A year ago today my best friend died. It has been a hard journey through my grief, and I still struggle some days. Other days I feel him encouraging me and cheering me on; pushing me to keep creating and painting and writing. So many Sundays we would spend sharing meals and watching science fiction. As this milestone fell on a Sunday, I made his signature dish, Chicken Bieshke, for Star Trek Sunday (we finished Trek, Babylon5, Farscape and are currently watching through Stargate SG1, but the name has stuck.) This was my first time making this dish without him. It was pretty emotional- my husband heard me crying from the other room and offered to help me chop the onions. When I walked by him a little later he asked if the knives needed to be sharpened. I said yeah, we will go with that- it’s the onions and the dull knives making me cry today.

Of course that got me thinking and as I finished cooking the meal I was writing a poem in my head. As soon as the food was in the oven I started writing it all down. As this one is a quick spur of the moment poem I chose to forego a rhyming pattern and go free verse.

As we were eating the meal I recited the poem, making it to the last couple lines before choking up. Maybe one day I’ll publish a book with all the writing, poems, scripts and artwork that Brianscotte has inspired. I’ll probably be the only one buying it, but it would be a neat thing to hold. One more way to keep him present in our lives.

On a lighter note, I found out my short script, Carved Into Our Hearts, is a finalist in the Ink 2 Screen August Challenge. That means, at worst, I made back my entrance fee. But mostly Im looking forward to the feedback I get on this script. To me that has been the best part of these writing contests- I often get such wonderful feedback, and use it to improve for my next script. That is one thing that would be nice for the art shows I enter. We do have critique sessions twice a year with the palette club, but mostly the show judges only comment on the winning pieces.

I also showed my youngest son how to make a continuous line drawing. He was fascinated by yesterday’s drawing of the pumpkin patch. I showed him how to do a single pumpkin. He decided that was too complex but made a few small designs of his own.

Thursday is the Gallery Talk and opening reception for the My Masterpiece exhibition at the Grosse Pointe Artist Association gallery at The War Memorial. You are welcome to join me at 6:30pm if you live nearby. I have a watercolor and a ceramic face sculpture in this show.

What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome this year; how has it influenced your creative practice?