Wake Me In Spring Tomorrow’s My Birthday

Day After Day After Day 2017. Acrylic on paper, 15 x 22"

Good news! I’m still alive! Which means I’m going to cheat providence and make three wishes when I blow out the candle of my birthday cake tomorrow night.

The first wish is a steady, timeless continuation of the painting above. That’s Rose and me walking to her work on another frozen day in the snow. I know it sounds cliche, but I seriously don’t know why she picked me, an Aquarian, but always hot and rumbling like an active Stromboli. She could have taken a less volatile human being to share a life with, but chose Volcano man.
I hope we stay planet-walking for 10,000 more days.

Grandparents 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 12"

The second wish is for the health and well-being of my children and grandchildren, the joy of my life!

Last birthday I wrote a song for my oldest granddaughter, Natalie. Click here to listen

The lyrics:

Sledding Down a Hill

D Em7 G A C#m A

Sledding down a hill
Going fast and keeping still
Sunday morning your ears are cold
and you don’t think I’m too old
You say I’m 16 but I’m 54
I stole your Grandma from a department store
She was there cause her clothes were in tatters
now you’re here and nothing else matters
Natalie

On my birthday I brought you cake
I do these things for nonsense sake
You made me a candy wrapper card
Glued us together in the front yard
Now your sister she loves you too
I can tell by the way she looks at you
She’ll copycat whatever you decide
You’re the reason she came outside
Natalie

We cover the tracks made by the deer
and you don’t notice a passing year
Grab your sled, brush off the snow
just one more time before we go
All the joy and shine in your eyes
Getting old came as a surprise
Take my hand to the top of the hill
Going fast and keeping still
Natalie

Lastly, hoping not to pass out after such a long exhale of wishes, I demand the outlawing and eradication of nuclear weapons. Yesterday marked the first year anniversary of the United Nations making it illegal for countries to possess the end of the world at their fingertips. A 77 year old technology can be discarded with the snap of the fingers. We must begin conversations about arresting these monsters of bureaucracy that “play with my world like it’s some little toy”. I believe nuclear annihilation is the only real threat to all life on the planet, barring a Montana caldera eruption, or 3 mile wide asteroid crash landing in Pittsburg. I just can’t let the killers off the hook. Not being a grandfather and all.

Nuclear Family 2020. Acrylic on paper, 12 x 16"

Three good wishes for a birthday. Now gimme my cake!

A birthday from long ago. Very little has changed. I probably wished the same things. I know I read the same books:)