27th World Wide Sketch Crawl

We planned to meet at Wolf Pen Creek Park in College Station for the Sketch Crawl Saturday. Friday night, thunderstorms moved in and it was still pouring Saturday morning. So we went to the alternate place to meet, the new IHOP on the east bypass. It was packed and there was a line. No one else showed up for the Sketch Crawl, though, so I sketched, which embarrassed my daughter, who was driving, and my grandson who came along with his mother. They should be used to it, though, because I always do! The above is my title page for this Sketch Crawl. Rain, rain, rain.
You can see other results of the Sketch Crawl from around the world at http://www.sketchcrawl.com/. Go to the Forum. I had to laugh out loud at one. My sentiments exactly! He was alone, too, and it was also raining there. He drew the cutest teddy bear, with a bag and an umbrella in the rain. His watercolors were really good, too.
The next Sketch Crawl is July 31. Maybe we can get a group then. It will be hot, but we can work inside.

It's odd, but, everytime we go to this IHOP, they seat us at the same table. That's okay because we have a view out the windows and of the restaurant. I thought, "How many times am I going to draw these syrup bottles!" Joni had an omlet with some fancy coffee, Ashton had a cheeseburger, and I had my usual, 2 egg yolks, toast, hash browns, 2 little sausages, and strawberry pancakes. More than I can eat. I wondered why some places keep it so cold inside. Just ruins the food as it isn't so good when it gets cold. Sort of like eating a mouthful of cold Crisco. Ashton doesn't like to eat in the morning. He says it makes his stomach hurt. I'm the same way. But I always like breakfast food. And, since college days, I like a good hamburger around 10:00 a.m.
Ashton did prefer this restaurant because he said it is clean.

Whatever happened to crayons and coloring sheets or puzzles for the kids? I have my sketchbook to keep me busy, but poor kids (and adults) who have to sit and wait in restaurants and other places. One little boy at another table was being passed back and forth between his parents. He finally took the straws and used them as drumsticks, banging away on the dishes and table. He wasn't being noisey, but he was moving a lot! you couldn't help but look.

Finally, along came the "Balloon Lady" and made him a balloon tiger to play with. I know everyone was glad to see her! I sketched her as she was making the balloon for the little boy.

She came to our table and made a balloon tiger for Ashton, too, although he is a bit older.
She was so colorful, I wanted to get a picture of her, and hoped I would see many more interesting people to sketch during the day. Love that purple hat!

This is the "Balloon Lady", Alicia D. Caceres, from Spain. I thought she was a very enterprising young lady. She said that she goes to several restaurants in the area, so look for her around Bryan/College Station. She said that she likes to paint, too, so maybe we will see some of her art work.

Since no one else showed up for Sketch Crawl, after breakfast, we went about our normal errands. A kid sat in the back seat of our van and pulled down the seatbelt that we think is for a baby seat. It wouldn't go back up. So, we went by Lithia and they fixed it with a ball point pen! We also had to get them to show us how to work the DVD player.

I noticed a pickup truck and a small van, both with their hoods up, in the auto repair area. They sort of faded into the darkness of the large area. There was a little light, coming through an open door. The contrast of some red orange posts and fencing of one work area, caught my attention. So, while they tended to the car, I sketched. I didn't have much time, but got down what I needed to see to finish as we drove.

In the parking lot at Target, we saw these 2 little girls, each holding the hand of a parent, and walking to their car in a gentle rain. They looked cute with their little umbrellas, their pastel dresses, and little umbrellas. I thought the one with the yellow duck on a blue oval was particularly eyecatching. I loved my parasol and umbrella when I was a little girl. Made me feel like a movie star, all glamorous and grown up as I walked with my great-grandfather.

In late afternoon, as we approached Walmart, the sky seemed divided. The rain stopped and there was a clear division of clouds and blue sky. This seemed to be the back of the storm.

I had hoped that we could start the day, sketching at Wolf Pen Creek Park, and, that afternoon, sketch the preparations for the concert with Roger Craeger that night at the ampitheatre. I thought it would be cancelled due to the ground being saturated. My driver said she wanted to go home, so this was as close as I got to the concert. She drove by and I got to see a lot of people going to the ampitheatre. I was so disappointed. The last good concert that I got to see here was when Bo Diddley came. The family balked at going to that one, too, but, at least, they went for a while. They fumed the whole time, so it wasn't as much fun as it could have been.

We went home and I watched "Last of the Summer Wine", "My Family", and "Dr. Who" on tv while I ate a sandwich and added more color to my sketches of the day.

I tried to add my pictures to the Sketch Crawl website, twice. The first time, it all disappeared when I previewed it. The second time, I only had Xs for pictures. So, if you are looking at my work on the Forum for Sketch Crawl, you can come here, or on Flickr or FaceBook to see them! I hope I can find out what I did wrong!

Join in the 28th World Wide Sketch Crawl July 31!

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Softly Call The Muster

Family Photos

As Aggies gather world wide to remember fallen Aggies, we think of those who are no longer with us.

In the MSC, there has been a display of pictures and memorabilia from the families of Aggies who have died. Now, people are gathering at Reed Arena in College Station, on campus, to participate in the largest of the Aggie Musters. One of the most solemn of Aggie traditions, Aggies gather around the world to observe this occasion.

We will watch Muster on tv and listen for the names of those we might have known.

Top Photo: Emil Conitz Jr. Emil didn't get to attend A&M. His father thought it best for him to go to business school in Galveston although Coach Kyle tried his best to get him to come to A&M to play ball-baseball in particular. They wanted him to play so badly that offers were made. The story is that they even promised to name the football field after him. Since he didn't go, it was named for Coach Kyle. Emil graduated from Galveston Business College, just months before the great 1900 storm. He opened his dry goods store in Calvert in 1901 and operated it until he died. He loved the Aggies, though, and supported them all his life.

On Sundays, family drives often led to campus "to see the boys" and he looked forward to games. H encouraged signs in the store windows, supporting the Aggies as traffic flowed through Calvert on Highway 6.

The photo was taken in his store, when Emil was in his 90s, after the head coach at A&M gave Emil the Aggie cap and an elevator pass so he could be sure and see the games at Kyle Field. They called him the oldest Aggie fan. He was giving a gig em sign for me as I took this picture.

There couldn't have been a more loyal Aggie. I'm sure that he was one who bled maroon. He died at age 96.

Middle Photo- Jamey-"My little Aggie"-

He didn't live long enough to go to college, but we all had hopes that he would be the first to go to A&M and graduate as an Aggie. In this photo, he was dressed in his Aggie sweatshirt and giving an Aggie gig em sign. He died at age 11, after this photo was taken.

Bottom Photo-Alfred Conitz-

Alfred graduated from Calvert High School, just in time for the Depression. The class of 1929. It had not hit yet, but he went to college, and made his father proud by going to A&M. He intended to be a cotton classifier. And he was so proud of being on the freshman football team. But, then, the bottom dropped out of the cotton market, so there went that career. And the Great Depression struck. Other students were dropping out, so Alfred did too, and went to work.

Like his father, though, he was always crazy about the Aggies. He liked the family rides to "see the boys" and played around with the Aggie sayings and traditions. At family dinners, we always thought he was speaking German by asking people to pass the cush or pootie or gunwadden. In recent years, we discovered that we were not learning German at all, but it is what they called food items in the dining hall at A&M! Cush was dressing, Pootie was turkey, gunwadding was bread, sky juice was water, sawdust was sugar, etc. He liked to tease and no one told us younger ones any different.

He kept his wool Aggie uniform. And he backed the Aggies completely. He had his wife and sister in law play favorites on the piano like "There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight" and the "Aggie War Hymn". And woe be unto anyone who talked of anything but the game during the Aggie football games, especially the big Aggie-Texas Thanksgiving Day game.

While he didn't remain at A&M to graduate, he was a loyal Aggie until his death at age 72.

I'm sure that they were never remembered by having their names called at an Aggie Muster, but, surely, they were as loyal as any Aggies can be.

So, on Aggie Muster, I am remembering them.

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It's going to be another memorable Muster at Reed Arena this evening. Robert Gates, Defense Secretary and former president of A&M is going to be here along with other dignitaries. The candle lighting and roll call, and the Ross Volunteers marching in the darkness is always amazing.

You can watch on KBTX tv and also KAMU tv.

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Watch the storks!

http://www.bociany.edu.pl/

They had 5 eggs in the nest, the last time I checked. Unfortunately, there are 2 plastic bags in the nest, that those of us who have been watching the storks are concerned about. Hope someone can get those out before they harm the parents or babies.

Look on my sidebar under Stork Sites to see more stork sites. They are fascinating!

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Calvert is getting ready for their big spring tour of homes April 25. A lot of free things going on there including music and a street dance at night. There will be a quilt show. Several descendants of figures from Texas history will be there on Friday night for a presentation and there will be a tour of homes. You will need tickets for those two events.

The weather is supposed to be perfect, so be sure to go to Calvert and enjoy the weekend.

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If you like the tv program, "Last of the Summer Wine", you might enjoy this website.

http://www.lastofthesummerwine.net/index.html

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This is also a solemn day in Texas history. It's San Jacinto Day. There are observances being held for that memorable time. On FaceBook, the Sam Houston group page told about observances recognizing that historic battle in the Houston area. This is the battle, after the Alamo, that turned the tide for Texas Independence, when the Texas Army defeated the Mexican army and captured Santa Ana.

There is an impressive monument, the San Jacinto Monument, which we toured as students in Calvert-many years ago. If you haven't been, you should make it a point to go. The Battleship Texas is also on display there.

A day of rememberance.

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Happy Days / Sad Days

Top Photo

Happy Birthday, Thelma!

Bottom Painting

They're so Pretty in Calvert

16" x 20"

Acrylic

It's a sad time, and a happy time.

First, the happy time is because of birthdays. Happy Birthday to Thelma today. Her picture is above from back in the 1940s. I remember those jodphurs! Irvin's birthday would have been this week, too. Lots of birthdays and holidays close together in this family.

It's a sad time because several people have died.

Last weekend, we lost Kathy Staff, who played Nora Batty on "Last of the Summer Wine", one of my favorite programs. I loved watching Nora and the ladies having coffee, and even Nora's hats and wrinkled stockings. The program has some lovely scenery in England, soothing, cheerful music, and some fun characters. The characters remind me of Calvert. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7782250.stm .

Next, I learned of the death of one of our classmates, Walter. I have such great memories of the times when we were all growing up in Calvert. It is always so hard to lose our classmates, since we spent so much time together in our small class . I looked at my classmates, more like brothers and sisters, especially since I didn't have brothers.

I think that you could compare some of our lives to that in the movies, "The Little Rascals" and "Our Gang". I heard a historian say that he grew up like in those movies. I thought, "I did too!"

My deepest sympathies to Walter's family. I'm sure that this is a very sad time for them.

I also learned of the death of another CHS graduate, Keen. He was a little older than I am, but I remember him in a sailor suit, and a picture of him in his sailor suit that his mother had. My mother and his mother visited a lot. His mother was so proud of him. I remember his dad, too. I found the obituary in the Waco Tribune Herald online this morning.

I thought I might draw an angel for Walter, but it wasn't happening. Instead, I started a sketch of the time that Walter and Taylor were sitting on the front row in Mrs. Brannon's English class. I can't remember who else was sitting on that row. I am thinking that Alfred was on the end by the windows. I remember that both boys had watches that seemed really large on their wrists. Mrs. Brannon got really mad about our class giggling about something, or talking, or making noise, that day. I can't remember exactly what it was. I do recall that we did all kinds of things to not have to read what we thought were embarrassing passages, and, if anyone did consent to read those things, they were "giggled at", and either blushed or rushed through it so fast you could barely understand what they said. Some of those embarrassing literary works included "Macbeth" and "Romeo and Juliet". They were pretty risque in places. We were so naieve.

The class, especially the boys, since they were bolder and there were more of them, were having trouble being nice, quiet, serious students that day. Mrs. Brannon had enough and had warned us a few times. She may have even already sent someone to the office.

The silliness happened again. Mrs. Brannon walked over to the blackboard, gripped her yardstick in her hand, and pursed her lips. She swung that yardstick over the heads in the first three rows! Everyone ducked, and that just made the boys giggle that much more. Eventually, they stopped when they realized that Mrs. Brannon was really angry. Those of us further back, ducked, too! We didn't know what might happen! That yardstick could fly over and hit us too, we imagined. And we didn't know how long Mrs. Brannon's reach was.

Despite the yardstick overhead, those boys still just looked at each other and grinned. The teacher's obvious anger, didn't subdue them a lot.

Mrs. Brannon had used the yardstick to shake at us before, but she had never swung it over our silly heads before. I'm sure that some of us were not acting up to begin with. We always behaved ourselves, in fear, if nothing else. We sure didn't want a trip to the office, but some of the boys didn't seem too upset when they were sent. They probably quit giggling when the board hit their pants! It didnt' happen often, of course.

My little sketch has started out with Taylor and Walter, and their big watches, with Mrs. Brannon looming over them with a yardstick extended. I'm not happy with the drawing, though. I was having a lot of trouble connecting lines, etc. I think it is because I was working too small in a sketchbook. And I have Mrs. Brannon really huge compared to the boys and the desks! Doesn't look like her at all!

Now, you have to know that Mrs. Brannon was a sweet lady, not inclined to violence at all. And an excellent teacher. And we knew that we had to behave in all our classes, including English. I don't think that she ever paddled, but she would send any unruly student to the office. And they would take care of things, there. Supposedly, the offender got more of the same, or worse, at home.

Instead of an angel, I am sharing an acrylic painting I did of some robed figures. They are standing in the street beside what was Conitz Dry Goods Store on Main Street, at night, after most people had gone home for the day. They are looking up, excited by the beautiful lights in the sky. UFOs? Angels?

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Keep in mind the 21st World Wide Sketch Crawl Saturday January 10. Want to come draw, paint, journal, or even doodle with us? Let me know, or get with a group where you are. Or, you can even start your own group. See the website for more information. http://www.sketchcrawl.com/ Or you can just click on the logo in my sidebar, and that will take you to the site. Look under 21st sketch crawl, then under Forums to find a group near you. Or just groups that are in interesting places.

This time, you can order a t-shirt with the logo and a cute pencil on the sleeve. It isn't required, since the Sketch Crawl is free, but it is just something different to wear. Those are available through the website.

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Speaking of t-shirts, look on Virginia Vaughan's blog and see some of the neat t-shirts that she has designed. You can order those through her, too. http://www.vvaughan.blogspot.com/

Also, look at the information about the workshop she is doing in Calvert February 21. She has more on her website at http://www.v-vaughan.com/ . You can contact me at grannyc_54@yahoo.com for a supply list and information.

Please share with others who might be interested.

This workshop will be on Saturday, and she will still be there, to paint with the group on Sunday morning. She won't be teaching on Sunday, but we will be painting for fun. So, if you aren't local, you might want to make plans to stay for at least one night.

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While you are thinking of sending out Christmas wishes, you might keep in mind our wrongly imprisoned border agents, Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos. And their families.

If you are so inclined, you might call the White House (202)456-1111,and the Office of the Pardons Attorney (202)616-6070 and your senators, (For us, it is Hutchison and Cornyn) and do what you can to get those men released. Those in power should not be having such a fancy Christmas as long as these men are being held the way they are. If they can pardon a turkey, drug dealers and other criminals, then why not these men who never belonged in prison to begin with. We hope that these men and their families will be able to have a great Christmas together.

You can send cards and letters to Ramos and Compean, too. There is also an organization called Grassfire that is trying to free them.