By Diane: Caregiving Mini-art Respite Update #14: Backyard Covid-distanced Paint-out Party

 by Diane

 

 SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 The more the merrier! Even masked and distanced the party will be a precious memory painting. The party included my painter sister-in-law, a long time painting pal, plus one granddaughter and her boyfriend. 

 While we painted, the yard holly trees shortened to bushes and general weeding in pasture was done by next younger brother to Fisherman Hubby. Early, before the guests arrived, I set-up my easel in our vegetable garden enclosure. 

The party caused me to depart from the illustration of a future Fisherman Hubby's book. I felt uncomfortably uncertain of any painting direction. Before the party I was thinking color and energy and not specifically of my guests being important in my painting. Serendipity intervened. Two of these painters were previously central in landscape paintings from when we were painting together. My view just happened to, most importantly, include where our group spread out under the patio cover. 

thumbnail detail of the painting

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 This week I am grateful for all the yard help we received. My spirits are lifted every time I look outside. Who would guess friends would be so caring. Tina Price Green is a master gardener supreme bring her home grown veggies and even is a superwoman gardener quickly managing weeding and trimming. Hot weather is drying the ground while the flowers dry up quickly. Fortunately our yard has many dry weather plants.

by Diane: Mini-art respite from caregiving #12: Life inteferring with art making

By Diane

A few days with minimal mini-art respites, I am easily diverted to other easier to do activities like cutting back the dahlias for their second bloom of the season. Even writing a blog is easier than getting started again. 

And I am more visually inclined than verbal. When my Fisherman Hubby showed me how he put the painting I was doing as a cover illustration for an update on his book, SCIENTIFIC ANGLER, A STEELHEAD FISHING MANUAL, I get the idea he does not want to share his knowledge in this way. Still easier to go back and make the man in the painting, the grandson who loves fishing. So where do I go from here in art making? 

The heat has driven away the swallows I liked painting earlier. Do I continue to work on Fisherman Hubby's fishing manual even against his wishes? What else could I do more meaningful? Maybe splashing paint on a big piece of paper and see what it suggests ?? Thursday, July 30, We had our second visit with Lumina Hospice nurse and first visit from physical therapist. 

Friday, July 31st I mailed a much labored over an appeal to a declined health insurance claim. My heart is dancing in joy to have that behind me. It was hot outside but the air conditioning made the house comfortable. Yet when the hired help had to sit down wiping her head with a wet wash cloth instead of working, I was thrust into the role of not only care-giving for Fisherman Hubby but also wanting to insist she go see a doctor. This experience was the last time for visits from the in home care-giving company. I not only canceled mostly because my expectation that Fisherman Hubby would like to receive help did not materialize. When I cancelled the service, I told the manager my concerns inspite of my scruples. Her condition might be life threatening and I wondered if I would have to call 911. I fear she will lose her job after working 23 years. Maybe she was not paid enough and she did not get a health insurance benefit. She said she did not like going to doctors but I doubt that she could afford them. 

Saturday, August 1, I felt exhausted and not quit ready to start a new painting journey. So I made and mailed a birthday card. Then once again for a few minutes painted the eyes of the father looking into the eyes of a child just learning to fish. Sunday, I am delighted with company. Short visits are sweet and the day is perfect. I enjoy the rest from having to make phone calls to resolve health issues. I have time to paint. I am in the process of making plans to have a painting friend come to paint Saturday. 

Monday, Fisherman Hubby didn't sleep well and his VPap mask is leaking. Hospice is having a respiratory therapist come to check the fit of his mask and replenish supplies. 

Puttered in our garden and watered. The heat has made the lettuce bitter. I am wordless today. The changes in Fisherman Hubby are dramatic. He sits trying to keep taking in fluids but very slowly. A meal is 1/2 a Hasty Freeze King berger with sauce, lettuce, cheese, bacon, and hamburger in squashed bun. A few bites of maple bar, some watermelon balls, and of course oatmeal for breakfast. Of course he has to have coke and coffee and hot chocolate and cookies. Pills taken with applesauce. A diet to fill him and die for. At this point I am taming my need to make it healthier.

by Diane: Mini-respites from caregiving

Painting is in incubation as I observe both an imaginary grid from earth to sky
with a third dimention grid  from foreground to the vanishing distance.
 I imagine placing swallows on my imaginary grid lining up the axes of their bodies.
Friday I may have another virtual paint out with sister-in-law in Portland.

Inspite of everything this week, I learned from observing swallows' flight movements and how to interpret movement on a flat painting surface.  But yikes, in today's Covid19 world, most of our doctors' appointments are virtual. Each clinic or hospital with a different apt to download requiring one or another password :(
   I am going cross eyed and my tongue is hanging out waiting for the computers to respond. Sometimes I just don't know the tricks. Often stumped I call the help lines only to be referred to my Iphone provider to obtain a password to an account I vaguely recall cancelling.  What a time sink!  Thankfully we have one of our savy tech daughters who promises to rescue us from cyber confusion and failures.
     This last week, today and tomorrow are the biggest test of my previous plan for taking time out to paint. I want to be attentive to Fisherman Hubby's needs.  He has 7 medical appointments in close proximity - two of which are local and in person. Plus learning new computerized equipment.- one is a cool speech generating devise and another is a watch size devise to check how his VPap is taking over breathing when he stops for a period. Plus my e-mail has been impacted by either mine or a  contact of mine being hacked. The hacker is a very different kind of hacker who starts with only me and one other on my e-mail list.
     At least this week I see the problem of calling my art doings an Art Escape. I don't want to be off in lala painting if Fisherman Hubby needs me.