Juggling Everything

At 62 I stumbled on an art class in a RV Park in Florida. (Wow, that's original! .... hah!) For $3.00 I could have a three hour lesson using pastels with a group of other fun ladies. Now I call that a "win-win situation".

All my life I have sketched, but not had any lessons using color. What fun! When I returned up north, I entered three of my novice pastel paintings in the Erie County Fair Fine Arts Competition, and came home with 5, (yes - count 'em Five!) ribbons, including "Best of Novice Division".... I actually sold one painting of wilted sunflowers.... The buyer telling me the painting "took the wall". How sweet!

Enough bragging. Since then we sold everything up north and moved permanently to Brooksville, FL. We built a house down here and I have my own studio. Juggling everything is a challenge. If I had my own way I would empty most of the other rooms and work on nothing but my art, but that is not possible.

I have a husband here who sometimes wonders when we are going to eat dinner. Hah.... He wonderfully fixes his own breakfast and lunch, so I have eliminated those chores from my "maid" duties. He also actually changes his own bed now, and puts his own clothes through the washer and dryer without feeling "put upon". He has gotten up at 8:00 a.m. and seen me already working in my studio, so he has become extremely cooperative in caring for himself in basic ways.

He has a "man room", and I visit him there and discuss what we are going to do for dinner, his main concern... hah... This takes care of our biggest concern for the day. (How sweet it is!) We also discuss appointments, and store trips. When you are juggling a lot of things it is best to discuss daily expectations with your partner/spouse/parent/child. That way nobody becomes dissappointed/hurt/angry. How easy life is when you communicate clearly!

With my husband... (who is the antithisist of "domestic") taking charge of a few chores, and helping to care for his own needs, I feel sooo much less pressure! This way I don't feel put upon to thoroughly clean portions of the house when the mood strikes me.

I have tried cleaning ladies, and the two I had in this area were terrible.

One tip.... when a cleaning lady does not turn on the lights in the room she's cleaning, you are in trouble.

Second tip... when the cleaning lady's idea of "deep cleaning" is to wipe the cupboards with one hand with a paper towel while talking with her boyfriend on her cellphone with with other hand, you are also in trouble.

Therefore, I juggle the housework with creating art! Hah...