Close to Christmas by Maureen Newman

© 2010 by Maureen Newman. All rights reserved.

In late 2006 I picked up a paintbrush for the first time. Now, at the end of 2010, I have sold over 450 paintings worldwide. How eXciting! Join me on my journey as I capture memories and paint stories of rural Nova Scotia with a brush. From rambling farmsteads to quiet coastal scenes, my yearning for a simpler life comes to life on canvas. To view more paintings, visit my website at http://www.mnewmanfolkart.com/ or my blog at http://www.mnewmanfolkart.blogspot.com/. If you fall in love with the images, sign up to receive the blog updates and be the first to view each painting and provide feedback that will continue to inspire future scenes. Blessing for 2011!

This posting is in response to a prompt from ABC Wednesday.

K - Karl

It wasn’t a long date but it was a memorable one. I gauged the timeframe perfectly, with everything ending on a positive note. But as I sit and reflect on the evening, a steady uneasiness builds, founded on no discernable cause, but none the less, a feeling not easily dismissed.

My mother had a sixth sense that proved over time to be rather accurate in its predictions. She could pick out a looser with very little exposure. I remember in particular the young man I dragged home from a hockey game one evening when I was in high school. Although I must admit he was a bit peculiar, I was daft and wouldn’t admit my own concern, just on principle. He was kicked out of school the next week and I never laid eyes on him again – satisfying us both.

“I really don’t want a sixth sense,” I think to myself. “I would rather use logic and reasoning to figure things out.”

Grabbing the remote control, I drop into the wing back chair. “There must be something I can watch to help clear my head. Great! America’s Most Wanted.”

And whose face is plastered all over the screen? Karl’s! My date! As I listen to the list of charges outlining a lengthy bout with crime, I thank God, and mom, for my sixth sense and wish everyone was so gifted.

Written in response to the "K" prompt on ABC Wednesdays.

T is for transformation

T is for “transformation”
Evolving, changing
Opening new horizons
Stepping through the looking glass
Shedding the old self
Drinking at the Spirit’s fountain
We are transformed
And our soul rejoices

Written in response to this weeks prompt from ABC Wednesday.

R is for .....

R is for religion – the bane of Christianity. Bowing, weeping, singing, sitting, standing, kneeling, chanting, raising hands! Meaning is lost and the lost find no meaning. Add a personal touch and everything blossoms with spirituality and God rejoices. (This is written in response to ABC Wednesday's prompt.)

"P"

The letter "P". How much simpler can it be? P is for passion, people, pleasure, purpose, peanut butter, pebbles, paper.....! Things that shift the soul from the mundane to the exhilarating: tastes that speak of individuality and independence. Ode to the poppy and the petunia! Hail to Pachelbel and parables! Praise for the letter "P".

Response to this week's prompt from ABC Wednesdays.