Before not after

Yaisha and Katiana New York Wait staff

(quick sketch)
Charcoal on bond paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir 2010

 Sam sleeping, or Sleeping Sam

black marker on long writing paper

8 x 16 inches

Barbara Muir ©

(This looks like baby Sam, our 

youngest son might have fallen asleep

on the couch with his pet Kangaroo -- Kanga.

He must have been very new because he

was a big baby). No doubt his mother was 

trying to write something while she watched him!

Drawing of a man

black marker on watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2009

(Stephen Colbert drawn from live video)

Here is a new twist to the whole blog idea. After that first sentence the blog
got a bit confusing, but I think the title meant looking at the day from before
(or in the morning), versus after, (or in the very late evening -- my usual time
for writing this).  If you like stream of consciousness keep reading.

I was telling a student yesterday that I don’t like the idea of a bucket list.
My reasoning was that 1000 things happen every day that are amazing
sometimes miraculous -- so a list of what you dream of accomplishing
during your lifetime is at best inadequate, and also meaningless.

I was taught by a great boss of mine to make a to do list every day (a
completely different level of order) and that practice is really helpful.
One of the reasons that it works for me is that my mind is always in 20
directions at once and seeing the notes on my list helps me concentrate
and on one action at a time. It isn't foolproof.  I still get lost in ten tasks,
instead of one.

It is my plan this morning on the last day of summer to show you some
drawings I’ve done in the past. It’s a beautiful day and I have many errands to do,
and obligations to fulfill. On my 10,000 step walk yesterday I had the thought that
artists are so lucky because the visual rewards in every day are miraculous. (Talk
about distraction!)

Yesterday it was trees turning magnificent oranges and reds against a piercingly
 beautiful blue sky, children squealing along on their bicycles, and scooters in
the liberation of a free day -- no school.Whee! And so many other delightful
things to see. 

Happy start of the week. Stay safe and stay well.