The last Sunday before school starts

My new figure drawing course begins in just two days so the summer break is officially over and the new academic year is about to begin.

I'm ready. A month ago I didn't think I had the energy to take a class this year but now I'm up and moving, in a can't-wait-to-meet-the-new-teacher mode. I hope I learn to draw some day!




Maybe I'm curious or just plain nosey, but I like to peek into other people's churches. This morning I drew Demi at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Napa, California and also took a snapshot before the service began.

I'm not an official member of St. Mary's - I haven't transferred to anywhere since Steve retired - but we bounce around and seem to end up at St. Mary's the most often.

It's a lovely parish and the congregation has been most welcoming. They adore Demi, which goes a long way for me.

Parishioners are impressed no end that Demi routinely trots up to the communion rail, sits, waits for a blessing and then follows me out -- all with no leash! She doesn't need one, she's a retired service dog and knows her skills.

The rest of the service she contemplates whatever spiritually inclined dogs in retirement are inclined to contemplate and no one even knows she's there.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover

If you celebrated anything today, I hope it was a good day. Our grandchildren came over for Easter dinner. With their parents, of course. Even though the kids are now nine and twelve the Easter bunny still leaves a basket at our house to distribute to them when they arrive. So fun!. Their mom brought in the best ever coconut cake, as traditional as the chocolate bunnies in the baskets. Oh, yum!

I proudly showed my daughter my Square Foot Garden and she seemed impressed that I had put together the frames myself and gotten everything gridded and planted. I still have two containers to complete - the containers are ready but nothing has been planted - and I need to start weeding the footpaths and setting down bark chips. By the middle of summer I want this garden to be absolutely exquisite.

Steve and I attended church at St. Mary's, Napa, this morning. We got there early but still had trouble finding seats. It was a gorgeous day here in northern California and the air was festive and upbeat. Demi was fresh from her Saturday evening bath and behaved perfectly, as always. She is such a fixture to the parish now.

Tomorrow will be an easy day - a couple hours work and our stint at the library. I'm hoping to take time to do some drawing and catching up for class Tuesday. The weather is expected to continue to be sunny all week and that always adds some energy right there. But I am getting behind in my drawing.....

Weekend: Day Two

I felt wonky all day and slept away the afternoon but good things continue to happen.

We met up with the family who now have Beulie - some of you know her as the yellow lab we raised for Canine Companions for Independence. Beulie is now living in St. Petersburg, Florida with their daughter in college. When school ends in June Beulie will be back in Napa County. In the meantime, any of you in the St. Petersburg area, if you see a gorgeous yellow lab with a big smile - tell her Mom said hi.

While surfing the 'Net this afternoon I came across a new find for me - www.squarefootgardening.com. Speak of an answer to prayer! There's a YouTube video on Square Foot Gardening too and also a book of the same title. 

Square Foot Gardening involves small area gardening using grids of 12 inches. (They've also expanded to Square Meter Gardening if you prefer.) There is no digging! Our back yard, which I mowed yesterday, is clay and cement, just atrocious for growing. But the Square Foot method skips all that, works with a tiny area at a time, and can be reused in those small increments too. Our weather is such that we can grow some flowers and veggies even in the winter so I think I can keep this project going all year. That's my newest latest thing and I'll be posting on it every step of the way, you can be sure of that!