blogparty

…we in the U.S. will celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m sure there are many who feel that this year there is not much to give thanks for what with the condition of the economy, troops still in Iraq, and health care costs spiraling out of sight. However, I was brought up with the philosophy that you should be thankful for what you have because there is always someone with less.

Next Thursday, as the day enfolds, take stock not of your trials, but of your blessings, whatever they may be. For some, the simple blessings of a roof over their head and food to eat can mean the world. Try to be thankful for what you have and try not to dwell on what you don’t have.

Life is short, enjoy the good, overlook the bad, and give thanks just to be alive.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to one and all!

We elected a new President on Tuesday. He is a Black man. For the first time ever, the United States of America has elected someone other than a White, Anglo-Saxon as President of the United States. This speaks volumes about the progress our country has made during my lifetime.

There are people alive today who can remember not being able to vote because of blocked polling places, literacy tests which no one could hope to pass, and numerous obstacles placed in their path for the sole purpose of preventing them from exercising their rights as American citizens. On November 4, 2008, these same people saw a Black man elected to the Presidency.

The feelings of joy and hope in the air are palpable. There is a renewed sense of purpose and promise. The Dream of Dr. King hovers before our consciousness, and the days of Camelot are remembered.

So many of Obama’s supporters were the young, new voters. They were a part of the process, and now it seems, they also want to be a part of the solution to the many problems our country faces.

Will we see a renewal of the surge of volunteerism that so marked the early 60’s, where people truly seemed to care about those less fortunate? Oh I hope so! I can’t begin to express the feelings I have and the joy I feel as this new era dawns.

I am blessed to have lived long enough to see this day happen.

God Bless America!

We’ve had a cold front come in. At least that’s what the meteorologists call it. Those of you who live in the North would call it a “cool front” but our local weather person insists that the correct meteorological term is “cold front”. In any case, the high on Tuesday is supposed to be no higher than 70 degrees.

For this climate and latitude, that is indeed considered cool and I can hardly wait. I have shrubs to trim and pots to get ready to plant bulbs in, and I may even buy a couple of tomato plants and put them in the ground.

Yes, things are indeed backward in Southwest Florida. We plant tomatoes here in September and October, while those in the more Northern climes plant them in May and June. Those puny Northern tomato plants would never survive a summer in Southwest Florida, but then, I barely survive it myself…lol…

Finally, the cooler weather is upon us. I can go outside again!

After living here for twenty years this month, you would think I’d get used to the weather, but I haven’t. At this time of the year I long for the sight of the golds and ambers of Autumn leaves and that first crisp chill in the air. I am, and always will be someone who prefers a cooler climate. Today, the high was 91 degrees! Can you believe it? October 7 and the temps are still in the 90’s.

The funny thing about missing the Autumn colors is that I actually see them year round in the leaves of the Crotons growing in my yard. Although they are gorgeous plants, somehow, it just isn’t the same. Maybe it’s because when I lived in Maryland and New York, the Autumn foliage heralded the end of one season and the beginning of the next, while here in the subtropics, the seasons all blend into one another.

Whatever the reason, at this time of the year, I miss being “up North” the most. I have information that in Gainesville, which is in Northern Florida, they get 3 of the 4 seasons, eliminating the one with all the ice and snow. If true, I hope one day to pack everything up and travel the 8 or so hours it will take to get up there and move everything into a new house. In the meantime, I guess I need to go outside and stare at my Crotons, and pretend they are trees…. ;o)

Registration for the late Fall session at LVS opens bright and early tomorrow morning, September 29. The Painter X Level I class will be offered again (complete with revisions, thanks to my wonderful students), and the Painter Level II class will also be available.

By the way, for those of you who have earlier versions of the program, all of the material in Level II is also applicable to Painter IX, and most of the material can also be used by those who have Painter 8.

In Level I, there are a few items which only pertain to Painter X, but I’ve identified each of them. Everything else in the lesson also applies to Painter IX. Again, some of the lesson content can be used with Painter 8. You will have to read the page syllabus to determine whether or not this course would be applicable since I no longer have Painter 8 installed.

Level II is a continuation of what was covered in Level I with some very interesting additions. I’m still working on Lessons 5 and 6, so the syllabus is incomplete, but you can go to the class description page and read the content for Lessons 1 through 4 now. Registration for both classes is limited, so I suggest you don’t put it off until the last minute to avoid disappointment. The first class filled up very quickly, and boy are my students keeping me busy! I love it!

I can’t believe I haven’t posted anything to this blog for over a month. Well, my only excuse is that with a full class enrollment for Painter I, and then some (35 in all), and 1250 board posts to day, I’ve been a bit busy. Meanwhile, registration opens on September 29th for the next session and I’m still writing the Level II class. It figures doesn’t it? I finished writing the Level I class on August 1, approximately 7 weeks ago. I wrote that class in 5 1/2 weeks, obviously, I require deadlines…LOL.

Actually, it’s more a case of…it was just easier writing the first class. I’m covering more information in more detail in this class and the lessons are running much longer. If the response I’m getting in the Level I class is any indication, the students are going to love this Level II class.

Such an enthusiatic bunch! It makes me so happy to see how they’re enjoying their lessons. In week one, I had them draw and paint a pear from scratch. Well, you never heard such whining in your life…lol. You would think I had asked them to cut off a finger…and in the end, everyone tried, and some of the submissions were just wonderful, many of them coming from people who had never tried to draw anything in their entire lives.

It just goes to show you…we all have it in us to be artists. Some of us will be much better artists than others, but anyone can draw. Practice, work at it, try to see things as they are, and try to see what’s not there too…but most of all, keep on trying. You can do it. I believe in you.

As a footnote, I joined Technorati today so my blog would be linked to others. For some odd reason, I can’t get the link added to my blogroll, so I’m putting it in this post. So much to learn, so little time…lol

I finished writing the Intro to Painter X level 1 class yesterday. All that’s left for me to do it proofread it, and get it uploaded. Just in time too! Registration opened on Monday, 7/28 and classes begin on 8/30. So…now I have 3 or 4 days to just lounge around, and then it’s time to begin writing the lessons for level 2.

In spite of my complaints, I’ve really enjoyed writing these classes, and in the process, I’ve also learned some things about Painter that I didn’t know before. Teaching has always been a learning process. Maybe that’s why I enjoy doing it so much.

Little did I know when I agreed to teach the Intro to Painter classes that I would end up having to rewrite them from scratch. It hasn’t even been a week since Vikki called me and I’m already starting to develop a callous on my right ring finger. I’ve managed to get 2/3 of lesson one written……gee whiz….only 5 and 1/3 lessons to go, and they’re supposed to be completed by 8/30. That may sound like a great deal of time, but trust me folks, it’s not.

So, how did I get myself in this pickle? Well, when Vikki phoned, I had the impression that I would just use the lessons from the previous instructor and sort of glide…holding the hands of the Painter newbies as they struggled to learn this very complex graphics program. Well, first I spoke to the previous instructor who told me she didn’t mind my using some of her material, but she wanted me to make the lessons “my own”… which is “polite speak” for, “do your own work, or share the salary with me”, lol (Unlike me, Karen, the previous teacher, is always polite ). Then I started reading through the lessons and realized that although she was a wonderful teacher, her way of teaching a program was not my way of teaching or learning a program.

Well, I can’t very well teach a class when the teaching style is completely different from mine can I? So here I am, it’s June 25 and I have to have the first Intro class ready for the fall session which begins on August 30, and furthermore, I need to have enough of it done to write a logical syllabus in time for the July 28 registration. Ah well, they say that challenges help you to grow, so except for my sore fingers, I will probably do a lot of growing in the next month or so.

Stay tuned…

p.s. and then there is the matter of the 3 blogs I’m trying to keep up…..I’m such a glutton for punishment

This afternoon I received a phone call from Vikki at LvsOnline asking me if I would be interested in teaching the Intro to Painter classes beginning with the Fall semester. Karen Bonaker, the original teacher is leaving to pursue her own online school devoted to digital art. Of course I said “Yes” and then discussed the current lessons with Karen. Well, they were originally written for Painter 9, and so a great deal of rewriting and revising will need to be done. Since the Fall classes begin on August 30, I have quite a bit to do between now and then. Am I bragging or complaining? A little bit of both I think, lol.

Meanwhile, Lee County, where I live, has now gone from being the dryest county in Florida to being the wettest. This is a wonderful thing because it means that the aqifers are filling up and hopefull will continue to do so thoughout this rainy season.

What else is new? Well, I found this stunning plant on E-bay. It’s called a Tricolor Stromanthe sanquinea Pachystachys. So, the plant arrives in the mail, packaged beautifully, healthy, all leaves intact (and did I mention faily expensive too?). I immediately unwrap it and pot it up in nice, rich potting soil complete with organic matter. Well, the plant retains it’s color and seems healthy enough, but all the leaves are curling. I go running around the internet to find out why, and I read that it will do that if the humidity isn’t high enough. Humidity not high enough? I live in Southwest Florida. We have heavy rains at this time of the year almost daily. So, I’m at a bit of a loss here. I’ve written to a member on Dave’s Garden who had a gorgeous photo of this plant. I’m hoping she can enlighten me since she also lives in Florida. Meanwhile, if anyone out there has a clue, please post a comment.

Our Rainy Season seems to have begun in earnest as of yesterday. There were a few feeble attempts consisting of brief showers earlier in the week, but yesterday we had a true, thunderstorm filled downpour! It was wonderful! By late evening the temperatures had cooled off and the air was finally clean. It’s raining now as I write and I know I should shut down the computer, but I’m so far behind on everything I’m reluctant to do so.

We’re definitely in the midst of our hot weather now. The temperatures are running in the mid to upper 90’s and will remain so for the better part of the next 4 months along with steamy humidity. SouthWest Florida is not the place to live during summer, but when one has no choice, one is also extremely grateful for the luxury of centrail air conditioning.

My photography efforts will now move indoors for the next few months. I have to figure out a way to get extra light into the living room so I don’t have to use flash. It’s amazing how aware one becomes of the harsh shadows caused by flash once they’ve been pointed out. I haven’t felt much like taking pictures for the past week, but I’m hoping that will begin to change soon.

Meanwhile, I need to go clean a bathroom…….ugghhh…..don’t you just hate it when chores get in the way of the things you like to do?