A Penny for Your Thoughts

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is computer-work-flattened.jpg

Hello

Today we are going to Muse about collecting. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.

Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.

I am being nostalgic today. Recently I was watching a movie and heard “A penny for your thoughts”. It triggered some memories.

During my childhood, with the exception of a few years, I lived in a different state than did my grandparents. Almost every year, however, I would be sent to them for a visit lasting a week or two. I loved those times.

I was very fond of my grandparents, in particular my grandmother. She was formal. I was allowed to call her “Grandmother”. My grandfather was “Grandpa”, but there was no “Grandma”. It was “Grandmother”.

She had been a school teacher and had good way with children. She was thoughtful and caring.

My Grandfather also was formal. I don’t remember ever seeing him without a tie. He was a quiet dour looking man. He was 69 when I was born so, by the time I focused on him, he didn’t have a lot of playfulness left. As a child, I was more guarded with him.

But he was a collector: stamps and pennies.

One day when I was about 10 he took me into a bank and bought $5 worth of pennies, ten rolls. Wow! I had no idea why.

When we got home we unwrapped the pennies and started seeing how many different dates we could find. Grandpa produced a blue book with slots to hold one of each date and mint (S – San Francisco D – Denver and blank – Philadelphia). I was fascinated.

So started my little coin collection. It was something I could do with him every year when I visited. It wasn’t expensive because you only found a few missing pennies and it took time, time we had together.

As you can see, the collection is not complete. I know people who purchase coins from coin collectors to fill their collection. I never have. I always have taken them from circulation. And, over time I have done it less and less.

There was one year I always wanted: 1909. Four different pennies were produced that year: 1909, 1909 S, 1909 VDB and 1909 S VDB.

VDB are the initials of the coin’s designer Victor David Brenner. The S and the S VDB coins are valuable.

When I was about 15, I played Canasta with my Grandmother and a lady friend of hers nearly every night. I talked about wanting to get a 1909 penny, but that they were hard to find. The lady said, “Come on over to my house tomorrow. I think I might have one you can have.” When I got there the next day she pulled out a mason jar filled to the top with 1909 pennies, all four mints. The first year it came out she saved every penny she got in change.

She gave me the 1909 VDB. So I have two of the four.

They are not much to look at now, but . . .

Hey they are 110 years old!

more to come

If you like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is tropical-ballet-thomas-tribby.jpg — COFFEE MUG

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is along-north-county-road-thomas-tribby.jpg

GREETING CARD

I PHONE CASES

Thomas-Tribby.pixels.com is now offering I Phone Cases, Coffee Mugs, Throw Pillows, Greeting Cards, Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Shower Curtains, Duvet Covers , Yoga Mats, Tote Bags,Women’s T Shirts, Men’s T Shirtsand more with reproductions of my artwork. If you want to check them out, here are the steps:

1. Click on this link: thomas-tribby.pixels.com.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..

Have fun.

My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.

Click on: thomas-tribby.pixels.com

****************************************

Books by Thomas L. Tribby Available Click on title below to preview

Works on Paper

On The Waterfront

Impressions of Florida

Works at

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

Click to see

Click to see

Click to See

For information about these or other original works of art, please feel free to contact us:

Please follow and like us:

The Gift

Hello

Today we are going to Muse about portrait painting. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.

Colored text is a link. So is a word underlined in dots like “Musings” in the above paragraph. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.

Birthday

Birthdays are special, a time to celebrate and to anticipate. Jeanette’s is just around the corner . It is also our wedding anniversary so it has double significance.

We have decided to celebrate by playing in a croquet tournament in July up north. However, I wanted to do something tangible before then. My decision was to do her portrait in watercolor.

The lesson

I thought I would show you the process, sort of a miniature lesson in painting.

Watercolor is unique in that light colors are created by using thin applications of paint which allows the whiteness of the paper to create the tint. The painting is built by painting the lightest areas first and continuing to the darkest areas last. And, to create a darker shade the painter can apply multiple layers of glaze using the original color.

Getting Started

So, the first step of course is to set up the work area.

Here you see from left to right, a couple of brushes on paper towels, a strip of paper for testing the color before application, mixing bowels for glazes, a pallette, three jars of water and a spray bottle. Behind the pallette is a jar of brushes.

And now the work

On the left is the stretched paper with the start of the portrait. You can see some of the light sketch. The paper is gray because I have applied a thin wash of blue and brown (which creates gray) to tone it down.

The paper has buckled because it is wet from the application of the wash of color. When it dries, it will shrink and be pulled taut and flat. The process takes time because it is important that each layer is dry before attempting to paint over it. If it is wet the paint may lift and ruin the work.

Once the paper has dried, another wash of the same color mixture is applied but not on the areas that are to remain lightest. As you can see the image begins to build.

And again, the darker areas are covered with the same color mixture creating more definition.

At this point I have introduced a warm color wash, the first of many.

The gray underglaze establishes the basic value pattern, light s and darks. Thin washes of color are beginning to define the face. Areas such as the nose and forehead are not given as many washes as the darker parts of the face.

At this point I began to add burnt umber, raw sienna and a touch of payne’s gray to the hair.

And now green for contrast. Note that the green scarf is created by a thin wash of green over the existing dark and light value underpainting.

The darks are enhanced. Her coat is painted with a mixture of a Indanthrene blue, paynes gray and burnt sienna which reads as black but is much richer. The details of the face are delicately applied using a dry brush technique.

The gift

On a different note:

Told to me by a friend who will remain unnamed:

It had been a long, long day, and John, the truck driver, really wanted to just get home. Living in Washington D.C, he knew traffic would be bad this time of evening, but to his horror, a traffic jam reared ahead of him larger than anything he could have anticipated. Bewildered, since he hadn’t heard anything yet on the news, he stuck his head out and just kept seeing cars slowing down and then driving off. Nothing was moving.

Suddenly, a man knocked on the window. John rolled down the window and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Terrorists have kidnapped the entire US Congress!”
“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed John.
“And they’re asking for a $100 million dollar ransom.”
“Jeez Louise!” moaned John.
“Otherwise, they are going to douse them all in gasoline and set them on fire!”
“Lord have mercy!” cried John.
“We are going from car to car, collecting donations.”
“How much is everyone giving, on average?” asked John.
“About a gallon.”

more to come

If you like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

GREETING CARD

Thomas-Tribby.pixels.com is now offeringCoffee Mugs, Throw Pillows, Greeting Cards, Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Shower Curtains, Duvet Covers , Yoga Mats, Tote Bags,Women’s T Shirts, Men’s T Shirtsand more with reproductions of my artwork. If you want to check them out, here are the steps:

1. Click on this link: thomas-tribby.pixels.com.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..

Have fun.

Click on: thomas-tribby.pixels.com

****************************************

Books by Thomas L. Tribby Available Click on title below to preview

Works on Paper

On The Waterfront

Impressions of Florida

Works at

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

Click to see

The Twist
Click to see

Click to SeeFor information about these or other original works of art, please feel free to contact us:Shortcode

Please follow and like us:

Bang Bang Bang Bang 2019

Hello

Today we are going to Muse about choice. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.

Colored text is a link. Clicking on the text will provide additional information about the subject.

Bang Bang Bang

I wrote about this last year. The problem is still with us.

In 2018 there were 323 mass shootings, shootings in which 4 or more people were injured or killed. In total 387 people were killed and 1274 were injured. Six shootings occurred at school.

In the first four months of 2019 there have been 105 mass shootings, leaving 120 people dead and 387 injured. Nearly everyday we hear about another mass shooting.

Most of these assaults are made using military style long guns with automatic capabilities or automatic pistols with large magazine capacity. These weapons have no legitimate civilian purpose.

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

January 20, 2017 West Liberty, Ohio
January 20, 2017 Seattle, Washington
March 21, 2017 King City, California
April 10, 2017 San Bernardino, California
May 4, 2017 Irving, Texas
September 13, 2017 Rockford, Washington
September 20, 2017 Mattoon, Illinois
November 14, 2017 Rancho Tehama Reserve, California
December 7, 2017 Aztec, New Mexico
January 20, 2018 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
January 22, 2018 Italy, Texas
January 22, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana
January 23, 2018 Marshall County, Kentucky
January 31, 2018 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 1, 2018 Los Angeles, California
February 5, 2018 Oxon Hill, Maryland
February 14, 2018 Parkland, Florida
March 2, 2018 Mount Pleasant, Michigan
March 7, 2018 Birmingham, Alabama
March 9, 2018 Lexington, Kentucky
March 14, 2018 Birmingham, Alabama
March 20, 2018 Great Mills, Maryland
April 20, 2018 Ocala, Florida
May 11, 2018 Palmdale, California
May 18, 2018 Santa Fe, Texas
May 18, 2018 Jonesboro, Georgia
May 25, 2018 Noblesville, Indiana

And it happened in 2016 and 2015 and before and before.

Here in Florida the legislature has passed a bill that will allow certain teachers to be armed. I think that will bring more tragedy.

When asked about the school violence, Oliver North the former president of the National Rifle Association said “If you want to stop the carnage, you aren’t going to fix it by taking away the rights of law-abiding citizens. You have got to fix it in a way that hardens the place sufficient that the kids are safe inside the door. If that means metal detectors, you get five metal detectors”.

Really?

Bang Bang Bang Bang

SYNAGOGUE SHOOTINGS
October 27, 2018 Pittsburg, PA
April 27, 2019 Poway, CA

CHURCH SHOOTINGS
June 17, 2015 Charleston SC
September 24, 2017 Antioch, TN
November 5, 2017 Sutherland Springs, TX

NIGHT CLUB SHOOTING
June 12, 2016, Orlando, FL

MOVIE THEATER SHOOTING
July 20, 2012 Aurora, CO

MUSIC CONCERT SHOOTING
October 1, 2017 Las Vegas NV

The problem is more than a school issue. Do we want metal detectors at our churches, synagogues, mosques, theaters, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping malls, grocery stores and any other place where people gather? Do we want armed guards?

How about the status quo? Shall we just continue to do what we do now?

It is time for a change.

more to come

If you like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

GREETING CARD

1. Click on this link: thomas-tribby.pixels.com.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..

Have fun.

Click on: thomas-tribby.pixels.com

****************************************

Books by Thomas L. Tribby Available Click on title below to preview

Works on Paper

On The Waterfront

Impressions of Florida

Works at

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

Click to see

The Twist
Click to see

Click to SeeFor information about these or other original works of art, please feel free to contact us:

Please follow and like us:

Season Ending

Hello

Today we are going to Muse about the end of season. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.

Once again the winter residents are heading home. It happens each year about this time. Easter seems to be the trigger. Easter comes and people go.

With Easter being so late this year, many people stayed longer than normal. But that is changing. The other day I saw two extra long car transport trucks back to back loading up. I’ve seen several others on different days.

This means change down here: less traffic, less wait and summer restaurant specials. For those of us who live here most of the year its a sad-happy time. Sad to see our friends go, but happy to enjoy the trade-offs.

With the changing of the season comes the rain and humidity. Florida’s rainy season is said to start May 15. This year however, it came early. Like the other parts of the country we have had some severe weather the last several weeks. Each year, during the first week of May, West Palm Beach hosts SunFest, a five day music festival that draws thousands of people: locally, from the Fort Lauderdale area and Miami. This week they had heavy storms daily. Hmm! Those who attended reported that despite the rain and wind it was a great festival.

So, if you are seasonal, I wish you “happy trails”; if you are local, I say “Enjoy the specials”; if you are neither, I say “Come on down. You’ll like it”

On A Different Note

The following was sent to me. I cannot verify it. I do not know if I believe all of it. But, I thought you might find it interesting.

It’s time again for the annual ” Stella Awards”!

For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald’s in New Mexico, where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

That’s right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S.

Here are the Stella’s for this year:

SEVENTH PLACE

Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

————————
SIXTH PLACE *

Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor’s hubcaps.

————————–
FIFTH PLACE *

Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn’t re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count ’em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner’s insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

FOURTH PLACE *

Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the
Stella’s when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next-door neighbor’s beagle – even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner’s fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

———————————–

THIRD PLACE *

Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

————————————-

*SECOND PLACE*

Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000. Oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.

———————————

FIRST PLACE *

This year’s runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver’s seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also, not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner’s manual that she couldn’t actually leave the driver’s seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?

$1,750,000. PLUS, a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

So, what do you think?

more to come

If you like Musings, take a moment and click the sign up button on the side-bar to the right so you will be notified by e-mail when I make a new post.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

thomas-tribby.pixels.com

North County Road GREETING CARD

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is debbie-thomas-tribby.jpg

Debbie GREETING CARD

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is red-ball-thomas-tribby.jpg

Red Ball GREETING CARD

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is lady-in-red-thomas-tribby-1.jpg

Lady in Red GREETING CARD

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is turkey-strut-two-thomas-tribby.jpg

Turkey Strut II GREETING CARD

1. Click on this link: thomas-tribby.pixels.com.
2. Click on one of the categories in the menu bar at the top: Wall Art, Home Decor, Lifestyle, Stationery or Apparel. It will list a number of options.
3. Click on option.
4. Click on image and a sizing slide will open allowing you to adjust the image to the way you like it..

Have fun.

Click on: thomas-tribby.pixels.com

****************************************

Books by Thomas L. Tribby Available Click on title below to preview