Pack Your Trash

I drew a lotus flower this week. I love pointillism. The whole process is so methodical and meditative. It helped me take my mind off the fact it was time to pack our trash. 

In the Marines, whenever you move from one place to another, you'd be given the order to "Pack Your Trash." We'd scurry all our belongings into one spot and stuff it into our sea bag (duffle bag to you Army guys). 

Packing up and leaving one place for another is one of my least favorite activities. Marines call it the "Sea Bag Drag." 

It represents the end of something grand and gets me feeling a bit low. Maybe that's why this edition is a bit late. Especially since this summer, in England, has been one of the best summers ever. 

Our travels have taken us to friends in Cornwall, London, Wensleydale, Whitstable, Derbyshire, Flore, Doncaster, Chorleywood, Welwyn, Newmarket, Oxted, and, of course, St. Evenage. 

We've walked lots of miles, drank new cocktails (corpse reviver is a must try - check out the recipe here), and had tons of smiles We've visited castles, fields, hills, dales, moors, and farms. We got to dog sit and lounge around a bit. 

Though I have kept up drawing and painting a bit this summer, there has been so much going on I found it difficult to ferret away enough time. It's been a jam-packed summer. I need to make art a bit more of a priority. Time is one of those finite things we have in life, and you don't know how much of it you're going to get. 

Priorities are a tricky thing. I keep having to remind myself if you line up your preferences and priorities with your passions, you're more likely to be a happy camper. So I guess I've got some alignment to make. Gradually, baby steps I guess.  

It is drudgery to close up shop here, but we do have fabulous times to look forward to as well. We'll be heading to Dayton Ohio on Tuesday. I love catching up with friends and family when I get into town.

Then, a couple of short weeks later we'll be able to catch up with dad in Surprise, AZ. (I love the name of that town) Dad's going to be 90 at the end of October. Surprise!

If you see us passing overhead in one of those big silver transatlantic pterodactyls, give us a wave, we'll be waving back. 

I'll be coming to you from the USA next week. 

Until then, I wish you peace. ​

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