Tuesday, February 21, 2012

BACK TO REALITY

I admit, I was sooo anxious to get back home and see my Sweetie (and sleep in my own bed again) that I left the hotel at 6:30 AM (as soon as it was light out).  Called Sweetie and told him I was on my way home.  And began the 5 hour drive.  The bridge was open across I-64 in Louisville so that took off the problem of my GPS misdirecting me and getting me lost in Albany, IN the last time I was through there.  Smoothe sailing (or driving, actually).  Got just outside of Louisville and stopped for gas and had a huge smile on my face as I went in to get a coffee to help me stay awake (on the road for 3 hours at that time and feeling a little foggy).  Talked to a lovely Indian man who understood completely my feeling of "being home" as soon as I got into Kentucy :)  He said when he moved from India to New Jersey, he always felt that way when returning to New Jersey - I didn't ask him how he felt when returning to India (perhaps he never did). 

Anyway, from Louisville, only 1 1/2 hours to home....until I got onto I-75 North and the four lane highway was down to 2 lanes because they were tarring the left 2 lanes.  Inching along and trying to stay alert, I saw a little Honda jump right in front of an 18-wheeler and if he hadn't been alert, she would have had the rear of her cute little car crumpled like paper - stupid drivers!!  You know how it is - the left lane is moving faster so you have to be in that one, but then it stops and you have to jump into the right...dumb!!

Got home safe and sound and was so happy!  Talked a mile a minute to Sweetie as I shared everything with him.  When I finally took a breath and as we were having lunch, he told me my aunt called this morning and she had to take my mother to Emergency again this morning!  So...I talked to my aunt and found out it's the same problems = excessively high blood pressure and inability to breathe without oxygen and treatments so they admitted her and got her a room yesterday afternoon.  It's not critical so I didn't go visit yesterday but called my sister so she went and I'll go and stay with Mom today and find out what's going on (hopefully, I'll be there soon enough to see the doctor visit).

So...back to reality, good and bad, for me.

But just so you have something beautiful to see today, here's a few more photos from the workshop (the flowers is a better picture of the painting than the previous one and the steer is the little framed painting Carol brought from her original Cash and Carry Christmas show - much more realistic than Carol's purple cows :) but just as well painted).




Carol talked about Joseph Raffael (Google him) and his work and this one reminded me of his type of painting in sections (but he paints on huge, wall-sized sheets that are made by stitching 2 elephant size sheets together).










A moo of a regular color :)  I looked at this one when I drew Gorgeous George and then put it away so I wouldn't be influenced by the colors in her painting so forgot all that white when I painted George.












Closer looks at Carol's leaves of her magnolia flower - this is why I love watercolor!!!










I hope my report of the workshop and all we did and all Carol shared (THANKS SO MUCH!!!) inspires you all to pick up those brushes soon and get juicy!!!


And Happy Fat Tuesday!




Now off to the hospital to see Mom and find out what's happening this time (she was just in the hospital for the same thing in December so this is coming on too soon for me after the last time).

14 comments:

Lisa Le Quelenec said...

Your workshop was a great adventure, thank you for sharing so much of it with us.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your mother.

Studio at the Farm said...

Rhonda, I'm glad you made it home safely. And I do hope your mother is all right!!!

Carol Blackburn said...

Great post, Rhonda. Nice to be home isn't it! Funny you mentioned Joseph Raffael. My dad was an artist named Joseph Raphael (sounds the same, spelled differently). Unfortunately Dad was not a famous artist just a dabbler in oils who painted along with Bob Ross on TV. That's life!

Anonymous said...

Rhonda, my thoughts and prayers are for your mom. So nice to hear about your trip home.....

RH Carpenter said...

Glad you all enjoyed the postings, Lisa, Studio, Carol, and Maggie :)

Carol, that is funny! Joseph Raphael instead of Joseph Raffael - I bet this happens all the time; too bad he didn't get a little of Raphael's $$ :)

Thanks for your thoughts for Mom - she's okay (not in intensive care or the cardiac unit, just a regular room and not doing too badly but the COPD is flaring up more often for her - a sign of aging, I'm sure, that will keep getting worse but she's so determined to NOT be on oxygen at home). To say my mother is stubborn is an understatement!

debwardart said...

Glad you are home safe and sound and will have much to share. Wishing the best to your mom.

jgr said...

Hi Rhonda,
I'm glad you had such a good trip! I'll say a prayer for your Mom, too.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Deb and Jane. Mom's okay, just needs to get her breathing and blood pressure under control and maintain that when she returns home (which she doesn't often do!).

Autumn Leaves said...

Beautiful photos, Rhonda. I so hope your mom is ok and out of the hospital poste haste!

Cathy Gatland said...

I can't believe how much I've missed on your blog while I was busy with another workshop Rhonda. Wow, your Carol Carter workshop sounds terrific, and as there's almost no chance of me ever getting to one, thank you so much for reporting so fully on it - really fascinating, and your results looked wonderful.
Best wishes to your mother and you.

Caroline Simmill said...

Thank you for sharing your workshop with Carol, the photos are just lovely. I hope your mum feels better soon.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Sherry, Cathy and Caroline :) I'm glad you enjoyed the posts about the workshop. Nothing like really taking one, but it gives you a taste of Carol's work and her style :)

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

Wow, what a workshop, Rhonda! I've not been able to check in on you and just read all your posts. Carol is the queen of wet in wet! Seeing her work must have been quite inspirational... even if her colors are wilder than what you'd choose. So happy you made it to and fro safe and sound. Can't wait to see this workshop's inspirations in your own work!

RH Carpenter said...

Pam, her work is just so gorgeous and wet and loose and colorful! It was an amazing 3 days and I wish I lived close enough to study with her. I will definitely incorporate some techniques, if not colors!