Life's a Stitch

On the dozenth run to Lowe's I thought to myself how could I be doing this again? It seems like yesterday that I was running back and forth to the home improvement store as we were selling our old house and rebuilding the one we're in.

We've decided to sell the family "cabin," the vacation condo we bought 29 year ago, a meeting place for friends and family and a way to encourage free range kids. I expected more dissent from those now grown up children, but they realize what we do. Our new location has its own holiday feel and is less than an hour from the condo. It's no longer a getaway and selling it will have a positive impact on the daily budget, very helpful in retirement. Does it sound like I'm trying to convince myself to let go? Maybe.

Wouldn't you know it that the refrigerator died coincidentally at the same time? The realtor says "as long as you're replacing the fridge, do the stove at the same time." Ugh. That and the bathroom vanities, the countertops, the seven different doorknobs and hinges to match, the globular light fixtures, anything that screams the 70's, all the things I couldn't justify in a second home for ourselves I'm now doing for a perfect stranger. Indeed, another one of those first world problems. It's a good time to list it, though, as we recently finished paying the special assessment to cover the recently installed new siding, sheathing, insulation and roof. That should be a strong selling point as other condo associations in the community have that in their future.

Everything has been so tense I took the opportunity to try a course in loose painting. As a photo realist this is very difficult for me. I did a pear, that I call "imperfect." 

Followed by a bunch of flower-like shapes. In my usual style to define items more literally, I've got two versions, one totally loose (don't read relaxed into that phrase) and one with ink. What do you like better? So far anyone who has seen them likes them both. Will you be the tie-breaker?

Ink?

No ink:

I'll end on a good note. Remember the post that included this painting that I did earlier this year? It won third place in our art society's challenge. The theme was “Out of the silence.”