February Faces

I’ve decided to join the 29 Faces Challenge.

For several reasons….

 1.       Because I LOVE drawing faces!

 2.      Because I need more practice drawing faces.

 3.   Because it will give me a much needed break from thinking of things to write about for a few weeks. I’ll be able to recharge my batteries (and try and remember more family stories….)

Starting tomorrow I will post a face a day for February.

No matter how bad they are, I pinky swear to post each and every attempt.

And I have lofty ambitions to try different media! 

(Can you say ‘disaster’? LOL)

So here goes.

Jumping in with both feet!

Wheeeeee……

PS Happy Chinese New Year! 

Meet Peter Lorre and His Family

The drawing App I use on Tablet ‘SketchbookPro’ has an option for symmetrical drawing. 

It splits the screen in half either vertically or horizontally. 

Anything you draw on one side of the screen is mirrored on the other.

It’s hysterical!

I was fooling around with the possibilities and these guys popped out.

I giggle every time!

One of them morphed into Peter Lorre….all on his own, I swear!

So I named them accordingly.

Wordless Wednesday

Achievements

Sometimes I think we forget to look at the things we have achieved.

We’re so busy making the ‘bucket lists’ and rushing headlong onto the next ‘to do’ that we don’t stop and take the time to appreciate what we’ve accomplished.

I decided to list some of the things I’ve actually done since starting on this artsy adventure.

When I first started taking online classes I was convinced I could NOT draw.

I had tried and failed miserably before.

Then I took a class from Carla Sonheim and I actually drew!

Although it wasn’t very good, it was mine. And I liked it.

I have come to love my style.

Next I took a watercolor class from Jane Lafazio.

And I learned how to draw more realistically.

I’m still not as good as I’d like to be but from that class I have gone from tentative pencil drawing and lots of erasing to sketching IN PEN!  No underlying pencil first.

Something I NEVER thought I’d be confident enough to do.

Another check off the list.

I’ve joined online challenges and actually shown my work! √

I’ve gained the courage to enter a few shows. √

I’ve been accepted into a show. √

I made my first gallery sale. √

I’ve submitted things to magazines for publication. √  (still working on this one.)

But I think the value is in the submitting, because that’s the scariest part! (Although I have no doubt being published will be awesome! LOL)

There are still lots of things on my list I want to do but when I get discouraged and think I’m not getting anywhere I’ll stop and take the time to see how far I’ve really come.

I think everyone should do this; you’ll be surprised to see just how much you’ve really accomplished!

Funny Story----Or Disturbing, Depending On How You Look At It

Let me preface this by saying he’s alright.

It’ 3:18 AM. 

I know this because something just woke me out of a sound sleep and I’ve looked at the clock.

Husband is not on his side of the bed.

Not unusual.

Three AM is around his usual get up to 'go peeps' time.

But then I notice something odd.

Husband is on the floor!

I’m both horrified and amused.

I figure he must have fallen out of bed (in which case I have YEARS of ribbing to look forward to.)

Being the good wife I am, I stay in bed and casually ask, “You okay?”

He gets up and stumbles into the bathroom.

When he finally returns I ask again, “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

He says his foot was asleep when he got up to go to the bathroom and he stumbled and fell.

I guess the noise of him falling is what woke me up.

He’s okay.

His foot hurts, but its okay.

I, on the other hand am……concerned, troubled, worried and…… just slightly tickled to be able to tease him about it!

(Hey, turnabout is fair play! He kids me ALL the time!)

Update: He is fine. Just a sleepy klutz!

And So We Bid a Fond Farewell to Fugitive Friday…..

…..because I can’t think of any more crimes that aren’t either creepy or lewd. 

And I didn’t think you’d want to hear about the guy who was arrested for ‘dating’ {wink, wink....nudge, nudge} his neighbor’s pool toy! True story……only in Florida………

He must go around singing 'If I could buy a blow up doll I could call my own ♫♪♫♪♫.....' 

Oh wait, that's not how it goes.....

Help! I can't stop myself!

So for the good of all, and before I do any more harm...this has been the last Fugitive Friday. 

The Trash Can Contest Continues….

Remember how I told you I dropped the garbage cans one day as I was rolling them back up the driveway and our neighbor saw me?

And how he felt it must have been his fault because I was trying to wave to him at the time, so he took it upon himself to race me to the cans in the morning to retrieve them?

I decided to let him.

Because I’m nice like that!

But since Husband’s retirement he feels it’s his job to take care of the garbage cans, both putting them out and bringing them back.

Mr. Neighbor must still believe it’s his duty.

So now it’s become a contest between the two of them!

Husband runs out on Sunday night and puts all four of our combined cans at the end of our respective driveways.

Then in the morning they race each other (practically at the crack of dawn) to fetch them.

Husband comes in the house grinning, saying, “I beat him!”

And when Mr. Neighbor beats Husband he actually gets a hangdog look.

It must be a boy thing.

I don’t get it!

Wordless Wednesday

I Got Pink Eye from the G*ddamn DMV

Sounds like the title for a country western song doesn't it........?

Exercise—the Decision

I need to take up a sport.

The doctor said so.

But which one?

It’s a tough decision.

How about golf? Nah, first of all golf costs too much, second- it’s stupid.

Tennis? Too sweaty, plus you need a partner and my wrists are weak.

Volleyball? …..really? Where would I get the other players?

Running? Nope, too hard on joints.

Biking? I sold my bike years ago….

Roller blading? Tried it…..I have no discernible balance.

Yoga? Every time I try ‘downward facing dog’ I get a muscle cramp.

Dancing…..I’ve been told never to dance……ever. (Think Seinfeld.)

Kayaking….that requires going outdoors.

Ice skating: see roller blading.

Skiing…We live in Florida.

Water skiing…requires costly equipment.

Martial arts….um, no.

Swimming….this is the top contender if I can squeeze myself into a bathing suit. (I’ll keep you posted.)

So I’ve narrowed it down to these requirements:

Doesn’t need costly (or any) equipment.

Is a solitary endeavor (I don’t like crowds.)

No fees.

No sweating involved.

I think I’ve got it!

Does solitaire count as a sport? 

Fugitive Friday

BWAAAAAWK

HENNY has finally arrived! 

I am over the moon in love with this little book! (and Henny!) 
I can't even begin to express how WONDERFUL it is! 
Oh wait, yes I can.....

This is the review I gave it on Amazon:

BEYOND WONDERFUL

Having gotten to know Elizabeth Rose Stanton from her blog I was sure her first book was going to be something special. I was wrong! It is BEYOND special. It’s heartwarmingly WONDERFUL. A story of differences, acceptance and soaring accomplishment. Not only is this a great story for children, Elizabeth has thrown in details that will tickle the funny bone of even the most cantankerous curmudgeon! A storybook for all ages (one that doesn’t set your teeth on edge from its sweetness) is a rare find these days. Kudos to Simon and Schuster for recognizing an up and coming author/illustrator that has something to say and a unique way of saying it!

YOU MUST GET THIS BOOK! (even if you have no children in your life, trust me your inner child will thank you!) ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Wordless Wednesday

Bureaucracy Squared

Florida has implemented a rather thorough driver’s license renewal process due to the fact that up until recently a dead person could get a license in this state.

My time has come.

They were kind enough to send me a reminder stating all the necessary paperwork that would be needed;

Old license,

Government issued birth certificate with raised seal,

Social security card (non laminated),

And two documents proving place of residence with MY name on them (i.e. bills.)

I was prepared.

These all sat on my desk for weeks while I tried to mentally steel myself for the adventure.

(Oh for the good ole days of impersonal online renewals.)

Yesterday I made a last minute decision to get it done.

I jumped in the car at 3PM, documents in hand, and went off to find the new drivers license office.

Things were going very well.

I found the office.

I got the first parking space in the lot.

It was unusually close to the door. (In hindsight I should have known things were going too well.)

I went into the office and followed the ‘rope maze’ and stood in line.

A very nice older gentleman sitting at the desk called me over and asked what I needed.

“I need to renew my license AND I have all my necessary paperwork!” I said proudly, as I proceeded to dump it out on his desk.

He looked at my papers and said “Marriage license?”

My triumphant smile slid from my lips and I blinked.

“Marriage license, or divorce papers or a valid passport.”

“Why?”

“Your name is different than this birth certificate.”

No s**t Sherlock!

I’m a sixty year old married woman! 

Of course my name is different than my birth certificate!

I mean my name is the same I just tacked on another one; my husband’s!......is what I thought but didn’t say because…. it’s not his fault.

So I schlepped all the way home, parked the car, went in the house, got the combination to the safe (because I can never remember it),  opened the safe, found our marriage license, closed the safe, went back out to the car and……….

decided it was too late to try and race back before the office closed.

I’ll try again tomorrow.

Or maybe I’ll just give up driving……..

Hope Springs Eternal

Construction is starting to pick up here in our neck of the woods.

I find it exciting. Not the houses being built, the commercial construction.

It’s like looking forward to Christmas. Or your birthday.

Wondering what you’re going to get as a present.

One day as Husband and I were running errands we happened to pass a new construction site.

“Oh boy!” I exclaimed. “Look! They’re building something new!”

My mind was racing with thoughts of the possibilities. It wasn’t going to be another strip mall, or dollar store. You could tell that just by looking.

AND they were leaving a big area for a parking lot!

A stand alone building with a large parking lot!

“Maybe it’s going to be a Barnes & Noble!” I squealed!

Months go by and every time we pass the site my anticipation grows.

Yesterday as we were passing it looked like they were beginning to work on the inside.

Several large tractor trailers were parked nearby.

I had visions of containers full of shiny new books, magazines, Kindles…….. ♫♪♫♪♫♪Hosannas♫♪♫♪♫♪

Later that evening as I was watching TV, Husband looked up from his laptop and said, “Brace yourself. I found out what that building is going to be.”

My heart skipped a beat as I looked lovingly at my husband.

He took off his glasses and solemnly said……. “It’s going to be a GoldenCoral.’

A Golden Coral?????????

My heart sank!

I can hear the city council now, “Hey guys, I have a great idea! Lets’ bring in some businesses that will promote our city and make it a well known destination for vacationers and people looking for a cultured retirement destination. Let’s build a Golden Coral!”

Okay, I applaud them for giving work to the construction industry. I think it’s great that it will provide employment for people. It’s wonderful it will bring in revenue for the city……

But would it kill them to build a bookstore?

Fugitive Friday

A Legend in Her Own Mind

I have a fantasy.

A solo gallery show of my faces.

Simply matted in white.

Running down both sides of the gallery.

So many they have to be hung touching one another.

Since it seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.........

And because it makes me happy.....

I created my own 'gallery'.

I’m a legend in my own mind…. ba-dum-tssh!

Wordless Wednesday

(original photo, not photoshopped)

♥♥♥ Friends ♥♥♥

I am so lucky to know so many talented artists!

And luckier still that they share their art with me!

I LOVE when I go to the mailbox and it holds a wonderful little jewel like this!

Whenever I’m feeling low and need a burst of color to lift my mood I head over to ‘jogatheringwild’ where my friend Jo posts her scrumptious collages.

She never fails to wow me and give me the kick in the pants I need to get off my duff and go DO SOMETHING! 

Not to mention bring a smile to my face every time!

Thanks Jo! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 

My wall of friends is growing and I’m thrilled! 

How do I love thee……..

How do I love thee……..

Let me count the ways

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my pen can reach

When out of sight my love extends to search for thee

I love thee to the level of every day’s’ most quite need to draw

By sun and candlelight

I love thee freely as I strive for improvement

I love thee purely as you do not judge

I love thee with a passion that I have not felt since youth

I love thee deeply as you are transportable

I love thee with the stylus, muse and imagination of all my life

And if the Admin choose, I shall love thee even more after updates

(Forgive me Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

Fugitive Friday

Oh Tannenbaum!

Our house up north was built pre-WWII, as a summer cottage.

Because it was built as a summer cottage they left out one important item……insulation.

Not so important if you’re only there in warmer months, but a rather vital item for year round living.

Especially since the lot it sat on was subject to the wailing winter winds that blew off the Great South Bay.

We didn’t know all this when we bought the house.

We just fell in love with it and nothing else mattered.

We found out the first winter.

With our Christmas tree.

We placed the tree in the corner of the living room.

In those days I was a purist and I hung icicles on the tree.

After I had finished decorating I stood back to admire my work and……..

The tree looked crooked.

I thought we had leveled it in its stand before I started decorating.

But it still looked…..odd.

But the ornaments were straight; it was just the icicles that were ‘leaning’.

What…..?

Wait, they’re not leaning……they’re BLOWING in the wind that is coming through the cracks between the paneling!

And I swear to God they were at a 45 degree angle to the tree!  

(That spring we insulated!)

Wordless Wednesday