Janine's Summer Job

Janine has a wonderful summer job in a beautiful office at Sierra Village Retirement Community.  We are glad to have her home all summer.

Lorissa's Art

Lorissa had one of her projects from her color and design class posted at the Community College's Art Gallery.  We were a bit disappointed with the misspelling of her name and the wrong orientation of her design (I guess that is a possibility of abstract art).  It was exciting to see her work on display in a gallery among other works of art.  She has a lot more learning opportunities available at the college.

A Sunday Drive

On Sunday we also took a drive to an area we had been curious about.  We went 8 miles in on Mineral King Road which heads east out of Three Rivers.  The road is windy, narrow and a bit potholed.  It gets quite steep with a view of the East Fork of the Kaweah  River below, and another small flume above the road most of the time.  We enjoyed the old Kaweah bridge.We did not go the full ten miles to the closed gate because we wanted to get back for evening church services on time.

A Sunday Walk in the Woods

On the trail.

We decided to take Janine for a walk at Potwisha, where we had enjoyed a hike in January.  The drive was beautiful, and the river was full of rushing water.  There were a lot of beautiful wildflowers in purple, pink, yellow and white.  We had not counted on the mosquitoes though.  Some of us got quite a few bites and when we saw bees; we decided not to risk going further, so our hike was quite short.  We need to remember the bug spray next time!

I Finally Got an Answer!

I have always questioned the value, meaning, skill, and talent that went into Modern or Abstract art.  Well, I found the answer in the book Why A Painting is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art by Nancy G. Heller.  This is an easy to read, short book.  The art discussed is pictured on the same page as the discussion so you know what is being talked about. Well chosen quotes by a variety of artists are placed in side bars.  These quotes are not repeats of the book's information, but are a great contribution to the material.

So how is a painting like a pizza?  The short answer is that there are many varieties and ingredients.  Usually both are quite symmetrical.  But, just like every pizza does not appeal to your tastes, neither does every piece of art. You can still react to that art, and it will still evoke an emotional response even if you don't like it.

The Sick Couch

When the kids get sick they immediately take up residence on this couch.   They like to be around the rest of the family but still take a nap, like Renee is during a recent cold.  But this couch is also a sick looking couch!  It is old, we got it from my brother John, who got it from my parents.  Grandpa Haveman put a nice piece of sanded plywood under the cushions so it wouldn't be too soft.  It has some tears in the back where the fabric was exposed to too much sun.  So this is a future project;  I want to make a slipcover for it.  What do you think, is that possible and worth it?  I tried buying a slipcover, but it just did not look good for the amount of money it cost.

Another PW cake

Renee and I made another cake from PW's cookbook, the chocolate sheet cake on page 218.  It involved lots of butter and cocoa powder.  We liked the fact that you frost it immediately after you take it out of the oven so it is done all at once.  It is thin because you put it in a 12 x 18 pan.  It is a good substitute for brownies and would probably be a good thing to take for youth group snacks.