Murray and Madonna

Murray the painting: A work of love still not finished

This happened...
I woke feeling sore with cuts and bruises covering my body and glared at my phone at a gorgeous photo of Madonna from her Blond Ambitious Tour in 1990 at the top of my NY Times e-newsletter. So funny how we all want to think celebrities still look the same way they did in a movie or poster that came out years before. In our eyes, they never age. In our minds, we don't either. Then, when we do see them up close and personal on a big flat screen TV, we gasp. Madonna was quoted as saying that she was always considered to be controversial, but the most controversial thing she ever did was stay around. She has staying power. I want staying power. I just don't want to dance with my bra on the outside of my shirt, thank you very much. I would like her sculpted arms.

Right now, my arms are not only not sculpted, they are sore from a fall. Sometimes you walk along in life, happily getting to where you are going with a pleasant breeze in the air. Sometimes you hit a curb. Hard.

It seems that every time I get hurt, I am walking a dog. I love my dogs. I sleep with them curled up against my un-Madonna-like body and I crave the enthusiastic greeting I get when I come through the door. I even like their slobbery, wet kisses. I love dogs so much that I paint their portraits. Perhaps I should just stick to painting them and not walking them.

Yesterday, we took our daily constitutional walk to add steps to my Fitbit and a bit of fitness to Murray's day. We wandered around Covered Bridge, an altacocker neighborhood that I hate to admit would allow both me and Madonna to join. After hitting a curb, hard, and scaring a couple of really old altacockers, I fell to the ground, rolled and cried. Not a good dance move. I am not Madonna after all. Worst of all, I missed having dinner at our friends' house, something we were so looking forward to. Ted is a chef of no equal in this world. The best. But I could not hold a fork in my hand or push food past a swollen lip. I am still sore but I look a lot better today. Maybe we can come by for breakfast tacos?

Murray the painting and a few other projects are waiting to be finished. Norman was only concerned about the health of my fingers. He knows everything I do in life, along with walking my dog, requires my hands. These bandaged fingers were able to type today, so that is good. Now I just have to see if I can hold a paintbrush and get back to doing what I do best. Perhaps someone else can feel the breeze with Murray today.