Great Blue Heron

 

Great Blue Heron / Oil on black canvas / 4x12 / $88 including shipping

sold! 

BENEATH THE FLOOR of my house, the beams and joists are crumbling. 

I found out a few months ago that this was happening, and I thought that the work I had had done had fixed it. But part of the living room floor started sagging when I stepped on it, and it turns out that the issue is far worse than I'd thought. 

The major load-bearing beams of the house need to be replaced, as do most of the rest of the joists and possibly even the sills. Ugh. 

For about a year and a half before Peter died, I had made a practice of being grateful. "In every thing, give thanks," is what I had aimed - and still aim - to do. At the beginning, it felt impossible, but I found ways. Saw glimmers of a new way to live. I lost the thread for a while after Peter died, but I have become grateful for many, many things about his death, including that it was as fast as it was. For me, perhaps, that was worse - but maybe not? Certainly for him, it was better than any lingering, awful demise. 

I am grateful that the house hasn't fallen down, and that I haven't fallen through the floor. I am grateful that I have the money to fix it, though it was money I was counting on having to live on. But I have some Social Security, and some savings even after I pay for all of this, and I am selling paintings. I have great faith that I will be OK. And I am grateful for that. 

After all, this heron doesn't know what the future brings, and he doesn't let it worry him. He just gets out there and goes to work. And that's what I shall do, too. 

***

A Last Thought

"Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. The the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle."

- Philiphs Brooks

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron / Oil on black canvas / 5x5 unframed / $68 includes shipping

sold! 

MY BROTHER VISITED this past week. He was eager to see something new, some place new, ride his bike on different streets, escape his home for a while. I was glad to have him, as I have seen almost no one since March. I see Liesl, when we walk the dogs, and the occasional friend here and there. I see people at the post office, and most of the time, it's fine. But it was nice to have someone else in the house, someone to talk with, share meals with, discuss the day. 

We worked to empty the shed I have, and made great progress. With abandon and zeal, we tossed things away, and then we took our time going through boxes of memories, photographs, costume jewelry, things of our mother's, of mine, of mine and Peter's, and things that came from who knows where. 

If I had been alone, it could have been a sad task. But with Rand, it was fun. We talked and remembered, and learned a little about each other, even now, after all these years. 

Here are some of the photos

Here's me and Eric Bryson, going to his prom. 

From left, me, our sister Laurie, my brother Rand

Here's Rand last Sunday. We met for barbecue in Chincoteague, and it was delicious! 

Here's me with a tie-dye chicken made by Diana Davis 

and bought for me by my daughter Erika.

***

For Today

"Do a little more each day than you think you can possibly do." 

- Lowell Thomas

Heron

Heron / 5x7 / Oil on canvas / unframed / $68 including shipping

THE HERON GLIDES, even ascending, it seems, even while pushing its wings, it glides, still as night falling. It speaks to me of dark, quiet corners. Of memory. Of a time before history, when silence was a monumental asset. 

In small water, even - the creek by the side of the road - the heron stands and stalks and catches, then rises on its huge wings, successful - showing me that victories need not be large, nor beauty proscribed. 

***

For Today

I'VE MADE IT to Arizona, and Dad and I went out the other day to see the Javelinas de Tubac exhibit, which is all over town. 

Javelinas are a kind of wild pig that's found in the southwest. I've seen many of them in Tubac, sometimes with their babies, which are adorable. The grown javelinas are nor quite as cute, and can be real pests, digging up gardens, rooting around on property, etc. 

The Chamber of Commerce and the Tubac Center of the Arts had a local artist make maybe two dozen blank javelina statues, then invited Tubac artists to paint them. The statues are located all over town. They are all for sale, and money raised from the sales supports the Chamber and the arts center. 

Here's a short article on the project (to read it you will have to answer some questions, sorry), and here is a photo of Dad and me by one of the javelinas.