Gertie Monsees

Recently I've been going through some old photos that, thanks to my mom, I was able  to scan from my grandma's old photo album. It has been fun to see my grandparents and even my great grandparent as young people. It's like getting to know them in a way that I was never able to do when they were alive. I was way to young and didn't know that It would be for me to know about them and their lives. My grandmother and my mother where/are beautiful people. 

Above is a picture of my grandma taken when she was perhaps in her twenties or possibly a little older. I didn't think that this picture would be repairable. I'm glad that I gave it a try. I would like to know who it was that was sitting with her and know what they talked about that day.

Myrna Monsees Longhurst age 3 or 4

This picture is of my mother when she was just a little girl. Isn't she cute with her little kitty. When I was scanning in all . The picture I came across some negatives that didn't have pictures to go with them. I had never done a negative and didn't know if it were possible, so I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I did. My mom says she doesn't even remember this picture or having a cat like that, but it is wonderful to she what she is was like as a little girl.

I am having so much fun with these old pictures that I have decided that it would be fun to do photo restoration and a part-time way to earn a little money to pay for shoes and things like that. So if anyone has a photo or a few photos that are broken scratched torn or what not, lets get together and give each other a hand. Going rate is about $40 per hour but I think I'll start at only $30.

It's Ready to go...

I just dropped of my painting for my first gallery show. I will be at Artifacts Gallery in Farmington,  NM for the next two months, starting next week. It's exciting, scary and sad. This is a very hard painting for me to let go. With painting this came a lot of spiritual experiences and growth. The spirit lead my heart and hand every step of the way through this painting. It is with this painting that I saw my potential and a vision of what God would have me do with my talents. I will help him with his work and show people what he wants them to see. It is him I give credit to for my talent and anything I do. That is why I sign my painting the way that I do. Everyone is signed GtG, Glory to God.

This is what I'm going to put on the tag by the painting. 

This picture composed and painted by Heinrich Hofmann catches the rich young ruler in the moment of decision. He has so much; money, power, prestige. He also understands the gospel and tries to live it. He comes to the Savor and asks, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” In reply the Savor told him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” The Savor asked him to take all those wonderful things that he had been blessed with and to use them to help others.
Heinrich Hofmann was teaching a lesson with this painting. Not only does Christ ask us to be generious with our wealth, but he asks us to take those gifts and talents, whatever we have been blessed with and to use them to help our fellow man. You may not be able to paint or draw, but you do have talents. Whatever they are, be it cooking, listening to a friend, cheering your neighbor or teaching others, Christ asks us to take those talents and use them to help to those that need it so that we can all have eternal life. ...What will your decision be?

Although I am sad to see this painting go I know that it has a work to do and lives to touch.

What a Blessing!!

You know God is always looking out for me. I always wanted a really nice easel at home, but had not way of getting one. I even thought of trying to make one out of pallet wood, 'cause pallets are free. An easel just wasn't in the cards till I got out of school and started making money.

So yesterday, when I went to pick up my husband and he wasn't there yet, I decided that instead of sitting there in the parking lot I'd drive around and get some things done. I would check on when the gallery was open and then stop by and look for some bowls for the dog at the thrift store.

Now what you have to realize is I had been going to get bowls for over a month and either forgot or decided that I had other things to do that were more important. Yesterday too,  I had no plans to go there. When I got there I looked around for a bowl, but they really was nothing that I could use. I was about to leave but felt like I should look around, maybe there was something that I needed.

I wandered around for a while looking at old frames but there was nothing special there and so I moved farther back into the store. There in the very back corner behind the mattresses and furniture there it was. A full size easel. A nice one, like the ones that you order out of those expensive art catalogs.

I thought, "What's that doing here, maybe it's broken." Well I checked it over and tried all the little adjustment thing'es and it worked.t was old but there was nothing wrong with it and they were only selling it for $40!  I couldn't believe it. I just grabbed and started dragged it up to the front.

It was funny because some guy came up and asked if I wanted help with it and I wasn't going to let hem touch. Then I realized that he was actually from the store and really was going to help me and wasn't interested in the easel. Silly huh.

It was a trick getting it into the van but we did. When I got it home I was still so happy and excited about it I could hardly thing of anything else. I even hugged it!

Mr. Man was happy for me and told me happy birthday and merry Christmas! Isn't he cute. I couldn't be happier with my gift and I'm grateful for it.

I am also grateful to my heavenly father for placing this blessing in my path, not only the easel but the talent that he has placed in my hands. Being able to paint, and paint well, is such a precious gift to me. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me and ranks right up there with marrying my dear husband and having the gospel in my life. Having this easel come to me is one more sign to me that this is what Heavenly Father want me to be doing. I will paint for him.