Tag: United Nations

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Iraq invasion was 9 years ago today.

The Iraq invasion 9 years ago today. I get emotional thinking about it as my oldest son was a Marine 0311 (infantryman) on the berms. #verklempt

The truth is, back then I was immersed in the role of supportive military mom. But with reservations. I had watched (and videotaped for my son) EVERY SINGLE hour of the U.N. Security Council meetings, hearing the testimony of the UN WMD Inspectors and our own Colin Powell, in dire hopes that this invasion I was sure was about to happen would not be in vain and the UN would find just cause to go in.  Alas, as we all know …

So, five tours, two veteran sons and massive personal and national cost later, I found art my way of escaping the ugliness and death and misery of all that. I wanted to celebrate life instead and found this my way of doing just that!

I’m so glad for the distance between then and now.

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A book about Citiscapes

As a child, my mother wisely taught me that books were a joy and I’d relish trips to the local library as one would a visit to a candy store. I’d come home, happily meet naptime as an opportunity climb into bed to transform into a “princess,” locks resting on plumped up pillows and books spread around like treasures.

The library holds much the same joy for me, and, yes, I still enjoy an excuse for a nap for that very reason. Today, I reluctantly returned a real gem of an old book entitled Painting Citiscapes by Ralph Fabri. It was published in 1973 and after enjoying the borrowed book, I decided it was worth breaking into my scant resources to buy it from a used bookseller on Amazon. It not only goes into real detail about painting citiscapes (and building details, etc) but includes project demonstrations of citiscapes in oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel. .

Off topic somewhat, I only glanced through all the other art books I checked out because I became engrossed in the great biography Chasing the Flame about the great late presumptive UN Secretary General Sergio Vieira de Mello – whose life was tragically cut short by an early attack in Iraq – by Samantha Power).

I’m signing off now, eager to head to the library to see what new treasures await.  And eager for nap time.