An assassin bug eating a fly

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Wings of Glory S.E. 5a

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No matter what difficult thing I am dealing with, I know there are beautiful things in my life too numerous to count. I have been incredibly fortunate all my life, and I will remain so.

Flowers in my garden are afflicted with aster yellow. Dammit. I was loving my coneflowers! I had worked on them. 

More bee-on-hyssop

Lunch time on the hyssop

Hanabi

We played the fireworks-themed Hanabi yesterday and scored 18 points. Not bad for four newbies.

Churchill seating

7 Wonders Duel

...with one of my wonderful daughters.

It was our first game.

Memoir '44

I set up the Utah Beach scenario a couple of days ago (D-day + 74 years). Allies lost 6 to 1. Card draws forced the US troops to act in zones where Germans were strongest.

Memoir '44

I set up a game on Monday but didn't get very far before we decided to watch Spider Man: Homecoming.

Red clover in acrylic

This is a little painting I did over the weekend. It's pretty minimal--but I am happy with it. I should probably paint/draw more things from my yard, if I can squeeze it in.

Bunny

Red clover

Spiderword

Before it turns ratty later in the summer. 

Daffodil moves

I just moved most of my daffodils from the back yard to the front. Probably a hundred bulbs. (Conservative estimate. I dunno. Might be 150+.) I hope they do ok, and I can't wait to see them all bloom there. 

There were some white ones in the side yard I moved up, too, but I left most of them there--because I couldn't figure out where to put them if I moved them.

I also moved hostas back to the front. I hope they recover from the move and fill in a little. They were doing better in the back yard than they ever did up front by the porch, so the ones I put back in there will probably not do too well. I left a little ajuga in place there by the porch, and put some yarrow in with it, but the yarrow probably won't expand until next spring.

That spot by the porch is pretty rough. It gets really wet sometimes, and then really dry, and there is a lot of clay and gravel in it. Mostly, for two years, we have let the violets dominate it. Violets love it there and I think they actually look nice, but we'll try something else now.

Pen and ink detail

Dogwood blossoms

House Portrait in Pen and Ink

11 x 15 on Arches hot press watercolor paper

Frustrated

I suck at plein air painting. I suck at alla prima. I spent a good chunk of time this weekend on a landscape, and it looks like crap.

Sometimes my walnut ink or pencil landscapes look pretty nice, so maybe I just can't handle the colors. This makes me think I should try painting with a very limited palette--whenever I try it again.  Some day.

Hotdogs and asparagus

I cooked asparagus six feet from where I picked it.

Etch-a-Sketch by my 12-year-old

Not an elephant

A ballpoint pen doodle blown out of proportion.

Asparagus coming in...

I've been waiting.

Narcissus

These bloom after our yellow daffodils, which have now faded away to only greenery.