Monday, March 17, 2025
We walk, then have 2 online meetings after breakfast.
Many of our friends do puzzles but that's never captured my attention. W and I spotted a 3D puzzle of a bookshelf "room" on one of our trips last year. It's been sitting on the shelf for months.
Today I pull it out, punch out a few wooden pieces. At Step 4 (on page 3 of 25) I have no clue what they're talking about. W can help me figure it out, or not. Who cares if it's perfect?
I'm working on three red abstract canvases to hang in red frames. I made this a few weeks ago and think I'll leave the imperfect circles as they are.
This second one got white dots over the base.
I look at the messy background of the final canvas. Oh, oh, in the art box, I spot half-used jars of craft paints in red, yellow, blue, and white. There's also a 1" (2.5cm) hardware brush on the shelf behind me ... so why not? I haul out the last canvas. I tip globs of color and a bigger pool of white onto the plastic wrap that housed puzzle pieces.
After 10 minutes of play, maybe it's done, maybe not. I pack away the paints. The nice thing about abstract acrylics is that you can splash around a canvas as many times as you want to, layering on what you've done. It doesn't have to be perfect or "finished" when you set out with no aim beyond having fun. I let things sit for a few weeks before I decide.
I wash paint off my hands and toss out the leftover paint in its plastic skin. Kiddie craft paint is good for fooling around because it's non-toxic. (Classroom paint is usually safer than artist quality.) I can't resist touching and moving paint around with my fingers. I rarely remember to put on the finger "socks" that are made to protect kids or grownups like messy me.
After lunch, we visit a neighbor's house. One of my favorite things is the life-sized model of a zebra in the backyard.
Tuesday
Our walk is shorter than usual: I didn't sleep very long and have no energy. A little plant sprouting at the mossy base of an enormous tree trunk inspires me. It reminds me that it doesn't matter how small you are now; grow where you're planted.
I bake a carrot cake and forget to add sugar. Tastes amazing with raw honey smeared on it ... but still.
The helpers transition the dining table from a pink-ish tablecloth
to a green one that matches the rest of the room.
As I get down to work, I "shut the door" to my office, at least figuratively. Those who have been here a while know that when the curtain is drawn, my door is "closed" and I'm working. (Crude but usually effective.)
The side entry door and the passage to upstairs are at one side of my office. I'm constantly moving others' stuff out of my sightline, much to their irritation. (Why not stash their stuff in their own spaces?) A pretty sight today: the pot outside my window has erupted in magenta blossoms.
Judy and I chat over morning coffee at HomeGround. I walk her home before returning to the restaurant with W for a very spicy lunch. Yum. My lips may be burning but my stomach is happy.
Wednesday
The sun's coming up as we walk. We take this beautiful city for granted sometimes. "Aren't we lucky to live in a city with palm trees?" I ask W, pointing to the towering trees in front of the sunrise.
A grandpa is taking his 2 grandkids to school on his motorbike. Kids - babies included - quickly learn to balance in front of, behind, or atop the driver. Most youngsters drive motorcycles by their mid-teens. Many start even sooner, racing around the streets near their homes,, ferrying their friends, or just zooming by on a lark.
After meetings and wading through emails, I hop onto a company seminar about the value of AI. They do an interesting review of how AI develops with all available data and how to profit from the automation. A friend drops by to enjoy tea and carrot cake on the Porch.
A wild lovebird swoops under the cages to eat what our birds have scattered. I can't catch it - but what a beauty. It's a recent escapee from someone's cage, still in good condition.
I make a Western lunch for W and me. Oh look, there's color on the plate. Most local food is brown, tan, or beige. (That doesn't mean it's not delicious!)
We sort out appointments for this week and next, do some counseling, and swap out the grey living room rug for one with colors. As long as there's something creative in the day, it's a good one, no matter how heavy the workload.
The 2 poodles get washed, cut, and blown dry, while Gypsy has the knots in his fur clipped and combed out. Looking good! The dogs get some sausage and another walk with PakG as their reward for standing still. Tomorrow is a hike, which will take care of any show dog illusions they have.
*You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. Isaiah 62:2
* By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
* So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, awaken our hearts to see the glorious beauty in this new day. Refresh our minds and renew our spirits, as we accept the gift of new beginnings. Give us courage to start over as we trust in your goodness and love. Thank you for the hope and promise of new life in Jesus Christ, our redeemer. Amen.
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