I found this chair a few years ago. I think it was at the Buckeye Lake Goodwill but I am not really sure where I picked it up now. I drove it to Nashville right after I found it and I was going to paint it up. David laughed and called it Charlie’s “prince” chair. It was sort of purple when I bought it but needed painted. He has loved it and always ate his dinner perched up in it.
Just spruced it up with some new paint. It’s moving to an exciting new space where “Prince” Char can share it. It’s new home will be the BunkoJess/Poet’s Corner in the Masonic Temple, Zanesville, Ohio. Room 226! On the hunt for other odd chairs to put around our round table now.
Charlie and I spent the morning working at Guitar Parts Factory in hopes we could get everything done and in order to hop in the car and drive to David on Sunday. One item on my list was getting some frames for two pieces that were accepted into a show in the Green Hills Library in Nashville. It always seems like framing should be the easiest part but it never is for me unless I plan a frame before I start painting. A few trips to town in the heat wave wasn’t Char’s idea of fun but we made it through and all the paintings were ready for the trip to Tennessee.
Notice the little Marigold in my paint water glass. That is Char’s flower arrangement for me. Picked from our “hillbilly” garden at the shop. He has a gentle heart and big love for flowers.
Char and I returned to Millersport for a few days of intense business work. Exhausted from the drive we stayed happy and pressed forward even knowing Sunday we’d do it again.
In a crazy turn of events my friend Elizabeth and I have joined forces and paid rent on a space that will showcase our art and poetry in Zanesville, Ohio at the Masonic Temple building. The building houses creatives and entrepreneurs and is the central location of the art walk. Zanesville is my home town and the art scene in it continues to grow and flourish. We chatted over doing it months ago but all the rooms were full. I have shared a wall a few times with others but never committed to my own space. Always wanted to do it. I threw myself into some other projects when it didn’t look like it was going to happen. Probably too busy already but…
it’s a good thing! I have been making art every day for months so it will just be the work of framing and getting it ready.
Today we decided to paint it bright white and start our adventure of turning it into a space where Elizabeth can share her words and I can cheer you with some color. Shout out to my niece Kendra and her boyfriend Rick for helping us paint the aged white off of the walls.
Up early to drive into Tennessee. Made it to Nashville to hug up David before noon. Walked off our car legs in the park and put together LEGOS in the little blue apartment. This is the week of NAMM. I am just not into the convention this year. I would rather soak up all the things to do here and not work.
Work. Ugh.
Stayed too busy but made a little guitar at lunch.
Ultra focused on paying the bills and keeping the kid alive. Managed to make some mindless flowers at the end of the day. None I actually liked. Here is one.
Plans to work all afternoon didn’t happen. I hoped to sleep in but around 5:45 I was up with the first light. I kissed Char on the head and went to garden for a few hours. It was glorious and my world was the quiet I craved. I could hear the things cars and boats and people chattering cover up: water flowing, wind chimes, hands digging and birds talking.
Char slept in and I received news that Deb Carpenter passed. Another sad day for the Millersport community and our little daycare. I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness for everyone. Especially her daughter Dena who also works there. Folks that feel like family and people Charlie loves. They have helped him thrive. Deb was battling cancer. Since she has not been able to work it has been a different daycare. It is still wonderful and a place I feel happy to drop off my most precious little guy but her old school care and knowledge meant so much to how everything worked there. A change. Old guard gone.
The last conversation I had with Deb was about how she was sad she couldn’t go to the beach this summer with her family. Too ill. And all the things I put off this summer rushed over me. Including the fact that although I planned to go to the beach I didn’t make it. Today and our health is what really have. We contemplate this when people die or we get sick but we rarely live like it is true. And it is true.
I fumbled around on a guitar and wished I practiced more but decided to write part of a song regardless.
Today
Got up early The sun was peeking Dog just a howling and a pacing You just kept sleeping
Birds could nest in my hair These feet tired and bare Stepped in the garden Still…the neighbors were sleeping
A chink of light on my nose Dewey grass in between these toes Down on one knee Heard myself finally breathing
Moving the dirt, pulling weeds The dog rolls under that old tree No tomorrow…no to dos A better state of dreaming
Chorus Gotta slow this pace down Get to know this fertile ground Bloom up from these roots Let’s forget about tomorrow….Today
I sent a pretty horrible video of myself singing it to David as he was just getting into Nashville from the bus and then wished I would have kept it to myself. Then Char and I tried to spend the rest of the day biking and loving each other. We rode down to see some old friends that were in town for an event at the brewery. Char was hot and grumpy from the ride but it made my heavy heart a little lighter just getting to see them.
No photos of art because my art time was all wrapped up in framing and sending some submissions to a few shows. Hopefully I will get one accepted into one of the shows in Nashville. I am feeling excited about just putting myself out there.
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