Back home for 2 days...

We just spent 10 days in Portugal with friends.  I will give details later but wanted to check in.


Lisbon


This was a tour with Food and Wine Vacations and there was a LOT of food and wine!


A cooking class...that's my bro on the right!


A cork factory


A little bread making...

We were home Monday afternoon, unpacked, started laundry and suddenly I had a bloody nose. Actually it was running out like a faucet opened. I tried everything to stop it, after 30 minutes and still bad we went to the ER. Our house looked like a crime scene! They got it stopped and cauterized. Probably from the head cold I have and the plane ride.



Schedule:
Oct. 4-6  Waterford, VA (great show)

NEW show...

Portugal and Waterford, VA coming up...

It is amazing what you can accomplish in only 3 days. Linda looked up and realized we would be away during the time she would normally get things organized for our annual open house and miss some deadlines. So she scrambled! There were decisions on what we were printing, painting titles to come up with and sizes to confirm. Met with the printer to print the mini Christmas print and the invitations. Proofs will be ready when we return. Also took the TWO new paintings to a different printer today and again, proofs will be ready. Two different frame orders were sent in. Lined up work for our two helpers for while we are away. Arranged for our colonial garb and find the garb we have that we need for the Waterford show AND paintings packed for Waterford because we have a 2 day turn around! This hectic schedule was not my doing!


Then there is the anxiety of packing for 10 days in an overhead size suitcase... made harder when you like choices! Me, I can wear the same thing over and over!!

A client sent a photo of the print they just bought at last weeks show in Ludwigs Corner. They hung it right by the front door so everyone can see it! They are very happy!


Not sure when I can post again...

Busy, busy

We are working on Linda's bucket list. Sept 10-12  Our adventure took us to the Kinzua Bridge in Kane PA. We walked out to the end...  The trees are dusky but not turning colors.  This would be spectacular in a few weeks but also packed with people!




We checked into our cabin in Wapiti Woods in Weedsville, PA. A very quiet little place. You park in the lot and use these big covered wagons to bring your stuff to your cabin. I am already skilled at hauling stuff!

These signs you don't get to see in Lancaster!

Next is our Elk adventure.  Our 1st evening was at the visitors center where we saw elk at a distance.  Great with binoculars and you could hear them.

We were up the next morning at sunrise, hiking up a hill to a lookout and it was so heavy with fog you could not see anything BUT we could hear them below us.  They were bugling and snorting.  We sat for an hour but it was not clearing.  So we walked the mile loop and went for breakfast.  That evening at dusk we hiked back up the hill.  This time we could see the fields but the elk were somewhere else.  The viewing time is short.  Not wanting to give up we tried one more time at dawn, back to the same spot but no elk.   So we did see and hear them but not like Linda was hoping for...

We then had a fast turn around, home one day to repack for our show in Ludwigs Corner.  Left Friday for set up.  We spent the weekend with our good friend Joan.  Had 2 dinners at Limoncello with leftovers for tonight!  Spent the weekend showing.  I finished a painting.

We got home last night to laundry, organizing, pay some bills, buy a lawnmower, repair some boxes to carry paintings, pick up 2 puzzles Linda bought on Marketplace, answer a week of emails...you get the idea.  Our cats think the house sitter is their new owner!
But for excitement we are keeping this pace,  we leave again shortly for Portugal with 2 days home and then a show in Waterford VA!  So do not panic if I am not blogging...

Checking In...

I managed to finish a Christmas card painting for a client, so it is ready to go to the printer. Friday we went to Millbach Homestead for some new fall material to paint. We usually go at Christmas, they have decorations and antiques.   While in that direction we purchased a used canopy from a friend who is no longer showing. Then stopped at a plant place and came home with a few new plants. Linda is reworking the gardens. Saturday, you guessed it, I had holes to dig. We put in a little addition to the side walk where it was too narrow to walk and planted.

In the evening we went to Crossroads Wine Shop in Carlisle, PA. They had a great band playing 70-80"s and we danced...a lot. Nice venue for live music. (you can find them on Facebook) Today was pedicures and I had an eye check up (all good) , then groceries. In typical Linda style, we are heading to Benezette, PA to (hopefully) hear the Elk bugle. Who knew that was a thing! Google it. I will share our findings!

Don't forget, this weekend you can find me at:
Ludwigs Corner
Saturday & Sunday from 10 to 5
1326 Pottstown Pike, Glenmoore, PA
FREE!! great quality, Space#113

2024 Sunflower #5

SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing 8x10 $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 9/6 the price goes to $225

Sunflowers for sale!

next weekend you can find me here:
September 14-15 from 10 to 5
1326 Pottstown Pike, Glenmoore PA
Space 113
great quality!  more info

2024 Sunflower #4

original watercolor  $225
This one is a little looser than what I usually do...
Just experimenting.

I had a good weekend at Heart of Lancaster show but there was some rain so Monday I had to labor... all the tent, tarps and rugs needed to be laid out to dry,  AGAIN.   We then went to Fox Meadows for lunch with our friend Bonnie and back to her house so I could tweak her bike and we went for a short spin.  Just a little confidence building.  Back home and I managed a bike ride before dark.  Then we hit the sofa, Linda was watching Monsieur Spade on Netflix  I saw some of it between dozing.

2024 Sunflower #3

mini original watercolor  $225
Lancaster County...

I took our daughters car to the garage on the other side of Ephrata and had a nice long bike ride back home!  Finished packing for Fridays set up and painted.

2024 Sunflower #2

SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing 8x10 $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 8/30 the price goes to $225

Packing for the Heart of Lancaster Show...

Busy

Busy day, I ran my boxed commission painting to UPS only to find I had a wrong address. Came back home and contacted my client and he used a better address. New label and back to UPS. Then at 2 we took our cat to the vet. Since we returned from Canada he has been licking and pulling out hair. He hates when we are gone so we thought it was a nervous thing but NO... our indoor only cat has flees. I do not understand that but I saw them, and if one has them, both cats have them. We came home and Linda gave both boys baths, that was fun!!  I was told to put a flee collar in our vacuum bag and vacuum.  

Meanwhile my new bag to hold my canopy poles came and the wet boys are checking it out.

It is now 5pm, dinner and a bike ride.  I'll paint tonight!

2024 Sunflower #1

mini original watercolor  $225
I have been driving past fields of sunflowers so I guess its time to paint a few!

I was AWOL from blogging all last week. I had a commission that I needed to finish (it looks great!) but it took my week. Its a gift so I will post it when I get the go ahead. I also did a painting Linda requested that she has been thinking she might print in November. Now that its finished she`s hedging... Feel free to email your thoughts!!   
It would frame to 21x15" and sell for $115 framed.  It would be my only print for this year.

I also spent ALL of  last Tuesday recovering from the Mount Gretna Show; drying out my wet tent, tarps and rug then repacking it.  Meanwhile there were 13 damaged prints that wrinkled from the humidity at the show.  They all needed to be taken apart and replaced.  Our helper Lori out in a long day.   Then ALL of Saturday I was cutting 5 cases (79 pieces) of glass to fit my frames.  We are talking a glass cutter and a ruler!  I may or may not have found time to ride my bike...

THIS WEEKEND... you can find me here...
Can't beat a FREE show.   Booth #136

And... SAVE the DATE: