Oh these chains that bind us!

My mom has been here since October, trying to get better. I have been caring for her along with Jennifer. When she was the sickest and I was trying to get her back and forth to the hospital she always grabbed her purse, complaining it was so heavy and she need to get a smaller purse. We always tease her because she is always working and usually carries hammers, levels, wrenches in her purse but she swore she didn't have any tools in there. I would throw her purse on my shoulder that also carried my leather purse, another two ton bag as I wheeled her into the hospital. One day, after many tiring hours of hauling the purses, my mom, and myself all over the hospital to different doctor appt's I decided to look inside her purse and see what she could possibly be carrying. To my amazement I pulled out a huge ring of keys and said, oh my gosh, are you moonlighting as a janitor? Which she replied I have another set just as large. What could you possibly have this many keys too? She opened the offices where she still works, she has most of her furniture and possessions in storage units which all have keys. She has containers on her property that also contain her treasures, with locks, and then there are the house keys, car keys and gate keys. Wow, it was amazing. All this time I had been hauling a bag of metal! I am trying to get her to take off her car key with my house key and use a smaller key chain, she isn't going for it though! There is some deeper meaning to all the keys we carry around. I know I have a drawer that has a plastic cup full of old keys I am too afraid to throw away, just in case someday I remember what they go to and need to open it! LOL Here is my drawing this morning, as I drank my coffee and thought about how hard it will be to go through those keys in an emergency to try and find something! I did eliminate some since I didn't have time to draw that many keys.

Time slips away

My mom came down to stay with Jennifer so Randy and I could go to Houston. She got sick the day she arrived and after 2 911 calls and several trips to the hospital they finally admitted her and did some test. They found a mass in her abdomen and needless to say we have all been very upset and worried. After almost 2 weeks in the hospital I got to bring her home tonight. She is so weak and thin. They are going to let her try and build up some strength and then in a few weeks do a biopsy of the mass. They are not sure if its cancer or just a fibrous tumor but it is around the main arteries in her body and her kidneys. I haven't painted or drawn or done much of anything except just take care of her, and be with her. I have had family flying in and flying out, its been crazy. Its during these times that we remember how short our lives really are. We remember the things that are truly important and the things that aren't. We patch up silly family squabbles and overlook each others imperfections. Its a time when we all rally to support each other and be there to comfort. I am often amazed at how in the best of times people can be very ugly, selfish, petty and small yet in the hardest of times they can be generous, warm, loving and supportive to each other. Is it any wonder why God allows the hard times to come? I am praying that God gives her many many more healthy years with us, we all love her so much.

Mom Swimming

Back in April when we initially filled the pool and it was a chilly 63 degrees, Randy agreed to heat it a bit so we could swim! My mom braved the water and I got some great photos of her. I posted one of them on WC WDE as one of my sixteen photos. I had lots of people paint her and I ended up with some great interpertations of her. This is my painting, had to be done in less than 2 hours, it took me hour and half. I am somewhat satisfied although I wish I had done her hair a bit softer. I might try again.

The Oasis

We went up to visit my mom and hook up her electricity. I hadn't been to "the valley" as it is called for over 4 years. I won't bore you with the reasons, none seem good enough to have stayed away so long. Both my mother and my youngest brother live there. My brother bought a piece of property and created a home and successful business. My mom followed and helped him while she searched for a place of her own. She found a 5 acre parcel that overlooks the valley almost to the ocean. This is where she began building her dream.

My mother is talented in more ways than anyone I have ever known. You might think that I say this only because she is my mother. I am not alone, in fact, most people she meets feel this way about her. She is generous to a fault, and works harder than most people a 1/4 of her age. She never complains and her soul is fed through the satisfaction of her labor. One of the great loves in her life is gardening, flowers, roses, and design. She has worked most of her life in design. Making things beautiful is her greatest gift. She can turn the ugliest things into coveted treasures. She has a Midas touch and all of us consider ourselves golden to have her in our lives.

Our trip would take 12 hours, and the closer we got the more excited we all became. We drove through the central part of California, agricultural land, without much to look at. But as we start getting closer to her neck of the woods the hills start to green, the fauna and flora become richer and denser. The last 45 minutes consist of windy roads covered in oaks and bay laurel trees. The shadows lap over the road to create dark, mottled tunnels and then open up into sun drenched asphalt again. Our eyes struggle to adjust as we make our way around each turn. At dusk we have the added worry of darting deer which have been known to aim for passing cars. Their homes are in between Booneville and Philo. Both are small towns where if you blink you have missed most of it. We slow down as we make our way through the heart of Booneville passing, the senior center, elder center, fairground, general store, hotel, cafe, ice cream parlor, nursery then we can increase our speed as we pass miles of vineyards on each side of the road. Mountains surround us as we make our way through the valley that is being consumed by grapes. I recognize the white picket fence that is the vineyard next to my moms and brothers place. The sun is almost gone yet as we drive in there is just enough light left to see the explosion of color that awaits. It is like visiting a botanical garden, a retreat in all aspects of the word.

No matter how busy my mom is she always is the supreme hostess. The house is spotlessly clean, a fire is roaring in the fireplace and there is music playing. Each of our rooms has been lovingly prepared for us, clean sheets, warm feather down comforters and fresh flowers fill every room. Dinner is still hot and waiting for us even though it is 9:00pm. We can't wait to get out and get our hugs then to explore, see all the changes that have taken place since we were last there. The house is always warm and comfortable with her there. I love just having coffee with her in the mornings or ice cream at night. She loves to feed us well too, we all gain weight when we visit. No wonder I found that I was so tired the whole time I was there, my mom said I was just relaxed! I knew that I had been drugged with the food, wine, summer breeze and a mothers warmth.

The yard was full of flowers and gravel paths that both Jennifer and I spend many mornings exploring with mom. I often was so overwhelmed with things I should paint that I couldn't paint at all. Everywhere I turned there was something else that needed to be painted, an artists dream. I took almost two hundred pictures since they have decided to sell these dream parcels. The truth about living out a dream is it is often better in the dream than in the reality. Although the area is really beautiful it rains much of the year and country living is hard work. Running out of water, losing power, no emergency services, no shopping, no close neighbors makes it hard. My mom is tired and suffers from arthritis so she now wishes to live closer to her doctors and have less to care for. She told me this visit that no matter how hard she tries nature keeps taking back the land. Its so true, we struggle even in the city to keep out the weeds and there is a constant reminder that it is not really ours for long. If anyone was wondering where Randy is during all of this, well, we did have our walks but he worked much of the time. Doing moms electrical for her cottage. He told me to enjoy my time with her and I did! Here are some of my sketches while I was visiting in my moms Shangri-La, I will post the real photos on flickr for anyone interested. Such a wonderful week with my mom and family.