Only Half Red

 I decided to backtrack a couple rounds on OJ's red hat and alternate two rounds of wheat with the last two rounds of red, just for interest. I have a few rounds to go before pulling the stitches together and adding the big red pompom. I'm afraid that I won't have enough of the purple sparkle yarn for a decent hat for LC but I'm going to give it a try. I guess I can always go and buy another skein of yarn but that kind of defeats the purpose of using up every inch.

One of the squirrels had a fine time stretching down for a corn kernel and then sitting up on top of the crook to nibble it before reaching down for another one.

Today's drawing lesson in You Can Draw It In 30 Minutes was a wine bottle. I thought it was a lame thing to draw but I have to say that I enjoyed drawing it and shading it so that it looks almost like a real wine bottle.

The bonus challenge was to draw a wine glass. I don't think that was as successful an effort.

This morning I went down to Zambaldi Beer to visit DS and he was brewing a batch of Maple Brown Ale. Brewing beer smells a lot like baking bread so it's a very pleasant experience. It was nice to visit with DS for an hour or so on such a frigid morning. It was 5 degrees when I got into my car to come home. Brr.

Today's toss was a cotton sweatshirt sweater that I hardly ever wear. It's just too cold for a cotton sweater.

The prompt said that you were locked in a museum at night. What do you do? Easy. I'd find a phone and call for help then camp out by the entrance until somebody came. 

The furnace tune-up guy came just after noon and got both my and the rental side's furnaces all checked over, filter replaced, and ready for the long winter. He was the nicest, friendliest guy I think has come in all the years we've had Van's do the service. Now that the furnaces are all in shape the renter texted to say that their garage door is acting up. If it's not one thing, it's another.

--Barbara

The Last

Today's was the 12th and last lesson in You Can Draw In 30 Seconds and was Roots. He had you draw the bottom of a tree with roots that spread out on the ground like a fig tree over and over. The last picture was a giant tree with a loooooong squirrel's tail weaving through knotholes and out onto the ground but no squirrel.

It was terribly windy today. In the morning there were no birds and no squirrels but finally a pair of Sparrow came flapping to the feeder and managed to land there. If you look at the platform feeder above the tube feeder you can see how far it was swinging in the wind.

Then one of the brave squirrels climbed up to the suet pellets and had a nice nibble while swinging in the gusts. I don't know how it held on without getting seasick.

To keep from crocheting more snowballs I found a pattern and cast on a hat with the remaining red Thick & Quick yarn. I started the hat and when I was about twelve rounds into it I thought that it was a good idea to make the pompom so that I'd have enough yarn for it. Don't want to end up with a wimpy pompom.  Now I've knitted up all of the red yarn and I'll add on some wheat colored yarn of the same brand--because that's what I have on hand.

 

Since it's December and it snowed yesterday I took down the autumn door decoration and put up a winter one. Not a Christmas one yet because I'm just not ready to face that yet (although I have my Christmas shopping done, I think). This wreath is too white to really show on the white front door but I like it so I'm keeping it up.

Today's toss was another compact umbrella that I think used to be Mom's. Anyway it was in the closet where I parked my snowblowing hat and mittens. Things just keep turning up.

The prompt today said to write a letter to yourself 10 years in the future. My main hope was that I'd still be alive in 10 years. I had a few more hopes and dreams but that was the big one.

Today was the St. Agnes class of '65 lunch. There were 8 of us. I had my usual cheeseburger and sweet potato fries.

Today's novel segment was a rewrite of part of yesterday's dive. I realized that I'd written another no stress, no conflict scene so I circled back and added a little hiccup. Nothing big but irritating. I also realized that I've been lax incorporating sensory details in my writing. I have to remember tastes and smells and feelings along with sights.

--Barbara

Ugh

I guess I shouldn't be negative about it but we woke up to about 2" of wet heavy snow. I know it's December and supposed to be cold and snowy but I think I'm spoiled by the relatively mild weather we've had so far. This snow is going to stick around because the temps are supposed to sink into the teens and single digits in a few days. Yippee.

I went out and cleared the driveway with a pusher shovel. I didn't think it was enough snow for the snowblower. It probably was but I managed to get it all moved with minimal effort. Of course it kept snowing every so slightly for the rest of the day so there is a thin film of snow back on the driveway. I'm leaving it.

For the first time since I got my writing mojo back I didn't have an idea of where to start today so I decided to send my male character on a dive and one of the divers on the boat stepped up and made a nuisance of herself so I ended up writing onto the sixth page, the most words I've written in a day since I started up again on November 11.

The lesson in You Can Draw It In 30 Minutes today was Finger. He breaks the object into shapes, like for this one it was a circle, 2 rectangles, and three ovals. Starting like that makes it pretty easy to follow along and draw what he tells me to. Last week I finally figured out how to enlarge the example pictures so if I'm not sure what to do I can look at a picture. It's a big help.

The Bonus Challenge today was a Thumbs Up! in cartoon style. Once again I found myself more comfortable with the cartoon-y style drawing rather than the realistic one.

This evening I cast on another Rainbow Beanie hat. I'm not thrilled with the way the first one turned out, it's way too big, so I went down two needle sizes and am trying again. The first one really grew when I soaked it and blocked it so I'm hoping that this one by starting smaller will stay a more realistic size. Fingers crossed.

Today's toss was a compact umbrella. Gillette gave them away decades ago and one turned up when I was digging out a hat and mittens to wear shoveling show. I already have two umbrellas in the car and two other ones in the coat closet. I think I am well umbrella-d.

Once again I forgot to open the prompt book. Maybe because I slept until almost 9 o'clock so my day was rather compressed. I'm not sorry.

--Barbara

Better

I have my fingers crossed (which makes for difficult typing) that Blogger is over whatever hiccup it had last night and lets me post pictures. I had a much easier time today getting through my post-NaNoWriMo writing segment. I've got 34 5-page segments in the binder. I'm so happy.

I treated myself to a used copy of the Lonely Planet's Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Bonaire and it has been a real benefit when I'm writing about diving. Plus it has pretty pictures.

Today's drawing lesson, Pegs, was the second to last one in You Can Draw In 30 Seconds. I confess that I will be glad when this book's lessons are done. This one didn't inspire me like the others have but I'll stick with it to the end. I'm stubborn that way.

This morning there was a big flock of Sparrows all pecking around under the feeders. There are usually a few of them but not the dozen or so that was there today.

In the afternoon I filled the feeders and the squirrels made short work of the peanuts. There were quite a few skirmishes with two or three squirrels fighting over whose turn it was. The one with the white ear tufts seemed to win most of the time. Must be the boss squirrel.

Tonight I finished the Stained Glazz hat and even made a giant pompom to put on top. I like the way it turned out.

Today's toss was a brown zippered sweater that I bought at Big Sky Brewing when DS and DIL1 lived in Missoula, MT. I like it but it doesn't have pockets so I don't wear it much. Someone else will love it.

The prompt today said to think of the worst pun. All I could think of was the pun the drawing teacher put in one of the lessons, saying that he was in Pencil-cola, FL. Sad but I couldn't think of anything else.

Forty-five years ago today Durwood and I were married. I thought about that day a lot today but it didn't make me too sad, just nostalgic. That's progress.

--Barbara

A Day of Drear

Note: Last night Blogger wouldn't let me post photos. I tried to load them and get an icon that's a minus sign in an oval. I have pictures, really I do, but I couldn't get them on here. Dang it.

'Nother Note: When I awoke this morning I decided to try posting photos again and, lo and behold, whatever glitch kept me from putting them on last night is fixed this morning. Hooray!

Oh man, it was dreary today, overcast and gray and drizzly. Yuk. The only birds I noticed today was this flock of Mourning Doves that came to the fallen seed while I was eating breakfast.

This little squirrel was at the birdbath for quite a while getting a nice long drink. If you look closely you can see that the backs of its ears are little white tufts. All of the other squirrels have gray ears but this one is fancy.

The drawing lesson today was to draw a soup can. Luckily I had a Campbell's soup can in the cupboard so I had a three-dimensional model to draw from. I was surprised at how easy it was to make the label look kind of real.

 

Then the bonus drawing lesson was a cartoon soup can. It was quicker and more fun to draw and I like the dribble and splash the best.

 

Tonight at Friday Night Knitting I worked on the Stained Glazz Hat until I got almost to the crown decreases. I want to add a little more to it so that it for sure covers the ears.

 

After my eyes and fingers got tired of knitting I pulled out the Thick & Quick and the crochet hook to make a couple more snowballs, except I think I did something wrong on the purple one. It's a little small. Oh well, it'll throw okay.

 

Today's toss was a handful of knitting needles, old metal and plastic ones with a few bamboo and circular ones thrown in. I was saving them for when the knitting guild started up beginner knitting again but since the guild is dissolving that won't happen. Too bad.

I had my women's spirit writing group this afternoon so I didn't do the prompt from the blue prompt book but I did write a nice page with them.

Yesterday when I picked up my new fancy glasses I asked if they could make my sunglasses darker. They were so light that I kept forgetting to take them off when I went into the grocery, etc. plus they weren't very effective. They're darker now which wasn't needed today in the drear but I am looking forward to using them on the next sunny day.

I'm still writing.

--Barbara

I Bought Myself A Present

I know it isn't Christmas yet but it is December. I had a coupon for free frames from Eyemart Express so when I was down that way this morning I stopped by just to look. I found some that I couldn't resist. They're red and blue and green and striped--everything I've been looking for in glasses frames. I have three plain pairs and now I have some fancy ones. Merry Christmas from me to me!

I wasn't home much today to see if any interesting birds stopped by. These House Finches were enjoying the safflower seeds in the platform feeder. Naturally they ducked back into the shadows just as I snapped the picture but at least there's a bird picture for the day.

Today's lesson in You Can Draw It In 30 Seconds was Arches so I drew rows of arches in ones and threes and sevens and nines. I tried and tried to draw them in a spiral but used up more eraser than graphite on that one. I finally gave up and moved on.

Then I copied the mountainous arches of one of the Embellishments! pictures. It was fun to draw.

I took the last of the knitting books down to the library to donate them. I waited all week for the Maintenance Dept. to return my call about them and when I called this afternoon the lady said that I didn't need an appointment, that I could just come on down and they would help me. Sheesh! Get your stories straight, people. Ah well, it's done now.

Today's toss was a red wool jacket that I really like, hardly every wore, and doesn't fit me anymore. Bye bye, red jacket.

The prompt today said to write a joke about a shopkeeper and a thief. I got nothing.

I wrote another novel segment today. As long as my fingers keep moving on the keys every day I'm going to sit here and pound out the words. This may not be the Great American Novel or anything close to it but it's something, I just don't know what that is yet.

--Barbara

Rewrite Already

I had a brainstorm this morning when I was trying to avoid getting out of bed. See, it's nice and warm under the covers and I know I'll be chilled when I get up so I put it off and lay there thinking about my day. This morning I thought about what I had written yesterday and realized that I started out okay but then made my character Dan apologize for raising his voice which diluted any momentum the scene had. So when I sat down to write today I made a copy of yesterday's segment, lopped off the majority of it, and wrote from his last outburst. He flings himself out of the apartment in a fit of temper and then ends up at a little neighborhood bar with a bunch of island men who share some wise counsel along with too many cans of beer. Much better.

A Cardinal came to the platform feeder while I was doing yoga this morning and was long gone before I was done and could grab the camera. The Sparrows and Juncos were not very photogenic today and the Chickadees didn't hold still long enough for a portrait so no bird pictures today.

I was going to take a picture of a squirrel at the suet pellets but it dropped to the ground as I was picking up the camera so no pictures of squirrels either.

The lesson in You Can Draw It In 30 Minutes today was Cellphone. What an oddball thing to draw, I thought, and it was but it was also rather absorbing. The bonus lesson to draw a card house was pretty easy and fun too.

 

After that I decided to resurrect one of the lessons from You Can Draw In 30 Days (are you sensing a theme in these titles?) and draw a little girl's face. I worked and worked at it, erased a lot, and redrew and I think this isn't bad. It even looks a little like the face I drew from.

In the afternoon I plonked myself down in front of the television to watch episodes of The Great British Baking Show. I am constantly impressed by the skills of these amateur bakers and know that I could never make what they do but it sure is fun to watch. Thanks for getting me hooked on it, Aunt B. While I watched I knitted a few rounds on the Stained Glazz hat.

Today's toss was a Clearing sweater that I've barely worn and don't really like. I'd like it better if it was warm. It looks like it should be warm but it isn't. Very disappointing.

The prompt today said that you are being chased, running as fast as you can, can't get away, and run into a dead end. Your pursuer is coming, what happens next. So I wrote about the feeling of being pursued, feeling like he's breathing down your neck, when he finally catches up to you he says, "Lady, you dropped your wallet." Ha! Anticlimax. It amused me.

--Barbara