Art and Allie

 

Happy Chanukah

 

Just so you know I still do go to Tacos Jalisco for lunch, just not as often. My caseload at work is down so that allows me to eat lunch at home more frequently and I don't draw there! But this day I started with the guy on the left and he immediately got up before I got to his face ... the other two guys sat still longer.  Oh, and that's MY ART on the wall between and behind them.

Then we went to Portland, Oregon for Thanksgiving and Chanukah. I didn't draw people there or much at all, but one day when Allie was napping I drew this pile of clean clothes on the coffee table while I waited for her to wake up so we could play.

I liked the shapes of this Photography Gallery and the words in the window: "Uncertain State Photography in Crisis".

And then I decided to add color and more pen work:

Now you will completely forget about my art as you focus on this cute little girl. She is wearing the sweater I knit for her the week before we got there. It was my Chanukah gift to her, well one of several.

Here she is lighting the Menorah Candles with her mom and dad. (my son and daughter in law)

And here she is posing for me to show off the front and the back of the sweater that can be worn either side frontwards. So she has two different looks.

Precious time being with Allie, my son and daughter in law and my eldest grandson too. I hope we get back there very, very soon!

In the meantime, Happy Paint Party Friday, and Sunday Sketching too. I'll link to both!

Drawing With Grandkids, Lunch with Carlos, Diving into Forks Over Knives

We had two weeks of three days each with kids and grand kids. My son and his exceptionally wonderful wife came with their baby, Allie Bel, for three days from Portland, Oregon.

What a joy having them in our home, waking up to be able to play 'Patty Cake' with Allie,

to give her fat crayons and watch her draw a picture to put on the fridge!

 

Then a few short days later our two 8.5 year old twin grand children came to stay with us, without their parents, for three days!

Again, we had a ball.

I taught them to use the new sewing machine they'd received at Chanukah. But since neither parent sews I got to be their first teacher. They became proficient at it quickly and went on to design outfits for her and then for their dolls. Sweet! He even made a shirt for his baby cousin, Allie.

 

I also introduced them to American Idol on TV and here they are watching it with me.

Although they drew while here, I only eked out this one drawing in six plus days!

 

Now the kids and grand kids have all gone back home. And I am back to my usual life. Working, and going to lunch at Tacos Jalisco, and drawing there (yesterday). Carlos was eating his lunch before the big lunchtime crowd arrived and he invited me to join him at his table. We sat and talked, and I drew him while he ate. No, this does not look much like him in reality, but as well as I could do in the moment. My food came, and he got up and went back to work so you see him in the background too.
He does have wavy black hair and big brown eyes!

Carlos shared with me that a customer came in and saw the poster we have about my book: "One Fish Taco and Half an Order of Guacamole A Year of Drawing over Lunch at Tacos Jalisco" and picked it up in its frame and showed it to him behind the counter and said "This is what I want for lunch! One fish taco and half an order of guacamole!" Nice to know my book cover picture sells lunches there!!! (see side bar for more book info)

I've also discovered the film Forks Over Knives (Amazon) and have gotten back to cooking after a twenty year hiatus. DH took over cooking way back then to get away from my very veggie heavy diet. But now I am back to it in spades. (no meat, dairy, flour; lots of veggies, grains, fruit) So far I am enjoying the preparation of things called Yam and Lentil Stew in orange juice, and tonight I am tackling Mushroom Stroganoff. Now I am off to the grocery store for a few needed ingredients.

Linking to Paint Party Friday & Sunday Sketchers, get there via the link on my sidebar to see lots and lots of fun art!

Good Wishes for Quick Storm Recovery on Animal Wednesday

 Our hearts go out to all the people and four legged animals who have suffered from the Terrible Storm on the east coast this past weekend.

Here I am sharing the last of the animals we saw on our trip over the 8 states in this wonderful country of ours the US of A.

These horses were seen at the foot of the Grand Tetons! A most spectacular mountain range near Yellowstone National Park.

Fall color was bursting out all over in colorful abundance making our eyes dance and sing. Right timely for Halloween wouldn't you say?

Probably there are fish in the water here. Take my word for it. ;-)

A young moose enjoys some grass in this area too.

And you already know my affinity with buffalo/bison.

This past weekend we visited our 14 MONTH old grand daughter, Allie Bel, in Portland, Oregon. We brought her a stuffed buffalo from our trip. Allie was born deaf, but now wears a Cochlear implant and hears just fine. But she also signs. So I looked up and taught her the sign for buffalo. So now she can make it too, with her two little fists turned inward facing her forehead then turned outward! She is so bright!

The buffalo came in all shapes and sizes on our trip too.

Happy Animal Wednesday

and remember the

American Red Cross needs our help!

$$$$$$

Grandkids Visit and New Baby Picture

 We picked the 7 yr olds up on Saturday after their soccer games...and brought them to our house. We had a busy afternoon and evening (but I'm showing Sunday photos first). Grand daughter said she wanted to make a quilt for her stuffed monkey, Mono; and grandson said he'd make one too for Blue Bear. They wanted to make them on the sewing machine.

First we went into the garage where all my fabrics are stored and they picked out "doggie patterned fabrics." GD's piece was perfectly sized she said to just fold in half and put "the soft stuff" (batting) in between; GS chose a cute dog fabric and a perfectly blended solid piece for his backing. They both were able to lay the fabric on the soft stuff and pin the three layers together for sewing.

 GS worked diligently sewing around the outside first; then using lines in the pattern to follow for quilting across in both directions. He even learned to thread the machine himself.

 They both quickly learned to use the buttons on the machine to go backyards to secure a finished line of stitches, to lift the foot off the fabric for turning; and to lift the needle when necessary. And both could reach the foot presser and found agreeable pressures for moving the fabric along.

 GD wearing dress up clothes shows off her finished quilt on which she hand sewed a gold ribbon bow of her choosing. (I did the bindings, but they tore the fabric for them. They could have sewn them too but they were getting tired.) GS was equally proud of his finished quilt and he sewed a button to each corner for embellishment by hand. They took a break to eat bread with mayonnaise  before lunch.

My son sent this photo today via email.

Our littlest grand baby girl just one month old...laying on the festival quilt I made this summer for her parents, and her of course! She has an audiology diagnostic test in the works...hoping for okay news.

Needless to say I was in grandma heaven all weekend long.