Packing

Tomorrow we leave to go to Brazil and the Pantanal for three weeks. Getting prepared and packed is always so much work. It is a relief to get on the plane. I applied for out Brazilian visa's nearly a month ago. They said it would take 10-15 days. we got our visa's this morning, Saturday delivery with Fedex. Talk about stress! My last full day at home was good. An early morning hike up Snow King mountain with my dear friend Patricia, then lunch with my daughters, running errands, home to begin the packing process. Oh and I had to mow the lawn in there too. Laundry, laying out clothes, putting other clothes away.....finally about 4:00 I felt I had it mostly under control. My eldest got off work and we had a cocktail in the sun in the backyard. WE have had so much rain lately that my free range grasses in the backyard have taken over the lawn chairs. Thai take out, a really bad movie, a bit of knitting and time for bed and our exciting trip.

Color for Friendship

So far this spring has been rainy and cold. We are tiring of this dismal weather. I have been inspired to do a great deal of painting, one thing about bad weather, it is easier to stay inside and paint. I have always used bright intense color in my work. That helps keep your spirits up when it is dreary outside. I am trying something new, I have made a limited edition print of one of my newest paintings. Two of my dear summer camp friends turned 50 this year. A group of us rendezvoused in Colorado for a weekend celebration. I painted a diptych painting for them. They each got to keep one half of the painting. I put a photo of the entire painting in the back of each half. This painting is kind of the view of the mountains we had from the camp. We had climbed these peaks together as young woman and again as older women. We get together every summer for a 4 day backpack.

This is my tribute to my dear girlfriends and all the fun we have had over the years and the fun we will have in the future. Now we are discussing broadening our hiking trips to overseas...Italy sounds nice and would make for great inspiration for more painting. We have realized that we can't stand to see each other only once a year, we need more goddess rendezvous' over the course of the year.