Remembering

It appears that for the last 4 years I have managed to write a Memorial Day post.  And so I shall again.

@Patricia Scarborough 2013   Cemetery Road  12 x 12 oil

This old road leads to two cemeteries just a couple of miles apart, far out from town. It is home to veterans  who served in many wars around the world. 

Before you dash out to your first picnic, ball game or fishing hole, take a moment to consider how it has come to be that you have the ability – freedom if you will – to do just that.

The original Memorial Day was created to commemorate those men and women who died in our Civil War. It has since come to be a day to honor all who have died in military service.

Regardless of your political stripes, you’ve got to admit it takes tremendous fortitude to put on a uniform and serve a government with whom you may or may not agree. A bullet whizzing past your ear sounds the same whether you are Democrat or Republican, or anything in between.

You may pass a cemetery on your way to the lake, family picnic or ball tournament. As you do, consider whispering a quiet ‘thank you’ to those buried there – or anywhere, who died in the line of duty. Include their families in that gratitude, who shared their loved ones with us. For us.

Shades of Grey

Spring is close, but has not actually made an appearance yet. 

One day it is tantalizingly warm, the next our daffodils are layered in ice and snow.

As hard as it is for human beings to manage these temperature ups and downs, trees and grasses manage the changeover in sublime ways.

Stone cold grey trees merge delicately into silver, then to warming pinks at their twig-tips. Scrubby bushes spike their gnarly branches with clouds of pale flowers. Oceans of sallow grass warm to gold, then green, then a great splatter of wildflowers.

Those few days of uncertain season are my favorites.

©2013Patricia Scarborough 12 x 12 oil  Day Trips Series

 

I'm working on a series of paintings called Day Trips for my July exhibit at The Burkholder Project in Lincoln, Ne.. The point is to focus on the scenes we see near by, within a few miles of home. I used to drive by these old sheds twenty times a week before they were torn down to make way for new construction.  Interestingly, the new spiffy version of this acreage is not nearly as interesting as the old one.

 

As spring makes her full return I'll keep looking for these delightful areas where nature decorates  according to her own palette. 

 

 

 

It's a Process

 I thought perhaps you'd like to come along with me as I share my blog writing process with you.
As a blogger with over 4 years of experience I have created several surefire exercises to clear the mind and allow fresh ideas to percolate. 

It is with great pleasure that I share them in hopes that perhaps they'll be of some service to you, Dear Reader.

First, the list. Having a list of potential topics is paramount. I find that staring for long periods of time is quite helpful in the early stages.

If, after an hour or two nothing comes to mind, I often go to my favorite chair, where my stack of favorite books are artfully arranged because there is no room on my bookshelf.  Sharing book reviews is a good place to start. Plus it shows how smart you are.

While this may be helpful for many of you, keep in mind that you'd have to actually read the book and not just look at the pictures.

Surfing the web can jump start the process of writing.  Visiting other blogs, artist's sites, recipe pages, and email from strangers keeps me open to all sorts of ideas.

It is also a good place to find art jokes if you feel the need to spice up the post you haven't written quite yet.

Sometimes a break is in order.  I find organizing something that has bothered me for weeks helps generate new theories. If you own pastels, they are a good place to start.

Not having pastels to organize is not a problem. Pencils, socks, and paper clips also serve this purpose.

Solitude is important for my process. I resist being disturbed by strange sounds coming from other parts of the house. It is easy to become distracted when ideas are just beyond your reach, and it's probably just squirrels anyway.

Since squirrels have been know to cause roof damage sometimes you just have to check on those noises to clear your mind. Having a clear mind is key to coming up with great ideas.

When ideas simply will not come, I often meditate.  Not only is this good for idea hatching, the sobbing sounds keep others away from me, thereby interfering with my process. 

Writing blog posts week after week is exhausting. Staying well rested is vital. Sometimes I actually fall asleep while I'm resting from thinking about writing. This is fine, as it's entirely too difficult to write when I'm tired.

Feel free to post any rituals or suggestions that can offer further elucidation. I'm going for a walk.

California Dreamin'

This late post is proof positive that I achieve better results with a firm schedule. 

Lately Handsome Husband and I have been dashing about, hither and yon, completely out of sync with our usual lives.  For a few weeks our typical daily schedule became fragile as a robin's egg, until scribbles on napkins became the most useful way of keeping track of ourselves. 

 

Which brings me to today.  It is nearly 3 pm on a Sunday afternoon and it has just now occurred to me that I have a blog to deal with, nearly one week and 5 hours after my usual posting target time.

 

I've got a really good reason though, or at least it's a good enough reason for me.  HH and I snagged Fine Young Man the Elder and flew to California to hang out with Fine Young Man the Younger.  It was a slice of heaven on earth being together again after too many months apart.

For sure the beach, the museums and restaurants are fantastic. The best part was sharing pizza and cheap California wine with the fellas after a long hike in the Angeles National Forest. Having family members as true friends is a gift without compare. No one makes me laugh or swell with pride like those guys.

So we're home again, just in time for the usual blast of Nebraska weather; sleet, thunder and snow all at the same time.

 

Good to go, good to be back home. If I could only find that napkin I scribbled on telling me what I have to do this week...