I have finally been able to find two reliable 18 and 20 year old helpers who know how to give a good day's work for a good day's pay and at age 74 my gardens are back to looking like they should!
It is rough getting old and cricketty, when the knees don't bend or the back gives out before one puts in 15 minutes of yard work, or one hesitates of climbing on a ladder to prune a climbing rose bush for fear of falling and breaking a hip or something.
So one resigns oneself to writing about gardening, supervising help, searching for reliable help, turning a blind eye to weeds when one cannot find help and occasionally painting about gardening.
So today, after a brief stint around the garden after the morning chill wore off and I discarded my gardening jacket on a post I glanced over and as an award winning American artist I discovered a painting waiting for me.
About 15 years ago I had started to make some quilt patches. Who knows why as I did not intend to make a quilt and I found 3 button up sweatshirts on sale in Wal-mart one day which I purchased and proceeded to put a quilt patch on the back of each and make pockets on the front of each side with smaller quilt patches. I eventually sold one in the campground store, gave one away as a gift and retained the black one for my own use.
It has served me well and I usually wear it whenever I do outside work and often in the art studio when there is a chill. It has gotten pretty ragged and has evidence of art work on it where paint has spattered or I have wiped my hands or even a paint brush now and then. Lately I have thrown it in the trash about 4 times. However, like a small child with it's security "woobie" I haul it out just before the trash is taken down the drive, wash it one more time and put it back on.
When the day warms up as I work outside this old faded jacket comes off and is hung on the nearest post. Today I decided to paint a picture of it. I have omitted the landscape background because I felt it would take away from the jacket. Just about every thing an artist paints has a story and this is the story of this painting titled "Arlene's Gardening Jacket".
As I paint mostly for myself, I am fortunate when they are purchased because all my royalties, proceeds etc from my paintings, books and articles go to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and if this little painting speaks to you then you can buy it or make an offer on it by
clicking here.
"Tread the Earth Lightly" and in the meantime... may your day be filled with... Peace, Light and Love,
Arlene Wright-Correll
