Stringing up Lights and the Santa Wall is Up! Thursday and Friday

I'll start off  with Thursday evening since that's where the pretty pictures are!

Louis Dean and I had spent a few hours working outside - taking advantage of a break between rains.

He had enough roofing materials left over from when he roofed the rent house he owned in Brownwood so he uncovered them and hauled them over by the gazebo to have them ready when the weather turns nice again and he can get up there on that roof! He is so itching to start on it!

While he did that, I pruned up a bit in the front garden areas. The Asian Jasmine has gone crazy as has all the other green growing debris!

We strung up a few more Halloween lights in preparation for October 31st.

That's when we dress up and sit out on the porch welcoming Trick or Treaters and handing out candy.

And we are usually sipping wine from our Goblin Goblets!

I bought a special bottle of Sweet Bloody Red wine for this year!

That's how we ended our Thursday.......

Earlier in the day I began the process of changing out my closet.

Summer painted Linda's Closet back in the fall of 1983 after the fire that gutted my entire house.

I only see this part of the closet twice a year - but I smile every single time.

I unloaded half the closet onto the bed - making it a point of no return so I would HAVE to deal with it before bedtime! Then I went to visit Reaoma for a little while. She doesn't respond to much anymore. I played the funny videos of Kailey saying 'I have a WART on my toe!' and she did seem to wake up a little. I played every video snippet of the quads I could find before they came in to take her to the dining room. Pam insists they feed her in there as that's the only time she gets out of her room.

These are hard days for Reaoma and Pam.......

This morning I was sucking up some water over by the organ. It wasn't much - less than a quart even!

As the rain continues, so does the water seeping up through the cracks in the foundation.

I got to thinking that maybe I should check on the Santa paintings that I store under and behind the den sofa. 

It was a good thing I did. 

The ones standing up against the wall were okay but the ones under the sofa had got wet back when we were on vacation and it rained 10 inches in just a matter of hours.

I used OdoBan and that cleaned up the mold and mildew that was on the back of a couple of the canvasses. I love that stuff! We keep a spray bottle handy for after we suck up water to put on the carpet. So.....since I had all the paintings out anyway......I decided to go ahead and put up the Santa Wall!

Now that's done! 

I have more paintings than will fit on the wall now so they are spilling over into the dining room. 

That's an easy room to do as I have only four main paintings hanging in there so I will switch them out to Santa ones. There are also three extra ones I have hung up here by the desk where I sit now in the sewing room.

Louis Dean as been hungry for salmon croquettes so that's what I cooked for supper tonight.

Company mashed potatoes, green peas and a salad finished the menu out.

Now I'm going to take a minute to show what I did in between chores today.

My hair is thinning at the crown and I have been a little self conscious about it.

So....I bought a little blond wiglet!

I really haven't practiced much with it as of yet.

This was the first time I put it on but I think it's going to work nicely.

The top left pic is my real hair only. Thanks to Kailey for this pic! I found it on my iPad when I was taking other pictures today. I put it on early this afternoon and have worn it all day without it bothering me at all. I hope to make it look nicer as I get used to putting it on.

I worked some more on my closet this evening. Enough that I know I can finish it tomorrow.

You will be happy to know that I have a great big black trash bag full and heavy to take to the Goodwill! I was nearly ruthless in my purging!

Tonight we did art and music in the dining room.

I was just texting a friend today telling her how much I missed my Tuesday Night Art Classes.

I taught them here at home from the late 1970's to - when? When did I stop?

I guess when Sabrina moved to Puerto Rico and Ruth Ann moved to the farm.

Now I paint any day I get around to it and leave art out for days on end.

Louis Dean played music - he's loving the Martin guitar he bought at a pawn shop in Hillsboro, Oregon - and I painted.

My third session on this Santa. Each time I've worked about 30 - 45 minutes before I have to stop and let it dry. The red oil paints take a long time to dry so I am now moving on to another canvas and will come back to this one next week or the next. I need to age his face and do lots and lots of details but I am pleased over all with my progress. It usually takes me 4 painting hours to do a 16 X 20 canvas.

I am going to close this evening's journal entry and go back to the art table.

It's only 10:51! 

The night is yet young!!