Saturday, July 12, 2014

Pop-Tarts...Book Reviews and French Easels...


                                    "420 calories...SERIOUSLY?"




Brought to my attention by the youngest son the other morning.

Coincidence?

There are no coincidences.

Official Snack Food of Colorado.

I'm just sayin'...


So...a Roller-Coaster Week.  My friend Tess was buried on Tuesday.





And her feral kitty "Lovey" has been left...after the family cleared her apartment

Poor kitty has been sitting on an old wooden picnic table bench nearby just absolutely lost. She is completely unapproachable...Tess was the only person she would let touch her. It was her undoing. She loved Tess and would follow her around like a small dog....but she has started cautiously making the trek across to my patio to eat with Tucker, now. I am hopeful that before the snow flies she will come to trust me and make her way inside. 

If looking out to see all of her things still on the patio as though she were going to step outside and chat...water her flowers...and talk with the cats...was hard. Seeing her place bare and "Lovey" waiting on her never-to-return is much much worse. Her packed service was a testament to how many lives she touched throughout her own and how much she was loved.

This week also my oldest grand-daughter's 9th Birthday













Hard to believe she is NINE already!

And already gearing up for next month's birthday celebrating with Emma
(who will be 8 in August)
                                        "Look Grandma...I'm a FROG!"

And doing a bit of celebrating (and treating) myself...after finally acquiring some fairly coveted art supplies for summer. Perhaps happiest about the French Easel I  have waited and waited for...



If you look at the scale compared to my rocking chair...you STILL have no idea how huge this thing really is...and the elm palette will probably be used more for fresh fruits, breads and cheeses (and wine, of course) on the side, than acrylics. Never mind that the entire thing came in a flat box and required assembly!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, that part was fairly amusing.  Tina and Chris and I slowly figured it all out (...did I mention there was NO instruction sheet, either...) like monkeys at the obelisk.


At one point the jointed legs bending make the entire thing resemble




An Imperial Walker out of Star Wars.
Later it would take on more of a "Transformer" groove.

Still...perseverance and a pan of brownies later- we managed to assemble the behemoth. Thanks kids!

"That's funny...it didn't look this large on the picture."

"Mom...the picture was a 3" x 3" image!!!

Looking forward to "painting on the patio" Summer through Fall...and transform it to a tabletop box and easel for rainy days and Winter. Also picked up a rolled canvas of good brushes...several pre-stretched ready to hang canvases...a collection of palette knives and a large assortment of tube acrylics.

 Living La Vida Bob Ross...lol!

This week's book that first novel by Iraq Vet: Kevin Powers

"The Yellow Birds"

A gut-wretching trek through the midst of the Iraq war and his home-coming as told through the eyes of a 21 year old soldier.  Emotionally...right up there with his book of poems. Possibly the best book I have read this year. Certainly the most moving. Destine to become a movie release...and already busy "casting" in my mind!

A Must Read.

(...this should be required reading in HS...before these kids cluelessly enlist...)


Also, did an afternoon of Mall-Ratting in Terre Haute this week with Loretta and Kay. Coffee and breakfast at Cinnabon's...shopping at Macy's (...which is nice, but I still miss LS Ayres...) Exploring the new scents at Yankee Candles. Try the Double Chocolate Layer Cake tart. My entire home smells like fresh baked chocolate cake now...hence the pan of brownies later in the week...lol!  Yankee Candles are fattening. And snagged some of my favorite bath scents from Bath and Body. And concluded with a delicious brunch at TGIF's.

A bit of basking and "playing in the plants" later- and my week is complete.

The dark and light pink petunias are cascading out of their baskets...I have deep purplish-blue Morning Glories blooming...the white Moonflowers are up about 4 inches...my mini-decorative pumpkins are full of orange blossoms...the Concords are winding their way up the trellis promising grapes this Fall...a basket full of multicoloured Zinnas and Columbines and several smaller pots of pink blossoming Sweet Peas are nearby...in the back a basket of "our sunflowers" yellow and orange are reaching skyward and the kitchen herb basked is bushy and full now and am regularly using off it to cook. All in all...the patio garden is a huge success!  A veritable rainbow.

And an invite to my eldest son and his wife's for Sunday Dinner with the grandbabies :)

                                                   "James and Aiden"

Life is good!