48 is great. That’s what David said when he woke up with a 4 year old sleeping on his head, in the living room, on the pull out couch in our little apartment in Nashville. David had a big week. Played on the Today show with Josh Turner and made us all proud. All of our friends in Millersport cheering him on. Charlie and I traveled Saturday afternoon after a hectic morning of work in Ohio to be with him on Easter and his birthday in TN. April has been a stressful month in every way. I am looking forward to life slowing down a little for a few weeks. Mostly I am hoping we can all be well and warm.

Saltine for Easter brunch. We weren’t feeling the cooking dinner thing. Oysters and more oysters instead. And chocolate birthday cake to kick off David’s 48. Then we decided to walk through the Cheekwood botanical garden with very full bellies. Just about as good as it gets!  No holiday drama.

Up at 5am to sell and pack out guitar parts. In the van at 2 on the way to TN. Char and I arrived at the apartment and it was dark and full of police cars. I still have no idea what was happening but one of the officers told me everything was secure. We loaded in our junk. David was out on the road. He had left an Easter basket, Legos and a Bingo game on Char’s little play table. Char was out of his mind happy. Tearing into his presents while I was getting stuff in. He had managed to feed Woob half of the chocolate bunny he found in the basket when my eyes were off of him for 3 minutes. Holy shit. Of course I was mad and scared but after an hour on Google I surmised that he only ate about 2oz and it would take 9oz to really be an issue….hopefully. Painted this little red friend after all that drama and (sort of) slept with the tv on.

Too tired to write much. We have had an unhealthy month. My mom has been sick, David and Charlie shared a flu and then a cold, and I had a little health scare this week. I feel like we have mom on the mend now. I took her to the doctor and mowed her grass and things seem to be moving in a better direction with her.

Good Friday has been exhausting but GOOD. Not much art to speak of but some great work put in at GPF and my cute husband was on television! Charlie and I made some doodles, ate popcorn and got to bed way too late. Sleeping at the shop in hopes we can get moving on a road trip to TN after a Saturday morning of guitar parts work.

Up at 5 am. Piddled around with the needy dachshund and my new haircut. It’s too short. Flat iron didn’t make me like it either. It’s just hair.

At 6 am I decided to wake Char up and spend the morning together. We went to bed early. He was happy to rise and shine and I made him an enormous breakfast. We talked, sang, ate, watched birds, cartoons and painted. Noticed a friend had a dog pass. Took a shot at painting little Rocco. Not sure I have the perfect photograph for a good attempt. Maybe try a few more times. Losing a pup is devastating. I wish I was better at getting the drawing right.

Not sure painting in the morning is a good idea because now I have no will to sell guitar parts. I want to paint more. Switching gears. Switching gears.

David had to leave for Nashville at 5 am. He was off and I decided to paint while Charlie slept instead of working. On the days David is here I usually sneak off to the shop before they get up and start the guitar parts madness. I decided to paint a Blue Heron fishing with some modern art in the landscape.

Later while getting my haircut I made a little Spring Beauty in the beauty shop. They are everywhere in the woods. One of my favorite flowers and signs of warm weather ahead. Worked hard and then picked up Char for dinner and soccer at the park. In bed early.

Worked all morning and had family afternoon. We even cooked a turkey. Watched Tiger win. Painted the owl.

I had a very slow art day but that’s ok. I am telling myself that because I feel guilty for not accomplishing more. Put work first all day because David was helping make that happen by not minding that I stayed at the shop over night. We had a lovely night with friends Friday evening. Aundrea and Dick invited us over for kabobs and cocktails and welcomed Char as well. Char and David left me at the shop after the party. He kept Char all morning while I worked. Char came over at lunch and we worked on our tiny shop garden and bought David a bike at the junk store. We all have bikes now and we have a few plants growing to cheer us before work.

Charlie was super good. Bought himself a rake at the hardware store and some 25 cent cars in a sale box while I was negotiating the bike price. He was excited all afternoon about my sister, Dee, watching him that evening while we went to see a show.

David and I traveled to Stuart’s Opera House to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Patty Griffin. I made this 5 minute owl in the car from kid art supplies I had in my purse knowing this was my last chance to get in some art.

We ate giant cheeseburgers in a dive bar because the proper before show restaurant was overstuffed with people and jazz piano filtering out the door. I didn’t want to leave the dirty barstool by the pool table in the dive bar. It was quiet enough that I could talk to my husband. Stare at him. See him smile about eating a double cheeseburger with a piece of bologna on it instead of a spinach salad and overpriced, dry salmon. Just slow down.

The show was great and I mostly obsessed over the drummer that played bells, piano and guitar. Doing all the jobs. Whatever it was Patty needed.