Category: this is where i am from

thermometer

week 22 in my “this is where i am from” year long project: My father was not great at occasions- birthdays anniversaries etc. But one year for my Mother’s birthday in January he surprised her with a number of small improvements – little conveniences and pleasures. A reading light over the bed and lots of others I don’t remember. I do remember the thermometer – installed outside the kitchen window. Placed, I’m sure, to factor in light and shadow to offer the most accurate reading. I watched the thermometer carefully in the last weeks of winter hoping for 55 F – when it got to 55 spring was a real possibility.

ginger and the apple tree

week 18 in my  “this is where i am from” year long project:

A look at my progress wall – the things I don’t completely  despise:

And a little painting inspired by this email from my much older sister :

” Remember just outside the fence at the corner by the little dump there was a very fragrant (in the spring ) apple tree. It was a good place to sit on the fence and Ginger ate the wormy apples in the fall”

the brook

week 17 in my  “this is where i am from” year long project:

click the image for a larger view

I  meant to show you something else this week, I’ve been working on a little painting of  Ginger and the wormy apple tree,  but on Monday night I dreamed of another place – the brook. The dream left me with such a particular sensation I wanted to try to express it. The brook had a distinctive feature, what seemed to be a magic ability that I’d like to show you another time but  Monday’s dream was of  a grey and stormy day and the water surging and tumbling and  swirling through the tunnel under our street  and rising terrifyingly up  the steep grassy banks.

the rhubarb patch

week 14 in my  “this is where i am from” year long project:

I remember Mr. Hennessy in sunny glimpses, tending his little rhubarb patch in the forest. The idea of a garden in the forest was intriguing and  mysterious to me. Sometimes Hennessy would cut some rhubarb stalks for the little people peeking through the trees at him and you could run to Mrs. W for a dixie cup of sugar to dip it in. Little kindnesses to children last a very long time.


PS – a note on the painting – I started over- scrapped last week’s progress. I am mrs. do-over. I still didn’t really get where I wanted to go. I did get somewhere though. Onward.