I've been thinking recently how a person's life seems to have a theme. When I was a little girl (a mighty long time ago!) I loved to draw. Actually, I loved to color and paint too - anything that produced a picture. I remember sitting for what seems like hours at the dining room table in the big old house, trying to draw something I had seen in a book or something in my mind. I had special things that I thought I drew well, like a horse's head and Woody Woodpecker! I used to draw paper dolls too, and then make clothes for them to wear!

I remember finding an ad in a newspaper or magazine with a drawing in it. You were supposed to draw it and send it in and you might win a scholarship to art school. Wow, was I excited! Of course, it was a gimmick this art school used to uncover possible candidates, and they responded with a brochure about their school and how much it cost, etc. I remember being disappointed that I didn't "win" and when I heard how much the school cost, I knew it wasn't in my future! I was still very young, and hadn't finished school yet. I wasn't ready for a career quite yet!

I remember one Christmas I was chosen to decorate one of the big windows downtown. I'm just guessing, but it was probably about 6 feet by 8 feet. As I recall, I had chosen a manger scene, and the medium was to be poster paint. I remember practicing until I could reproduce it perfectly. I was all uptight about it! When the day came, I did a really good job, but it was only about 1 foot square, and the rest of the window was empty! I was quite embarrassed about it! I don't recall now if I thought others were going to paint on the same window too, or if I just didn't notice how small my painting was!

I was never satisfied with my pictures - always finding fault with them, and trying to do them better the next time.

Then I grew up and got caught up into living, as one does, and now I really can't draw at all, because I just got out of the habit. If you don't use it, you lose it, you know. Now after raising children, and many years of unrelated jobs, and only a few years before I stop working and retire, I am back to my drawing. This time I am doing it with a computer, and all the pictures are perfect! But I am still not satisfied with the way they look! I will keep trying to do them better the next time!

Photo: Me at 8 years of age!