Lady Lemonade Writes, Teaches and Does Artsy Stuff

Why I Can't Wait to Retire

2012-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

Well, one of the reasons anyway! The best, cutest and most heart felt of the lot. He charms me every time I see him. It is the purest love in the world.

Back At Last!!!

2012-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

Has it really been almost a year???? The urge to blog again has been growing in me and here I am back at it at last. As per my last post ( January 30, 2011) I wasn't sure where I would go next...but here I am: getting ready to retire, loving Grammiehood, exploring art, wanting to connect and reconnect. Looking forward to the next phase of life. Plan on doing it up right!

Taking An Extended Break

2011-01-30T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have decided to take an extended blogging break.

Not sure where I will go with this blogging experience for now. Grammiehood calls.   Art supplies are scattered due to home remodeling project and the muse has abandoned me anyway.

I think I am in the middle of a 60-something crisis.   Or readjustment.   I am not at all unhappy..in fact, life is better than it's been for years.

But the little yellow house on the hill is completely reinventing herself...and perhaps it is time for me to do so, too.

Color my hair?   Buy a convertible?   Become a cougar?   The possibilities are endless...

Owen at 7 Weeks

2011-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

The joy continues day by day!

This Might Melt the Hardest Heart

2010-12-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Even if you had a heart of stone

I really feel this picture of

Owen Joseph

would melt it!

Is Grammie right ?

Christmas Eve Joy

2010-12-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

My cup simply overflows.

Self-Portrait

2010-12-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Grammie holding baby and taking a picture!

He got held for 4 hours straight while I babysat.

This is only the beginning.

I wonder what my record will be?

California Baby

2010-12-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

So what does a California baby do when he's a

week old?

Go to the beach, of course!

Other Things

2010-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

It's been 9 days since Owen arrived.

At last I am starting to think of a few other things.

Like my beloved beach treasures found this morning.

It's like a summer day out there with a high expected of 78 degrees.

Life is good.

They Can Make All the Fun They Want!

2010-12-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Because I'm gonna' be one of those Grammies who think THEIR grandchild is

THE CUTEST...

THE SMARTEST...

THE BEST EVERYTHING POSSIBLE.

But in the case of Owen Joseph it is the truth. I am an honest person. I wouldn't lie.

It's All True

2010-12-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

All that stuff about being a grandparent that they said...

like it's pure love...

and it's better than you can imagine...

and you become obsessed and can think of nothing else...

Well, folks, it's all true!

Over the Moon!

2010-12-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

And there's no better place to be!

Can't think of anything else. Don't wanna'.

A Heart Full and Overflowing

2010-12-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

My son holding his son. Just writing this and seeing the picture and I start crying again.

For the third time today. And I don't care who sees me.

My love overwhelms my brain and I can think of little else...don't want to anyway.

Owen being held by his dad are enough for me.

Just Call Me Grammie!

2010-12-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Owen Joseph

9.0 lbs

23 1/2"

Dec. 3, 2010

Black Friday My Way

2010-11-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

Beach Glass and Then Some

2010-11-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Found some great beach glass...the best find of the fall.

Also a shell that looks just like a leaf.

I do so love the beach!

R U Ready 4 Halloweeeeen?

2010-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin is almost ready...candy is ready and waiting...sunflowers are ready.

HOPE U R 2!!!

Mood Lights

2010-10-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

These lights in a restaurant intrigued me. Was I in Italy?

Morocco? France?

Or just in my own Ventura... in a restored old building

celebrating my 60th?

YOU GUESS!!!

Things That Find Me

2010-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Oh the things that find me! I'm minding my own business at the Salvation Army thrift store and this called to me FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. I swear...and I couldn't leave it for some unappreciative soul to scoop up. Hardly used...mostly hand done...not faded or stained or torn. I mean WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

Never Enough

2010-10-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Never can get enough of the beach. Anytime is the right time.

Baby Boy's Shower

2010-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

You'll be here 6 weeks from today and we're getting ready

with

DELIGHT!

Blue for a Boy's Room

2010-10-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

A beautiful clear blue (painted by dad) above white beadboard (installed by dad)

is waiting to welcome the boy himself before too long.

Grammie can't wait.

Granddog Buddy

2010-10-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Sweet Buddy waiting patiently while I admire the baby room It will have a new little grandson in it sometime after the middle of November. Just start calling me "GRAMMIE" so I can get used to it.

Turning 60!!!

2010-10-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

This was my 60th birthday dinner treat...cream cheese stuffed strawberries. A fitting end to a birthday week that included many fun gifts, balloons, cakes, cupcakes, cards,

and even my first tattoo! More on all that in the days to come.

I want to get back to blogging more regularly. I have missed it and so have my

two semi-faithful readers (both my sisters).

Boring ???

2010-09-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

One of my friends doesn't like lantana because she thinks it's BORING in a yard. I won't tell this pretty color such an awful thing and hurt her feelings....will you?

Surprise Find

2010-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Found this quilt top amid a pile of sheets and pillows and worn blankets at a rummage sale. It had been folded for a long time and forgotten, I think. It seems to be older...carefully done....rust spots on the background. Who... I wonder... cut each piece and put it together by hand with such love...only to have it wind up being sold for $5 in Ventura?

White Perfection

2010-08-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

White and I don't usually get along. I'm really too pale to wear it well and it gets dirty so fast. But this white beauty from the front yard is absolutely perfect in my opinion.

Cheery Friends

2010-08-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

My cheery friends see me off to work in the morning! I think they want me to stay and play.

End of Summer for Sure

2010-08-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Good bye beach, sand, surf and waves. Good bye beach glass hunting and trash pickup.

I'll see you only in passing for awhile...

Summer's End

2010-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

What's up with this? It's cooler and foggier than it has been for years all summer... and the day ... THE VERY DAY I go back to start setting up my classroom... it is clear and bright and sunny. Murphy's Law.

Charming Angel

2010-08-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

I found this lovely lady hanging on a gate in Cambria and took her picture.

Got Away!

2010-08-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Visited Morro Bay on a short getaway and got this shot of the rock covered in fog. Love the new sights and new places only a few hours drive away! Last gasp of summer for me as I prepare to start year 34 of teaching...this year and one more to go if all goes well before I can join the happily retired. Guess I better think about applying for the old AARP card afterall.

Mostly Foggy

2010-08-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

We've had mostly foggy days at the beach this summer which is fine with me. It's been cooler than most places...and...heck!...it's still the BEACH!!! My favorite place in the world.

Found her on a Shelf

2010-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

I found this pretty lady on a shelf at the thrift store just waiting for me. I wonder who made her and who let her go and are there anymore like her out there?

Front Yard Beauty

2010-07-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Captured this on the way to the front door. Sometimes I forget the beauty right in front of me...I get caught looking at what I don't have that I want. Big mistake! Gratitude check, please!

Heart Shaped Happiness

2010-07-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

This perfect shell was found and saved for me by two of my most favorite peeps. Thanks, guys!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just love hand lettered signs. They always speak to me about someone caring enough about something to take the time to make and post what they want to say. I always read them...and have made some myself.
Wherever you are I hope you are having a good day!

Summertime!!!

2010-06-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Time for quilting and other fun stuff! Heck, even chores and errands are fun WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME! These hexagon pieces are made using a old pattern idea found in a magazine. Having great fun using up scraps...

Beach Glass Heaven

2010-06-10T17:38:00.001-07:00

All of this in one sweep last Sunday! It's 10 oz. worth of prime California beach glass. Well worth the trip and summer is just around the corner...

April Showers Bring....

2010-05-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Mayflowers... and me... back again after a longer break than I realized! These are Heartsease...planted from seeds I brought home from England on my 50th birthday trip ten years ago. Yes, that means I'm looking at 60 come September...

Paint and Pass

2010-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of my Paint and Pass project with my Glitter Sisters art group. It is a 5"X7" canvas to be passed to all 11 of us who will each add something fun. At the end we'll each have our own canvas back...

Yup, That Was One!

2010-04-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

A 6.9 earthquake centered in Baja was felt up here in Ventura County! Only rattled the blinds and shook the doors a bit, thank goodness. We got a pass one this one...

Some of My Favorite Things

2010-03-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Found this great filet crochet for 95 cents at the thrift store.

I scored this box for $1 at a rummage sale. Not full of Shiny Brite ornaments but who could resist the '50s graphics ?

Vintage tablecloth was my most "expensive" find at $2.95.

And last... my sunflowers grown right in front of The Little Yellow House On the Hill.

Where Has It Gone?

2010-03-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

.....Meaning the time and my mind? I blink and it's mid March and the time changes this weekend and my report cards haven't exactly gotten done and so on. Makes me wish for summer days like when I took this picture last year in Monterey...BUT ONLY 58 SCHOOL DAYS UNTIL SUMMER ROLLS AROUND ONCE AGAIN!

Vintage Find

2010-02-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Found this gem at a thrift store for 60 cents! Love the vintage graphics...

Sunflowers in February

2010-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Planted a few of these babies to see how they'd do at this time of year and have had great results. Think I'll add more!

Ya' Gotta Be Quick

2010-02-18T17:32:00.000-08:00

Once or twice during our "winter season" it gets cold enough to snow in our local Topa Topa mountains. I grab the camera and click away because this scene only happens briefly...lasts only a day or two...before it melts and you can't see the ocean and the snow at the same time. Crazy California weather!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

With the help of netflixorigami.com I am wishing you a happy day of hearts and love and all that gooshy stuff. Only if it works for you, of course. As my first graders said (of Cupid)...."He's really only a baby in diapers with an arrow anyway."

Valentine Fun

2010-02-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like Valentine's Day in first grade...
from wonderful food...

to art projects...

to drawing...

to sitting down with all your best friends and opening those wonderful cards...

It really doesn't get any better. I told them and they agreed that this was most likely the best day of their whole lives...all six years of it.

Online Class Exchange

2010-02-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Got these very cool things to use in journaling from an exchange in my online class.

Thanks again, Jan!

At It Again...Origami Style

2010-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Can you tell it's the weekend? I just did another Netflix origami piece to add to the collection. A swan for your viewing pleasure...

Cut, Snip, and Paste

2010-02-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

I felt the old urge to cut, snip and paste over the weekend and looked to the scrap basket for inspiration...

Decided to do greeting cards because they are small and fun to do and always come out different from one another...

Sometimes it just feels good to get in there and do something mindless...

Woven....Hair?

2010-01-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

One of my first grade girls came to school the other day with this unique way of wearing her hair. It looks woven and must have taken a bit of time to do. Six year olds aren't famous for holding still for extended periods of time!

Did You Know?

2010-01-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

There's a website for everything, I swear. I found one for making origami things out of the flap left over when you open up your Netflix movie. (Netflixorigami.com) Who thinks of this stuff anyway? Here's my first effort...a shirt!

Lots of Little Pieces

2010-01-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

Finally got to go beach glass hunting at low tide. Found lots of little pieces. Hoping for better luck next week after the storms... that are supposed to head our way.

Another Part of My Journal

2010-01-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

Working on my visual journal in an online class. This is one part of the cover. Feel like a C- student in a group of over achievers. I mean, Teesha Moore is in the class for goodness sakes! And other "real" artists with seemingly goo gobs of time on their hands to create. But at last it's Saturday with a lovely 3 day weekend ahead. The luxury of time...

Explore...Explore...Explore

2010-01-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Made MY WORD for 2010 in different fonts to add to the journal...

However, tomorrow I can only explore as far as Room 3...

Another Foggy Morning

2010-01-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

Way foggy this AM on the way to school and at school, too. Felt like I was the only one on the road at times.

January Moon

2010-01-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

This really is the moon this month...glimpsed through a tree in the backyard.

Glorious Morning Sky

2010-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Haven't been out of the house...dressed and ready to take on the day.. at this hour for about 2 weeks. Perhaps this wonderful sight is my compensation for having to go back to the real world of molding young minds.

The Young Victoria Movie

2010-01-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Saw it this afternoon....was not disappointed...I'm such a sucker for the period pieces done in that Masterpiece Theater style...also loved the song that went with it...

Word for the Year

2010-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Here is my written journal page to start the new year with EXPLORE for my theme in 2010. Do you have a theme word? Please share!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Starting 2010 with a view of my lovely city. I'm looking down from a hillside park on this first morning of the new year.

The next decade...big wow! Good things coming I can only hope...and hope...and hope.

My theme word for the year is EXPLORE. Explore my art and where to go with it. Explore new places. Explore old haunts with new eyes. Explore my inward self through journaling and talking with my special peeps.

Do you have a theme word for your year?

Happy Christmas to All!

2009-12-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

My favorite peeps are gathering this morning for jolliness, food and fun. May you have a lovely day. Here's some vintage Christmas delights from The Little Yellow House on the Hill..

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

Hope you're almost ready for the festivities to come!

You Know It's Break

2009-12-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

It's time off for sure when I go to the library at 10:00AM on a Wednesday and also do art! I am taking the "Remains of the Day" class from Mary Ann Moss (Dispatch From LA) and here's what I've got so far....the cover for my soon to be journal...

First Day of Winter...SoCal Style

2009-12-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

It is December 21st and my calendar says that is the Winter Solstice and it is day 355 of the year. Here is how it looks in my front yard!

Don't Hafta'

2009-12-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

...get up this early for two whole weeks, that is! Whooppppeeeee! And when I do manage to get up it will be to begin a whole day of whatever I want to do at my own pace. Heaven!

Beautiful Backyard Tree

2009-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Don't have to get up early for 2 whole weeks! Break time makes me smile....like this pretty backyard tree we have in our "fall season"...

Real, True Rain

2009-12-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

At long last...three rainstorms in a row. The biggest one tomorrow night to soak our dry land. And it's cold! Love the layered clothes and woodsmoke smells and the fact that it's the weekend...

And a Good Time Was Had By All

2009-11-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

All six of us plus one granddog...the kids (how long will we get away with calling them that? I mean they have careers and and condos and such...) and their significant others had a quiet, easy turkey day. NO DRAMA!!! Simple and low key is wonderful...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

2009-11-25T15:56:00.001-08:00

Sending out good wishes to one and all on this Thanksgiving weekend. It's warm and dry and windy here...wish it were cooler...but all my important peeps are coming for an early dinner tomorrow.

Snaps From Recent Doings

2009-11-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Made this book in a class with Kelly Kilmer...

The real me holding the real book with the real Kelly...

Beach wave especially for those land locked souls I think of every time I'm at the shore...

Fall tree in MY backyard in sunny Ventura. Who says we don't have fall just because it's hot and windy?

At It Again!

2009-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

You can tell if it's the weekend because there's more art being done! I'm even taking another class in Ojai tomorrow ...

When Fairy Tales Were Ended

2009-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

Found this song title in some old sheet music and thought it fit well with my latest face. What do you think?

Can't Get Enough of These

2009-10-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

White rose perfection from the garden outside The Little Yellow House On the Hill...

Another One Done...

2009-10-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Another face, that is... I wish work didn't come around so quickly after the weekend...

Happy Weekend!

2009-10-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Once again survived a week with the munchkins and am ready for weekend fun. Yard work? Maybe... to keep these roses looking good. Art work? Of course! Need to work on those faces again...

No Other Way to Say It

2009-10-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

I am...

gonna' be...

a grandma...on or about June 13th next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The world shifted in a big way when I got the word. Honestly, the sky and all the colors of the day blazed brighter for a few minutes. And I was disoriented. And excited. And nervous.

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Our field trip got rained out last week but thanks to two of our finest Men in Blue we got pumpkins anyway! Thanks guys from everyone of us!

Weekend Fun

2009-10-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Wish I could say this was somewhere exotic and/or foreign...but it's just a shot of a fun place downtown...

First Rain

2009-10-13T18:03:00.001-07:00

So far it hasn't been the super storm predicted...but ever so welcome on our dry land. Not even any puddles as the ground soaks up every possible drop. We are all hoping for more to come...but after our field trip to the pumpkin patch tomorrow, please!

Ventura Morning

2009-10-11T10:33:00.001-07:00

Great sight to see after getting coffee. Next step: walk on beach.

Follow Me to Work

2009-10-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

A quick stop at the local coffee shop (no corporate coffee!) and a peak at the ocean...

A glance at the harbor as I get ready to cross the bridge over the Santa Clara River and continue on my journey south...

Pass many palm trees along the way and many types of dwellings including houses on the beach, apartments, mobil homes, condos, a variety of boats and eventually even some subsidized housing closer to school...

The faithful crossing guard reminds me to turn...less I get distracted and forget to go to the day job...winding up "accidentally" at Michael's or the thrift store or a tempting garage sale...

Falling Into Another World

2009-09-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Spent some hours away with poet John Keats and his love, Fanny Brawne...for I saw the beautifully filmed "Bright Star" today. Everything I adore set before me for 119 minutes....English countryside, period piece, slow pace, poetry, music, costumes, stitchery. Much better than real life any day...

No Bad Beach Days

2009-09-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

There are honestly no such days as "bad" days at the beach. Some are a little foggy like today...a little cooler....a little warmer...a little windy. It doesn't matter much to me. Any day at the beach is a good one in Lady Lemonade's humble opinion. Hope you agree!

Changes

2009-09-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

As often happens, this started out as a different piece...was painted over a time or two and at last I am pleased with the result. Might add something but will live with it like this until I am more sure...

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Hopeful Talisman

2009-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hope this perfect rock heart (or is it heart rock?) I found at the beach can help me over the horrid cold I caught from one of the new munchkins...Actually had to take a sick day to sleep as the coughing has worn me out!

Christmas? In September?

2009-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when Christmas decorations go up at this time of year? I mean I'm still in end-of-the-summer mode. But I could not resist this dollar bargain I found over the weekend...from 1945 and in good shape...to add to my vintage Christmas collection.

Summer's End and Kinds of Classes

2009-09-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Guess summer is almost over...fall just around the corner. Big sigh! At least the munchkins are a better bunch than last year's Class From Hell. I thought I had really lost my touch for sure and was discouraged. Then I got the New Crew. Child- like rather than gangsta' like. Yes, even first graders can go bothways as they imitated what they seem around them...

Day Is Done

2009-09-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Headed down to the beach to see the sunset and soak the tired work feet in the Pacific Ocean. Excellent salt water therapy.

Also caught the setting sun with my birdie friends...

Headed home with regret. The day job takes way too much time. Who made up these rules anyway?

Weekend Doings

2009-09-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ya' gotta' love these weekends...the 3 day kind. Did a few of my favorite things and here they are... not in any special order:

The beach, of course...

A drive through the eastern part of the county...

Art work from Paulette Insall's online class...

Yellow pear tomatoes picked from the garden...

Harvest Moon

2009-09-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Even the evenings give little break from the record breaking heat. Yes, here by the coast, too. But the moon! The glorious silver moon...

...as seen from my front yard on the first night of the Labor Day weekend. The online art classes are calling... as is the beach... and yard... and garden...

Regarding Photos in Last Post

2009-08-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is a big PS for the photos below. Forgot to add any text and can't figure out how to do it after it's published. Anywhooooo...went to breakfast at a local cafe and took pictures of the mural blending Ventura County history with celebrity images.

2009-08-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

Cautious Optimism

2009-08-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Found these old pictures on Flikr and felt much better about how my classroom looked on the first day of school! All 19 students eventually showed up (one came at 1:30PM!) and seem to be a much better group than last year's models. I am looking forward with cautious optimism...

Beginning #33

2009-08-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Starting my 33rd year of teaching...my 20th of first grade. 180 school days to do my best with 6 year olds in reading, writing and math. Everyone starts at the same starting line tomorrow since they are all new to me. But by the end of the first day...some will be pulling out ahead and some won't be sure exactly what to do..This is our schedule for the first day...VERY simple because it's a big change from Kinder...

Perfect Roses

2009-08-22T20:19:00.001-07:00

These are from my rose bushes in the front yard. Perfection!

Real Life

2009-08-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is not real life. This is real life. The computer didn't work. The mini-frig grew things even with a box of baking soda in it. Everything needed to be sorted, unpacked and put away. Worked for 5 hours. I think I'll buy a bunch of lottery tickets because I can't stop thinking that somebody wins.

Stitched and Stencilled Book

2009-08-16T16:56:00.001-07:00

More pages and the cover from my book...