February In Calico Country by Ellen Eilers

Hi Kids 😀

Long time no see!

Umm, well…

more like “no write” for me,

“no read” for you,

and “no comments” for both of us. 😉

But here we are at the start of a brand new year.

Welcome back! Hope you had a chance to relax over the holidays.

One of the things I love about a new year is a new calendar. I love that it is totally blank and consequently just brimming with possibilities. I try to imagine how many fun things I can schedule along with the obligatory dental appointments, furnace cleanings, etc.

Of course, part of the excitement for me is choosing the calendar. We do seem to get a couple of freebie calendars each year, but somehow they are never quite right. Either I don’t care for the pictures or the little boxes for each day are so small you can barely mark a loved one’s birthday in them.

So, I usually buy my calendar – BUT only after they’ve been marked down to half price! It seems silly to pay full price in mid-December, when a couple of weeks later they’re at least 50% off.

Waiting for that sale means I may not get my first choice, but I love that it compels me to look at and consider calendars I might never have noticed.

With my purchase this year, I’ve discovered a new (to me) artist, Ellen Eilers! The calendar features her incredibly colorful and very charming scenes of farms and countrysides. This photo and the one above are just two examples.

Doc's Country Retreat by Ellen Eilers

She didn’t begin her professional art career until she was in her 50’s. Currently, at 93 years young; she still paints every day, exhibits her work, and teaches art at community workshops!

Talk about motivation for a new year! Reading about Ellen and seeing her work has inspired me to reach and stretch in 2011 – to try some things I’ve never done before . . .

To paraphrase the old saying:

“You’re never too old to become the person you might have been.“

Hugs,

See more of Ellen’s art here.

Or watch the following 2-minute youtube video!