Many years before I started painting, I enjoyed doing crafts - lots and lots of different crafts. I didn't believe in myself as an artist, and so I did something more structured that I felt I could be more successful in doing. I've done beadwork, macrame, rock-painting, weaving, stained glass, crocheting, knitting, sewing, and more recented, fused glass.
Last week, was our Williamson County FCE Clubs' Cultural Arts Day, and so I entered three of my crafts and one of my paintings into the competition. Here are my results:
This are the fused glass necklace and earrings I made. Fused glass is fun to do, although it's important to be careful! I like that no two completed pieces of glass are identical.
This is another fused glass piece - a vase. This was particularly fun to make, and I love the way it looks.
These are prayer beads made with a cross of olive wood from Bethlehem. I got the crosses off Amazon. I've probably made more than 100 sets of prayer beads over the past few years.
This was my solitary painting entry, and it got a second place ribbon. Out of all the paintings, I could have chosen, I'm not sure why I didn't chose another painting. I like this one, though. It's my second painting of the wild flowers at the front of our property.
The other day, Ron told me about how Clint Eastwood was asked, "What keeps you going?" Clint's response was "I don't let the old man in." I loved that quote, and so I did a little research. The person who asked the question was Toby Keith, and after hearing Clint's response, Toby went home and wrote this song. It ended up being in Clint's most recent movie, "The Mule." Clint, at the age of 88, is still a fine looking man, and he did a great job in that movie.
Here are the lyrics:
Don't let the old man in
I want to live me some more
Can't leave it up to him
He's knocking on my door
And I knew all of my life
That someday it would end
Get up and go outside
Don't let the old man in
Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old would you be
If you didn't know the day you were born
Try to love on your wife
And stay close to your friends
Toast each sundown with wine
Don't let the old man in
Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old would you be
If you didn't know the day you were born
When he rides up on his horse
And you feel that cold bitter wind
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in
The idea of not letting the old person in really resonated with me. It's a refusal to be limited with the little aches and pains that come with aging. The aches and pains will still be there, you just don't let them boss you around. Eventually there will be something that limits me, but for NOW and for as long as I can, I won't let that old woman in - not into my mind, my attitude, or my actions.
Earlier today I took a bath. That's something I do maybe once every year or two. I'm a shower person. But today was chilly and rainy, and a bath seemed appealing. So today was this year's day for a bath. LOL! I soaked for a long time, and let the warmth of the water relax and sooth me. When I was ready to get out of the tub, I was initially a little hesitant. There's no more hopping out of the tub without a thought of how I would accomplish that task. The tub is slippery and I was going from a reclining position to a standing position and then stepping over the side of the tub. And since the tub is a Jacuzzi, that side is fairly wide - so it was more of a climbing over than stepping over. But then I thought to myself, "Don't let that old woman in! Just get out of the tub." And I did. I had to use the hand-grip on the tub - but I did it, and I refused to act like it was a big deal or something hard to do. I refused to let the old woman in!
This is the year that I will turn 70. So old age has been on my mind a lot lately. Perhaps that is why this song speaks to me so much. I want to paint something that evokes that sentiment for me. So I will be thinking about it and looking around at scenes around me, and I will eventually find the thing that I will paint and title "Don't let the old woman in!"
