my sweet aunt lillian.....

this is a painting of my father and his mom, my grandma. i know you have seen this painting before, it reminds me of my dad's side of the family. (this painting belongs to judy crawford of el cajon,now)...
anyway, rosie and i traveled to san clemente to see my aunt lillian in her nice nursing facility today along with her daughter, my cousin anita. i love them both very much.
my aunt lillian is 93 and is not suffering from anything except old age. she has trouble swallowing her meals, so she is on a liquid diet, she is limited on conversation and mobility. but she is not limited on smiles and her tiny soft spoken uh-has and yes and i think sos.". it makes my heart feel so BIG whenever i visit her. she looks like my dad (of course) and she was best friends with my mom (her sister-in-law) and has a few of my mom mannerisms, sooooo it is kinda like visiting my parents when i see her.
aunt lillian is still very beautiful. her skin is flawless. i told her so and she beamed. she told me i look like my mother.. .... which we agreed was a nice compliment.
afterward rosie and anita and i had lunch and a visit. my cousin said something that made me feel good. she said, friends are great but cousins are better. i don't have a sister and have not been very close to my cousins, only because we live far apart. anita and i are the same, we feel we shouldn't barge in on each other's life (to a fault) and therefore have not been that close.....until about 2 years ago i got a christmas card from her and it was a watercolor - a beautiful vividly painted watercolor. i called her - did you do this?"...."oh, yes" she blushed (i could tell over the phone)..".i didn't know you painted..... - well, i paint too"...., "oh really? i didn't know that" and so began our new relationship. what a gift to have someone in the family who shares the same passion and the same madness!
and yes we both are cousins to world famous artist jim dine. (so, la tee da!).... who is too busy and famous and cool for the likes of us!

one day i will put her beautiful juicy watercolors up on this blog (maybe tomorrow if i get the photoshop working)........i can't believe how lucky i am!!!!!
and my aunt, even as old as she is, still makes me feel good whenever i visit her. we still make each other smile and laugh. anita had polished her fingernails a lovely shade of pink and i make her giggle a couple of times, by gently tickling her feet.




i know that yesterday i was fusing about my nephews who are nearly 16 taking up art as their studies in college. i should say that i loved my studies in art in college so i shouldn't feel that way.....but when it's your own young family - oh i feel so responsible----i'm a chicken about them, because what if something goes wrong-----
as for my cousin anita, well, she's all grown up. she is an artist who can't help herself.