Painting Workshop

(I hope to paint this lovely)

This has been a week I can tell you.  I hit the ground running Monday morning and finally last night I was able to sit, just sit.  My head hit the pillow about 8:15 and with a brief wake-up at 9 pm, I then slept until 6:30 this morning.  Monday and Wednesday were of course work and watch Rio days.  Tuesday and Thursday were painting days, but not the usual painting days.  As I posted last time, we, my group of friends, were to paint with Diane Ainsworth at one of our new lease spaces that has not rented yet.  It was quite a learning experience and I felt so free in what I was putting on canvas.  She also critiqued our art, which was a first for me.  I was a bit scared of it but she liked my art and the only suggestion was to "lose the edges more."  That is her impressionistic style which I venture into a lot.


We had a thrill to see the different paints she used and of course I went right out the next day and purchased some more.  Like I need anymore.

The first day we did what she called a thumbnail sketch before we painted.  Her thumbnail was more of a very small scribble but mine was a bit more precise and larger.  Then we did a value scale and then the color.  I chose the nutcracker I brought and plan on painting it on an actual canvas because it was such fun to do. 

The we moved on to still life.  She set up many, many things on the table and I was shocked thinking we were to paint ALL of it but she said that she sets up several things and just picks out parts to paint. WHEW, that was a relief.  I chose the limes in the corner as they "spoke" to me.

She had me give the hint in the background of the brass thing-a-ma-bob and it worked and she loved what I did.  We did a bit of painting of palette knife technique.   

Thursday was portrait or figure drawing.  That I have not really done from a real model since I was 14 years old in 9th grade art.  Her husband, Robert, was our model and quite a good model he was.  Very still he sits.  

Now don't judge as it was definitely a rough go at it but quite fun.

Then she painting a landscape in about 15 minutes....WOW...I had the chance to purchase and should have but just not my style to spend that kind of money.  Even though it was a very good price for what hers normally sell for I just couldn't do it.   

See the space we had, it was just awesome.  The Hubby got on top of the office storage space and took our photo. 

Building Project

 Remember our building project, well, we are done with the new building...

So very excited to be done.  Now we need RENTERS!

It's all clean, heated, spacious and READY!  In fact, since it is still not leased I am hosting a painting workshop for Tuesday and Thursday with some painting friends and a lady I have not met yet.  She will critique and teaching some about impressionistic and portraits.  So very excited and this space is perfect.   Lighting and heat and lots of space.  Her name is Diane Ainsworth and is apparently well known in the art world (I am clueless.  Thank goodness for painting friends.)

Remember when there was NOTHING!

The stone building has been another project.  It is actually where our offices will move to, downstairs.  The guys will actually work out of the end of the metal building. The city and fire marshals are kind giving us some fits with the stone building.  We are probably going to be moving in next week and then all of a sudden they want a new hand rail on the staircase outside and they say it is listed as only storage.  So now we have to deal with an occupancy certificate.  GOOD GRIEF.  We just want to be done and will be when the creative concrete guy (former owner) finishes the floor inside downstairs.  We took out partition walls and that left the floors with unfinished areas.  It is all we need to do.  

The upstairs is DONE.  It is kind of an apartment where we will watch Rio while and I will have an art studio. 

This is a closet that we won't use as a closet and is perfect for a playroom for Rio for now.

Weekend Fun

Yes, I am still here.  Blogging has taken a back seat to my life lately as I'm busier than a "cranberry merchant something, something, something." (A saying my mother used to say.)  Work, painting, watching Rio and last night we hosted a cocktail party for some of our neighbors.  Since we moved in some 8 years ago the houses around us have already been inhabited by new neighbors, we are the old kids on the block so to speak.  So we wanted to get us all together.  Unfortunately, one had dinner plans and another couple were coming until he came home SICK, they were nice enough to stay home.  I was afraid we were going to be by ourselves but the doorbell finally rang and we had a great time.  A cocktail party is fun because it's early enough, and in the middle of the week, so I was in bed by 8:30!  

Sunday's fun on the easel.  I have a couple more, self portrait and another of someone else, but they are not fit to share yet.   

Have I told you that I am going to Scottsdale Artist School in March!  Yup, for an entire week I am attending classes with friends to paint.  Yesterday my special paints arrived!  I'm so excited and I know I will not be able to NOT use these till then.  

Sunday was stew day...yummy...repeat Monday. 

A Day In The Life of Rio

Monday's and Wednesday's while Rio's momma teaches, Rio gets to go to work with Granny (or Hanny, as she calls me now).  We have a wonderful back office full of toys and stuff but yesterday we just never made it back there.  She sat in my chair and watched Peppa Pig on my computer and was quite happy.  At one time she had my red ink pen in her fingers rolling it around oblivious to the leavings of red ink everywhere on her fingers.  When she discovered it she was not happy.

Soon it was time for lunch,  I brought her lunch, leftover spaghetti and meatballs, salad, fresh tomatoes and blueberries.  The blueberries went first (her favorite) and then a couple of bites of spaghetti and I was afraid that was going to be it. 

She brought me her plate and said, "All done." She climbed in my lap and suddenly the fork began again.  

Bite after bite, it quickly gone.  That child is a master with a fork or spoon, most of the time left handed, but definitely switching often.

I was thrilled with the salad part.  She loves salad and this one is so crunchy and good.  She ate it all. 

After our clean plates we went out the shop part and her Granddad was having his lunch and piddling around with one of the vans cleaning it.  The overhead door was open and the day was stunningly beautiful.  We sat on the step and watched a train go by honking it horn, waved at a homeless guy, and soaked up the wonderful fall day.   

When I got my phone ready to snap a picture she quickly put her head on my shoulder and smiled, what a ham.  A pro at the selfie at the age of 2!  Nap was soon after this photo and she went down without a smidge of trouble.  What a darling!

The Bad Seed

Monday morning pink

Well, I bit the bullet and invited Sis and her family to Thanksgiving.  I first sent an email to my Bro-in-Law and then to Mom-In-Law to ask what they thought.  The BIL because I like and wanted to know his thoughts.  The MIL because she was the recipient of the pilfering niece.  BIL said that "if you invite the melon, the seeds will follow!" I loved that response and it was so true.  Gave me a giggle too to think of my sister as the melon and the niece as the seed, THE BAD SEED!  My MIL, absolutely love my MIL.  She is a giving and loving and totally forgiving person.  She said that, "Please do not leave out any loved ones, especially family, they must be loved.  The more the Merrier."  That lady is awesome.  So I took her advice and Monday while at Daddy's I did it.  Oh, I was there paying his bills and all three of us were there trying to figure out all of the bills.  We were a unified set of siblings doing what was right and you know what, it was like old times.  We were laughing and talking and having a good time.  I'm still angry at her by her actions, a lot but she is my sister.  Also, on the loan front, well, that didn't happen she said because apparently she is on some stuff of her daughters and those were defaulted on, BAD CREDIT DEMONS.  Too bad but frankly I'm glad because I didn't want to be hauled into that mess.

Thanksgiving...Maybe

Thanksgiving...yes that time has rolled around yet again and I'm in a bit of a quandary about something, family.  As usual I am hosting the turkey feast but unlike last year we will be missing a few people, maybe.  This is how it is:  Last year I had The Hubby's side of the family and my side of the family, together, like I have done many, many times.  If you go back and read HERE you will see that things did not go well.  My niece totally ruined The Hubby's favorite holiday and a wonderful time we should have had with family.  Stealing and drugs are not part of Thanksgiving for me.  Anyway, I sent an email out to The Hubby's family and we are having Turkey day here yet again, WITHOUT my family.  Bro is having a nice day with his wife's family and hopefully Sis will be too, but that leaves my Daddy.  I will talk to him today and I'm sure he will come to our house whether he drives or someone goes to get him.  He never stays long but he totally enjoys it.  My problem and worry is that Sis will eventually ask what we are doing, "WE" meaning them too, and I DO NOT WANT THEM at my house.  I think the niece is still in rehab in Michigan but I do not want to take the chance she shows up and frankly, I'm so pissed at my sister right now I can't deal with her.

I asked her 2 weeks ago to PLEASE go by Daddy's and call Medicare and his health insurance supplement people to figure out why nothing is getting paid for his home health care visits.  She has yet to do that so I will go this afternoon after work and after watching Rio all day and deal with it.  She works, I work yet I have time, she apparently does not, but she has time to take off Fridays to go get her nails and hair done and to visit the bank to get a loan to pay off her credit card bills.  Yup, I got that phone call last Friday.  She called me and asked if I would do her a favor.  I sort of, reluctantly said "Sure,"  as she wanted me to be a REFERENCE for her as she was getting the loan to pay off her credit cards.  She wanted my address.  I wait for the stuff to come in the mail and then I will call and if it is some kind of a co-signer thing, NO DAMN WAY!  For goodness sake, as Bro put it, why not hock the mountain of jewelry she wears on each and every single finger, including thumbs, oh wait, that is why there is credit card debt.  Plus the Harley her husband had to have and the new Camero she had to have.  DON'T GET ME STARTED!  

Fall Where Are You!

 It seems that summer is having a hard time leaving and letting fall have her way this year.  Yet, I did find some color in our backyard, through the looking glass.  Around our backyard The Hubby has mounted lots of different mirrors on the fence.  He finds them at estate sales, flea market and garage sales.  There is a restaurant here called Sonoma we love to eat at and in there is a wall of mirrors we love to look at.  The Hubby got the bright idea and so we have a fence of mirrors I love.  Anyway, I noticed this shrub through some of the mirrors and was in love with it.  A bit of fall!  The weather people are saying temperatures in the 90's for the next few days.  Wow, shorts still.

We also have some planters with some flowers still peaking their sweet heads.  Gonna have to paint this I think. 

I know I haven't posted a Rio picture lately but it's because I haven't seen my darlin' for nearly a week.  Seems she and her momma and daddy have been quite ill.  They have had the dreaded FLU I think and I have steered clear.  Poor babies.  YUCK!  Yesterday I finally got my flu shot and tetanus and hopefully I have not been exposed.  I have to see Daddy and I can't be sick around him.  

So next week it will be back to watching her again and I can't wait for the hugs and kisses.

Workshop Time

Yes it was again workshop time with the wonderful Kelli Folsom.  

I'm very pleased with this one.  It was fun and I really got into it this time.  There have times when I get so frustrated in these classes but this time I seemed to have a lot more confidence in my ability and I think (hope) it shows.  

This one is called:

"Four P's:  Pumpkin, Peppers, Persimmon and Peppers" 

Then Saturday I was asked to set up at the Grilles and Grills in Broken Arrow to just do a painting demo.  I could also sell if I wanted.  That didn't happen, but I did get a lot of painting done and visited with lots of people.  I was great fun. 

Dreamland

I can't believe it but for the past two nights now I have slept, slept like a baby!  Dreams and sleep, awwwwww, I feel great this morning, actually I'm a bit groggy with SLEEP!  It is  a wonderful feeling rested.  

(OLD pictures)

I don't know for sure if it's the weather change or just that my body is doing it, but one thing I did change was meds.  No, not sleep meds, but several months ago a friend was talking about her blood pressure medicine, the same one I take, and she said that she started taking it at night because of fluttering heart when she took it in the morning.  So I started taking mine at night too.  Well, a couple of nights ago I went back to the morning regimen and think THAT may be the key.  I know it's only been a couple of nights but so far so good.  This being said I have always had the sleep issues.  When a young I didn't sleep well either, being the only one awake in the house for hours and hours and hours.  Let's just say my mother didn't like doors shut in the house and Sis and my bedroom was RIGHT NEXT to my parents room....no more explanation needed.  

Here's to SLEEP!

Change Is Good

This week I decided I needed a change.  I have been growing my hair for a couple of years now and really love braiding it and wearing it up in a ponytail.  I just got tired of the flat the top of my head had and the blandness of my hair.  The really bad side was that I was so tired of washing it and you know long hair takes a lot more shampoo to clean it up and on that subject, I have horribly oily hair so washing it meant every single day.  Oh, I would go a day but the greasy was too much for me.    

So bye-bye to the long and braided...

Someone on Facebook suggested Locks Of Love but I color my hair and that is not accepted. 

Here's to the new me and I LOVE IT!

(Wish the bra strap was hidden!)

Sleepless, YET AGAIN!

Sleepless in Tulsa, YET AGAIN!  Last night I dropped off to sleep about 11:30 but 12:30 my bladder decided, "UP, UP, UP!" So I obeyed but when I hit the pillow again it was toss and turn, toss and turn.  Then The Hubby's cell phone he left in the living room kept dinging with text messages.  Until finally at 2:30 (yes, I tossed and turned that long) he woke up and I told him about the phone.  Who the HECK was sending him texts at that time.  It was a group one from some of the dance people.  Figures.  Finally, about 3:30 I drifted off but of course the cell phone alarm goes off at 4:45 for us to get up and work out.  EGADS!  I thought I could roll over and dose off but the living room television was then on and LOUD and the bathroom light left on and the ceiling fan had been turned off......I'M UP ALREADY!  

This will be a long day as I'm watching Rio from 8:30 till about 2:30 while her momma teaches.  Plus The Hubby is having his dance partner and her mother over for practice and dinner, so that means, I have to clean house.  Fortunately we are having Papa Murphy's Pizza so that is easy yet the house,  THE HOUSE!  It will all work out.  My plan today is that I will pick up Rio as her momma has to take a cat to the vet who is sick.  We will come back to the house and Rio can play with her "truck." 

She runs through the house with this thing ninety to nothing.  The house is big, wood floors and she loves it.

This picture was from a year ago, on Rio's 1st birthday.

Last Wednesday our little precious package turned 2.  Her great-grandmother, MiMi had her birthday the day before and Rio's mommy's was the Wednesday before.  September is full of birthdays for us, sister-in-law included.

Saturday they had an official party to celebrate!