Tag Archives: my latest painted sketch

Monday 4-13-2026

Tina Ann

Today is the official start of Songkran, or celebration of the Thai new year. Things ACTUALLY started yesterday afternoon, with overflowing streets. a float type vehicle with people playing music and dancing, and of COURSE people lining the street hosing down everyone in sight with water guns and buckets, and having a wonderful time.

Our son is the resident fuddyduddy, not having the least interest in even watching the celebration. I’ll try to get some pictures to share with you.

Our gym is closed, so I’ll add some dancing to my yoga stetches today to make up for my not walking my mile this morning. Our cafe is closed, as well, so I’ll so my painting here today and wait for Thursday or Friday to do more sketching in my favorite spot. I did a bunch of laundry in my bucket in the sink yesterday and today because the laundries are closed, as well. All is drying on my drying rack on my cute little balcony.

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This is my latest painted sketch. I’m looking forward to spending a good amount of time in my art alcove over the next three days.

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Brian will decide tonight or tomorrow if he thinks it’s safe enough for us to try to go visit Harvey tomorrow, or if we should wait until Thursday. He says this celebration is sadly the most deadly week for the inhabitants and foreigners of the year, mainly due to the effects of drunk driving, and particularly to motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

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The lovely turtle is finally coming out of hiding! It’s still really slow going, but it’s exciting to watch his beautiful face emerge.

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Outside Surburbia

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Tuesday 4-7-2026

This is my latest painted sketch. I tried to get the ‘flavor’ of the concrete power pole plus all the power and Internet lines. I’m so in awe of the ingenuity of the Thai people for figuring out a system that would work for them in this huge, growing city with constantly changing needs, repairs, new lines or additions needed, etc. I o got to watch a power crew working one day. Some men were on the ground. Others were in the back of a pickup truck, climbing a bamboo ladder from the bed. They had minimal tool belts, passing equipment and tools from man to man up and down while they CAREFULLY did whatever they were doing. To say it’s a dangerous job is an understatement. To do it routinely in the middle of heavy traffic with people walking all over the place is simply mind boggling.

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training/smashrun.com

We had an amazing sight last night. I had just gotten to my place after sharing dinner with Brian and he texted me to “look out the window.’ I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say there were 75 to 100 runners in black and white running gear running down the street. Bri thinks they were doing it to advertise something, but we don’t really know. I watched the group run past for at least 5 minutes before the incredible sight finished.

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This is one part of the Koi Pond that I visit on a regular basis to talk to ‘my’ fish. I think they are spectacular. The ‘pond’ is in an out-of-the-way strip or center. It is covered and there are chairs and tables. Someone takes meticulous care of the fish, the pond, and the surroundings. Brian and I think the largest fish are about 24 inches long by 5 or 6 inches across. There are babies in there, as well. It seems to ME that each one of the fish is different. It’s shady and quiet there. A perfect spot to drink in the beauty of Chiang Mai and relax.

This is one of the several real mosaic tables here. Isn’t it wonderful!

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We visited my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home today. He was more coherent than he is many times. He looked at my painting of the power lines and said they should sag more. I told him I loved him and he said, “I want a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phone.” I mumbled something and we went on. He can’t control the remote on the TV. He can’t use a phone, has bad Parkinson’s Disease, doesn’t know where he is, doesn’t know our phone number. He wants it so that when he thinks of something, he can call or text me. He wants to order things from Amazon. OH GOOOOOOD!!!!!!! Other than that, we had a pretty good visit today.

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Today our wonderful housekeeper cleans at Brian’s place, so he will head to the cafe. We’ve started a new thing the past few days. He texts me when he gets to the cafe and then I usually join him, grabbing my art bag so I can sketch. I like this better than him ordering me a mocha and me going downstairs to retrieve it, bringing it back to my place. It gives me a chance to get out more, have the joy of sketching at the cafe – in my favorite spot or not – and a break in my day. We’ll do this today, then bring an ordered dinner up to my place this evening. We use Tuesdays as a day to back up the data on my phone and my computer after we have eaten, and then to just enjoy some good conversation

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My other name should be “Ms. Clutz.” Today at the gym, one of Brian’s friends passed by the window as we were walking on our treadmills. I reached up to wave, and hit the back of my hand on the underside of the treadmill handle bars. I thought when I did it, I would have a bruise. What I didn’t realize at first was the treadmill ‘bit’ me. There was something sharp under there that opened my skin enough to bleed quite a bit. We were almost finished with our walk, so I just covered it with a kleenex until we got home. Now Brian is having a field day kidding me about punching out inanimate objects….

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Monday 3-30-2026

This is another sample of the beautiful flowering trees in Chiang Mai. I don’t know what it is, but the vibrant color of the blossoms that had fallen took my breath away. I had to stop and take a picture.

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I talked to my good friend, Carla a couple of days ago. She had the really difficult job of telling me that Jet (aka Monster Cat) whom she adopted when we were moving to Thailand, had died. I’m sad, of course, but more filled with gratitude and love for Carla, who provided a wonderful home with lots of care and love for Jet, although Jet made it difficult at first. What greater gift could a friend give than to take the worry of finding a good home for her cat out of the picture? Jet won the lottery on family and home with Carla. RIP Jet.

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My latest painted sketch. I also drew 4 thank you cards for my housekeeper, Khun Nong, and will start painting them today.

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I’m closed up in my condo today, due to air pollution index in the ‘unhealthy’ range and my air filters already showing elevated readings. I also had a loud PING!!!! alert on my phone, alerting me to the PM2.5 status of the air quality. I’m am so happy that I have good windows that seal well now, good air filters, and my a/c is working. HOORAAAAAY!

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I will enjoy writing blog posts, working on my jigsaw puzzle, painting, and whatever else occurs to me to dive into today. I hope your day has been a stellar one, too!

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Monday 3-23-2026

“Random Funny Memes” – BoredPanda.com – Adelaide May Ross, Mantas Kacerauskas, and Rugile Zemaityte

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My latest painted sketch

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It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen any hummingbirds, and I thought of trying to hang up a feeder on my balcony. I researched and found that hummingbirds are only native to the Americas! There are, however, “Sunbirds” here. One is called an “Olive-Backed Sunbird” and the other is called a “Green-Tailed Sunbird.” They are best seen at high elevations and in local parks. So, my thoughts about a feeder on my deck are not reasonable. 🥲

Olive-Backed Sunbird -BirdGuides

Green-Tailed Sunbird – eBird

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Harvey’s nurse wrote to Brian, saying the French fries were delivered to the nursing home yesterday and that Harvey enjoyed them. We were kind of hoping for a video of him enjoying them, but that didn’t happen. We also don’t know if he connected the fries with the fact he told Brian Saturday he wanted some or thought they had magically fallen out of the sky, but his day was brightened by a kind act by Brian, and that’s priceless.

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ABC Pediatric Therapy

I will try to do some sketching this afternoon. I’m finishing the painting of my last sketch, so I need to get my pencil going. I’m also going to concentrate on trying to make progress on my puzzle. Such a nice afternoon ahead!

“If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.” ―Dolly Parton

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Wednesday 3-11-2026

“Meditative Ghost”- Catherine – @shadowdogdesigns.bsky.social

This is one of my all time favorite photos. I think it’s amazing.

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This is my latest painted sketch.

Today I’m going to start several St. Pat’s Day themed thank you cards.

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I had a visitor to my place this morning. I almost missed him. My window shade was the perfect camouflage for him. If he hadn’t have moved, I wouldn’t have seen him. He was a gecko, little bitty, skinny, body about 2 inches long and longer with his arms, legs, and tail. I watched him, but was too slow and dumb at o-dark-thirty this morning to get a picture of him. I told him that he was free to stay and eat as many bugs as he could find.

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Alamy

We visited my husband this morning at the nursing home. At first we thought he wasn’t going to respond at all, but he got a bit better as the time went on. He was fixated on wanting me to do a “REWARD” sign to hang outside his door, so he could list reward amounts for various things that have gone missing. Who he thinks would see the sign or respond is a mystery. He listed things that we explained had been left for auction in Arkansas when we moved, given to good friends, or we hadn’t had for years and years, but I don’t think we got through. He may be frustrated with me next visit because I don’t have the sign for him… He DID thank us for coming this time!

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Pinterest

My changing my afternoon exercise to morning has helped with me actually DOING it, rather than coming up with my inexhaustible supply of excuses. Today I’m having to do my yoga stretches at the normal afternoon time due to our visiting Harvey, but I have the mat on the rug now, looking at me…

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“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.”
―  Lewis Grizzard

Make this a wonderful day!

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Monday 3-9-2026

My latest painted sketch.

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http://www.funimada.com

BBC

February 11th I enjoyed a “celebrational 1st birthday” after the kind people in the hospital saved me and gave me a second chance at life with a pacemaker on Feb. 11, 2025.

Today I’m celebrating the fact that I’m still on the planet, living – and loving life – at 79. I no longer regret being “older than dirt.” I pass out little shovels! 🤣

I’ve walked my mile at the gym, showered, shared breakfast with my son, Brian, done a 45 minute session of old lady yoga stretches, and taken my clothes to the laundry this morning. My son gave me a big hug this morning in the elevator and said, “Happy Birthday, Mom” – some of the sweetest words a mom will ever hear. I received a beautiful e-card from a good long-time friend, so I have had a lovely celebration.

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My day will be a quiet one – my favorite choice these days – where I can move from one thing I like to the next at my own speed, depending only on what “I” would like to do. What freedom and joy there is in that!

I will at least get started painting another of my sketches.

I’m in the middle of a good book on my Kindle, have the Sketching Journal book I showed you recently that I’m having touble putting down, and have a book on Thailand I want to start going through.

My turtle puzzle is calling, “Linnnnnnnn-dahhhhhhhh!” from across the room as I type.

I feel so good after doing my yoga stretches early today that I’m thinking of doing a session with the water bottles this afternoon…

Before I do any of that, though, I will enjoy writing at least two more posts here.😁

I hope that you have enjoyed a great weekend and have remembered (in the States) that it’s Daylight Savings Time again, so you should have set your clocks FORWARD an hour.

UPDATE: My son texted me, asking me to unlock my door. He brought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, an iced mocha, and we each had a really decadent DELICIOUS dessert! I teared up, but manage to hug him several times without crying. He really made me feel special.

Sorry, I would have shared, but “somebody” ate every bite. At least I didn’t lick the container…. 😍

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Wednesday 3-4-2026

This is my latest painted sketch. I also sketched some new thank you cards for Khun Nong yesterday. I’ll share them when they are painted.

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Nation Thailand

Brian and I actually caught a glimpse of the blood moon this morning on our way to the gym. What a glorious sight! Usually, I would get all excited about one of these spectacular events when we lived in the States, and then our weather was cloudy, rainy, or some other problem interfered. This was stunningly beautiful. It was just above the trees and we stopped for a minute or two to simply enjoy.

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I had my windows open this morning and Brian texted me, telling me that the air was unhealthy today. I checked my Chiang Mai Air Pollution Real-Time website and the reading was 120, well into the unhealthy range. I closed everything up and turned on the air filters. It doesn’t look bad outside, but I will monitor things more carefully to try to make sure my lungs are not affected. The ‘hot and hazy’ season lasts from March through April in Chiang Mai.

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When we visited my husband at the nursing home yesterday, we saw the tree outside his window sporting THESE! A nice bunch of Thai bananas. The Thai bananas are small and shorter than the ones in the States, but they taste so much better! The ones in the states can be prettier when you see them in the stores, but they may be essentially tasteless. These are full of sweet flavor. I just love them. My husband will share in a nice treat soon!

Also on the way to the nursing home I saw a man walking across the street with two large transparent bags full of several beautiful kinds of salad stuff. Lot of different types of lettuce. He was walking toward one of the food stores, so my assumption is that he will sell his harvest of the day to the food store, which will provide beautiful produce for their customers. No middle men. Just goodness changing hands.

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I wish you a fun-filled day.

“In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.”
― Jean Hersey

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Saturday 1-24-2026


“Steve is trying his best to not eat cake. Will he succeed? Unlikely.” ~ “In Otter News” – Substack

I know JUST how he feels…. :0)

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Tenor

Laughing is Great Exercise –

Brian and I were at the chocolate place after visiting Harvey at the nursing home. When we finish our drinks, Brian got out his sugar-free gum packs, and we each took one out of each of two different flavor packs. (He says chewing this after eating sugar of any kind gets rid of it in your mouth. )

He gave me a pack after taking a piece of gum. I saw I was getting the last piece in the pack. In the past I have put the two pieces together and fooled him into putting the package back in his carrier. (a running joke)

I started to do that, but he caught me. I just put the two pieces of the package on the table tray. He frowned at me, picked up the pieces, put them together and put the package back on the tray. I then got what turned out to be the last piece in the 2nd package. I just looked at him ‘defiantly’ and put the two pieces of the package on the tray.

The look on his face was priceless and I started to laugh. He frowned even more and I laughed harder. I finally pressed my hands to my stomach – I was laughing so hard my stomach and cheeks were hurting! The server lady I like so much there was laughing, too, just watching and listening to us.

I woke up in the middle of the night laughing. I was still smiling when I joined Brian for the gym and then breakfast. I brought it up – he frowned and started me off again. What a joy it is to completely lose it like that!!

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This is the latest painted sketch.

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Cinderblock – Metro News

Making Progress –

Today while I was walking on the treadmill, I actually FELT my stomach muscles working! That may not sound like much, but when you are obese like I was, it’s kind of like your abdomen is a whole different entity from the rest of your body, not moving in relation to the exercise you’re doing – if that makes any sense. Anyway, I could really feel a difference this morning! I felt ‘looser’ and was able to actually hold my stomach in a bit, feeling the muscles move as I walked. Hooray!

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Pexels

I just looked at the U.S. National Weather map for tomorrow and it looks pretty awful for much of the country, with sleet, ice, snow, and super low temperatures through Monday. I hope you get stocked up today so you can just stay where you are until this passes. I hope your power stays on and that you have water. I’m trying to send warm in your direction. You’ll be in my thoughts. Take care.

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Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Javier Lazaro – @lazaroillustrations.bsky.social

Isn’t the movement in this wonderful?

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Latest painted sketch.

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Tenor

This morning I learned something new about my computer. I was charging my keypad and track pad. I’ve done this over and over and haven’t had any problem. This morning when I tried to remove the charging cable from my keypad, my computer screen suddenly went almost black. I – the most far removed from a techie – almost panicked. I contacted my son, Brian, by text and carefully explained what I was trying to do and what happened. He asked me if I could see the ‘sunshine’ icons on the F1 and F2 keys on the keypad. When I said, ‘yes,’ he told me to press the F2 button several times and see if the screen got brighter. To my intense relief, it DID! So now I know that the F1 and F2 keys make my computer screen lighter or darker, and that the F10 key mutes sound, F11 turns down the volume, and F12 turns it up. I’m empowered!!!!

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Freepik

I’m still a bit overwhelmed by my new jigsaw puzzle. I’m one piece away from having the outside edge together now, and several bunches of things put together, but my usual techniques aren’t working very well yet. I’m putting on my ‘methodical hat’ and continuing to work my way through things, trying to make sense of it. This may be my most challenging puzzle yet! 🧩

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Painting to Gogh

I’m finishing up the humongous sketchbook I started about 6 months ago. I feel that I have learned a lot by trying to draw what I see. I have 5 more pages before this one is filled up. I have a new one ready to start. Here’s hoping that when I compare the new sketches with the old, I’ll see some improvement…

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I hope 2026 has had a peaceful start for you.

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