Last Saturday I had the chance to visit my old stomping grounds and have a picnic with a friend at Kennedy Park in Chicago. I always had admired this field house. It is all stone and quality built. They don’t make them like this anymore. Now it is all about cheap materials, cheap labor, and more profit.
With a large blanket and our shoes kicked off, we enjoyed chicken salad sandwich, grapes, sun chips, an oatmeal cookie, and a juice box. Ahhh… we felt like kids again. Was it sucking apple juice from a mini box? Was it laying on the ground? Was it something in the summer-like air? Maybe it was a little of each, but we definitely felt like kids…and it felt so good!
This struck up a very interesting conversation. When did becoming an adult get to be so boring? Too much responsibility and not enough play? Work, work, work, bills, bills, bills. O, yay, you’re an adult now.
Talking at great lengths about the feelings of freedom and not having a care in the world led us to the conclusion to schedule in fun, a mandatory event.
Go (with a big grin on your face) run barefoot. Jump up and down for no reason while flailing your arms. Have a picnic. Lay on the ground. When was the last time you did that? It feels good. And make sure to schedule it in…or dullness will get the best of you. Oh yes, and don’t forget to paint!
🙂
Let's Paint Nature! 
I admire the old stone houses in our area too. Chicago, Milwaukee, Sheboygan near where I live now–there’s something about their age that I so love. Thanks for your posts. Ellen
Thanks Ellen!
Living in a historic district in Virigina really makes you appreciate the brick work. Nice sketch and I totally agree with you on the adult part. Too many people loose their smile and forget how to genuinely laugh. Life is too short to be taken so seriously 🙂
Oh I bet your area looks beautiful. There is some kind of charm in historic buildings. And you are totally correct…life is too short….we must enjoy!
Thank you.
really nice….fun to have fun….as a child there was no experience….so what else was there but discovery….to bad we had to discover adulthood in the manner it is served….like you say…have to ‘x’ out time to return to those days…
Yes, it is so refreshing to feel like a kid again 😉
Thanks for your comment.
Lovely sketch, Christine. I can almost feel myself relax when I look at your work.
Love the colors and shading of the big tree in front, the way you’ve placed the stone squares on the building, and your supple linework. Just great.
Adulthood– grrr! That does it, I’m resigning right now!! : )
Thanks Mark! I didn’t want to paint in all of those stones…too many…would have pulled my hair out trying, so I just placed a few here and there. Sneaky trick..huh?
I’m with you, let’s resign adulthood…..OCCUPY CHILDHOOD! hahahaha!
It’s a new movement.
😉
Sounds like a lovely day. Nice stone house.
Thank you very much!