To any who may be wondering where I’ve been and why I haven’t been posting…
Firstly, this was a rough year for my husband’s health. He was in the hospital three times since last August for five days each time. He is fine now, but it was a very scary year. I used all of my personal leave time (including winter break and other school holidays) from my day job tending to him and getting him back on his feet.
Secondly, as soon as school was out, despite being exhausted from a difficult school year and my husband’s health issues, I had to start packing because we are moving into a new apartment just a few days from now. This move is a very good thing for us; a downsize and an upgrade that we are very much looking forward to. But it was not the best timing after an extremely difficult year.
Thirdly, in the middle of packing up our entire house for the big move, my mother died. She was 81 and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for about two and a half years. She was moved into a nursing home a little over a month ago, contracted COVID-19 a couple of weeks later, and after struggling with it for two weeks she passed away while I was visiting her on a mad dash last minute trip to see her one more time before she left this earth.
Now we are in the last days of the move, which will be completed on the 30th.
Then in late July I am driving to Alabama and back for her funeral and memorial service. I’m driving because I’ll be bringing back a Uhaul trailer with some of her things (priceless family heirlooms). I am extremely grateful that my cousin Mark will be accompanying me on that trip.
Because of that July trip, I anticipate not being up to participating in the August Billings Artwalk. I’ll be 0 for 4 on ArtWalks this year at that point because of all of this “life stuff.”
I am very much hoping to resume teaching classes at Crooked Line Studio sometime in July or August. I am also planning on participating in both the October and December Billings ArtWalks (fingers crossed on all of that).
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.”
~Ecclesiastes 3:1-9
God only knows what is in front if us at any given time. I am grateful that She’s given me the strength and the courage to persevere through all of this, the resilience to keep going with an open heart, and the hope to believe that despite all of the difficulties and darkness that better times are coming.
“Yes, I know what plans I have in mind for you, Yahweh declares, plans for peace, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
~Jeremiah 29:11
I know that all of this will only inform the new art that I have yet to make, and I’m looking forward to creating it and showing it to you when this is all behind me.
Life is good and I am grateful.
Here are some photos of my beautiful mom. ❤