Sunday we went with Alexis and Joe to Newport on the Oregon Coast, for her birthday lunch. It was a stormy day, with wind gusts in the 50mph range. The rain was coming down at an angle, I even succeeded in slipping on wet grass so spent the day with soaked Levis, it was a perfect day.

Any day is a good day when you get oysters. These all came from the Oregon coast and they are good, yet… I still like the Puget Sound oysters the best.

Provence is famous for its ubiquitous olive trees, Oregon has hazelnuts – second only to Turkey in the production of the crunchy delights. With Alexis driving I was free to do a sketch.

Back in the comfort of our apartment I painted a bit of the storm.

We did a lot of sorting of things we brought down from Mukilteo, it is looking good. Then on Tuesday a slight discomfort in my mouth turned into agony. I was able to get in to a dentist on Wednesday afternoon and thankfully the filling and the antibiotics have kicked in and I am pain free again.

If you have never framed your sketches you should give it a try, even a simple sketch looks elegant in a frame. We visit what the Brits call “charity shops” to buy cheap ones since frame stores are so expensive. Here is the painting I posted earlier but in a frame I had on hand.

It is good to be back home where we can cook, Tricia made one of my all time favorites, risotto with grilled scallops. I have eaten risotto all over the world, and some has been superb, yet Tricia’s is as good as any I have had, and better than the majority. Yesterday she made veggie stock, so that means risotto is coming again soon, I can’t wait. (Be sure to check out her blog this week on funny signs, it will make you smile.)

Today we are joining with a multitude of other people in the country to boycott buying anything, unless it is absolutely a necessity and even then it would be with cash at a local, non-chain, shop.

We are grateful for so much: our travels, our friends and family, and where we live – all keep me from the despair that the daily onslaught of news can deliver. I hope you are doing well, keep on sketching, or maybe take it up. Capturing the moment is still one of the best things. If you want a copy of my little PDF book on getting started just let me know, c’est gratuit.