Politicians, Art and Stupid Computers

The dog let me sleep until 10:00 on this fine Sunday morning and that hasn’t happened in a long time. But alas one of his stuffies had to pee and so Levi shoved the bear in my face until I got up and let the two of them out the back door. I thanked them both for the extra sleep. I really needed it after the busy week I’ve had, a week that included seeing the doctor, dentist and audiologist and going to an art class and a fund raiser.

The class:  Friday I got up before the sun and off I went into the morning mist along the river to go to a one day class at the sculpture garden on using pastels. Actually, a half day class and, boy, did the time go fast. We all worked on the same, cookie cutter landscape which made it easy for the instructor to demonstrate technique. She had some of her own work on display and it was impressive. I liked working with the pastels and I can see me dabbling in the median on long winter days.  After class, I had lunch at the gardens and wandered around the temporary exhibit of sculptures from around the world, none of which I’d like to own except for the fact I could sell one and use the money to pay cash for a luxury car or two.  I don’t know, maybe I’m getting too old to understand ‘cutting edge.’ Ya, I know Michael Angelo has already been there, done that with realism----it’s old school---but I still like his naked marble men better than hunks of metal that look like they were produced by a bunch beer guzzling guys in a junk yard in the wee hours after last call. “You wanna have a welding contest?” “Count me in, Bubba!”

Saturday evening I went to a political fund raiser…nothing fancy. It was a hot dogs and beer affair with a handful of political figures coming in to pitch themselves or another candidate. I went mostly because I’ve been going to these for nearly two decades and I know a lot of the people who organize the event. It was more fun when Don was alive and we stayed to the end but I mostly just put in an appearance this year and picked up a bunch of literature. I don’t drink beer but I took a break from my diet to eat a hot dog, beans and chips and to shake a few hands, hoping none of those hands I shook came in contact with someone with coming down with the flu. I really don’t like shaking hands this time of the year…especially at doctor’s offices. Why do they still do that? I learned from Facebook a few days ago that I’ve already been exposed to highly contagious virus that gives you severe diarrhea.  Oh, goodie. If I get it you can be sure I won’t be posting an SOS on Facebook for someone to bring me Gatorade and toilet paper. That’s what phones are for. Is there nothing too personal for young people to post on Facebook?

Have I mentioned lately that computers drive me nuts? You get one thing working just the way you want it, then a mysterious force comes along and changes your settings or otherwise messes with programs and you have to start all over again. It took me several weeks to get my email working after my month in Computer Hell, now it’s gone again. Then yesterday I wanted to edit some photos and discovered I no longer have an editing program, presumably a victim of having to have Windows wiped off my computer and reinstalled. I don’t remember the name of the program I used and loved and now I have to research photo editing programs…and I can’t get back to my eBay sales until I do. I wanted do a heavy round of auctions leading up to Thanksgiving, then quit for the winter months. That’s not likely to happen now. I also can’t do the photo albums and genealogy books I want to work on over winter until I get the photo editing issue resolved. I’m too old for this! Woo is me! I need a grandchild to work some magic on my keyboard and say, “There, grandma, it’s all working again.”

I promised myself I would manage this coming winter’s expectations better than I did last winter in terms of signing up for too many activities that are subject to cancellations due to bad weather. But then the senior hall newsletter came out for November, December and January and I put in my reservations in for eleven events. Add nine Red Hat Society outings and, oops, I did it again. They are predicating another bad winter for Michigan so expect me to be belly-aching, again, about being too chicken to drive to interesting lectures, luncheons, outings and classes or they get canceled due to the weather. Oh, well, as long as all my petty problems remain first world, middle-class problems I am still one lucky widow lady, aren’t I. But if the day ever comes that I have to stand on the deck with a shot gun to protect the dog and his stuffie from ending up in the neighbor’s soup pot then I reserve the right to complain and be heard!  ©

Not the greatest painting, but I haven't picked up a pastel crayon in 35 years and the set they gave us to work with didn't have all the colors I would have liked to use.....excuses, excuses.  The class did inspire me to try the median again, though. I liked it much better than the color pencils I tried last spring and quickly abandon as too frustrating.