Thursday, April 27, 2023

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2008. It was the spring fair at Mattie's elementary school. It was a day I will never forget. Mattie was thrilled to be with his two best friends (Charlotte and Campbell) and together they rode the mini train around the campus. There were games, food, cotton candy, and the time to be together and to celebrate the end of a school year! I of course thought Mattie would participate in MANY more spring fairs. But cancer changed that reality! I am so glad I never missed an opportunity to get involved in Mattie's kindergarten experience, because in one short year we made many memories together at his school. 

Quote of the day: Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. ~ Francis of Assisi

This is a painting my dad came home with yesterday from his memory care center. My dad claims to NOT be artistic and for over a year NEVER participated in ONE creative project at the Center. I assure you the Center does all sorts of fun projects and my dad has always refused to participate. I can tell what his class is doing each day because I have the schedule for each day he attends. 

When my dad came home yesterday we were all in SHOCK when he handed us this painting. Honestly if his name wasn't on it, we would have assumed he took someone else's art home! I joke NOT!

My dad has the tendency now to be part kleptomaniac. He takes home all sorts of things from the Center. Such as pencils, markers, pens, tampons, paper towels, books, exercise bands, other people's class work and the list goes on. Peter and I make a pile of all the things he brings home each week and then we return it to the Center. 

When we asked my dad why he decided to try painting, he truly had NO answer. All I can deduce is there was a stencil of this bird house on the canvas and with that he decided to paint it in. But here is the curious thing! My dad's chair at our kitchen table faces this handmade blue bird house. My dad sees this particular view every morning. 

Look at this actual birdhouse and then look at his painting? To me there are great similarities! You should also know that we have MANY cardinals in our backyard and my dad loves watching them. 

When I look at his painting above, it is fascinating to me that he chose to paint the house a similar color to the one in our backyard and he featured a cardinal on top of his house. Just when I think NOTHING is being absorbed, this painting seems to tell me more. 

The joke I have going with my dad is he is the next Grandma Moses, the American folk artist who started painting at age 78! He got a chuckle out of that. I even wrote my dad's memory care center today to praise them for getting him involved in art yesterday! I wanted to alert them that he is proud of his masterpiece and therefore seems more willing to get involved in other creative projects. Needless to say, I am in the process of framing my dad's first piece of art!