Miracles Appear In The Strangest Of Places ~ Fancy Meeting You Here!

Sunday was an exciting day for me. I had been working on 18 paintings for my art show at Hyde Park Bar & Grill off and on for a few weeks. I was up at the crack of dawn, with not 1 but 3 very strong cups of coffee on Sunday and had the paintings hung by noon, with the help of Anne Ducote, thank you Anne. I came home and continued working on my next show, the Viva La Vida Fest 28th Annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Saturday, October 22, 2011. After about 30 minutes, I heard this little voice saying "Christina, it is a beautiful day. Treat yourself to a day off, go out and get out and get some sun." I closed my laptop and jumped in my car and off I went to South Congress Ave to take a stroll, do some window shopping and get some ideas for my next painting. 

My excellent parking karma on a very busy street was an indication that it was going to be a good afternoon. I walked up one side of Congress, and I do mean up.... South Congress is on a steady slope all the way then I crossed over and came back down the other side. I stopped in a really cool new book store that has one of a kind collectible books and art.  Django Reinhardt music was playing, that is always a sign. I talked to the girls behind the counter about her music selection for a little while and then discovered that she had brought the old album from home. She mentioned that she was going to playing in a marching band in the parade that takes place at the Viva La Vida Fest. It was a cool connection. I walked out of the book store and in the silence of walking alone on the crowded street. There was sort of melancholy haze had fallen over me for the afternoon. I started feeling the let down of having finished a big art project, wondering what is next.

I walked another block and experienced what could be a scene in a very heart warming movie. There on a bench, rolling an American Spirit cigarette was one of my favorite people on the planet, Billy Doss. Truly, miracles appear in the strangest of places. I had not seen Billy in at least 3 years, he lives 100 miles away down IH35 (a road neither of us like to travel) If I had had dared to dream of one thing I wanted for the day to shake the blues away, running into Billy would have been #1 on that list. This was another lesson in "When you hear a whisper from the Universe... LISTEN."

We sat on the bench for a while and talked then went to listen to some music at Guerro's and then to El Gallo for some Mexican food. I took him to my house, he immediately noticed that a piece of vintage tile work that he had given me was hanging between the kitchen and dining room and very much an inspiration for the decor of the two rooms.