“Be Here Awhile” 6×6, oil on canvas, $125

Six days and I’m still waiting for the new normal to set it. How many days does that take?

I’ll admit I didn’t touch my paints yesterday. I’m attempting this thing where I’m gentle with myself– letting myself lie down instead of mow the grass, read the next chapter in a book instead of adding strokes to my latest painting. Fortunately, most days, being gentle with myself means lots of painting. Sometimes the same subject twice, so I have a reserve of little paintings to draw upon when, on days like yesterday, painting feels too much a chore. 

We took the “sold” part off the sign in my yard today. I noticed the gorgeous, healthy sycamore tree the buyers wanted to cut down before they backed out altogether. This tree has been the view from my front window for almost every blog post I’ve written over the years. It’s been the playground of cardinals. I’m glad it’s not going anywhere. It has wisdom still to share with me. 

What unexpected things are giving you comfort lately? I can’t tell you how much I love hearing from you– feels like there is not so much distance after all.