October 2009

Yes! Score one for Ashley.  It’s official, my brother is engaged to the coolest chic, which now fulfills my life-long yearning for a sister.  Last night the families celebrated and told funny stories about the bride and groom to be (I should be tame, that could come back to bite me in the rear).

There’s an endless list of things I love about Valerie, but I’ll just highlight one that is the most painfully obvious to me: I no longer will be the only tall woman in the family.  We probably even have the same impossible-to-shop-for-inseam.  Yeah, I know it’s a shallow observation, but give the 6′ tall girl a break.

YEA!  Go Paul!  I’m so excited for them.

What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been.  I just got back on Sunday from nine days in London.  The next morning I (re)packed my suitcase for New Bremen, Ohio.  What’s in New Bremen you ask?  Not much, which is the point.  A friend has property there and a phenomenal setup for artists to work in.  I would call it an artist residency center, but the place isn’t advertised.  I talked to a farmer yesterday who leases some of the land.  He told me, “There aren’t artists here that often, only people [my friend] invites.  Usually they’re a pretty big deal.”  I tried not to blow my cover and tell him that standard did not apply to me.

This is my second day and I’ve made good progress on four paintings.  I hope to finish three of them and at least one other work in progress I brought with me.  I’m also trying to wrap up three books I’ve been lingering on for far too long.  Oh the things I never get to at home.  I guess it would help if i could kick my jet lag and stay up past 9pm.