It has been a long time since I posted anything in my blog. I imagine that anyone who has taken a moment to check my blog is wondering if I am alive and still painting. The answer to that is that I am still painting but not as much as I should be. Now that a new year has dawned I feel that I need to get back into the swing of things.
For a starter I really have to bring the blog up to where I am, where I've been and where I'm going -- so to speak! I should begin with 2012 just to mention where I am and what I'm doing. I'm as usual here in the wonderful mountains of western North Carolina. The place you can usually find me all year round. However, Barb and I were down in St. Petersburg, Florida for Christmas with our daughter Pam, her husband Rick and our three grandchildren Leighton, Landon and Leo. Of course I should not leave out their lab Liberty.
It was a fantastic vacation for us and a super week with the family. It is always a blessing to spend the birthday of our Lord with young children. It is a special time of the year for us. We also spent time with the other grandparents, David and Jan (Rick's parents). They are warm and friendly people we always enjoy company with. We stayed as long as we could but had to leave and come back to the mountains on January 3rd. It was a terrific visit but always sad for us to have to leave. We did stay there until we welcomed in the New Year with them.
As for 2011, it was a good year for us. Neither of us spent many days painting, but we both sold paintings that we had showing here in Blowing Rock and Boone. For which we were both very thrilled. Neither of us spent as much time as we should have painting last year, but our work has still been well appreciated by visitors and local admirers and also good friends.
For one reason, last year we decided to sell our cottage with the idea that we might permanently move down to Florida. However, so far we have not had any interested buyers. I'm sure that in many places throughout the U.S.A. the realty market has somewhat dried up. We have hope that the market will improve in the next year or two along with jobs, too.
Barb and I both feel that this area is the very best we could have selected for a rich art business and a beautiful place to live. So, we both agree that perhaps whether or not we sell this home staying is not a bad option for us.
