Monday

Well below zero again last night.  I'm staying warm and cozy indoors. Wish we would get more snow.

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I submitted one assignment for the online drawing class I am taking.  Instructor says my lines need to express more light, dark, fast and slow qualities.  Huh? I was supposed to do a gestural drawing of a seagull.

 

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I dug through my DVDs last night and got out the movie "Straight From the Heart" to watch.  It is a romance, set in modern times.  The widowed rancher brings a girl from New York to his ranch in Wyoming, because his sister is forcing him to meet women, and she put an ad in a singles magazine for him.  And of course they end up in love.  Nice scenery.  The horses, which were supposed to be wild mustangs, were obviously muscled up quarter horses, some with saddle marks.  And the cattle they vaccinated were all roping steers. 

 

Anyway, I thought I would check on Amazon to see if it was available as an instant video.  It wasn't, and I was shocked to see that the thing is selling for $80 now!  I bought my DVD in 2010 for $9. 

 

I did buy the movie "The Parent Trap", the old version, starring Hayley Mills.

 

 

 

 

Sunday

I got four of the six hooks put up today for coats and backpacks.  Barrie had to help me tighten the screws after I got them started.  Kasey had to eat lunch and then took a nap, but she had decided which hook she was going to use for her backpack. We'll have to wait until some things are hung up before we decide where to put the last two hooks.

As the screws weren't tight on the hooks yet, Kasey said, "I'll just hang my coat on the floor."

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Made myself an omelet in the bake pan of the George Foreman grill this morning.  It was way too much for me to eat.  Chloe came to visit, and I put the leftovers on the front porch for her, along with two pancakes left over from yesterday.  Kat won't touch human food, but Chloe will probably eat every bite.

 

 

Attack of the wrapping paper!

 

 



Saturday

I rearranged my pile of things to go to the Food Basket this morning and moved most of them to another location, so I can put up the hooks I bought last year for coats, back packs, etc.  I got a new Black and Decker drill from myself for Christmas, so I can get it done now.  It will be nice to have a place to hang things instead of chair backs or just thrown down on the dining room floor.

 

I should have posted this Calvin cartoon before Christmas.  Oh well, Calvin is always funny.

Tracy got a  kick out of this one and sent it to me last week.

 

How true!

 



Friday

Kasey came home yesterday, so we had our Christmas last night.  Opened presents, and had a ham dinner.

 

 

These pictures are for Roger.  Barrie told Kasey that Santa knew she wasn't going to be home Christmas Eve, but he left her new Barbie doll here for when she got home.  You can tell from her face how much she likes it!  What a thoughtful Santa!  Thanks.

 

 

I gave Barrie and Kasey this Keurig drink maker.  Seems a funny present to give a little girl, but she can make her own hot chocolate or cider with it, and do it all by herself.  She made me a cup of coffee this morning.  We also have a variety of hot tea.  No muss no fuss.  Just put your cup under the spout of the machine and push the button. Nice machine!

Thursday

I woke up feeling ambitious this morning!  That doesn't happen very often.

I started to clean the kitchen counters the other day, but left everything on the countertop in Barrie's way, and she put it all back. Today I washed the outside of all the cannisters I have on the counter, and cleaned the counter under them (and the stuff I had stashed behind them). Ahhh, one tiny corner of my world is neat and clean!

This is the pile of bags I had piled on top of the cannisters, or took out of the pantry with beans, pasta, and rice.  I never knew what was up on that shelf anyway.  I filled the cannisters and threw all these bags out.  I actually threw out a little bit of rice and pasta that wouldn't fit in the cannisters, just so I didn't have to deal with the bags.

I made a bowl of snack crackers, and have a loaf of bread going in the bread machine.  Now can I sit down, open a beer, and read the rest of the day?

My friend Pam who is in Pennsylvania now, did this "zentangle".  Wow!  She said her eyes are crossed now. 

Wednesday

 

Tracy, Paul and Daisy went hiking in the snow yesterday (in Silverthorne, CO.)  Looks like they got some new snow, and it looks like fun.

 

Lenore's granddaughter, Teegan, came with her to art group today.  She lives in Silverthorne, but they have never met Paul and Tracy. She is sure a cutie.  She is the same age as Kasey.  

Do you drive a Chevy?

Merry Christmas!

Sunday

I tried to put a weather sticker on my blog page.  Well, it's there, way at the bottoom, and I wanted it up higher.  Tried to move it up, but it didn't work.

Tracy called.  She is gettig both an iPad and a new iPhone (for her job).  She'll be busy getting them both set up.

Someone asked me about the artwork I had hanging on my walls and seemed surprised that I have very little of my own things.  I have one pencil drawing of a mountain man, and a pastel portrait of Max, the Silky Terrior I used to have.  I do have three matted and framed watercolors, but have not hung them up.

I guess my favorite artist is Carol Grigg.  I have two very large prints of hers, one upstairs and one in the living room.  Here is the one I have upstairs:

I have several more small prints she did.  Her work is almost in the style of Chinese brushwork.

 

Here is one of the three prints I have upstairs, by Ted DeGrazia, from Tucson.  His studio was close to where I lived when I was in Tucson. 

 

And that's about all I have on my walls.  I do have a collection of wildlife busts in bronze that my sister-in law did. 

 

I do have more wall space, but sometimes a blank wall is soothing, especially when you live in a cluttered house!

Saturday

Productive day, I guess.  I put one load of laundry in the dryer, and another in the washing machine.  Washed some pots that were sitting in the sink, and filled our big humidifier with about 12 gallons of water.  Now if I just had someplace to put the clean clothes.  I  have slowly cleaned out the dresser drawers in my downstairs bedroom for Kasey.  Now I have no place to put things.  There is a perfectly fine dresser in the garage that Barrie brought home, and I have begged her for it.  Maybe she'll give it to me for Christmas!

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This is my solution to a lot of crap!

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I have registered for an online drawing class from Artists Network University.  There are four lessons with homework, reading assignments (online) and critique of your work from the instructor.  I have books on drawing, and have watched some tutorials.  But I have never really had a lesson.  It starts after Christmas, and I am looking forward to it.

 





Friday

Well, I woke up this morning, went in the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  I was still there, so I guess the world didn't end today.

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Had a nice visit from my friend Bobbi from Big Piney.  She and I taught together in Pinedale, and had so much fun together, both in and out of school.  Her husband, Matt, teaches art in Big Piney high school, and I think Bobbi teaches fourth grade.

 

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Someone posted pictures poking fun at Wyoming.  This one makes me laugh so hard.  I was valedictorian at Shoshoni, and had about fourteen kids in my class.

 

 



 

And I think many of us have always felt this way about Jackson. 

 

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My watch list of Amazon videos grows every day.  I probably won't ever watch all of them I've marked for my watch list, but I've found some real jewels.  I even found  "The Lone Ranger"!
I also have "Lilies of the Field", "East of Eden", "Paint Your Wagon", to name a few.  These are movies I would never pay for, but I'll watch them if they're free.