Only two of the kids have stayed local. One landed two states away and bought a house. Two others did the same in the heart of Texas. One of the two who’ve remained in the area has four of the grand children of whom one just switched positions from being the baby of the family...

Some paintings are done within a short time of their conception, but others take a very long time. This one, for example was painted in 2009 shortly after the memorable forest trail hike with Leah and her mom and brother. Phoebe the Cocker Spaniel was added to the composition because it made a better picture...

Those cornish game hens that I bought were a mixed bag, to be sure. Gave one to my daughter who raved over the taste and texture, but the one I baked might as well have been a feral bird harvested from a parking lot. Tonight I’m giving the tough meat a second chance as soup...

Tonight I’ve been painting number 210033, “Flower Girl” and thinking about the concept of  ‘fragile’. The subject in that painting is a girl, aged nine or so who is holding a bundle of delicate wild flowers harvested along a summer trail. The painting itself is fragile. I mean physically so.  It’s cotton canvas stretched tight...

She was right and I told her I was glad she was on duty tonight when I showed up at a Target store to replace my defective George Foreman grill. Among the other grills was a red round  “Quesadilla Maker” that appealed to me because unlike the grill I was seeking, it’s cooking surface was...