Well, here we are at the end of the cruelest month...always for me!

This year January has been cruel to all of us!  The coldest temps and wind chills ever recorded!  Snow, traffic accidents, people dying from the adverse weather conditions.  Not to mention, the government shutdown that has put so many people in peril and the total disregard for them by the leaders of our country. For me, January will forever be the cruelest month.  

On a cold and wintery night 12 years ago I received word that my dear husband was on a ventilator and in intensive care 90 miles away. After a wild ride on icy roads, I was finally at his side.  Friends and family stood vigil for the hours he had left.  We never got to say goodbye. It was many years before that my mother died on this same day in January. January, you are most cruel!

I write now as this cruel month comes to an end. I remember that then, as the months passed by, I found refuge in art.  I started creating memory pieces.  Pictures of Larry in collage and mixed media.  Art became my therapist. Slowly, very slowly, I began experimenting with different art techniques and eventually I felt myself emerging from my devastating black hole of  grief to looking toward new horizons. Art was my savior and made me the artist I am today! Goodbye, January,  you are the cruelest month!! Just 48 days until spring!!  

Post script:   Four years ago January did bring a bright shining star to my life----Reese Marie.  A darling, delightful burst of energy!!!  January was making amends!   

I have always wanted to start a blog, so here goes.

First, what to blog about? Art, yes. Life, yes. Travel,yes. Family, yes. Friends, yes. Food, yes. Books, yes. Politics, I'll try not to! Random thoughts too.

Today I cannot get the horrific images of the the fires in California out of my mind. There is no way to comprehend the massive destruction of lives and dreams. Beautiful homes engulfed in flames, melted cars, bodies reduced to shards of bone. The stories of narrow escapes are testimonies to personal bravery. It certainly puts my life in perspective...yes, I need new tires, I lost my debit card,  I cannot find the earrings I just bought and haven't even worn yet! And, frankly, my dear, who gives a damn!!

It's days like this when I head to my studio to immerse myself in making art. Listening to music, think Mama Mia, and

getting messy with paint is my way of coping with the news of the day. At times, my attitude adjustment plays out on the

canvas, especially reflected through Miss Sassy Pants;  "What good is an opinion if you can't share it",  "Now I'm old I can say whatever I damn well please",  "What makes you think I give a fat rat's ass". Art is my therapy!!

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"  - Picasso