SOUP AND BOOK WEATHER.

Yesterday, I had my pile of wood cut into usable chunks. The last of my wood pile had pieces so big they wouldn't fit into my stove. Dave and Jerrod from Cutting Edge Yard Service do a great job getting me ready for the next siege of cold and rainy weather. I got up on the roof and cleaned the screen on my chimney and settled in for a good read with a pot of soup on the stove.

It was a long quiet weekend and I took both days off. Retired people need days off too, so I indulged. I didn't do much reading this year, but I finished a book I had started and looked at my list:  Books Read 2015. I hate to admit that I have in the past re-read half way through a book before realizing I'd read it before. Thus I keep a list.  I began listing in 2008. I've read some good, bad, great and funky stuff.

Books I’ve read: 2008.
***Devil In The White City, by Erik Larson-Really enjoyed this historical book about the Chicago World's Fair and a serial murder. A kind of wayward read, but a good story, told thoroughly. True story and devilishly intriguing.

***The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wahls-Great book, real life story. Good story, amazing insight.

***Sea Glass by Anita Shreve-Wonderful book. New author for me.

***The First Women’s Detective Agency-My niece loved this book. I found it just OK.

***The Bone People by Kerri Hulme-Good, but disturbing in ways.

****Dirty Blonde And Half Cuban, by Lisa Wixon-Just okay.

****The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins-Lousy read. Couldn't get his point across with any interest

****Diana Gabaldon Books-Loved all 4 and want to reread them.
The Outlander- is the first book. Dragonfly In Amber-is another. Excellent.
I spent a week with my broken leg up in the air and took an amazing trip in these novels.
I think I 'll publish all of my lists,  since things I've read in 2015 are authors I started in previous years.
My cousin Bob and I often trade book suggestions. I'd love to hear your recommendations.
CIAO

ART LESSON.

I love art and have always been a wanna-be artist. Pam at one time taught art and offered to give me two lessons. She said, pick a picture you like and I'll teach you. I'm always attracted to paintings of people, so she suggested I choose from one of the homeless people pictures I took. I have a homeless brother and I tend to do that wherever I am.


I took two the day we were downtown Palms Springs, but, they make me sad. We considered could I turn my interest into a political statement by painting homeless people? No, the pictures make the statement. I want to paint something happy and beautiful.


I like my bird picture I took.


I thought the saxophonist made for a fairly simple people painting.


Among people photos, this is the one I liked best, the woman taking a picture of her friend modeling a hat.


Hedging the bet, I chose a simple desert scene as probably an easier place to start.


The night before my lesson she said think of the tree of life, your life. And see if you can look around and find 20 different shades of green.  I thought maybe I could do some palm trees and mountains. When in the desert paint desert pictures, that  kind of mentality that I've heard from various artists over the years.


She loaned me a book on color charts.


In my long ago past,  (early 60's) I tried painting with oils and it was enjoyable, but not very successful. Recently, I tried a papier mache' sculpture and couldn't understand how to use acrylic paints and gave up and put the thing in a box.


After talking it over, she decided I should paint on a student canvas a person, not a tree, not a desert scene. We chose a picture of her's of a little boy. He has a long way to go, but the palette board for acrylics is very different. The brushes, too. I learned gobs and came away energized. I'll try and finish this painting today, or at least get it in better proportion. Not only did I get a lesson, but lunch.


Pam made this killer soup with mushrooms, peppers, chicken breast and fennel sausage with a small amount of noodles. Delish.

On a different note: In the morning,  Jim and I walked the park, looking to find my bike, both of us knowing that this is a park full of mature people, unlikely that we would find our bike lurking under someone's canopy. It was our morning exercise anyway, and we learned from talking to people we met that bike theft is very common in this park, especially men's bikes, which mine was. It seems, the thieves jump the fence, choose an unguarded bike, and ride out through the gate. The next weekend it will be for sale at a flea market. We went to find a White Sheet, (sales paper) but it didn't list flea markets. We might try a regular newspaper today. But, I've mentally given up the idea that I might find that bike. There must be 300 in our park alone. And, another 70 parks like ours. It is probably a very lucrative business.