Distractions

I recently noticed that I've been very restless and distracted. When I thought about it, I realized that I feel this way every Spring and Fall. They are my favorite times of year. Here in Wisconsin, the Winter is cold and brutal. And the damp and cold can easily span from November to May. Summers can be hot and humid. These extremes tend to send me indoors.

In the pleasantly cool Spring and Fall, I find it difficult to sit still anywhere. My feet are always itching to be on the move. These seasons are so short, it seems every moment must be seized. All my senses are focused on the present.

Our Fall colors weren't especially colorful this year, and many leaves simply dropped off the trees earlier than usual. But I am still frequently tempted outdoors by the promise of the rustling of dry leaves underfoot and the distinctly crisp smells of the natural world rushing to ready itself for a long Winter's nap.

I even find it difficult to stay focused on art projects. Instead, like a squirrel, I find myself flitting from one project to another. Putting a bit of paint on one project, and leaving it to dry while I finish a brooch, paint some fabric, walk the dog, stop to take a long sniff in the Fall breeze, felt some wool, crochet a square, sort some beads, or make some applesauce.

Summer and Winter are my times to enjoy the comforts of my nest. Today I'm too distracted by the world out there.

Speaking of the world out there. I heard something fascinating today about one of the creatures closest to us in many ways.

Photo: Monica Szczupider / National Geographic

Dorothy, a beloved female chimp died at the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon recently. The incredible picture above is of her burial, which was witnessed by the rest of the chimps residing there.

Before being rescued, Dorothy had spent 25 years tethered to the ground by a chain around her neck, only able to move a few feet in any direction. She had been taught to drink beer and smoke cigarettes, and had spent most of her life taunted and teased in the amusement park where she was a mascot. It's shameful what happened to this beautiful creature.

After her rescue, and once she was comfortable in her new home at the Rescue Center, Dorothy became a kind and loving surrogate mother to many of the younger chimps. She mothered orphaned and rescued chimps for many years and became a prominent figure in this group of about 25 chimps.

Monica Szczupider, a volunteer at the Rescue Center, took this photo that showed a wall of grieving chimps paying their last respects. This was her reaction to the amazing scene she witnessed:

"Chimps are not silent. They are gregarious, loud, vocal creatures, usually with relatively short attention spans", she said.

"But they could not take their eyes off Dorothy, and their silence, more than anything, spoke volumes."

To see and read more about this fascinating story, here's a link for you at National Geographic: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions-of-earth/visions-earth-2009?image=2.


Thank you again, so much, for all your wonderful comments and e-mails in response to my three Invisible Woman self portraits. It was so interesting and gratifying to read the feelings and impressions these little works of mine stirred up in you.

I'm working on something totally new for me right now. It's totally experimental and a bit time-consuming, but I hope to have something to show you next week.

Thanks for all your continued support in my journey into and through artistic expression!