Painting Summer

This summer is SOOO different from last summer with stuff going on with my dad and my daughter getting married. This week I've been having fun. Our town is having a Plein Aire art festival. You have one week to do a painting that was done inside the city limits and at least partly done outside. It has to be framed and ready to hang in a juried art show. I have met people from all over western Washington who are here to paint.

This is the first one I've finished. It is titled "Light Rail on Yupo." It is 4 1/2 x 6 1/2". Yupo is a white plastic. You put the paint on it and let it go. If you over work it, you have a mud puddle. Painting on Yupo is not for control freaks, but I, on the other hand, am happy with the result.

Continuing the Story

I planted the seed to grow this pansy last fall. Isn't she pretty?

Now, back to the story. I said that I was in a rut, but it was more than that. Several years ago when Roger and I were talking to our banker, the banker asked Roger what would happen if anything happened to him. She gestured to me and said, “She can’t work…” Excuse me, why not? Because I hadn’t for 15 years? Because I’m obviously stupid? That has stayed with me. COULD I get a job if I had to? One that would really pay the bills? I also wanted to get out of what I call “the Christian ghetto.” Finally, working from home makes home a prison – I need to get out.
After a lot of thought and prayer I volunteered for the City of Tukwila. Originally I thought I could teach computer to senior citizens. But I told them that I could do computer entry, filing – whatever. I thought they were going to kiss my feet. There is more work than I could possibly have time for. I’m creating whole filing systems for large projects and revamping tired filing systems. I’m getting to know many nice people. I’ve been told that if I ever want a job I’ve got their references, in fact they say I should start a company that just does this. That’s a little more than I need right now, but it is gratifying.

Tacked onto the end of that last blog I want to say to “stay at home” moms, volunteer with your local city government. It will get you out and into what is going on in your community. I suspect my city is very little different from yours and could use some help, and you can brush up on your skills at the same time.

Tukwila

There are some things that I’d like to talk about on this blog, but first, for those who don’t know me or where I live I need to tell you more.

I live in Tukwila, Washington. Tukwila is the next town upstream from Seattle.

Seattle has many suburbs, but only one river – the Duwamish. Hold up your right hand, palm away and you’ve got a map of the south end of Seattle. West Seattle is your thumb. Downtown is just above where your index finger joins your palm. Your ring and little fingers are in Lake Washington. The Duwamish River flows from the south (up your arm) and empties into Elliot Bay at the bottom of the notch between your thumb and index finger.

Tukwila starts as a bangle on your wrist. The city is made up of the river valley and several hills that mostly run north and south like most hills in western Washington.
“Tukwila” is the local native word for “hazelnut” or “filbert.” They think they’re weeds here. We’re close to SeaTac airport, the crossroad of I518, I405 and I5 and home to Southcenter Mall, one of the first malls in the area. We can see the tall buildings of Seattle from the top of the hill, yet we discuss neighborhood coyote sightings at the grocery store. I grew up in nearby Burien, but Tukwila has been home for over 30 years.
The river valley was settled as truck farms and I can still remember coming over the hill and seeing flowers and plants laid out in a patchwork as far as the eye could see. Several important roads like Highway 99 (the international boulevard that first went from Canada to South America) and Military Road (which originally connected Fort Lawton to Fort Lewis) go through Tukwila and had a hand in making Tukwila the city it is today. The core of Tukwila has always been kind of a blue-collar town – honest and hard working.
Well, that’s where I live (feel free to ask questions) next time I’ll tell you more about myself.