family, sketches, and the wheel

This past weekend my sister-in-law, my niece, and my greatniece from Portland came to Wharton to visit. They came in Friday late afternoon from Crosby, about a two hour drive from here, where they had been visiting my sister-in-law's mother. It was really nice to see Kathy, Megan, and to meet Mabel who is just three years old and just the cutest thing.

My sister's daughter who lives in Katy came out for dinner Friday night and Saturday, my daughter and the twins came out to visit since they don't get to see this part of the family very often. It was a very girlie get together with my husband being the only male.

So of course we did the shops on the square. And, of course I bought more stuff to make totems. On top of the huge amount of pieces I got at the last estate sale. You'd think I'd have cleaned this little town out by now of items within my price range. And there is another estate sale this Friday. These totems seem to have become something of an obsession so maybe I'll try to sell some in the shop or else everyone is getting a totem for their holiday gift.

Last week I started on the compositional sketches for the small animal hospital that they are not building, it is already built, but are remodeling the front facade. I have two directions...formal groupings like family portraits and arrangements of heads. I'm sort of liking the heads best but then I've only done one sketch in the portrait style.

Yesterday morning, even though it is still just so hot (in the 90s all this week) after the little cool down from the rain last week, I walked out into the Little Backyard to see the bottom row of leaves on the plumerias had turned completely yellow overnight and the tallow is starting to drop a few red/orange/yellow mottled leaves and the altheas, even though they are blooming sort of half heartedly, are sporting tired and yellowing foliage. 

All signs that the wheel is turning. I imagine the pampas grass will be blooming soon if not already. These little signs that summer is winding down are soothing to my mind if not my body.