Tantivy

Right outside my bedroom window, where I can see it from my bed, a mama Turdus migratorious (otherwise known as an American robin) has built a nest. She is still finishing it - moving the furniture around, hanging pictures, etc. so she get up every once in a while and adjusts things. Of course she might just be rolling her eggs, I can't see in the nest. Robins can have 3 or 4 hatches a year in this part of the country; no wonder I see so many in the winter. The white material is from Jackson's last clipping  - so glad that he could help.  Dean is replacing the front porch floor. The supports had been attacked by termites at some prior time and the middle and ends were lower than the remainder of the porch. He has the flooring torn out up to the front door right now. Don't guess we will have anyone coming door to door for a while.  I have been trimming shrubbery and deciding what I want taken out and where I want it placed (some will go to the trash/compost). ...

Someone always builds wonderful sand sculptures on our beach. I have never found out who it is, but they are always fun. This year the rain got to them before I did, but I think that you might be able to make out this mermaid with the curly hair  and maybe the alligator/sea monster Cool, don't you think? We take two days to go to the beach and two days back. Last year on the way back we stopped in Warner-Robins GA and went to the Air Force Museum where they had several planes that DH flew while in the Air Force and one that he flew when he was first hired by Delta where it was known as "the Freighter".  This year we stopped at Rainbow Springs State Park where there is a swimming place fed by the springs. The water temperature is 72 degrees F, year round. Let me tell you, it was chilly! After about 45 minutes in the water we were cool for the rest of the day. DH, who was not feeling particularly well, didn't swim and he was sweating while the rest of u...

I am sitting on the porch of our timeshare condo at the beach. Above, in the bright blue sky, are puffy white clouds. By this afternoon the clouds will probably be grey and might or might not bring some rain. We don't get as much rain as you would expect when you see the clouds but when it rains, it is not by halves. It RAINS. I have taken some pictures but they don't seem to want to transfer from my Camera Roll to my Photo Stream and thence to the computer and I don't know how to speed up the process. I think that when I get back home I might sign up for some computer/iPhone/iPad help because I know that I am not getting all I can out of my devices . For a yearly fee one can get personal classes in whatever one wants to know more about. That sounds like a good deal to me.  A little back story. We have two units for each week we are here. DH and I always stay in the one we bought first; lower level, beachfront. It is where everyone come in from the pool and the beach an...

Well, the paintings are at the gallery, being hung in preparation for the opening of the exhibit on June 12. We won't be here for the big opening but Vicki and our friend Lorraine have promised me that they will watch people intently and see what the reaction is. My hope is that one (or could I hope More?) of the paintings will sell, of course, but if they don't, at least this is a beginning.  Besides being a painter, I am a brick layer. These are left from the front yard (plus 38 that we had to go buy. )Vicki and Lorraine helped me to carry them to the back yard (we loaded the car, actually - Vicki's good thinking) and I began putting them in place. Sarie helped me with the last ones. She put two down then two others down that I had to ask her to change. She looked at them again and said, "Oh, it's a pattern." and she helped me finish. I plan to plant Ophiopogon (Mondo Grass) along the edges to soften them and keep things in place.  Just couldn...

There are some things I want to know and if you know them I want you to tell me. Who set the world onto fast forward and can we just slow down a little? I want to know. It seems that the days race by faster and faster and suddenly a week is gone and I am left wondering where it went. Also, I want to know why dogs always have to throw up on the carpet and not on the floor. Inches from the edge, maybe, or even on the fringe, but not on the floor. Always on the rug. I have not used any pictures to illustrate these questions and I will say right now, "You are welcome" because you know that I could have shown you just what I mean. Neither picture, either of me with my head spinning or the other, would be very pretty. Last week I went to Atlanta to visit a friend. There were so many cars and everyone was in such a hurry. I love Cleveland more than ever. I had a wonderful visit, but we stayed up way too late getting caught up - until 6:30 in the morning the first night, then unt...

I am so thrilled to share with you that five of my paintings have been accepted by a small gallery in Chattanooga for their show of Contemporary and Abstract paintings. I feel that I can finally actually call myself an artist. Here are the paintings: And Then Acrylic on canvas Aftermath Acrylic on canvas (this one has been hanging in my living room.  I will have to put something else up) Home Acrylic on watercolor paper; crushed eggshell My Own Little Corner Acrylic on watercolor paper In Another World Acrylic on canvas I hope that people like them and I would love to sell one or more, but just having them shown is very exciting to me. Other people in the art class I am taking have entries, and we are all feeling good these days.  All is well XOXOXO Caroline

Since I started wearing reading glasses I have discovered that there are never too many pairs. However, it helps to have them in many places, not all on the top of the dresser. There is usually one pair on top of my head, though, so I can find it when I need it.  Vicki got new glasses and has given me several pair that she had. The red ones and a zebra striped pair that I left at my daughter's house in SC but will retrieve. They had gotten kicked under the bed somehow.  RyeCrisp topped by peanut butter and strawberries. Nice lunch.  I told you that I took a photo of my eye because I planned to draw it. It is strange, but when you look at things when you have posted them you can see all your mistakes. For one thing, my eyebrows are much thicker than that (and need plucking, I think). This was drawn during the day at the library in good light on grey toned paper. The colors are just a tiny bit off here, but not enough to make much difference.  For ...