simple mushrooms

With all the medical drama of past weeks, Bill and I are both . . . simply tired. So yesterday I sketched a simple sketch, of some mushrooms in our yard. The larger ones seemed to be wearing wee caps atop their caps.

Drawn with a Noodler’s Creaper flex nib fountain pen and J. Herbin Lie de The water-soluble ink and a bit of watercolor in a Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook.

to lose a building

When we bought our cabin almost 5 years ago, it came with this additional wooden shed. At first, we put it to use storing tools and materials from Bill’s wood shop. After his new shop was built, for a time we worked on plans to turn this shed into a guest house but that fell by the wayside as there were other improvements we wanted more, such as tearing down the two ugly car ports and replacing them with one unobtrusive one.

The log cabin got a bit lost among the ugly car ports on one side and this shed on the other; we wanted the cabin to be the first thing seen. And I wanted to see the ranch across the highway from my window, with the longhorns, donkeys, and horses among all those trees — not a big brown wall.

So we let it be known that we’d give the building away free to anyone who would move it. There were three different parties who wanted it but none could find anyone willing to move it. Until a neighbor’s cousin heard about it — he had a smaller shed for his hobbies and his wife wanted to use a corner of it. So he gave her this one! They found a Mennonite guy willing to move it and within one week, it was gone! It was fascinating to watch this one guy maneuver the building all by himself, attaching large wheels and pulling it out to his truck’s trailer.

in search of entertainment

For today’s random sketch, I drew our very dead blu-ray DVD player.

Upon coming home from the hospital, we found that our satellite receiver had died. It had been making static noises on a very few stations once in a while but now it was dead. After a very long, drawn out phone conversation, walking me through steps I could not do because the receiver is in fact dead, the company said “no problem, we can get someone out to take care of that!” . . . in another week and a half!

Bill doesn’t have energy for doing much more than an occasional walk around our property and to watch TV. So we decided to watch movies, using our blu-ray player. We watched Medicine Man, yet again (we both love it), and started an old western . . . and the player stopped. No amount of button-pushing or unplugging / replugging would convince it to come back to life.

So apparently our entertainment was going to be watching two very silly cats and listen to the rain fall. I read a lot of books but Bill just doesn’t have the patience to read much at the moment.

I texted our son Jason to let him know it was too wet to mow — he had planned on mowing our weed jungle for us and bringing us movies to watch. No answer.

Next thing we knew, he and grandson Josiah showed up to run a weed eater over the worst of the overgrowth . . . and not only movies but a new player as well! And set it up to play Netflix using my phone’s hotspot as a wireless network.

Our daughter Kristen had brought us some groceries and a wonderful grain-free, low-salt casserole she had just made up (it was fabulous!). A friend from church treated us to our favorite brisket, ribs, and 2 slices of coconut cream pie. A neighbor and his wife brought us a flavorful salt-free chicken dinner. They also came back with a cousin who checked out a shed on our property that we have been trying for 3 years to give away to anyone who can move it. Finally someone who knows a guy who moves small buildings professionally! It will be gone by the end of the week.

We are feeling blessed . . . and rather spoiled!

home but distracted 🤪

We are home! (Hurray!)
But I’ve been a tad bit busy and didn’t get around to posting this sketch celebrating Bill being released from the hospital. As paperwork was processed, I went to the hospital pharmacy to pick up Bill’s medications — and saw that it was raining in buckets and sheets! So a quick visit to the gift shop for a cheap umbrella, having parked at the far side of the lot.

A Very Large, friendly Native American dude in a security uniform was behind me in line. Seeing me grab this chocolate, he warned me they can be addictive . . . as he grabs one himself and a root beer. Then as the clerk rang my items up, he insisted on paying for mine! I said it wasn’t necessary; he just grinned and said “pay it forward!”

The drive from Scott & White hospital in College Station to home takes about 40 minutes. It took us about 1 hour 45 minutes! There had been a huge wreck on Wellborn, one of the main highways we take, closing all lanes in our direction; they deterred us off the highway into a residential area . . . past three schools as they were just letting out! Being unfamiliar with the area, it took me a bit of time to find my way out and back to highways I knew, through Very Busy traffic.

Since then, I’ve taken Scottie to the vet for his third series of kitten shots and rabies shot, and have been busy cleaning, laundry, cooking, etc. The cats seem to have tracked wee bits of litter everywhere in the week we’ve been gone. Also, the girl who was supposed to take care of them didn’t touch the litter boxes. I normally scoop them daily; a full week without made such an odor I had to completely dump them out, sanitize, and start with fresh.

Meanwhile, Bill is healing very well. Sleeps so much better at home, with a better appetite. We are both so thankful that, though this bypass was longer and more complicated than the first, his pain and discomfort is actually much less! And what is truly strange: the chronic pain in his right arm from a damaged nerve seems to be gone! They took a graft from his right forearm and there’s some discomfort from the way they manipulate the arm out of the way during surgery, but no nerve pain at all! We know it’s not the pain killers he’s on because he’s tried the same before and it does not help nerve pain at all. No explanation we can see other than God at work.

finally home . . .

Tonight we are home from the hospital, at long last! I think Bill sort of got lost in the shuffle between heart surgeons scrambling to cover the workload after Bill’s surgeon was hurt in an accident — complicated by the switch-off from his problem being a heart “plumbing” issue (supervised by a heart surgeon) to a heart “electrical” issue (requiring a special type of cardiologist).

Anyway, things finally worked out and we are home. The drive that normally takes 45 minutes took more like 1 1/2 hours! All northwest-bound lanes of our main route were shut down due to a bad accident; the detour was through an area full of schools letting out and areas we aren’t familiar with.

We were never so glad to get out of that car!

Too crazy of a day for sketching, but this is what I did in my journal yesterday as I sat on the couch in Bill’s hospital room. Every room at Scott & White has one of these tiled niches. I wasn’t sure what the purpose was; I used it as a stash for snacks and a Kindle that Bill watched movies on. Our daughter Kristen later told me it is a space to set flower arrangements patients are given.

still here . . . maybe home today?

Bill’s recovery was proceeding along so quickly that everyone expected him to be released yesterday. We waited extra-long on a surgeon to sign his release — they are understaffed due to Bill’s surgeon having been in a bicycle accident Saturday (he is now an in-house patient with broken ribs).

Before one of his colleagues could sign Bill out, he suddenly went into atrial fibrillation (Very thankful it didn’t happen after we left!). Apparently this happens about 15% of the time in the 5 days following bypass surgery. Oral medication failed to correct his heart sinus rhythm, so back to an IV drip. Within a short time, his heart beat was once again steady but they kept him another night for observation.

Where yesterday morning, he felt almost back to normal, now he feels like someone used his heart as a punching bag . . . or a soccer ball kicked hard down field. Otherwise, he is doing well and once again we are waiting for a doctor to sign him out — this time a cardiologist specialist The surgeon said he takes care of the plumbing, the cardiologist takes care of the electronics.

update to previous post

Before adding my personal contact information to this first journal page, I decided to include the new limited palette I recently put together.

And for those unable to read Cathy Johnson’s quote on the inside front cover, here it is enlarged. I love my newly mixed turquoise ink but maybe it’s a bit light for writing text?

new journal

Over the past few days I’ve started a new sketchbook journal, adding a bit here and there. This time I’m trying out a Stillman & Birn Zeta in landscape format, 8.5 x 5.5”. First is a quote from Cathy Johnson on keeping art journals, with a random stack of sketchbooks.

The box on the far right is to enter personal contact information in case the journal is lost.

Then, as always, I drew some sketching tools on the first page — this time, a collection of granulating pigments I put together (listed to the left of the palette). Autumn is approaching and it always puts me in the mood for earthy granulation in watercolor.

We are still “living” at Scott & White hospital in College Station following Bill’s second bypass operation. A new bypass procedure was required when one from his surgery five years ago failed; they also found another questionable area forming a possible future blockage and decided to take care of that while they were in there. He is recovering much quicker than the medical personnel expected — this surgery, while much longer and more complicated than his first bypass, has been a much better experience with considerably less pain and discomfort.

Bill brought home one of these insulated water mugs when he had disc surgery, and has loved using it for iced tea. But that mug is finally separating and broken. I thought this a rather drastic way for him to get a new one!

We are so thankful Dr. Kirby was able to fit Bill’s surgery in an already busy schedule! From everything we’ve heard, he is the very best heart surgeon in the area, practicing at all three hospitals. Bill’s surgery was on Thursday; on Saturday, Dr. Kirby had an accident on his bicycle . . . and now he is a patient here as well, dealing with some very painful broken ribs. (He is the same age as me, 64. Maybe he should slow down?)

a limited palette for autumn

I love playing with new combinations of watercolor — made especially easy with the magnetic pans in these Pocket Palettes from Expeditionary Art. And in the autumn, I’m drawn to rich, earthy, and granulating pigments.

José Naranja makes incredible art journals in a very precise, detailed style using ink and a limit palette, along with stamps and other added bits. Found in his tiny watercolor set are indigo, (burnt?) sienna, a red, turquoise, and a grey/black. I love the colorful brilliance of combining these colors with multiple colors of ink!

Though I have a small bit of cobalt turquoise light, I haven’t found a lot of uses for it, but it just seems to fit this combination of colors. Not owning any indigo, I substituted Persian blue. I used both burnt sienna and a natural (raw) sienna, plus titanium white gouache for working on toned paper. Then there was one small hole left so I added a bit of leftover Jadeite genuine. I LOVE Jadeite but won’t be replacing it because the price has gone too high.

been down this road before . . .

So far, so good. It took no time at all after meeting the heart surgeon to setting a date for Bill’s bypass. Dr. Kirby’s expertise is in demand at three large hospitals in Bryon / College Station, yet he made room for Bill less than two days after seeing him.

The surgery is still in process (expected to take at least 5 hours; it takes longer for a second bypass surgery, having to work through all the scar tissue, etc.). One of the surgical nurses came out to speak with us a little bit ago, telling us where they are presently in the procedure and that everything is going very well.

Our heart-felt thanks to all who have prayed for us and for him specifically — God is good! He is answering those prayers. Expecting a great outcome!

And here is the sketch from pre-op prep five years ago . . .

this morning’s cup of tea

For this morning’s cup of tea, Bill made me a mug of Scottish Breakfast tea (loose leaf from the English Tea Store) with a splash of milk. I do own one real tea cup and saucer, but these mugs hold 2 cups each; brewing a pot of tea makes 2 full mugs of tea, in case Bill is in a rare mood to share a cup of tea with me instead of his regular coffee.

And this is the last page of this Stillman & Birn Beta Sketchbook. Unless you count the random stuff entered on the inside cover:

mixing inks

While we continue to wait with Bill’s medical issues (meeting with the heart surgeon later today), I distracted myself yesterday with a bit of ink play. My most used inks are De Atramentis Document Black and Brown, and Noodler’s Lexington Gray. But I also wanted a water-resistant “burnt sienna” ink so, following color charts on Jane Blundell’s blog, I mixed one by adding a bit of black to Document Red.

A few months back, I bought a sample of Document Violet to use in my dark lilac Lamy Safari fountain pen, but it was just a bit to red for what I was after. So I added a smidgen of Dark Blue, making it a rich purple. I wasn’t using the blue ink anyway so this is a good purpose for it. The lines remind me of when I used to sketch with a deep purplish colored pencil under watercolor washes.

Before writing text on my journal pages, I normally draw faint pencil lines — yes, I’m a wee bit fussy about writing in straight lines. At least most of the time.

Anyway, these lines are later erased and I’ve been playing with ideas to eliminate the erasing step. The text on the above page was drawn in with a Derwent Blue Grey watercolor pencil but it would need sharpening too often. I read somewhere that Liz Steel was trying out a turquoise ink fit her text lines but it was water-soluble; I get messy with unwanted splashes and smears at times.

So I remembered having a sample bottle of Document Turquoise/Cyan ink and, again following Jane’s charts, added just a bit of Brown to it for a rich turquoise ink. LOVE this color!

After playing with my new colors a bit, I think the turquoise, though beautiful, is not quite light enough for text lines. So I’ve ordered a bottle of De Atramentis Dilution solution to “thin” the color a bit. I decided that the “burnt sienna” was still a bit red so I tweaked it with a few drops of Yellow, which I also had a sample vial of.

Then to finish out the page, I used purple ink to draw the linked chain Bill’s Grandpa Williamson carved as a gift for his grandma when they were courting. The two links are carved from a single piece of walnut. Grandma’s maiden name was Stanley; mine was the same name, though as far as we know there is no relation. So she gave the chain to us — uniting another Stanley and Williamson.

trying a new tea

Unlike the others in our discipleship class on Sunday mornings, I do not drink coffee. I prefer tea brewed from loose leaf blends but keep tea bags in my purse for when we are away free m home. (Just try ordering a hot cup of tea in area restaurants! Like no one has ever heard of such a thing!)

Yesterday morning I tried a new tea: Numi Organic - Chocolate Pu-erh. My usual, Tazo Cocoa Mint Mate, has become increasingly hard to find. I prefer the Mate but this one isn’t bad at all . . .

yesterday’s sketch

Just a simple sketch from the hospital waiting area yesterday, as Bill had an echocardiogram. The upholstery is really ugly but the view from the oversized windows is lush and green, and there was a guy playing guitar and quietly singing folk songs. Hospitals in Texas often invited various musicians to perform in their lobbies. Our son-in-law Michael, who teaches band, often takes his jazz band to perform in Houston hospitals — the swing music of the 1940s is especially popular.

Bill’s test results were good, so now we wait for the heart surgeon to set up an appointment. It looks like he will be going through another bypass to repair the one that failed.

walking in the fog

I have always loved fog. Its mystery, the way its moisture gently kisses my face, the way it hides the ugly and mundane of everyday life. But it’s very difficult to capture in watercolor!

Yesterday I read a devotion on Wayne Jacobsen’s blog and wished to remember these words, so I wrote them down in my journal. On a side note, my recent “foggyness” shows in that I failed to notice that I was holding my journal upside down!

I decided to attempt to paint the scene in the photo from Wayne’s blog. The distant forest disappeared in the fog more than I wanted — not strong enough pigment laid wet-in-wet. But it captures the mood I was after so I like it, upside down and all!

Wayne is a wonderful Christian author and speaker, one of two ghost writers who helped write “The Shack”. I met him several years ago in Newton, Kansas as he did a series of meetings at our missionary friend’s barn. And of course I drew him during the meetings!

distraction designing

While we wait at home to hear from Bill’s cardiologist on how they plan to proceed with his care, I’ve been trying to distract him with a future woodshop project. He has been planning to build me an art table someday; through these scribbles, I’m working through specific design ideas.

waiting room with a view . . .

This is as far as I got sketching the view from the 2nd floor waiting room as the cardiologist attempted to do a heart catheter procedure on Bill. Just as I was about to take a photo of the sketchbook and view together, a nurse called me back to where Bill was.

balancing act, arm of chair

The procedure did not work, as there is a solid blockage in the smaller of his previous bypass grafts that they couldn’t get through. The doctor wants to discuss Bill’s situation with some colleagues before deciding on our next step.

Meanwhile, what seems to me like a bit of a miracle: the reason Bill has not had a major heart attack from this complete blockage is that, as it slowly formed, his body actually created its own bypass with a smaller vessel. Unfortunately, it is pumping blood in the wrong direction.

So we go home and continue to wait as they try to figure this thing out.

yesterday’s sketch

I suppose I should be sketching something by now . . . We are at the hospital waiting for them to prep Bill for his heart catheterization. But it’s a wee bit too early to focus so I’ll post a sketch from yesterday (and a few of the lyrics from a song we sang in church).

found on the way to the mailbox

It’s been a very hot, dry summer. Even the moles are struggling, though we still stumble on their tunnels under the oak trees. I found these bones on our short sidewalk on the way to the mailbox. All that was left after the ants finished the wee mole off — the bones of his jaw and front paws.

UPDATE: I saved the bones to show our grandkids but removed them before our daughter saw them — she was once grossed out by my bringing in a dead bird to sketch. But she saw the sketch and said our granddaughter has a young Scottish friend who collects animal bones. So I sent them on to her!