4 new blooms

Super stoked by my Christmas cactus to say the least, it last bloomed in October! Love the clean white blanket to cover up the boring brown landscape.  Hopefully the snow squalls forecasted don’t materialize. 

A handy paper clip

When a paper clip is an integral part of hanging Christmas lights!!!  I saw my husband struggling with a mess of lights and I could see his lips moving and knew full well what he was muttering; I offered to help.  I usually don’t get involved and manage to be away during this portion of the “festive” season.   Anyway, I found that I was in fact useful since one of the paper clips have disappeared over the summer.  It was especially important as it was the portion over the door.  

I’m not sure whose feathers were on the ground but I expect that it will be my beloved mourning doves.  

I sketched at Tim Hortons

Yesterday I went with my husband to town because he wanted the company.  He went to his appointment and I sketched at the Timmy’s across the street.  In case your not aware, Timmy’s is a Canadian coffee shop chain started by Tim Horton a famous Canadian hockey star (from back in the day).  My husband joined me afterwards and bought these “Timbits”.  He is a sucker for sweets! I’m not a fan.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten loads of Tim’s donuts in my time but they don’t call to me anymore.  It was really nice to sketch people from life. 

I still go to physio

I thought I would depict some of the exercises that I do at physio so I can remember them in the future.  These are only some of them, there is no more room on the page for the others.  Each session is a different set of nine exercises (3 rounds each). 

I’m usually tired by the end but since I’m in town I end up doing stuff afterwards.   Frequently, there seems to be something I need to do: grocery store, bank, hardware store and the like.  

Hopefully my little drawings are clear enough to be understood.  The RDL’s is a modified version of the Romanian Dead Lift, two dumbbells 15 lbs each. The suitcase carry dumbbell is 8kg the same weight as the birdseed bags I buy.   I’ll have to update my page with that information.  I couldn’t recall all the names of the exercises so I just put down what I could remember.  

More edibles maple things

Yesterday I went to physio in town.  Afterwards, I did a bit of shopping in the plaza. I went to purchase a new lampshade and these two products jumped into my cart! 

I hmmmmed and hawwwwed over the boring brown packaging and in the end I just couldn’t do it.  Way too much brown so I jazzed things up a bit with purple and painted in the background for added colour. 

Roman Szmal watercolours 

Atomic Art

Thanks Corinne for her #SketchbookPlay class on mid-century atomic art!  This is what I was able to do during your class.

In 1958 my parents and I visited the Worlds Fair in Brussels (Belgium).  It is home to The Atomium, the flagship architectural structure and emblem!  Do have look at it on line! Very cool!

I tried to mimic the pattern I saw on Pixabay on the left.  I made my own design on the right side of the page. 

Toast and Jam Tea

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t often think about composition when I start a drawing.  Then, I have to “figure it out”!  Ugh!  I looked at the box of tea and thought it needs something so I added a table, no that isn’t the answer so I added the tablecloth.  Still not satisfied,so I painted a wall in behind.  Still didn’t look right and I realised it needed the cup with tea in it.  If the cup looks suspiciously like a coffee mug, it is the smallest one I have.  It’s my favourite mug for tea, not too big, not too small; just right for me.  I drew it in with Neocolor II and didn’t like it so I got my gouache back out. 

I bought a box of Red Rose tea at the Sally Ann (60 bags) for $3.00CDN.  This box was 4X that!!   Clearly this was another impulse buy at the British store. But wow, how fun it is to have a cup when the smell and taste match up!  Toast and Jam! Yum! 

Jaffa Cakes

I took the plunge and bought the last package of Jaffa Cakes the British store had.  The $$$ wasn’t for the faint of heart.  Regardless, I was pretty thrilled to bring them home!

Waiting room

I had to drive my hubby in to town for a test. I had time to get a drawing in my hand made sketchbook.  Then we went to the Golden Arches for a midday breakfast.  I really really needed the coffee!  Their coffee is pretty good. 

I thought the art on the wall was a bit out of place for a waiting room.  However, I don’t think anyone really noticed because everyone was on their phones. 

Orange and Chocolate

I haven’t been documenting much of my life lately but I had to make this spread about my new purchase. 

If you like orange and chocolate flavours, you will love this gin.  The LCBO stands for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and this particular store is in the same plaza as the grocery store we frequent.  But be warned, this beverage from England wasn’t cheap.