explained absence...and tonight, paint

We've been sick pretty much non-stop since we returned from our Road Trip of the East Coast. Boo.  We all caught colds coming back from our trip.  Then Fiona contracted Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (not to be confused with the bovine foot & mouth disease.  this one is mostly confined to toddlers).  And I somehow got another nasty cold.

I've obviously been absent from this space lately.  In addition to our illnesses, I've decided to put most of my energy into creating art, and to make blogging a lower priority for a while.  I expect to get into a groove where I can do both, but for now, I have been sketching every night (almost since mid-August), and tonight, painting.   Here is my palette for the proof.