on my easel...and 30 day challenge

here are some things i'm working on...the doggie on the left is another painting of rufus..this one's for boogs..and the doggie on the right is another in my long series of goldens...leslie saeta has issued a challenge to paint 30 paintings in 30 days...i'm up!! - reminds me of several years ago when i started this journey..i must have done a painting a day for months and months and months...not sure how long but i'm always up for a challenge...i also need to get some resurrection prints hand-embellished...

jumbo

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this is a painting for my (former) daughter-in-law christy....jumbo is no longer with us but she was a good old soul...

resurrection stuff....

it's all about the resurrection painting!! - today i drove my friend moon to indy for chemo.  it was all the way up to carmel so it was a great excuse to pop in my gallery up there and hand out some peanut brittle.  they said that just today i sold a resurrection print!!  yeah!@!!!...and i just happened to have an extra in the car so i slapped that up with my blessings!! - then back to chemo where we met the nicest gal...her name was bobbi and she was waiting on her hubby who was having chemo as well.  margot and i had the best chat with her.  she's been through so much trauma in her life and has the most resilient spirit...a real inspiration!!..then on to tom wood ford where i delivered another resurrection giclee.  the gal seemed to love it and was anxious to surprise her son-in--law for christmas!! - i love that part...on my way out i ran into a huge IU fan who wanted to know what all the commotion was...passed out a few cards and went on my way.  moon got really good news from her doc so all in all it was a really good day!!!...now on to our girls' christmas party!!  i love my friends!!!








18x28 stretched $250.00 USD
18x28 unstretched $200.00 USD
24x36 stretched $400.00 USD
24x36 unstretched $350.00 USD

         

"Little Kitty"

6x6 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's another little kitty painting...i just delivered four of my golden paintings to The Venue yesterday where we discussed the marketing of our painting of the resurrection..lots to think about..played a tennis match in indy today and delivered a painting of a little french bulldog to a gal to give to her mother-in-law for christmas.  so glad i could get it done for her in time!!

the resurrection

18x28 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so we are marketing a reproduction of the original painting which hangs in coach crean's office....a smaller  giclee, hand-embellished and gallery wrapped, ready to hang in size 18x28..($250.00).also available in original 24x36 size ($400.00).  if you prefer to do your own matting, framing, etc., the embellished giclee is available unstretched ( 18x28 $200..24x36 $350).  A portion of the proceeds will go to the IU varsity club. email me for different sizes. also available at The Venue in Bloomington and Midland arts and antiques in indianapolis and carmel, indiana.

another puppy dog...

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

here's another of my latest doggie paintings...these are all going to be available at The Venue in Bloomington..whenever i can get over there - meanwhile i've been working on some things for my daughter..one large kernel of popcorn and a dog portrait for her to give to a friend...i love that my house is done so i can head to the studio and get some serious work done!  after i've made several batches of peanut brittle, of course....

another golden

8x8 original oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's another in my golden series...having so much fun with these...busy busy day and can't see it getting any better for a long time!!  but it's good!!

"Sleepy Golden"

8x8 original oil on gallery wrap canvas

so i finally got back to my studio...new york...thanksgiving...christmas decorating...all done!!! - but oh we struggled with the lights on the tree - we have these big  lights that give the tree an old-fashioned look and we love them but they were constantly blowing a fuse!! - very frustrating!! - so finally, with a little help from a couple of grands, i took all the lights off and started OVER! - split them up and only had two strands on a socket and that was the ticket...yeah....with the early thanksgiving, that started the holiday season off and i don't think i've ever had my christmas decorating done so early!!!...so now i can concentrate on paintings i need to get done...several things for my gallery in bloomington, some commissions, and just some things for fun...i've gone to the dogs!~ - more tomorrow!!

espn shoutout@!!!

we were on our way home from the IU game tonight...a beating of north carolina..and two friends emailed to say they'd heard danny dakich mention me and the painting i did of him..said it was hanging in his home - me...espn...double d...plus a huge win for the hoosiers...does it get any better???????

great white way

so we just got back from watching the hoosiers play two games in brooklyn - the new barclays center is truly amazing!! great big and gorgeous! lt's full of good-looking food although we didn't eat there..however, we did have a couple of very expensive scotches!  we sat right beneath fish doing his radio thing and had some harrowing moments as the hoosiers had to go into overtime to pull out the championship! - great fun!  we taxied into manhatten sunday night for an overpriced meal at gallaghers..we needed to see it for the ambience and history...but then never ventured out of brooklyn again! - we had some wonderful walks and even better food! italian at Mulina, israeli at Miriam, authentic mexican at Rachael's, some great pastrami and beer at Bierkraft...i took lots and lots of pix...some cute little dogs..got to the airport plenty early yesterday, only to sit in a sweltering waiting area! - we did meet some nice folks..john and sharon martin do the marketing for the IU alumni magazine...and joe eke is one of the only photographers allowed to photograph the hoosiers..he's actually in the painting i did of christian's shot against kentucky! - small world!  and now it's on to thanksgiving!  thank heavens we're having ours on saturday to give me a bit of breathing room! - today is full of catching up around here - i finally cleaned all the art stuff off my dining room table so we can have a nice, normal-type thanksgiving feast...the only question remaining is whether our five grands want to have their own table or to sit with the adults...you never know with this group!!..

"Yorkie"

12x12 oil on gallery wrap

so here's another doggie...i took a few up my galleries in indy and i'm taking a few to the venue in bloomington and possibly have a few at our opening tonight at fifth street yoga.  we head to new york this weekend to watch the hoosiers play in a tourney...no painting for me for a while but i'll be taking lots of pix!

"Puggle"

6x6 oil on gallery wrap canvas

here's another in my long series - i have friends who own two puggles..i did a painting of the two of them for their new son's room...very cute and interesting-looking little guys, don't you think?

"Spaniel"

6x6 oil on canvas wrap

and yet another in my canine series...i really like this guy!  don't know where he'll end up but i hope he makes his way into a good home!!

jack russell

12x12

here's another in my doggie series...i have to decide where to put all these fellows!

"Boxer Puppy"...and i'm enzausted!!!!

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

the last three days have been a whirlwind! - several master artists from the american impressionist society gathered in indy for a symposium...approximately 80 of us attended...lots of lectures, demos, panel discussions..long days and so much to process..i will post more about this event later...too much to do today!

"Shaggy Dog" (bearded collie)

12x12 oil on gallery wrap

so here's yet another in my dog series...i have to say i am enzausted from 3 days of the AIS symposium in indy...i'll have lots more to say and post in the next days but i need to go to bed!

"Red"

6x6 oil on gallery wrap canvas

another of my doggy paintings..a reddish golden - reminds me of scooby, the red golden that lived next door..he belonged to the frenchies and they took him back to france with them..we secretly hoped they'd leave him with us!!...having a great time in my AIS symposium...soaking it all in - four demos tomorrow...can't wait!!

another doggy...

6x6 oil on  gallery wrap canvas

here's another doggy painting...oddly enough...this looks quite a bit like nels, our 11 year old golden... i think i've maybe painted 14 or 15 of these canine creatures...but today i did a small painting of onions..to replace the one that sold in indy..and i'm working on a large ballet piece..we're having an opening a week from tomorrow and i needed to get going on it..tomorrow i embark on an adventure..the AIS is having a three-day symposium in indy and i can not wait!!!!!

Windy day at the beach...SOLD

6x6 oil on canvas panel

this small painting is a favorite of mine..just sold through Simon's gift shop and gallery on st. simon's island, georgia.  

"PUG" donation

6x6 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this is another of my dog paintings...i decided to donate this, along with a couple prints, to a fund raiser to help an anderson police officer, marty dolworth, who was shot in the line of duty.  there's going to be a big wing-ding in pendleton this weekend which i heard about listening to danny dakich last week. i've been so busy...just found out i sold three paintings in georgia and i have a bid on my donation for the hurricane relief fund so that's great!! positive affirmations are working wonders in my life!!

"Golden at Rest"

6x6 oil on gallery wrap canvas

this is another of my doggie paintings..i have so much golden painting fodder right here in my own home..i should do a "golden" painting each and every day!!!

"Jersey Shore Sunset" donation

8x6 oil on panel

so here's my donation for the daily paintworks fundraiser. anyone can donate a painting - you don't have to be a member of DPW to help.  some folks are donating more than one! - you just have to agree that all the proceeds - minus shipping - go to the charity of your choice.  i'm giving mine to the american red cross.  here's the url: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/C0EB586C-7142-4c96-A589-DF9DC9BABA1A  these folks are really hurting and today, as i filled up my car with gas...no problem...i was reminded of the long gas lines and the cold weather moving in.  say some prayers and get your brushes out!!!

chocolate lab puppy

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's my next doggie...i kind of like this one...fun to paint!!  he's going to one of the galleries..unless someone snarfs him up first!

something about a dog...

12 x 12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so saturday i visited "the venue"..my gallery in bloomington...  he had sold a few things and i needed to regroup.  i mentioned that i'd done a bulldog painting for joe's school and when he saw it he encouraged me to get going on some other doggie stuff.  that's all i needed! - very energized, i began searching for some fun reference material and i think i came up with some good fodder! this guy is probably a saint bernard..and i may still tweak him a bit but he's the first.  more to follow!!

"Babe in the Woods"

18x24 oil on canvas

i painted this from an old photo..this is a very old-fashioned little girl...i don't know if she's lost in the woods or just hanging out but she was fun to paint.  i'll be taking this one to the carmel midland gallery.  

"Ballerina"

24x12 oil on canvas

i found this old, very ornately framed mirror in an antique shop and had to have it! - it's been sitting upstairs along with a million other old frames - most of them very strange sizes which makes it difficult...i either need to stretch my own canvas but who can find a stretcher bar that's measured in quarter inches??...so i just asked my good friends at Brand's to cut up a piece of untempered masonite into several odd sizes and slowly i will work my way through these frames!!  fortunately for me, though..this cool mirror was just the right size for this ballerina! - this will also go into the midland gallery in carmel.

"Lolita"

24x18 oil on stretched canvas

so i've been going around and around about what to name this.  my hubby thinks she looks young and so he suggested the name lolita...anyone remember that movie? i can't decide where to put her - the carmel midland is more of a family-oriented gallery and the downtown midland is a bit more...you know....she's not exactly nude but i'm thinking maybe downtown for her!

The Resurrection"

24x36 oil on canvas

so we're sitting here in the kitchen and my hubby is playing all this stuff on IU basketball on his computer.  we've been through so much over the last several years and we're starting to come together.  i painted this for coach crean after we beat kentucky in december of 2011...what a night!!!!!..i put it on pinterest and it's been repinned several times so i think people are enjoying it! - i have giclees available in several sizes.

"Broken"

20x16 oil on textured canvas

this is an image i've wanted to paint for several years...i decided to use an old canvas that i'd severely texturized...so much so that it looks like the painting has been broken into pieces and put back together again...the subject is very sad...i thought the title should be "broken".  this will be hanging in the midland gallery in a few weeks - probably the one downtown on michigan street.

bulldog for buter lab

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so my grandson joe goes to the butler lab school in indy.  they're having a fund-raiser in november and i thought this would be a fun thing to do for them.  i really enjoyed painting this..i may even do a series of dog paintings.  i've been busy getting some stuff ready for the galleries in indy and will post stuff in the next few days.

latest effort

24x18 oil on canvas

so this is my latest lady..in progress....fun...i keep going back over and over...as they say..."it's never done til it's overdone"...but i'm sort of sneaking up...my hubby is better..actually thinking about cooking again which is GREAT news for me@!!!!!!!!...after being in total charge of cooking for the past week...i'm acting as his sou chef for a while..in the chopping area..(we're having shrimp and grits tonight)...but he's doing the planning and preparing...and maybe i can get back to painting...the important stuff!!!

heading to a wedding...

without my hubby..he had his shoulder surgery this last tuesday and is still recooping...not in any sort of mood to party so i'm leaving him in the dust...just as well since he's really just happier to be left alone...and of course that's hard for me to do...i have spent some time in the studio however - working on another lady...kind of fun and i'll take a pic tomorrow - even if i'm not quite done.. i gave my painting of joe to his other grandparents and they sounded so happy to have it...that's what makes this fun...

joe..our youngest grand...

14x11 original oil on canvas panel

so here's joe...i thought i'd offer this painting to his other grandparents for their recent anniversary..i kind of like it!! it's a lot bigger than my usual "grand" paintings but something got into me and i had to do it!  we're at the lake..licking our wounds and storing up energy for davey's surgery in four days...we did play a round of golf yesterday at the city course - it was very crowded and we ended up playing with two brothers - we had no idea whether we could even play nine holes but they were very nice fellows - who put up with our golf..davey hitting mostly one-handed and my very erratic play...all of a sudden i'd wing one into the weeds...can't explain it..they say that "golf is an easy game that's hard to play"...and they must have my picture under that dictionary heading...call me "poster child"....

beyond the brunch...

12x16

original oil on canvas

i found out today that i needed to get a painting done for "beyond the brunch"...an annual fundraiser for the harrison township fire department...it's being held this weekend and i hope it will be dry enough to deliver in time!!!

been a while...

"Day Dreaming"

12x12 gallery wrap original oil

i really don't know what i've been doing...not a lot of painting...some...this is my donation to the Gleaners' Food Bank gala fund-raiser being held this month in Indy. i think i'm naming it day-dreaming...any other thoughts or suggestions?...on the 20th, we played in danny dakich's "summer of fun" golf outing benefiting riley hospital...davey probably shouldn't have played because that may have been the final straw for his shoulder...and his surgery looms in 11 days..poor guy is definitely not looking forward to it!..we had a family reunion last weekend - good to see most of the family although a few notables were missing...hated that...i'm planning to tackle my studio..again...and maybe get some stuff done.  my "grand" project has been sitting by the wayside..waiting for me to stop playing golf and take up my brushes again...i love summer! - but the winter will be a productive time for me...promise...

sand dollar

6x6 gallery wrapped original oil

if you look hard enough you may find a sand dollar on our beach...i think they may be more common on the gulf.  i remember collecting tons of them when we had a cottage in bellaire beach, near clearwater. but, once again, a little memento of the ocean!
getting ready to head home from the lake tomorrow...had a great time - golf....food...wine...a bit of painting...perfect!

bria's ride #3

8x10 original gallery wrapped oil

so we're at the lake...it's been gorgeous the last two days...miserable when we got up here thursday afternoon..no air conditioning, of course...but it's been breezy and delightful since then.  but...heating up again i fear!..supposed to be 104 in chicago by monday...anyway... i painted this for bria, the little girl who has special needs.  the wonderful harley davidson people hold a rally for her every year and i've been thrilled to be able to help out.  i also am working on another "grand" painting..one of my friend katie's grands - hope to be able to take it with us next weekend when we head up for our annual visit ..meanwhile - we're enjoying our grand joe and watching and playing a bit of golf...nice vacation!!!

seahorse

6x6 gallery wrapped original oil

i'm not sure i've ever seen a seahorse on our island...but when i think of the sea..and there's lot of it down there..i always think "seahorse"...they are such intriguing little creatures. we went to an exhibit telling all about them at the indianapolis zoo a couple years ago...fascinating!
....p.s.:  we're finally back at the lake - i painted a piece yesterday which i will post in a bit... 

starfish...

6x6 original oil on gallery wrap canvas

here's another beachie little painting...a small token of a trip to the island, perhaps?..

ok ..so i mentioned i was going to finish the story about our trip...i've slept since then so i'm not sure how much i can remember...i do remember i screwed everything up on the trip out there..and so it was so gratifying to me that davey reciprocated on the trip home!!!..after a lovely and relaxing last day,  we got to bed early since we needed to leave sixish...davey was packed and rarin to go...already down in the lobby - i was packed and doing a last minute survey of the room - checking under the bed, opening all the drawers..(i even do this in motel rooms we've only just slept in for the one night!!...)...and..lo and behold...there in  his drawer by the sink was all his medicine!!!...i had him now....so i grabbed it, smiling, and headed downstairs...we didn't know where we were supposed to meet so there was much texting and swearing and then packing the car and repacking the car...remember it was small ..and as my friends sally, ceebs and marjie can attest...my motto has always been..."be heavy..travel heavy!"... and apparently i traveled so heavy that davey has to have more surgery because he tore his labrum hefting my suitcase...but that's another story....ok ..so we set out on our 4-1/2 hour or more (just in case there's traffic) drive to portland.  now remember...on our trip down from portland there were so many gorgeous views to paint!! - beautiful green vistas...that sinewy river..can't remember the name..is that bad?..(just remembered umpqua?).and  of course we were in such a "hurry" to get to bandon we couldn't stop - even to see the famous elk preserve that everyone was flocking to!!!  for cri-yi-yi!!!...and so i kept my cool, thinking all the while i could always get some great photos for painting fodder on the trip back to portland...WRONG!!!!!...it rained the whole way...wait..portland..rain??...yes...rained or misted or clouded over or whatever..and remember we were on a mission to get to the airport in time to have several hours to have lunch....okay...so we were about 30 minutes away from bandon and i noticed davey rifling though his briefcase...looking for..what?..breakfast?..roadmaps?...ah..cellphone!!!!...really?!?...i said - simple...call your phone from my phone..( i didn't get a D in logic for nothing...)..true story....and...tada...dead air!!!...nothing...i actually pulled over..almost anathema to my hubby...and we searched...everywhere...and at this point i don't even remember if i told him about leaving his medicine in the room...next step...he called the hotel and asked them to search our room...he said he'd call his cell in five minutes and lo and behold...they answered...it was lying on the bathroom floor -the last place he remembered having it...funny how it's always the last place you look?..and i swear i never saw it...maybe under a towel??.what wonderful people...they said they'd send it and it was waiting the morning after our return...NOT the end of the story, however...we tooled along in the rain/mist/whatever for hours...we traveled through that wonderful stretch of road named for someone...i think jason boe...and we stopped for gas and no-one had ever heard of him...and as we eventually approached portland i kept saying let's get gas before the airport...davey, in all his wondrous knowledge, said.."no, i talked to the lady...the gas is just a little more at the airport".....and i remembered this was maybe not so much true...but i acquiessed...anyhoo....we pulled into the portland airport with enough time to return the car, get gas, go through checkpoint, have a sit down lunch and wait for about an hour...as we met up in the check point line he looked somewhat sheepish...a look i can't get enough of, by the way...and, as it turns out, the gas was something like 1200 dollars a gallon...i may be exaggerating..but you get the gist...i loved it, to say the least!!!...so we head to the plane...and all is well..we go to our stopover in vegas and of course it takes us ages to get to our gate!!  thank heavens we are in good shape!! - even with the traveling walkways, we didn't have a lot of time to sit and wait for our flight...just enough for me to play a few quick games of video poker, though!!...i actually WON  maybe 14 or 15 bucks but the lady was going off shift and i almost had to forfeit..i kept saying..."no - you don't understand..they're calling my flight..NOW!!..."...eventually she paid up and i was feeling GOOD!!...uneventful flight home to indy...almost done...we'd spent the night in a motel and they gave us free parking and a ride to the airport...so now - we needed to just get in touch with them and reverse the scenario...we found the van but couldn't get our clubs through the door..by this time it was growing late and we were enzausted!!! (as my kids always said)...so we finally were in the shuttle, riding to the motel to pick up our car.  davey was fishing through my wallet looking for a bit of tip money for the driver and gave me a twenty..and said here - i said do you want to give her that?  he said yes...when we stopped, i had to hurry to the potty and just handed her the money as i got out.  the bags were transferred..we were on the way home...when davey said..."what did you give that driver?"..i said " the twenty, isn't that what you told me to do?"..he said.."no, i had a few bills in my hand i was going to give her but you just went ahead!"...ok - so neither of can hear worth a damn!!!...we howled most of the way home...thinking..after all the money we spent on that trip..what was a few hundred  dollars more on gas (ok..i may be exxagerating...)and a twenty dollar bill for a tip...at least it most likely made her day!!!!...in the end we had a wonderful time and a whole lot of laughter...which is what we mostly do.....

lighthouse...

16x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

this is my first painting of the famous lighthouse on st.simons island.  i really don't know why i haven't painted it before...i've only been coming to the island for thirty seven years!!  since it's such a landmark, i thought i would do a small painting that perhaps one of our renters would like to take home!  more to follow...

a few paintings for the beachhouse..

well today i finally shipped several paintings to georgia! - the large one is entitled "Reverie" and i posted it in progress but i'll post the finished version here. it's 36x36, gallery wrapped, and will hang over the bed in the queen bedroom.  i also did 7 smallish paintings and nestled them all inside the back of the big painting and sent them off on a wing and a prayer!! - we leave for the lake in a few days...where on earth is this summer going?? - don't have a lot of time for painting because i have too dang much golf to play!!!  rats!!

i still have to finish the story...

we'll we're home but i have so much to tell about the end of the trip i don't have time tonight...getting ready to go to a party.  i've been working on a painting for the queen bedroom in georgia and i'm sneaking up on it.  it's large..36x36 and i don't have a name...since i photographed this i added another flower in front of her...i'll undoubtedly keep at it and let you know...

such fun..and a new find...

so - yesterday we played pacific dunes...an absolutely gorgeous track...ocean views on almost every hole - some right on the coast - some within sight...davey finally broke 80- i think he shot a 78 and i shot an 84...pretty good for some walking oldies...although our caddie jeff told us about a couple in their mid-eighties who played 36 a day and carried their bags...don't know if he was telling us this just to fire us up??..anyway...our bartender alex, pictured above, has given us some great touts...alloro being the first and then he told us it was worth the drive to the western-most part of the continental US - port orford, a town of 1150....  probably a 50 minute drive last night to a place called "redfish"...the view was spectacular and never comes across in photos!! - but the food!!! - we had the most delicous crabcakes prepared with watermelon radish and cucumber relish with chili ad garlic aioli, fantastic bread! - wonderful green salad with goat cheese and the most delectable shinook salmon, freshly caught from the rivers near by - can't find anything like it in indiana, i tell you what!!!...served on a bed of couscous...i couldn't have alot of wine since i had to drive home but they let us take it home with us so we could have a drink with alex.  today, it looked like rain so we ventured out to the par three, the preserve - a gorgeous 13 hole track where we carried our clubs in a pared down quiver bag...- greens super slow and davey was 2 over and i was 3 over - we probably would've both been under par except we could not get the ball to the hole!!!! - cancelled our afternoon round - looks too iffy - venturing back to bandon for lunch at the wheelhouse - relaxing and packing and home tomorrow - it's been grand!!! - almost back to the real world!!!

such a find....

what a nice time!!!! - we ventured out to bandon for dinner - thanks to alex, our bar tender, we went to a little italian place called alloro wine bar and restaurant.  and i am telling you....a great find!! - great people...we didn't have reserves..but they had a spot for us at the bar..we were joined by two wonderful gals - bets - who's known as elisa in her european tour business (www.tours-europe.com) and pat who is a masseuse here at the lodge...they were delightful and knew the place well...even shared their olives and almonds with us...the owner, lian schmidt, who's husband was trained in italy and is the chef...was also a delight!!  and the food!!!!! - unbelieveable!!!! - the ex-mayor was visiting and happened to be celebrating his 62nd birthday so of course we had to sing..i may have instigated it..i'm not sure... and of course we finished off the night at the cigar bar - learning more about the area from alex.  we have decided to venture off the reservation again tomorrow for dinner - this time to a restaurant called red fish in the town of port orford...westernmost point of the US...great food and great views! - we play pacific dunes tomorrow...alex says it's the best one...and it's not supposed to rain..so we'll see...

old mac donald

that's the name of the course we played today...and the day was gorgeous!! a bit chilly but no rain!!! the only things hurting tonight are my feeties...and as soon as i get into that hot whirlpool, i'm planning to let the jets have their way with them!! this is davey walking with our caddie jeff...tall lanky guy - very nice with lots of stories to tell...the course was beautiful with some of the hardest greens ever!  very fast and hard to read..even for jeff..tonight i think we're going to head into bandon for italian..stay tuned!!!

glorious morning!!

day has dawned....and it's going to be glorious!!!  lots of blue sky and no rain!!! - we have our golf stuff strewn all over our room - even our cash was sodden - there's a nice round circular fan thing sitting on the floor and now we know what it's for:  you can put all your gloves, etc over it and hold them there with a glass or a sleeve of balls and they can eventually dry...davey's wallet is hanging there as we speak...we plan  to head to the driving range today - we figured if we did it yesterday, we'd get so wet we'd give up the round of golf! we've enjoyed the food tremendously! and we found a nice little cigar bar where we head before and after dinner.  alex, the bartender is so knowledgeable about the area and the resort.  he told us about a place 30 miles away..port orford...the farthest western point of the united states.  we need to go to there!!! we're thinking maybe a little brunch and photo op tomorrow morning before we golf.  today we do the old macdonald course...a bit longer than ours at home so it may be a struggle...but a piece of cake compared with yesterday!!  i must say the sauna and whirlpool helped immensely!!!  ....stay tuned!!!

we did it!

i can't believe we actually played today... mid fifties, raining the whole day...wind chill felt like 30..but we came to play golf!! i started off bogie par and then i doubled and then i quit keeping score..as they advise you to do here!...i it got really dangerous when our hands were so wet and so numb that the club kept flying out of our hands! learned a lot about playing in the rain today...what you need to be prepared...most of which we didn't have! - guest services will dry our rain suits but for everything else we're on our own - right now our clubs are all leaning up against the wall..toweled off the grips as best we could..we're drinking a beer and heading to the sauna!! - hope it gets better tomorrow!

out of towners....

we're HERE!!!!!!!...a fourteen hour trip...with so many screw-ups..starting with my almost not getting our boarding passes..then davey wrenched his newly fixed shoulder getting my bag out of the car - then i was 4 pounds over at the airport...(never tell me to use the big suitcase...) then there weren't enough seats in the boarding area so we sat on the floor...quick flight to chicago..(no prob)..then a 4+ hour flight to portland and to have enough room, we went all the way to the back of the plane - a nice seat between us...didn't look like the plane would be full....when all of a sudden 22 screaming, shouting, giggling, ipod-wearing teen-age girls came streaming on the plane...several basketball teams from a chicago high school on their way to camp.......just when we thought we had it made!! and of course - the biggest one ended up sitting with us - we gave her the window - she kept turning around and kneeling - looming over me to chat with her buds...eventually she calmed down and fell asleep...finally made it and got our luggage with no problem - davey rented a car...the car from hell...we couldn't figure out how to work the seats, the key, the gear shift...it's sort of an automatic-shifting sort of thing...but the drive from portland to bandon was worth all the trouble!!!  absolutely awesome - especially the drive from route 5 over to the coast...we drove along the Umpqua river much of the time and the views were spectacular...the road was a joy to drive - nothing like the ones in indiana - anyway - we arrived safely and ended up having a very late meal - the portions are huge so we learned a lesson there.  the good news:  we got here just in time for a cold wave from alaska!!! - it's not pouring today but a steady drizzle but that is not stopping the folks from golfing. (check out the view from our window..those are actual unbrellas out there!) our tee time is 12:30 and we plan to play!!!  as we keep telling each other.."we're on an adventure!!"...i hope the sun comes out a little so i can take some good pix - i brought my watercolors because we'll have mornings to relax - since this is a walking only course, we'll get plenty of exercise...maybe we'll actually eat all our dinner tonight!!!

heading out

yesterday was BIG!!!!!  davey's last day in the ER...he's finally graduated!!!!!!..i had already planned to play in sally's guest day so i wasn't here when he got home....  had a minor meltdown before golf...but pulled myself together and did all right - we didn't win but we played with some lovely gals and enjoyed lunch afterwards..it was a two man best ball out of the foursome and we each bought 2 mulligans - i used one on a putt and one on a drive - hit one ball in the water - shot an 86 - but not really a true score! - packing up our clubs and heading out tomorrow.  they tell us we shouldn't even keep score at bandon - it will distract from the scenery - i'm taking my computer and plan to post some of the pics..i'm taking my watercolors and maybe i'll paint and maybe i won't but i sure hope i can!!!

home-made bread

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

there was this lovely family next to me - they have a booth all summer and i highly recommend them! - i just wish i could remember their name...i hope they contact me so i can tell you later!  anyway - the children were so well behaved and pleasant ..very accomplished...josiah was about to head to indy and put on a tux in the dreadful heat to sing in a choir...the younger girls also sang and they all did daily chores on their farm as well as being home-schooled.  anyway - i bought two of their breads - the one was called a ladder bread with bacon and cheese - yum! and i can't remember the other! - i should have written it down and i should have taken a photo of the setup - i think it would be fun to do another painting with a dark background with the bread on a breadboard...anyway - it was a lovely day and i saw so many people i haven't seen in a while...and it was a good opportunity to paint - something that's been at a premium this summer.  getting ready to leave for indy on wednesday and then fly out for oregon early thursday morning.  i'm getting ready to review my golf lesson right now and then head to indy tomorrow for a guest day with my good friend sally.  can i get any busier??????  we did have a lovely father's day celebration here and the aftermath of our wing-dings is always huge! - since jen did all the cooking i wouldn't let her help in any of the cleanup...but it's always fun to reminisce as i work...so no worries...