Meet Molly and Molly’s parents. This is the underpainting and sketch in acrylic. I’ll lay in the oils once the underpainting is completed. They are going in someone’s family room when they are finished. Moo! They are a work in progress. (Aren’t we all!) It’s mind boggling to me how several commissions have come in during the last two weeks. (Since the fall of the wall.) OUT OF THE BLUE. Seven new painting requests; some very, very large. Some small. It’s exhilarating and I’m speechless. I really want to jump up and down with glee. DANCE like those little “Glee” dancers.....SING like those little “Glee” singers! In fact, I feel myself getting all giddy right now. Can you feel it?
Things are working out pretty well with all of the day helpers that are coming. It took quite a while (years) to find the right ones who “clicked” with Jerry. Now, I have a couple of hours of respite every day. (Accept Saturday and Sunday. That’s when recorded football games come in handy.) I can’t tell you how “normal” I’m beginning to feel. It’s the first time, I’ve felt comfortable that Jerry is happy and not feeling like he’s being shoved aside. Every helper brings their own special uniqueness to the table and Jerry is becoming more and more attached to each one. The newest, Sarah, is so sweet and gentle. She’s the only female in the bunch. Her upbeat but quiet, laid back style, makes Jerry feel relaxed. I detect a little “stress free” feeling that comes from him because he doesn’t feel like he has to perform. She pushes gently. The guys all have their ways of challenging Jerry, but in a manly yet compassionate way.
Respite, although, I resisted it for a long time, brings a completely new attitude to the game. I suppose like a football player who needs to rest on the bench for a little while, so he can regain his strength to complete the game. I resisted it, because I thought I could do it myself. I wanted to play the whole game. After YEARS, 8, in fact, I realized I couldn’t do it anymore. I had three options: 1. Run away to a Greek Island. 2. Finding a bridge to jump off of. 3. Getting help. Although the Greek Island idea sounded like the best option, I figured my kids wouldn’t appreciate it. The bridge idea...might hurt...and still, my kids wouldn’t appreciate it. So....looks like option three was the one I had to go with.
Since I was choosing option three, I had to figure out how to pay for it. Heaven’s forbid that health insurance would help. Oh no! Grrr! Giving up control of that, I figured I’d better paint! I paint and have faith that someone will buy. So far, like I said, “It’s mind boggling.” Hey, I’ll paint for you. $200 or $2000. I’ll do it. It’s a win win. And a win for Jerry, too.