William Parrish and Joe Black stood on the top of a hill watching the spectacular culmination of the extravagant birthday party. Fireworks filled the sky and illuminated their crisp white shirts sharply outlined by well tailored tuxes. A full orchestra filled the balmy summer night air with “What a Wonderful World.” The entire event was enchanting. A perfectly appointed party celebrating William’s 65 years. William turned toward Joe and asked, “Should I be afraid?” A […]
I have moved 18 times in my life. Some of those were fairly inconsequential, such as several from dorm to apartments in college years. Others were significant: leaving my large extended family firmly planted in the midwest to seek the forested Pacific Northwest and on to the high desert country of the Inland Northwest where I now live. Where, if I have my way, I will live to my end. Packing up and re-locating is […]
I spent a good part of a very hot June day on the back patio of our house cutting in paint around edges, doorframes, electrical boxes, natural gas and other various pipes and conduit housing all kinds of hoses and wires that make our household run. I moved and climbed up and down the ladders of different heights to get to all the angles. There was very little breeze. I was sweaty and it was […]
The year, 1805 … The vessel, The HMS Surprise, a 28 Gun British Frigate in her majesties royal navy with 197 souls on board … Location, rounding The Horn in a terrifying storm … The Captain, J. Aubrey, ‘Lucky Jack’… The mission, “Intercept French Privateer Acheron, (known to the crew as, ‘The Phantom’) en route to the Pacific intent on carrying the war (with Napoleon) into those waters … Sink, Burn, or take her a […]
During the Pandemic I was, like so many of us, glued to the TV. CNN on speed dial. I carefully took note of all the suggested protocol involving contact with people, buying groceries, mask wearing, hand sanitizing, and donning disposable gloves whenever possible. I watched with horror the rising death toll and gruesome images of body bags stacked up inside refrigerated semi trucks to accommodate overcrowded morgues. Months passed. We grew accustomed to our new […]
It’s April and it would appear that mother nature is having a meltdown. Where I live in the high desert of the Inland Northwest you can wake up to t-shirt weather: clear, sunny warm skies. Then, without much notice that clear sky becomes overcast bringing rain, sometimes fog and hail. For extra fun big fat flakes of snow could fall. All in one day. Choosing outdoor apparel can be challenging, but never boring. Each year, […]
My journey into the world of painting began in college while looking for an elective to fill my schedule. My roommate encouraged me to take the same painting class in which she was enrolled. As luck would have it the class fit my schedule perfectly. I have always loved to do creative things so why not paint. At that time my college career looked like a crazy quilt composed of every art and design class […]
Over morning coffee my husband Dan and I were having a conversation about art. He asked if he could use some photos of my artwork to enhance his blog, ‘Thoughts.’ Having easy access to images of my paintings from years when I worked as an abstract artist I said, “Of course.” ‘Worked’ is a bit of a stretch. It would be more accurate to say I went delightedly to the canvas when the muse moved […]
What is it that keeps us tethered to the earth when all around are reasons to float away? It’s early morning and the sky is still dark. A time of magic when all the unknown possibilities a day might hold lie waiting like secrets infused into dew-laden leaves. These liminal moments are fleeting. All too soon the sun will enter the theater and strip away the mysteries under its glare. The shadows will disappear, the […]
Mary Oliver, in her exquisite poem “Wild Geese,” writes, “You only have to let the soft animal of your body loves what it loves.” I often breath in those words as if my very life depended on them. That simple sentence pours comfort on my soul as no others have. “Mary,” I ask, “Do you mean to say that I can simply write, create stories in my imagination, paint, walk in the woods, doodle, cook […]
The Spill... 