Time Keeps on Flowing

April 9th,, Easter in Canada, Missing the Keys and the friends who make my winters sunny, have been in the north all winter and though its been quite a remarkable winter as far as mild goes it was still way to cold for me,, not to mention, even though it was great to be near the kids and watch Laura play her 1st year of university hockey,, i can,t imagine spending another winter in Canada. some for the reason given but i,m really not allowed to live my life as i know it within me,, what do i mean by that,, well,, theres this person that i know when i,m not Dad, Poppa and that Joe that "everyone ",, KNOWs that i,m really not,, and theres this other guy,, who a whole lot of you DO Know that ,, I am,, and i love being,, as they say,, its complicated,, but not really,, cause i know that when i,m that guy,, i,m the happiest,, anyway,, i,m blessed that i,m alive and that i do have these two lives,, and that i was allowed to be a part of my Childrens Life,, for another winter of my Life

CrossRoads

Jan. 1st, 2012, sitting in Cambridge, had departed for the USA on thursday of last week but was turned around at the border,, 25 years of work and hardly any of it completed and maybe will never be,worked all over the place and needs to be collected and brought home, work paid for and not done, waiting,, in a constant state of waiting , printers that are totally not on my page, or seems my side, hitting a brick wall,, by being turned down at the border,, time to call it quits,, just too demanding for ,,, nothing,,sick to my stomach,, hurting inside,, time to make a decision,, 69 years old maybe its time to get a nice little space to live a nice TV and retire,, yep,, made that decision,, thats what i,m going to do,, then a phone call comes in,, you can get an artist visa ,, work in the states,, no problem,, then all those retirment thought go out the window,,, BUT,,, maybe not,, wweeellll see,, is it what i want to do,, yes,, if it doesn,t continue to make me crazy and whatever else it has been doing to me to have to do what i need to do,, wwweeeellll see

In a Nutshell

October 14th,, where did 4 months go, 30 some drawings finished, and so many new friends, and so much help from old friends, Leni at Smudge,, doing his magic again, kept the work flowing, the Barbaras from Perry street making sure i was okay, Ariel My main man, and Michael and Harry from the gym,, giving me all thats needed to stay clean,, the people at the rec centre,, making sure i,m ok as well, Roberto, Alex, Alessio, Mark, Lauras, Tania, and all the kitchen staff at Aria on Perry street Keeping my dinners and wine together,, Then there has been the hudson diner , Sondra, Ray and the boss man who get my mornings started with those great breakfeasts,,Can,t not thank the folks at Splended Cleaner, the Nail Spot, Sushi West and WXOU Radio,, who let me set up in front of their space and use their washrooms., Bob from the Whitehorse, as well as the staff, and again I really don,t have enough space to keep going with all the Folks That make it all work for Me, suffice to say,, 4 months in New York,," The Home of Allowing Me to Do And Be the most of what i am and do more than anywhere in my life", I,m Sure that as many summers and Years ive had that have been so great,, This has been the Best Summer Of My Life

New York 2011

Came into the Village thinking I would watercolour 50 or 60 pieces, got into my space on Thompson Street, and couldn't find the groove to get busy with anything. Next thing i know they are digging up the street and taking my space that i stay in the past 15 years, what to do,, head out of town , can't get into anything anyway, but thought i would check out the West Village, Perry Street no sooner got there and the energy level went up , found a nice little spot,, and soon had the pens out doing a drawing,, drew a crowd as well.I,m Energized, I,m on Fire,, the drawings are dropping out of the pens like magic,, watercolour paper comes along at Debbie and Daves party through Lynda, the new space is a groove, Ariel is fab, aria is Fab,, business is rockin,, BUT,, Head space is not right, woman trouble in my mind, shakin it, but got me out of sorts,, i,m doing ok but , and thats the trouble to many buts in my head, must be the age,, maybe its the hot can,t take the heat, New York Key West, Canada,, Friends all over the place , even doing this writing just can, t get the groove man,, just can,t get the groove,, have to sign out cause i need to fix the groove

Feeling Great at Sixty Eight

Yep,, turned 68 this Year,, and feeling pretty good,, not that theres not a whole lot of situations that need looking into and after,, but its all pretty good,, painting , drawing and most of all the health is ok,, having to behave myself a little more about what i,m eating and drinking,, but thats ok as well ,, having had the company of a woman in my life has made it all excellent,, and the kids and grandkids all seem to be enjoying their lives and doing good also which makes me very happy. Working on putting 7 new books together of a bit of my work,, 4 Key West books, 2 New York books,, a book of musicians,, as well need to have a couple books of my paintings done,,really need to get over to Europe as well,, so all that and all i want to do is hang out with that woman,, cause thats really what life is about,, that and the kids,, so left Canada in Jan. 2011, and had a couple good visits on my way to key west,, with Dave and Debbie,, Larry and Maryann and Ron and Suzi,, got down to key West and Quickly Found out that things down there had changed greatly again,, but adjusted to those changes and thought that maybe i should retire for the year,, and i did,, not to think that i wouldn,t do anything just that i didn,t have to do anything if i don,t want to,, hanging out in Key West,, was the best its ever been,, maybe it was the company of that beautiful woman but maybe it was the fact that the weather was the best ever,, anyway its been pertty darn good, life at 68.

Life At Full Speed

April 5th, 2011,, Key West,, the past 3 months,, 16 new oil paintings,, one of them 5 feet x 15 feet,, 3 of them 40 inches x6 feet,,, feeling good after not having oil painted for 3 years,, also a new series of drawings of musicians,, well under way with about 25 pieces done,, ny as well as key west musicians,, also have done 7 or 8 watercolours and maybe the same amount of new drawings.., now about my real life,, The Celestine Prophecy,,, The Tenth Insight,, and ,, The Secret of Shambhala,, and hopefully soon ,, The Twelve Insight,,, where it seems my path is heading ,, as well where its been the past forty years,, and then some,, for You See,, i have been on this path since i can remember at the age of six. Now again,, for what is even More Important in My Life Than even all of This,, The People,, Ive had in this life of mine,,as always I,m always at a loss for words that can even come close to express this "Value of Life", and am awed at the fact that no matter how You Try,, Or as many Times that You express,, What the People in your Life Have Meant and mean to You,,, it can not be to the slightest degree of what That "Real Value Is". At 68,, I,m Totally Blown Away,,that i,m alive,,, That what I have had,, and have,,and what i still am given Every day.

Departures

Leaving New York,, Again,, after two months, of drawing and watercolouring, hanging with the ones i know ,, and love,, hospitality again in New York was wonderful,, and the lifestyle,, that again changes,, eating habits,, Mustaffa,, the fruit merchant on the corner of Laquardia and Bleecker,, this is where i eat the most fruit everyday,,all because of what he has,, Bob and Vishal,, at the wine store,, Val and Matt, Liz ,, Boyd,, Chris, Ivan,, Junior,, Sarah,, The girls with the baking Project that spoils me,, Peter,,, Leni ,, and on and on,, again Leaving a part of my life till who knows when,,, Storing the work,, what to do with it,, take it to Debbie and Daves,, visit with Lynda and Will, and then the drive to Cambridge,,,spend a couple months with the Family and be able to enjoy the Grandkids again for a short time of my life,, before again, will head to Key West,,, Departures,,, I,m Really not sure i,m wanting to have to deal with Them anymore in my Life