Friday, November 21, 2008

Another new painting...


Also not for the December show. I'm working on them too but, well my cousin Patti is retiring today! Lucky her!! 35 years with the State, now she is FREE!!!! Yes I am jealous much! Anyway, I painted her a quick little painting, 8X8, I was told by her sister that she loves cats and Lantana flowers so here goes... I hope she likes it! Happy Retirement Patti!!!
Be well, and Happy Friday!!! Tj.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It's Fall in Sacramento!

You just have to love the Fall weather in Sacramento! I always complain in the summer, I hate the heat, but the fall is the best. The last 2 weeks have had highs in the mid 70's and the leaves are turning and falling. It's beautiful! I've been busy working on my pieces for the Swell Sisters Second Saturday show. They are coming right along.

I took a little break to paint a small painting for a kind of second daughter… Jamie is my friend Patti's daughter. Patti and I have been friends since high school, so for quite a while, our kids grew up together. Well Jamie just celebrated her 28th birthday and I wanted to give her something special. Her family loves to go to Disneyland, and I found a photo of the backs of her children on her MySpace page and it gave me the idea for this little painting. I thought, hum a sunset with the kids in Mickey ears! It is 6X6, sides painted black. I was quite pleased with it, and when Jamie opened it she squealed! I was happy.

Not much else going on. I have all next week off. I am going to paint, and clean house and shop for Thanksgiving. I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my house just a small group. Should be very nice, I'm looking forward to it!

Oh we had raccoons visit our backyard pond again last night. Joe and I tried to scare them away. He was very brave and went down with a big stick and tried to scare them, well it did. They ran up in the trees to hide but as soon as he came back in they were right back in the pond. Thanks for trying honey! We'll see if we have any fish or frogs left! Oh well. That is the circle of life I guess!! Be well. Tj.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Prop 8 protest at the Capitol







My daughter Lindsey and I attended a Prop 8 protest at the Capitol on Sunday afternoon. The day was beautiful, the energy superb. I think the photos speak for themselves.














Wednesday, November 5, 2008

We still have a long way to go...

Today I sit and I feel so proud of my country! We got it right this time I think! President Elect Barack Obama wins by a huge margin! We have come a long way in my life time. I have childhood memories of segregation, busing, riots, ugly hatred thrown at other humans because of the color of one's skin. Now I sit and am proud we elect a man to the highest position in the USA based on who he is, his ideas, intelligence, courage and NOT judge based on the color of his skin. I am proud and have a renewed sense of love for my country. But we have a long way to go.

I am at this moment not so proud of my state, or at least more than half of them. Prop 8 the last I heard is winning by a 5% margin. Prop 8 if you don't know, is to constitutionally define marriage as between a man and a woman. It is to take away the right of same sex couples to marry each other, a right that was given to them in June of this year. More than half of the voters in California have voted to take away a liberty that has been granted by our courts. To strip the ability of two loving people to stand and say this is my spouse. I am sad and disappointed. If prop 8 does pass, and it looks like it will, we are taking a step backwards for humanity.

One of the great honors I have had in my job with the State of California was leading the domestic partners project, working with same sex couples who retired before it was possible to register as domestic partners. Legislation was passed that would allow those members to sign an affidavit of domestic partnership, declaring the date their domestic partnership began, a date that they would have met all the criteria to be eligible to register as domestic partners had registration been available, a date always earlier than their actual registration date, a date in most cases long before they retired. Using that earlier date I was able to establish domestic partners as eligible survivors where none otherwise existed. Making partners eligible now for death benefits, and health insurance. Some of the couples I assisted had been together 30 or 40 plus years. The tears of joy, the absolute appreciation and love I felt from them. I was honored to help them legally establish their unions, to put in print that they were a couple committed to each other all those years. Many of the who early in their relationships were forced to hide in shadows because of discrimination against them. I can only imagine how that validation help to improved their states of mind and self being. I spoke to many of these couples in the last few months again, they were getting married and had questions on what to do. The excitement and joy they were experiencing was beautiful. Now, if prop 8 passes, well, I am disappointed in all who voted yes on 8. I am sad you have not come further in your ability to accept others, to take joy in diversity and learn from each other. In fact really I am sick about it, but I have hope.

To those of you who voted against prop 8, be well. To the rest of you, please be better. Tj.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Lesson learned...

I was in a total panic this morning. Last night I gave my painting "In a Sea of Pink" one final coat of varnish. It was not the best lighting when I did it and I was getting sleepy. But I wanted to get it done so it would be absolutely dry by tonight when I take it to Tangent Gallery. Well, I got up this morning to find a hair found it's way into the finish! Ahhhhhh!!! It looked terrible. And was so obvious to me. I worked and worked on it and finally I carefully caught a piece of it, just enough to pull it off. Whew. I very carefully gave it another coat of varnish this morning. It will be plenty dry by tonight. So, lesson learned. Varnish in a well lit, very clean area!!! I was lucky this time. No disaster! Be well and GO VOTE!!!!! Tj.