Busy, busy, busy!

"Stormy sky" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11"

I've been very busy lately, and also, had an extremely hectic month.  Three car accidents, one with injuries, two without, last one involving us getting hit-and-run by a drunk driver on Memorial Day weekend, who thankfully was eventually caught.  Not a good month for my mind, getting frazzled every other day with serious car accidents, or for our wallets.  But, the old superstition is that bad things come in "threes," and there you have it. If I want to put a positive spin on it, it was good things.  No one died, or was permanently injured, thank God.  So, it's the old "half-full, half-empty" deal.  I will look at it as half-full!

I've also been very busy with a time-consuming class, and lots of work from that.  But, that's fine, and thankfully, it will be wrapping up in a little over a week, so I look forward to the month off I have coming after it's finished.  I will certainly need some time to just relax and get caught up on some "me" time.

I feel good today, despite having the worst allergies right now, my eyes are swollen up like I have pink-eye, LOL.  Claritin won't touch these bad boys!  So, I will just deal with the condition...usually the month of June, for some reason, is worst for me and my allergies for the first two weeks of it, then it just goes away.  So, I know it's just a matter of time.

I am packing and getting ready to head back to Europe in a little over two weeks from today.  Nice and the French Riviera.  I am very much looking forward to my three weeks I will be there.  I am doing an artist's residency with a gallery out of Naples, Italy, with a satellite gallery in Nice, and the apartment they are putting me up in is literally right on the beach, so I should bronze up nicely!!  I just have to make sure I pack lots of sunscreen so I don't get burned to a crisp.  It's an art form in itself, trying to get the right balance of sun.  Unbelievably, I burn SO bad.  But, if I get a very gradual exposure, I do get nice color.  Very strange for someone who is has some olive tone in there.

I plan on a four day excursion into Italy--one day in Milan, two in Rome, and one in Naples.  I am all arranged for it, with a room near Vatican City for those days.  Having never been in Rome, I am extremely excited at the prospect of it.  Rome and Roman history has always been fantastic and mysterious to me, the beauty, power, and brutality of it, along with the longevity of it's survival has always made me think that it was the supreme civilization of all, even to this day.  But, that is my opinion, and I'm sure everyone else has their own idea of it.

So, I am carefully packing, because I don't want to be lugging a lot of crap around with me, and have to also take into account my painting supplies which will be stowed inside my luggage (and takes up probably half the suitcase).  I'm only bringing one large suitcase (Yes Jilly, the Life Raft!) along with my carry-on (which is just my laptop and computer/business gear) so I have to pack very carefully since I will be gone for three weeks, and I can only bring the bare necessities.  But, as long as I have access to laundry, I'm good.  It's all about roaming and painting, and sunbathing, and mingling.  It will be awesome.

Well, I am trying to finish up a new painting in my series, which I am determined to do this weekend, all other things be darned.  I want to bring it to Myron for Monday, or Thursday the latest.  His opinions are very important to me, and I would like the peace of mind to have a critique before heading overseas.  So, I'm out on this quiet, rainy, afternoon, and I am looking forward to getting it done.  It's time.

Ciao!