Thank you all!

I'd like to say thanks to all those who have commented on my artistic attempts over the past week or so.  They have inspired me to keep going as well as to enjoy myself while I'm at it.

I found Sherry's comment about not being able to draw so timely, as I would have said the same thing about myself until just a few weeks ago.  It's not that I am suddenly become a good artist and sketcher, but I'm doing so much better than I would have ever thought possible.  It all started with my 9 yr old granddaughter, Autumn.  We had been to the free painting class at Michaels and waiting at my house for her Mom to pick her up.

We had lots of things to discuss about art, and Autumn picked up a pencil and piece of paper and said "I like to draw also.  Here's what I do."  She proceeded to make marks on the paper with her pencil, talking constantly, like "and then I go like this.......and then I do this......."   I saw a shape taking place before my eyes of a beautiful vase.  I was admiring it and thinking to myself, "Damn, if a 9 yr old can do that, why can't I?"  At the time it was a rhetorical question because I didn't think I was capable of doing anything like it.  I still haven't tried a vase, but I started sketching and now draw 4 or 5 pictures a day of things I see around my house.  I'm not good, but I'm not bad either and from everything I've read and heard from accomplished artists it is to "Draw, draw, and draw some more".  So I'll see if it works.

Jeannie and Ara have begun their long journey with a visit to one of their cousins who lives in northern PA.  It just coincided with her son's 18th birthday, so that worked out well.   

It rained really hard for most of the day but has finally let up for a while.  I think we'll get another 2 or 3 days of rain before it clears up.   I love seeing the rain but I'm so cold and just can't seem to get warmed up, so I got out one of the small electric heaters I use in the winter.  I'm also wrapped up in two small blankets, which are fine while I'm sitting in one place.

The wind is picking up and the hummingbird feeder is swinging wildly.  There is a hardy soul out there trying to deal with the moving feast and he's hanging in there pretty well.

I ate soup again for lunch, although it is more like a dinner than a lunch meal.  I probably won't end up freezing any of it.  I think the secret ingredient that makes it so good is the "Better Than Bullion, Chicken Flavor".  I used a lot of it as I was cooking in the big soup pot.   I didn't need any additional salt because the bullion paste is salty enough.   I put a lot of good vegetables in it, as well as the organic chicken meatballs - Coleman's brand, which are about an inch across, much smaller than a regular meatball.  The soup is mostly vegetables, and I also added a can of organic diced tomatoes plus a small can of organic tomato sauce.  So far the tomatoes haven't given me any problem, probably because the amount used was small in proportion to everything else.  I will be making chicken soup when this batch is gone.  It's such a quick and easy lunch on days when I don't feel like getting anything else together.

Another week is rolling around, and it seems like each week goes faster than the last.   I wish all of you a good one.