At the Japanese reception to the White House Trump announced that he is going to chat with Kim Jung Un, or not, about trade relations, soon. Saskatchewan wants to join Alberta and boycott trade with BC, Barbara Bush died and former FBI DirectorJames Comey quoted Jan Arden in his new book. You cant make this stuff up. This is the world we live in. By the way the quote he used is " To not think of dying is to not think of living". It almost makes me want to read the book.

I have been craving a simpler life lately. One that involves not driving for an hour to see the people that I love, to get to my job or to the places I like to visit. The price of gas is forcing me to consider ways to shrink my world, or buy a more efficient vehicle. Ironically, I just figured out how to make the seats go flat so that I can sleep comfortably in it, which has increased its value a hundredfold since we bought it last year.

The kids came home for a visit last weekend, along with a few loads of laundry. I love waking to the smell of coffee brewing and Devon and Peters voices wafting up the stairs. There are projects brewing in this gene pool. We all seem to have something artistic on the go, and we love sharing.

This week I stretched my comfort zone a bit and tried a new medium. I've been using pastels to do thumbnail sketches before I set out with a new painting but this week I used them for a large piece. I think Van Gogh was the first, but certainly not the last, to use a swirling line to depict air currents. I am a fan.

See you next week! Don't forget to check out www.carolkinnee.com and www.cathypelter.com my fellow "Over 50" artists.