2015-04-22 - 3:47 p.m.

I just talked to Art to catch up, which we do about twice a year.

So happy and proud of him that he has completed a degree in Management and Organizational Development and graduates on Sunday.

It is not the direction he started out school in. He started as an art student, intending to finish with a teaching degree I believe.

Over the past half dozen years however he has had challenges with Lyme disease which may have contributed to memory challenges. He restructured his studies to what worked for him. So he ended with what is a very practical degree, and ironically, was easier for him to achieve than what he first set out to do.

HE has taught art classes in the past, and worked as some sort of engineer tech in the past, but really just wants to find some way to make enough of a comforable living and still have time, inspiration and energy left to paint and create sculptures.

The challenge of being an artist often entails figuring out how to support self and have balance in life so one can still enter a creative process.

It was nice to connect with him. I always think of him in Spring, and miss him in Spring when the Cherry Blossoms are blooming. (That of course, as he said in response "makes sense")

One day I will buy one of his paintings. I think unfortunately the one I wanted was sold! IT was a beautiful downtown Winchester scene which captured my favorite corner where there is a bookstore and one of my favorite restaraunts that the air traffic controller used to take me to which has an Italian cook that comes out to sing Operatically, and a violinist that seranades diners.

oh well...

I have the memories of that spot and they are enough.

I have the memories of creating art with ARt which was so very joyous and beautiful and those too are enough.
We had some very productive wonderful times together in which I wrote prolfically, and he painted prolifically and we sang together and basically just shared such JOY.

Love those memories.

Glad he successfully met his goal and he is happy where he is at now, living in a lovely smaller VA town where there is an art gallery that shows his work, which also has some fabulous cafes and music. The musician that worked on the rennovation of my basement recently had a gig out there which I think must be what also reminded me of Art recently.

ON this day off work I intended on reading a bit and then studying a bit. The Study happened a little this morning, but after a bike ride to the Course of Miracles study group I kept reading things other than the FAR.

I have a beautiful borrowed book called Gorgeous for God by Lisa Natoli I came home with, and a phone call received inquiring about how I think the middle school does, and other distractions such that study hasn't been my focus today.

I really needed to just sit and let the issues that were arisen in today's study come forth.
Funny how that happens when we allow ourselves some space and time alone.

Necessary, yet I think something so many don't conciously take time to do, OR subconsiously actually avoid.

Today's study session was rather intense as in the course today we really just hit on some core issues for me.
We started out reading IV The Funtion of Time

and progressed to V The two Emotions

It was rather intense material for one day.

I am still pondering it-

http://www.pathwaysoflight.org/acim_text/answers/chapter13_section_iv

We end our group study and discussion by each drawing one card from a box that highlights some key words of wisdom. This is the quote I received today:

"...nothing outside yourself can save you;nothing outside yourself can give you peace."

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