Artnotes: March on

House at Pieve di Trebbio  Blair Pessemier   Acrylic/canvas   9.5 x 12    24 x 30cm 

 ​Blossom Blue Base   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  19.5 x 8"  50 x 20cm 

 Spring Trees  Laurie Fox Pessemier   Acrylic/canvas  8 x 19.5"  20 x 50 cm

​White  Blossom   Laurie Fox Pessemier  Acrylic/canvas  19.5 x 8"  50 x 20cm 

The Ides of March?  I am through worrying about bad times.  I am plunging ahead, swimming through to spring and happiness and everything wonderful.    Of course, I am aware of another giant heating bill; but spring has sprung.  I’ve turned the temperature down to 65.  Our neighbors tell us we must go fight the gas company – the bills can’t be correct.  We will see the gas brigade on Tuesday.  Anything we gain will make things better.  But I am not going to let a lousy gas bill ruin my life.  I’ll eat more spaghetti instead of meat.

Spring is clearly here in Rocca Malatina.  On Friday most of the fruit trees burst into flower:  almonds, cherries, apples.  It was so warm outside, we had to run for cover after eating our lunch in the sun:  too hot.   Our own persimmon is coming into bud, although the pomegranates are still without sign of life.  The roses have serious leaves, and the new trees out front have red and green sprouts.

Our paintings reflect the deep blue sky, clear as a bell.

I have been writing on my Slow Travel book:  I have nearly 100 book pages, but they are extremely scattered.  I have a terrible time going back to work on things like that.  I think it should have magically snapped into place – but it’s all over the board.   All those 90-day-publishing guru types never advised me that I would have to work THIS hard.  Nuts.

All I want to do is go on another trip.

We’ve packed all our remaining Sicily paintings off to our US company, Soicher Marin.  And the fabulous news is that SUMMERBALL – our baseball show (86 images and the book) are going to be used in an exhibit to launch a new sports stadium in High Point, North Carolina.  It gives me reason to paint again.

We went to the flea market today and bought a new oriental carpet.  We got a glass top for the faux-ivory carved Chinese table we bought in Sicily.  The place looks as spiffy as the yard.   March on.