Green Digit

A couple of days ago, I told Erin that we needed to pick some more sugar snap peas. They are starting to come in fast now, and there's a small window of a couple of days when they aren't too small or too big.  Erin was eager to run outside to pick them, but I stopped her for a moment at the door.   "Make sure the ones you pick are big enough," I told her. "They have to be at least as big as your thumb. No, wait," I continued, noting how small her thumb was, "hold out your hand."   Erin held out her hand.   I touched her longest finger and said, "Make sure they're as long as this finger before you pick them."   She carefully folded back all her fingers except for her middle one, keeping that extended as she ran out the door.  Oops.    I'll have to remember not to make that mistake if I help out the kids with gardening in Kim's preschool class at church.

Tiny Art Director

http://tinyartdirector.blogspot.com/   My friend Ed clued me in on this. It's awfully funny.

Petting goats at the Louisville Zoo

Bernheim Forest's Bloomfest

On Sunday we attended the Bloomfest at Bernheim Forest with the girls' Aunt Pam. It was lots of fun. One of the activities was the construction of "fairy houses" with any woodland materials you could scrounge up, plus a few additional decorative items (pine cones, flower blossoms, and other interesting bits) that the ladies at the fairy house zoning ordinance tent let you pick out.

Lots of fun! And ticks! And, for me, even a little touch of poison ivy!

More Derby Day

Brian and Kevin on the trampoline with their nieces.

Late Derby Day photos

It's taken me a long time, but here are some pictures from Derby Day. We spent the day at my cousin's house up in the knobs. Lots of fine, fun people; good food; games; and a great view of Louisville. We could see the banner tow operators circling Churchill Downs, far off in the distance.

I played cornhole, which is always fun. Here is Jill giving me a few pointers: And here is one of the exciting horse races we watched. I love the fact that Confused's jockey looks a little dazed, Wrong Way is facing the wrong way, and Slow Poke is in back.

Germantown Street, October

Here is a painting that I'm almost done with; I just need to put a little more work into a few spots. I'm very happy with it. I've been working on it, on and off, since October. It's small, only 8 x 13". I'm also working on a second painting of the same size. That one is a view from the same spot of the opposite side of the street. It's not as far along.

A detail shot:

Yesterday and today I tried several times to update my blog via email. The updates never got through, so I had to wait for a time (which is right now) that I could actually log in and update on this blogger site itself.

I don't know why the emails didn't work; I've done it before, many times.

Now I'll need new business cards

Our office receives various junk mail items each week; there's plenty of it, although we probably get less than many offices, thank goodness. Most of it just goes in the can, but one item caught my eye last week. It's a postcard advertising a free Myron brand pen, upon which one can have printed one's business name and address. Since this thing seemed up for grabs, I grabbed it, and just now I logged into the Myron website and ordered my free pen. That's why, in 2-3 weeks, I'll be excited to get a pen that says: The Sexy Numismatist he's also an artist! I can't say I'll mind the junkmail that comes addressed that way, either.

Erin woke up yesterday, walked into the living room wearing her nightgown, and lay on the couch. "I'm cold," she complained. "I want a blanket."   I grabbed a small afghan and tossed it over her, and went back to fixing breakfast.   "This blanket isn't big enough.  I want a bigger one," Erin griped.   To encourage her to just get up and get one herself from the small stack of blankets ten feet away, or at the very least ask politely for me to retrieve another, I said "Well, what's a good way to get one?"   There was a long pause, and then Jill chirped brightly from the other room, "You could say, 'Here, little blanket!'"   ---   I was up sort of late last night working on a sketch of a giraffe in preparation for my next linoleum block print.  I'm eager to begin the actual cutting process.  I also went out at lunch today and worked on a little watercolor sketch of a tree. It's nothing very involved, but it was a good way to spend lunch.