Got out to myself for a bit this afternoon. Oldest daughter was taking a nap, so I was able to use her car. Gary was at the shop with the truck, so I had to borrow. Small change. Nice to be away from the house. Needs to happen much more often. Sanity, you know. Listened to Taylor Swift (blame my girls), and Plumb. Daughter's car has exceptional speakers. Makes you all silly happy just to listen.
Went to the library after picking up a couple of things for youngest son's 19th birthday on Monday. This son....he's unique. Very quiet and shy, but when you ask his opinion, he's very sure of himself.
Anyway, he draws. And draws extremely well. He asked for an anatomy book for his birthday, a bit like the type we'd use when I was in college. I had a life drawing class then, and we were offered the choice of using nude or clothed models. I knew I'd die of embarrassment to be in a class with a nude model, but we all were pretty grown-up about it. It wasn't about being naughty. Our son and I talked yesterday about that sort of stuff, especially considering what some of his brothers have gotten up to. He was aware of my point in the conversation and I was able to share with him exactly what was on my mind. He has a wisdom in his youth that I appreciate. I'm praying his head is where it needs to be, especially because of the art books he's using for his work. Even Leonardo da Vinci (who he's really partial to, was a bit edgy). He said you might as well be adult about it. It's about learning to draw the parts of the person. Not about looking at those things wrong. I told him that while he might feel there's more pressure on him and the remaining brother who's straight up, that's not the intention. But stressed how easy it is to get off-track. Three brothers wandering, two walking the narrow. Sweetly he said for me to not give up on the others. I loved that. And, no, I haven't.
Back to the outing. Went to the library bookstore and got Beowulf for my main squeeze. He's reading War and Peace too. Show-off. Also got Stillmeadow Calendar by Gladys Taber and The Prayers of Peter Marshall (the only one of Catherine Marshall's I'd not had). Spent a sweet four bucks total.
Now, about listening to Plumb---she has a song called 'Cut' about just that. Cutting. One son dabbled in that, but I think it was more on the level of curiosity, not about seriously doing it. My experimental son. Anyway, at about 2:27 into that song, she really belts it out. That's what I need to do. Or find a mountain and just yell over the side. Or as I've said before, throw oranges against a tree. The stress is less since I'm paying attention to what sets me off, but still, couldn't we all benefit from a bag of oranges?
