Thursday, May 21, 2009

Dear Art Lovers

I know this is supposed to be a painting blog. I try to paint often - it is my job - my source of income. But being a daughter has trumped everything else.

It hasn't been a year since I had my mother's caregiver arrested in the driveway. Since that time my father's health went on the decline without explanation. I took him and Mom to the hospital to have tests run - to have a plan of action to improve their health. While there, Dad seemed to have given up completely and Monday night my brother and I discontinued all treatment and let him go. It was mercifully quick and what he said he always wanted if the situation presented itself.

Now we are working to find a facility to take care of Mom. Just like when the felon took my parents for all that money, this all has been seat of the pants stuff. Touring "skilled facilities", dealing with funeral homes and talking to scores of doctors about Dad on the hospital's first floor and Mom on the 4th floor. Today we'll be taking Mom to her new "home". There is so much to know about this and no time to pour over volumes of self help books. The best aids we've had were the Elder Law Attorneys we hired when the fraud went down and the 100+ page booklet the funeral home gave us.

I tell you all this because there may very well be a time when each of us has to face this. I hope to save some from all the crazy running around we've had to do. Feel free to contact me if you want benefit of my experience. I would be happy to help anyone - I mean it.

Thank you for subscribing to my blog (I hope you won't give up on me and my painting)...and for the opportunity to vent. My hope is to post paintings very soon. I haven't painted in a month and have no income coming in. What's more I have been chosen for Federal Jury Duty starting Tuesday - 2 weeks more of no painting. But I guess I'll use the jury time to catch up on sleep : )

Geor

Monday, May 4, 2009

"Beach House", ACEO, daily painting, oil on board

Click here to bid.

Hey all. I've gone on a trip that I planned a year ago. A bunch of us are staying in a beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Today there are storms and wind gusts up to 30mph. Still I painted from the covered deck. But the easel kept shaking and the wind would make my brush not land where I planned. The detail isn't nearly as exacting as I wanted. Since I miss painting so much, I persevered, and will likely go out again. So good to go back to painting!

By the way, thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I go back to all that stuff on Thursday. Gotta enjoy the here and now.