Anniversary...a Touchstone of Recovery


15 yrs without mindaltering substances today...thankful for life today and all the people in it, even those with which I don't see eye to eye...only though a program of Recovery has it been possible.

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What Has Worked;

Hut for a Blue Tractor and a Red Grass-Cutter

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     Many of these farm structures that I live around out here in Central Virginia near Lovingston are made from wood that has been recycled from earlier farm buildings.   I am almost certain that a lot if it may just go back to the early days of European settlers locating here in Schuyler.   One can just take a quick look and even without carbon-dating one can see that the wood is old and weathered by the elements.   It is very heavy older hardwood that these folks used in making their farm structures.   One can also see how the buildings were shaped for the needs of the farm at a time and then torn down but not discarded but reused again for another purpose..   The sizes of the buildings are small.   They may house one farm implement or two but they are not like those northern Atlantic barns that have lofts and large areas for animals, these buildings are built to suite a single purpose and generally aren'...
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First Painting of the Summer is Done

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It was a successful couple of days painting up on Pantops Mountain at Peter Jefferson place, what a great view to paint. For the last couple of days at noon I have been up on the third floor balcony of the Martha Jefferson Hospital at Peter Jefferson place painting a landscape of the view. It's tremendous and breathtaking in it's scope, it gives the viewer a complete panorama of Charlottesville and the mountain ranges beyond it. It shouts out "paint me" every time I have seen that view, so for the last couple of days I did just that I painted it. Yesterday was the start of the painting, and storms could be seen taking formation. It would be a great location for a "weather cam" because you can see clouds forming so well from up their on Pantops. I painted for an hour and a half, just getting the painting situated and getting the under - painting started, and making sure I took a close look at the buildings and their respective locations in the ...
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Bus Stop: "When is it Coming?"

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The summer is coming upon my horizon in a quid pro quo manner one where I need to get to work soon just to work on something. It's been too too long since I painted and I feel it. I delve into my drawing notebook when I have a spare moment and truly it's rewarding and fun but there is nothing nearly similar to picking up the brush and palette. Soon I promise you soon it will come about, just not today. I have sat myself on a park bench and drawn though and this is one of my resulting drawings of a woman awaiting her city transit homeward for the day. I found her an interesting subject and she I think noticed me drawing and she seem to sit perfectly still for me so I could capture her in repose. She was enjoyable to work on. It wasn't that long ago when I was that one on the bench awaiting the bus. I remember it as a rather long wait too.
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Rt6 Barn in Lousia Co. , Va.

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My current idea is to paint those structures that were in place during the earlier millennia for Virginians' to carry on within its walls. Its places like barns for agricultural purposes and housing livestock are those I have targeted to paint. Those barns and old homes have been weathered and many are nearing collapse. I am trying to record them before they are gone into the history of the land. This particular one was sitting by the side of the Rt 6 road. It was still in fairly good condition yet it did have some holds in it walls. Many of those old barns aren't being used anymore, and I honestly don't know why other than that they could fall apart on whatever is housed inside them. The wood in them is rather unique and colorful in an earthy way. I find that part of them appealing to paint.
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I could offer a little hope today

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It's been a struggle to beat this illness today (it's the flu) but today I got over it. All the ugly stuff that comes with being sick seems to have lifted this evening and I'm ready to get at it once again. I don't like missing out on life so I stuck with doing my job even though I was sick for the last three days, I don't usually do this but the weather was so good for biking, etc. Tonight I'm back into my old self, feeling ok once again. I don't recommend this action for most illnesses but I was so fed up with being sick in the springtime, that I had to keep going. I enjoyed being with people these past few days, and I was careful not to touch people or too many things at work. I think I hope I didn't pass it on. Today I am hearing from a student who really wants to go to college and who wants to help people in the consumer case management program that the local community college offers to some who are recommended. I didn't say, "w...
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