This is an old saying that was told to me many years ago as I was building my photography studio business and “tree trunks” kept falling in my way and I had climb over them, brush myself off and continue on the journey that was to be my life and the roots of my professional life.

“Honesty Alert!”

I have over 5000 Facebook friends, the truth is most of them know me better than I know them. But there are many things they don’t know about me. Things I have kept private and to myself. As the years have passed I no longer feel a need to tell my “life story” to new friends who didn’t live it with me. But sitting down today to write a long overdue blog post makes me feel like sharing what has been going on and how it relates to us all and the past and the future. Todays post is not about my art or photography or what I teach or what I learn…it’s about lifes lessons we all learn the hard way.

So much happens to us and there is little we can do to change it.

Where Have I Been?

Well, the truth is that one of those things happened to me. Or rather to my best other half, Michael. In February on an ordinary night in an ordinary house, while watching ordinary tv, our lives were turned upside down with the few words of “I don’t feel good” while waving his hand over his chest. After the 911 call, the seven good looking emt guys in our living room, a fire engine, an ambulance and two unmarked cars on our small street, we started a new journey. To a triple bypass for his heart. The week before the Barbara Walters special about major heart surgery was on and I flipped the channel to something else. Now I had to live it with my loved one. The time in hospital saga is too long to go through here, but the bottom line is we are so lucky that we researched Asheville and it’s hospitals before moving here. Their heart unit is incredible.Every person we dealt with was amazing. And he survived it. And so did I. The call to 911 was made on February 10th and the surgery was the 15th and they sent him home on the 21st.

That is they sent him home to my care and feeding, plus the Care Partners that do home health. But I was living this as much as he was. After my own colon cancer surgery in December 2009 I thought we were home free. Now I saw that I had to live this with him. To get his diabetes under control, the gadzillion medications he was taking and “just us” to take care of us. So that is where I have been.

Life Lessons

I remember the first time I complained and whined and I wailed “That’s NOT Fair!” stamping my foot and was told “Life is NOT Fair”….ah, how true. But life is for living and while things get in the way, we must move on. While Michael was in the hospital for his heart surgery, my good friend tried to hide from me that her beautiful 18 year old daughter was in a life threatening car accident. She was dealing with that three hours from me and I felt helpless to help her when I needed all the help and strength I could get to deal with my own problems. Thankfully, both her daughter and Michael are on the road to recovery and both will be fine. It was like time was standing still.

Another time things didn’t seem fair was when my first baby was born in 1974 and he entered the world with all the drama that a first time mother dreads and fears. He was a beautiful baby, but born with multiple problems that changed our lives forever. After eight years we were again put into shock when he suddenly passed and was gone from our lives.

In between our lives were full of joy having another beautiful and healthy baby boy and the decision we made to take our healthy baby and run, closing down the factory and moving on with our lives.

Many, many other dramas,dreams that came true and some that didn’t. Dramas that make up life and death happened through the years. I successfully kept my private life separated from my professional life and enjoyed sharing my portrait clients lives and celebrating the big and little things in their lives and being able to document their images and create their family history was an incredible feeling.
Which Brings me To:

I truly love blogging here and sharing what I learned yesterday to pass it on to you all, but sometimes we have to disappear and regroup and clear our heads as life comes at us from the blindside. We have all been there. We have all done that. I needed a little time to get away. Clear my head, think about what I want to share with you all and gather up the links, webinars and art techniques that I can share. Thanks for understanding and listening. I enjoy all of your stories and sharing your lives on Facebook and Twitter…but now….it’s
BACK TO WORK!

Last night was the opening of the new show at the Asheville Airport Art Gallery. Here is a shot of my 30×40 pigment and acrylics on canvas painting hanging there. A good time was had by all and there is a great group of artists represented there! I am honored to be among them!

Carpet of leaves covered our entire front lawn this morning and the car, driveway and more. Yesterday we clearly had a driveway and road in front of the house. All gone!

It’s Kitty Day on the blog! Enjoy this our baby being as cute as he can be. Follow him on Twitter for more of his antics!

Meet Fletcher Etcha Sketcha our almost year old kitten who rules the house and all our cats. He is the baby of the group but has taught the others how to play and how to enjoy life. Here’s to Fletcher! You can follow him on Twitter!