"Midsummer Daydream", 8x10, oil on linen, paintings of women, garlands, flowers, summer midsummer, William Blake

"Midsummer Daydream", 8x10, oil on linen

The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.
- William Blake

I love the poems of William Blake, and was delighted to find this one after I painted the portrait!

I have not been posting regularly for almost two months. In early October I was diagnosed with skin cancer, and for me, it was a life-changing event. I never thought much about my health before, because it has been relatively good, thank the Lord. So when I went to the dermatologist for a routine yearly skin check, I was hardly expecting to hear the news that the so-called 'pimple' I had on my forehead looked supsicious to her. She took it out, but warned me that she wasn't sure she had gotten it all. Fast forward a few days, and I rec'd the word I didn't want to hear- cancer.

It has now been almost two weeks since the first surgery. The second surgery the following day was reconstructive in nature- to repair the defect, and I'll confess that seeing 27 stitches in my forehead made me think of nothing other than that I looked like Frankenstein. Yet, all of my fears about disfigurement were for nothing. I was blessed to find a very talented facial surgeon, who worked beyond my wildest expectations to produce a result I know I'll be able to live with and not be self-conscious about. In truth, I suspect it will be hard to find the scar in a few months!

God sometimes makes us go through trials in order to grow our roots deeper. He also uses these circumstances for the good, though at the time we go through the trial, we can almost never see it that way. As a consequence of this trial, I have done a great deal of introspection about many things, life, health, God, family, friends and even art.

 I have also done a lot of research on health, cancer and the immune system. One of the books I read is Cancer Killers, written by three men, one of whom had virulent cancer throughout his entire body. He healed himself with general nutrition and what some would consider some very unorthodox therapies. The only reason I am recounting this story on my art blog, is to encourage anyone, who has ever received a diagnosis of cancer, to be encouraged by the fact that many people today are beating the odds in a natural way, as a result of learning the value of good nutrition, an alkaline Ph balance in the body, and a stress-free lifestyle.

I realize that I had the most benevolent form of cancer possible, and for that I am very thankful. Yes, I will have to re-think my future of plein air painting, because I live in Florida where the rays are doubly dangerous. But overall, I am now grateful for this trial, because I now understand that God was trying to get my attention. He wanted me to have a healthier body! He wants us all to have healthy bodies, and everything that our body needs to heal itself is available in nature, if only we take the time to do the research and find out what they are. For instance, how many people understand the value of an alkaline versus an acid body? How many people know that Tumeric,  a spice used extensively in Indian cooking, can help destroy breast cancer? How many people are aware that certain foods are valuable antioxidants, and in today's world of toxic food and toxic environments, it is vital that we take the steps we need to educate ourselves on how to reduce these toxins in our bodies!

If you, or a loved one, is interested in learning how to prevent and even cure cancer, and make your body stronger and healthier, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks for listening. It was good to start painting again!