spooky

Ok. Now I'm spooked. The last remark on the last posting is so idiotic I hope it is a joke. On the off chance that it was made seriously, I'm spooked. Yes, spooked. All bread is baked whole and then cut. In Brazil it was cut by a machine that had a saw blade for each slice set the length of the loaves. The loaves were put in the holder and then the blades vibrated through the bread and cut the slices. The loaves remained stable and were put into plastic bags made the right size. The only trouble with the machine at our super market was that one of the saw blades was gone, so always the loaves we got of sliced bread had that one large slice about 3/4 of the way down the loaf.
Whatever.
I'm having a surreal day as I get ready for my trip. I screwed up the taking of my medications (you do realize that older people - ok, OLD people - spend their lives calculating which medications to take when?) so that at 4 am I was taking medications I should have taken at 9 pm the night before. Sigh. I suppose that I will therefore take the medications I should take at 9 am this morning a bit later. Whatever.
I am filled with whatevers this morning.
Clothes all packed, medications all measured and included, books and puzzles in the big bag, all systems almost ready to go. Now, hopefully, I am also ready to go! Wahoo.
Think of all the new things I will be able to comment on after I return. Be prepared.
Take care.

From Scratch

Today at the gym! I was taken aback by the remarks of a lady that she couldn't find Texas Toast for sale in the grocery stores. I had no idea you could actually BUY Texas Toast as such. Why not buy uncut bread, cut it thick and make your own? The idea was met with amazement by the others in the gym.
Evidently I lived too long in Brazil... or I'm just too old. The idea of making something simple from scratch is such a novel idea! Not. I still make almost all the food we eat from the real thing. I make my own spaghetti sauce with venison, tomatoes from the garden, etc., etc.. and we eat simple basic natural stuff.
I feel pretty wild when I buy the rotisseried chickens and manage to get three meals or more from them. Soup, cream chicken on biscuits, sandwiches, etc. Is it because I was raised during the hard years just after the depression or because I lived in Brazil where everything was bought in its natural state from guys in wagons riding around hawking their wares? The "super market" cut its sliced bread with a machine that had one saw missing so there was always one slice ready to be Texas Toast! The trouble was I didn't know what Texas Toast was at that time. I do love it now when I eat out, though.
I really love making stuff from scratch. With all the cooking shows on TV, I thought maybe everyone else liked it too. Who knew? What say you?
Take care.

HOT WEATHER!

This is a very blurred image of the acrylic painting called "Where's the Note?" which is of a bottle washed up on shore. It is one of the first that I painted and the one that Ben chose.

It is hot enough today that it would be fun to dive into the water for a little cool off period. We have an airconditioner in the bedroom window and several fans distributing the cool air around the house. So far it has been just fine. With the onslaught of HOT weather we are expecting, we will have to see how it goes.
I am trying to figure out what to do first to get ready for my trip to Chicago. Nay and I are riding the rails from Mpls. I am leaving all of the details to her, but I have to decide what to wear, etc. Just think of all the news I can give to you after I get back.
Wow. I am REALLY looking forward to my time in the museums seeing the paintings there. I am sure there are other things that will happen, too, but the art museums are always on my list of favorite places to go. More tomorrow. Take care.

Getting reacquainted is great!

Cherie, Sarah and Ben came to stay. It was so much fun. I told Sarah she could have this painting which she admired and inscribed it to her. Then I told Ben he could pick one, too. I will include that one tomorrow. I also gave one to Cherie and she bought one. I will include those in the days ahead.

We shared all sorts of memories of Peter John. He was George's nephew and Cherie's husband and the kids' father. He was the person who owned the Indonesian shirts that I made into quilts for the two kids. They have them and loved them, so that is GREAT. A nice sweet deal all around. We are becoming more and more acquainted. Sarah is going into 10th grade and Ben into eighth. Of course, I loaded them up with tons of books that I thought they might like to read, as well.

Now I am getting geared up for the trip to Chicago. George and I went out to the golf club this morning. I was a cheer leader and the taker of some photos for John. The golf club is such a jewel he wanted to show the folks in Virginia what a golf club could look like. I weathered all the strenousness of driving the golf car and taking some pictures. I did not try to golf. It was already hotter than a pistol even though we went at 7 am. I had a blast, though.

Take care and don't get too hot!

Good Heavens!

As you know, I start my day playing a few games. One of them rewards me with the chance to receive a jewel of wisdom if I should win. Ok. I won. This last "jewel" was definitely phoney baloney in my book:
"One that keeps one's mouth shut keeps one's life, but one who opens wide one's lips shall have destruction." Right. That's such a crock. If I kept my mouth shut, the whole bunch at the gym would go home unamused by my scintilating wit... or witlessness, I don't quite know which. That saying must have been written for a downtrodden woman who is abused at home. I am definitely on the side of saying what is necessary. I think of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy's daughter. Someone said that if what a person was saying was unkind or unnecessary, not to say it. Alice said, "That's great. Just don't sit next to me." I am very loosely quoting all this as I am too lazy to look up the exact quote. But you get the picture.
I don't advocate unkindness, or untruth, but lively conversation is so much fun. Wahoo.
Peter John's widow and kids are visiting us today. They are the kids I made the quilts for. I have recovered from my two days at the art workshop. Now, I'm rarin' to go! Take care.

Yup, well

I'm going to be out of touch for a day or two, so I had to post something for anonymous to read with her morning coffee for one of the days, at least!

I play games each day on my computer. I have a ritual I follow. First, plain solitaire. Then Spider solitaire. Then two kinds of mahjong. Then on to my day. When i win one of the mahjongs, I am rewarded with a saying. The one I got today was too great not to share.

"Some people are at their best asleep." I would hate to think that was true of anyone I know. I can assure you, if I know you, you do not fit into this category. I would hate even more to think that i fall into this category. It's best to remain in ignorance, so if I do, for pete's sake don't tell me. Just let me wonder.

Welcome back home, Karen. I hope you had a great trip. Take care.

Time Marches On

Way back when I would awaken at my daughter's apartment in Olympia, Washington and look up at this view. I was entranced by all of the angles. It amazed me how long I could gaze up and dream. It is a painting that infuriates a friend of mine because the edges are not parallel to the edges of the paper on which it is painted. I try to explain to her that because of the placement of the bed, that is the way that the view looked and just exactly what made it entrancing to me. Nope. She can't stand it.

Is that what happens to us as we go along in life. Do things that look entrancing to one look out of whack to someone else? Infuriatingly so?

Some things are so infuriating that they drive people to bombs in order to right what seems out of order. That is, perhaps, a leap of reasoning, but i wish people could just chill out and stop blowing each other up. There are so many strange and wonderful ways to look at things.

Perhaps in heaven we will be allowed to stand together and look at things without the wish to blow people up for disagreeing with us.

My friend and I have managed it... so far.

Keeping me on my toes!

That "anonymous" is such a slave driver keeping me at my keyboard!
I worked at the gallery in Battle Lake yesterday from 10 am to 8 pm, with an hour out for supper from 6 to 7. It went great! I was able to do all the stuff required even to using the credit card machine flawlessly! Those machines are quite a quandary at times. I once dropped to the floor and begged a customer to please write a check so I didn't have to continue to try to operate the machine. That was at the old "Point of View" gallery. I never could make that machine work. It was something about the speed with which you swiped the card. The owner could always do it, none of the rest of us ever could. So....... I was greatly relieved when the card machine worked without a hitch yesterday.
George came up at 6 and we went to Stella's for supper. I had a prime rib au jus sandwich which was great. George had Thai Chicken salad. It's a new place where the old R and R was. Quite an upscale Italianate sort of place with outside dining possible.
What I really like about working at the gallery is meeting new people. The tourists are at it hot and heavy, and I sold quite a bit of art to people from Omaha, Nebraska and Seattle, Washington. What fun.
Okay, anonymous. Have I fulfilled my duty? Take care.

try # 3

Ok. So this is an uncropped copy of a painting, etc., etc.. it is absolutely the best that I can do at the present moment. I finally transferred the photo from Windows Photo Gallery (which for some reason I cannot access from this post) to my desktop. THEN I could manage to upload it. The painting is really much better than this photo of it shows. Too bad. I wonder who bought it. A guy used to come in the gallery quite regularly to admire it and I hope it is he who finally succumbed.

Well. Off to beddy-bye. Take care.

One Potato

OK. I am trying to find a picture of the painting of the tomatoes and a potato. I am not having any luck doing that. I will find it after I finish writing this blog, and then include it later. Karen W. wants to see it as she cannot remember it and it is the one I just sold in Battle Lake.

I am feeling good today. I had a rather invigorating day yesterday and lived through it, so I hope that tomorrow will go well, too. I am working up at the Battle Lake gallery. That is always fun. It is such a beautiful place with all of the fabulous art work. Any of you who want to could come to visit me. That would be great! After we have had a talk and you have purchased hundreds of dollars worth of art (right) you can stop next door for an ice cream cone at Granny's Pantry. They also have coffee and 100's of styles of candy. Well, maybe not 100's... but MANY for sure. And those great waffle type cones, etc......

I try to make it a rule that I never darken the door of that store as it is WAY too tempting to little old diabetic me. But the rest of you will find it heaven.

I'll get back to you with the potato. Take care.

Yippee

What a morning it was at the gym! It was my first visit back in a month. I managed to go around the circle once and a half, so I felt quite successful. While we were chatting and exercising, a motorcycle pulled up and there was Jim, back from his trip to Alaska. Coming to greet us all before he even went home. He looked slightly stunned. Sort of vibrating from being on his bike for too many hours for too many days... but he was home in one piece. I presume he went for a bit to eat at Mac's and then home for some shut eye. It was so great to see him!

I am feeling rather good. I am slowly building up my strength day by day. My incentive is the great trip to Chicago at the end of the month. Wow. I will work two days at the Gallery in Battle Lake this week. Then the next week I will assist at an art workshop there for two days. The worst part of everything is George is undertaking to drive me around. Poor boy will have to go fishing while I am at the gallery, etc. What a burden that would be! Right? Right.
Take care.

Batteries are too low.....

I was going to take a picture out my window to the world and my camera informed me that the batteries are too low. Seems about right. These last few weeks I have felt that way and my camera has finally caught up to me. So - I will take out the batteries and recharge them and then be perfectly able to take pictures again!
I feel the same. I need to recharge my batteries. I have my spirits back up to feeling zippy, but I definitely need to recharge the power! So -- back to a bit of walking, perhaps playing a bit of golf, going to the gym, laughing a lot... etc.
We heard bad news this week. One of our friends was found dead by another of our friends. What a shock! When you get to be my age, it shouldn't be such a shock, but I always felt a lot older than this friend, so it's a bit like seeing the handwriting on the wall. Our hearts are with her family.
So back to recharging my batteries. Got to keep going as best as I can. Yowsah. Take care.

Happy Fourth!!!

Hats Off to Old Glory! I am not intending to do anything in particular to celebrate the day. There are lots of things going on in each small town. Tonight we will watch the fireworks from our house. Each year they seem to get bigger and better. Lots of work goes into it, to say nothing about money. The town loves their good fireworks. I am hoping to be back up to par by next week, and back into the daily grind. We'll see how it goes!

Oh, yes, I can relax today and watch tennis from Wimbledon. They have had so much rain that the play is hard on the participants. Nadal has been playing a match for 90 some hours. As he is an impetuous Spaniard it is taking its toll on him. Another two players hit three balls and had to retire from the court. Another two finished off a match in lightening because it was so close to finished. Not a good idea. I have never seen such a collection of umbrellas... "guardachuvas" in Portuguese. Literally "guard against rain" which seems more apt than "umbrellas" which would be to shade someone from the sun, as parasols are for the sun, too. Oh, well.

Have a Happy Fourth and remember the troops! Take care.

Another mystery

Ok doakee. I wrote a whole blog and somehow it disappeared before I could publish it. So here goes once again. This is a picture of George's ingenious solution to sprinkling the garden. He gave it a good soaking last evening. Of course, we had a nice soaking rain this early morning! Some sort of law? whatever.

I am missing my cohorts at the gym and hope to get back soon. Today I go to the doctor to find out the news about the state of my carcass. On Thursday I have book club in the morning and a visit from Cherie, Sarah and Ben in the afternoon. Cherie is the widow of George's nephew Peter, and Sarah and Ben are his great nephews. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time might recall the quilts I made of Peter's shirts for these two kids. (You can check it out on the blog for 6/5/06) I am so excited to have finally had those quilts delivered to Cherie by Fred and Chad, George's nephews who visited last week. If you are still following along, I know you are completely confused. Deal with it!

By now you realise that I really need to get out more! I will try. Hope to see you soon!

Take care.