A full house

Fiona and Timbah watch the birds
-- their idea of entertainment

The people who run my house tell me they want more
"quality time". That's what they used to call the half
hour I spent reading my children stories before bed
on weeknights when I was working at a full time job.
Those snatched moments after a long working day
were supposed to be quality time, not a mad dash
through pick up at daycare or school, whipping home
(luckily across the street), rushing through dinner
which we always ate together at the table with
flowers and candlelight even when the menu was
beans and rice, then bed for the children,
and maybe an hour before sleep, and the whole
whir of it began again. Whew! I really feel for
parents.

Timbah, Zoey and Fiona wait for supper

Well now that we've got our babies
out the door for the moment, the cats and dog
demand the same "Q" time. So as I've been
working quite a bit for the past few days --
got to go.

Have a life-is-fun-and-easy day.

Loving loving animals

Most of the people who I love, love animals. If
they don't actually live with any (and I don't know
many who don't) they certainly tolerate the fact
that the rest of us are besotted.

My friend Mary with her poodle, Maggie

Art can be a lonely profession. When I'm painting
portraits, the subjects are the entertainment. I
do love talking to people, which makes the
business I'm in (painting them) ideal. You have
to get to know people to paint them with spirit.

But there are many days when I paint alone.
My three animals are my main companions then.
They bring me their toys, rub against me, beg
for food and games, demand and get my attention.
For anyone following a career in any of the arts
I recommend getting a pet. Cats and dogs are
probably the best because they are easy for your
clients to accept, and clearly affectionate.

One of my cats, Timbah wants to be in
every portrait. As soon as I turn on the
bright spots to light my subjects, he's up on the
armchair, lying behind their heads. I've painted
people who were wildly allergic, and then
the house is vacuumed excessively, and the
cats and dogs are banished to the basement.

Fiona hanging out in the laundry room
window today

But most of the time our animals entertain
my clients too. I love animals, and the
people who love them. I feel sorry for my
friends who weren't brought up to be
comfortable around pets, or are too allergic
to own any.

Tonight we watched our cat Fiona pounce through
a neon pink and orange Ikea cat tunnel at our big
dog Zoey. Zoey seemed to be in on the game, moving
from one end of the tunnel to the other so she could be
pounced on from both directions. Hey --
when you have a broken ankle, cast
and crutches, you take your fun where you
can get it. Our animals make every day
a pleasure.

Have a warm and fuzzy day.