lor . . . I do not have an art degree, but my whole life I thought of myself as an artist, even when I was not painting. Then after I was diagnosed with colitis/Crohn's and after four surgeries and issues, and going on disability, I picked my art back up again and used it for therapy. Since then I have taken a few classes and workshops, and this fall will do a one week plein air pastel workshop on the Outer Banks of N.C. Gonna paint the beach, the dunes, the marshes, the beauty of it all!

Abasaki . . . my partner hiked while I painted. . . and when she got back to the car she blurted out "Now I want to climb it!" And I had just days earlier inventoried and photographed all my climbing gear to sell off . . . guess we will be keeping what ever she might need, eh? I wish I could still hike and climb, but I will be happy for her to have the experiences I can't any longer. I am just so glad I can go there vicariously. . . she took some incredible photos for me to paint from. . . and we spent about two hours revisiting her solo hiking experience on my laptop!

There WILL be more paintings. . . . I have to or I will shrivel up!