I am excited!

Yesterday's posting went with no problem! So hope springs eternal. I am including the far from perfect photograph of a painting called Flower Power. It is in a friend's collection. I actually got to know her better because she bought my painting. We are now fast friends. Yippee!

We are going to wish bon voyage to Naomi a day before her actual leave date. We want to see her but don't feel up to the whole airport parking and uproar deal. So.... luckily she has someone else that can take them to the airport, and we will just go to see her for lunch. Our health is still a bit dicey, but so much better that a little trip to Mpls. shouldn't be too much strain on us.

Just finished talking to our grandson who has just mastered the wonderful art of bicycle riding. He has done it before this with training wheels, but now he is scooting about on his own without crashing. Even in the grass, he told me. The first time we master a skill the attendant rush of adrenaline is great.

What are you working on to master? I think I have finally gotten to the point that I feel I am an artist. I have a tremendous rush of adrenaline as I approach the final strokes of a painting and feel like I have done what I like. It matters not if someone else thinks so, too. If I am satisfied, that's enough! Although, I must say, I love people to agree with me!!!!!!!!!

I am heading back to my studio to work on three paintings I started on my camping trip. One is all but finished, one is nearly finished, and the other is far from finished. fun.

Endless Optimism

Yes. My last two posts turned up even though they hadn't made the right look when I was trying to publish them. Somehow, cyberspace did it anyway. Now I am going to try to put a picture in, too. We'll see what happens.

This painting belongs to Naomi and Tony and is called U2. It is one of my favorites and was admired by others as well. As they will be out of the country for a bit, I thought I would show this picture so they can check it out now and then from Africa. A taste of home!

Now, of course, it will be the anxiety of seeing if this will actually make it to the blog. Sigh.

I am feeling somewhat better. I am sick of being sick. Lots of things to be looking forward to in the next weeks. If I can get well, that is. cof cof. I WILL get well.

sigh

This is my second post on a second blog. We'll see if I have any luck publishing this. I am getting well and thoroughly ticked off by this. I enjoy blogging so much that it seems to me it should be really easy to do. Here goes.

Wow

I'm looking out my window and I see that George is tilling our garden. It is one of those jobs that has to be done in the fall, but I don't know that it is a really good job for George to be doing right now. He will come in all trashed and worn out, but the garden is supposed to be tilled, so he is tilling it. I guess I admire that, even if I think it is stupid.

I am feeling better today, too. I made spaghetti sauce today with home grown tomatoes and venison and home grown onions. I feel quite the pioneer woman.

Naomi and Tony are busy getting ready for their trip to Africa. I am already starting to feel bereft and lonesome. Ah, well. There will be e-mail.

Have a beautiful day.

It should be ok now...

I think I have this thing licked. We'll see. I got a call from Karen L that she still couldn't get the new blogs, so I hope this corrects things. If so, Karen, leave a comment! I was told to clear my cache. Since I had no idea what the cache was, I called Naomi. She helped me do just that, and now I hope all will be ok. We'll see.

yelp

That's my version of help with a little whine of disbelief. I have been monkeying around with trying to post on the blog, and I have decided that the reason that - all of a sudden I cannot seem to post was that I didn't have the www in the address. Why that ALL OF A SUDDEN became a problem, I don't know. But, anyway, we'll see if this makes a difference.

We are getting better, slow but sure. I will post again soon, but I want to see if this works now. yelp.

cyber space mystery

I am so embroiled in reading mystery stories that I can add one more real mystery to MY story. I posted yesterday, it is noted as the last post I made, and it is not on my blog. Weird noises are called for. Perhaps a bit of violin.

I got some antibiotics yesterday, so I am starting on that and I already feel some better today. Hopefully we will be able to climb on out of our illness soon.

Well, the sun is shining and all is beautiful outside. I hear the hum of a lawn mower. Perhaps I will feel up to actually doing some art stuff today. I AM FEELING BETTER. Now, I hear the cof cof of my mate from the living room. He isn't feeling too great. Not so hot. More on this saga tomorrow, if I can get this posted today! Isn't it fascinating! Right.

Sigh

Well, my sore throat has receded, but now I have a bacterial infection for which I am taking antibiotics. Hopefully we will soon recover. It's such a drag to have illness. The sun is shining and I am stuck in the house with coughing and phlegm.

Naomi's friend Kari fell yesterday and injured her nose and chin in a spectacular fashion. Blood everywhere. Took a few stitches but was not a major injury. It reminded me of my long history of falling. I have threatened to write up my adventures. I could call it, "After the Fall." Hmmm. One of these days.

I hope you are having a fun day. Growl.

cof cof

I have the equivalent of a Linus blanket around my throat. I have a sore throat, and this ratty old synthetic fabric scarf comforts me. George found out on Tuesday that he had pneumonia, and on Thursday I came down with this sore throat. Bummer. We are relatively healthy, though, so we can't be too "complainy." George got on top of his complaint early as he had a doctor's appointment for a check-up and the doctor listened to his chest, didn't like what he heard and had him take an x-ray. Pneumonia. But he got it caught early, so he could nip it in the bud with the appropriate anti biotic.

I am just having a readathon as I sit in my recliner reading some of my favorite mystery stories. I am re-doing my Abigail Padgett books. They are extremely interesting as the protagonist, Bo Bradley, is a woman with manic depressive disorder. I like the books a lot. I read and sleep and read and sleep and hope my throat will soon mend. Oh, yes, don't forget the chicken soup.

Hopefully we're getting these maladies out of our systems early.. and we will sail through the winter months healthy and whole. Right.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH

I am sitting at the computer with my comforting plaid scarf around my neck. Whenever i get a sore throat, I feel so much better when I can wrap it with this scarf. It is not wool or any natural fiber so it does not get TOO warm. It is just right. Do you have comfort foods or articles of clothing that you feel a personal attachment to when you get sick? Another thing I love is aspergum. It really helps get the sore out.

Are you totally thrilled with my diatribe? How about with my picture? Just the way to brighten your day. Sigh. Hopefully I will soon feel ship shape once again. Oh, by the way, my husband has pneumonia! We are such a jolly bunch! But we are on the mend. Really. Both of us. Enough news from pitiful Pearl. By my next post I hope to have better health news. Hopefully, I will have put my scarf back in the closet and be back about my business. cof cof

Pottery

I got this picture from Kate and Sean at the Pomme de Terre Pottery. The chips are in the large gourdlike center piece. All of the serving pieces on the serving table are part of the artistry of Sean Scott and are interpretations of nature's own shapes and forms. The people are me, Bernice Anderson, Joel Levie and Maggie Levie. A good time was had by all!

If you would like a chance to see Sean and Kate's pottery, Get in touch with me and I will give you the proper information. The "wall" show will be at the gallery for this week. Thursday night from 7 - 9 and Friday and Saturday from 10 - 2. In downtown Evansville, Minnesota at the Coffeehouse Art Center. Yeah.

Ceramic Art

Two ceramic artists, Kate Scherfenberg and Sean Scott, had an exhibit open house yesterday (Saturday). It was absolutely fabulous. Quite a few people attended but all the others have no idea what they missed. The food they brought was yummy and a bit exotic. Yogurt covered cherries, strawberries and blueberries were offered along with chocolate covered coffee beans. A fantastic pesto and interesting crackers. Chips and dips and bread and cookies and fruit and........... The mind boggles. The most interesting thing was that these foods were served in ceramic gourds, ceramic seeds, ceramic pods, etc. The artistic serving area was FABULOUS.

The show will be ongoing this week. Thursday night 7-9 and Friday and Saturday from 10 - 2. But you will have missed out on the food... the delicious food. Nevertheless, if you can possibly make it, you should take a gander at the wonderful ceramics in the exhibit. I love them. It is interesting to note the differences between the ceramics done by each artist.

Wild weather last night around the state. Hope you are all safe. We got a bit of wind, but nothing destructive. Take care.

Painting

The tentative name for the painting is "When the Galaxies Collide." I get very discouraged as I listen to the news of all the conflicts in our world, and I suppose this is my subconscious taking note of these things. It is a collage and fluid acryllics. Hopefully it will be displayed at the Lake Region Art Council's gallery October through January at a show that is made up of contributions from those artists who have had grants. Now I must get it framed and ready for display.

I am working on another piece to be displayed... a tryptich (triptych?) called "Singing Bird." It is from the Chinese Proverb: "Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come." I had the center done up already but am mounting two side pieces.

The juxtaposition of these two paintings in my work is interesting. One rather desperate and the other rather hopeful. One about the exterior world and the other about the interior world. Vedy interesting!

Okeedokee. That's all I have.

Howdy Doody

I have finally managed to get back into the swing of things. Just back from the gym and rarin' to go for the day. Yesterday was a fun day. My friend Carol and I just went out for lunch at Old Broadway in Alex and then spent the day meandering and talking.

I purchased a toaster with money I had received for my birthday. A nice toaster. I got sick of toast that was toasted on the top half but not on the bottom half. Good toast makes life worth living? Well, not quite, but it does make it lots more fun.

I have just finished a painting and will have it's representation on this web site soon. It's always interesting to get to the point where you say, ok, that's it. If you keep on too long, the painting can be ruined. It's a very satisfying thing to realize that the painting is done. Often the painting turns out to be about something that you didn't plan, it just happens. Great fun.

Off to my day. Hope to have the painting on here tomorrow. Have a GREAT day.

getting the monkey off my back!

I suppose it is rather disrespectful to compare my tennis addiction to drug addiction, but I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I loved Sharapova's win over the Belgian, but I was disappointed that Roddick couldn't take it to five sets, at least. He is looking good, though, it is just that Federer is unbelievably good. I am looking forward to Roddick getting better and better. Thanks to his association with Jimmy Connors he has his mojo back! Yeah!

Well, today is business as usual. I will try not to get depressed. I will try to carry on without the slap of a tennis ball to urge me on. We'll see how it goes.

I am excited to hear that Izzy is going to be back in the neighborhood for a bit. I hope to be able to shoot the breeze with him. I love his blog, but we'll see if he is as charming in person as he is in print. I vote yes, but we will see if we can make time to talk... chew the fat.... chill.... bater um bom papo. Just throwing in a sop to portuguese speakers!

Off to the gym and an attempt to rise up from the ashes of tennis fandom.

TENNIS

I am ecstatic! I came back from the gallery yesterday, flicked on the TV as I went to get a cup of coffee, and heard the ever recognizable splat of a tennis ball. I got to see the Sharpova/Mauresmo semi-final match. Sharpova looks fabulously sharp! Tonight will be the finals: Henin-hardin versus Sharpova. During the day I will be able to watch the semi-finals of the men's game. Great. I can paint and watch tennis! Wahoo.

Hope you are having as wonderful a Saturday as I am!

Fairyland

This is part of the view that Fran has from her present apartment. There is also another building that is lit up like an art deco piece that I just loved, but I could not get a picture of it to turn out. This is a shot of Central Lutheran Church with its new carillon tower. I wonder what her new view will be. The cranes will be missing, too, I suppose.

I am trying to get used to being back home after a week's absence. It is very difficult. I am trying to get back into the swing of painting and going to the gym, etc. This morning I have a doctor's appointment for my usual check-up. Then I will sit the gallery for a couple of hours. Then I will go home to my tennis-less tv. I read about "my" tennis players on google news but I cannot watch the matches. sigh. I am having withdrawal symptoms. At least I will be able to watch the final matches of the US Open on Saturday and Sunday which will be better than trying to stay awake until 11:30 to watch the update on CBS.

It is hard to get used to being back home. George and Naomi had a great trip to Washington State and there are some good pictures of that on Naomi's blog. There is a link to that on my blog. I love her new picture of herself. It was taken in Brazil at her black board. She was an artist even at that young and tender age!

I will try to post more often once again. I can't seem to get into a communicative mood. Soon, I promise. At least I promise to try.

Already Saturday!

Time flies when you are having fun! I watched the tennis match of the decade the other night when Agassi played Bhagdatis. Fantastic drama and fun, and Agassi prevailed. Now there was another rain delay so conceivably he will be able to marshal the forces to play another match.

Morgan took me on a meander yesterday and I got to go to an art store. I used to vibrate when I went to a book store, but now the art store has that effect on me. Wow. I managed to find gesso in a gallon pail for a cheap-o price which was wonderful and some papers and canvases I needed. What joy. The gesso I will transfer to small containers so it won't dry out before I get a chance to use it all. I can't imagine that I will use a whole gallon before I die, but I will certainly give it the old college try.

Both Morgan and Andrea are artists and deep into art books, so I have been able to spend time pouring over their offerings. That's where I got inspired about the art papers. Art is absolutely the best thing one can possibly have to do as a passion. It is so inspiring and the possibilities are so endless. And if it doesn't turn out so hot, throw it away and do more. It's just a bit of paper or whatever. Another thing about it, you never know when what you are doing doesn't seem so great to you but someone else will love it. You just never know.

George is having fun out on Bob's boat. He keeps telling me that the water is beautiful and I would love it. He knows how much I love water. He is right, but I am also having lots of fun here. Talking, watching films, watching tennis, going to shops, talking, talking, talking. How can life be much better than that! And I also can watch the giant cranes.

Well, I must have a bite to eat and we have to decide what marvelous thing we are going to do today. In amidst all of the going and coming will be the delicious talking. Yeah. And the films and the talking, and the tennis, and the talking. Wahoo.