A Little Aside

October has always held a special place in my mind/heart/spirit. I think it's my creative side that gets twanged like a harp string when autumn leaves turn, the air turns crisp, and pumpkins and gourdes are in the supermarket or at farm stands.

This October, we haven't had the usual crispness, or the leaves changing around here. The leaves have simply begun to fall. We had a long stretch of 90+ temps and sort of put a damper on my usual decorating. (More on that in my other blog.) And a few personal things going on as well has thrown me.

I took the whole day off yesterday to either explore my other creative talents, or just veg out and watch Sherlock Holmes (my latest interest).

My other creative verve is painting. I've taken pictures of the pieces I've done. Here is a sample of one of my very first ones. I call it "Sunrise on the Prairie".

The above painting I used this picture from my phone camera below to create.

I was out behind the barn back in August, where some of the prairie plants stretch out for acres. I knew exactly what I wanted to take a picture of, found the right angle, as the sun was coming up over the rise, and it turned out wonderfully. And I think the painting worked out well for a novice in water colors. I've an art degree, which I've never used really.

This next painting I did from a photo also, but from our vacation. I'm still practicing water and sky, so it's not perfect.

And it's from this picture from my vacation up to Lake Superior.

These watercolors are done on post card sized paper. Easy to send in a letter or card envelope.

I've sent the above painting to my ailing brother who had a massive stroke, he can't speak, and I'm told he can't even write his thoughts down. He's going through therapy, of course. He's 77 this year--yes quite a span of years between some of my brother's and sisters. (My father would have been 99 this year!) He was a good big brother, always taking us (my little brother and I), places. I remember holding on to his finger because my hand was so small. He called us "Clobbers", I guess because we roughhoused with him a lot. He tended to tickle me to death.

After having sent the card with my painting in it, I had word that he loved it and put it up on his refrigerator--sort of like when I was little and did drawings (I sometimes drew on walls, so there was my artwork for all to see when they passed by. My mother must have pulled her hair. I know my sister didn't appreciate when I used her favorite lipstick to draw on our shared bedroom wall!). I was happy to give it to him. He's to have surgery, but this was put off until spring, I'm told.

His daughter has also been sick. She's gone through cancer therapy--yes, all at the same time! But she is recovering, and is going back to work. She works at a grocery store where they tend to be better than most places I've ever heard of. They have a catering service, and on-line grocery shopping. She told us that they would bring her food to her door so she wouldn't have to go out. My husband saw her at the store, last week, and gave her a hug and I really hope to see her back at her job--of course not as many hours, and going at her own pace. She may go back to doing the on-line shopping (they get the orders and go through the store shopping for these people). Or she may do service counter. It remains up to her. That's a nice place to work.

They also have a dietitian. And while Dennis was there, he heard her name called over the intercom, requesting her to meet the dietitian in the health food area.

I haven't decided what picture I'll give to her, as yet. I thought maybe I'd come up with something for her this Christmas. It might give me a chance to practice a little more.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'm working on the next murder mystery. Sort of slow going, but I don't care. I've just sent in the sequel to "Spell of the Black Unicorn", which has been written for a dozen years, and I only had to go through (thankfully), and edit.