Happy belated birthday to me...

my birthday was on the 14th and yesterday I got a box from my Mom.

this is a "green" bag the local grocery where my Mom shops sells. It is by Don Drumm and artist from Akron, Ohio..I think it will look terrific in my bike basket or trips to farmers markets!

a dvd of westerns..she knows what I like..the duck is a family joke..time to take ducks out for a photo shoot!

A book of poetry by my Aunt Ruthie and her sister Maryann..octogenarians in their first foray into the world of self publishing. And you can buy it from Amazon.com!

here is the book jacket photo of the authors..Maryann is on the left, Ruthie on the right. Ruthie was married to my Dad's brother Chuck. She and Chuck would drive in a red convertible with their white hair blowing in the wind. When they were first together they traveled the road like Kerouac. Chuck was an artist and was an art teacher. They had 3 sons. Chuck died about 6 months before my Dad. He was a WWII vet. Ruthie is very active. She and Maryann are a hoot!! The chicks are in their new digs and seem very happy. I just need to peep proof the yard and they can go out to play. I have not been to the studio for a while..trying to get yard work, coop work and gardens done..still need to get the vegie garden started. Even though it has been in the 80's we don't plant until Mothers Day..it could freeze still. On the 28th of April (Sat. the Utah Watercolor society is meeting at 10 am to paint an area I have always wanted to paint. The same day entry for the Utah County art show is 10am-12! That is 20 miles south of me and the class is 20 miles N. of me and I am trying to figure out how to get this done!! I wonder why the entry for the show is only in a 2 hour window? I may do the class and paint out instead..but I would like to enter the show!!! Yikes!!! I will be in the studio tomorrow. Alisa's son Will is being home schooled and I have agreed to give him art lessons. I am going to have him paint background color on paper, while the sheets dry..we will talk about artists and types of art he likes, look at a few books, then we will walk down the road and draw the water tower just a block from the studio on the colored paper. I have a sketchbook for him and plan to get him a set of pencils and erasers from Michaels on my way up. I will give him a sketchbook assignment..nothing onerous..and I just baked some cookies for him and his sister! Should be fun!!!