Sunday

This is the shirt Tracy sent me for my birthday.  Love the shirt and love the sentiment! 

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I finished the book "Whispers" by Dean Koontz.  I have read quite a few Koontz books in the past, and don't remember that any of them were romance stories.  This one definitely was, and contained several steamy love scenes.

 



Pretty sad game last night, but I still love you, Broncos.

 Did a quick little 4" x 6" painting in my Moleskine book this morning.  I wonder what this would look like as a larger painting?

Last night I noticed my water container had a  little yellow plastic ball in it.  Kat had been playing with the ball earlier on the floor.  I got it out, and it is back in there this morning.  ??? The cat is goofy, but playing in the water?  Washing her ball?

Later, I found a dead mouse on the floor.  Kat has been busy.

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Fighting with computer.  It came with some program installed that plays videos, and I don't want it.  I want to play videos with Windows Media Player.  Without asking, this program made itself the default video player, and I can't find the file extension in the Control Panel to change it back. 

I removed the program, and it seems to have removed my videos along with it.  Maybe I can find them on my back up drive and get them back.

Friday

This watercolor painting has been leaning against the wall for a long time.  Yesterday I added the tall trees on the right side.  I almost wish I hadn't, but maybe it looks a little better

My ink pen spent yesterday soaking in its cleaning solution.  I gave it a good rinse and filled it with ink, and am ready to go again.

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I'm reading two books at one time, and shouldn't do that.  Not sure my mind can handle it.  I'm reading a book by Dean Koontz, "Whispers."  Been a long time since I've read Koontz.

The other book is "LOST" by Rob Guthrie. 

I think (hope) I have a commitment from Gene Paul to come work on heat on Monday.  

This was not my idea.  Tracy made me do it.  It's an iPad app, a mouse game made especially for cats.  I don't think my cat quite gets it.  She watches the mouse, she's interested, then she tries to look under the iPad.  Then she starts to chew on it.  The mouse goes "Eeep!" if you touch it.  Kat accidently put her paw on it once, but didn't seem overly impressed.

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Joan D. is showing Vicky's watercolor painting at Art Group yesterday.

Barrie went to the post office for me and delivered the new mats to the art room.  We got some really nice mats, and I wish now I had ordered more small ones.  Lenore and Vicky cleaned and straightened the cupboards.  Shoulda been there, Judi!

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I watched a Carol Burnett DVD last night.  Years ago, I purchased the collector's series, they came once a month, and I have about a dozen of them.  Now, that's my kind of entertainment.  Late last night, I was sitting upstairs, laughing, all by myself.

Learned some interesting things about the cast.  Vicki Lawrence, who was a regular on the show and later had her own series, "Mama's Family", was also a singer.  She recorded the song "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", which sold more than two million records.

On this day in 1971, "All In the Family" debuted on CBS-TV. You can still see these occasionally on TV, but the Crackle.com web site has them also.

Tuesday

  Both Vicky and Lenore sent me this photo.  It is entitled "Real Cowboys Have No Fear".  Cute and funny!

This must be where all our snow went. This is a house in Cordova, Alaska. 

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I'm keeping my drawing pencils and my ink pen busy, but my watercolors are being neglected.  I still don't feel ready to paint sagebrush for my antelope.  I am not doing well, and am not going to ruin the painting because I am impatient.

I am working on the background of the oil painting of the deer in the snow.

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Read a very disturbing news article on the computer this morning.

North Carolina is compensating victims of a mass sterilization program that targeted poor minorities in a 20th century eugenics program, offering a $50,000 a person.

North Carolina sterilized more than 7,600 people in North Carolina from 1929 to 1974 -- one of many other states in misguided attempts to weed out criminals and the mentally disabled.  At some point in the century, more than half of the states in the U.S. had similar programs that allowed for the sterilization of those the government deemed unfit to procreate.

We abhored Hitler for this practice in Europe.  Isn't this the same thing?  Obviously this is a part of U.S. History that is not very well known. 

Monday

It's a wonder I didn't have a heart attack yesterday before the Broncos finally won.  What a game and what a finish!  Barrie and I were both yelling.

Paul and Tracy did not go to the game yesterday.  They sold their tickets. They just got a new TV for Christmas and got it hooked up to the new receiver yesterday, and Tracy said the picture was incredible. They probably got a better view of the game than if they had been there.  Still . . . .She said they both yelled so loud that they scared the cats.

I went through the 100+  photos the Denver Post had this morning, and picked a couple of my favorite to post.

Demaryius Thomas stiff arming the Steelers player in the last play of the game.

 Tebow's reaction after Thomas made the touchdown.

And his reaction after that.  You gotta admire this guy, both for his ball playing abilities, and for  his faith.

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Has anyone heard of or seen the Alphasmart?  It's a portable  word processor, runs on three AA batteries.  I think they're used mostly in education, but writers also use them.  I just won a used one on EBay.  Why?  Darned if I know.  I like gadgets.

Sunday

Here is my latest super duper time waster.  I have started a pen and ink drawing of an elk.  I am doing "stippling method", which means I sit by the hour and make little dots on the paper with my Rapidiograph pen, the x3 one, which is an incredibly fine point.  I kind of hypnotize myself when I do this.  I think it's the kind of activity a person in an institution might do.

Does anyone remember the old WordPerfect program?  It used to be the top of the line word processing program and I used it.  It used keystrokes for commands.  I think F3 was for "cancel" or "undo".  I used it before I had Windows on my computer. (DOS operating system).  I had no idea the program was still around.  Found this on eBay, and they sell for around $40.  Wonder what the program is like now?

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Tracy called yesterday.  They don't have much more snow that we have in Silverthorne  (CO).  They have season tickets to the Broncos and were debating going to Denver to watch the game today.  They weren't too enthused, because its pretty certain the Broncos will get beat.  But I hope those guys surprise everyone.

Friday

My friend Nancy in California sent me some more photos. I'm going to borrow a couple to post today. These were New Year Wishes.

May the worst thing that happens to you come in slobbery pink and furry TAN.

May your cup runneth over with love

Great pictures.  Thanks, Nancy.

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I made beef stew with dumplings last night from the leftover roast I fixed a couple days ago.  I know how to make stew.  You just clean out the refrigerator, right?  Carrots, potatoes and onions of course.  And then add two zucchini that were starting to look shriveled, and two tired looking tomatoes.  And some celery and a few leftover green beans.   And add some spices and a couple bay leaves.  It's recipes that give me a problem.

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I went to Rendezvous Pointe this morning for the oil painting class, and after I sat there a while, I decided I had goofed.  Sure enough, it starts next Friday, not today. 

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Watched a terrible movie last night.  It starred Tom Cruise and Nichole Kidman, so should have been good.  NOT!  Maybe they did a good acting job, but the movie was rotten.  It was called "With Eyes Wide Shut".  

Tonight I plan on watching Sam Elliot in Conager, a good western.  I've seen it before, so I already know he will win the widow's heart in the end.   

Thursday

 Yesterday I posted pictures of the sled dog puppies.  I found this photo of Chloe as a small kitten the other day.  Chloe has been visiting almost every day.  One day, she came upstairs after eating, and actually laid down and went to sleep for a while.  I wouldn't mind having her in the house more, but her hair really triggers my cat allergy.  Still don't know what is so special about Kat's hair, but it doesn't bother me much.

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The continuance of the oil painting class I am taking from Kay Meeks starts for another six weekss tomorrow.  I have taken a long time figuring out what to paint, and I finally decided on a deer in the snow, from a photograph I took years ago when I was still using a film camera. 

I spent yesterday morning in art group practicing painting sagebrush on a new sheet of paper.  Not a lot of success yet.

I like this.  The game of Monopoly really is old.  It was patented in 1933 by Charles Darrow, who later sold his interest to Parker Bros.  The rest is history.



All Grown Up

Here are the puppies as they looked last August, after getting high on fermented chokecherries.

And now they are grown up sled dogs.

Karma

Kori

Kudar

Barrie was on a roll taking pictures at the dog lot.  Here is Kasey and Tank.

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Today is National Trivia Day! In 1948, the stitched “W” was added to the rear pockets of Wrangler jeans to represent Wrangler Western Wear.  Bet ya didn't know that!