Humor: Starting off with some fun stuff...
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| Apparently grading has gotten easier |
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| She said, only five more years Abe |
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| Poor Al |
New art: Completed today. Oil on canvas board, 20 x 16, Chatahootchie River II is a slightly different view of the river that I showed in my last blog, which was done in gouache.
Old Art: Showed this to you in the June blog, won People's Choice First Place in the July show at Art League of Fort Myers. The PEOPLE love me!!!! All three of them.
Blog Update: Before I go into my travels and visits...
Many of you had difficulty viewing or pulling my last blog sent in June. European Union internet rules caused Google to change the sending protocol, it asked if you want to receive my mailing. IF you said you wanted to subscribe, there was a paragraph which included a blue link which should have taken you to this blog. If you missed the June blog, go look at it, as it had some good art and updates on family life, etc. Since it may not work again, I will email this to most of you. If you are in the blog you can click on the photos and they will expand for you. You can always go directly for the superior view and layout:
claudelylesartworks.blogspot.com
Recently, I sold my first two art pieces for 2018. If you have an interest in something, contact me and we can discuss price, shipping, framing, etc. Selection is on my web page: claudelylesartworks.com. If you view on your phone, the "hamburger" box in the upper left corner will open the viewing options for you. Some of the pieces you will view have been sold.
Travels: Future - Thursday we are heading to Amsterdam and a Rhine River cruise. Two highlights: a stop in Koblenz Germany from where my father's mother's family - Heidger - came to Illinois in the 1850's. I wonder what they thought when the War Between the States broke out shortly afterwards?
And, at another stop, we will meet up with the boys' Au Pair, Claudia, from Germany; about 26 years ago. She now lives in Munster and has children of her own. Really looking to that.
Travels: Past - So, last October my Western Road Trip was cancelled when Irma hit Florida and my flight was cancelled. Greg was moving his stuff from Armor School at Fort Benning, GA to his new post in Colorado Springs, Fort Carson, so I flew to San Antonio and met him. Saw a couple who Linda and I met on our last (only second) cruise. We had breakfast in a local diner in New Braunfels, TX. We then drove Greg's new Ram pickup and pulled a 20' trailer north. Visited a friend of his in OK City; then through the tumbleweed via Clayton, NM across Raton Pass into The Springs where we have relatives and the Meyer family cabin on Cheyenne Mountain. Greg will enjoy the next couple of years there when he isn't "working" around the globe. Unloaded his stuff, set up house and we drove north, again, to my brother's place in Estes Park.
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| The Alamo |
Greg dropped me off in Denver where I stayed with good friends, Jim and Tina, and entered into a horrible customer service episode with Hertz. I intended to drive across Kansas to STL stopping in KC, but that wasn't going to happen (even though I had a reservation - 4 people asked me if I saw the Seinfeld episode, and no I did not). At Greg's suggestion I flew to KC using Southwest Airlines, rented a car there, flew to STL and rented a car there, and saved almost $500 since there was no car rental drop charge. Several days in STL let me catch up with Dominic, eat some good pasta, and visit (follow me here) with former neighbors, Don and Vicky who moved to Austin, but were helping their daughter in Decatur, IL so Don and I met in Litchfield, IL for a luncheon; and now they are heading back to Austin - I must have driven right by their house a week earlier.
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| Thompson River in Estes |
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| from City Park, Denver |
Photo proof that I really made the trip. It was fun to catch up with my friends and family (had a great photo taken at Pasta House of my sisters but they won't let me post it). Sorry, no photo of Don's 34 acres north of Blue Springs, MO, 8 goats, three horses, tractors, boxes of Romance Novels, and three coolers around the pool. 2 Hours quickly turned into 4. Grabbed a latte with Chandler at Art St Louis where I served on their Board. Stopped in at the Cardinal's office to see someone. Lunch with Scot at Sportsman's Park. Breakfast with Al; dinner with a former banking client at Bristols; my first Uber ride after dinner with Bill and Marj Soldan; dinner at the new Savoy Hotel with recently retired Joan; and lots of catching up with former UMB buddy and great Mizzou Fan, Bob; and beverages with another banking buddy, Jim, at Schneithorst's. I am sounding like Jerry Burger, yikes. Glad to be back in Florida and looking forward to showing more art and reporting on our upcoming trip. Still need to re-plan my Eastern Road trip.
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| Wonderful guest suite at Joan's condo |
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| Cardinal office display case |
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| Current exhibit at ASL |
