Michelle (Basic) Hendry - Fine Artist & Author

Artist and Author - Landscapes and Ruins

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To Everything, Turn….

By

Mountains
Canmore, Alberta © 2004 Michelle Basic Hendry

So I find myself staring at a partially covered canvas for an hour. Upon discovering I am incapable of working on the large canvas, I head back to the small one. A blind retarded snail could have accomplished more than I did the last couple of days.

It’s shameful.

It happens…

Every March.

I am going to get smart and realize that may be the reason they have March Break every time this year….? So I gave up and went through my photo archive to find some inspiration. I found this image of Canmore, Alberta from a trip in 2004. It somehow felt appropriate, but why is beyond my current comprehension. Perhaps it suggests a metaphorical barrier in my mind. Yet, somehow, I feel less restrained by looking at it!

Tuesday evening was a bit of a melancholy one. My brother’s dog, Chelsea, was put down after a battle with cancer. She was the best and biggest suck and had kisses for all of us all of the time. We will miss her, though, no more than my brother. She saw him through a lot over the years…. She actually would have seen the exact place in today’s photograph, a couple of months before I shot it, on her way to the coast with my brother…. Hmmmmm. Funny how the mind works….

So, I think I will let the moments of frustration quietly pass and remember that everything has its time….

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear its not too late

~ the Byrds, adapted from the Bible (Eccesiastes 3:1)

See a live performance of the song here.

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Comments

  1. Always sad when a pet dies 🙁

    Can’t remember the year I went, but I loved Canmore. Was such a difference landscape wise between it and the area of Alberta I was living in (flat, windy and boring). Would have loved to live in Canmore, but flats and houses cost a fortune there just to rent. Was also the time where my mom wanted me to steal a little silver tea kettle from the place we had breakfast. odd what we remember about places we visit :p (no I didn’t steal it, even though it was nice :p)

  3. My father was born in Canmore and grew up there during the Depression. I don’t think it was quite so high-end in those days! He lived most of his adult life in exile, in the army and in England, but he yearned to go back to the mountains that he always considered to be his spiritual home.

  4. Melancholy for a reason; your choice of lyrics appropriate for the loss of a beloved pet, and your seasonal slow down. You turned some of that negative into a brilliant blogpost. Thanks.

  7. You know what. I struggle (painting wise) a little in March as well. I find it’s best to think about planning my garden for the spring. Once that sun and warmth, new conversation and travels hits my senses, I’m ready to paint some more.