Doctor's orders

Okay in my travels in the past week somehow I picked up
a doozer of a cold.  The moment I felt that baby coming
at me, I opened a package of Cold FX and began the
process of warding it off.  Yesterday was a bit rough.  I
was tired, maybe that's too mild -- exhausted after the
weekend's festivities.  But I did the intelligent thing, had
a long nap, wrote some emails, took the Cold FX and
began my recovery.  Today I woke up feeling not completely
super, but optimistic, which is a clear sign of recovery.

Taking a break from painting

Stage 1-3

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2010

(This is my second in my series

of paintings of Henriette Sonne,

the Danish painter who

lives in Norway.)

This was one of those days that teaches you all over again
how fall gets rid of summer.  Already the trees north of the
city are turning colours despite the fairly warm temperatures
we've had here.  Then came the fatal combination -- heavy
rains and wind.  That's the fall formula.  My huge Cleome
plants in the backyard have fallen over.  Rain flooded the
fields and ditches at school.

So tonight I decided to do a little painting on one of the
series of Skype paintings I intend to do on my friend
Henriette Sonne in Norway.  I don't even know if Henriette
knows about the series, but she shows at the same gallery
as I do in New York City, so I thought it would be...
fascinating to have paintings of Henriette working
at painting in a show. We'll see how it goes, and how
they ultimately turn out. But it's a pleasure even thinking
about it.  And that was the doctor's (Dr. Muir -- my favorite
doctor - me) orders. Have some fun, paint and start a new novel.

Have a stopping-that-cold-in-its-tracks day.

 P.S.  I heard the coolest thing on CBC Radio

today about a choir program for people

with Parkinson's disease.  Singing helped 

people keep vocal function and cognitive

function and the neurologist said it releases 

endorphins which actually have a positive 

effect on brain chemistry.