Sometimes here at BoomerCafé we just like to hear about how different baby boomers are living their lives. That’s why we like what Canadian writer Perley-Ann Friedman sent us from her home in southern Thailand. It’s about How A Boomer’s Impromptu Sunday Project Disturbed the Peace and Quiet.
I’ve had these dirty flowerpots to bring to the dump for months. This morning, as I loaded them into the car, I had an idea. I brought them to the deck, grabbed the hose, and washed away the dirty. They took no time to dry as it’s 95-degrees here in Thailand. From the shed I got some of my old paints and brushes.
Now my kids were getting curious. What was Mom doing when she is supposed to be out shopping?
Phai the cat.
My kids are such characters. One is quiet and curious. He moves soundlessly and eats anything else that moves. That’s what cats do. He makes sure that snakes, lizards, and mice don’t survive under his watch. The other kid is a kitten who loves her brother with such intensity. She follows him around wanting his constant attention. My rummaging in the shed disturbed their post-breakfast snoozing. They came to inspect my intrusion into their Sunday morning tranquility.
Both my kids are named after islands. I live on Koh Lanta, an island in the Andaman Sea in southern Thailand. I call my big guy Pu, after Koh Pu (“crab” in Thai), a nearby island famous for crab. My younger one is called Phai, after Koh Phai, (means “Bamboo”), one of the world’s Top Ten most beautiful beach islands, according to Trip Advisor. The name is perfect as she’s so beautiful with her crazy tri-color markings.
Perley-Ann Friedman on her Thai island.
I’ve been painting cat faces forever. They were the first things I drew as a toddler and the style of drawing hasn’t really changed in sixty years. I remember the first time I had to sign my name; I drew a cat face. My mother explained that I needed a signature that would be uniquely mine. I felt my cat face was perfect and haven’t changed my mind.
After I put a coat of paint on the flowerpots I began to, what else, paint cat faces. I used a few colors and varied the cat face sizes. I smudged a face and in frustration painted it in. But it actually looked good, so I painted in some of the other faces.
Perley-Ann Friedman
Being creative is a great way to be in the moment. I try to practice mindfulness every day with yoga, running, or walking on the beach. A few hours pass and I don’t notice. No wonder I feel so refreshed.
While painting in the faces, I realized that things were quiet around me. Maybe my kids got tired of watching; after all, there was nothing for them to eat or chase. They had probably returned to their snoozing.
I finished one pot and got up to stretch. It looked so good, if I may say so myself. I took a few pictures of my workspace and thought I’d take a picture from the other side. Oh my goodness, my Phai is just too cute for words!