Sunday catch-up

  It was a busy week work-wise - compounded by the nationwide issues with cellular/internet issues, and a cyber breach that both impacted our systems and made things slow and frustrating.  I was glad to have taken Friday off!

 

  I had an early-morning-what-was-I-thinking dental appointment.  Afterward, I worked on catching up with my Wonder Habit work.  Unfortunately, my Artist Way morning pages have been very neglected, as well as the weekly tasks.  I think that once I am more comfortable with my work during the week, and a bit less stressed about it, I will be able to pick both items back up.

  Following that, Charlie and I headed to Roanoke, VA where I did some shopping at Aldi's before Bipan's flight arrived.  He was returning from a visit to see his family in India.

  A little out of focus because he refused to hold still for the photo, I got him this adorable varsity-style jacket at Aldi's.  I've now put a tweed cap and a pair of glasses on his Amazon wish list!

  While we were waiting for the flight to land, I parked in the Sam's Club lot so I wouldn't have to pay for airport parking.  A car pulled up and parked next to us that had some interesting window shades ...

  Needless to say, Charlie was not a fan of the raccoon with sunglasses on doing a high "party" sign with both paws.  He was ready to rip his little sunglasses off and go to town on the raccoon.  Thankfully, we left a few minutes later when Bipan messaged that he had arrived.

  Saturday the weather turned cold, rainy, and basically a stay-in-bed-and-sleep day, but Bipan needed things at Walmart so off we went.

  Since Charlie behaved on the last two visits, I brought him in with me so that he wouldn't be cold.  He is sitting on his Shih Tzu pillow from the car.

   I found a silicone mold to make him some treats when we have a kitchen again.  I've been picking up items here and there to replace what I will lose after the roommates are done abusing them.  Some things I've gotten at Aldi's or Walmart or have been putting on my wish lists.

  Just before I took this picture of Charlie in the cart, a "Karen" passed me and told me I was stupid for bringing a dog out in this weather.  I was too stunned to respond, which was probably a good thing because my inner octopus might have said something that would probably have escalated into a war of words that I would have regretted.   It just amazed me because people just feel so "entitled" to pass judgment on others in society now.

  I brought Charlie with us because there wasn't anyone left at home, and his separation anxiety kicks in when he is home alone.  I brought him in with me because the weather was bad and the car would have been too cold for him, even if I did just do a quick run-in.   When I got my few things, we went back out to the car to wait for Bipan to finish, and I was running the car and letting it warm up for the ride home.

  While we were sitting there, I heard a thud and felt the car shake.  We were the victim of a bump and run!  I looked around to see if someone had hit us, but only saw a car driving away and with the windows fogged up from the cold and rain, couldn't tell what kind of car it was.  Charlie got knocked off the back seat onto the floor, and I thought maybe what I had heard was him hitting the door.  It wasn't until I got home and was getting my bag out of the back seat that I saw the damage.  Not worth the effort of an insurance claim, and so frustrating!!

    So that was my week, and weekend so far.  Better days are ahead!  Hope your weekend is relaxing and beautiful!    💚   Ci 

The Wonder Habit ~ 3-5/100

The Wonder Habit 2024 : 2/100 Daydream

 

The Wonder Habit 2024 : 1/100 Forest

I am not the artist my mother was.  At least not free-hand, although, I'm not sure I ever saw anything that she did free-hand.  Her watercolor paintings were all sketched from photos.  My strengths are in words, and letting words paint the pictures.

The "pine trees" above were my 3rd attempt with a shimmer watercolor paint over colored pencils.  They actually look more like the ones found at Dollar Tree during the holidays.  However, theirs are more tapered and look like trees and not a pipe cleaner on steroids as mine do.

My first two attempts were with watercolors only, and I think I was heading in the right direction with the bottom one, but just got sloppy with the spray bottle, and they might have actually turned out better had I used a brush to wet the paper and maybe some salt on it when it was wet to get some interesting texture and effects.  

The top one just looks like something that Treebeard [<link] may have painted in his anger management therapy.

But the purpose of 100 Days of Wonder is not to be perfect.

It is to explore with wonder the world around us, and how we see the world.

I'm only slightly hopeful that my watercolor skills will improve over the next 99 days.

Slightly, slightly hopeful.