Becoming Boone...Part #1

Each of us have a story to tell…

Last summer I taught a workshop at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff in Boone, North Carolina. It’s one of my favorite places to teach for many reasons. The people are warm and friendly, the country is beautiful and I get to spend time with a very dear friend, Joe Miller (the one and only Cheap Joe). I had the best week ever! One of those weeks we hope for as teachers. My students were eager to learn, positive, nurturing to their class mates, funny, creative…and above all, inspiring women. I came away with a full heart.

The next day Mike and I packed up and started our drive to Tennessee. We planned on arriving in Knoxville within a few hours and would join our son and family for dinner. About 100 miles into the trip we stop to have lunch at a sandwich shop along the interstate. We sat outside in the warm Tennessee air. Within seconds a small kitten appeared. He had been hiding under a boat trailer in the parking lot. He ran to my husband and wrapped his little body around his ankle. It was obvious the kitten was alone and not cared for and blind in one eye. I was very concerned about touching him because he was obviously sick. But Mike was already petting, scratching and comforting the kitten. He was starved to be touched. His desire to be touched was greater than his want for food. 

I started making phone calls looking for a facility that could help him. I found a humane society and animal shelter. I picked up the kitten and we got in the car and I waited for all hell to break loose!!! The odd thing is the little kitten didn’t get excited at all…he just wanted to lay his head on my feet. I’ve never had a cat not go wild in a car! We drove 30 minutes to the nearest animal shelter. They turned us away. Why? Because we weren't residence of that county. No kidding! But the kitten was found in their county. Didn’t that matter? No! They gave us another number to call. That shelter turned us away too. They already had 400 cats that needed homes. At this point we were sitting in the car trying to figure out what to do. And now the little kitten needed to go potty. I got out of the car and put him on a little plot of grass in the shade. Immediately a sad sick cat came out of the bushes towards us. Oh NO! People were leaving sick and abandoned animals outside the shelter! 

What were we going to do? We had a sick kitten, family waiting in Tennessee and a plane flight home to California in 4 days. I called my son in Tennessee and said we had a “small” delay and we’re running a few hours behind…and by the way do you have a 24 hour animal hospital near you?

Next we drove to the nearest pet supply store and got a litter box, food, water, bowls, flea drops, flea comb, a couple toys.

And this is where his story begins…The story of Becoming Boone. 

Be sure not to miss Part 2...it's my favorite! Add your email address to the "Subscribe" box, it's located in the right column, on the top.

Happy Adventures!
Brenda & Boone

Workshop at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff

Home again, home again!

Late Monday night I returned from a wonderful week in Boone, North Carolina.
One of the great joys of traveling across the United States is getting to see my ole friend Joe Miller (Cheap Joe himself). He is a warm, generous, and a very caring person. We have been friends through some very tough times in our lives. I could always count on him to offer words of encouragement and hopes for a better day. I only hope I have been half the friend to him that he has been for me.

I think this was one of the best workshops yet and for sure some of the nicest people around! The workshop facility is the BEST! Everyone has there own table, I have an over head mirror for demos and every day we had a new goodie on our table (me too!). I had a large workshop with 25 people. Edwina took care of all the details to made the workshop run seamlessly…she is amazing!

Two years ago when I scheduled this workshop I hoped it would correspond with the height of fall colors…I wasn’t disappointed! My daily commute (1.5 miles) was filled with glorious colors that would make any artists heart leap for joy. Even the view out the workshop window was amazing. Eye candy to the artist! You have to understand I’ve lived my entire life in Southern California…we don’t have colors like that here!

There is something about Southern charm and hospitality that just makes a person feel down right welcome. I can’t wait to return in 2013.

I couldn't resist the chance to do one last sketch before heading to the airport and heading home. Happy Sketching!

Brenda