Blessed Branches

This past week was endless.  I looked up at the clock mid afternoon Wednesday and thought "Man am I glad tomorrow is Saturday... wait.... dang."  Wishing for time to pass is wishing your life away and I try not to.  Sometimes life just throws you curve balls.

Thankfully, I can count numerous blessings in my life.  Today I de-stressed while canning strawberry peach jam.  Time to think and focus on creating homemade deliciousness - good for the soul.  I also want to draw or maybe paint the cluster of red-orange jars after supper tonight.  

Last weekend's blessing was a trip to the farm to prepare for drilling wheat.  (Not sure what that is?  Check out this older post on my other neglected blog of randomness.)  I grabbed my sketching supplies on the way out of the door that day.  At the farm - I hesitated only a bit.  What to draw?  What medium to use?   First the Pentel pocket brush.  Within 30 seconds, my husband walked to the grain truck (my subject) to move it.  Crap.  Speed sketch!  30 seconds more and the comical results needed written explanation.

The truck was now under the auger and the wheat began spilling into the bed.  It wasn't going anywhere for awhile.  I switched pens and settled in.  Forty eight additional minutes make a difference.  My husband and son will recognize, though, that part of the cab is out of whack.

The truck was nearly full then.  I finished up a few shaded areas and turned the page.  Next subject...

The old tree below was almost completely destroyed a couple of years ago.  The bare trunk refused to die.  Drawing the spindly limbs was a huge frustration at first.  I just kept scratching away and it started looking like something.

Life lesson today.  Change is inevitable.  Expected or not - it can be good or irritating or devastating.  Regardless, take stock of your blessings, be resilient and rely on loved ones.

This too shall pass and the scars will soon be covered with new branches.