Starting the Portrait of Joe

Suddenly, that photo of Joe fishing on a lake looks just right for the picture I want to draw.  He looks serious, competent, thoughtful, not the man of mischief I thought I wanted to portray.  But I like it.  What did he think about when no one was looking?

It took forever today to get the photo cropped just right, heighten the contrast of light and shadow, size the photo to print out full-page without sacrificing sharpness.  To intensify the colors and then do away with them entirely, choosing black and white instead. 

Now I have to decide on the best paper for the job.  Google, here I come.

A Nudge from HP

 It appears that, out-of-the-blue, I’ve been summoned to an Experience Corps workshop for reading tutor training. I’d turned them down last fall and had no idea I was still on their list.  I think it was a mistake that they emailed me.  But I’ve been feeling a need to reach out into the world, to think about someone other than myself and my small family. It’s a nudge from my Higher Power, I think.  This time I’m ready.

Inauguration

Thank God the inauguration went as planned.   I can finally breathe.  Maybe the miasmic air of Trump’s narcissism and delusion is lifting.  Maybe the pandemic is a symptom of our country’s moral corruption, and it will finally lift its knee from our necks.

Afraid for My Country

Pro-Trump rioters storm the capitol.  The cool, calm Judy Woodruff is almost in tears as she reports on it.  I’ve never been so afraid for my country, with half the population mired in delusion.