Drawing Animals is Very Relaxing

I showed Carol what I had done on my friends dogs and my cat.  She recommended more shading on both dogs to get the form better.  So that is what I have been working on.  I also have been working on the hair of my cat Pepper.  She is very distinctive with a mark that makes it look like she has a bowed upper lip.  She also likes to pose while my other cat Daisy is playful like a kitten.  Interesting how different they are.

Patti with more shading

Poopy with more shading and a different pose, needs more work!

My Cat Pepper

That day I left in the afternoon to my friend Martha's home.  Then we went to the Helping One Woman dinner in Visalia.  This time, the group was honoring Mary Beth Tippet who's son committed suicide.  The family had been aware from an early age that he was fighting mental illness, mainly in the form of depression.  Mary Beth tried so hard to make his life as normal as possible, and get him the help he needed, but that cannot always change what is going on.  She is devoting her time to getting teenagers in particular who are suffering from depression and other mental illnesses and/or stating they are suicidal the help they need, by talking about the suicide hotlines and outreach programs for them.  This is the write up they had about her family and their son Jayce.  They have a daughter who has a three year old son.  People can look very normal and also be quite popular and still suffer from this.  So, don't go by looks if someone is saying they really hurt.

Another Helping One Woman group was started in Woodlake.  This next month, we will be going there.  I don't know who is being honored yet, but I'll keep my eyes open.  I stopped by Susan's home on my way home.  She made French toast.  It was so yummy!   We hadn't seen each other in about three months.  I had posted on Facebook about planting some of the left overs of veggies you are cutting.  Well, she planted green onions and what she had growing were so big!  She cuts off pieces when she wants that in her cooking.  Anyway, actually seeing that someone had done that and it worked out so we was very encouraging!

My friend Janet and I went to Mexicali's Tuesday night.  The weather is a little cooler than it has been, but still fairly warm.  I have had the air conditioner off for a few days.  If the temperature is cool enough, I prefer just the outside air.

My friend Vic came Thursday.  We met at a Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Restaurant.  The food was fresh and flavorful.  I love Asian food, but I recall Vic making dishes like this that he brought to work, so that is why we have been mainly doing Asian.  We are going to Tofu House again next month.  They are really very good.  So I read what Vic writes, and if I have a suggestion, I let him know.  His writing is very good and it is very readable.  I have no suggestions on the topic itself. It is about mental illness, how it was viewed in early times (B.C.) and up to now. I never knew this.  I am learning new information.  I find it fascinating.  I only find minor things to correct.  If I ever did find anything bigger, I of course would let him know, but I don't think I would be the one to find it.

I have been working on my blog to finish it early, because my daughter Shelley and I are going to visit family in Forest Falls, not far from Big Bear.  I think it may be about a year since I've seen Shannon, and I look forward to seeing her and her family.  Now her mother, Kerri, I haven't seen in a few years, though I'm not really sure how long.  I look forward to seeing her so much!

I found this on The Grief Box.  All of us have these issues at all ages, but I think it can be particularly rough on a teenager and then affect them later in life.  She was 17 years old.

http://thegrieftoolbox.com/article/what-losing-parent-young-age-really


 I also recall when I worked in hospice that some people said it was very difficult for them when they were children because people told them their loved one went to sleep. They ended up developing a fear of sleeping, thinking they would disappear.  I have found people, including children always do better when you tell the truth.  You may have to explain it in more basic terms to a child, but they always get it.

Last week I shared what the mudslides did to us in Kern County. A couple of days ago I found an aerial shot of I-5 at the Grapevine which shows how the mud moved over the freeway, both north and south.  Highway 58 really did get it worse, but this was a good picture, so I thought you might like to see it.

I-5 near the Grapevine

Here are two great pictures of Conner, my oldest great grandson.  He is looking less and less like a toddler, and more like a little boy.

Thank you for reading.  I hope you had a good week and that the next week goes as well for you.  I will see you next Sunday.             Rachel

Wild Weather This Week! We Were Definitely Affected by it!

So we had some very dramatic weather two days this week. The thunder was so loud the first night, it vibrated through my floor that I could feel it.  I think I was in the middle of it then and I was glad to be home.  My cats became very still and anxious, but since I was there, they just stayed close to me.   We had flash floods and mudslides in our county the second day.  Many people were trapped but no one was hurt badly.  When they did get these people, they were put up in churches and schools until it was safe to leave.    Some people were stuck in their cars for twenty hours.  I would say  this was very scary for these people.   In Bakersfield, we had very heavy rains for a very short time, with flooding and some traffic accidents.  My friend Janet and I met at Mexicali the second night. It was raining heavily and I could hear the rumble of thunder outside. Right outside the window we saw an accident where a truck (a pickup) hit an elderly man in a car. The ambulance and fire truck were there helping this man. I think he was more shook up than hurt, though his car was really damaged.  

Highways 58 and 5 were closed which are the connections to Southern California, Los Angeles.  When this happens, trips south of us are canceled.  This ground cannot handle so much water at one time.  It must be spread out and come down less fiercely for us to get the benefit of water.  We are in a drought, but the extreme the other way does more damage than help us.   On Saturday, yesterday, they were still warning about flash floods and telling people up in the mountains to head for high ground immediately but I heard no further update, so compared to what they had, it must have been less.

Here  is a video of some of the mudslide on 5 filmed by ABC 23 News and pictures taken by news stations and people who were in it. 

https://www.facebook.com/CassieCarlisle23ABC/posts/868707033177820

This is Highway 99 Coming into the Central Valley

I was in a situation like this soon after I moved to Bakersfield 37 years ago.  I had stopped to get a large iced tea at a fast food restaurant less than an hour before I was in this spot on Interstate 5 just before the Grapevine.  Ugh!  It was one huge parking lot at night time with people wandering around.  I had to pee so bad! I didn't think I could make it.  I emptied the tea and used that container covering myself with a coat that I had. I was up there for about three hours.  Your don't usually think of preparing for situations like this.  After that, I found a urinal for women pilots that I kept in the car.  I have it somewhere.  I think I'd better find it and put it back in the car!

This is Highway 58.  Hundreds of cars were buried along with a lot of trucks!  Amazing that no one was hurt!

https://www.facebook.com/bakersfieldnow/posts/10153669457364935  This video is very scary.  Women in a car are screaming and swearing fearful for their lives. It was possible also to be pushed off the highway which could have meant a very long fall.

Mud Rose So High that Cars Topped Trucks!

Many Cars and Trucks Were Buried in the Mud

My daughter Shelley took a picture of the sunset that evening. You wouldn't have known we had had such dramatic weather that afternoon. It took until the following afternoon to clear the  99 freeway so traffic could get through!  Highway 58 is still closed!

Sunset from My Daughter Shelley's Home
Picture by Shelley

My daughter Ronda in Illinois is involved in a project making Teddy Bears for children at a local hospital. I am impressed. Here is the first one she finished. She is disabled, so I am impressed she is actively doing this. 

Ronda's First Teddy Bear She Made
for Children at a Local Hospital Near Her

I got some pictures of my two great grandsons, Conner and Kason. Conner is a good big brother and they are very close. 

My Grandson Billy, his Wife Megan
and Their Two Sons, Conner and Kason

Conner is at the Top and Kason Just Below Him

My granddaughter Crystal invited me to watch a 3D ultrasound of her daughter Nylah, my first great granddaughter to be,  who is due in December. It was interesting. Nylah really didn't want to move, but there were a few pictures taken. About two or three weeks before she is due, Crystal will do this again. 

3D Ultrasound of Nylah Marie Garcia at 29 Weeks Gestation

This is my Granddaughter Crystal and Lorence

So at my art class with Carol Bradshaw, she showed me what to do to make my friend Barbara's dog Patti have a sense of roundness with shadows and highlights. I showed her what I had done with my friend Janet's dog Poopy and she felt I was coming along. She showed me how to do the hair on the edge of the body without outlining the body. I also showed her the picture I took of my cat Pepper that I want to do. The assignment is just the contour drawing of her.

I added shading to Patti to give her form.
Patti was a mix of Pug with Miniature Bull Dog

I included a picture of Pepper so you could
see her bow above her lip.

My first attempt to draw Pepper whole.
I have drawn her face in the past.
This is just a contour.  Much more needs to be done.

This is Poopy using curved lines to show hair.
She was a Bichon Frise

I shaded in the body and then used an
eraser to make the hair on Poopy in
this version.

Last Sunday my friends Barbara and Janet an I saw The Martian. That was a great movie. The science was as accurate as it could be with our current knowledge. It was also a feel good movie with China helping the United States to save this man and the whole world anxious for all to turn out well. Great movie!  And, we finished it off by going to Casa Loma a good Mexican restaurant close to my home. 

It was a very exciting week with the weather we had. It is supposed to be an El Niño year, which means lots of rain. It is good, but we do much better stretching it out rather than having it come so fast and hard in such a short period of time. Actually, what we need is snow in the higher areas.  When it melts, it will come to us.  Our ground can't seem to handle much direct rain.  Then we have flash floods and mudslides.  Highway 99 opened the following afternoon and 58 remains closed, but should open soon.

That is it for an unplanned exciting week. I hope yours was less exciting than this. I will see you next Sunday.   Rachel

Red Hats and a Baby Shower

This has been a much better week for me. I definitely feel my energy improved. 

On Monday, my friend Barbara and I went to a concert hosted by the Bakersfield Concert Association. The singing group, with their pianist was Vivace from Canada. They were fantastic and had two standing ovations. What an enjoyable evening. The best deal is to buy the season series (8 shows) for $80 for an adult. There are family and student rates too. They announced that this might be the last year for this (which has been here around 100 years). They need to double membership or have more major sponsors to cover the cost. It sure is sad. They bring a lot to our community and it is a reasonable price for the series.  

At my art class. Carol had a couple of ideas to improve my drawing of Patti.  Then she suggested I draw just a section of the picture multiple times so I can improve that area- like the nose, the eye and the paw. I worked on my picture of Poopy and I know I will need to work more on it. 

Patti

Poopy

My friend Marc called me back. I gave my condolences on the death of his wife Mimi. He is keeping himself busy with his daily routine. I told him that several people want to gather to remember Mimi in mid November. He likely will not attend. He moved the conversation away from him to me. He was okay that I would call him periodically and later we will meet. 

We had our Red Hat group. I brought my daughter Shelley who is a few years short of being Red Hat.  She can be a Princess. I gave her one of my red hats which was so becoming on her.  The group accepted her well so she is now a part of the group. 

Shelley and Me

Me, Jo and Stephanie

Evelyn, leader of our group, me and Claudia

Pamela and Jo

Shelley Looks Great in Red!

The baby shower for Crystal was yesterday. Stephanie and her daughter's, Cassadie and Meghan came. They made cupcakes with an owl design in the colors Crystal had for her theme.  They were so cute!  There were a lot of adults- men and women and many children.  It got a little chaotic, but it was a success for Crystal. There was a barbecue meal with all the side dishes and on one table, an incredible array of candies and sweets with a chocolate fountain.

Kayla

Crystal, her mother Jennifer and her aunt Shelley
with Shelley's son Kevin photo bombing it.

Keven and Me

Crystal and Lorence

Gathering on the Patio which extends to the Yard 

Alyssa, Heather and Shelley

Kayla does this a lot

Heather and Stephanie

Kline's and extended family with Devin and Heather

The Jerdin side of the family with Casey

Crystal is carrying the baby in the front

This table became much more crowded with candy.
The cupcakes are owls done by Stephanie and her girls.

Ready for Nylah Marie

Crystal with friends 

Crystal with the Garcia side of the family

                                                                                                                                                                                

Today, I am going with my friends Barbara and Janet to see the movie The Martian. It was a fabulous book and I hear the movie is also excellent.  Then we are going to a Mexican restaurant close to my home called Loma Linda. I think it has the best chile rellenos (a mild chile filled with usually Jack cheese, dipped in a batter of egg and flour then deep fried to a golden brown) in town. 

This was a loaded week. I feel so much better and would not have been able to do this s a couple of weeks ago.   I have had regular breaks between each of these events and also slept well. 

I hope you had a good week. Mine was good.  I'll see you next Sunday.           Rachel

Doing So Much Better!

I felt so weak and finally was able to run a couple of errands Tuesday afternoon.  Though I was still weak, I had increased strength.  By Thursday, whatever I had, stopped. I feel "normal!"  This has actually been going on quite a while- the exhaustion  part. One of my nurses thought it could have been a virus that I recovered from on my own. I'm so relieved. I had been looking at canceling more events I had planned on attending.

A friend of mine's wife died recently. Actually, they were both friends. It was another friend who reached him and he told her she died two weeks earlier. I feel so bad I haven't been in contact as much as I would have liked. I think I talked to both of them four weeks ago. Others want to have a dinner to remember Mimi which I understand, but I felt we should be okay if Marc doesn't want to go. I remember being invited to a gathering soon after my mom died. I found this gathering more than I could handle. I put on a fake smile, but then I had to get out of there. I would like to be there more for Marc, but at the same time I want to abide by any limits he would set. Right now he isn't returning my call, so it is a moot point. We want him to know he and Mimi are loved by us. Whatever we could do we would. 

I cut off talking with most people when I felt so bad.  I said we could talk when I was feeling better. It is hard to do this, but I have to take care of myself.  Each day I have gained energy.  This may be similar to Marc. 

.......................

After all the plumbing work, one toilet kept running on. They came right away and found still more rust in the line clogging the mechanism in the toilet. They recommend a water pressure valve, but the part is around $800. I can't do that. 

The following day, the owner of the masonry company came to check on the wall they did. He assured me that the white is salt in the water and in time it won't be obvious. He also will have a cap that broke off glued back on. I am pleased with responsible companies who take their work seriously. 

My new washer and dryer were delivered and I had a lot of washing to do.  They couldn't connect the dryer because the gas pipe line was not up to code, it needed to be higher up. I called a Handiman who came out the next day.  It has a steam component in both the washer and dryer. One of my readers felt it was necessary to wash using the heavy load to truly get clothes cleaned. So I'll be checking that out. I have had front loading for 10 years now which uses much less water, so I may already know how it will work. 

This is my new washer and dryer. My house is over 55 years old and at that time it was common for the washer and dryer to go in the garage. They are so modern, I'm thinking of moving in them. 

At least the pedestals they sit on are drawers.
A lot of laundry supplies can be stored there.

My cousin Steven called. I put him off until I felt better. He has been responsible for the trusts for his mother who is 98 years old and in assisted living, and his brother who is in a special home in the Bay Area  for those with mental illness. He is very worried about finances. But while there is any money, no one will talk to him about plans. His brother is getting Medicare/Medi-Cal, but Steve says he has enough money to supplement this through the trust for one more year. He panics his brother could be on the street or put in jail. His brother has schizophrenia and he needs a protective environment which would monitor his medications. It seems that all the people and agencies who promised to help him have disappeared or refuse to respond to his requests.   He tried him living in his home but his brother went to all the neighbors saying he was being imprisoned. As a result, several police cars came with guns drawn. So his home is no longer an option.They wanted the money, but as that is depleted, they don't want to deal with another person with no money.  I'm a sounding board for him and hopefully someone will work with him who knows the resources in his area. 

Here is my most recent picture of my friend Barbara's dog Patti. It is the best I've done of her. I think the proportions are much better.  I'm about to start on my friend Janet's dog Poopy. It was a Bichon Frise. The challenge for me will be doing white hair.  I need to work further on my skills of negative drawing (filling in the area around the form, like a lock of hair).

Patti Re-done.

               

Here is a link On Being "Chapter Two"   This man describes entering a relationship with a woman who's first husband died in a tragic accident. He talks about different loves. Worth reading:   http://www.onefitwidow.com/on-being-chapter-2/http://www.onefitwidow.com/on-being-chapter-2/

Here are seven powerful pictures of terminally ill patients getting their last wish fulfilled. 

http://www.upworthy.com/7-powerful-photographs-of-terminally-ill-patients-living-out-their-final-wishes?c=ufb2http://www.upworthy.com/7-powerful-photographs-of-terminally-ill-patients-living-out-their-final-wishes?c=ufb2

Thank you for reading. I'm feeling much better this week. I hope you are doing well and I will see you next Sunday.               Rachel