Season's Greetings to ALL!!!Christmas is closing in on all of us quickly... and most obviously, our attentions have to be switched away from the easel and even the blog and focused as they should be... on the matters of Family and celebration preparations!
Our celebration jumped off to a peaceful and very full start... in every sense of the word with our weekend rendezvous with Andrew, Melissa and Allison in the smallish, quaint town of Rockwood. It left all of us warmed by each other's company and the shared love... and primed for the other Christmas rituals and visits that lie ahead... but that are celebrated in other places... with other families.
Tonight... Deb and I will decorate our smaller-than-usual fir... and for the first time in our Christmas part of our life together, the two youngest (due to illness last weekend) will not be here to join in. I am... as you can probably tell from other posts an incurable romantic... steeped (too much at times) to past rituals... that I most definitely find hard to relinquish.
But Time has its own way... of herding one along and I have long since learned (from well remembered pain) that one must embrace change and move along with the flow... that is the flow of Life itself. This one necessary change is going to be enjoined with several others during the course of 2012. While change is both challenging and even threatening to each of us... again... I have learned from resisting... and the past unpleasant experiences that delaying necessary change results in greater pain to one's Self... and all around one. So Deb and "I"both have chosen to live by the credo that: Change begins with "Me"!
My "Road Taken"... or rather chosen, using my Art as a vehicle of travel has led me on an enriching and fulfilling personal adventure across Canada and to many places in the world where I have visited... lived... painted and found lasting friendship and wonderfully enriching kindred spirits. Many of these remain up to today... because we choose to remain connected in heart and purpose... despite great geographical distances between us. This blog is a similar instrument or "Voice" for "Me"..."You" and "Others"... who like us travel with Optimism... much like minstrels with a song to share with any who care to listen.
One set of friends, Norm and June Dubois "happened into" our studio several years ago to look around our gallery... to fill in their travel itinerary while visiting from Edmonton, Alberta at Carriage Hills Resort in Horseshoe Valley. They purchased a large piece of art... and remained for supper. Since then... they have returned when they were able... to our area on two occasions.
On both occasions... we have shared meals and time together here at the Gallery and on their last visit we took them out in search of cemeteries with ancient stones. They dabble in genealogy. On this occasion I took them out with the necessary equipment... and introduced them to the art of creating permanent rubbings. They took home some marvellously ornate rubbing memories of stones dating to the mid 1700's. What fun we had!
This morning I received an email from June... that is much more than an email. It is a gift from the heart that simply required punching a few keys to deliver its joy. I have chosen to include it along with our annual Christmas card as a gift... which I have no doubt will leave you full of deep Love....Hope and Joy... as receiving it did Deb and I this morning! Simply go to the upper right hand Video Bar..... Bocelli and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir... "Put your ears on".... Click... and Soar!!!!!
In a time when human actions and voices around the world seem only to echo in a tumult of angry... chaotic voices and hopelessness... may our Christmas wishes and this ethereal music from the heavens themselves enjoin... to encourage each of "You"... to continue to add your "Voice" to our choir and family in art... to embrace and work towards making our world a better place in 2012!
In a time when human actions and voices around the world seem only to echo in a tumult of angry... chaotic voices and hopelessness... may our Christmas wishes and this ethereal music from the heavens themselves enjoin... to encourage each of "You"... to continue to add your "Voice" to our choir and family in art... to embrace and work towards making our world a better place in 2012!
Merry Christmas from The Paint Box Gallery Gang and Family... to ALL!!!
Many Blessings and Much Peace!... and Good Painting!!!
