Lunch With Brenda, Tuesday's Treasures, and I Started the Santa Painting for this year!

 This has been a good Tuesday!

Tabitha has now laid claim to the small Halloween basket favored by Samantha.

It's like now that they are back home, baskets are now up for grabs!

I am absolutely LOVING the postcards and tags from Donna B.

I'm putting them one place and then another.

I found string this afternoon so I will replace the elastic I used here to attach the tag to a large gourd.

I adore sunflowers!

And these TAGS!!!

It was nice coming back from New Mexico to my fall decorated home.

I am totally aware that it is WAY too early for most people - but I am finding comfort in all my decorations. Only the gazebo is left and in triple digits I am not about to go out there and decorate.

It will be all Halloween themed so it can wait a bit.

Tuesday is normally the day Brenda and I thrift and have tea.

We used to have lunch once a month and now we have upped that!

She usually gets off early on Tuesday but not this week so lunch it was!

I fixed grilled turkey and provolone sandwiches the way Faith taught me when we were at the cabin last week. She uses mayo instead of butter to grill the bread and it makes it so toasty!

The hour for lunch flies by and I am so happy to get to visit with Brenda, hug her neck and just be together. She is a comfort to my heart.

I didn't plan on thrifting today because I don't need anything .....but I had to get out and go to the bank anyway......so I stopped at Texas Thrift on my way!

I scored on the nice Foley and Corinna brown leather satchel bag.

That's going to be my Fall go to bag this year.

Louis Dean had gone to Home Depot while I was out and he came back with something for me....

A special candle for September First!

It's just 15 days and a wake up to Neil Diamond singing September Morn!

Louis Dean asked me the other day if it was nearly time for me to play 'that September song' over and over and over??

I think we are going to get a break in this triple digit heat soon - like tomorrow afternoon - and I can't wait. Our water bill is scary and still we have barely kept most things alive.

I have lost nearly all the liriope I divided and planted in the spring.

I realized I was dragging my feet about doing art - it's been nearly two months since I had my paints out. Sometimes you just have to START!

And so I did.

I nearly always base in my canvas....the entire thing.

While it isn't even supposed to look good at this point - I was relieved that you can tell it's a Santa!

I found this framed print by Susan Comich in a thrift store earlier this year and have chosen to paint this for my Christmas card this year.

I continue to pray through the cards y'all sent to Lillian and I know I don't have all the addresses of those who sent her some. She often threw the envelope away at first so, if you would like a Christmas card, please email me your address. 

I wasn't sure how I would feel about painting a Santa this year and briefly considered not doing one.

You see, Nita loved the Santa paintings more than anyone and, with her not being here, well....

yes, I am crying a little. I can't seem to help it.

We do have a date for her memorial service and it will be on November 5th - what would have been her 69th birthday. Sometimes I forget she's gone for a split second.

I'm leaving the art table set up for the rest of the week and will paint every day for a few hours.

When we go down to the ranch next Monday, I'll pack it up and take it with me.

Art is good therapy!