Also called "Chiminea 2008"
11" x 14" oil on canvas
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Why "Twenty Four Hours?"  Because the beautiful blooms on the barrell cactus last for only 24 hours.  And they truely are beautiful!  This painting is done from a photo of our backyard in California.  I've painted the chiminea many times.  Every time the cactus bloomed, my husband would say - "you have to paint this!  And I already have the title for it - 24 hours!"  After a move halfway across the country and over a year and a half since I actually saw the blooms, I'm finally painting this scene.  Brings back great memories of our backyard in California.  Right now I'm getting very nostalgic about that backyard - because it's still cold here in Kansas City!  How I miss California this time of year.  I REALLY miss my lemon tree!  But I won't miss Bakersfield in a few months when it's 110 + temps.  Life is about trade-offs.  With this painting I can pretend to be in that beautiful backyard and just relish the great memories. 

My cat is still with us.  Poor thing has been through so much.  She's been probed many times, had a very enlarged lymph node removed (no cancer but still not sure the cause of her problems), is wearing a "lampshade hood" to keep her from pulling out her stitches - again (our fault), and doesn't understand her little world at all right now.  She seems to be getting her appetite back and is finally drinking water again.  What a trooper she's been.  The good thing is the vet keeps checking off all the bad possibilities - but the bad thing is they don't know how to treat her.  We're waiting for results for more tests.  More info than you probably want - but that's a big part of my life right now.  We had a trip planned earlier this week but you can't leave these little ones who are so dependent on you.  She gets highly supervised "time outs" from her hood so she can eat and drink and clean herself and sit on our laps, which she loves to do.  Please send good thoughts this way for her. 

The weather should improve here "any day now."  Or any week . . . .  So I'll be buying flowers and plants to start making this yard beautiful, too - and we'll make wonderful memories here!!!  Take care!