Ahead of time or Behind?

It's the day after Christmas and I'm pretty sure many of my neighbors, one in particular will be aggressively dismantling their holiday decor. While it's early, in a couple of hours I'll see her out there, alone, boxes on the ground, small ladder at the ready, undoing what she was the first one in the neighborhood to do, more than a month ago. The rest of us were quietly savoring our turkey dinners and like a beacon from the Griswalds, her lights illuminated our living room. Like clockwork, it's been that way for more than a month every evening at sundown.
We'll likely see many of her decorations at the street for garbage pickup and there will be valentines in her window before the rest of us have our trees down.
Maybe it's my age, that contemplative period when kids are grown, well pretty much any way; still around but no longer really accountable to their parentals. I can savor, speculate, yes, even give in to a little laziness. Twelve days of Christmas meant to me it was a season, not a day to be done with as soon as the last sugar cookie is gone and the turkey is, well, ready for soup rather than sandwiches. I've been reading, Jim Bishop's THE DAY CHRIST WAS BORN and clearly those events took more than a day. Unlike customary manger scene portrayals, the Wise Men didn't turn up until Jesus was more than eight days old.
I want to see the old CHRISTMAS CAROL on tv, not a ton of contemporary Hallmark made for tv movies, laugh at the Griswalds one more time, maybe pop in a now antiquated "Carol Burnett Show" special.
As an illustrator who sometimes does seasonal work, I'm always thinking six months ahead anyway. Christmas cards need to be finished by June, any holiday magazine submissions now need to have a summer theme. But for the moment, I'll linger; watch the news, run some laundry and bask in the knowledge there is no where I really have to be.
Merry Christmas to all of you and a very happy, safe, productive and Blessed New Year.

Flu or what

Fighting a nasty four days of vertigo has left me pondering what is actually wrong. It can't be flu, no temp, aches pains, etc. It's annoying when you can't draw and assignments are due. And how is it possible that a room can feel like it's about to swim as you're staying in one place. Worst case scenario, my MS has yet again reared it's large and ugly head, just when weather is nice enough to really enjoy- quick before it snows. So, pens and paints wait as I speculate. Get the doctor's number out and put it back. Speculate some more. Thank goodness for audio books. Perhaps I'll briefly not fight this and give in to it. Some pillows and delicious words of James Patterson. What say you?

Mary Magdalene Illustration

As a natural-born redhead and illustrator, I was delighted to receive an assignment for MY LIGHT MAGAZINE to illustrate Mary Magdalene. This wonderfully enigmatic and elusive New Testament character has fascinated, Catholics, Christians, and historians alike.
So where do I begin. I look for resource illustrations and find as I knew I would, fine art representations; many hinging on the sultry as well as downright erotic. I always thought of her as the unnamed woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears. Further research indicated that at this time Jesus was visiting a Pharisee's house, a controversial step for a holy prophet. In fact the entire event was steeped in controversy.
Back to the illustration. I knew I was over thinking as I pulled Mary Magdalene to the foreground. I tried to create a look of longing and wistfulness. After all, at some level, Jesus was a love interest. (Whose feet would you wash with your tears and dry with your hair if not for love?) I placed Jesus somewhat in the background, with a wise old man (the probably wealthy Pharisee) pouring Him wine.
The event of creating the red hair reflected my views of the scripture as I repeatedly, softened, lightened, punch up color with the most vivid mineral orange. Too bright? Subdue with terra cotta. Too brown? add some venetian red. Ah, just right. How much hair would have shown. More than Our Lady, for sure. But she's inside the house, is her hair still covered? Probably.
Hold on, go back to the scriptural resource. But she's not actually named. Do I even have the right Mary? I'll have to take Pope Gregory the Great's word for it.

MEMORIAL DAY

Chilly but pleasant Memorial Day and Happy Birthday Lily Pearl, our 5 yr. old Dalmation. She has a huge stuffed toy fish waiting for her. (She almost saw it as we brought it in the house and I swear she followed my daughter to see where she was hiding it.) Of course she'll squeak it to death and we'll have to keep her from annihilating it. Then a game of hide and seek of course. And a special treat in her dinner bowl. Happy Birthday Sweet little girl. You'll never know how glad we are you share your life with us.

SAW WHAT!

An evening walk. Chilly but doable; We needed jackets, my daughter and I. It was a bit darker than I like to out; no longer seeing our shadows and dependent on streetlights and a few opened living room windows to shine light out on ourselves. I regretted not having brought a flashlight and was just about to complain when my daughter grabbed my arm. I instinctively stopped and looked around, "furtively", you might say, were this the beginning of a mystery novel. Karen pointed up into the tree. I saw nothing unusl, save what appeared a batlike presence fluttering madly in place, then flying off. On second look, an odd shaped mass of feathers, twittering softly, babyish even. It was a few seconds before I realized I was looking at an owl. Small, but indigenous to NW Ohio is the sweet little saw whet owl. I longed for a camera. We stood in awe for about 15 minutes, then went on our way. Nest time, a flashlight and a camera, I promise.

Winter Storm

We're bombarded once a gain with snow. A whopping 8-12 inches due by dinner time. So I'm going to be stuck indoors once again (my nasty MS keeping me from safely shoveling or walking.) thank goodness for the exercise tapes I can watch from my computer screen. A favorite, a walking tape lets me walk and actually break a sweat. Problem is, my screensaver often takes over in the middle of it so I need to push mouse to keep it going. Aurgh! Happy skiing to those in the midst of this most recent winter storm. Stay safe and warm.