Every parent has heard the dreaded whine of a child, “I’m bored.”  I’m certain I was guilty of such a complaint in my early years.   But in all truth, I don’t remember  being bored as a child. I had siblings to play with and a neighborhood full of my peers.  Like the other children on the block, we ran out the door in the morning and returned home for supper. We spent our afternoons slipping in and out of each other’s homes to see what snacks might be waiting for us in the kitchen and what games lay waiting in closets and cabinets.

With such an abundance of playmates to occupy my carefree childhood hours, one would expect to grow into an adult who also needs others to fill the open spaces of our days.  Nope.  I entertain myself, thank you.  In fact, I do it so well that each day begins with a list of things I would LIKE to do that is exponentially longer than the day itself.  Lately, my newest obsession is sewing.  Well, learning to be a beginner sewer, AGAIN.

That’s not to say I’ve put down any other obsessions like cooking, baking, playing in dirt, or painting, I’ve simply added another activity to absorb my time, energy and mental focus.  So, this week a ratatouille ravioli in parsley pasta, the finishing details of a skirt, a painting that’s 70% complete, and about 300 more pages in my book club’s monthly reading selection all await me.  I know it’s ridiculous to expect to do it all.  So, I am learning to forgive myself for overreaching.  The great thing about overreaching though, is that I accomplish so much more than I would have if I had simply “been reasonable”.  Some wise and eloquent person once penned this sage advice:  “Shoot for the moon.  If you miss, you will land among stars.”  I’m sure I have bungled that up a bit, but you get my drift.

One more thing I will be doing this week-  Golden Days of Summer in the MGD (Meadow Gold District).  Look for me on Saturday under the Meadow Gold Pavilion.  I will be there with paintings, cards, shirts, towels, and more.  Maybe even that 70% complete painting will find its way to my booth wall!  In the meantime, you can see some of my other recent art exploits below.

I have enjoyed re-discovering the joy of “what-if” in my art studio.  I have tried leaning into the “what-if’s” that occur to me as I am creating.  Like, what if I allow myself to keep the ink outline?  What if I use walnut ink, even though it is not water-proof?  What if I make the party hats after the fact and collage them on?  What if I re-paint the rabbit I loved so much?

All those tiny deviations from “the rules” and the permission to make mistakes ignites the passion that keeps me climbing the stairs to my studio- turning my back on laundry, and dusting, and the mundane chores.

Here is the second version of the “March Hare”, appropriately named, “April Hare”.   The Bassett Hound and Bumble Bee at the top of this post is a new 9×9 watercolor that is available, as well as a greeting card version.  “April Hare” is now available, as a print or the original painting which is slightly larger than the print.  “March Hare” prits are also available. (You can see “March Hare in my previous post.)

The Puffer Fish and Turtle is a birthday card I have been working on.  I hoped to have it ready for Saturday, but time will tell!

• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett   It’s been so long since I have posted that I have already read this one, for the third time.  I was thrilled it was chosen by my book club members, becuse it is one of my favorites! 
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles   In the interest of brevity today, I will simply say I am enjoying the read, but I’ve a long way to go!