Pain in the Park

It was another busy weekend. I sent Toby off to visit his mom by himself on Saturday, while I went to the Paint in the Park that was sponsored by the CTAC.  It was a fun event and a good exercise in plein air painting. The turnout was not so great, although it was advertised greatly.  I think it is a busy time with graduation and weddings and such.  In Oklahoma if the weather is nice, people are out working in their yards and gardens and doing things that need to be done.  Soon the weather will be too hot to do anything.  Too hot, too cold, too windy, too rainy, too dry, etc. any excuse to not do what needs doing!

The Paint in the Park was a contest – two hours to paint something in the park and to be judged by one person with prize money to be handed out. 

Here is my painting.  Now that I have my painting home and have had time to look it, I can see things that need to be worked on.  My painting was the only finished painting – most paintings were not nearly as finished as mine – I am speedy if nothing else. In fact, the painting that won 1^st place had a long way to go to being finished and was very vague in areas, although it did have potential.  The 3rd place painting was better than the 1^st place – so goes it with judging.  You never know what influences the judge or what the judge will like and dislike.  It is probably best if the judge shows up just in time to judge. In this case, the judge was there at the beginning and walked around visiting and meeting the artist and chatting it up.  Now the judge knows whose painting is whose. So much for not being influenced.  Anyway, here are the paintings that won – from left to right – honorable mention, 3^rd, 2^nd, 1^st place.  You can be the judge now.

After the Paint in the Park, I made a trip to WalMart and then home to start preparing for Bo and family to come over after church on Sunday for a big birthday bash.  We celebrated GBN4 who turned 3 years old a couple of weeks ago along with his mom whose birthday was last week.  Toby cooked a big brisket.  We had cole slaw, potato salad, beans, pico de gallo, quacamole, and a pound cake.  Toby and I spent most of the afternoon and evening preparing food and the house for the get-together.  On Sunday the kids showed up like small whirlwinds.  They devoured the food in record time, and then went out to play in the $10 pool I had bought. They also brought their water guns. It was wild times at the Lazy B!

The kids all left by 5 PM – they were worn out and fussy.  Toby and I were worn out too. We took naps. That is one of the best things about being a grandparent – sending kids home with their parents and being able to rest up after the storm.