From the other night. I like this angle, with the reflection of the sunset on my neighbor’s solar panels.
♦ Thanks for all your kind comments on the passing of Jimmy Buffett. Don is having a really hard time with it. He has experienced the loss of a few friends this year, and now this. Unexpected and shocking, though we know now he’d been fighting cancer for a while. James Taylor said that keeping it quiet was very much Jimmy. We’ve been in contact with various cast members of E2M and everyone is devastated.
Don had a gig on Saturday night, so he donned a Hawaiian shirt that he wore onstage in Margaritaville and sang that song as part of his set. The obvious things apply: it just doesn’t seem possible for such a life force to be gone, he was so loved by so many, how kind and good he was – all of it.
♦ Moving in another direction – today I am fixing something on my painting that I don’t like. I left it alone for two days so the paint would dry a bit, but today is fix it day. I went a little too far with something and now I want it gone.
♦ Animals continue to be fascinated by the porch – I’m used to seeing chipmunks go back and forth, but the groundhogs and bunnies are a whole new thing. This morning, I was sitting in my chair in the den and the window was open. I kept hearing sounds coming from the porch, fairly quiet, but definitely a kind of gentle scuffling. Finally I got up and opened the front door to investigate and there was a rabbit. The whole thing fascinates me because of course I go out there after the animal has exited to see if there’s been any damage to plants. Nothing. They’re just exploring.
So I’m calling it The Case of the Curious Animals and the Porch.
♦ We are in for a very hot and humid week, which I am not looking forward to. Temps in the low nineties, high humidity; the kind of weather I loathe. I guess Mother Nature is giving us one last taste of summer.
♦ I’m still reading several chapters of War and Peace a day. If I was working full time, I’d keep to a chapter a day, but I have a lot of free time and Tolstoy is one of the greatest of writers, so why not? I am way ahead of the schedule. I’ll be done in a week or so.
♦ And I’m still watching Landscape Artist of the Year. I’ve moved from the first four seasons, which are on Amazon Prime, to the episodes on YouTube, which are a bit trickier to watch in order because many of them are not identified as “Season whatever, episode whatever.” That drives me a bit nuts, but I’m getting a semblance of chronological order, maybe missing an episode or two, which I’ll hopefully pick up later in the process. I’m fascinated by all of the different styles of painting and I try to really take in the brush strokes, the use of light, etc.
I’ll move on to Portrait Artist of the Year after I’m done with Landscape. I’m a bit less interested, simply because I don’t ever see myself doing any kind of portrait, but I’m sure I’ll get hooked as soon as I watch the first episode.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
We, too, are still mulling the ‘magic’ and the ‘tragic’ around here. So many heartfelt tributes online to read about Jimmy. I was especially drawn to Paul McCartney’s story and his mention of the recent songs that I hadn’t heard.
Bubbles Up is indeed a treasure and a bit of a tearjerker, given Jimmy’s passing. We watched it on youtube with closed captions since we’re both hearing-challenged now. The poetry of it is classic Jimmy (even when the captions go rogue). Made me cry.
i knew another album was in the works, but not that anything had been released … so thanks very much, shanna, for talking about the song (and the paul mccartney interview).
i’ve since listened to it and cried several times. needing that.
what a beautiful gift from jimmy to his family, friends, fans and anyone else who hears that song.
bubbles up, everyone.
kathy
Bubbles Up, Kathy.
We spent the morning talking about him. And what a difference he made to Don’s career – life.
Very grateful and very sad.
Stay safe, Shanna.
Hearing that it was cancer just made it too real for us. Feeling sad, but grateful today. Thanks to you and Don for telling us about the play. We’d have never gone to it or probably even known about it if not for you guys.
I’m so glad you got the chance to see it, Shanna.
xo
great that don had another gig (and i like the setting he’s in). i’m glad that he sang something for jimmy, for other people and for himself …
sending hugs and condolences to don, you and everyone else feeling sadness over this loss or for any other reason. prayers, too.
i’ve been a fan of jimmy for a very long time and it is very sad to me about jimmy’s illness and passing. joy for jimmy now, but lots of sadness here on earth for so many people. that someone so talented and seemingly always happy and energetic could now be gone just seems impossible and wrong. i’ve been reading jimmy tributes and want to share two (sources unknown … been reading lots) … “the world is a better place because of jimmy’s 76-year visit and him leaving a wealth of music to mark his place here” is one (i very much agree).
the other was reading that paul mccartney flew over to sing for jimmy this past week (sobbing here).
…
…
glad you have sweet visitors on your porch that are leaving plants be. lots of birds here with occasional squawking by blue jays. if it’s quiet and we’re lucky, we sometimes hear a very soft “thud” and know/can see that earl has just jumped from the roof onto the deck railing to get some bird seed and peanuts. :)
while i doubt i will read “war and peace” anytime soon (if ever, honestly), your reading such a long book and return to painting are motivational to me. thank you. and i’m sure the painting is better than you think it is!!!
i can only see those skyarts tv shows on youtube so am used to seeing them out of order, but that’s okay … i watch for the painting parts, not to see who won (i am 0% into competition). and landscape or portrait painting? it’s all good. :)
good luck with the weather. that’s my least favorite kind, too, and we’re having it now so i am ready for fall’s cooler temperatures!
happy labor day to everyone. though it’s a blessing to have work/things to do, i hope you don’t have to labor today.
and stay safe in every way!
kathy
I do like to see who has won because watching the progression of the artists throughout the competition – and competition is not what I’d call it – is fascinating. There is often real growth and daring.
Thanks so much, Kathy.
Stay safe.
good points, claudia.
plus, american “reality” tv shows are stinky-gross (to me) when compared to the british ones i’ve seen.
happy, good night to you and don.
kathy
xo
I’m so sad about Jimmy Buffett, too. I absolutely agree that it’s hard to believe that such a life force is gone. I spent a few months at my grandparents home in Florida in the late 70’s and was introduced to and fell hard in love with Jimmy Buffett’s music. It will forever be a part of me. So sweet of Don to “don” a festive shirt and sing a song in tribute to him.!!
Don really loved Jimmy, as did the entire cast.
So lucky to have known him, and in Don’s case, to have worked with him.
Stay safe, Jenny.
Your husband is such a lovely man. Jimmy Buffett saw Don’s talent thus choosing him for his play. How cool of a memory is that?
Take Care,
Kaye
Very cool!
Thanks, Kaye.
Stay safe.
I like Don wearing his Margaritaville Hawaiian shirt as a tribute to Jimmy Buffet. Today has been the hotest day here so far this year – 34 degrees celsius – hot, hot, hot. I wanted to bake but didn’t want to turn the oven on so I “baked” a cake in the microwave. 6 minutes! It turned out great. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Stay cool. Hugs, Elaine
Very hot here as well!
Stay safe, Elaine.
We are all devastated here about Jimmy too. We have played his songs and gone to his concerts since my kids were little. He was our family concert. It really hit my husband hard too because he just turned 70 and is losing a lot of friends. Kind of scary. I can see why Don would be especially affected.
My husband has more Hawaiiian shirts than I can count. My sister gave him a big bottle of Margaritaville tequila for his birthday. I think he will need it. Hugs to you & Don.
Yes, Don has a lot of Hawaiian shirts, too. Some of them are too small now but he’s hanging on to them.
Love to you and your family.
Stay safe.
It sounds like a lovely, if bittersweet, weekend. I’m glad Don wore the shirt and hope the gig went well. I finally gave up on fixing a w/c I was doing of a friend’s home. I’ll start over — just couldn’t get the paint color right and after a certain point with watercolor– what’s the point? Reading another Martin Walker Bruno book. Tomorrow I have to leave my haven of the lake and go back to the real world. And it’s going to be a gorgeous day. I’ll miss it.
I’m so sorry it’s time to leave, Jeanie. Is Labor Day weekend always the cut-off point?
Stay safe.
We’ll be back in the fall but not for extended periods of time — a long weekend or similar, most likely. And it’s not the same– dicier weather (good for a book or puzzle or video but not so great for a swim!) Still, not a final goodbye!
Oh, I’m glad it’s not final yet!
I miss going to our family cottage at the lake so much.
xo