All posts tagged: thankfulness

How to THRIVE

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This painting is of a wandering cat; originally a barn cat, who has adopted a beautiful family.  They named him Yellow Cat.  He has been coming and going from their backyard for a long time. He is somewhat tame with the female of the household but still a bit shy and wary towards other people. When I began painting Yellow Cat I thought about his life and how he has managed to thrive and be loved again. I hope you enjoy the painting and this story, written for cats, but applicable to all of us. How to THRIVE  – from the Sweeney Cat Handbook In rapidly changing economic times your family lost their home and moved away leaving you to fend for yourself.  World news continues to worsen, you’ve lost your home, your warm bed, and your loved ones. What can you do? TH  –  THINK Lick your cold paws, put on an air of dignity, and think –  do NOT panic. You live in interesting times.  Take Advantage of it! Just think and map …

How is a person like a country lane?

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We are avenues of love to others who come and go in our direction. And like a country lane, over time we change. For example in the springtime of youth, when we are colorfully fresh with bright rosy cheeks, we are teeming with new growth.   As we mature our outward physical growth appears to stop as we, like the lane, bask in the splendor of abundance.   In the summer of life, we give back to others like the trees of the lane give a home to birds and wildlife. Soon there is a chilling wind that changes the leaves from green to glorious colors and they begin to drop away in a transformation that only God can do. At the end of our life-cycle summer we begin to transform and to realize the importance of life as we cling to our “leaves” of hair, teeth, bones, friends, money….. And when winter hits the country lane is white with snow while the trees stand quietly waiting. When our winter comes, we too turn white of hair …

August _ Staycation

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There is nothing like your favorite old chair, or in my case chairs (plural). You see, for many years I had a chair obsession. I would fall in love with a soft comfy chair or a tall ladder-back chair, a bent-wood rocker type chair, an antique chair – you name it! I would buy chairs like most women buy shoes. I would drag them home or have them sent. Until, one day we looked around our house and realized we could hold the next town meeting with seating to spare. I was asked to stop buying chairs! Perhaps in your hectic life there are things you love right in your home or yard or neighborhood, that you never took the time to sit back and enjoy. Why not take a “Staycation” and do just that….sit back, relax and enjoy that which is all around you. I offer you my old, red Adirondack chair …….

August _ Vacation Month In Africa

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Do you ever dream of faraway places that you would love to visit? Africa’s Serengeti is on my bucket list. Sometimes I Google Map it and enjoy a few minutes of incredible pictures without the ad cookies or travel companies calling me later.  If you can’t make it all the way to Africa but still want to see beasts in the wild; I suggest booking a trip to San Diego Wild Animal Park. Operated by the San Diego Zoo, it offers 3500 animals on 1800 acres resembling their normal habitat. It is located about 30 minutes northeast of San Diego CA; which is a fun destination point all on its own. The Wild Animal Park is an animal and plant preserve that was originally a breeding facility for endangered species for the San Diego Zoo. Recently, it was renamed San Diego Zoo Safari Park; but you can locate it with either name. You can also check out the blog called Roam Wild And Free to read about safaris in Montana where you will see Bison, …

August _ Vacation Month

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When Mike and I left the grueling two year project we were on in the Middle East; we did what expats call “R&R”. Rest and Relaxation! I like this term because when I say I am going on “R&R” I actually do just that. Vacations tend to get out of hand and find me going back to work more exhausted than when I left. We arrived at our R&R, a small village on the island of Mykonos, Greece, to find that our villa was on a hill side with an incredible view of the Aegean Sea from one balcony and a view of the little village on the cove from the other balcony. It was perfect for a painter! However, it was so stunning that the blue greens of the sea and the whitewashed buildings and walkways overwhelmed my senses. Alas, the grandeur never got presented on my paper during that trip. I have been trying to paint that delightful memory since. I still don’t have it perfected; but today I present my latest attempt. …

Pursuit of Happiness – Americana

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Is our American Constitution now just a bit of ‘folklore’? I think not! The Constitution is alive and well and living for all of us.  The “Life Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” thing is for real. Take the woman in our painting today – what is she doing? Is she driving a T-Bird convertible; or a bumper car? Perhaps it is a speed boat; or an arcade game. It doesn’t matter, really, the point is she has the freedom, here in America, to pursue happiness and can make the choice of what to drive. Not every country can boast the same, especially when it comes to the female gender. Thank you for joining us in July’s review of Americana. Next month we share vacation ideas….some good stuff coming up so be sure to check back in August, the Vacation Month. All the best to you and God Bless America !

The Old Front Porch Swing

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How many of us have sat on the front porch, perhaps on a swing, a chair or bench? It just seems that at some point in our lives we should do some front porch sitt’n; because that is where memories are made and neighbors are met. Back home in Montana our front porch was screened in and had a piano where my mother would play fun things like Tiger Rag. She’d sing “hold that tiger” and then run her fingers down the entire length of the key board. We kids just went nuts over this song and demanded she play it faster and faster. We also counted the cars that drove by our place on the Hiway between nowhere and somewhere else. The game was to guess if the next car would be a Chevy or a Ford. Now that’s iconic America.

Endless Possibilities

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When the weather turns cold with the wind howling through the trees, and things look bleak….look for an opening to find warmth and endless possibilities; then, give thanks. Click on painting to enlarge and enjoy Artist:  Kathy Sweeney                                 Watercolor and ink