MLK Quote

MLK Quote

Nature's Inspiration Movie

http://www.flickspire.com/m/HealthierL433/NaturesInspiration -- Nature's Inspiration Movie: The photographs in this short video are from award-winning photographer, Ken Jenkins, and they are breathtaking. However, this video is much more than beautiful photographs! Peggy Anderson has compiled beautiful quotations from the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, and many others that truly capture the beauty of nature and solitude. Absolute must watch for nature lovers.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Casper and Tim Maher

This blog is about gardening. But, today I am not going to talk about gardening but a wonderful creation. As you might remember from my others posts, I have two dogs. They are (or were) literally the stewards of my garden. They never destroyed any plants or any of the garden beds; they obediently followed all the rules about avoiding which parts of the garden. However, through barking and chasing they kept all the birds, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks away.

As my barren, no-tree, only-grass, chemical-infused (that's how the garden was when we bought our house) evolved through the last decade, so did the stewards. They grew old. The chasing gave away to nimble trot. Constant alert and watchfulness gave away to snoozing in the warmth of sun. You dare not come near my house growling turned to raspy and feeble barking. I saw them grow old and matured, and was getting comfortable with the idea of snoozing with them in front of the fire-place for many more moons to come. But man (woman in this case) proposes, God disposes.



The white one is Casper. On October 26, 2018, he started sneezing badly. They were loud sneezes, the force of which was making him fall over and get his head bumped on the floor. He then started bleeding from his nose. After much ups and down, fail diagnosis, bad veterinarians bent on just stealing money and not diagnosing, we found good vets. The final diagnosis is Cancer. Now, we are waiting for the result which will tell us what sort of cancer, how much time we have with him, any chance of cure or not. In the meantime, though, his health is deteriorating. He has lost almost all his muscles, he is now a skeleton with skin and fur. Now and then he refuses to eat. He is just a very strong dog with a stronger will, and that's what pushing him ahead, we think. He has already been hospitalized four times, and every time  he bounced back so nicely that even the doctors were surprised.

I am just hoping such surprises and miracles continue. I am not yet ready to see him cross the rainbow-bridge. We recently had a baby, and life was so rosy and blissful. But after sunny days come the dark, cloudy days, I guess.

While all these are going on, I decided to have a portrait of Casper done. I know an awesome local artist. So, I requested him to create a portrait of Casper in oil-painting. I gave him a photo, and he created a Genuine Gem.



This is the picture of the oil-painting, and seriously the picture is not doing justice to the painting. The picture is all grainy and hazy. But, the real-painting is simply mesmerizing. We didn't realize that it was going to be so lively and life-like. Hubby and I simply cannot take our eyes away from the painting. The other evening I entered the room deep in thought; I caught the painting through the corner of my eyes and mused for a fraction of second what was casper doing on top of the door frame; how did he climb up there? Then I realized it was the painting.

The painting is so realistically done that it seems like real, living and breathing Casper staring out of it. The painting captured each and every spots and shades on his fur. Not a single strand of his fur missing. The posture is perfectly captured. His emotions and personalities are vividly coming out of the painting.

Now I am wondering whether the painting will give me solace or more heartache when Casper will be no longer with us. I will think Casper alive, sitting and staring at me; I will reach out to touch his soft fur only to realize that it is a painting.

Tim Maher is the artist who painted it. I wonder how long it took him to paint such a masterpiece, at least to our eyes since we know Casper in real life and thus can compare the painting to him. Yes, it costed some money; many might say why not blow up the photo to the size of the painting? But what is money compared to the love, dedication, thought and hard-work that the painter poured into the painting? Perhaps that is why the painting has come out so life-like as it got imbued with the magic and breath of the painter.

Thus, I dedicate this post to painter Mr. Tim Maher of New Jersey. 

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17 comments:

  1. Sweet doggie and awesome painting of the furperson ~ ^_^

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  2. I'm sorry for your pain, KL, and I hope you'll be able to hang on to your sweet Casper for some time yet. I have no doubt Casper has appreciated his time with you as much as you appreciate the time with him.

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  3. Hello, your dogs are sweeties. I love the painting of Casper. I hope he sticks around a very long time. Sending my well-wishes and healing thoughts. I hope you have a great day and weekend! PS, thanks for the comment on my blog.

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  4. What wonderful companions. Age happens to all of us and we never know when our time is up. I hope they both continue to give you comfort for a ling time. Then the portrait won't take his place, but, perhaps, remind you of lovely moments together.

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  5. I am sure you will love the portrait even more and for always after Casper crosses. I am so sorry ...it is a hard time.

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  6. This tears me apart. A beautiful portrait, but having him by your side is better.

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  7. It is so hard to say goodbye to our furbabies. Recently, one of our cats has been experiencing health issues, and twice we have been on the brink of choosing to end her life. So many tears have been shed. We think we have a way forward, but it could be only a matter of time. How blessed you are to have this painting of Casper. It will never be the same, but it will be a blessing in the future.

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  8. thanks for visiting my blog.
    re your question. The Mill is in Sweden.
    And, yew, I have an account in National Geographic. But I have not posted there for a while.

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  9. KL - you asked me if I mind cold and snowy Montana - not at all - I love it. We enjoy outdoor sports such as skiing and snowshoeing, so we look forward to snow - the more the better!

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  10. That's tough, so sorry to know what you are going through. The painting is sweet.

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  11. Hello, passing by to see the news.
    Good weekend.

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  12. My condolences. But what a great way to keep his memory!

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  13. He is indeed a good artist. Lovely painting there.

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  14. I'm so sorry, both for you, myself, and all pet lovers. Seven years ago, our schnauzer died, and we got a cat. Now, we have four cats. I had little experience with cats, and I had imagined that their supposed aloofness would put them between dogs and goldfish in my affection, so that when one died, I wouldn't grieve so horribly and lastingly. I've yet to lose a cat, but I see that, if I outlive them, the pain will come, and it will be no less than for a dog. I talk so much about myself because I really don't know to say to you, other than that I'm sorry, and I know, better than a lot of people, how you must feel. The schnauzer that I spoke of died of lung cancer. LUNG CANCER! Who would thought it. After his death, some people asked if he had been a smoker, and others asked if my wife and I were smokers, but, no, we have idea why he got lung cancer.

    I love your quotations. I wish that Vinci would be proven right.

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  15. Hi! dropping by again to say hello. Any updates?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, indeed. You've been silent for a long time, and you seem like a genuinely good person who is well worth knowing.

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  16. Strange times, indeed ~ your doggies are so precious and do hope they continue to be well and strong ~ ^_^

    Be well ^_^
    A ShutterBug Explores

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