Pushing Past Panic to Find a Passion

June 17th marked 17 years of marriage with the Big Steve-O, yet the two of us never took/made time to celebrate. This summer has been fraught with a lot of heartache and anxiety over parenting Noah. I've lost weight, my hairdresser noticed my hair was thinning and I've felt extremely fatigued. Last month Steve signed me up for a one day, pet portrait watercolor class because he always seems to know what I need even if I don't always agree with him...kinda like that one time nearly eight years ago when he signed me up for a writing course.
Me: "Why would you do that? I have no idea what to write. I have nothing to say."
Steve: (no words - just an unwavering belief in me)

Steve may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he is honest and fair and his faith in Jesus is strong and has carried our family through tough times. While his words are few, his actions speak volumes. His passion is in making me happy...mostly -- though there's a reason, as a little boy, his mama called him Steven the Heathen.

I love you, Steve -- you big lug.

I began painting -- mainly out of fear... because I hadn't held a brush for 10 years and didn't want to look like a complete fool at the class. So, I practiced as much as I could and although I nearly had a panic attack during the class and had to leave early -- I have found joy in the process.

My first one I created for a friend who lost her beloved 2 year old Belgian Malinois this past spring.
Meet Indie

A few weeks ago my niece had to put down her 4 year old dog unexpectedly.
Meet Sadie

Last month my Barb, my sister-friend, celebrated another trip around the sun. Someone who over the years has talked me down from more ledges and lifted me up more times than I can count.
Meet Cocoa Bean

When I shyly showed my paintings to my former boss, Ellen Rohr, someone who I have always admired for her can do, glass half full attitude, she immediately offered to pay me to paint her own two pooches...a gift for her husband. My heart nearly burst...not for the money, but that I could bring joy to someone from something I created.

Meet Molly and Sox

Our Truvy dog's breeder, Theresa has been a lifeline and been available to us any time we have called on her with a question about our pup. For her, a rendering of her beloved, 3 year old labradoodle.
Meet Dusty

My latest rendering is for a lovely lady who lost the dog of her life to cancer.
Meet Rusty

It's What Makes My Man Tick

On Sunday I awoke to find a note in the kitchen from Steve explaining that he'd gone out to walk in the woods. He said he was scouting for turkey, but I think he was just in need of some breathing room.  While others reduce stress by hopping on a treadmill or meeting up with friends at a noisy club, Steve prefers solitude among the trees.  He grew up in a small town an hour outside Pittsburgh, called Scio (pronounced Sigh-O) Ohio where opening day for deer season is treated as a holiday and trapping provides supplemental income for many families.

After reading his note I craned my neck towards the front door and sighed when I noticed his new athletic shoes missing.  Dang it!  Why didn't he choose to wear one of his grubby pair instead? With his size 13, quadruple E width Fred Flintstone feet, finding shoes is never easy or cheap!  I said a little prayer that he walks where it's dry.

About 9:30 a.m. I received a call from him telling me he was on his way back home.

While eyeing more than three bottles of insect repellent in our linen closet I asked, "Did you by chance put on any bug spray?"

"No,  I forgot," he admitted.

"Seriously, what am I going to do with you?" I asked.

"Just love me is all," he replied.

"I love you, but not the bugs and ticks I'm certain have hitched a ride on your pant leg," I retorted.

Naturally, when Steve arrived home he showed me that his slacks had seed ticks all over them.  I made him undress in the basement and had him bag up his clothes before coming upstairs to shower. Though part of our wedding ceremony was in Hawaiian, I'm pretty sure our vows did not include "with ticks or without".  While wearing only a pair of boxers, he passed me on his way to the bathroom and slyly asked, "Wanna check me for ticks?  Or, I could check you?"

I believe what they say is true -- You can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man...especially when he consistently forgets to wear insect repellent!

Brad Paisley performing his song, "Ticks"