Some Days are Like That

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This painting just kind of fell together for me today at watercolor group. Some days are like that. Sure wish they all were! I might work a little more on the foggy looking place on the lower right, but then again, I might just leave it alone.

There were two small paintings on the wall of the Sundowner Motel room I was in that were similar to this. I took them down from the wall and photographed them.

Kasey finally got the last of her Christmas presents open last night. These were the ones I brought back from Riverton.

Tuesday

My new toy

This little gadget just kind of fell off the shelf into my cart in WalMart. Funniest thing. It has a dock for my iPod, and will also keep it charged. My XM radio transmits to it, and I can listen to other radio stations, if there are any. I know the Pinedale station is there somewhere, but I very seldom listen to it. It even has an alarm, which I haven't figured out yet, a snooze button, and a nap button.

Barrie had fixed a big turkey, and I boiled the carcass yesterday, and made a huge pot of turkey soup this morning. Don't know if it's any good or not, as I haven't tried it yet.

Monday

For some reason, I feel like sitting around in my pajamas all day! After I ate breakfast yesterday, I did the marathon Wal Mart thing in Riverton. It wasn't as crowded as I had expected it to be. Then I went to KMart and then home. South Pass was icy on the north side, but cleared up and I had dry roads all the way home. I even got home before the gas field rush hour started!

Unloading the pickuptook took many many trips up and down stairs. Barrie and Kasey weren't home, so I did it all on my own. I usually let Barrie do all that.

I believe every two year old in Riverton is being potty trained right now. Wal Mart had no plastic pants, and KMart had four pairs. Kasey wears them over her pull ups at day care so she doesn't have to be completely changed if she has an accident. For some reason, her plastic pants disappear between day carre and home. Someone must be getting quite a collection of them.


Zack and Cody, who are my great nephews. They used to be little boys, wonder what happened?

The Pehrsons. My great neice and husband with Hadley, the newest member of the family.

Almost everyone in this photo. Tracy and Paul had already left for home, Barrie and Kasey weren't there, and I was taking the picture.

Christmas Day

My brother's flag stood out straight all day. So windy and cold!! We had wanted to get everyone (all nineteen of us) outside for a group picture, but no one wanted to go outside. There is hardly room anywhere in the house for a group that size, so we don't have a group picture yet. Maybe tomorrow.


Alice had this down the center of the table for Christmas Eve. It looked so nice. Eric sat down at the end of the table and said "What's this plant for? Needless to say, he got the treatment for dinner today. We all had a good laugh.

My neice, Teri, and her new granddaughter, Hadley.

Tracy, Braxton and Mike working on a project with Braxton's new legos

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Tracy and Paul's pickup wouldn't start this morning, so the guys came to town with jumper cables. Then when they got ready to go back to their motel tonight, it had to be jumped again. It's looking like they might be buying a new battery tomorrow

Thursday

A headline in The Billings Gazette Wyoming News said "Skiers and Snowmachiners Warned of Trees" I thought that was funny. When I read the article, I found the intention was to warn about the danger of beatle killed trees falling on them.


Just for fun, I did a Google Seach for funny headlines, and I spent about 45 minutess reading and laughing. Here are some of the best.

Wednesday

Barrie was quick with her camera last night. She was at the computer, and Kasey was rearranging her ornaments on the tree. Then she heard Kasey talking to the cat, looked up, and this is what she saw. Her camera was right beside her, and she got two shots of this scene before Kat ducked back in the tree.




You would think that someone who lived in the snow all her life would be able to paint it. Not!



Here's how to solve the problem - just crop the snow off.

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Sure wish we had snow, but now I hope it waits a while. I am leaving over the Pass for Shoshoni tomorrow. Barrie and Kasey aren't able to come until Saturday morning. Paul and Tracy will be there (at my brother and sister-in-law's house) plus Bill and Alice's three kids and their families. Looking forward to a long overdue gathering of the whole family!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Tuesday

Barrie helped Kasey wrap dog biscuits and treats for Jarvi and Shorty last night to put in their stockings. Kasey has never wrapped anything before. Maybe she thought Mom meant "rip" when she said "wrap". But she soon got into the spirit and worked really hard to fold the edges of the gift wrap and tape it.

Getting the doggie treats out of the bag. There are two finished ones on the table in front of her, but they kind of get lost on that red and white table cloth.

Kasey couldn't resist taking a nibble out of one of the dog treats to see how it tasted.

Sometimes the tape sticks to fingers.

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I was hoping Kasey would finish wrapping my packages, but no such luck. I have to finish that today and make the Chex Party Mix.

Monday

If I sent out Christmas cards, here is what I might send! So if you want a card from me, print one of these photos!







These two photos were taken a few years ago before I started painting and drawing again. I would spend a lot of time setting up a still life, taking a bunch of photos, then spend time on the computer fine tuning them, cropping them, and framing, etc. I enjoyed it and it felt very artistic.

I don't spend as much time on photography any more - the watercolors, pen and ink, pencil and colored pencils seem to take up most of my time now. I still love photography, but it's not my top priority.

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I actually accomplished something today. I went to the bank to cash a check and got some folding money and the gift envelopes for the young kids in the family. I went to the post office to mail bills and buy stamps. And I took some of my greeting cards to the Cowboy Shop. Tara was glad to take them to attempt to sell for me.

My good friends Vicky and Kris have sold some cards for me, and it was Kris who suggested I try the Cowboy Shop. Sure hope they sell, as I just ordered a new ink cartridge for my printer so I can print some more!

Sunday

Even though I am getting really tired of her, I worked on the drawing of Grinder again this morning. Cristy suggested more shadow in that fake Santa beard, and I think it is a little better now. I also moved the pupil in her left eye so she doesn't look quite so cross eyed. I'm also posting the photo I used as a reference.

Time to move on to a new dog.

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I'm about to give up on ever getting any snow. Sure wish we could get some of what they're getting in the Northeast!

I am cooking navy beans in the pressure cooker to make white chile today with left over turkey

I have a long list of things to do, like wrap gifts, pay bills, cash a check, make Chex Party Mix, and here I sit still in my pajamas! Manana, manana.

Saturday

As a reward for finishing 50,000 pages in the National Novel Writing Month, a publishing firm gives a free proof copy of your book. It looks pretty neat. It will be 6" x 9" with a color cover. This is the front and back cover I designed. I just submitted it yesterday and got word this morning that it has been printed and sent. The other writers who have received theirs seem delighted and think it is a high quality job.

So, I will put it on my bookshelf where I can see it, and no, no one else may read it.

I plan on doing this again next year. Not that I have any aspirations of really being a writer, but it was fun to do.

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Barrie asked Kasey the other day how old she was. Kasey replied "I'm 24". Then Barrie said she wet her pants five minutes later.