Welcome Back, Mr. Poe!

   Starting at the beginning of hurricane season and riding all through the winter months, I leave the outdoor "hurricane covers" on the windows of our living room.  It is a large room that has, not only a pair of french doors, but also eight large windows.  Just about half the room is made up of the windows so drafty air from the Bay can create a chill.  The covers along with heavy winter curtains make the room a lot more snug.  It also makes the room a lot more dark.  I miss the sunshine.  

  Way back in 2014 with the Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou, Darling Daughter did a wonderful sketch of Edgar Allan Poe.  We needed him to set the theme for "Steampunk Poe" (odd combination but it worked).  Mr. Poe did his job well and then was shoved to the back wall until I found a place to hang him.  That took a couple of months.  Poe sat in the corner until spring of 2015.  At one point before he found his permanent spot, a beam of light came through a partially opened door to illuminate the picture making it almost creepy.  That had a big bearing on where Mr. Poe is currently hanging.  I figured that hanging lower on the wall in the midst of a wall of clocks (actually almost behind a grandfather clock), nary a bit of sunlight would be cast upon our friend.  There would be no more creepiness.  Ever since he has been hung in this position, there has been no odd illumination....until this morning.  

  The day started out with white-out fog.  Then, heavy clouds blocked out any ideas of a sunshiny day.  However....however....as I was straightening the pillows on the sofa, I turned to find Old Edgar staring at me from the shadows!  One beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, crept in from a tiny tear in the hurricane covers, slipped through a gap between the curtains just at the right position to strike the portrait.  That one ray illuminated the portrait so brightly that only half of the face could be seen and that one ray lasted only long enough for me to take one photograph.  As soon as the camera clicked, the beam immediately hushed and darkness once again fell upon the room.  I love this portrait!  It has a way of surprising me when I least expect it!  Poe had struck again!  He sat dark for six long years...until this morning.  Welcome back, Mr. Poe.

Oh, those kids!

  I hear mothers griping about their kids even when their so-called brats are adults.  Why?  I could never figure this as, to my of thinking, if you are complaining about your child's behavior, then you, as a mom, are not doing something right.  That said, I must say that I have good kids...when they were tots and even now as adults.  They amaze me!  All three are smart, polite, respectful and, well, talented...each in his/her own way.

  The two youngest are still near enough that they lend a helping hand when needed.  The upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou is a big ordeal and I can use all the help that is offered.  They are amazing.  Son literally does most of the hardest jobs and Darling Daughter lends her talents in the artwork area.  I am always needing some portrait or another and she never fails to render the perfect piece.  While she sketches or paints my needed piece, Son makes some of the most gorgeous frames for her artwork.  The two work together to help their old mom!  Whew!  What would I do without them???

  This year's theme centers around and eccentric, elderly couple.  I pondered just who should represent these fine folks when it dawned on me that my grandparents would have loved this endeavor.  They were all about fun!  So, Granddaddy and Grandmother were chosen as  the centerpiece of the clue hunt!  I was not sure if Elizabeth would agree to sketch her great-grandparents but I sent her their pictures on a whim. She was elated!  Whew, again!  I did have one request...a minor change...nothing TOO difficult...I hoped.  I wanted to change their clothes to something a bit more Victorian and not from the 1950's. Surely that would not cause problems!  

  Son started the frame and she started the portrait.  It was exciting to see the progress on both parts.  Needless to say, both kids outdid themselves!  I am impressed as always!  The likenesses are uncanny and the frame is outstanding.  Good job, kids!  You make your old mom proud....as usual!

The Brilliance of Poe

  Back in the Fall, my daughter,Elizabeth, did a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe for the Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  As usual, she did an extraordinary job on the drawing and everyone was overwhelmed by her talent.  The portrait was a key element in the clue hunt so I had Michael make a frame for displaying it.  Everything went well.  The clue hunt came and went and Old Poe soon found himself relegated to the corner of the living room.  His importance was fleeting and until I find a place to properly hang him, he will bide his time in the dark recesses behind Grandmother's fern stand.  The area does indeed stay dark during the winter months due to the heavy curtains that cover the many windows.  These are used to block the icy drafts from winds buffeting from across the Bay.  

  Imagine my surprise this morning when I spied Old Poe gleaming brightly from the shadows. Ok, so this was a bit creepy!  The room was cast in total darkness but Poe was almost glaringly bright.  I had opened the door to let Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess, (aka the young cat) out for the day.  When I turned to head to the kitchen, I was taken aback by the "Ghost of Poe" staring at me from the pitch black corner. I promise this guy had an almost maddening smirk on his face!  His eyes followed me as I stepped around the old dining table and then again as I walked past the chairs.  Ok, Mr. Poe!  You and I are going to have to share this room and you, my friend, cannot be staring at me!  It makes me a tad uncomfortable!  

  The light from the rising sun must have been at the perfect angle to beam right on the portrait.  With the only light entering the darkened room from that partially opened door, the canvas gleamed bright white. Had the portrait been positioned in any other spot, had Nycto not wanted out at that exact moment and had it not been our first sunny morn in seemingly forever, I might not have even noticed Old Poe's bright, shiny face!  It made me stop and ponder...Edgar Allan Poe was brilliant!  Well, we all knew that from his written works.  I guess he was just trying to reinstate his status to one of well-deserved importance. Maybe he was telling me to hurry up and find his permanent spot. Behind Grandmother's fern stand must be a tad humiliating for someone of his celebrity!  

(Just an added note on his intelligence.  Did you know that he was a master code-breaker?  Brilliant, indeed!)

Talented Kids!

 The Second Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is due for its last run this Friday night.  I had intended to end it on the last day of October but since one of my favorite groups could not possibly attend that month, it spilled over into November.  This is fine since it gets easier and easier for me each time. The props are all complete, the mechanisms and locks all work and all of the final touches have been made.  By the time the last group arrives, I am so relaxed that I can fully enjoy myself as I observe the team go through the hunt.

  This year's theme was Edgar Allan Poe and what kind of hostess would I be if I did not at least have a portrait of our gentleman of honor? Although I love to paint, for the life of me, I cannot do portraits.  The faces of anyone I try to paint become so contorted that the person is most unrecognizable!  So...I called upon my kids!  My daughter, Elizabeth, has this knack for doing uncanny likenesses of folks. Whether she paints or sketches, her work is phenomenal!  She agreed to do Old Edgar.  I was thrilled and anxiously awaited her presentation. While she sketched away, my son, Michael, decided to build a frame for the portrait.  All was well.  I was satisfied that this would be one of the high points of the clue hunt.  

  Sure enough, everyone who sees the portrait is amazed.  The sketch of Edgar Allan Poe is nigh on perfect to my way of thinking and the rustic frame that Michael built seems to accent it beautifully. Old Edgar greets every group that comes to the clue hunt.  This wonderful piece of artwork will most likely stay on display for a good while!  How do you stow something like this away in a closet?  I can't.  I guess I must find some appropriate nook in the Little Bayou House for Mr. Poe to reside. There he can look slyly at all who enter!

 I do believe that I have the most talented kids in the world!  These two both live near and can help me on projects.  My oldest and his wife live several states away but I know that if they were closer, they would have lent a hand as well. Both of them are just as talented as is Elizabeth's husband, Robbie.  Wow!  What are the odds to have so many creative kids in one family?  Mark and I are so very blessed!