Travel Break: Home and Fun

Nothing warms up a winter's day like a brunch invitation! Last month, Rick and I were lucky enough to be invited to blogger Mae's home for brunch. Mae writes the wonderful Mae's Food (although her blog is far more than food!) She wrote about our visit HERE.

Mae's husband, Len, makes wonderful bread and she knew Rick was a bread guy too, so she suggested a bread tasting. (Rick's is below, but I didn't have my camera at Mae's; the pic above is one Len took.) All that good bread, with cheese, jam, chutney, chicken salad, carrot salad and more made for a fabulous brunch. And even better conversation!

In other activities, I've hit a couple of movies -- "The Favourite," which deserves to walk away with acting and production/costume design Oscars (although whomever designed the credits should stay far away from me or else get an earful!) and "On the Basis of Sex," about Ruth Bader Ginsberg's early days. My list is long. After seeing the Ruth movie, my friend Judy Winter and I celebrated a late Christmas. Judy is a photographer and took some new pix of Lizzie and me.

She didn't have a very cooperative model.

If all else fails, lay on the cat.

I hadn't drawn or painted in far too long so I pulled a few old favorite cards and tried to riff off them a bit to get me back in the swing of things. These are all ink with color pencil overlay. Just roughs.

Nothing looks quite like the original and by the time I transfer one or more of these to paint, they'll probably (and should be) far different.

They all started out as ink drawings...

....and got some colored pencil after.

Maybe I'll try the snowman next! Or the bird.

Lizzie says, "I really don't care what you do. I just would like some food, please."

And then there was a visit from my favorite guys!

Little Little Guy was pretty enamored of Grandpa's tie.

And Little Big Guy impressed me by when, spilling his water and my getting a paper towel, took it from me and when it was sopped up, held it out for me and said "Trash!"

I melt when I see this fabulous face!

I melt when I see this one, too!

Of course, there's always time to keep in touch!

But for now, I think bedtime will do.

 Say "Goodnight," Lamb Chop!

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