The last week has been mostly visiting and painting for me, with a little bit of work thrown in.

There was Amy & Nora's birthday on Saturday, and visiting Aunt Eve in Ansonia on Sunday.

At the party on Sat, I told someone I was going to visit my Aunt in Connecticut the next day.  They asked where.  I said Ansonia.  They said "No, where?"  I said "Ansonia".  So the next day I was calling Beba "Aunt Sonia" all day which only I seemed to find funny.  But I think I found it funny enough for everyone else and was laughing all day.

In Ansonia we ran into Dave, who is Sammy's nephew.  He ran into us really I guess.  We were coming back from dinner and he walked up to us as we were getting out of the car and introduced himself as a neighbor.  Nobody knew him but finally someone mentioned he looked like Sammy, and he was like "Yeah, I'm Sammy's nephew Dave".  So we visited with him for several hours which everyone enjoyed.  He was very sociable which was welcome since we frequently devolve to sitting in front of the TV and talking mostly on the commercials when it's just family.  I guess we talk more earlier in the day then by evening it's just ahh, ready for bed.  But not quite time yet.  What's on channel 8?  Pass the popcorn.

Here's a few pictures from Sunday.  Dave is the one with the moustache.  The rest of us you probably know if you've read this far into the story...



I've been painting a lot in the rest of my spare time.  I finished my second portrait, and then went back and repainted my take on a scream after Munch's since I was reminded of it after seeing a story about Munch's being stolen the other day.  Then I finished a painting (which was barely started before) which was a scene at Virginia Beach at night where there was a big sign "NO!" going onto the beach, with a list of alll the prohibited things in very very small print.

I should tell the story of that painting and put a photo, but since I haven't taken the photo I'll just tell the story.

Actually I'll tell a tangentially related story instead since it's more entertaining.

Maybe somewhat less than a year ago I was asking Nora to read me something.  I siad "What does it say Nora?  Can you read it to me?"  It must have been a book or something.  She looked at it and was obviously trying to figure out what it said.  Then I guess she couldn't figure it out so she made some stuff up.  She said "It says 'No talking, and No running and No playing and No yelling and No throwing things and No fun and NO NO ... IT SAYS NO CHRIS!!!" or something similar to that and ending with 'It Says NO CHRIS!!!".

So when I was finishing up the painting I thought of Nora quote end quote reading me the story of NO.

And it was verry funny.

Happily ever after.


PS:  The sign at Virgina Beach was very simliar to what she imagined adults wrote down.  I was thinking how come there's always signs that say "NO" and never any signs that say "YES" with lists of things you are allowed to do?  I told Beba and she pointed out that advertisements say yes and green lights say yes and blah blah.  She spoiled my fun.  I don't think _I've_ ever seen a sign that says YES even if she can describe a hundred of them in three minutes flat.