while her Mom went out and ran dogs. She wouldn't take her nap until about 3:30 - my fault. I thought after it settled down around here after the holidays, that we could put the crib back in the living room so I wouldn't have to run the electric heater to warm up the bedroom. Didn't work. The cat kept playing with her, she could see me in the kitchen, and she just stayed awake.

I fixed a big pot of chicken, noodles, cheese and vegetables. Barrie and Kasey really liked it, but I was not impressed. At least I will have lots of leftovers in the freezer for them.

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I am "resting" my cow and calf drawing right now, and have started a pencil drawing of a shaggy buffalo. The texture of his hair is challenging. I have wonderful book by an artist in UK who does pencil drawings. The name of the book is "From Line to Life" and the artist's name is Mike Sibley. The cost of the book was preposterous, but his work is incredible. He sometimes spends hundreds of hours on his drawings.

Some of his work is a little too much for my tastes, like too much background, and too much detail in the background. But his animal drawings are magnificant. He uses a lot of interesting techniques, like embossing, drawing with his eraser, etc.If you are interested, Google Mike Sibley and you can see his work.

Whole Lotta Nuthin"

Maybe I'm getting bored with winter? I don't have new pictures of anything, so went back and found some old summer photos scanned from slides. The water skiier is on Fremont Lake. The flare caused by the sun shining on the lens is not usually desirerable, but I kind of lked the effect on this photo. I'm not sure, but I think the skiier is Billy Mitchell.

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I took a photography class in Jackson from Teton Science School once. It was wonderful! This is one of the photos I took.

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Nancy sent an e-mail with cute little animals with funny sayings. I especially like this one: "I would be unstoppable if I could just get started". Actually, I don't have that much problem starting things. I just have problems finishing!

I started a drawing of a cow and calf (not Lynn's picture), and I am stuck on it. I am not sure what to do with it next, so it is "resting" for a while. I laid out a watercolor of elk on a snowy hillside today, but don't want to start on it until I go to art group next week. The scene is pretty simple, but I don't know how I will handle painting four little elk. They many turn out to be buffalo, or maybe even trees!

It was so good to hear from Lynn today. I've been waiting for her return to her blog to see how she is doing.

I made three attempts to start a new sock for Kasey before I got it started. First, I dropped one of the needes out of the stitches. Then the cat leaped up and got a needle. The third time I finally got it going. I am ready to decrease for the toe now. The trouble with socks is that when you finish one, you still need to make another one. This yarn did not stripe as nicely as I had hoped, and the colors are not that pretty.

Propane Heat

For the last several days, I have been getting a slight smell of propane. This is an indication that the tank is low. Yesterday morning, I called them and asked to have my tank filled. The woman said she would have the driver fill it. By about 5:00, no one had been here, so I called again. The woman thought my tank was at 15%, that the truck had run out of propane, and that my tank would be filled in the morning. I told her I had no idea what the meter read, because I can't get to the tank through the snow to read the meter. Well, I suppose I could if I had to, but I don't think I should have to. She was so nice, and the truck did arrive before dark and filled my tank.

I will include a note of thanks and appreciation when I send a check. I have run out of propane once every winter for the last several years, and it stresses me out to even think about it, especially when the weather has been 20 or so degrees below zero.

OK, Warm for a while!!

Enjoyed our art group so much this morning! Pam is back from Hawaiil, at least for a while. And it was good to visit with Vicky, Terry, Conley and Barbara again.

I have started a pair of socks for Kasey (again). I knit one sock that was too small. The next one I started ended up on the living room floor with the cat having the yarn, and Kasey had the knitting needles. I don't even know if Kasey will be able to wear hand knit socks. I didn't knit socks when my girls were little, so have no comparison.

Tuesday January 6

Absolutely nothing to write about today. Maybe I can think of something.

Bill and Alice are in Salt Lake for doctor appointments before they head south for the winter in their motor home. I hope the doctors find everything ok.

I have been getting a whiff of propane the last couple of days, which is a pretty sure sign the tank is low. I called them this morning and the lady promised the truck would fill my tank today. I have run out of propane at least once every winter for several years now. It is not fun to wait for the propane truck in your pajamas and winter coat at midnight.

Remember the new TV I ordered from WalMart and they sent me a bicycle? Well, UPS picked up the bike and returned it. Then I received a call from WalMart telling me they had received the return, and that I would be receiving a refund. Later, I received an email telling me the time limit was up to reply about the return and I was lno onger eligable for a retund on a return.

Since I replied to that mail, I have received at least four emails from different customer service reps telling me the amount of the purchase has been refunded.

I can't wait to see how all this turns out! From my experience with large companies and internet shopping, it is very possible that I will get four or five refunds!

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The top photo is one I took of the quakie trees in my front yard. The bottom one is the same photo with a filter applied in Photoshop. I kind of liked the effect.

Brrr

It was 22 below zero at my house last night. Brrr. But if we didn't have these cold spells, we would be wondering what is wrong! Just something we should expect every winter. The Bondurant web cam showed it was 40 below zero there this morning.

I left the gas log stove on low in my upstairs room all night, and it was 66 degrees up there this morning. I'm glad I left it on.

Here are three pictures Tracy sent. The first is of Tracy starting down the sled hill, the second is Paul on his new sled, and the third is of Melita's daughter, Leslie and her little girl Kendall.

Tracy resizes her photos before she emails them, so you can't look at them any larger.

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I am going to start on a new pencil drawing this morning. Still haven't finished the wolf in the snow, but it's close. I can never predict what kind of a mood I will be in when I get up in the morning, and which project I will work on. Or if I will spend the day reading. I enjoy having no deadlines or responsibilities! Well, almost none.

Saturday - Kasey overnight

Barrie went up the Green to help put in the trail for the sled dog race, which is today and tomorrow. As she was going about 6:00, we decide it would be good practice for her to be away from Kasey all night and have her stay here. Kasey was fine, but I am surprised Barrie didn't sneak in the house about 3:00 this morning to check on her! Maybe she did!

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This is the tea set that Braxton gave Kasey for Christmas. She had so many new things to play with that I didn't get it out until today. She doesn't know about tea parties yet - not much opportunity in Pinedale, Wyoming. She did enjoy stacking them, and putting the lids on and off. She also chewed on the spoons, and I may end up putting them away for a while.

She ate a huge breakfast - her egg and half of mine, her ham and half of mine, her piece of toast and half of mine. She drank a cup of milk, and then started on some grape juice.

After playing a while, she began to do irritating things, like taking down the glass frames with photos of ancestors from the shelf of the hutch. Then she threw some of her tea set on the floor and wouldn't pick them up. When she finally picked one up, I asked her to put it on the table, she looked at me and threw it. After I "helped" her put on the table, I decided Grandma was tired, so Kasey needed a nap.

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This brings to mind a story from when I taught first grade. I had a little boy who had seizures (we eventually found out), one after another. They were peti mall seizueres, so not always real obvious. His behavior was pretty much out of control. His classmates learned to casually step out in front of him to block him so I could get to him without a chase.

I'm not sure what the gym teacher did with him - seems he spread out mats on the stage and just put him up there to roll around.

But he was a special problem for the music teacher. She used to put him on a tall stool, give him a baton, and let him pretend to "lead". I told her if nothing worked, to send him back to me, and I would have him lay down in the nurse's office for a while. One time he asked me why he had to lay down, and I said "because Mrs. Scissons is tired". He accepted that.

One day he had a "grand mall" seizure in the classroom, and went for more doctor appointments, They found he had a large, fast growing brain tumer.

To make the story shorter, the tumer was successfully removed, and he lived a healthy, normal life after that. The only problem was when he sang in the high school choir, and his old first grade teacher sat there watching this tall handsome boy sing, she bawled her eyes out!!