what was and what is...

hello kindred hearts!

I want to share a glimpse
of my world with you.
Or at least what I've been doing
for the past week or so...

Walking the trails.

This past winter was so hard on the trees... :(

But then this makes me hopeful
that things will grow again.

I've been watching sunsets

and even the occasional sunrise.

Watching the sun rise or set

always clears things up for me.

All of a sudden, my problems seem trivial.

(most of the time - they are).

 I've been painting.

Nothing to write home about,

but I don't care.

The point is: I'm painting.

Acrylic on paper.

And then a quick portrait of god knows who...

because I had black paint on my palette
and letting paint go to waste
is just a damn sin.

looks like he could be in some serious trouble. ;)

I've been doing quick tiny sketches

on my little tags...

Bottled beets. :)

I rarely use green whenever I'm painting,

so this was kinda different for me.

 Another quick one - acrylic on paper.

I've been sorting out a shitload of things
in my blue room.
Writings, old sketches, notes, lists...
When i found the list above (What brings me JOY?),
I was amazed at how all of these things
still bring me joy today.
I wrote this list 15 years ago!

I've also been visiting cemeteries,
which MAY seem strange to some of you,
but i always find cemeteries calming.
I always wonder about the lives of those
whose names are now engraved in stone.
I wonder what they did in life,
and who they loved,
and what their dreams were,
and if they had any regrets.
The tombstone you see above
is that of an entire family
(husband, wife, and 7 children)
who burned in their home
in the middle of the night in 1966.
My husband was a child back then
(the Cormier family were neighbours)
and he remembers being awakened
by his own father running to their rescue
and by the crackling of the huge fire
and seeing the dancing
red and orange light
reflected on his bedroom wall.
I can't even imagine...
Needless to say, the whole family perished.
There were no firetrucks nearby back then
and even with all the neighbours trying to help,
it ended in tragedy. :(

And this lovely little reminder
that I keep near my space
when I write.
Because sometimes,
I need to read this,
and maybe you do too. :)
Thanks for sharing this space with me.
big love.
xx