WHEN NATURE CALLS...

We are living in
 a troubled world. 
 Even though 
we all have seen our share of adversity,
 we have to admit, 
these are especially
 tough times...

...and because 
they are so tough,
 we need something that
 takes us away from all the chaos.

  There is a lot going on and 
a lot of changes are being considered and though we need to be aware of it all,
  we still need a chance 
to let it all go
 for even a little while.

 We need a place that is 
quiet and peaceful.

 We need something 
that will soothe our souls
 as nothing else can.

When nature calls 
we must go willingly and 
follow in the footsteps of 
one of the great ambassadors
 of the forest.

We can follow
 a country road and 
not turn around
until we reach the beginning 
of another.

You never know 
what you might find 
as you travel down a country road.
 There might be 
a small patch of
brightly colored flowers...

...or a shimmering 
body of water 
surrounded by 
sandstone cliffs...

...where someone
 with time on their hands
 has carved a relic
 of long ago...

...or a congregation of cows
 having a picnic 
on the green...

...or handsome horses,
 taking advantage of 
the shade from an
old oak tree.

You might see
 nothing in particular 
except an amazing expanse 
of pasture and trees 
that will take 
your breath away.

All up and down 
the country roads 
you will catch a glimpse 
of old barns
 which have lost their usefulness
 over time.

Time is well spent 
when nature calls.

 It is surprising
 how much of the 
loudness of the world
 can be blocked out
 by the 
sighs and the whispers of nature.


Have a wonderful week.

Summer will be here before it is over.



Stay smart, stay well and wear your masks.




...Judy...

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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'...

All the leaves are brown and

the sky is grey. 

 I've been for a walk 

on a winter's day. 

 These are haunting words 

from a popular song 

written in 1963.

 Now, 

the leaves are green and 

the sky is blue. 

It is spring time,

 with summer coming on fast and 

the year is 2020.

 There are elements of life now 

that are right in tune

 with those words.

When all those leaves were brown and 

the sky was grey,

 all we could think about

 was how wonderful it would be 

when the leaves turned green and 

blue skies appeared. 

 Then we could be happy,

 then we could love them and,

 mind you, 

they would still be

 the same leaves and the same sky - 

only the color

would change.

Wouldn't it be wonderful

 if it was just as simple 

as that? 

 All of the madness, 

all of the terrible rioting,

 all of the hatred 

towards our fellow human beings,

 could be wiped out 

just like a 

seasonal change?

We, the People, are in charge. 

 Now. 

 Not because of something 

that didn't set right

 with our ancestors, and

 was passed on and on 

throughout the generations.

 We are born innocent. 

 We can die smarter and 

more tolerant 

if we take charge of our lives and

 live them in the way 

that we should know

 is right and just.

Here I sit,

 in my sweet cottage, 

with my fulfilled  life, and

 it seems so easy for me

 to be at peace.

  Me,

 sitting here in all of my white privilege.

 There are those of us 

who can't and 

they must have my thoughts and deeds 

for a better life.

 There are those of us 

that won't and

 they must have my sorrow 

as they are so lacking

 in heart and soul.

 I would imagine 

thinking that you are so right 

about so many wrongs, 

must be a 

hard burden to carry.

These last few weeks and months

 have been devastating 

for our country and the world.

  Covid-19 

has taken so many lives, and 

now is bound to 

take many more,

 but systemic racism 

is another form of virus 

that has been here for

 too many years.

 Here in California, 

I am dreaming of something better,

 as most of us are, 

in every state and country.  

There is an answer buried somewhere, and 

it is up to all of us 

to try to find it. 

 Wouldn't it be amazing

 if it all could be put right and

 just be as simple as 

learning to live in this world 

only seeing people, 

instead of color?

Stay smart, well and wear your masks.

...Judy...

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USING UP THE SUNSHINE...

Once upon a time we had sunshine...

Once upon a time we had a summer to look forward to...

Once upon a time we had freedom to roam...

Once upon a time in, what seems like a land far far away, we had optimism.

Now, 
today with low hanging clouds,
 with individuals walking around 
with no intentions of providing 
a safe place to be for everyone, 
with the leadership of our country
 that we are all entitled to 
being non-existant,
 with all the dying and 
all the deaths that were needless, and 
without hopes of returning to 
a "normal" way of life, 
all the sunshine is 
slowly being 
used up.

 It is becoming
 a nightmare 
that seems we
will never 
wake up from.

In all honesty,
 this is what my life has become. 
 There might be a silver lining
 left out there but,
 in my world, 
it is slowly disappearing, and 
I don't like it. 

 I don't like the fact 
that my hair is horrible and 
I know my hairdresser 
will be calling to say 
I can, once again,
 come into his shop 
but I won't go. 
 I know my dear friends 
will be calling soon 
to set up our lunch dates,
 but I won't go. 
 I see my fellow town's people
 laughing their way 
down the sidewalks, 
close together,
 not wearing masks,
 making me think that
 they don't give a damn 
about what happens to me, and
 evidently,
 not themselves either.

Some might say that 
this is my choice.
  Some might say 
stop complaining and buck up.  
Some might say that 
I have a choice to do otherwise. 
 I have said 
all these things to myself also,
 but until I see 
others being respectful of
 all our feelings,
 not just their own,
 until I see store owner's have posted,
 "No shirts, no shoes, no masks"
 than maybe I will be able
 to see the 
sunshine again.

I hate to give up hope.

  Maybe I will become comfortable again
 with life as I would like to know it,
 but until that time comes,
 until I can truly believe
 we are all in this together,
 I will find my own version
 of the sunshine.

The new painting isn't looking
 very bright and sunny yet, 
but the optimism
 remains supreme.


Stay smart, safe and well and wear your masks.



...Judy....

I wrote this post on Sunday.
 A lot has changed since then. 
 Opening up the economy
 may not be as important now 
as it was a few days ago. 
In many places around our country 
what must have been excitement
 for a fresh start 
has changed to darkness and despair.
 The scenes we have been seeing 
on the news each night 
are devastating and
 the sadness that one family is feeling 
for the murder of their son 
is unthinkable.

 There is more than just 
a health virus
 eating away at us.

 How do we overcome
 all of this?

Do we really want 
to get back to what was 
always considered "normal"? 


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SUNFLOWER DOWN...

I have been showing you
 the progress being made 
on my paint by number painting. 
 It has been a labor of love and 
I am now done with it. 

 I am not saying
 that an artist's talent is required 
to produce this work of art.  
All that is needed is 
a relatively steady hand,
 a good magnifying glass, and 
a fair amount of time,
 but I am quite proud of it and
 thank you all 
for your moments
 of praise 
throughout the process.

On the left 
is the way the company intended 
the painting to look and 
on the right 
is my version.

 I love the choice of colors
 that were provided with the kit and 
I will take the glowing reviews 
about my ability to mix 
the colors from my own acrylics, 
which was because of a mistake 
that I made early on and 
not because of anything the company did.  
I think I did 
a pretty decent job of that task.
 The darker, jewel like tones 
remind me of an 
old world painting and 
I am was 
quite proud of it.

Each night 
when I finished painting,
 I would set the canvas on the floor,
 leaning against the game table, and 
throughout the evening 
of TV viewing,
 I would look
 at it...

...and look at it, and 
even though 
the Captain, my best critic,
 would say it was looking beautiful and 
then I would show it to you and 
get good reviews,
 that devious little sunflower
 which was the focus of the piece,
 would look back at me and 
deny everything 
that everyone 
said. 
 I could not get it 
out of my head
 that there was something
 a little off.

So, I decided,
 that I would "freshen" it up a bit.
  
I knew I could do it. 
 I knew that I should be 
better at art 
than I really was. 
 I knew that I am a fool 
who believes 
in magic.


"I am always doing 
that which I cannot do,
 in order that I may learn 
how to do it."

Pablo Picasso

Easy for him to say!

Here is my first try at renovation. 
 What are those petals doing?...

...then the second try.
 I kid you not!...

...third times a charm. 
 Not so much!

After too many 
coats of paint to count, 
the final version came to be.

 I had wanted to 
just throw it in the garbage,
 but through all the tears,
 I could still see 
that I thought it was
 so pretty for so long, 
I knew I couldn't do that.

I am nothing if not persistant, 
so here is the
 last try:

Now, 
here it sits 
in its place of honor, 
in a frame too small, 
but one that I had on hand, and 
on the black shelf 
that is once more 
above the sofa.
  After all that, 
I am not saying 
it is perfect by any means, 
but if viewed from afar, 
 it is again gaining favor, and
 soon as some new paint
 that I ordered comes in, 
I will start on
 another work 
of art...

...and this time 
I think I have
 learned to leave
 well enough alone.

No matter what
 the painting 
tells me!

All kidding aside,
 I am very happy with this company and 
its product.
  I am not getting paid to say this 
but I promised you
 all the pertinent information 
so here it is
 in case you, too,
 want to work your own magic 
(with better results) I might add.

www.originalpaintbynumber.com

Each canvas
 (and it is an actual piece of canvas 
that the subject is printed on) 
is 16X20 and costs $11.95 each. 
 I took mine to Ben Franklin's and 
had the canvas put on a board.
  I felt
 it would be easier to paint on and
 it was also a reasonable price. 
 In this particular painting 
that I just finished,
 I am very happy with their colors 
but I did like mixing my own 
to match as closely as I could and 
plan on doing the same 
with the new canvas. 
 It is a challenge to me.

 Thanks for all your kind comments 
that I always receive and 
stay safe, well and, please,
 wear your masks. 
 Now the word is
 to wear
 gloves also.


...Judy...



Thanks so much to Linda for the feature of the Cottage and her continuing conversations with the garden last week.  I appreciate it so much, Linda.

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