The best of times, the wurst of times

YES to the shortbread

YES to the Reisling

YES to the chocolate

All very pleasing.

YES to the pfeffernusse

And beer! YES... But first 

OH, bitte, please give me

The plate of bratwurst.

 

I have been painting bratwurst. What can I say?

I revised most recent post to make way for a much better title (Thanks, Kay!), the image which didn't get posted, and to compensate for spellcheck. Life does get complicated without too much difficulty, doesn't it?

Well, it could always get wurst.

We eat a lot here.

A German-style meal
In atmosphere real,
In Rothenburg, behind its wall, 'n
I found scarves so pretty
As I traversed the city
And ate my first ever Schneeballen.

 

 



On the Road

In the village of Kelheim, Bavaria

Hello and Oh, my, there you are! I have tried for days to be able to reach you without luck. Seems that, even when other sites could be accessed, Blogger was being belligerent. I did not expect to actually have success here and now I am speechless. Where are all my noteworthy thoughts? my astounding photos? my amusing patter and travel dialogues now that I have an audience? It is a bountiful journey I am on, as I cruise European rivers with close and new friends, a Viking crew that pampers beyond belief, a new ship with - pardon the cliché - breathtaking vistas, and lovely villages. When I return, I will summarize with some sketches I've made along the way. Meanwhile, I have been able to reach Facebook with a few photos if you would like to tune into my adventure. I am a lucky me.

Wise words from Rick

It is fitting that in today's paper is a column from Rick Steves on the virtues of travel,  here.

"Traveling thoughtfully, especially in challenging times, is one of the best ways to put current events in perspective. It forces you to see that global victims of poverty and natural disasters aren't just faceless staistics...but humans. You can't help but feel empathy."

As I pack (see below 😄) for a three-week adventure down the rivers of Europe, I am reminded how valuable travel is to thoughtful perspective and tolerance. It doesn't have to be a grand and glorious journey. I have always marveled at how even a short weekend in the other part of our state or across a state border widens my knowledge of how the world works. Sometimes it helps me cope with a problem or stress by the mere act of getting away from it. Traveling to the Southern U.S. - a whole other world from the Pacific NW  helps me understand - if not agree with - the existence of a wholly different perspective on the issues of the day. A reminder of assumptions incorrect. An opportunity to connect. A dependence on kindness of others (lost, anyone?). Partly because I am on the farther side of my life and partly because I am drawing the everyday details  of life around me, I am enjoying travel more and more every trip I take: I watch for new things, for the unusual or quirky, for children at play and grown-ups at coffee. Some things are the same elsewhere; some are quite different.

In an effort to procrastinate packing chores, I sketched:

Gone but not forgotten

…the pink explosion in our backyard, otherwise known as dogwood blossoms. As pink as can be. I tried to capture them here, for "draw a tree" challenge 2, Everyday in May…

fold out to….

and here.

From Alisa Burke: 3 favorite toddler art activities

I am a fan of Alisa Burke, as  many artists are. Her online classes are informal and informative, her blog is generously filled with samples, tutorials, and colorful days and very focused on art. Recent posts have shown ideas for making little pinch pots, plant stakes, and rope tote bags. I have no toddlers in my life right now but still enjoyed this post for the pleasure that art brings to kids of every age. I recommend a visit there for anyone with a toddler to entertain!    I"m sharing her whole series of art with kids here

Every Day in May

An annual event, this is the first time  I've signed on to this "assignment' to myself. We are provided a daily drawing task, similar in format to Everyday Matters and Sketchbook Skool. Since  I will be cruising down some European rivers starting in mid-May, I thought it would be fun to sketch or draw something each day in a different location. We'll see if I can keep up with this and how well the internet cooperates. It's so much fun to look at what other participants do

Today our task was to draw a favorite food. I have oh so many, but the artichoke reigns. If a dish or recipe includes artichoke, I usually look no further. With melted butter?  Oh, my.

On the left, drew first in permanent ink (Uniball vision), then watercolored. On the right, painted green shape first with various greens. Then inked it.