Young Sowell

 

Thomas Sowell

It has been a while!

 It has been a while! 

Maybe I will get started again on writing. Have been painting a little more so why not. Since my last note, and after many health challenges, I finally feel like my creative self is returning. 

We sold the Florida home. Bought closer to H in Colorado. Still have the Alabama property. Did I mention we have 112 acres in Southwest Ala Frickin Bama? 

Florida was great. It was beautiful yet the hurricanes and "98" got old. The homeowner's association was driven by a bunch of people who wanted their property autonomy but had no clue that the HOA was a privately owned entity without county assistance on maintaining infrastructure. Dues were low but there were no amenities and no one who really cared about upkeep except for a few that were met with accusations and name calling. "Bitch in the orange house" was my favorite. It was actually coral but because we were one of the few on the water over a quiet bridge, the name was used often anytime we tried to volunteer on the board or on committees. I could write a book on small town small HOAs. 

Today, we run back and forth between Alabama and Colorado. Dogs, cats, and us. Sure, it is a 3-day travel but that is because we stop off in Texas to see my mom in a nursing home. She is bedridden for most days and occasionally gets in an electric wheelchair to tootle off to the events of the day. Bingo! Balloon volleyball or PT. Love dropping in to see her. It is amazing that she has her faculties, but her body is failing her. Chris's Dad moves around better at 92, but he has significant memory loss. Learning from watching their struggles. We will all have them at some point. 

Right now, this the view I love the most. From our loft, the view is ours. It doesn't belong to the city, the county, or the state. No, it doesn't have a sandy beach, but when you get up in the morning, you can walk around it as the sun comes up over the pines. It is our vista for now. 

We have fish in the pond, a garden to grow our favorites, deer to hunt and process for protein, and plenty of room to stretch out without someone telling us we can do something on our property. Neighbors are kind and very helpful. Everyone is ready if you need them and the sense is that they are here in this area for same reasons. 

I will be uploading some artwork I have been creating since my last post. Still learning. Still enjoying it. 

  

For now, Sharie

Lauren's 2020 Ohm

I saw a photo taken by a FB friend of Lauren, her daughter, sitting on the beach. Beautiful young teenager peacefully getting her vibe on. The scene is yet another moment I love to paint. Strong females and beaches. 

Pose for me

The first picture above is my post on FB. I didn't write her name but I was thinking of her the entire time I was adding my foundation. She exemplifies where I want to be and maybe she does for you as well. Warm and sitting in the sun with a pose that speaks relaxation. 

 Now, hold still

Free handing a silhouette of her was the best moment of this painting. It was easy to look at the picture and put her shape on the canvas. Maybe my proportions were not exact but I enjoyed the 20 minutes or so doing it. Right now the image seems dreamy, unreal. There is a girl there. She seems to be saying to me, "ok, I will hold still but you must paint quickly. I have a future to continue".  Our youth have been holding steady for about 5 months. They are strong to be doing so. 

Now say Ohm 

Not quite done

3 pears in a bowl

3 Pears in a Bowl

I started out painting this bowl of pears sitting on a cloth on my table just to get back to painting values. This took me about a week working a little each day making sure I was doing it the way I wanted it to look. Nothing fancy. Just 3 pears. They are delicious. In fact, they no longer exist today. Eaten by me a couple of mornings with yogurt and on salad for dinner.

This morning, my little Henry T was at 24 hours of some type of stomach bug. His parents were up all night tending to him as he couldn't hold down any of his mother's precious milk. At 6 months, he goes through little growth spurts but this didn't seem to be one. Mama and Daddy struggled with what they could do. They followed all the directions for this type of ailment given by his pediatrician but poor little Henry struggled to keep anything down.

After a tough night of attempting to feed him, then clean him after each episode, and comforting him when he seemed frustrated....a break through happened. It seems that the little guy can be tough. So are his parents....

As I finished this painting, it reminded me of my little Henry, his mama, and daddy. 3 Pears in a bowl. Sitting together. Side by side. Sunlight beaming on them. Nothing else matters but those three together. Sitting in their own sun beams ripening up as a family....I love you Henry T. and your parents as well.

3 Sails

3 Sails

There are always sail boats on the water here off the beaches of Newcastle. The water is always beautiful even with white caps.

Would love to be on one of those. Not sure if I learn to sail but maybe one day I can be out there for a moment to feel the breeze as the energy that propels.

3 Sails let us pretend you are there waiting for your turn.

Maybe this is for my little family in Denver. Mommy, Daddy, and Henry sailing on nice waters with peacefulness all around them.

Love you all

Build a Better Boat Daily

Listening to Kenny Chesney's song "Better Boat" inspired me to paint this. I saw something like it on another wall and thought it was simple, perfect for how the song made me feel. Not sure what he was thinking as he sang it or as the lyrics came to Liz Rose and Travis Meadows, but the song speaks to me at this moment in my life. 

There are no oars. No name on the boat. Just a simple boat sitting on the shore ready to make another journey on soft windless waters. It a journey for one. Only I can build the boat. Only I can ride it. Hopefully at the end and my boat rests on its final shore, it will give someone else perspective to live a full life that only they can build.

Recently I got off FB. There was a moment that I looked at my list of friends and thought about each one more intently. Are they really my friends? Then came a realization that FB might not be looking after my best interest even though they send me reminders about my privacy and security. As I thought about each one and who they are, I used my favorite tiding up methodology. Does each one bring me joy? Many did. Many were just somebody I worked with. Some were family I had never met. 

The most important friends on my list were either my immediate family or a few special friends that I could never turn my back on no matter what. Next I started adding up all the hours I spent on FB. It was amazing to see the time calculated for the week as well as embarrassing. I even found myself looking at FB if I woke up in the middle of the night. 

So FB is gone. It is no longer on my phone. Yes, I could go back but for some reason I am finding great strength not....

Some of the lyrics to the song in case you haven't heard it: 

I breathe in, I breathe out

Got friends to call who let me talk about

What ain't working, what's still hurting

All the things I feel like cussing out

Now and then I let it go

I ride the waves I can't control

I'm learning how to build a better boat

To all my true friends, I really do miss you. For now, I am learning how to make sure I am the real person, the real friend to myself and for you if you need me.