Ta-da. I finished a watercolor sketchbook.

And it only took me 77 months. And the really pathetic thing is that since it was a Moleskine watercolor book, it only had 35 pages. It was specifically for plein air painting, but again, I am a cheat, so it also contained sketches of furniture, a lackluster hot dog, and even one, totally abstract painting I did to look busy at the only sidewalk art fair I will probably ever do, but never say never.  To be fair, I also had a smaller notebook which I used on trips. But overall, no, I did not do much watercolor sketching over the last 3 years. Pang of sadness when I came across the anniversary watercolors from a trip to Two Bunch Palms in 2007. One of the drawbacks of documenting your life as an artist- very few stones left unturned.

I have poison (ivy, sumac,or oak) again, and this time it's back with a vengeance. It's on my neck and throat. Don't ask. Just assume it's a jungle out there and I was on a kamikaze mission to bushwhack overgrown foliage. Obviously I think I know what poison ivy looks like, I googled it  twice this summer, yet I've had a mild reaction every time I've done yard work since moving here.  So here I sit, for all practical purposes, looking as though I wore a scarf made of poison ivy. Sadly, this obstinate trait, and possibly the allergy is inherited. My mother kept calamine lotion on hand and talked about getting poison (ivy, sumac or oak) whenever she did yard work. I bought a new bottle of calamine lotion. There was an unopened box of Burt's Bee's poison ivy soap in the cabinet.

I'm a little sad today, but I shouldn't be. I celebrated 6 years of sobriety today. My mom used to email on the 5th of every month telling me how proud she was of me, but then she forgot how to use email, so she would call. The last few months before she died, she forgot to call. A couple of close friends remembered and called to say hello. Later the Fed Ex truck arrived with a surprise box of chocolates and a note that said "Welcome Home Sweetheart," and congratulated me on my paintings and my show. I have a few amazing friends that I've had for a very long time. I shouldn't be sad, I hope I can be half as thoughtful to others as people have been to me.

Large Shrub by Street, 8" x 5," gouache on paper

I downloaded Google Earth. I have coordinates, which thanks to Carla, will be featured in the titles, or on the backs,  but will not be publishing these on the Interschnitzel. And once again, I'm inside, looking out or I suppose I could be outside looking in. Makes ya wonder.