by Barbara Smith | Sep 14, 2020 | Painting & Writing, Understanding the Times
Remember having to give book reports about what we read over the summer vacation? That always ruined the fun of just reading. Well, I have come to believe that writing about what I read helps me remember salient points that authors make – whether they are telling good... 
by Barbara Smith | Aug 1, 2020 | Personal Pigeonholes
Eleven years ago, I “published” my first blog piece. I began it after four years into an unanticipated relocation, from “the Free state,” to the Lone-Star state. The organizing principle was gardening, tethered to a favorite quote from a favorite actor: “If you have... 
by Barbara Smith | Apr 27, 2020 | Painting & Writing, Understanding the Times
Even though I keep a daily journal, I haven’t kept an accurate timeline for all my paintings. I know by March 9th, I had painted a Baltimore Oriole, and that after completing two owls. By then, the steroid had kicked in and so had COVID-19. (Prednisone and Proverbs)... 
by Barbara Smith | Apr 2, 2020 | Gardening & Housekeeping, Painting & Writing, Understanding the Times
In these upside-down days, the wonder of words is that they can keep me anchored in ways that everyday jobs, errands, and tasks once did. Therefore, keeping a journal and “blogging” is a good use of my time. Arranging and re-arranging twenty-six letters into sentences... 
by Barbara Smith | Nov 16, 2019 | Painting & Writing
One of my regrets is not pursuing art. I remember only one acquaintance in high school who was bound and determined to pursue art – and she enrolled in the Maryland Institute of Art: a daring choice the aspiring English major thought. I wonder where her choice took...