Workshop - Day 3

Day three of he workshop with Derek Penix and it was plein air painting.  Thankfully the weather cooperated with a bit of wind.  It was a bit chilly when not in the sun but I enjoyed sitting in the sun while he created.

It is amazing how he looks at things, sees the light and dark and starts swiping on color to create.

I know it's blurry but this is the final tree he did in a couple of hours. 

Side note:  I had to boogie out of actually painting plein air to head home and get ready for our evening out the the DVIS Monarch Ball.  The plan was a dress and pumps but my ankles have been bothering me and the knee was just still too wobbly so flats and fancy pants and I was ready.  We danced, yes I danced with The Hubby.  I told him no spinning and twirling but he didn't hear so I spun and twirled to the best of my knee would do.  Unfortunately, a neighboring man with heels on his shoes stopped all the dancing when he CRUSHED the top of my foot.  I know it's hard to see but the top of my foot is now green, orange, red, rust, blue and black.   

Workshop: Day 2

Yesterday we did birds.  I brought one of my own photos to ensure that I can sell it with the confidence that it is MINE!  When you do workshops and the artists provide their photos, well, the painting is not truly your creation.  

I am very pleased with my little goldfinch.  

My first attempt here was awful and I totally had to scrape the whole off and start over.  I'm glad I did because I so love this one now and so did Derek!  

Today will be plein air painting, which means "outside", I think.  We will find a tree and some scenery around the Carriage House and drag the paint box to paint.  Not sure I will like that but we'll see.

Art Workshop

Yesterday and for the rest of the week I have and will be in a wonderful workshop given by renowned American Impressionist Derek Penix.  He is local and Tulsa should be very proud that he lives here and we can claim him.  

We met the first three hours of this 3 day workshop in his studio (I covet).  I was in awe at the ease of his painting strokes and technique.  It is amazing that he just starts swiping (drawing) and ends up with an amazing painting. 

After sitting mesmerized by his skills we ventured over to the Carriage House behind the Garden Center at Woodward Park to begin applying what we observed.

This is what I managed to accomplish from one of his photos from his travels to the French Riviera.  It definitely has a long ways to go to look like his stuff but I like it so far.  I know there is paint on the thing but he wants me to apply MORE, MORE, MORE!  Maybe today I will.  We're also going to paint birds today, another of his specialties.   

He also was selling a lot of his "studies" and I was lucky enough to acquire these two lovelies. 

Happy Easter

Feeling nostalgic today...

Ommmmm, Ommmmm, Ommmmm

 Today I am saying Ommmm, Ommmm, Ommmm...

It is time to release my anger from yesterday and remember the good stuff and just go on.  Mainly because I have a doctors appointment and I want my blood pressure to be down, down, down.  So I will focus on my painting and the beauty that is out there.

Tuesday was the usual art day and I start this little jewel of Rio.  It's going to be so sweet.

Last week I finished these beauties.  I call it 3 Fruits. 

This past weekend we went to the cabin and the beauty of the dogwoods is fantastic.

These pretty in pink dogwoods belong to our neighbors in town and overhang in our yard.  Aren't I lucky!

Our front yard is just awash in this lovely color from the tulips.   

I went out Tuesday and snapped tons of pictures and hopefully they will grace a canvas or two. 

Happy Thursday all.  Ommmmm, Ommmmm, Ommmmmm...

HIPAA SCHMIPPA

HIPAA SCHMIPPA....I am PISSED!

Daddy and the doctor...Yes, yesterday we had another doctor appointment as Daddy is still not well.  He apparantly is anemic and his blood volumne, platelets...something is down, down, down, low blood pressure.  I know they have given him blood before and he was on iron when he was in the hospital/skilled nursing care, yet they have neglected to tell us why.  Hi count should be over 12 I think they said, his is 8.  7 and they will do blood transmission.  Anyway, the clinic still did not have my phone as the contact from a month ago.  The only thing they changed was to put the word CELL by Daddy's home phone number.  The problem is he rarely answers the phone and flat won't talk on it.  Explains why I have not been called to set him up with a cardiologist.  Now we had to get an appointment for a colonscopy, another referrel.  Today I decided to wait and see what was going to happen.

The phone rang and finally got the referral for the colonscopy and it is all set up.

NOW why I am so mad. Since the gastro place called I was afraid that they may not have pushed the heart doc referral so I called the clinic. I just got a call that "we're afraid that we cannot discuss anything with you because there is no HIPPA form or verbal that they can." I told the lady that I didn't have an issue scheduling the other appointment, just scheduling. She still insisted. Then I said, "look they just called my Daddy and he could not hear and then they called my number." She still could not help because there is NO HIPPA FORM or verbal, she needed to witness. I said I was JUST IN THAT DAMN OFFICE AND THE DOC AND THE NURSE AND THE RECEPTIONIST just saw me interacting with my Daddy and helping and they told me this was fine. She told me I had to bring him back in and fill the HIPPA form out in front of them. CRAAAAAP! Good grief, why did they not have us fill out that form the two times we have been there. I will have to go get him next week and take him to that damn office just to say 'YES, talk to my daughter."

MADDER than a wet hen I am.  

Winter WHAT!

Okay, I want to know WHO turned the winter back on.  This past weekend was awesome at the cabin.  We've missed several weekends there so took full advantage to get away and see friends there.  The weather was so gorgeous and we even slept with the windows open both nights.  Awwww, I so love spring.  I have a lot of stuff to do in the yard there but just couldn't get it together to do anything but sit and enjoy the spring, or what I thought was spring.  The weather people started saying that along with the rains last night the temperatures were going to drop and I mean DROP!  So on the way back to town I was bound and determined to get some more wall-o-water's to protect my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  Luckily I stopped by Daddy's and he had three of the things I had given him a couple of years ago that he was not going to use.  Yippee, I only had to buy 6 more.  In all I have 18 wall-o-water's protecting my crops and yesterday when I arrived home I immediately set them up!  Bring it on Mother Nature, I'm ready.
Interesting conversation this weekend at our cabin on Saturday night.  Remember I have been growing my hair long.  "My your hair is getting long.  How long are you going to grow it."  My response, "Well, you know I had it down to here (I point to my butt) when I met The Hubby." Someone pipes up, "Long hair on older women looks stupid." Uhhhhh, I kind of was taken back and didn't know what to say.  Oh well, long hair here I come anyway.  Love the honesty of my friends, I think.  LOL!

Random 5 Friday

I'm Baaaccck...yes it is that time and Nancy from A Rural Journal is hosting Random 5 Friday.

Here's mine:  

  

1.  Life has been good this week, and tiring.  Watching the kiddo a few times is great fun and tiring.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  When she says "UP" in the cute way and gives hugs and kisses...Oh man, heaven.

2.  Had dinner with our first neighbors from 37 years ago last night.  It's wonderful we are still friends.  We're also still friends with our neighbors from our second house and on Saturday I saw our neighbors from the third house and we hugged and hugged.  This house, our fourth is no exception.  We've made great friends with all of our neighbors and as of this week one household has moved but we are already having drinks at their new house next week.  Friends are just grand and it does take work to keep the connections together but SOOOO worth it for a lifetime of friends.

3.  Been a reading fool lately.  I've discovered an author I really like.  Julie Hyzy who writes the White House Chef Mysteries which I've read every one.  She has also written the Manor House Mysteries and I've already gone through the first one and nearly done with the second.  They are very light reading without any bad words or sex or ICK!  They are wonderful for vacation and taking a break reads.

4.  I just saw that Doris Day is 90 years old.  Really, I didn't know she was still with us but glad.  I so love her movies and one of my favorites is "Please Don't Eat the Daisies." In fact, I went to Amazon almost immediately and purchased a few of her movies, that one in particular.  I love, LOVE, LOVE old movies and they just don't make them like that anymore.  I have to admit that I'm a kid still too when it comes to movies, watching animated ones all the time.  Goonies is my favorite!

5.  Had the gray hidden again yesterday and I'm not sure I'm happy.  It's a new guy and I'm not sure I'm just real happy with him at all.  First, this is our second appointment and the first one he was 30 minutes late.  Yesterday I arrived on time, in fact 10 minutes early, 9 a.m.  The doors were locked until five till but soon I was inside, waiting again.  Finally, at nearly 9:20 he arrives in a rush, without nary an apology for being late, AGAIN!  Okay, I'll give this to him.  He foils me up and then trims up some, which I love the cut but the blonde.  Well, I'm really blonde, kind of white blonde instead of golden blonde.  Not sure I like that but I will live with it until the next appointment of which I'm sure he will be late, AGAIN!

Wordless Wednesday

Bowling Girl

Last night we were invited to a birthday party for a dear friend and it was a bowling party at the Dust Bowl downtown.  I have NOT picked up my bowling ball in probably 4 years and my knee this morning is telling me about it but not as bad as I thought.  It was great fun and a great place.

This is one of the party shots and I was thrilled because for the first time in many years I feel like the weight loss is showing in photos.   

I mean look at the difference in my arms alone.  It is AWESOME!

Planting Has Begun

All of these pictures say everything I am feeling right now.  SPRING!  I couldn't be happier that gardening time is here.  

My new lilacs are popping and the very old one we moved when we added on to the house. 

I really went totally overboard at the greenhouse on Friday and got tomato plants, along with peppers, cucumbers and various herbs.  I know it's early. 

But I had a lot of help and my Wall-O-Water's to make the transition to warmer temperatures.  I've used these things for years and they really work.  I also don't have enough and need to go back to the greenhouse to buy more (hope they have them)! 

Clayton was great help along with the robin in the previous picture.  See if you can spot her.

What is amazing is that I tilled and hoed and pulled weeds and planted over 15 plants but got up this morning without nary an ache or pain!  That is great progress after 25 pounds of weight gone.  

Computers

Think I'm going to try and post something EVERYDAY for a bit.  I see that my posts are read but not many comment, but I'm okay with that.  

Yesterday I went into the office early to get payroll done and tons of bills paid.  Funny thing though, when you keep getting those emails telling you that you need to put in your new credit card info because it is set to expire and you ignore it....DON'T IGNORE IT!!!!  Good grief.  I arrived at the office about 7:35 p.m. and opened my Quickbooks program and was getting ready to start processing our employees paychecks but the familiar button that says to process payroll was NOT THERE!  I knew immediately that I had F....d UP!  I don't say that lightly but I did.  I just ignored the emails because when I looked, my credit card was okay, but I was looking at the wrong place.  Anyway, I was stuck trying to update the info but the darn thing would not let me finish.  Kept asking for the country but wouldn't let me enter it.  Then I was on the hunt for a phone number but I could not find it.  So I got the Intuit checks out and called the number and was quickly put through to the proper people. Thank goodness.  A guy named Mark with Intuit/Quickbooks was SO helpful and got it fixed right away.  WHEW!  I was up and running and the familiar button was there within 15 minutes.  I HATE when my day starts like that.  I have to tell you that they may be hard to get hold of but the support I have had with various problems with QB has been awesome.  Sometimes I know I have talked to India but not lately and all of them have been awesome to help and get all of my problems solved quickly and without much effort.  Last fall my QB crashed horribly just before a big payroll but it was up and running within an hour.  Of course I had to upgrade my program but I was okay with that. 

Random 5 Friday

Random 5 Friday.  I'm seem to only be able to do this lately as far as writing goes, but that is okay.

1.  Missing a lot of exercise days with my trainer and I'm not sure exactly why.  There are several reasons:  sickness, allergies, sleeping, work, just getting bored with it.  I don't know if I need to add more or less or what but I do know that the sleep thing is getting more priority.

2.  Spring is kind dragging it's feet getting here because on Tuesday I was FREEZING and Wednesday when I dressed for the chilly I was BURNING up.  It's time to layer I guess.  Spring storms have been threatening all week so we now go into tornado watching season.

3.  Getting excited to spend a whole week at the cabin, all by myself.  I did it a couple of years ago and it was THE BEST!  I'm not sure when it will happen yet because I have to wait for Bri's classes to end because I watch Rio.  Soon, very soon!

4.  Farmer's Markets start up around here this weekend and since we're staying in town, think I may have to venture to one.  Maybe Bri and Rio and I will go.  I have a cute little shopping cart and will bring my camera for possible painting shots.  Bring on the veggies!

5.  Do they still make "Paint-By-Number" projects?  I was just looking at the one my momma did as a child and the thought occurred to me.