A great walk today...

We walked up to The Parker and then made a loop home.  This will become a frequent walk now...just perfect.   This is where all the stars stay when they have the PS Film Festival.
Richard and Grace caught a glimpse of a few when they were here last January.

We'll have to go to lunch here soon.  Update:  Just looked at the menu and I was reminded why we haven't gone.  $25 for a cheeseburger for lunch.

Bocce courts

No plan....no clue....

It's interesting for me to do something from an actual O'Keefe painting...the cactus I posted.  Last year when I did the three paintings from Calder paintings,  I looked at the original a few times then just did my own thing.  I think they turned out to look quite Calder like probably because it's mainly shapes and the primary colours.   I'm not sure "my cactus"  will look very O'Keefe like in the end...it's starting to not even look like a cactus!  I'm having great fun splashing paint around and that's the important thing.

I've done two phases....not finished yet.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Beautiful sky tonight....

Snow on the mountains...

When Jim picked up the paper this morning,  he said there was snow on the mountains.  I went out to take a photo but the snow is pretty faint and I think the current sunshine will melt it before I get out for my swim at least where we see the mountains the most.  The iPhone wouldn't pick it up anyway.

But I did enjoy seeing my latest painting in the kitchen window with a view of the bougainvillea outside.  This just might become the permanent place for it.

Cactus next....

I was thinking about doing a cactus next and couldn't recall seeing any cactus that O'Keefe did but google brought this up.   I think this will be fun too.

I actually did a painting....

I did this quite quickly and worked from a bougainvillea blossom.  I usually only work from photos but it was easy to pick one from the bush that comes over our wall and bring it in.  Erna trimmed it nicely on our side before we arrived.  I realize I didn't bring any of my good brushes.   The head kept coming off the one I was using.  Well,  it's kind of like when I first began painting in Carqueiranne in 2002.  I only had 3 brushes and red,  blue,  yellow,  black,  and white paint.

I was pleased to get the colour out of a tube.  It's called deep magenta.  I bought a set of cheap small tubes on a Michel's 40% off last year.

 "Erna's Bougainvillea"

11 x 14 acrylic on canvas

Painted in Palm Springs Nov. 27 , 2016.

Bougainvillea Blossom 

A lovely surprise....

Jim brought in these lovely roses for me today....they even come with a 5 day guarantee...now that's a first.

And I did get in my morning swim and it was quite lovely watching the clouds and even a bit of sunshine peaked in.  The water felt even more velvety than usual.

Sunny skies greet us this morning

I was all ready for rain and wind and cloudy skies and have the ingredients for my Autumn soup ready and also started organizing my art supplies to get ready for a cosy day inside.   I'm sure all this weather will soon come to pass but I just might get in my morning swim before.

These two painting were what I was working on before we left last year.  I know I wasn't happy with them and not quite sure what I was trying to do.  I think I might try to channel Georgia O'Keefe and a painting of bougainvillea.   I'll post the result even if it's a complete disaster.

Dinner at The Segovia

Marvin and Erna were at a function for volunteers at the Palm Springs Air Museum  (Marvin is a docent) and he won a dinner for four at this retirement home in Palm Desert so they invited us to join them.   Wow...what a meal!  It was a first class restaurant and Jim and I had a prime rib to die for.  All the food was excellent  and the service too.  Marvin tried to give our server a tip but they have a policy that they cannot accept tips due to the potential for elder abuse.

Great food,  fellowship,  and lots of laughs.  Thanks,  guys, for a wonderful evening!

It's quite the place

Exhibit at MOMA in NYC

There was an article on this today in the Desert Sun which I found very interesting and very timely given the refugee situation in the world today.  Can't seem to link to the article but here is the blurb from MOMA.

Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter

Through January 22, 2017

For over 60 million persons in the world today, shelter is defined through constant movement or escape. Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter explores the ways in which contemporary architecture and design have addressed notions of shelter in light of global refugee emergencies. From the strengthening of international borders to the logistics of mobile housing systems, how we understand shelter is ultimately defined through an engagement with security. Refugee camps, once considered temporary settlements, have become sites through which to examine how human rights intersect with the making of cities. Bringing together projects by architects, designers, and artists, working in a range of mediums and scales, that respond to the complex circumstances brought about by forced displacement, the exhibition focuses on conditions that disrupt conventional images of the built environment.

Jim cooking dinner tonight....Johnsonville brats sausage and spaghetti....

We saw this caviar today while out and about....took a pass.

We usually have the brats with perogies but would you believe perogies are completely unavailable in the region.

Cooler weather coming ...even a shower possible

We'll need to take full advantage of today and tomorrow as it is apparently going down to 60 F Sunday and possible shower.  Well,  I have the ingredients for my Autumn soup so will make it up on Sunday.  Then it gets warmer...high 60's.   This is quite typical for this time of year and I look forward to using our fireplace a lot.  It really has been too warm in the evening to use it so far.

The photos today are from our walk around Canyon Sands yesterday around dinner time.  It was really cool to smell turkey cooking as we were walking around and someone even had a Christmas tree up and a wreath on the door!  Maybe I'll put up our  "one minute" tree and decorations.  It's sitting there in the closet all decorated.