Big news! Mama and I are taking a painting class. This is big news because we're left brain ladies, we like math, mechanical things, bookkeeping, electronics. We file everything, we file our clothes!

We're bustin' out, cuttin' loose, we're wild artista types now!

Nah, actually the senior center (where mama volunteers in the Resale Boutique) offers a painting class on Tuesdays. It's $2.50, what a deal, right? So today we went to our first class, of course we went empty handed because we're wild artistas now.

Carl is the teacher. Carl used to teach art in high school. Carl was not in the least disturbed that we arrived without so much as a pencil. Well, that's not true, we had my friend D with us, but he didn't have a pencil either.

Carl is a solution oriented guy. Carl gave us a test. Carl gave us each a sheet of drawing paper, a pencil, and a photograph and said "draw what you see." My pencil had a message; 't Drink and Drive. So I asked for a cocktail. Carl likes us now.

Poor mama can't see much. She has dry macular degeneration in her right eye (not too bad) and the wet kind in her left eye (very bad). She also has cataracts and the one in the left eye needs surgery but she needs to finish the treatments for the macular degeneration (don't ask) first. I told mama to relax and just enjoy herself and stop worring about what the picture looks like.

Our checking accounts are balanced and our clothes orderly. Life is good. I promised myself that I wouldn't judge whatever I draw or paint. I'm going to enjoy it. We went out for a cigarette break during class. Carl didn't care. I like Carl a lot. Mama left early, she needs a cushion for the metal folding chair, D and I kept drawing. We chatted it up with all the other students.

After we finished I walked around to see what other people were working on, most told me what was wrong with their paintings. I felt sad because I liked them all, they were bright and cheerful paintings, especially one wild young girl with her dad (?) who was doing a giant eye with make-up and a man who was doing a lovely water color. One lady was doing a beautiful pencil drawing of a lily, she told me she doesn't want to paint because she'll get dirty. I bet she files her clothes too.

I'm bringing and old shirt and my apron next week. Also canvas boards, brushes and acrylic paints. D and I went shopping after class, somewhere there is a photo of me with our art supplies wearing a foam giraffe visor. I checked facebook and he didn't post it so you don't get to see it here. Sorry.

Here's the photo I was given, I think it's Silver City and if it is, someone lives in that house in the summer.

Here's my unfinished drawing. I'm putting a crescent on the door of the outhouse on the lower right when I finish it. Artistic license. 

Carl showed me how to do the shrubs so I asked about the rocks. Good thing or I'd have drawn each one like in the photo. He also told me how to get the roof line better. Okay, next time. I really like my drawing so far, mostly I enjoyed sitting there drawing. It's fun doing something I never thought I'd do. I came home and had homemade ice cream so I'd have the strength to mow the lawn.

Today was a good day. What more could I ask for? 

Tomorrow we're going to my daughter's for a barbeque. I bought an ice cream maker last week. I made mint chocolate chip, and coffee. Tomorrow I'm going to make strawberry. I'm using half agave nectar instead of sugar because of the baby. I think this is going to be the year of the ice cream maker. Yum. This will be as good as the year of the deep fryer when I was constantly cruising different breadings, batters and the frozen food aisle. I kind of miss fried zucchini and fried okra. I miss the deep fryer.

This will be a good summer with painting and homemade ice cream. What more could I ask for?