Birthday

 Yep I had the big six OHHHH my goodness birthday.  We had several days of celebration with our anniversary and Derald's birthday rolling in to Dec. 1.  Party here, party there.  Wish you were here!

Kathy and Jane with Jill and Woody.  Salute!

Derald and Martin

And yes that is a wreath around the neck of the deer.  You just can't see the Santa hat he is wearing too!

First Fridays

Kansas City has lots of fun on the first Friday weekend each month.  The art galleries and antique shops all have special 'openings'.  We met up with some friends this weekend to do a little gallery hopping.

Good Ju Ju is always full of stuff to admire.

Somehow the venders make you want to redecorate your home!

This was actually a short line to enter a shop.  There are probably 20+ different shops in the West Bottoms.  Some are 4 stories!!!  A few had live music.  Most had wine and goodies.  One had a 'flash mob' singing Christmas songs.  FUN!!!  I managed to go Friday AND Sat. with Luann.  Luann and Mike were in town this week on a business/fun trip from Springfield.  Luann and I were roomies in college....many years ago.  BFF

Anne Garney had a fun art opening Friday night from 5 - 7.  She hired a model and had 4 painters working.  The crowd loved it.

Greg Summers chatting with Debbie Payne.

Greg's work

Penny Dillion had some very nice paintings.  

Anne Garney, and her signature vivid underpainting start.

Terri Nemer was a new artist for me.  I had not seen her work before.

The next stop was Mattie Rhodes.  I had three pieces in this show.  One is in the upper right corner.

The gold frame is another painting of mine that sold that night.  Yeah!

Bill and Patti ran in to us at Garney's event.  We all joined up and had dinner at a little Mexican joint near Mattie Rhodes.

Debbie and Bob enjoying dinner.  I failed to get a photo of Luann and Mike and us!

A Good Ju Ju find.  A steel dresser.

More Ju Ju.

Quick paint out today!

My friend Martin called to see if we could paint today.  We packed up and headed to Parkville, but the wind was whipping and it was really chilly.  So we drove to a couple of other parks, still skunked.  Finally we ended up in Riverside for a fast 1 1/2 hour painting.  Our new motto:  Treat everyday like a holiday.  It works great!

This group of cedar trees caught our eye standing proud from those naked trees!

I asked Martin if he wanted me to help him today, or if he wanted me to keep my mouth shut.  His response was "I have never known you to keep your mouth shut".  :)  

The car helped block the wind.  But it was much warmer in this final location.

Martin's study.

Peggy's study.

Martin

Checking off bucket list items

Perfect weather: Sunny and 62+ degrees on Dec. 4th!  Preparing to check on a bucket list item:  to ride a horse!

She looks like she was talking to me!

We signed a release that gave up everything but my first born.  

When I got up there, my first comment was 'wow this horse is tall'.  I felt so high up.

The trainer was giving me commands.  The horse was not a trail horse, but one that was a show horse that belonged to one of her clients.  Both were 'award winning horses' for something.  

The horse mask was put on to protect their eyes and to prevent them from eating.  

So the moment that mask came off for pictures, she got a mouth full of grass!!

One of my best friends, and my very best painting partner who knows me probably all too well, gave me a fabulous gift.  For my 60th birthday she gave me a horseback ride!  She purchased two hours for us to ride horses on a ranch.  It was a blast.  I didn't sleep for 2 nights in anticipation of the event today. I dreamt I was riding bareback with no reigns one night.  So, here are some very happy photos of Debbie and I on our horses today.  Don't I look like a cowgirl???  :)  THANKS DEBBIE.

What? Another blog? Is she crazy?

Habits are hard for me to break sometimes.  I posted a blog for our travels for months.  It was probably more therapy for me than fun for you!  I guess I'll admit it now on day one.  I like the idea of posting blogs and sharing information.

This has been a busy couple of weeks.  Greeting us the evening before our arrival home after being gone since May, was a text from Travis.  'Welcome home.  Your sewer is backed up'.  Ah, even the sewer didn't bother us we were so darn happy to be back home.  So I thought I would start this blog with photos from that little experience!  I promise the photos will get much better. Derald has been working on jewelry and I have been painting.  The dogs are still doing cute and funny things that I occasionally catch with the camera.  We have celebrated Thanksgiving, our 32nd anniversary and both birthdays.  We have had friends over for dinners and put up all our Christmas decorations!  So here we go....

 Fortunately the weather has been wonderful for yard work.......

 Cutting out the sidewalk...

 There go the bushes....and the gas lamp post!

Thankfully it was all completed in one afternoon!  My how we came to appreciate a hot shower, toilets that flush, a washing machine and the list goes on.  The sewer line is now fixed!  I guess we have a good reason to do some landscaping next spring.