Sandra's pears

Sandra's Pears
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
(This one will need some refining and
a new photo tomorrow, but it's
late and I'm off to bed.)

On Tuesday morning the former Cherrywood parents
(parents in an alternative school that closed 15 plus
years ago) get together for coffee and tea, plus delicious
treats at one of the parents' home. This has been going on
since the school closed, and the group, mostly women
most of the time, are more tight knit than ever. The
set up is delightfully casual -- you show up if you can. The
door is open, and inside the women who aren't working that
day, or who can fit the time for an hour with friends into
their working schedule, are talking and laughing -- it's so
much fun.

I don't get to go that often, and not at all during school
months, but I really love the feeling of long term
friendship and community in this small ritual.
Yesterday the group met at Sandra's house up the
street, and she gave me these pears from her own tree
to paint. On the counter sat neat, bottled jars of pears,
and on the menu was desert pear pizza! The whole
table was beautiful. Today's painting is of my pears
on one of my favorite plates.

Have a loving-your-local-community day.