ERIC'S CHRISTMAS GIFT

I came home and the house cleaners are doing a BIG clean, so they're still here. Decided to blog some more about my home life. I checked my Iphone weather forecaster, and currently, it's 28 in Houston, where my sister Janice lives, 10 in Tulsa where my older sister, Evelyn, lives, and 14 in Cushing, Ok., where my step-Dad lives. Guess our "current" 19 degree heat wave isn't so bad. Stella was getting antsy, so I took her for a quick walk of the park. There was no one there, so I took her off the leash (surely no one from the Parks Dept. would be out issuing leash law tickets) and let her run. She finally pooped, but it was about 300 yards from where I was. By the time I got there, I couldn't find "her" poop stop, but I went ahead and picked up some horse poop. It really could have been a large dog, but it also could have been a small dog. I felt like it was a justified exchange. The pixs show the ice formed on the stream that runs beneath the bridge.

For Xmas, I got Eric a beginning oil painting set. It has about 6 or so tubes of basic oil painting colors, an easel, brushes, some canvasses, etc. I also found my painting supplies, and we used as much of those as we could. A couple of tubes of paint were past the usable stage, but the brushes (the ones I could find) were still good, and I have lots of misc. supplies, like brush soap, cleaners, etc. I had him over last Sunday to get him started. I "used" to paint all the time, but now golf and run around with the gals instead. Anyway, we painted last Sunday. We selected a picture, and we both started painting. We spent more time getting supplies together than we actually did painting. I gave him some books that have a picture and tell you step by step how to paint it. Unfortunately for Eric, I didn't like following the directions, and I also didn't like the colors they had us mix. Therefore, I vent

ured out on my own. Of course, this was a little confusing for him, but he hung in there.

Here is a pix of his picture and my picture, side by side. Mine is on the top. Remember, these need lots of painting, this is the basic outline only. I'll do pix as we progress.

He did pretty well at following my back and forth painting style. The pictures got too wet, so we had to quit. I've committed to working with him on Sunday's, for three different pictures, then he'll try on his own. This should be very interesting. Here are some of my previous works of art. Most of them are in the attic, or one of our 3 storage locations. Hopefully, they're in the "airconditioned" storage space. They could be worth millions when I die. Okay, maybe not millions, but maybe worth the frames they're in. Now you know why I didn't become an artist. However, there is something very relaxing about painting.

Here is a Topeka Kansas farm house. (I know, way too many trees for Topeka, but the snow is

accurate.)

This is an original I created, reminding me of a church with a cemetery that I'd seen.


This is my favorite of all my paintings. I found this picture on a birthday card. It's called "picking the thorn", and the card said "Happy Birthday to a very dear man". This inspired me to paint it for my Step-Dad, cause he is so special to me. Anyway, someone saw it in the frame shop and offered $350 for it, without a frame. Naturally, I felt good, but couldn't sell it. Matter of fact, I took a pix of it and mailed it with the card to my Step-Dad for his birthday, telling him I fell in love with it, just like I did him, and couldn't bear to part with it. It is now at my house, and will always be..... even though it is "his" picture.

Here are a couple of copies of someone elses work. If I saw a post card or pix I liked, I'd copy it.

The duck pictures were a phase I went thru. This is only one of many that I painted.

Well, obviously I have nothing to do today. If you're reading this on Friday, you're obviously bored also. This cold weather does NOTHING for anyone's mood. On second thought, I'll make my grocery list for the party and get my stuff before it gets cold. I may even do a little cooking ahead of time.