Learning to paint using watercolors was on my list for the year. I had some initial exposure during my second drawing course this spring – but I found it didn’t help me much. I want to create beautiful images. Landscapes, European streetscapes, Mediterranean villages and the like. The course I took covered a few basics…
Author: Steve Ainslie
No More Drama
My childhood was full of chaos. Divorce, moving, a crazy stepfather, switching schools multiple times, 20+ kids moving in and out of our home, poverty, living in the ghetto, and more. When I moved in with my wife, the chaos subsided a lot. She and I worked hard to give our family a sense of…
One In One Out
One of the best things I did with my wardrobe was to downsize to 2 dozen pairs of identical black ankle socks. They are all I’ve worn for the past 3 years. Whenever I do laundry, matching them is easy – they all match! I think my socks are reaching their end of life –…
Compromising Situation
My friend, who has never been married, is looking for a wife. Last year, when he asked for my advice on how to have a long married, I said needed to be willing to make compromises. Since he’s been a lifelong bachelor, he’s always done whatever he wanted. He worked when and where he wanted….
Caretaker
After my wife died, I was struck by something a friend said, “Of course you feel rudderless. You’re a caretaker with nobody to care for”. I never really thought about myself as a caretaker. I always did my best to take take care of my wife and make her life easy. But that was because…
Family Ties
My cousin left home after he graduated from high school more than 25 years ago and hasn’t contacted his mother since. Of the 20+ kids who lived with us over the years that my mother and stepfather were together, not a single one ever contacted my mother after they moved out. I spoke to my…
Pop A Pill
When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, and later as a young(er) adult in the 90s, mental illness was a stigma. Most people didn’t talk about it much. If someone was seeing a therapist or psychiatrist, they kept this information to themselves. This has changed significantly. Now, it seems like having “anxiety”,…
Dirty Laundry
When I went on the road, one of the things I gave up was having a washer and dryer. I figured I would visit laundromats every few weeks and in between could hand wash my clothes if necessary. I had gotten gotten rid of a lifetime’s worth of heavy, bulky cotton clothing and replaced it…
Rage Against The Price Gouging
This year I learned that Rage Against The Machine reunited and is coming to Raleigh. Even though I’m not much of a concert fan, every video I’ve seen of an RATM concert makes me think I’d love to see them. I checked out ticket prices. Ticketmaster is advertising nosebleed seats behind the stage for $170!…
Social Distancing Again
How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World really struck a chord with me. The timing reminds me of the old adage, “When the the student is ready, the teacher appears.” The book has me thinking about my current relationships with friends and family as well as my former relationships the have fallen dormant over…