That for Which I Am Grateful

Courtesy of Nicholas Tarling. freedigitalphotos.net

We all benefit from gratitude. Sometimes we forget to think about what we are thankful for. The world and all of its noises, stresses, cares, and distractions often get in the way. 

We have to be reminded about the blessings that daily have been loaded upon us. That's when it is good to give thanks.

While I was drafting this list, I was reminded of so many other things I am grateful for that I did not list. They aren't on the list only because they would make the list so long that it wouldn't be feasible for a blog post, but for a book! So here is my small sampling:

• people who love me and accept me and my flaws
• for running hot water
• a God who keeps working with me and has never given up
• my husband of 42 years, who is still enamored with me, and tells me so
• the fact that I can still get out of bed in the morning
• that I can actually walk a half mile in one whack! (there was a time that I thought I wouldn’t be able to again)
• that our children love us
• all of the help I have received with my writing, my art, and my music
• the friendship of others, freely given

I could go on, of course, who couldn't?

More on Grass Wheels

I have been writing and revising the story called Grass Wheels for the past year, struggling with various aspects of the manuscript: wondering if the characters were right, concerned about whether it should be in verse or prose, tormented by the old desire to 'please' a traditional publisher, sometimes forgetting that I have determined to self-publish. I tried to rewrite it as prose and, though it might have worked, I felt that the charm of the story suffered, so it is back to the poetic style in which it emerged from my mind.

Now that the manuscript is finished, the next struggle is in the form of illustration. Illustrating a story is (for me) just as hard as writing the manuscript. Questions abound:

• What color palette should I use?
• In what setting should it take place?
• What composition would be best?
• What should the characters look like?
• At what angle should the pictures be?
• How can I make the art as important as the text?
• How can I make the art lively and funny at the same time?

As I have sketched for days on end I have been assailed by frustration over my artistic skills, and that I can't 'just do it' like Nike™. Just doing it requires skill and practice, both of which are in short supply here, but not impossible to gain eventually by the said action. So, I'll keep you posted and post some of my art so you can see it, like the picture next door to this post. Never give up!