The Hudson

No matter how hard I try and have a peaceful day, something always seems to muck it up. I won't even get into details (how many times do I say this here?) but geez, I just want to scream! I came home from a massage and some time in the studio in a mellow relaxed state and got a phone call.......

I am saving my money for a one way ticket out of here to some exotic island. And I am not answering the phone. I think I will play Gauguin, only from a female's point of view.

A dear friend connected my old set of Altec Lansing speakers to my computer at work. The sound is amazing and I am SO happy to have quality sound for music in my room. I have a difficult job at times, and I spend about 8 hours a day in my classroom. I have it well equipped. Microwave, refrigerator, coffee grinder, coffee maker, computer, now a GREAT SOUND SYSTEM. I found a few online radio stations with FAB music that will keep me going for a while. I know how to take care of myself, and music is the balm of my life.

My friend says he often plays classical music while crossing the Hudson River after a long day of work. I love the Hudson. One of my favorite views is the Catskills crossing the Hudson on the Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge. I have seen the most magnificant of sunsets, and watched many storms march over the Catskills. I love the river and the mountains; they are romantic, filled with the history of its original settlers, painters such as Cole and Church, writers such as Burroughs, et. al.

I have hiked some of the Catskills; Overlook, Slide Mountain, Panther Mountain, and Giant Ledge. I have spent hours sitting on old stone walls under a favorite tree, writing poetry, and drawing. I kissed my first boy/man on a mountain top in the Catskills only to be caught by my father's best friend. I have spent hours up and down the Hudson photographing and painting. I have toured the great estates. One of my fantasies is to spend a summer off traveling the river and painting its many vistas.

Here are a portion of Dar William's lyrics about the Hudson from her latest CD:

The river roads collect the tolls
for the passage of our souls
through silence, over woods, through flowers and snow
and past the George Washington Bridge,
down from the trails of Breakneck Ridge,
the river's ancient path is sacred and slow

And as it swings through Harlem,
it's every shade of blue
into the city of the new brand new

And the Hudson, it holds the life
we thought we did it on our own
I thought I had no sense of place or past
time was too slow, but then too fast
the river takes us home at last

Where and when does the memory take hold,
mountain range in the Autumn cold
and I thought West Point was Camelot in the spring.
If you're lucky you'll find something that reflects you,
helps you feel your life protects you,
cradles you and connects you to everything....

Tonight's artwork is a view of the river I painted from the back of Olana, the home of the GREATEST Hudson River Painter Frederick Church.

This picture and entry is to you my friend! And THANK YOU for your help and friendship.

Patti