October Chatbook 2022

Time is flying. It's already halfway through November, and the turkeys are already hiding to avoid becoming dinner next week. So let's get our chatbook for last month out in cyberspace.

Let's just remember how great the cruise was. It is also one of the reasons that I am behind on everything. But it was all kinds of worth it!

Pearl had never been to DP Cheesesteak before, which happens to be one of my favorite places to lunch. I am sad they didn't have Huckleberry soda, but Pearl still loved the steak sandwich.

I'm trying to keep Daisy busy, so now and then I give her a baking assignment. I gave her the recipe for a lemon bundt cake and it was fantastic!! It was so moist and delicious. Tyler kept sneaking pieces as he went by. 

At school, there are quarterly rewards for the students who have good citizenship marks. I helped chaperone the 7th grade class when they went to the local roller skate rink. They had a good time, except for the kid who got hit in the face and possibly broke his nose. Lots of blood. I want to go to the movie next time...

I had a girls night out with Kari, Jenaca, and Camille. It was so fun. We always have a blast when we get together. Our server looked so much like Chris Evans. I was going to ask to get a picture with him, but later he was talking with us and he said, "Some people are so crazy. They will even ask for my picture. I don't think I look that much like him." Needless to say, I didn't want to be one of the crazies, but I'm telling you. He did look remarkably like Chris Evans, right down to the muscles.

I tried a new hairdo on Pearl. It was a little like a basket. It didn't really work, but it did look fancy.

Isaac rescued a chicken from a dog. (Not ours, thank goodness.) The chicken got so comfortable in Isaac's jacket, that he didn't want to come out. This will probably happen again considering the dog and chicken belong to the same owner. They are bound to run into each other at some point.

Speaking of dogs, let's take a second to look at our pill. She is just as cute as ever, and still such a putz.

Ivory got a new dress. I found pictures of her on her phone. It is so cute. She's only worn it once, while I was on the cruise, so I haven't seen it in person. 

You can't tell very well in this picture, but Ivory was rocking a pink and blue look, down to her eyeshadow that went from pink to blue and her earrings that were pink and blue. 

Here's Jane and Ives hanging out. It's good to have friends that will braid your hair.

Behold one of Robyn's snapchat pics. I agree that Strawberry shakes are up there on the list of things that make the world amazing.

This is another pic taken while I was out of the country. I love the see the girls bonding. I think they had a good time while we were gone. Sisters are important.

I found a few extra pictures of Ivory dressed up in clown makeup. I decided to add a couple here that I really liked.

October brought us snow in the mountains. Yuck. It's November now and temperatures are frigid and the mountains are loaded with snow. Winter set in with purpose this year.

The oculus still gets plenty of use. Tyler has been playing an Elvin assassin game. Daisy uses it for Netflix, and Ivory does her share of Beat Saber when she has a chance. She really gets into it.

I'm not sure where this picture was taken, but who can resist a fresh pineapple? Or is it grilled?

Tyler got himself an AirBnB. He went in on it with Greg, and Rachel helped decorate the place. I think it looks stunning. They've already gotten plenty of people booking it. I hope it stays nice and full.

I'm hoping we don't have too many more pictures of Robyn on the grom. It is so cold. You can even see frost on the lawn. That girl is crazy.

Last up, the gutter broke while we were gone. The girls mentioned it, but I forgot to look. Tyler took a picture and sent it to me. And then he fixed it. It is always nice to have a handy man around.

Look at me, staying nice and current. Life is happening and I'm almost keeping up. Stay tuned for more adventures from November. And of course from November 2021. Because I'm not that caught up.

Art Overload

(October 17- 21st, 2022)

I try more often than you think to get the girls to write posts for me. Especially when it is their experience, since it feels more authentic when the person who was actually there documents it. They are however, very busy and it doesn't always work out. Robyn is still plodding her way through a Ghana post that will be epic when it is finished. 

This is a very good example of a post that should NOT be written by me. Robyn is currently attending the Beaux Arts Academy and they do amazing things. They went on a field trip to Wyoming and did tons of art. I keep finding all these neat things she is creating, including her notes, which are fantastic...and they are just notes for class.

I'm not even sure where to start. Let's go with some of the stuff she is creating in class and during the last couple of months. Then we'll move on to the Wyoming trip. 

There is a lot of outdoor and landscape pictures in preparation for plein air painting. (I don't know what that is.) (Guest definition: Plein air painting is when one paints outside in nature. It is a *fairly* recent form of art that artists have adopted. They used to not be able to paint outdoors because they had no way to transport paint. So they would go out and sketch studies, and then finish their works in the studio. It is a clear distinction that can be seen between studio and plein air works.)

Sometimes she sketches her friends.

They have been working very hard on figure drawing. She has done pages of ears, eyes, and particular body parts, getting them correct. And they have models come in and pose, so they can practice getting proportions accurate. They are amazing, even the unfinished ones.

Now for some art while they were in Wyoming. Robyn predominantly used gouache (gwash). It is like watercolor, but it is more opaque. Actually, don't quote me on any of that. I'm not an art person. However, you can see the watercolor feel in many of these. And she did use some other mediums.

They also had some fun doing art and adding to each other's drawings. 

You can see why I love going through Robyn's sketch books. There is a fun surprise around each corner. 

I asked Robyn to send me a picture each day so I knew she was still alive. She is rather snarky and I always get pictures like these ones. But they do convey the still-alivedness of Robyn.

Here are a few more pictures from the trip. They clearly are having the best time ever. Who knew Wyoming could be such an adventure? (Pictures include Analena, Abbi, Basil, Stewie, and Parker. Parker is the deer.)

All the art is so fun. I think she is planning on going next semester as well, which is a win for all of us.