Charlie is snoozing next to me. I hear a little grunt of a snore occasionally.
I’ve kind of found myself in a “decorating mood” lately. Something that really hasn’t happened since Abi died.
I found myself looking through decorating magazines and scanning Pinterest for ideas.
Right now it’s all in my thoughts. But maybe I’ll shake off the lethargy and actually do something soon.
On another note, I got this email a few days ago…
May I have permission to use your photo of the vintage trailer from your blog about Living Simply to sketch from and post on my Facebook group of Virtual Sketchwalk? We are a group of artists who sketch/paint from photos of interesting places. It is purely for artistic enjoyment and will not be used for profit. I can send you a picture of my sketch or I can add you to the Virtual Sketchwalk group.
Thanks,
Donna
I told her yes, she could use it, but I didn’t know who the original source credit goes to. Here is what she came up with. I just wanted to show you how cute this is…
Here is a link to Donna’s Flickr page if you’d like to see her other drawings.
I’ve always been so enthralled with those who can draw with this level of talent.
I love these intricate flowers and would like to enjoy them a few more months.
I noticed another dragonfly on Saturday. I rushed in for my camera which I keep just inside the door, but it was gone when I got back out there.
I have watched for it all weekend. It had the black markings, but in a different place than the first one.
It seem the dragonflies are drawn mostly to the vines. Both the passion vine and the morning glories. The clematis dies back in the heat and only blooms in the cooler weather. At least mine does.
Last night I started reading “Half Moon Bay.” It is about a 39 year old woman named Jane who lost her teenage daughter the year before.
She lost her parents and Angela in less than a year. Then her husband decided he was in love with a woman at his office and left her.
Remember when I recently wrote about Complicated Grief? About when grief turns into an illness?
Jane is experiencing Complicated Grief. The book mentions these statistics in terms of losing a child and divorce:
Approximately 19 percent of the US population has experienced the death of a child. Almost 1 million deaths annually. This leaves 2 million bereaved parents every year.
The loss of a child triggers more intense grief than the death of a spouse or parent. After the death of a child, the divorce of the parents is a statistical probability.
That last sentence surprised me. Not a statistical possibility. But a probability.
As for Complicated Grief, in the book Jane is in the throes of all the symptoms and has isolated herself.
Which I’d never even heard of before I did a bit of research on it recently. The symptoms of Complicated Grief result in significant functional impairment.
This book is Alice LaPlante’s second book. Below is her first book, which I’m going to see about getting.
I felt like getting out on Saturday afternoon and went to Barnes & Noble.
Though I have a stack of books to read and review, I couldn’t help but pick up two clearance books.
When I see the two words “clearance” and “book” together I seem drawn to that spot like a moth to a flame.
My Mom could draw a bit. I have no talent for drawing. Is a very cute sketch of the trailer.
I am also attracted to books like a moth to flame. I have been getting rid of a lot since my husband passed away. He loved books too. It’s like letting go of friends! I keep thinking one day I will have a room with just bookshelves, books, and a comfy chair to sit in and read to my hearts content. One can dream, can’t they?!
Hope today is a good day for you and Charlie ??
Dragon flies are amazing little creatures. I have photographed one only once, I think. It had landed on the window screen in my entry way and stayed there for quite a while. I was reading about dragon flies and damsel flies recently. Sometimes the damsel flies are mistaken for dragon flies, and as usual I can’t remember a thing more from that article! Wonder where I read it?
What is the name of that flower posted under the sketch of the little trailer? It is incredible-looking! Like something out of a fairy tale. The sketch is very cute. I used to draw a lot as a little kid. I have some of the drawings that my mother saved and when I look at them now I think, “Where did my talent go?” I guess I just don’t use it anymore!
Well, I’m afraid I am one of the statistics regarding couples who lose a child and divorce. My ex-husband and I had a baby boy who was stillborn. We were very aware of the grieving process and tried to talk about our loss with a counselor who we also took our five-year-old daughter to see. We seemed to get through it fairly well although the awareness of the loss was always in the background. That was more true of my former husband I think. I had come to a place of peace about the loss even though the sadness was still there. After another fifteen years had passed my husband left us for another woman. Sometime after he left he told me that he was still trying to make the loss of his son be okay, but hadn’t been able to. I really had no clue that he was still struggling so much but I believe that the whole issue was part of why he left. We had had another daughter after losing the baby boy and for me, that was a healing experience but seemingly not for him. So, it doesn’t surprise me that that the probability a couple divorcing–in my case even after fifteen years–after the loss of a child is so high. I think part of the problem is that it is very hard for many men to accept the magnitude of their feelings of loss or to communicate that to their partner. It is all held inside, behind the “strong guy” facade and like a festering wound it doesn’t heal. So sad.
It is a passion flower from the passion flower vine. I’m sorry you and your husbands were one of the statistics. I’m getting ready to look up dragonflies and damsel flies. I may be mistaking what dragonflies are.
Hello Brenda,
I love artists and am often in awe of their talents as I cannot even draw a stick figure. This sketch is fabulous.
I was thinking of you this evening as a dragon fly landed on the bush in front of my porch and sat for at least 5 minutes.
I hope that you have a great night.
I captured another one yesterday. Not the one I saw the other day and didn’t get a photo of.
As you know, my husband and I experienced the death of our oldest child in 2009 when he was 21 years old. We heard about the high divorce rate from the death of a child, but thank goodness, we were not one of those statistics. I am so thankful I still have Brian to lean on for many reasons.
I was thinking of you and Brian, Melanie, as I wrote that.
Thanks to you & your book recommendations, I have two large piles of books next to my chair. You read faster than I do, therefore the large piles. I can’t wait to read them all!!
Yeah, my life consists of staying home, blogging and reading. Oh, and gardening and occasionally decorating.
I do hope one day you catch a pic of your dragonfly. Another blogger just posted the sweetest capture of a hummingbird in her garden.
I would love to photograph a hummingbird. I have only managed to do that a couple of times. Speaking of sketches, your husband is a true artist and I admire his work!
HaHa! I am just like you, I never could resist purchasing books even though I have several at home unread still. Now I still have an entire bookshelf of unread books, and several more on my end table. I have been so busy lately I have not done a lot of reading. I used to read in bed at night, but for some reason, the past few months I am falling asleep in my living room chair during my programs on television.
I’ve never fallen to sleep in a chair in my life. Things like that just don’t happen with me. Everyone else seems to do it. But I seem to be incapable of falling asleep anywhere but my bed at night when it’s dark. I read for hours at night.
I agree with you Brenda as I admire anyone who has the ability to paint, draw, sketch; I wish I had that talent but I’m a stick figure drawing person and I don’t see that changing. I simply can not see “3D” and I took drawing classes in my 20’s, but they made me feel inadequate and so frustrated that I always dropped out of the class. I now stick to the adult coloring books as that I can do with ease.
I too find dragonflies as fascinating to watch as hummingbirds. They both just move so effortlessly and are so elegant. I hope you and Charlie are having a good Monday.
Carol and Molly
Yeah, me either. I remember when I was a child I was at a neighbor’s house and one of their relatives were visiting and he was an artist. I asked him to draw a monkey and he did. I was enthralled!
Hi Brenda. Happy New Week. I love the drawing of the camper. How cute is this. I went to Donna’s link and she is such a great sketch artist for sure. Have a great Monday.
xoxo
Kris
It is a cute sketch. She seems very talented. I can only draw a stick figure!