Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

I read this book for a read along on the War Through The Generations blog, which is also hosting the US Civil War Challenge that I'm participating in this year.  It is the story of 18 year old Missourian Adair Colley, who is falsely accused of being a Confederate spy and is sent to a women's prison in St. Louis.  The prison commander tries to convince Adair to give him some information so that she can be released. While I mostly enjoyed the story, I found parts to be unbelievable and thought it was not very well written.  But I learned about the imprisonment of women during the Civil War that I didn't know about before.  I rated it 3 out of 5.

Keys 2 and Everyday Object 3

My second sketch for Lesson One of my On Location class with Jane LaFazio. It also fits the Sketchbook Challenge theme of Everyday Objects.

Keys 1 and Everyday Object 2

Lesson One for Jane LaFazio's online class, Sketching and Watercolor Journal Style - On Location, is keys. It also fits this month's Sketchbook Challenge theme of Everyday Objects. I don't carry a lot of keys, but this one has quickly become my favorite. I wish I had some cool antique keys to sketch, but I don't.

Everyday Object 1

Theme for August's Sketchbook Challenge is Everyday Objects. Journaling reads, "This soap dispenser just came from JC Penney, but it makes me smile. I have it and a matching soap dish beside my sink in my bathroom."

Watercolor Class

I took a watercolor class while we were in Crested Butte for the Wildflower Festival in July.

Journaling reads, "This was my piece from the class on 7/15. We went to the same garden as the day before. We used very cheap paints, but it was still a fun class. I spent a lot of time trying to get my colors right, then painted these flowers. I added the ink border and green cardstock backing today."

Sumi-e 2

Journaling reads, "Class taught by Melissa Neuner-Mason during Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. Of course, we used black ink and sumi-e brushes, while I used Indanthrone Blue watercolor paint and a waterbrush here."

Sumi-e 1

I took a Sumi-e class while we were in Crested Butte for the Wildflower Festival in July.

The journaling reads, "This was my favorite of all the pieces I did in class on 7/14. It is all about how to 'distill the essence of an object in the fewest possible strokes.' I have a long way to go! But the class was fun."

1984 by George Orwell

I recently re-read 1984 by George Orwell.  I had read it in high school, but that was, well, shall we say more than a few years ago.  I wanted to read it again because I didn't remember details of the story, and it is truly a classic.  This is where familiar terms such as Big Brother, Thought Police, Newspeak, Doublespeak, and Thoughtcrime originated.  It's a rare book that can introduce so many new words into the common vocabulary.  It's a frightening look into a totalitarian future, made all the more frightening as it becomes more and more real.  It was published in 1949.  It was my 8th book for the Off the Shelf Reading Challenge 2011 and I rate it 4 out of 5.

The Delicate Columbine

I sketched this from a photo I took of a blue columbine, which is the state flower of Colorado. We usually go later in the summer, after the columbines are through blooming. This year I wanted to go during the Wildflower Festival in Crested Butte, known as the wildflower capital of Colorado. I'm really glad we did; we saw so many more wildflowers than we usually see, and a number of different ones.

Balloon

I did a little bit of sketching while we were in beautiful, cool Colorado last month. I did this from a photo my DH took of the hot air balloon we rode in after we landed.

The page is titled "At Last" because my DH gave me a balloon ride for my birthday in 1999 - 12 1/2 years ago - and we finally went this year.  We'd gotten close when we were at Lake Tahoe in 2000, but the wind wasn't right.

Fishing Spring Creek

Journaling reads: "Glen loves fishing along Spring Creek, and he always catches trout here. I go along with him at least once each trip to take photos while he fishes."

at last!

This digital scrapbook layout is titled "at last!" because my DH gave me a balloon ride for my birthday 11 1/2 years ago, and we finally took it earlier this month!

I haven't done any scrapbooking in a LONG time - I'm so far behind it's pitiful. So here's a start at getting caught up.

The March by E.L. Doctorow

We often check out audio books from our local library when we travel.  We listened to The March on our drive to and from Colorado last week and both enjoyed it.  It is the story of General William Tecumseh Sherman's march through Georgia and the Carolinas near the end of the U.S. Civil War.  I had always heard that the Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars we were ever involved in, but I hadn't realized just how many civilians were directly affected by it.  Untold numbers of civilians were killed or wounded.  Soldiers took not only food and horses and other items needed for the war effort from private citizens, but also stole personal possessions of all kinds.  There were no rules like the Geneva Convention in those days.  Not that rules are always followed or that the rules make war civilized; far from it.  But it was still shocking to learn just how uncivilized the Civil War was.  The book was read by Joe Morton, who did a great job.  It was well written.  I rate it 4 out of 5.  It was my 4th book for the U.S. Civil War Reading Challenge.

View from the Balloon

What a great trip it was!

View from the Balloon

What a great trip it was!

View from the Balloon

What a great trip it was!

Heating the Air in the Balloon

After the balloon was filled with air, the air was heated so the balloon would be able to rise.

Filling the Balloon

This is us on the right "helping" to fill the balloon with air.

Balloon Ride in Crested Butte

Getting ready for take-off.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist, walked a tightrope between the twin towers of the not yet completed World Trade Center.  This actually occurred, but the rest of the novel is fiction.  Stories of various observers of the walk are presented.   Sometimes it feels like a series of short stories, but many of the characters relate to each other and come together in surprising and interesting ways.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is a character describing letters she wrote home after she went away to college:

"I told them how much I loved my history classes, which was true.  I told them I loved walking the woods, true too.  I told them that I always had clean linen in my dorm room, true as well.

"I gave them all the truth and none of the honesty."

This was my 7th book for the New Author Challenge 2011.  I thought it was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I rate it 5 out of 5. 

Veteran Stars

I made this quilt for a Red White & Blue Patriotic Challenge in my quilt guild. All challenge quilts will be donated to our local VFW for them to distribute as a way to honor our veterans.

Waiting Room Chair

I had thought that I would be in a waiting room with other people and I would try sketching them, but instead I was in a little conference room by myself. So I challenged myself to sketch this chair at an odd angle.

21 Days of Gratitude - Day 16

Day 16 - What I Loved As a Child
I'm trying to get caught up in posting. My mom was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, so I haven't gotten much done, but I did manage to squeeze in a little time for myself on a few days. I wasn't able to get to this page until after my class was closed, but I still wanted to do it.

Book Giveaway

Tee of Green Isles Crafts is offering a copy of Cathy (Kate) Johnson's new book, Artist's Journal Workshop.  It promises to be a great book.  Go here to find out how to win this book.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Harrison Shepherd was born in the United States in 1916.  When he was 12 years old, his Mexican mother left his American father and took him to Mexico.  His mother buys him a notebook and tells him to write down what happened in Mexico, which starts a lifelong habit of keeping a diary.  He works for Diego Rivera, first as a plaster mixer and later as a cook, and befriends Rivera's wife, Frida Kahlo.  He also works for the exiled Leon Trotsky, and later moves to the United States.  I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel; I found it very well written and got very caught up in the story, especially the later chapters after World War II covering the Red Scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee.  It was my fourth book for the I Want More Book Challenge (other books I've read by Barbara Kingsolver are The Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer).  I rate it 5 out of 5.

Good Pals

A common occurrence around here!  But don't be deceived by the picture - Buster (the cat) is so much closer to the camera than Buddy (the dog) that he looks almost as big.  But Buddy weighs 85 pounds, while Buster weighs 12 pounds.

Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones

I had told my son about listening to an audio book, The Known World, by this author, so he loaned my this collection of short stories.  He knows that I'm not too fond of short stories, but he thought that since I'd enjoyed Jones's other book, I might enjoy this one (plus, since he writes short stories, he's trying to convert me).  I had read several of the stories last year when he loaned it to me, and then put it aside.  I kept thinking I'd get back to it and didn't.  But since my son and daughter-in-law are coming for a visit next month, I finally had an incentive to finish it.  I'm still not too fond of short stories.  And modern short stories seem to be just a snippet in time with no definitive ending.  That was true of these stories.  I rate it 2 out of 5.  It was my seventh book for the Off the Shelf Reading Challenge (my goal was five books, but I'm not going to stop).

All Other Nights by Dara Horn

Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union Army, enlisted in 1861 to escape an arranged marriage, never understanding that he could have said no.  This lack of knowledge that he could say no is a recurrent theme throughout the book.   After serving for a year, his commanders send him to New Orleans to murder his uncle, who is believed to be a Confederate spy.  After this mission, he is sent to Virginia to pursue another enemy agent.  But this time, his mission is not to murder the agent, but to marry her.  Jacob matures by the end of the book, which I enjoyed and found to be well written.  It was my third book for both the US Civil War Reading Challenge and the I Want More Book Challenge.  I rate it 4 out of 5.

21 Days of Gratitude - Day 12

Nature - Color Drop Flower class by Martha Lever.

21 Days of Gratitude - Days 10 & 11

Treasure Hunt - Busy weekend.