The Best Audience in the World!

We were sipping our cups of caffeine before heading south to visit the grandkids, when the phone rang. It was Lee's daughter with a request. She wondered if Grandma Cindi would like to be the Guest Reader in Chandler's second grade class. Mike, her husband, was scheduled to read; but, they wondered if I wanted to read my story "Sadie, the Lady Bug" that I wrote for Carrington, their daughter, when she was three. Of course, my answer was a big loud, "YES!"

Three hours later we were on the road with 25 copies of "Sadie, the Lady Bug" coloring books. As Lee drove, Grandma Cindi colored a book for show and tell.

There is not an audience in the world, not even the Idaho Songwriters Association Forum (and they are good), match an audience of second graders when one of their own has a parent or grandparent come to read. I felt like a Rock Star! I was so touched when Chandler came in, after being the door holder for the class coming back from recess (a high honor), with his big smile shining towards me. If you ever wonder whether you make a difference in someone's life, just be the guest reader of your grandchild's class.

It didn't matter that I only colored with crayons and markers. It didn't matter that my story wasn't perfect and that it needs a serious re-write from 15 years ago. It didn't matter that my artwork also needed re-work. What mattered was Chandler had his grandparents and his parents present in his classroom. What mattered was the lovely, attentive, young audience.

No, I don't think my heart could have been any fuller or the honor ever greater.

That's our grandson in the green shirt next to the guy with KITE on his back.

More blob creatures.

More blobs...the animals on the right are watercolor and colored pencil. The right ones are collaged pieces of paper with a Sharpie pen.

It helps me to take a photo and then see it on the screen. It gives me a different view and somehow even looks better than in person.

Oh, yes, that is my evening Gin & Tonic in the upper left corner. :)

How do you cook 'em?

We found two of these huddling under a sagebrush on one of our walks. Many of their kind were smashed to smithereens. We just wondered, how do you cook 'em?

Mar 5 More blobs....

Almost done.

Blobimal Book Next Lesson

Next lesson in my Blobimal Book class. Who knew such creatures lurked in blobs?!

Blob-imal Book

I signed up for a "Blob-imal Book" online class with Carla Sonheim. She is a wonderful artist, has published books and gives these on-line classes either herself or other great artists. The class started on December 1 and was 3 weeks long. Whatever was I thinking when I signed up for it? I mean, December 1?! I must have had too much caffeine that day. But, the good thing is I can take the class, now, I am just not doing it with other students.

I have taken a class from Carla before. Her style isn't mine, but her methods make my creative brain work outside my comfort zone.

First, lesson prepare paper to use for the books and do what she calls "blob" drawings. You basically scribble on a paper and then look for the animals.

Adaptation

Who knew when I made this spoon necklace that it would be apropos to me?! Adapt was a word I came up with because the alphabet beads I have have been so picked over that it was the only word I could come up with. (Note to self....buy more alphabet beads.)

It has been over 40 years since I broke a bone, my third time with a broken collar bone back in seventh grade. In fact, almost all my accidents have never really inconvenienced me...until now. Fortunately, not much pain, but inconvenient. Here is what I cannot do without a left hand, even though on that hand do have an opposable thumb and two usable fingers.

• Play guitar. However, we are going to try some slide guitar which will be a new, fun thing to learn anyway.
• Wash dishes because I can't get the cast wet. Not a biggy, I have an electric dishwasher and a husband-dishwasher. However, the husband-dishwasher has been sick which means the pans, etc., sit for a while until he is up to doing them and it drives me crazy!
• Open cans with a can opener.
• Open jars that are stuck or not opened before.
• Ride a bicycle.
• Easily put on my seat belt...it takes some time and undoing it is just as difficult.
• Wash my hair.
• Shave under my right arm.
• Eat away from the table, which is fun to do on Friday nights. :)

Surprisingly, the things I can do:

• Pull up my pants.
• Tie my shoes.
• Type with one finger of the left hand and the full right hand.
• Unpack and do laundry.

So, I am adapting, painting, starting to put my new songs in music form with the help of a computer program. And, actually sitting down in my rocker in the sun that shines through the window and sip tea and read. Life is good.