5/15

It is a pleasure to paint these morning studies

With others and I am happy with how this

Painting is going.

5/14

Again to the city for another open studio

Again to be swept up in another kind of life.

It is different.

5/13

Living alone is something I now do, with varying success.

Mostly it feels like trying to string a strand of really good days

(not daze) beads.

And mostly by the end of a week, it's mostly been a strand

with a single bead not followed by another. Mostly this, but

Not every week.

5/12

Who to list as contact in case of emergency. I leave it blank.

Nope, can't do that, has to be a name written. I write in

My own name.

This is acceptable. I quip: Should something happen

To me, you better be ever so sure to get a hold of

My emergency contact.

5/11

Sunset was beautiful this evening, a soft haze with low clouds

From which the sun ducked in a red gold shine before sinking

Below the marsh.

A few pairs of gees winged above, the dogs were content

To sit leaning against each other at my feet. The tug rumbled

Up the river.

5/10

A year and five months out, these days fall in a good place.

Will take the good ones where ever they land, thank you.

These were kind.

I'll take them but reserve the right to mourn the ones

That will not ever be. And will cherish those I had

With my dear.

And give allowance for those days now and then can be good.

To permit possibility that maybe life can be loved because

Life remembered was.

5/9

Up early to paint a stream in another nearby park,

(Who knew parts of greater DC had such great little parks?) then

coffee and conversation.

Three hours to home, walk the dogs, cut the grass,

Get a lesson in changing mower blades, then

Watch the sunset.

5/8

A quiet morning painting in a lovely studio.

Dinner with a friend's family, a grandchild's gift of roses.

Touched near tears.

5/7

A lovely day filled with art and people enjoying

All the splendid work, weather, each other,

All this happiness.

5/6

This evening framed a friend's paintings for her show.

She and her brother-in-law bantered happily while arranging,

Happy to listen.

5/5

The weather soft and sweetly warm, no bugs.

A good day to ride and I did, glad for the chance to sit

A different horse.

5/4

Today was rain and thunder, which we needed. ("we" -

A hard habit to break) but cleared to a beautiful sunset.

Bug season pending.

5/3

Don't feel quicker to anger now, maybe less so. Why bother?

Occasionally a comment hurts, but weighed against the good,

let it go.

5/2

"Gone but not forgotten." While we are remembered,

We live on. Mostly not much beyond memory of our nearest.

And that's okay.

5/1

Learning to live alone is the task taken on;

Learning to dredge through the (long hours of) loneliness

To contentment alone.