0819

August 19, 2022

 In bed at 10, up at 5, 5 pss, 2 Jim Beams.

Kitty's birthday.  Celebration of her life in Surprise, AZ.  Will send a text to Chrissie this morning.

    Texted Chrissie that she and Mikey and her Dad were in our thoughts today.  Got a nice text from Christine Klaer remembering Kitty and what Kitty meant to her, especially in moments of need.  It made me just start to tear up, thinking about what a hole her death has left in my and so many other lives.  Writing each day in this blog is a sorry substitution for the daily morning exchanges Kitty that I had for so many years.  The blog can't talk back but Kitty did.   I feel the loss of her life-friendship with me every time I see something or do something or learn something that would have prompted me to send her a text or a photo, a smart-ass comment or a gripe.  Tried this new soup, take a picture and send it to Kitty.  Soup comes out OK?  Tell Kitty.  Receive photos from Andy on their vacation in Canada?  Forward them to Kitty.  My daily, frequent interlocutor.  My mirror, my sounding board.

    Had some of the cauliflower-bacon soup, or porridge/gruel for lunch.  Actually pretty good, at least for this guy who likes both cauliflower and bacon a lot.

    Spent a bit of time in the basement glazing the Modigliani copies (Young Woman with Black Tie), Munck's Madonna, and a very old Modigliani portrait of Jean Hebuterne I did.  I am starting to get the hang of it, seeing how a thin glaze softens everything under it, including contrast lines.  Blue glaze over the Madonna is a mistake, but live and learn.

    Tried again (how many times?) to use the "Lucy" drawing aid without success.  Covered some old goofy small canvases with gesso to make them maybe usable.

    Ellis was sick last night and so was kept home today.  Geri spent a couple hours with her while David and Sharon tended to work obligations.  

    Whoops!  Just trying to learn how to insert photos in the blog.  Got the faux Modigliani but a couple of VERY old self-portraits, a painting of Micaela, one of Vietnamese women at a market (all hats), and a mocking depiction of a Catholic bishop in miter, chasuble, and bling, with crozier.  I think I may be able to delete the ones other than Woman with Black Tie, but I'll keep them here,  Why not?

    We watched several episodes of Schitt's Creek around dinner time.  I can't help it: I love the series.  The actors are SO over the top, David, Moira, and especially Alexis.