Spray Paint, Anyone?

Soooooo.....

This afternoon, when I was picking the kids up from playschool, I happened to mention to Lucy and Henry's teachers that I was interested in any cans of spray paint that they might have laying around.

It was about five minutes later that I felt the need to clarify my intentions. I'm neither a tagger nor a huffer. I just want to save a few bucks on paint to refinish the many projects that I have pending.

Ms. Sue and Ms. Karen laughed - the thought of me being either had never occurred to them.

I think I have watched too many episodes of "Intervention" and seen too many rail cars.

It's true, though. In this day and age, we have to watch so carefully what we say. My thoughts are "nuts to that". I'm just an ordinary woman with a gigantic list of creative projects I want to work on. And, sometimes, the colors that other people use on their various projects have the tendency to inspire.

Right now, I'm in the "Inspiration Phase". I continue to doubt my own intuition on what will make that planter look striking or that statue really add a spark to the yard. I have a Menards, a Farm King and, the sadly omnipotent, Wal-Mart at my disposal. I could go to any of those stores and buy any old color for a few bucks. But do I have that sense? Will it be a disaster or a piece de resistance?

When my kids are coloring or drawing pictures, I never doubt their integrity. Lucy loves to make pictures of people with large ears, looooo-ooooong legs and eyes that blend with dimples. Henry is going thru his "black period" - everything he colors is primarily black, including the apology picture he colored for a boy he tussled with at playschool.

So why then do I question and doubt myself? Isn't art, in its purest form, just an interpretation? So what if the colors I choose don't match the entire planet's vision?

I'm not afraid to write. I know I make grammatical and spelling errors and ignore typos because it's not a big deal to me. I never use Spellcheck. (This could have something to do with working in the medical field - Word frequently discriminates against terms like "bilateral oophorectomy" or "diabetic gastroparesis".)

In any case, I look forward to the weekend. We are going bowling with Lucy's friend Angelina. The letter I crafted to her mommy on Monday was answered by a phone call from her daddy. Since the forecast is cold and miserable (see my post on the weather for my thoughts on that during this time of year), we decided to plan something indoors.

My writing worked then. If not a thoughtful and inspiring example of literature, it at least got Angelina's dad's attention. And all I wanted to get from that letter was a simple "yes, our girls can have a playdate". Success!

However, when it comes to the visual, I struggle. I'm spatially challenged and, even though I've been told time and again that I'm not colorblind, I still see myself making ridiculous choices that will have the neighbors howling with laughter and/or calling the city council to take me down! (Did I ever mention that my mind wanders frequently to the dramatic?)

Here's to a great weekend, no matter what's in store. And here's to asking for those things that we need and having plausible deniability....