This painting has it’s real beginning about a year ago when goood friend Cindy is touring South America and snaps a picture of this fruit and vegetable stand in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is taken by the stong colors and thinks Marilyn might like to paint something like this. When we all get together in May Cindy shows Mar the picture and tells her the story behind it. Fast forward to December, when we were in Jojoba Hills she prints a couple of copies of the picture, attaches them to her easel and begins her creation
One day in early january she tells me that this one is a real challenge and she is building the store and then will stock the shelves and the baskets with the produce.
The project got put away for a couple of weeks while we were at Quartzite but yesterday it came back out and was completed in the gorgeous Arizona sunshine.

We have a new painting drying in our basement. What you are seeing is Marilyn’s take on the Snoopy on the dog house thing that we all grew up with. Here he’s out on the lawn and maybe weathered a bit from the original but it still gets my memory machine going. How about you?

Told Ya So!

I could tell by the look in her eyes that this would be a painting some day soon.

I know you’ll think I’m biased but I think she nailed this one.

I know, I know, you want to be an artist too. Marilyn started with a fascination with jigsaw puzzles. She used to blow these things away in seconds. Here’s a picture of a  banna split we enjoyed last summer.  Now it’s a jig saw puzzle for you.
Let’s see who has the stuff to become a world famous artist. Post your time on Comments if you want.

Remember way back in February 2009? We were on the east coast of Mexico, up near Progresso and went to a little town called Celestun on the Yucatan peninsula

This town is famous for it’s Flamingos.

Since that date more than 2 years ago, Marilyn has always wanted to paint a flamingo. So here finally another “mission accomplished”

You’ll be able to see this painting, and may others at the  Grimsby Festival of the Arts. click here  September 10 in Grimsby.

That’s “37″ for those of us who don’t “do” Roman numerals, For all of us it’s a painting of a Sunflower, the “official flower of Altona Manitoba”.

You may recall we stopped in Altona to visit Glen and Myrna  last October on our way west. Yeah, I know,  we visited them again in San Antonio,  Texas. So sorry, they like to party and on occasion Mar & I don’t mind joining in ourselves. They are fun folk  Myrna, in her “summer job”works for Friesens. While taking us on a tour of  her workplace Myrna gave Mar a book that their company had produced about Altona. For my sweetheart the highlight of that book was pictures of sunflowers; hence this painting.

See the honey bee in the top right corner of the painting;  see how she’s ready to do what the  birds and bees do?

Who knew my wife painted that kind of stuff?

I was talking to our son Jason the other day and he was telling me how much fun they are having with their son Aiden  at the local park. Now that brings back some memories.

Later we had a visit from our daughter Pamela and her fiance James. They are all about the final plans for their wedding now less than 9 weeks away.

A little later still Mar and I take the dogs for a walk around 50 Point and see Mr & Mrs Goose out for a stroll with their family.

So what’s this all mean you ask?

Beats me, maybe let’s just put it down to random thoughts coming together.

If you are out and about in the Niagara region this weekend drop in to the Thorold Arts and Crafts Fair. It runs from 10 to 4 both Saturday and Sunday. You’ll catch it at the Thorold Arena at 70 Front St. North in downtown Thorold.

Marilyn would love to see you.

So I come home after a hard day at work to find a party going on.

Seems  the whole park is still a little wet from all the rain we’ve had lately, our site is the driest (relatively speaking) and it’s Friday afternoon so just like mushrooms after a rain, up pops a happy hour. Looks like even Angel is having a good time.

Marilyn has taken advantage of the crowd and set up her Art display as a “dress rehearsal” for her show at Thorold next weekend.

It was such a gorgeous evening that a group of us sat outside til almost Gringo midnight (9 pm), something we haven’t been able to do until now thanks to our crappy weather we have all had this spring.

One day, back in February when we were still in Mexico, we we were in Coppella with Bob & Marjorie. You remember Copella, that’s the old mining, mountain town famous for their architecture and  great cream pies.

As we walked through the cobblestone streets of the village, Marilyn suddenly grabbed the camera out of my hands, dropped back and snapped a couple of pictures. Now you see why.

Don’t you just love the Bougainvilleas?

You can see this picture and many more of her favorites and even visit with the artist at the Thorlod Arts and Crafts Show, May 28 and 29 at the Thorold Arena.

It’s be a great chance for us all. Someday we’ll all be able to tell the great grand children that we knew her way back when she was just getting her start.

Want to  see more of Mar’s art?  Check out her website: www.marilynvanstone.com.

Just tell her Larry sent you.

We’ve been here at 50 Point for a week now. The grass is greening, the trees are budding and the snow is disappearing. All are true signs of a Canadian Spring I would say. You can see how much snow was left at 8:30 this morning with a temperature just above freezing. The question is; When will it be gone? I’m thinking I should get a pool going. I was going to guess 3:15 but it’s really starting to warm up out there, now I think I’m going to go 1:07. Winner may get a beer.

New Wife, Sort Of:

Yesterday morning my lovely lady went to her appointment at Marine Land, thanked them all very much for all the fun she’s had the last couple of years and said she wasn’t coming back. By yesterday afternoon she was telling all who would listen that she is an Artist.  The rest of us  already knew that  but now we are all on the same page. Put another way, I am married to unemployed trailer trash with paint all over her nose. We’re going to have a fun summer.

Political Comment:

Any of us who have been near the US/Mexico border have been blown away by the hundreds, no thousands of Home Land Security vehicles we see going back and forth. You wonder how many Billions they go through every month protecting us from spanish speaking women and children. All this as their older northern cities rot out from the inside out.

Now the Director of the FBI admits that the FBI has not solved a single crime in 10 years (read the article)

As a casual observer of life in the US this revelation makes this Canadian boy one happy fella. I constantly marvel at how  inept and ineffective  our politicians are. Now I think our neighbors to the south have even more to be concerned about then us. It’s a small comfort, but a comfort none the less.

Thankyou. I appreciate the read.

It’s either that or: Inspite of us they all turned out great!

We haven’t seen the Toronto kids since early October, 2010. It’s been a long, long time but today was the day. As we were on our way home from a great day catching up with them all we both agreed that we certainly missed them and they missed us too but they are all doing just fine with out us. For the past few years we have felt that our job as parents was done and we done good. Now we can enjoy them as equals and friends and thats a job we’ll both enjoy.

We’ll see them all again next Saturday when we are back in Toronto for the Harry Rosen Spring Run Off  and yes, there’s still time to pledge if you want.

We made a mistake!

Marilyn thought she had been invited to apply to the Grimsby Art Show, that happens this September. Today we got a copy of the letter and read it carefully. She has been invited to participate in the 2011 show. So she is now in 2 art shows this summer; Thorold (Niagara Falls) in May and Grimsby in September.  When you approach our Casa Rodante I must warn you: 

 CAUTION: WATCH OUT FOR FLYING PAINTS AND  BRUSHES.