Chinco de Mayo; Bits & Pieces

Another fire this morning in Accomack County, Virginia - this one in Melfa, on US 13 (aka the Lankford Highway). .... Queen Elizabeth II walked out of the London hospital she had been admitted to - in a bright red dress, and under her own power. She will begin her scheduled appearances again on Sunday. .... With all the hype about a huge, heavy and wet snow storm in Washington, DC, most Federal offices were closed down yesterday. The snow never appeared, but a light rain did. So much for the big "Snow-quester" event in the capitol. .... Nederland, however, is expecting 16 inches of snow on Saturday, during the second of three Frozen Dead Guy Days....

  My Mom was born and raised on Chincoteague Island. When I was growing up, the family usually shortened the name to "Chinco" and all concerned knew what we were referring to. Imagine my delight when I saw a headline in the Salisbury Daily Times, followed by the Chincoteague Beacon, that announced: "Chinco de Mayo Planned." Plans for the Museum of Chincoteague Island’s annual fundraiser are well underway. This year’s Chinco de Mayo Celebration and 5x5 Art Show and Sale will be held starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4. Admission will be $5. Food by Bill’s Restaurant will be available, as well as margaritas, beer, sangria and soft drinks. The art show and sale, where all works are 5”x5” and priced at $55, will start promptly at 5:55 p.m. More than 300 people attended last year’s event and purchased more than 80 remarkable original works generously donated by professional and amateur regional artists. Almost all were sold within 15 minutes of the show’s opening. Last year’s show included paintings, photography, ceramics, sculpture and needlework. To be one of the contributing artists to this year’s event, call the museum at (757) 336-6117 and leave your name and number. Your call will be returned as soon as possible. Choose any media and any subject matter — the only restriction is that the work must be 5 inches wide and 5 inches high. If you need a 5”x5” canvas, arrangements will be made to get one to you. Canvases are $5 each. All contributing artists will be admitted to the event at no charge.

  Silly as it sounds, I now find relaxation in coloring books. I use crayons, pastels, and/or colored pencils. There are a lot of challenging patterns and scenes for adults to use... One of my favorites, for both kids and adults, is found on-line: it's a series of English alphabet letters, filled with drawings of things that begin with that letter. If you, or any member of your family might enjoy this, the website is at: http://dailycoloringpages.com/alphabet-letters-to-print/challenging-animal-alphabet These can be down-loaded and printed separately, and are great for kids learning to spell their names...