05/21/2020
Greetings from Bedford County!
Warning: this is long. It’s a few months’ worth of catching up I’ve got to do. Feel free to skip ahead or around, and just look at the photos if you’d rather.
Some of you who know me personally know the (printing) company I work for makes marketing calendars as one of our core products. Last year, I was designing covers for said calendars and it came time for the Happy New Year cover. I was told it had to be the most amazing cover ever because 2020 was going to be “an epic year that no one would ever forget” (this may not be a 100% accurate quote, but you get the point.) Well, yeah...
In January, our family purchased a few more acres of land for our little farm and have been cleaning it up and building fence.
In February, while building fence one day, I got a call that a family member (spoiler alert- he’s much better now, thankfully!) was being air-lifted to Roanoke Memorial for medical reasons. I raced to the hospital and made many more trips there over the next month and a half visiting and helping the little bit I could. During that time, Mom spent many nights at my house and having her around was awesome. (She lives over an hour away on a normal day.) They left rehab around March 12, right before the Big Mess hit here. I haven’t seen her since then. She’s staying home (Wythe County) and safe.
Late March brought four new baby kids to the farm and we’ve had so much fun watching them grow. This is my first experience with goats, and they’re SO much better and more enjoyable than the sheep I grew up with!
Back to the job that pays the bills- we’ve been open this entire time with a very limited on-site staff, focused on some new products and projects all while trying to support our customers and trying to help our community. Some days have been exhausting, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work.
I’m also really thankful for the hubby and in-laws who have been helping care for the little boy and help with the readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic lessons. Without them, I would have been unable to work and school him at home, and since we’re being honest here, very well might have gone crazy. (Hats off here to every homeschool and stay-at-home moms prior to the Big Mess, and the new “teachers” that have emerged in the past 2 months.) Our family has had a lot of extra real-world farming lessons - gate-opening and closing 101, fence building 101 and 102, tape-measure reading 201, horse riding 114, and kid-chasing 123, all of which he’s passed and excelled - mixed with some worksheets, letter-writing, football tossing, basketball playing, and some arts and craft time sprinkled in. And, if we’re being honest again, too much screen time. I’m currently trying to make more of that time educational, at least.
I guess my point is, I haven’t taken much time to talk to you all here, much less spend time in my studio. Don’t get me wrong... I’ve thought about it, but the motivation just hadn’t been there.
Mom’s birthday is coming up soon... like Monday. I’ve got to get her gift in the mail tomorrow! (I’m usually late on this step.) She’s not on Facebook so I can share her gift here. Of course, it’s homemade. She loves bluebirds so that’s a common theme for her gifts. (See also her Mother’s Day gift that is being shipped with her birthday gift. Remember I said I’m normally running behind? Good thing she loves me! No worries - I DID send a card that got to her on time!)
I’m very much an experimenting artist. I saw something in New Orleans about a year ago and it was amazing - a series of animal portraits - and I combined that inspiration with some silver foil leaf and voila! Btw- I typically do not do animals. I wanted to do one painting, or maybe four, because why do just one? I just finished #1, #2 is in progress, #3 and #4 are prepped. I figure the rate at which I’m moving, they should be done by 2025... maybe.
Also, if you’ve never been to NOLA, GO - when it’s safe again! It’s an amazing place with great artist/gallery scene, and not just stuffy, snobby art galleries... ones full of vibrancy and life. Absolutely amazing. You’re welcome.
Hope my Firefly family is well. If you need anything, let me know... I might even have an extra roll of toilet paper. Stay safe. 🧡
