Keeping cheerful is the most important job

Winter Lovers' Sunset

Acrylic on cradled birch panel

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

It's the monthaversary of our wedding day.  We celebrate
every month, and tonight had a sip of champagne on
the back porch sitting in incredibly beautiful, golden, late
afternoon sunlight.

Later I was reading my book, and ended up falling asleep.
I was talking to myself in a dream, saying, "Lighten up!"
So I did.  In my dream first I saw a candle in the dark, then
firecrackers shooting across the sky like they do here on the beach on
Victoria Day, then a sparkler. And I told myself that we might
not have firecrackers this year, or sparklers. Plus they are no
doubt bad for the environment.  But so fantastic.

When I woke up I went to the window. The most incredibly
beautiful sunset filled the western sky! Wow! It was like
the universe said, "see what I mean?"

Okay, we are in a grievous pandemic.  The other night I
found it oddly comforting to realize when I wanted to
grumble about not getting to go to the art store, or my
art group, or to teach, or to be in an art show -- that I had
to get real. This virus is like the bubonic
plague.  It's random, insidious, and horrific.

So every minute that we are well is a bonus -- a reason
to be happy, to celebrate, to say Yay!  Do you do that?
Do you check yourself, and say --"Hey!  Change your
point of view?"  I think I probably do it a million times
a day. Almost as often as I wash my hands.

Although we have no snow today, this painting is of a
similarly gorgeous sunset to the one we enjoyed tonight.

Have a being grateful for being healthy day.