Woke Monday morning and the Paperwhites had bloomed during the night. Correction. They had burst from their thin outer papery confinements and shot the empty tubes like so many straw papers at a party.
My friend, John, is right. This would have made some amazing time-lapse photography.
But they looked like this now.
In fact everything is now bloomed and beautiful. Still have a few of the bulbs and have started a second wave of forcing.
This time tiny blue Muscari and miniature Daffodils. Also found a hyacinth bulb I missed the first time
(already trying to open and I think it is going to be blue or deep purple)
Found some hyacinth oil on eBay, and now I smell like Spring-time, as well!
Valentine's Day must be over...the chocolate is gone.
Jill and I finally finished our
Snoopy Winter together this week.
Her's in Watercolors
Mine in Acrylics
(...why, yes...that is Woodstock building a snowman...lol)
Truth be told this was a
very difficult project for me.
"Damn it, Jim...I'm an Impressionist who does Landscapes...not a Cartoonist"
And when I was just trying to paint the cartoon as it appeared...the lack of creative license was driving me nuts...finally I just relaxed and started having fun with it (adding pearl snow and Woodstock and the snow guy) and it came together for me.
By the completion I was enjoying myself.
Finally beginning that
Ghost of Monet I have been contemplating for over a year.
To give you some background...I
LOVE Charles Peterson's
"ghost people, animals and objects" in his paintings.
Examples:
This one is my favorite.
September Sun
So when I saw this photograph of Monet taken on the path by his water gardens, I decided it
HAD to be done.
My intentions are to paint the background (gardens and pond) in natural colour...then go back and ghost in Monet with translucents of white.
My apologies (in advance) to Monsieur Peterson.
Anyway, that is the project I am starting.
Busy week...Started Sunday with a Wonderful Post-Valentine's Brunch at
Almost Home with John.
Finally tasted their Pork Tenderloin
(...thanks for the bite, guy...) which is HUGE. I mean this would make 3 or 4 meals for me...he polished off the entire thing and proclaimed it delicious. Also tried their Rosemary Fries. It is amazing how much a sprinkling of Rosemary adds to handcut fries.
And we split a wedge of Strawberry Pizza.
Got a visit from both James and Chris and a call from Lennon...and chatted for a while, this week.
Chris is having a great time with his
Cisco Training and the hands on Server Rack
And is discovering, learning amazing things.
We both have finished the
Altered Carbon Episodes from Season One now...there were 10. And had fun discussing them.
He has started the novel and I am in queue from my local (library) and should have it next week to begin.
Enjoyed a long chat with Lennon midweek. He is doing well. Surrounded by
"snowbirds" (the tourist type). Found a Lego version of Eleanor (Gone in 60 Seconds:Shelby GT) and I was encouraging him to buy and build it
"...because...well...you HAVE to..."
~laughing~
And catching up on politics...the Parkview shooting...et al.
Of the three boys, Lennon is probably the most aligned with me (and his late dad) politically...so we enjoy some no-holds-barred political discourse.
It is wonderful.
(no...tell me what you REALLY feel)
And James came by with Taco Bell
(...t'was a drive by Taco Bell-ing) and shared what he had bought from Dan's (The Music Center) with his birthday money. And I WISH I had a picture.
It is amazing. Not his father's wah wah pedal.
This pedal does everything. Bill would have just drooled.
Seriously.
It is a shame it didn't exist back before 2010...he would have sooooooooooo had to have one.
Can make your guitar sound like Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Zeppelin...basically any other guitar style.
He showed me video of himself playing with the different sounds it could make.
Incredible.
And the Tacos and chat were pretty good, too.
And when he left...with a hug and the comment
"You know, when you're gone...I am really going to miss this."
(...the time together and chat for a couple hours...)
It really made me stop and think as well. As wonderful as their infancy to teens were...as challenging as their teens to adulthood was...I think...
this...my sons as adults- is probably my favorite stage (time) in their lives.
It is wonderful to see/hear them excited about the latest discovery, or computers, or politics, or music...yes...even Legos.
They have all turned into really
GOOD human beings...
and isn't that all any mother can ask for?
They are all so intelligent...all continue to think, discover and learn (and get excited about it). And share it with me!
They are all so very interesting (as adults), and I love the time we spend now.
Invited to our neighbor, Bob's, later in the week for a cook out (brats) and to check out his new upright electric patio grill and meet his new Rescue Kitty
a large orange and white purr-machine named
Buttercup.
"Don't ask me...they named him that at the shelter!"
lol!
Names aside, like all cats...he moved in and runs the show now.
And I may have to look into purchasing one of those grills, myself.
My fuzzy feral,
Myst, seems to have moved on now that the weather has broke.
Much to Shelby-Cat's satisfaction, I might add.
It was nice to be her Kitty B&B for the bitter winter months, anyway.
Shelby has begun the
Seasonal Shed. Back to thinking maybe those people who developed the Sphinx Cats were just looking for an option that didn't involve shellacking the kitty.
Ummmmmmm...no.
I'd have to crochet it a little full body sweater or something.
I'll stick with de-furring everything.
To be honest...this little guy kind of creeps me out. A lot.
Despite almost a solid week of rain (or maybe because of it) I honestly believe the Groundhog missed it this year and we are in for an
Early Spring.
(...cue The Blizzard...)
The temps are holding from high 40's to the mid-sixties...my outdoor bulbs are peering through...and the Spring migratory birds woke me singing yesterday!
Haven't heard anything from the Peepers or Chorus Frogs yet.
Looking forward to sunshine (maybe) next Monday and Tuesday to start the outdoor tidy-up and to slip the rest of the refrigerated bulbs into outdoor containers. I want to fill the trough with blue Muscaris and yellow Daffodils...and planted the bushel basket full of Daffodils last Fall. They'll be spent by the time I need it for my herbs.
This Week's Movie:
One of Marvel's best and most daring to date. Brilliant casting. Nice to see Angela Basset and Forrest Whitaker, again. Great special effects. Outstanding acting and storyline. Nice ending and message. Even the costuming. Just can't say enough good things about this film. And a true Black Superhero and role model!
Wakanda Forever!
A MUST see.
The Book this Week:
A continuation of Detective
Cooper Devereux's investigations. A series of murders on or near the victims 21st birthdays. Bodies found wrapped in colored sheets and tied with another sheet resembling a bow on a package.
Fast paced and engaging. Several viable suspects. A couple of good pull-the-rug out from under you twists.
You will sit down and not stop until it is finished. One of those "damned books"...lol!
Don't say I didn't warn you!
And...although after yesterday's weapon missive I am not doing
And Now What???
But I will leave you with
MY Happy Thought for the week:
Never ever ever forget that
This Guy (Robert Mueller)
was the man who got
JOHN (...The Teflon Don...)
GOTTI, convicted.
Sentenced to the Rest of his natural life in Prison, turned Sammy "The Bull" to State's Evidence, and brought down the Gambino Family.
He also convicted and jailed Manuel Noriega...
I don't think Trump and his band of Merry Morons are going to cause him to break a sweat, okay
Just saying...
More Monday!
