Saturday, June 4, 2022

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2008. Mattie was six year's old and it was about a month before Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. At that point in time, we were clueless that anything was wrong with Mattie. That day, Peter and Mattie went to a baseball game together. Peter was introducing Mattie to the sport. Unfortunately for Peter, Mattie was a lot like me. Sports in general do not interest us. Instead, Mattie was intrigued by the PEOPLE, people watching, the food, and the activity all around him.

Quote of the day: With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

There is a lot of truth to Eleanor Roosevelt's quote. Or at least I relate to it. I had a bad night, and I went to sleep, and it helped me reset to tackle today. Fortunately I can do this, otherwise, the pace that I am keeping would not be sustainable. 

The house down the road from me had an open house today. I think it is important to understand the worth of things are around us. I also like touring houses for ideas. So my mom and I went today! Unfortunately today's house did not inspire me. Though I admit that I am NOT a mid-century modern fan. What was perplexing about this house is the outside was traditional, but inside was modern and austere. 

To me it's like finding Waldo! Can you guess where the refrigerator is? If you guessed to the left of the wall oven, covered in wood paneling, you would be correct. The kitchen did nothing for me, but depress me, and the floor was made of concrete. Again, trendy, but not me. 

After the house tour, I drove to a local art show, featuring the works of Patricia Strickler. Patricia is a chemist by training. When she retired she pursued her passion... painting. 

This is a photograph of Monet's Garden in Giverny, France. Many years ago, we saw this sight on a cruise tour. However, when we saw Patricia's painting of this scene during the Autumn months, it spoke to us and we purchased it. 

All paintings were VERY reasonably priced. Meaning nothing over $300. All proceeds went to the Vale Schoolhouse. A historic two-room school built about 1884.

We even met Patricia and she was kind enough to chat with us, tell us a bit about herself, and how she came about painting this particular scene! 

When we brought the painting home, which is in an art quality frame, I felt it needed to go above a fireplace. The painting has pops of orange in it, and of course I consider this a Mattie Miracle APPROVED color. 

A close up. It is the Autumn version of the photograph taken above. The painting is in watercolor and it is truly well done. It evokes beauty, nature, peace, and harmony, and for those of you who know me, then you know I am a BIG Monet fan. So the content of the painting resonates with me. I love supporting local artists and non-profits.