Dear Family, Friends, and Diary,
It's been a couple of weeks since the small diary about our small visit to Los Gatos, and not much has happened since. But, thinking about putting down a record we might want years from now, what should I record?
Marianne keeps up her art work. On the right, is an exercise from one of her on-line courses. Below are two pieces she has just had accepted for a juried show at Scarab Gallery. Shows, no matter how big or small, always are a time to focus. The pieces will hang from next week through March, in case you are interested.
The art career was slowed a bit this month by surgery prep, execution (on the 3rd), and recovery. We are looking forward to this being the end of the elephant in the room.
My activity has been quiet, way too quiet. My only photographs have been of puzzles, colorful but documenting a pretty uneventful life right now. Oh well, we do the best we can.
Puzzles are the closest we get to foreign travel.
This recreation of an old paint-by-numbers proved impossible;
one of only two or three
1,000 piece puzzles I have actually given up on.
This is the month's favorite - colorful and not terribly difficult.
I am still set on another electric car: the efficient, three-wheeled development product called "Aptera" and I spend way too much time following developments. Hoping to get delivery earlier rather than later, I shifted to the "Launch Edition", a standardized version planned for 2024 production. (Marianne still hates the look of the vehicle, but I am hanging in.)
The company has also started the "Aptera Accelerator Program" whereby people investing $10,000 can qualify for the first 2,000 Launch Editions. The idea is to get enough company funding to go ahead with the expensive step of first production. At least two other electric car ventures failed in the last few weeks, so success is not guaranteed. This is too much risk for our retirement situation, but I hope enough others will jump in with their money and the company succeeds in this novel approach to financing.
My other distraction is the war in Europe. Every day I go to TV and YouTube news to learn the latest developments in Ukraine's fight against Russian invaders. In the last several weeks, the war has bogged down into trench warfare more appropriate to fighting a hundred years ago - or a thousand. Hundreds are maimed and dying daily. Currently, neither side can win, but neither is willing to lose.
With that, my diary record of where we stand is done. Hopefully, the next story will be of exciting travel and new experiences. Maybe.
Stay tuned,
John and Marianne