The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
- Marcel Proust




Thursday, February 16, 2012

Heeeeere's Mojo!

Hey! It's been a long time, eh? After that last message (June 2010!) I took grandson Austin to Nova Scotia and back: 6,000 miles in 6 weeks. Whew! That's a long trip for an ADHD 12-year-old but he was a good soldier, and so was Nanny. I had to plan every waking minute to keep him from being bored, which was quite a change from my usual trip-planning routine. But we had a ball and got LOTS of pictures, which I have put into three albums for Austin to remember it by. To the left is a Nova Scotia sunset.

So that takes us to August 2010. After that I traveled back to the Pacific Northwest, with many stops along the way (and the best caverns I saw in all my travels: Caverns of Sonora, Texas). I spent a very snowy Christmas in Seattle then moved on to Portland for about four months. I made some great new friends, reacquainted with my old pals Glea and Sue, and thought about settling down right there.

But then May 2011 came and it was still cold and rainy. Hmmm...

My friends back in Asheville were enjoying some really fine spring weather and I just couldn't resist. I sold Michelle (got 10 calls the first day she was listed on Craigslist), shipped my stuff and flew back to Asheville.

And here I am, living in a historic building downtown (photo left) with a bunch of old folks. Well, I fit right in, although I am surely one of the youngest residents. I love it.

I have my daughter's dog, Mojo, here with me and he is an essential part of my new routine. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be getting nearly as much exercise, and that pain in my hip would surely be more bothersome.

I haven't decided whether or not to continue this blog as I don't have much to report and I'm not really interested in "waxing philosophical" about the joys and sorrows of old age. I'm not especially political, and even though I could probably write an amusing account of life at Battery Park Apartments, I'm not sure I want to use my energy in that way.

All this to say that this may be the end of the road, except for my pet portrait business, which I am going to try to market (again), although as I see those words on the screen, it makes me shudder. I love doing art but not selling art. A wise person once said we should do what we do and pay others to do what they do, so maybe that is the key for me: pay someone to do the marketing. Trouble is, of course, that I don't have money to pay someone and won't have money until I sell some art. Catch-22.

Anyway...hope your life is all you want it to be. If you're ever in downtown Asheville, stop by. Mojo and I are usually here.