Hop Along Holiday

Well now, I want to tell you that I have always felt sorry
for those people who do the T.O. religious thing and take
the corporate one week holiday. I'm sure they are
beloved at work, but it means their families never really
get to see who they are -- the real holiday persona.

Susan and Simone
first image
not done yet
acrylic on canvas
12" x 12"

When this broken ankle smashed our summer plans to
smithereens, we could have cut our usual summer
holiday short, and reserved some time for when I'm
walking again. But I know me. As soon as September
hits I am busy until April with at least two almost
full time jobs, and a lot of projects on the go. Artists
depend on other people, and other people are
flat out on docks at this time of year, burning their
beautiful skin and emptying their minds of all but
beer, lunch, dinner and that other acitivity. But all
that changes in the fall, when in addition to painting
for a rash of fall shows, I juggle with pleasure the
demands of commissions and school.

Susan and Simone
next stage
not finished yet
acrylic on canvas
12" x 12"

I'm glad we stuck to our original plan for a four week
vacation together, and here's why. The real vacation began
today. It seems to take us two full weeks to relax into
a vacation. Of course this one is particularly challenging
from the point of view of all out fun. But it hit today --
what you do. Steven napped for most of the afternoon
after cutting the grass, and cleaning the yard.

Long naps = vacation. Actually so does cutting the
grass, one of Steven's favorite man activities in Nova
Scotia. Then he picked up amazing take out
Thai, from Bua Thai, on Avenue Road. We eat
at restaurants a lot when we're at the schoolhouse.
After dinner we hopped (me literally) in the
car and went out to the Beaches, where he
wheeled me in my wheelchair along
paths covered with thick, dark, night trees.

We sat on a bench on the boardwalk staring at
the sand and the lake, and talked
to some other holiday people about stars. Then we
came home to sit in the dark on the back porch
staring at the stars above Toronto. There were some,
and no thunder until later -- which is a kind of miracle
in this stormy summer. This is holiday stuff --
finally.


Have a now-you-can-really-relax day!