Back Together

I haven't been able to meet with the patients for over three weeks

 so I was a little nervous about today.
We had a big group and they all seemed happy to be back at it.

 Judith brought individual small vases of flowers from her garden for each of them to paint. 

It was the first time we tried painting something "from life"
(with nothing for them to copy)  

so we were prepared to draw in the big shapes for them to color in.

They are all SO concerned with staying in the lines! 

(They call it "a mess" if they go outside them.) 

Then there are those who prefer to do their own.

Lorraine is the watercolorist who just loves this class.

I asked what the dark mark was on the right.

She told me it was books on the shelf! 

Of course!

I now come prepared for "guy projects" because

they certainly don't want to paint flowers! 

Russ, reluctant at first, got engaged in this for the whole hour.

(Then told his wife and daughter to put it in a frame!)

 I've come to realize how important this is, 

for the patients and me,

 on so many levels.

I know they look forward to it 

 and they seem to lose themselves in what they are doing. 

It's thrilling to watch and encouraging to see the results!