Here I have all but finished the sands, except for the middle section, which has an unusual red-blue cast to it, because of the reflection of a pool of water over it. Yum! For another day! I mixed Burnt Sienna with the remains of the now somewhat perfectly grainy-dry lightest sand mix to make the next lightest sand, then added a bit of Burnt Umber and Mars Black to get the next, then a bit of Neutral Gray and Mars Black for the last.
I turned then to the rocks in the middle of the painting. First I mixed a dark charcoal, with Neutral Gray and Mars Black, then Burnt Umber for the middle, then a mix of the next to last sand mix with the charcoal mix for the third stripe closest to the ocean. For highlights I put Naples Yellow straight from the tube. I’m not done with the rocks yet, as I’m not done with roots in the foreground.
It is a balancing act, that I enjoy very much. I would rather balance the rocks and roots at the end, than “perfect” them individually … only to have to wreck that seeming “perfection” at the end to achieve a greater “perfection” of the whole piece. That seems painful to me.
Nature doesn’t seem to work that way anyway. Does it to you?
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Good news possibly on the job front for Jason but that is all I will say for now. That is enough.
Also got my refills of Percocet and various other meds successfully, which is also good news for the day, as I was timed down to the last Percocet this morning. Ah. Although, that being said, yesterday’s pain and today’s, much down. What great news to report, eh? Like I said, yesterday, a four. Wow. I am blessed.
Today, for the first time since the surgery, I took Chipper on much-longed-for long walkies, and hardly felt a pull on my back, nor any pain. Wow. I mean, WOW! I just felt it was the right time this morning, and went for it with the special Tevas. Not the ankle strap ones, which are the superspecial ones, but the ones I can get into easily for now. Yes. Chipper was beside himself.
We ran into several “strangers” we recognized who were pleased to see us, as well as a woman with toddlers in a stroller, which was delightful. Such a beautifully humid warm morning. Ah. And then, on the way home, around the bend as it were, we ran into a former neighbor who had moved, and to whom I had sent a welcome to your new home note, only sadly to have it return back to me in the mail. It was soooo good to see her, and to catch up. Her husband had given me the address right after they moved. I gave her my card, and she promised to email their address and to stay in touch.
I also sent a thank you note to my high school friend to her Virginia address — yesterday? so hopefully she will want to stay in touch as well.
Counseling was such a stress reliever today. Very helpful. Always. I heard also first thing from my attorney that the letter my counselor wrote was perfect, that he has sent it to SSA and will file a request for, basically in non-legal terms, a decision without a hearing on my case. We shall see. Again, I am hopeful.
Painting was very challenging in just the right way today. Rested before I did and will be back to that now, then dinner. My former said I look very happy, and I do feel that way, which is saying a lot considering everything. I think it is because of my back doing so well, my left hand already responding to the 325 mg of Bayer Aspirin even since yesterday (!), and my hope and faith that Jason will be re-employed very soon. And the weather. And things I can even begin to put a finger on — things I just sense. Things that if I began to describe them, they would go away, jinx? You know? Things in my subconscious.
Sent two queries off to literary agents for Rebekah’s Closet and The Front Porch today. We shall see in a month or two. It just seemed like the right time today. Who knows why?
Doing a bit of upper body yoga every night. It feels great, then ringing the Indian bell. We have our routines, which help us so much every day, keep it together.
Looking forward to recording The Whale Swallowed Me by JB Lenoir Saturday afternoon …
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