. . . enjoyed doing nothing

That's what it feels like. I have another whole day and a half to enjoy myself before I have to start thinking again about CD interest and where to put it and making sure I don't screw something up inadvertently.


It also feels like my creativity has split. I'm soldiering on through it by painting small pieces, monoprinting even smaller pieces, and sometimes completely ruining good pieces by going way too far.


This piece is going to my friend at work, Jan, who has no trouble whatsoever asking for something. I like that in a person. Just tell me what you want; I will either say yes or no. No problem. It's a companion piece to another one I gave her last week. It's a unofficial monoprint, 4 x 6" . I wish I hadn't put the circles on it now. I went too far.

. . . met a friend

My internet friend Miki Willa e-mailed me a few weeks ago to tell me she was going to be in Kansas City last weekend for a wedding. We met for lunch and a photo outing last Sunday, and had a great time. It was so good to visit with a fellow artist whose taste for pictures runs similar to mine. As it turns out, the bride, a relative of sorts to Miki, married a young man whose great-grandparents lived in my hometown. His great-grandfather was the mayor for almost all the years I grew up there, and we were all members of the same church. They lived a block from my parent's house. I knew the groom's grandparents and played with his father when we were both young. Small world, indeed.






I took Miki to all my favorite photo places. The first place was River Market, where we found a brick building being demolished. Lots and lots of photo ops there. . .






then we went to the West Bottoms. We didn't cover much territory there, because each site was just ripe for rusty decaying photos. . .






Miki and her family stayed on the Country Club Plaza, absolutely the most iconic place in Kansas City and a lovely location. I told her that I would take her to see all the lowlights of this city, and I think I lived up to that promise. We ate lunch at Ponacks, one of the best Mexican restaurants here, on Southwest Boulevard, and took pictures of the old brewery behind it and underneath Interstate I-35 and then, a bit further down the street, the old grain elevator.







The day was rainy and gloomy and I was driving my daughter's gigantic Tahoe, very unfamiliar and different from my little car, which was being repaired. After I dropped Miki off at the hotel, I misjudged the distance between two other SUVs and ripped the mirror off one and scraped Stephanie and Andy's car down the passenger side. Just another blip on the radar screen of my life.


These are just the black-and-white pictures I took. There are dozens. I can't wait to see what pictures Miki came up with. . . probably the same things. Thanks, Miki, for being my snooping-around-KC friend. And if anyone else wants to visit, be sure to call. I'm available as a tour guide.

. . . were a grandmother

In honor of Mother's Day tomorrow, I'm showing off my little ones. In fact, I don't think I've ever shown a picture of Nora (above) before. What a little sweetheart she is. Her first birthday will be July 9. My sister Ann knitted her darling cap. The hat and the baby are perfect.






And here's Joey. . . it's been quite a while since I've put up a picture of him. He's growing up so fast, doing everything he can to keep up with his big sister. He turned three at the end of March. He seems so much older than three, though. He's very smart, just a joyful kid.






And here's my mom and Betsy. My mom is 83 and Betsy is five. Doesn't Mom look great? Betsy is a dandy. . . I think she's wearing multiple layers of clothing for some kind of fashion statement. Wisely, her mother chooses her battles, and what Betsy wears isn't one of them. Betsy is also very smart and beautiful, and she will start kindergarten in the fall.

I miss having the time to spend with them. Joey and Betsy are great company; Nora is still a bit uncommunicative, but she is such a happy baby that I know she's going to be a lot of fun, too. Thanks to both my kids, Matt and Stephanie, and to my son-in-law, Andy, for being such great people. I'm proud of them all. It's easy being their mom.

. . . offered a bargain

If someone would buy this garden, I would thrown the house in for free.