Visitors' center opening...

"Storm"

17x17 oil on board

 

so we got home Monday... harrowing trip...came upon an overturned car where no one could have survived!!... makes you think about how fragile life is and how fickle time....been very busy since..got a little exercise at tennis Tuesday..worked on the house.. went to have a meet and greet with the mayor of Bloomington Wednesday morning....worked on the house...you get the picture...yesterday I dashed over.. there were three honorees..best of show, peoples' choice won by Dawn.. and best photography won by Bob.. I have to get their last names from gabe..it was a quick trip over and back..and then...worked on the house...we are having a small dinner party here on Saturday..and I have no housekeeper..every time i ask someone they say their gal has a waiting list.. so...we're able bodied and boy have we been working!!.. just the main floor..no one is allowed upstairs or in the basement...but it really doesn't matter.. these are good peeps coming and they really wouldn't care.. but it's a great excuse to get moving around here and shape the old homestead up a tad!!..tomorrow i will probably head to tennis again or..if it's gorgeous.. I may head to greenbelt!!!..anyway.. tomorrow night is the opening for our show at the visitors' center..there are six of us and I'm really anxious to see it!..the reception is from 5 to 6:30 and I hope to see some peeps if you're out and about!!..

Simon's

Ok.. So not sure if i  have a photo to post for this ...but i delivered 14 pieces to simon's on the pier today..they seemed to love them all and i loved THAT!!...then we got on to the important stuff....SHOPPING and LUNCH!!!!!.. We had a great time, buying things here and there...trying to forget the bad golf we played the last two days..

looking forward to the two-day tournament we have staring us in the face!!!!... But life is short and so is the memory of a golfer.. And WE WILL RULE!!!!!!!..stay tuned!!!

Ok.. So this is one of the paintings at simon's...cant figure out how to get this posted right but you get he pcture...or the painting....?

"Her grandmother's peonies"

24x18

Oil on panel

This painting is one of several in a show at our visitors' center...the opening reception is april 29th and the show runs til the end of june....come check it out!!.....Ok...so i need to fill you in on this place...our island..the one we've been coming to for forty years...all of a sudden feels a bit strange...we drove by our old house..not really sure if we should or not..but decided to get it out of the way and then we'd never have to go down that street again!  ...they have totally redone it..no table to sit around out on the upstairs porch..we played lots of games and had lots of food and cocktails on that table..gone...but there's a big wooden swing should one feels the urge...saw a peek at one of the triple bunk beds  in the twin room...they did a marvelous job on the outside flora..new bushes, walkway, etc...but...we dont need to go back...

Now..back to our rental...we arrived yesterday and spent about an hour trying to figure out which condo was ours.. Wrong house number..no key..actually the key was in the back with a punch code..but the back yard was gater and locked..thank heavens a neighbor came to our rescue..this place is clean..and most importantly dog friendly...and that's about it!... I would have posted yesterday but we had to use my iPad to stream stuff on the tv.. Uverse...we get ten 

Channels..four of them infomercial challels and one of those is in spanish...the thermostat

On the road...

48x24

Oil on gallery wrap canvas

So here we are in marietta, georgia...sipping a scotch and savoring our safe journey from columbus to here!!!!.. Getting out of dodge was not that easy..as it turns out...last night i was doing one more load of laundry and went to throw it in the dryer..oops..it never started!!  It filled with water all right..then nothing!..so i spent what felt like hours hand wringing towels and sweat pants, etc...did i mention hand wringing???....got em all dried but now....are they clean or dirty?..they spent some time in soapy water but didn't get rinsed...such a quadry...but on to the packing...i always get accused of over packing..there's a very old saying among good buddies.."be heavy...travel heavy..."...dont remember how i ever came up with that one...But i do have issues...it may have something to do with my inability to make a decision...or wanting to have options...weather, maybe..?..i do know davey retore his shoulder trying to get my bag out of the car when we went to bandon dunes...so there's that...ok.. Back to packing the car...we have a bar that goes across the back..window to window..to hang stuff on..we already had our golf gear..davey's stuff..some of my stuff...but then I had a few more things i thought i might need...you have to know what  happened!!!!...yep..broke...my husband is a saint!!!.. He was in the kitchen.. Preparing MY dinner...and had to come out and fashion a jerry rigged duct  tape thingy...which actually worked for a while..til i tried to move some of the stuff so i could see better (I do most of the driving..)...broke again!.. So then we glued it and duct taped it and then wired it...and we almost made it past louisville!!!!...so everything's lying in a heap back there and we don't even care since we are on VACA!!!!!!..so this is another painting I dropped off at addison's bakehouse yesterday...art is on the back burner this week.. All about golf and dogs..we were just thinking this may be the last time they get to make this trip...so we want to make it the best ever!!!.. Add friends to that mix.. Some here.. Some not able to be here...very bittersweet... 

Addison Bakehouse

"Summer's Coming"

36x36 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so time has passed.. we had one hell of a time getting into and out of the atlanta airport.. we figured we could have driven it in less time and we'd have our car with us!!..  as we were driving to augusta in our rather pricey rental (apparently there are no cheap rentals during masters week!!)..we were passed by a small bus with the words "Atlanta airport to augusta" emblazoned on the side!!!.. a shuttle service!!  who knew??.. we looked it up on line and yes.. would have saved us a bunch.. but we don't agonize..bucket list right??..we never used our car from the moment we arrived since there was a shuttle to and from the hotel..and lovely food everywhere..did I mention?...we have been so busy since we got home....but I need to chat about the Addison bakehouse!.. about 2 weeks ago we had lunch there.. a gathering of gals who hadn't seen each other in a while.. this place is perfect for that.. wonderful food...relaxed atmosphere..just lovely!.. this was only the second time I'd been there..even though it's been around for a few years now..the first time we could barely get a table and this last time we were able to make reserves since there were six of us..if you've not tried it..it's really great!!..they cater..have evening events..and they actually have delicious baked goods!!..ok.. so on my way out, I noticed there was some art on the walls and took a chance..asked the owner if she was  interested in more and gave her my card..she got in touch later that day through my website..and sounded really excited..i took a few pieces in before we left for the masters..this painting..which she helped me name.. is now hanging behind the bakery counter!..a few others as well..so that's my fun news!!.. I also delivered my paintings to the visitors' center for the three month show..the opening reception will be the 29th of this month....and managed to get over to the venue to see the art and soul of Bloomington,, I couldn't attend the opening for that since there were wind gusts of close to 50 mph!!.. so I've been a busy girl..i'm really looking forward to just getting away and relaxing..golf, reading, walks on the beach, this will be the first time down since we sold our house..and the first time I won't be doing any painting while I'm there..odd but I think in a good way..I do plan to deliver several pieces to simon's and possibly gynn art while we're there..



Heading home...

We had a great day yesterday!.. The weather turned out to be delightful...very warm in the sun..wind picking  up as the day went on...we parked our chairs near 16 green..thought it would be perfect.. It was amazing to see all these empty chairs set up..we heard later that people pay some of the workers to go in and set them up first thing in the morning.. It's remarkable..no one bothers your chair..someone may be sitting in it upon your return but they get right up and move on...so we wandered a bit.. Checking some of the early action.....then trundled over to amen corner.. Not a big crowd to begin with..we watched all the early groups go through..we saw two most amazing things at 13...as you all know..depending on your drive you can go for the green in two..for instance..jordan was on in two and barely missed his eagle putt so birdied to go to five under (i think) ...anyway..ricky hit his drive into the woods ..then hit his second into the gallery on the right..not a good shot but possibly all he had from where he was...so the crowd stands back and he hits a horrible wedge into rays creek..takes a drop..then skulls one over the green and proceeds to three putt from there..the dreaded snowball..to put it kindly..then we watched duffner pull his second shot into the azaleas..took a drop.. chunked one to the side of the green (not a pretty view from where he was..)..and then chipped/putted in for par!!.. amazing!!..I had to save this since we were leaving for the airport..i'll post this and then more later..it's actually Wednesday and we leave Friday for Georgia.. lots to chat about..

Practice round

Still no photos.. We left our cell phones in the room.. Took our cameras.. One of which died just as i was geared up to photograph some drives on the 18th...we discovered jordan, zach, duff and jimmy walker a few holes earlier and followed them a bit.. And I was set to get some driver swings but ah well.....got a few shots of swings all through the day..did a ton of walking...did i mention yesterday that if you are in the atlanta airport and you have a choice of taking the shuttle or walking from your gate to the baggage claim...USE THE SHUTTLE!!!!.. We kept thinking we would come upon it...but NO!!!!...anyway..i finally got my fit bit working and according to the read out i exceeded the 7500 steps i was supposed to walk today by twelve and a half thousand!!!.. Do not know if that's possible..but it sure felt like it!!.. And once again we were totally blown away by the elevations!..so many hills.. Up and down...these pros have to be in such great shape to walk this course five straight days!!..we had a great free breakfast at the special hospitality place with our package..then had lunch on the course...chicken sandwich, egg salad sandwich, 2 bags of chips, a diet coke, a beer and a water for fifteen bucks,,,,... Can not beat that!..we are heading to a dinner with our group this evening and already have our badges..."Badges???.....we dont need no stinkin' badges!!!!"... For tomorrow.. So we dont have to show up at the crack-O!!...i got some sad news today... Found out our fiend vicki has gone to heaven.. Blessings on her family..

Augusta...

ok..no photos yet..we drove right by famed magnolia lane but of course it was blocked!!  It looks so much bigger and longer on tv!!..nothing comes across fom this course..the hills and valleys..you just dont know til you see it in person..it's been 23 years since we drove down and bought tickets at the gate for the tuesday practice round.. Or maybe it was wednesday..we saw the magical par three course..an absolute jewel..but this much later neither one of us remembers if we actually saw anyone playing on it!!.. I swear we did!!.. I Do remember watching jack and arnie and gary playing together and i got lots of pics..also all the golfers were supposed to get a photo op and we saw a bumch of those..including our own indiana boy fuzzy!..we are all set for the par three tomorrow.. Hope to take some photos with our camera tomorrow but not sure i know how to...and now i have to quit and bone up on some masters reading!!  Stay tuned.. Ps.. Watching jack's amazing win in 86 on golf channel.. All golfers know where they were on that day...

WOW!!!!!

so proud and humbled to hear that my painting "sample Gates" has won best of show in the first ever juried exhibition at the Venue in Bloomington, Indiana!!.. and I couldn't even be there!!.. I was planning to head over after attending a celebration of life for a good friend..but there were wind gusts of 40-50 mph!!..that road to Bloomington is just too scary to be traveling with high winds!!..the weather was so bad that I got a call from my neighbor in Valparaiso telling me one of our trees had fallen in the back yard..across her driveway and almost taking out a car in the neighbor's yard next to that!!!.. we have to spend the next day figuring out what to do..insurance-wise..who's responsible for clean-up..who will pay the deductible..(US!!)..then Tuesday we head to augusta for the masters...practice round on Wednesday and first round on Thursday!!..wish us good weather!!.. but meanwhile I am thrilled to be so honored for my "Sample Gates"!!

"Art and Soul of Bloomington"

heading to Bloomington to The Venue tonight.. reception for the Art and Soul of Bloomington starts at 6 p.m....I think most folks will be staying home and watching the first games of the final four..including my husband, I'm afraid...

progressing...

I'm liking this more and more..i will let it rest for a bit and start another..gotta think about the values..