Friends –

I am like so many of us during these difficult times. Enjoyable activities that we used to be able to count on are no longer easy to do, or maybe even can't be done. Painting outdoors with friends and visiting my family often have been two of those activities for me.

We need to stay safe but we also need to find ways to be happy and I had been missing that joy for months. Part of getting back to happy for me finally occurred in June with a much welcomed invitation to visit Rosa and family in Oregon. Being able to hug family can make all the difference in the world!

It is no wonder, then, that while I was there I felt the motivation to set up my plein air gear and create in my daughter's back yard. It may not match up to hugging a grandchild, but applying color to canvas with a Rosemary paint brush is pretty darn good.

The view in "Ayala Gothic" may not seem like much to look at, but it has more meaning that just the liberation of my pent up creative desires. It portrays the addition to the Ayala home which Gonzalo and Rosa made happen with a process that took more than 2 years. Sometimes a plumber or electrician was called for. But Gonzalo did the bulk of the labor, with occasional assist from Rosa, Benjamin and Leonardo. It has become, and will remain, a source of family pride.

As I was painting, I reflected on a previous time (2017) that I painted this same view. It looked a lot different, though, as it was done in the project's beginning stages. Just for fun, I'm sharing it again. Thus, also attached is "Ayala Construction", 2017 showing the starter hole, dug in part by Benjamin and Leonardo.

Find your ways to live and love and still be safe. It is what we have to do.