Safe again

I don't think I wrote about it but maybe I did, but my front sliding door wasn't closing correctly for the past several days and I couldn't lock it.  Steve and his helper, Liam, just left after fixing the door and frame, and now I can lock myself in at night.  I wasn't really too worried but I knew I should get it fixed soon.  When my head hits the pillow I'm usually "out" within a few minutes, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time worrying about my safety.

Art class went well last night and everyone was in a happy mood.  I couldn't be talked into going to City Hall next week - my career was spent working for government and I want nothing more to do with it, from city hall to the Washington headquarters of federal agencies.   The following week is Jeannie's birthday, so I'm taking two weeks off, and will use one of the "credits" to take Ara to a class with me - if she wants to go.

I ended up doing sort of a hodge-podge stained glass effect in the upper part of the lemon picture; I need to figure out what to do in the same part of the banana pic - but haven't come up with anything as yet.  Also today I tried a still life with vegetables and I'm not happy with it, even though the preliminary drawing looks almost perfect (to me).

Click to enlarge pictures.  The second shows the set up of the vegetables, and I won't show the painting until I finish it.

I finally went back to the gym this morning and I feel so much better for it.  I've also done a few small jobs around the house and trying to not sit so much.

Jeannie & Ara spent yesterday in Cincinnati visiting relatives, eating out at favorite old places, and going to the cemetery to pay their respects.  They must have had no trouble finding my mom and dad, as well as Jeannie's dad (he's right behind my dad), but didn't know where Bill's parents' graves were.  I was sorry as I could have told them and they were in sight of where those graves.   There is a plot for me there and I have already made my kids swear to not put me there.   I'm signed up for donation to Science Care, but you never know how those things will go and maybe they have enough old women when I pass on and don't need me!  In that case I'd like my ashes scattered in the Smoky Mountains, but at that point I won't care and my kids can do whatever is convenient for them!

They also drove by our house in Cincinnati, the church &b school, and got a beautiful shot of Cincinnati at night from their aunt's balcony (Bill's sister).  

There was a lot I didn't recognize the last time I was there, which was when we buried Bill in March of 2007.   The sign of old age is that I prefer the old city that I lived and worked in.   I have absolutely no desire to go back npw.

I've been drawing all the vegetables in my fridge and I had better think about cooking them now.   I was going to have baked cod with the veggies, but I think I'll skip the cod and eat double the veg!  Right, gypsy, that's the way to gain weight!  I am afraid to get on the scale lately as I don't like what it tells me.