I'm Back...Again - Maybe

I'm going to try this "I'm Back" thing again.  I shut my blog down after getting over 600 likes on one post and this happened because I asked a question about you know, that highway kind of word.  It scared the crap out of me to think bots or something nefarious was out there watching me.  I'm just a regular ole' joe just tip-tapping away on my keyboard with my own life, my own opinions.  

So, yes, I've been absent since the first of June sometime.  Life has rambled on with not much happening except the usual summer stuff, grandkiddos, food, painting, cabin life and the world happenings.  I'll try to update a bit here I hope.  

It's hot, but what can you expect, it's summer and it's Oklahoma.  I'm okay with the hot but the weather people are ridiculous in their reporting like it's doomsday.  IT'S SUMMER you numb-nuts!  Global warming and all that but what can we do except keep working on the emissions and what not, our fine government in action or at least trying.  If we let the Orange-Slice in and his Orange-peel factions, we might be more doomed sooner than later.  (Soapbox opinions!)

Painting, yes I have been back to painting again and a lot of sketching.  I'm working on a project so the sketching is where I'm spending most of my artistic time as of late.  It's really fun and takes me back to some roots that I have needed to hone again.  

I took a three day drawing class at the Garden Center which was where the push has helped me to get back to it.  I sort of learned some stuff but really it was there, just needed to be pulled out of my brain again, and that helped.  I've also been doing the occasional Thursday live model (nudes) drawing and did an all day Saturday one, a long pose.  Those Thursday night things are fantastic and really push me to make marks on the paper that really count.  

Then this past week I did a three day landscape oil painting workshop with the fabulous (very young) Kyle Ma.  He stuff is fantastic but honestly, he's too young.  I really didn't learn a whit from him but it was fun to watch him paint, and it goes on my art resume!  I started this hay bale painting in the workshop.  Yesterday I went back to the easel and reworked the whole thing.  I love it now.  He touched it, but only one swipe and I've already painted over the swipe in a direction I wanted to go in.

"Field of Dreams"

9x12 oil

I did finish this one a few weeks ago after the drawing class.  We went outside to take photos of flowers and I found this little area I fell in love with and had to paint it.  

That painting workshop was difficult and finally Sunday when everyone left for lunch, I went home.  Honestly the lady that sat next to me, PTO, was in a pickle.  She is so sweet, a bit dingy, and a horrible painter, just HORRIBLE!  She cannot see value, nor can she draw.  I watched her the first day trying to recreate a Monet painting of lavender fields.  The painting was all muted so it was hard to see value, especially for someone who can't.  PTO took from the same instructor I took from at Ziegler's for years and that instructor basically only taught retired ladies (some men) who wanted to paint in their free time.  He didn't really teach the stuff you need to know so when the students got stuck he would sit down and paint on their paintings.  They would then take the finished paintings home and present them to their family and friends art that THEY CREATED!  In fact, it was all the instructors paintings.  PTO was one of those people.  The whole workshop Kyle would sit at her easel and just look at it, confused.  He would try to make marks but there was no helping it.  By Saturday afternoon he just sat there and then said she needed to learn values, to draw.  She proceeded to show him all kinds of "her" paintings (privately telling me one was a BLUE RIBBON painting!)  He finally said, "I don't know what you want me to say."  He got up and walked away.  

You see, our previous instructor did a disservice to PTO and all of his students who couldn't paint.  I know he is just trying to make a living but it is lying and then you end up with PTO just devastated and humiliated but what happened Saturday to her.  She was embarrassed and mortified by the whole thing and I could hardly sit and watch it.  Then my friend, who NOW teaches since our former instructor has moved to Florida, is perpetuating these lies so she can make a buck.  I have a hard time with that kind of lying.  It's just not fair and has really made my heart hurt for PTO and the others. 

Okay, enough already of my venting.  I've been away too long.  

Monday Morning Ramble

Good Monday morning all.  Yes still rehabbing from hip surgery but it's close to seeing the end of this ordeal.  Physical therapy was here bright and early this morning and she had me already sign that I would be released from PT on Friday!!!  That's exciting.  The Hubby seems to think I'm going to have a ton of outpatient PT but she said normally that happens on knees not hips!!! Wednesday, before all the ice that is supposed to be here, we go to my post-op where they will take out the stiches and I should be released to drive!!!  She said that the stiches are very ready to come out.  I looked at it today and the scar is really nice.  There are 14 stitches and they are quite pretty.  I'm moving around very nice and will probably continue to use the walker a bit more just for the stability, mainly because my stupid knee is giving me fits.  I was on arthritis meds during the first part of this and felt great but now that the prescription has run out for that my joints are hurting.  My knee, my elbows, my hands, my SHOULDER which I have to sleep on.  Can't wait to be able to sleep on the surgery side.  I'm hoping she will extend that prescription and if not I see my general doctor in a couple of weeks who may prescribe it.  I want to keep being able to move, move, move and it's difficult when the knee is screaming.  I'm not ready to have it replaced, yet.  

We were able to toddle off to the cabin on Friday, a welcome relief to different four walls.  I'm spending a lot of time here at home by myself and it's quite boring now.  I've read two books, started another, napped, watched a LOT of TV, binge watched the second season of Sweet Magnolia's and I'm need something else.  The cabin was nice.  Fire roaring, friends over for drinks on Friday afternoon, it was nice.  The weekend wasn't without a bit of drama though.  Saturday night we went to John & Lesa's for dinner, beer can burgers, yum!  While there one of the ladies, who is a sports FANATIC to the MAX was of course going on about OSU basketball, then while we were beginning to watch a movie she wanted to watch the Olympics instead.  Okay.  Then she said she was recording it (then why are we watching it) and that she would watch it later at home.  I popped off and said, "You're recording it to watch later?!"  She replied, "that all the talking we were doing she didn't want to miss any of it."  I verbally did an glach sound to which she said that wasn't very nice.  Sorry girl but you force me EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND to watch damn sports, whether it's football, basketball or whatever and now Olympics, no matter who's cabin we are at.  It just takes me back to being a child and my father only watching the crap and us not allowed to watch anything (one television in the house.)  I have hit the point of total resentment to her on this crap.  

Then the evening took another dark turn.  One of the other ladies wanted to have a discussion (mind you a bit of bubbly was on board for some) on a news story in the headlines.  She was just curious what we thought, posed a question about the Elizabeth Holmes-Theranos scandal.  She posed what/who does it benefit that she go to jail for 20 years - since the trial began she had a child that will never know it's parent for 20 years.  She was just curious and want some feedback from what she thought were intelligent women.  First mistake there.  The sports fanatic would not let her even get the question out, the story.  Every time she would start sports girl would interrupt and say guilty, send her to jail, or give a thumbs down, to the point that the questionier was then in tears and walked out the door.  Sports gal was so smug in her answer even though the question had not even really been asked, no discussion could be had.  It made the evening end on such a sour note.  The first time I met sports fanatic I thought she was so nice and sweet but over the years my opinion has certainly changed about her and definitely not in a good light.  So we will skip next weekend for The Hubby to dance and that will be okay with me.  I need a break from the STUPID drama.  

 

It's Just My Opinion

It's just my opinion but really, Rosie O'Donnell used to be a comedian.  I don't watch The View but I do catch the news, FaceBook, Entertainment Tonight and read People and folks the lady is not funny anymore.  She wants to take a stand on everything and argue with everyone.  Really, not funny anymore, just a sour woman with a lot of money to have a chance to stand on a soap box, A LOT!  It's just my opinion.