u/Current_Sea1239

I hate to be the kind of person who needs constant reassurance, but here I am to get some reassurance.

For those who may not have seen my previous posts, I signed up for an adult watercolor class at a local university, paying over $300 for 7-8 classes. It was meant as a retirement treat for myself, to help me relax and get back to art work (40 years ago). Description said, "This class is perfect for beginners and continuing students looking to improve their skills. By the end of this course you will be well equipped to start achieving your watercolor dreams. You will learn the best brands to use, the right kind of brushes and paper, different mark-making techniques, composition, and how to use the different elements of art to your advantage."

I don't know if that's the exact description but it's what they are now using for the second session starting in a few weeks.

The first class was okay: she had us draw a circle and add shading. Gave us a handout that described the types of watercolor (wet on wet, wet on dry, etc.). If she said anything about brushes, brands, and paper, I missed it. They provide the Daniel Smith paints in a little plastic palette that beads up (not pre-scuffed as you people have advised me). Then she had us all try to paint a piece of fruit from photos she handed out. (No place to set them as we are rather squished in together.)

I didn't do very well, but didn't mind--until the following week when she showed last weeks' work, showing what people did right. Then she pulled out mine as the ONE AND ONLY example of what was done wrong. I laughed about it, but inside I was like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

From then on, I started getting nervous and frustrated. There was no more instruction, just walking around and making comments. (And a few favorites in the class where she lingers.) But for instance, I was trying to copy a watercolor painting she gave us all and really messed up the background. She had told me to use a specific brush for it, but when I made such a mess, she asked what I was trying to do. I said, "I'm trying to do the background like the picture." "That's the wrong brush for it. You need such and such." I said, "But you're the one who told me to use THIS brush!" "Fair enough, fair enough," she replied.

There's no way to get my money back. The university made it clear that you couldn't get it back within 5 days of the class even starting. But I can't stand being there now, and with each class I seem to freeze up more and more. Last week I was seated next to a left handed woman and there was something about having my hand and her hand about an inch from each other and our palettes that drove me absolutely crazy. She seemed completely unaware of me and painted away, but I just couldn't stand having someone that close.

I don't want to be trying to paint vases of flowers and landscapes. And next week we're supposed to start our "large project." I think we get a sheet of Arches paper to do something special. Are you kidding??? I'll completely freeze up.

I just want someone to take me from making brush strokes and shapes, shading, clouds, etc. etc. I still can't even mix colors right. I would SO rather stay home and follow all the advice you folks have already given me with SkillShare, Patreon, YouTube, etc. (But deciding on which one is overwhelming as well. Birds and flowers would be a goal in case that helps anyone with advice.)

Okay, now I feel like I should delete this whole thing because I think I HAVE talked myself out of going back. I wish I had spent that $300 on good paints, paper, and brushes!

But let me ask you one more thing: I would like to write to the university and express my disappointment at what felt like false advertising to me. I had NO idea it was a "teach yourself while an instructor walks around the room" class. She's the newly-graduated daughter of one of the long-time instructors there, so it's not like they're going to replace her. I just want them to be more honest about the lack of real instruction. (I DID write to her directly about it and she was a bit defensive: her handout, apparently, is what she considers instruction. And a bunch of notes on a whiteboard.)

EDITING to add that she does NO demonstrations at all. Not one. The room has a white board where she has written a few notes and then two long rows of narrow folding tables (2 students per table). Supposed to be 8 students max but I think we have 10-12.

Oh, and one more thing: there are only 2-3 more classes left. It was only a 7 week course. There's supposed to be a makeup day since she has to miss one but many can't make it.

We have a Roku 3960X and a Samsung smart TV, both about 2 years old. Just about a week ago, the remote stopped turning on the TV. We have tried all the advice Google, Alexa, and YouTube have given us--but most of it doesn't apply. For instance, it's a simple remote, not voice activated. Then Google's advice on "Instructions to Fix TV Power Control" says to go to the Roku settings to Remotes and Devices then "Choose your active remote and select Set up remote for TV control" --but I can't because all ours shows is "Add Remote" with no other option.

We have done all the unplugging and replugging instructed, changed the batteries repeatedly, pressed 2 buttons at the same time, etc. etc.

Is this Roku's way of telling us we need to upgrade?

A side item--don't know if this is related--just before the remote failure, Roku started automatically opening up the first channel on our homepage. Really annoying. It's still happening. It's taking a long time to be able to watch a show these days as we only watch through the Roku app on our TV.

Haven't been in several years, trying to remember where is best to see fireworks. Any tips on parking or anything else? We're seniors and not up for a hike.

Edit: The MLB website is not letting me see where the seats are. I chose section 105. They are offering me Row F, seats 5 and 6. Would be nice to see exactly how these are situated and if people can enter the row from either side. When I choose a Trash Pandas game, it lets me choose exact seats.

Oh, while I've got you: where would YOU go to see fireworks on the 4th if you'd rather stay in your car in air-conditioned comfort?

I just got home from seeing my sister, 77, with dementia, and my brother, 65, who is caring for her with the help of his adult son (30?). I haven't seen her since her diagnosis; I have lupus and always ended up sick just when I was trying to go see her.

My brother and his son are doing the best they can, and I am very grateful for what they are doing, but there's one particular issue I wish he would allow me to help him with, and that's her clothing.

My brother is a bit of a pack rat, and my sister's room was just overloaded with clothes. A big tall dresser and a closet crammed with clothes--it's probably at least 4 times the amount of clothes I have--and I only saw half of the closet contents. At one point when I was alone with my sister and trying to pick out an outfit for her, I said, "You have too many clothes!" She is almost entirely non-verbal but said in a firm, dry tone, "I know!"--just like her old self.

But my brother is for some reason very proud of all these clothes that seem to have been mostly donated by friends of his. He spent quite a long time pulling items out to show me--some were very expensive items, but entirely unsuitable for my sister. (For instance, an elegant long black form-fitting wool dress, or a white silky blouse with criss-crossing ties down the front. My sister was a very plain-dressing modest woman, she would never wear anything like those.) Some items also looked they dated from the 1960s or 70s, so I think his friends are doing a thorough job of cleaning out their own closets.

I spent a completely sleepless night over this while there: wanting to get rid of EVERYTHING and start over from zero, buying her a simple wardrobe of mix and match clothes that are easy to put on and take off. I tried very delicately to bring up the subject, but at the first suggestion of getting rid of any of those donated items, he got very defensive. For some reason, he thinks that because friends donated these clothes and they are good quality clothes that fit her, then it should be unthinkable to get rid of them.

But if I get overwhelmed some mornings trying to figure out what to wear, what must it be like for my sister with a closet and dresser stuffed full of clothes?

She can dress herself and that's what my brother seems to let her do (he doesn't seem to notice or care if the buttons are in the wrong holes), but I thought maybe I should try to take the tack that it's going to get harder and harder for her to do that, and wouldn't it be better if we get her some adaptive clothing now to get used to?

But even if he agreed to letting me buy her a set of clothes, being 1000 miles away, I don't know how I'd get him to actually throw out or donate all those other clothes.

Again, hitting him with these suggestions when he's been caring for her for several years now and I've only just been with her for a long weekend, I can see him getting very resentful. So please give me advice on how to approach this. In my ignorance on the whole subject, I have wondered if there was someone I could pay for to go in there as a kind of consultant/aide who could help with the transition. Like a declutter-er for people with dementia.

I appreciate any advice!