Yeah it looked a lot like THIS yesterday.
To compound matters, the oldest was on his way to campus for classes today...college being in Iowa. Where does he stop on his way through? Peoria.
Luckily they kept them at the bus station until the worst of it cleared. After which a small nearby town (minutes away) ended up gone. Wiped off the map. Looking like this after it was over.
They counted 65 tornadoes yesterday through Illinois and Indiana. Where I am...very little damage...terrifying winds...torrential rains...all of the leaves down (...Fall has fell...) and a few dead limbs and roofing shingles...but otherwise unscathed. Nearby, one of the automotive plants reported damage. Kokomo Indiana was hit fairly hard and Lebanon had an edge of the town Starbucks coffee shop damaged pretty badly
(...of which, Lennon immediately quipped "One down...several thousand left to go.")
but overall we were so very lucky.
Nicole and I engaged in kind of a telephone/email (((hugfest))) until we heard that James had reached the dorm safe last night. Huge sigh of relief.
Iowa...in November. It's flat. It's bare. Oh...and it's flat. Apparently, there is a pool table in the commons area though (which thrilled him to no end). And like Chris' experience with the AIOI...not your father's "Smuggle in The Hot Plate" dorm-room. A full kitchen and bath/shower. Three of them to his cube. Space to sleep and study and relax. A damn pool table! LOL! He will be back to Nicole for Christmastime, though!
And an early morning call this morning before his class started...which made me a little misty...reaching out to Mom before his first day "...back to school..."!
They grow up so quick!
One out of college...one mid-way...and one just beginning trade-school. So proud of all of them...and feeling so very blessed.
And speaking of blessed...the above picture sent by the girls' Mom...four of my (soon to be) 7 grandchildren. Three natural (Hannah, Kaylee and Brenden)...Three Honorary (Preston, Emma and Jasmine) and One on the way (...still too early to know yet!) And the girls will be coming for an afternoon this week!
So happy!
Some "Grandma Rose" Time!
Which will be a welcome respite after this week's MRI follow-up I am sure.
"Don't bother me I am coloring with the kids and having brownies and milk in our tent-fort"
This week's book a non-fiction selection All About Techniques in Acrylics part of the Barrons Series. Interesting and informative and something I learned at the end of last year/beginning of this one...that I really enjoy...a LOT. Who knew.
Tried oils. Dries way too slow for me...requires more patience than I admittedly possess.
Tried watercolour. OMG @@ They start school-children out with these unforgiving blotch-monsters...??? Really? My painting resembled a Rorschach inkblot.
Experimented with the pastels Idgy sent. Looked like something done by Monet...when he was 5...in the kitchen with crayons...after spilling his milk on the paper...in a word...terrible!
LOVE the acrylics, though. Beautiful. Very forgiving. Easy to thin to transparency or apply with a palate knife. Mix with a medium for Impasto. Glaze. Make a small mistake...paint over it. Make a big mistake...prime the whole canvas and start again!
Have a vision of turning this shot
Taken this summer at the Nature Park while she and I visited and hiked away an afternoon...into a painting. I love the Impressionistic style and think it would lend itself very well to that.
We joked recently together about my trying pointillism sometime. Think Seurat. Once again...although she has been known to do the whole 9 million dots in Pen and Ink and when she finishes it looks like a black and white photograph of the Carroll County Courthouse, or some such. I am pretty sure the dedication to dots will end up something like this...
Hey...it's a close up...don't judge me.
And a box arriving...an early Christmas from an old friend. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!! A Personal Jet Spa to enhance the whole "bath" experience! If anybody needs me, I'll be in the tub...till Wednesday!
And a quickie of Tucker squishing his little playtoy gold fishie.
I think we've found Nemo!
Possibly a Polar Bear in a Snowstorm??? IDK.