watercolor every week

new summer challenge is to complete a watercolor ever week this summer. I have an opportunity to show some work at the famers market and I want to have a few things finished. These are what I have so far. Nothing that Im crazy about, but I am thankful to be in the processes. I just love it!

News is that Im finally done home schooling!!! this is giving me long awaited opportunities to do art. So the other day I started a project that Ive wanted to do forever. I created a pooh house for my mini garden area. This project was a slice of heaven. Its like something deep within materializes and just as C S Lewis describes it, "I was surprised by Joy". Ill try to post another picture once it is completed

kitchen is done

I have finally figured out how to add pictures without spending all afternoon. So I hope to update this blog often. Here are the picture of the new kitchen...finally. We removed the old linen closet and installed the sink and window where the back door used to be. It really functions so much better. I love all the counter space!

keep on painting

this is the 5th attempt at the same subject

My current watercolor mentor says that she estimates that out of every 12 paintings, she may have one home run. Bonnie has been painting for over 30 years, so I figure my home run average may be somewhere around 1 in 35. This is the only painting since July that I'm the least bit interested in. But in case you think this depressing, I love the game, win or loose, I love the game.

KITCHEN REMODEL

We are in the 8th month of our kitchen remodel. After 8 months its hard to get excited about this project. After a while it just becomes the norm....house is always full of dust...but there is progress. Mark has worked very hard...I think he has finally decided to get himself a new hobby unrelated to house projects. It is beyond belief just how much money you can dump into a project like this.....But I remain thankful

blackberries

This has got to be the best year for Wild Blackerries that I have seen in the last 25 years. I have already picked 22 pounds of berries and they keep on coming. Everyone will be getting Jelly for Christmas.

An amazing gift

I had such a surprise yesterday, when a former student presented me with a first addition copy of C.S.Lewis book Reflections of the Psalms. What an amazing gift!!!!! He (Uriah Bertsch) also wrote a lovely poem that accompanied this gift. I am blown away by this thoughtfulness. It is wonderful to be used by God, and then thanked for it....double blessings.

Ps 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.

Birthday Celebration

Another Birthday

Mark arrived with daffodiles

Family dinner at the wharf

Lobster laughes---funny little creatures---and the bibs are fun/necessary

thoughtful gifts!!!

Much love given and recieved

Jen took me to one of my favorite spots, The Tuck Box in carmel. And I dragged her to another haunt, The Yellow brick road Thrift store.

Great birthday

BEACH HOUSE

This was our 6th trip to the beach house at Pajaro Dunes. We go in the fall the week before Thanksgiving. Its quiet, we ususally have great weather, and we all can relax before the holiday crunch begins. We have decided to take a break for next year, but Im not sure this really works for me. I just love this place. Its a little slice of heaven. This year I took pictures of the many, many different views from the window.

TURKEY DAY

Our Thanksgiving was simple, but fun. We did the whole prep thing, then went to the movies. We saw Blind Sides, liked it a lot. Kelly was working, Jen & Nate visited with his family and friends. Dinner therefore was around 6:30, by this time, we were all in a Turkey coma and most of us had not yet had any turkey. Kelly's B/F Chris joined us. We were laughing because we just could not move out of our chairs...but we are SO BLESSED. life really couldnt be better, we have more than enough to be thankful for. God is so GOOD!

Kyle

My Nephew Kyle spent some time with us this fall. He is so WONDERFUL. He has a great nack for conversation, this means that when he is around I dont have to do the "work" of making him feel comfortable. Its just fantastic!! Kelly and he have a wonderful friendship, one of the nice things about"family". Come any time Kyle.....

Just Venting

Ok

Here is one of the things that really bothers me after 23 years of Homeschooling. It is 11:30, and I would cut off my right arm to be down walking on West Cliff(10 min. from home), in the Sun, instead of sitting here with the boy, writing a paper on Justinian......just venting....again.

Bargin-Dinner and a movie

Mark & I spent time in Carmel for our Anniversary this past month and found a great local bargain. http://www.montrio.com/ This Bistro offers dinner and a movie special for $21. You call ahead and they will purchase your movie tickets (theater is right across the street- OSIO). The food is really swanky. This special is also connected to the (moonstone hotel chain) Monterey Hotel http://www.moonstonehotels.com/MHRooms.htm, directly across the street. They have a midweek special for $119, you get hotel and $30 gift certificate for the Montrio Bistro (with the movie special). In essence you get hotel, dinner and movie for around $140. Nice little get away.

yesterday, jen called me to come and join her and our dear friend Lena Ballard, down the street at the 'nail place'. This was Lena's first pedicure, and she was like a kid on Christmas morning. Made me realize how fortunate I am. Pedicures really are very indulgent. Felton Nails, our local nail place was empty. This was so unusual, as they are usually the most hopping place in town. I hope they pick-up, Lee and Nancy are truly sweet people and I would hate to see them close. Perhaps I will have to do my part and have my nails done more often......

bird watching

Im still working on the details of this blog thing. When I forget to do something, the edit is not quite clear....Here is the Heron.

morning walk

This morning was beautiful

Pink skies...so I ran back up the hill (very difficult because we were not warmed up yet) and grabbed my camera. But, by the time we got back down the hill (almost as difficult as going up) the pink had faded. They say that it's not going to rain...but the sky tells a different tale. Then, we spotted a Great Blue Heron.It flew low over one of the backyard and sat in a tree, then flew across the river. If you look carefully, you can see it. This is a great way to start the day, and it meant that we did more "watching" then walking. A nice change of pace after more then a decade of walking in circles every morning.

Today was all about leaves...this is the norm when you live under redwood trees. I cleaned up the yard from last mondays wind storm. I filled 9 garbage cans with stuff. Thats only one storm. I did the same thing 2 weeks ago....But...the blessing was todays weather. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY. warm and sunny....a real slice of heaven. And, a clean yard to boot. Thank you God for the garbage man who will come and take it all away tomarrow.

Blogs are not perfect

Ok, after some thinking, (like right before I nod off to sleep) I realized that I was thinking of the wrong painting that I saw in the Vatican. The Fra Filippo painting was in the Uffizi...all the rest still holds true. I guess the point is that after seeing so many works of art, running in and out of all those museums, there are few works that really stick in my mind. Works that after seeing the real thing, I now have a different appreciation for. This is the painting the 'wowed' me at the Vatican. Its something that you see on Christmas cards, but the color (again) is remarkable! It stands out in my memory of all that we saw at the Vatican.

So the moral is that blogging, (off the top of ones head) can only be valued as much as the head from whence it comes.

painting that stands out

One reason I like the idea of blogging is that I can share the ideas that come to me 'off the top of my head'. And those of you who know me, know that I often have many thoughts. But being home and homeschooling for 20plus years...leaves me thinking-to-myself. Now I can bug the rest of you ......

today, beside cleaning up leaves from the storm, I am working on a power-point for my students art history class....

I included this painting by Fra Filippo Lippi. I saw this painting when we visited the Vatican, although I understand that it belongs to in Uffizi Gallery in Florence. I'm glad that I didn't see it there. That museum is way too small for all the "stuff" inside. But, when I saw it, I remember thinking just how beautiful it was. This guy was WAY ahead of his game. There is something about this painting that transcends time. Perhaps its the little cherubs that look almost like comic characters. It almost looks modern is someways....never really appreciated it until I saw the real thing. The tonal quality is really amazing.....