Under Lavender Skies

Is it National-Know-Your-History week?  Nope, but I am going to write about history anyway!  I think history is so interesting, I have really enjoyed learning about the past, all the terrible and beautiful.  The most talked about seems to be terrible but that can be expected.    I have decided to add a monthly history segment to my blog.  My goal is to talk about lesser-known times in history, I am not going to be writing about WWII with you, that would be silly.   I am going to start with what happened on November 20, 1969.  Established in San Francisco was an organization called the Indians of All Tribes.  Their meeting place burned in 1969 so the group had to find a new place to meet.  Before we go any further I would like to give a bit of a back story to the state of things for Native Americans at the time.  It was not good, in the 1960s the Native Americans were the nation's highest poverty minority rate.   On November 20th, 1969 the Indians of All Tribes Indians re-claimed th

The hardest part of writing my blog posts is coming up with the ideas.  I have slowly started working earlier instead of the day before.  Somehow, even when I write it the day of, I still write something to post.  To be completely honest there is not much of a process for my blog posts.  I just have an idea and write about it.  I constantly have a mental file tucked into my head that is always running and looking for post ideas.  In that way, the process is constant and continual.   Blog posts  It seems I always stare at a blank document for a few moments before I can collect my words.  if I am writing about something sequential or where I am talking about a list of things for example my post about books or art, I always start by making that list.  Then I write a bit about each thing if I am having a hard time finding what to write I will just write something short because I know I am going to come back to it anyways.   Short Stories  I have never written any sort of outline for my sto

Today I wanted to share a bit of the art I have worked on this year.  This is not all of the art I have finished but here are some of my favorite pieces.   If you have seen my post about oil painting and acrylic paints then you have already seen this one.  This piece is my first large oil painting, I started it early this year in an art class.  I was only able to work on it once a week during class for a while which is why it took me so long.  I loved painting these clouds and learning the way of the clouds along with the way of the oil paints.                                      I decided to start with all three oil paintings that I want to show.  This painting is much smaller and it is the second portrait that I have painted with oils.  The first really was just a test, an experiment to me, so I have not included it on the list.  This painting was so much fun, I loved working on a darker skin tone and the hair as well.  I have decided to call this painting "Curly".  

Today I am going to talk about all the books I read in July.  This month I didn't read as many books as I have in past months but I read and listened to a good amount and variety of books in a month.  Don't worry there will be no spoilers!    (I read more than three but all the others were audiobooks so they are not in the picture!) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Finished June 29  Rating: 4/5 I decided to include this book even though I read it just before July.  This is the first Agatha Christie book I read and I really liked it.  Here is a quote from the description on Goodreads: " Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer."  Detective,  Hercule Poirot must identify the murder.  Agatha Christie is brilliant with this book, and I would be very impressed to know if anyone guessed who the murderer was- I did not

Happy Monday everyone!   I wrote another short story!  After the story, you will find some interesting facts so stick around for that.   Enjoy the story! “Walking and walking, it feels like I have been walking for hours,” Ralphie said to himself as he carefully set each padded black paw over each rock and crack in the road and continued moving forward.  He looked up, but quickly away again from the blinding sun that was reflecting off of a tin garbage can.   “Am I ever gonna find my momma again?” Ralphie thought and let out a little meow that sounded like a soft and strangled cry that rose up from the bottom of his throat.  He was in an alleyway, the same alley way he was born in when, somehow, he got separated from his mother and his sisters.  “I am trying to be fierce and brave,” he thought, “ but I am not like my sisters, they are much braver than me. “ Soon, however, little Ralphie would realize that he was brave.  Brave by simply putting one paw in front of another.   Soon Ralph