Balancing Life

I love to paint. So much! But I do other things too…like travel to some very fun places. With an empty nest and family spread all over the US, we have been able to get to Vermont, Michigan, Florida, California, Washington…and hopefully, soon, to Colorado. My earliest art teachers admonished us to do something with art every day: look at it, read about it, study it, draw & paint it; so on our travels I have the iPad loaded with art magazines and am frequently dragging my dear husband into galleries. He's a good sport about it, thankfully!


We recently went to the Monterey Bay area for my nephew's wedding and enjoyed all the wonders there. Oh my goodness! There were sea otters hanging out in the kelp beds right off the bluff where we were staying! We were treated to a sunset sail in the bay and saw dolphins and more otters. One of the days, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and then on to Carmel…to wander through a dozen art galleries where the pros get to display their labors.

The wedding was so lovely and in such a beautiful setting up in the hills above the bay. I'm pretty sure I could happily paint there for a few days :) Being with extended family, deepening our relationships, and witnessing the bride and groom make lifetime vows to each other was the best part of the trip. The worst part? Maybe when our plane had to make an unplanned return to the Dallas airport and landed amongst a dozen-plus emergency vehicles. Thankfully, it was a faulty heat sensor and they got us another plane right away and we made it home by midnight!