Check side bar for future classes and workshops....hope you enjoy this quick glance of my passion.....

Peonies

Today I was in a flower mood...so looking through my photographs these peonies caught my attention because of their lacy edges...almost like an unruly cotton ball...hope you enjoy the 3 step process...

January 24 & 25 workshop

Great workshop this passed week here in Lubbock with 14 eager participants itching to wet a brush.  Vignettes took center stage and all 14 took that challenge and ran with it.  Great paintings were produced and I never close a workshop without students probably teaching me more than I do them...here are a few of those eager painters....

Been On Hold

Yep! Fairly certain my flu shot didn't have all the ingredients most had.  Thinking mine must have been the last vile on the last shipment because my cart was in the ditch for about 3 days.  Some of you reading have experienced one of Pharaoh's plagues and if you haven't please, celebrate life.  How can you be that sick, hurt that bad and not need at least one band-aid?  You know how it starts....nagy sore throat you say to yourself must be allergies.  Few aches and pains, must have done to much..like that's going to happen.  A little chill that requires a sweater, turn up the heat when no one is looking.  Would really like to go bed-d-bye at 2 in the afternoon but you have company.  As you carry on some kind of conversation you thoughts are wondering to the tune of 'if I were at your house I would go home'.  Time comes when the house becomes yours again and you ditch that getting ready for bed routine and go straight for the Tylenol, socks, flannel gown, and an extra blanket on your side of the bed not wanting to draw attention to the fact you might not make it until morning.  That kinda of conversation takes way to much energy and at that moment someone with a gun threatening to shot wouldn' budge you.  As the night progresses you feel your body lying nude on an iceberg with not enough blankets in the free world to change the situation.  If I could have recorded my dreams no doubt they would be a million dollar box office smash.  Everything hurts, hair, fingernails, parts of the body you no longer have and some parts medical science has not identified.  Okay Lord,  all bases are covered ...have enough paintings to pave heaven, family is great, nothing more for me to do.  Morning comes and toughing it out is no longer in the picture a call to the doctor requesting Cyndie had priority.  About mid afternoon my Prince, 'the wind beneath my wings' that apparently stepped aside when I fell to this disease,  appears with meds.  My only request was a tuna salad and a boiled egg because I had drank enough chicken broth to fill my great grandsons wading pool...Seeming like hours since I had made my menu order.  From the bed,  I see a figure in the kitchen trying to make out this thing called a egg poacher/boiler and could be a bowl of something. Getting up with that Tim Conway shuffle made it to the area where food use to be stored.  My Prince was trying to put together a tuna salad while getting eggs in the steamer.  If my request had been something from the grill and a baked potato my wait would have been shorter.   Watching the process..... I ask...'will that tuna be ready today?...forget the egg'....
Now the next morning meds had kicked in and opening my eyes thought I had a bad dream.  Standing in the kitchen drinking my second gallon of water I spied my prescription on the counter......knowing then...no dream and I need to stay around to make tuna salad.......

Been On Hold.....

Yep! was on hold for about 3 days....don't think my flu shot had all the ingredients most of you received.  Or maybe it was the 'last' little bottle that dropped in the 'last' shipment....what ever the case I feel confident mine was not complete.  Some of you have been where I am about to go...those who haven't please celebrate life.  This dragon starts with a nagy sore throat...probably allergies you say to yourself.  Then you have a little ache here and there...huh, must have done to much today, like that's going to happen.  Along comes a shiver and you get a sweater.....turn up the heat when no one is looking.  Bed die-bye becomes very attractive at 2 in the afternoon....but it is hard to tell company 'if I was at your house I would go home'.  Night time comes, skip that routine 'getting ready for bed stuff' and go straight for the Tylenol, socks, flannel gown, and an extra blanket on my side....didn't have the energy to tell my Prince, I might not make it till morning. Well, a night and day in bed so cold you felt your nude body was lying on an iceberg and there aren't enough blankets in the free world to change the situation.  Not sure what my temperature was but if my dreams had been recorded they would have grossed a million dollars at the box office.  Everything hurt....my hair, fingernails  and parts no longer attached to my body hurt...even parts medical science would declare a mystery.  This little voice says give up..call  to the doctor for meds....in hopes Cyndie would be delivered.  As I lay half in and half out of conciseness...spoke to the Lord. Lord,  I have enough paintings to pave heaven, the family are all doing great, not sure why I would be needed any longer..all bases are covered and felt confident we would be enjoying conversation soon.

In the meantime, my Prince, 'the one beneath my wings' who must have stepped aside when I hit the dirt, brought me the meds.  My only request at that moment was tuna salad and boiled egg.  Seemed like hours since I had ordered off the menu and dreaming about tuna salad I got up only to see through a sliver of ddoorway a figure working in the kitchen..as I watched trying to focus I instantly knew why I had been left here...the help with the long awaited tuna salad and just one boiled egg.  As I creep, you know that Tim Conway shuffle, into the kitchen I asked 'will that sandwich be available today?...forget the egg......the next morning upon waking my first thoughts were 'wow what a dream' but when I came into the kitchen there was my prescription with my name on it....then realizing that was one more bad trip.......