WHAT I MISS

I miss living near the beach. I used to live near Gulf Shores, Al. I love smelling the salt air and the smell of the different plants that grow on the beach. This painting is from a photograph I took of my daughters the first time they went to the beach. We lived in this huge two story house in Loxley, Al. The thing I liked about living there the most was the produce market two blocks from my home. Awesome fresh veggies except from December to February. I had grape vines, banana trees, blueberries and apples.

I miss working at the Eastern Shore Art Center and Museum. That was the most awesome job ever. Surrounded by art and artists every day was so wonderful. I loved it when we had a new exhibit. It was like Christmas opening gifts. It was so inspiring. Since I worked there I could take classes for free when I had the time. I took a live model sculpting class. Fortunately we had a very hot young med student as a model. And yes... he was totally naked. See.......

I miss having the time to paint. It is truly one of the most gratifying things I have ever done. I took classes from an artist in Mobile for a short period. Then I decided to go to school and enrolled in business classes. I had already had basic accounting so when I went to the first class, accounting, I was bored to tears. I got up in the middle of the class and canceled all the business courses and signed up for art classes. What a joy. All of my classes were at the art museum that I later ended up working at. Here are a couple of my paintings.

I miss my baby girl that is stuck at Ramstein because all the flights keep getting canceled. She is in a cheerful mood because right now it feels like an adventure. Earlier she thought she would fly into Charlotte, NC and rent a car. Then she thought it would be Washington state, wow. Now it is where ever they can get a plane to. We are still hoping for Charlotte and she will rent and share a car with her new friends that live in Florida. She was the sweetest little thing when she was small. This is her at 3. And this is her all grown up. I used to have that body....with less boobs. I was less gifted in that area... ahem.

But most of all I really miss are all the people that have left us. I miss my mother and father and especially my grandmother. I also lost my brother and my aunt who was like a mother to me this year. I really love some of these old pictures. My mother as a girl and my father as a young man in the Air Force.

This is my grandmother Lennie. She was probably 14 or 15. She was the worlds best cook and never used a recipe. I would rather eat her butterbeans than ice cream or cheesecake any day. My aunt, the mermaid, was like my mother and especially so since I lost mine so long ago. She lost her battle to cancer in June. My brother lost his life in May due to a heartattack brought on by years of alcoholism. He was a very kind and giving person but obviously not a happy on the inside.

And for your funny today...... Me eating dirt.....I obviously thought it was chocolate.