On 01.02.02, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Too late for surgery, I had chemotherapy, which failed. In May the chemotherapy was changed and I was soon in remission which was celebrated and welcome and lasted nine years - until October 2011. There was progression in 2011 so more treatment was indicated and I am now back in partial remission. But I'm not only a cancer patient - I also enjoy my family, walk my dogs and am learning to draw and paint. Life is good!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

It's spring, it's spring, it's spring

At Juvenile Hall this afternoon I brought in hard-boiled eggs for the boys to dye for Easter. I asked how many of them traditionally colored Easter eggs at home and several hands shot up so I was glad to maintain that connection between the Hall and home. Several thanked me for coming in.

What made me sad was realizing that this was the only unit in the entire Hall that would maintain this custom. I used to rotate around to the other housing units but there were so many kids that I couldn't learn their names, I only saw them every other month and there was no consistency in routines and developing skills and ways of working together. So I asked to "adopt" just one unit and to spend time with just those boys regularly every Thursday afternoon. It's worked out well but when it comes to special holidays there is less for the rest of the kids and I feel badly about that.

None of that relates to the turtle I drew today. I grew up in Southern Illinois where box turtles used to trudge across the yard. I miss that, the surprise of realizing I had unexpected company, undemanding company that only wanted me to leave it alone!

10 comments:

  1. Beautiful work Barbara!

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  2. Thanks, Shelly! - Barbara

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  3. I saw a turtle in a pond at the Botanical Gardens this week. Yours is so cute. Nice to be decorating your own egss. That's not something we ever did.

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  4. Wonderful! Full of Spring to come. I can smell his fish friends near by. Nice clean Spring grass, that special smell as new shoots. Thanks for this wonderful piece.
    I am surprised they let you in with boiled eggs.
    most prefer plastic now.
    Sherrie

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  5. a very nice turtle indeed.

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  6. nice job...just fished a painted one out of the pool..

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  7. Wonderful turtle!
    We just decorated our eggs today. Such a lovely tradition and fun!

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  8. Great turtle, and great story about the eggs. I enjoy hearing the stories of what you do with the kids you're working with.

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  9. I love your turtle - that bright yellow is so cheering! I was feeling springlike myself 'til this morning ... we now have 3 inches of snow :)

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  10. Hey everybody -- Thank you so much for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. - barbara

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