National Bison Range

Digital layout of a few of our pictures from our trip last fall. Journaling reads: "One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the National Bison Range on 9/20/11. We got amazingly close to some of the animals shown here. It's very unusual to actually see bucks fighting like this."

Glacier National Park pg 2

Digital layout of a few of our pictures from our trip last fall.

Glacier National Park pg 1

Digital layout of a few of our pictures from our trip last fall. Journaling reads: "We started our first morning in Glacier National Park with sunrise over St. Mary Lake. After breakfast we hiked the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail. We had lunch at The Park Cafe, then we hiked the Hidden Lake Nature Trail as far as The Lookout. After all that hiking, we saw a mountain goat in the parking lot for the Hidden Lake Nature Trail!"

The picture of the mountain goat is on the next page of this layout and can be seen here.

Sketchbook Challenge - The Day's Harvest

I sketched this for the current month's sketchbook challenge, which has the theme of Fruits & Veggies.

Mimosa Tree

I took a few minutes to sketch our mimosa tree recently while it was still blooming.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

It's 1940 in the small Cape Cod town of Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris James is the postmistress ("Postmaster," Iris corrected her. "There's no such thing as a postmistress. Man or woman. It's postmaster." page 296). The townspeople believe she is watching over them. Frankie Bard is a radio reporter in London, trying to get America to pay attention to the war that is already being fought in Europe. The story moves smoothly between Franklin and Europe and it's about passing along information - how and when and why and whether you can keep someone from being hurt by not passing it on. I really liked this book - it was well written and a very compelling story and I rate it five out of five.

LAX

We flew through Los Angeles on our way to Yosemite on May 7th, so I spent some of my layover time sketching. I didn't end up doing much sketching in Yosemite; we were there for a photography workshop so I spent most of my time photographing instead.

Palm Tree

We flew through Los Angeles on our way to Yosemite on May 7th, so I spent some of my layover time sketching. I didn't end up doing much sketching in Yosemite; we were there for a photography workshop so I spent most of my time photographing instead.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Thia was a well written but disturbing story by the author of The Remains of the Day. Kathy lived at Hailsham, a private boarding school in England where the students are sheltered from the outside world. When she is reunited with two of her schoolmates when she is in her early 30's, she begins to remember and relive her years at Hailsham and the dark secret behind the seemingly idyllic life there. I rate it 4 out of 5.

A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd

I had planned on reading this book earlier on my iPad for a read along with Book Club Girl.  I THOUGHT that I had downloaded the book before we left on our trip to Tennessee (it was on sale for $1.99).  But when I tried to read it, I learned that I had only downloaded the preview, not the book.  And of course, by then, the sale on the eBook was over.  So I requested the book through inter-library loan, and just finished it yesterday (and now the read along is over, so I didn't participate after all).  I enjoyed it much more than I expected - I don't usually read mysteries, although I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries (didn't all girls?).  It's the first in a series, so I may just have to read more.


Bess Crawford is a nurse serving on a hospital ship during WWI.  She gets close to a dying soldier and promises to take a message back to his family:  "Tell my brother Jonathan that I lied. I did it for Mother's sake. But it has to be set right."  When she is finally able to deliver the message, they react as if the message has no significance.  Through a series of events, she decides to try to learn what the message means and set it right herself.  This is my fourth book for the World War I Reading Challenge, and I rate it 4 out of 5.

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

This is the story of an English soldier who returns home with partial amnesia after an injury.  He doesn't remember his wife and believes he is in love with an innkeeper's daughter he hasn't seen in 15 years.  It is a quick read - only 87 pages - and a good story.  It was written in 1918, which may explain why I wasn't too fond of the writing style.  But I still enjoyed it overall and rate it 3 out of 5.  It is my third book for the World War I Reading Challenge that I'm participating in this year; the other two books were All Quiet on the Western Front and Warhorse.

Sketchbook Challenge - Open

I used a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen to sketch from the tv this afternoon. This is supposed to be Brian Williams, NBC News Anchor. It doesn't look very much like him, but at least it looks like a person (and I'm new at this!).

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

I really enjoyed this well written book.  It was somewhere between a series of related short stories and a novel.  Each chapter was told from a different point of view, but the same characters kept appearing over and over again.  It went forward and backward in time from one chapter to the next, but I didn't have any trouble keeping track of the action.  I rate it 4 out of 5.

Moving Day

My mother decided she wanted to move from her upstairs apartment to a downstairs apartment at the assisted living center where she lives. It was a trying few days, but it helped to write it out and add some watercolor.

A Pair of Pears

Practicing my pears for Pear-ology, a class from Martha Lever. Learning to glaze.

Pedicure

This would be considered a mixed media piece; I used nail polish on the nails.

Mimi's Cafe

We went to Tulsa to see the NatureWorks wildlife art exhibit, where I bought a hand colored etching from Melanie Fain. We ate lunch at Mimi's Cafe before seeing the art exhibit. My friends were quite impressed with my little Altoid tin of watercolors and my waterbrush!

Skipping Class

One week, my watercolor instructor didn't show up for class. The next week, he was there, but he had the flu. I didn't wait around to find out where he'd been the previous week; I went to Panera instead. And then I dropped out of the class.

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

I rarely read non-fiction, and after reading this book, I'm reminded why.  It was the April selection for the book club I visit when we visit our friends in Tennessee each year.  While the book was somewhat interesting at times, I didn't really enjoy it.  It was very tedious reading for me; I'm actually surprised I finished it.  I rate it 2 out of 5.

Four Spirits by Sena Jeter Naslund

This is the third book I've read by Naslund.  The first, Ahab's Wife, was definitely my favorite, but this one was a  close second.  It is set in Birmingham, Alabama, during the early 1960's, the site of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing on September 15, 1963.  The church was an African-American church, and four young African-American girls were killed in the bombing.  The book follows several fictional characters through this violent time in our history; blacks and whites, men and women, racists and civil rights advocates.  I enjoyed the book and rate it 4 out of 5.

The Keep by Jennifer Egan (Audio Book)

We listened to this audio book on our way home from our visit to our son a couple of weeks ago.  From Amazon:

In Jennifer Egan's deliciously creepy new novel, two cousins reunite twenty years after a childhood prank gone wrong changed their lives and sent them on their separate ways. "Cousin Howie," the formerly uncool, strange, and pasty ("he looked like a guy the sun wouldn't touch") cousin has become a blond, tan, and married millionaire with a generous spirit. He invites his cousin Danny (who as an insecure teenager left him hurt and helpless in a cave for three days) to help him renovate an old castle in Germany. To reveal too much would ruin the story, just know that The Keep is a wonderfully weird read--a touch experimental in terms of narrative, with a hefty dose of gothic tension and mystery--balanced by an intimate and mesmerizing look at how the past haunts us in different ways. --Daphne Durham

I enjoyed the book and rate it 4 out of 5.

B Is For Beer by Tom Robbins (Audio Book)

Our son gave us this audio book for Christmas since he knows we often listen to audio books when we travel.  We visited him recently, so that seemed the perfect time to listen to it.  It was short (just 2 CDs) and very quirky.  It is described as "A Children's Book for Grown-ups" and "A Grown-up Book for Children."  It was read by Laura Silverman and was very enjoyable to listen to.  I rate it 4 out of 5.

Letter Love: Whimsey Grid

I really liked doing this one! Flowers are watercolor; background is pan pastels.

Letter Love - Play

I signed up for another lettering class, and this is one of my first assignments. I think it's going to be fun.

Sketchbook Challenge - Flowers

It was a warm (80 degrees) sunny day, and our peach tree has been blooming for several days, so I sat outside and sketched this afternoon. When I came inside to add the title, for some reason I wrote pear tree instead of peach tree, even though I knew it was a peach tree. And there wasn't room to change the R into a CH. LOL!!

I sketched this for March's Sketchbook Challenge theme, Flowers.

Sideboard

I was quite impressed with this built-in sideboard in my son and daughter-in-law's new apartment. I've blurred part of the address for privacy.

Read Along with Book Club Girl

I'm joining a read along hosted by Book Club Girl of A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd.  It will qualify for my WWI Reading Challenge, and it's available as an e-book for just $1.99.  So I'll be reading it on my iPad, which I've never done.

Mandala

For lesson 1 of Watercolor Pencil Workshop with Dion Dior at Joggles. In Strathmore Visual Journal - Mixed Media.

Fabric Inspiration

For Watercolor Pencil Workshop with Dion Dior at Joggles. In Strathmore Visual Journal - Mixed Media.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Stevens, a very proper English butler, takes a holiday near the end of his career of working at Darlington Hall.  He spends much of his holiday looking back over his years of service, reassuring himself that he served a "great gentleman" with "dignity."  He reminded me of Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey, only even more so.  While I don't remember much about the movie version, I do remember that his part was played by Anthony Hopkins, who was the perfect actor for the part.  Now I want to see the movie again.  I really enjoyed the book and rated it 4 out of 5.