Watercolor

My latest watercolor. Judy had mentioned soaking the paper, and so I tried it on this one. It was so much fun. I read an article about watercolor, that said one bad stroke done with confidence will turn out better than a dozen precisely placed timid ones. So Rachel's face was created with about six quick confident dark shadows.

Tuesday in the ER

So tonight when I got home from the grocery store... the table saw was sitting in the driveway. As I got out I could see the blood drying on the cement. Yep. Paul had sawed the tip of his thumb off. Bo had helped him pour peroxide on it and tape it up, but I when I said, "shall we go get stitches?" He agreed. Wasn't happy about it, but knew he needed to. So... they put a few tack stitches on there to see if it will take... but they were not very optimistic.

Birthday...

Birthday Celebration

Gretchen is still with us

Gretchen may have quit blogging when Brooks was born... but she is obviously still out having a goodtime. Well as good a time as you can have with a breast pump in-tow. Caught Aaron and Gretch with a mouth full of George's White wings. For those of you not fortunate enough to have eaten at George's lately, White wings are a slice of jalapeno and cheese, wrapped in swatch of chicken breast, wrapped in bacon and deep fried till crispy. YUM.

Did Mickey Dolenz have a son?

For those of you old enough to remember "The Monkees"... Clay Walker looked suspicously like Mickey Dolenz.

Forty-Eight is Great!

It's my birthday! yea! I hope you can't detect the feigned enthusiam. I shouldn't say that, cause I am thrilled to be alive. Last night was so nice, friends, family and FREE VIP tickets to a concert. Complete with FREE grub and beverages! The Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo Kick-off Concert featured Clay Walker. The opener was Dave Alexander. He was more my style. Bob Wills Country Swing Band ish. Complete with brass section.

Farley came in Friday night, so it was complete. Becky, Sandra, Paul and a new friend Kevin. Taylar and Cory from work joined us later. The VIP tickets afforded us up close parking, George's catered finger foods, and open bar. They tables were set up on the dirt floor of the rodeo arena. It was casual, and wall to wall Stetsons is never bad.

Longhorns

Isn't he pretty. Paul and turned off Hiway 6 towards the east, about halfway between Clifton and Valley Mills. This bunch was just hangin' out waiting to have their photos taken. It was a nice afternoon.

Bosque Conservatory

Today Paul and I are headed to Clifton, TX. Home to the Clifton Seven. This is the first day of an art show. There are two painters in the show, that I am so excited to see their work. Lance Hunter and Don Weller. I personally love watercolor, and these guys have what I want. I can't wait to see their work in person.
http://www.bosqueconservatory.com/newgalleryview.aspx?type=&year=2008&cat=Watercolor
Above is the link if you are interested in "Jill Bukowski's" heroes.

I haven't picked up a paint brush since Jason's accident. To be quite honest. I'm a little scared to. Don't know why... just am.

The Patio

 

When I was growing up this patio was the place to be. We sat out there all the time. Becky and I would rearrange the patio furniture and pretend. Back then there was a huge tree back behind there with a rope swing. Under the tree was a tree stump about 3ft. high and about a yard across. We would stand on the stump and swing across the grass to the next flat surface... trying to avoid falling into the alligators.
Sitting on this patio still is one of my favorite things in this world.

2nd Cousins

 

This my friends would have made Jason extremely happy. He never got to see these two play together. And believe me, he knew the importance of this simple connection. Cousins... playing.

Rough Weekend

 

Today we buried my precious nephew Jason. The desire to keep driving, and not stop in Farwell at the church was a feeble attempt at making it all not true. I can't say it wasn't tough, but I can say that this was the best funeral I have ever been to. If we all could only be so lucky. What a send off. I guess a lot depends on the person that has passed. The relationship they had with the Lord, and the relationships they had with the folks left behind. Jason lived, loving life. He made sure that everyone, even the men in his life knew that he loved them.
I wish you all could have known him. What a goof ball. I watched him grow up and was always amazed at how he turned out. It was like he picked up a little bit of everyone in the family and then twisted it... really twisted it...or exagurated it. I loved him dearly and will miss him.

His beautiful, strong wife Irene was an inspiration. She will be okay. Jason knew she would be okay. The survivor in her is attractive. Perhaps knowing him will allow her to be goofy occasionally, and embrace that gene in her youngest. Victor and Joesph are the jewels in Jason's crown.

As with all funerals we cherished the gathering together. My Aunt Happy came down from Cortez. She is 91 and still someone that the entire family desires to be near. She was my father's sister, and married my mom's brother. So she is as close to me as you can get without being a parent. Jason was one of her boys. He would go up to Colorado and cut wood for her, or do chores. He always was ready to help her.

Bittersweet

Sunday Morning. I write this as I wait for everyone else to wake. Slept good, but the moment I wake up the reality of why I'm hear closes in. Jason would have been in the big middle of all these folks, with a trail of kids following him. He, the Pied Piper would have been putting the big ones in charge of the little ones so that "no man was left behind". We have enjoyed seeing each other. Laughing and re-telling. My Aunt Happy arrived yesterday afternoon and with her son and daughter-in-law. So so good to see them. I watch as Judy trys to make everyone comfortable around her. She doesn't want to dwell on Jason too long or she will loose it. Don, bless his heart can hardly finish a sentence. He is just counting the minutes..seconds..playing that loop over and over in his head. The what ifs.
Today we will see Irene and the Boys. I hope that I hold it together. Last night I was trying to come up with an antidote about Jason, that everyone could appreciate...

Jason did not value earthly things. His wife, sons, nephews..family, his friends were what mattered most. That does not mean he did not know the exact blue book on everything that rolled and what he could trade it for.

Heard yesterday that there were people in Irene and Jason's house..which was kind of eerie since the road was still muddy and mostly impassable. It was the Mennonite women from the area...cleaning and washing. What a true blessing those folks are.

Bigger Than Life... I'll miss you Jason

 

Tonight my sister called and asked me to pray. My nephew Jason had gone out to help someone that was stuck in the mud. They found the tractor...still driving, but no Jason. I prayed. Believe me I prayed. This time the Lord had something different in mind. We lost our Jason Douglas Crume on September 11. Some how the tractor ran over him.
When I was growing up I spent every summer with my older sister. She was 18 years older, married and settled. I was a teenager when she had Jason. He had the blondest curls you ever saw. I was very blonde at the time also. It gave me such a thrill for people to mistake me for his mother. He grew into a strapping young man. Outgoing, friendly, always right, Quirky.. you bet. But in all the right ways. He was a lot like my dad when it suited him. He could squeeze a dime till it turned to 15 cents.

Jason leaves behind his precious wife Irene and two sons. Victor and Joe. My heart aches for their loss. My heart aches for my sister and brother-in-law. Casey, his sister and her sons. My heart aches ...

Experiment in color

 

I have been wanting to get more color into my watercolors...so tonight I looked at Ken Hosmers website and got some inspiration before starting on this little bulldog. I may have gotten TOO much inspiration. But it was fun. I just need to practice.

Double Take

 

I had to do a double take when I saw the photo on the left. I thought it was Lacey. When I showed it to JaiceyBelle and asked her who it was...she thought it was her momma too. WOW... she does look like me.

Watercolor Weekend

I piddled in my watercolors again this weekend. Would love to have the time to do it more. Would love to have a place to leave it out....and just paint a little everytime I walk by.