Uphill idealist

Creative Arts of Women of Western NY is doing a great job of jazzing up life by lifting up women artists! Coming on March 31st, the community of Jamestown, NY will be celebrating SWAN day (Support Women's Art Now) I'm honored to have one of my paintings in this wonderful show and to be featured in today's Women Create blog segment. My friend and amazing photographer Heather Mencer took the photos of me for an additional photo flag book that is in the works of being compiled for this upcoming Art Show. Thanks for supporting the arts - they have a way of jazzing things up don't they?

Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est. Live in charity and steadfast love. Live in charity; God will dwell with you. Charity is a word that most people don't use - or don't like to use. When I think of charity the phrase "Don't live off others charity", comes to mind. Somehow, charity's meaning has shifted to the space of being dependent on a great benefactor or bleeding off of someone else for something you want. According to dictionary.com, charity is: char·i·ty   [char-i-tee] noun, plural -ties. 1.generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless: to devote one's life to charity. 2.something given to a person or persons in need; alms: She asked for work, not charity. 3.a charitable act or work. 4.a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to a charity. 5.benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need or in disfavor: She looked so poor that we fed her out of charity. When considering the definitions above...

Image found at Colima Car Wash . Do you have a point card for a convenience or grocery store? Last week, when filling up my car with gas and coffee mug with coffee; I was surprised to receive a "Free Car Wash" at the checkout. After a lot of slushy, salt covered winter driving; the car wash coupon could not have come at a better time - for me and my winter weary Dodge Stratus. I have a thing for automatic car washes. I love the sound of water whooshing, the juicy-fruit smell of the soap, colorful stripes of bubbles streaming down my windshield and how my car is gently pulled through the car wash bay. At first, the two men worked on my car by spraying and brushing the excess dirt and ice buildup away. When I pulled into the car wash bay, I carefully lined up my wheels to rest on the tracking to be led through the wash process. I was told to place my car in neutral and release the brake. I shifted gears but nothing happened. I looked down and saw that I had shifted to reverse -...