Chapter Eight

I paint ALL the time. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or how hungry or sleepy I am, I'm always thinking about painting. I get lots of inspiration from the woods and clifftops around my house, and sometimes I even get a volunteer to sit for me, like this little fellow.

I've had some of my paintings appraised, and my latest one is worth over 1,300 simoleans! I'm not selling that one, though. The best ones, and my personal favorites, I'm saving up. My dream is to some day have my very own art gallery.

Still, 1,300 simoleans! I haven't gotten over it yet. That's a lot of money. I didn't think anything could thrill me more until I got a phone call from the school inviting me to be a guest teacher and teach an art class. Somehow, even more than the money, this spelled validation to me, and I swelled with pride at what felt like my first real success.

It felt wierd walking back into my old school. I'm not all that much older than some of these kids, but I sure feel like I am. And they look so young to me, and so small. I can't explain it, but I felt older, more sophisticated - and at the same time rather foolish. The kids loved my class, which was very flattering, and I came away with a bunch of youthful admirers. Demarco took me out for a romantic dinner to celebrate.

Our courtship continues apace. Sometimes Demarco takes me out for a meal, and sometimes we dance the night away, and then sneak a cuddle under the stars.

 

Because he works and trains in the afternoon and evening, Demarco often brings his baby brother Tobin with him while his mom and dad are at work. That's fine with me; I get to see how he is with children.

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Sometimes we go to a movie with Mortimer or our other friends.

Michael can't join us during the day because of the conventional hours of his job, but we still hang out on his days off. I'm quite proud of him; he's advancing in his career rapidly, and he's rid himself of that French woman. He seems to be running through girlfriends a bit fast - he's had two more that I've heard about since Molly - but I'm staying out of it. Judging by the way he's chewing through the career ladder, it's just his nature. He's a real go-getter.

Crystal Springs continues to be a favorite spot, and I go there often with my friends. My overly athletic friends. Can you believe these guys have me climbing mountains?!

Since finding that diamond, I've been taking what I call nature walks to see how many other misleadingly innocuous rocks I can clean up and sell. Every time I find one, I mark the location on a map. It's astounding how many places I can find these rocks. I just never noticed them before.

It's harder work than I imagined, collecting rocks. I've never gotten so much exercise in my life. It takes all day and it's exhausting. It's a day away from my easel, but it's all worth it when I remind myself that I get to spend the rest of my time doing what I love, and I can still pay the bills and sock away a little at a time for my future. And it fills me with peace just to be out of doors in the fresh air. I can't imagine a more beautiful spot to live.

I must be living right. I had a surprise waiting in my mailbox last night, and it wasn't my last batch of cut gems. It was a framed certificate from the Chun-Munroe Family Endowment for the Visual Arts. It says I have been recognized for "achieving the very highest level of excellence in the fine art of painting." I nearly fainted. Then I started laughing and couldn't stop. What would they think if they knew I'd never even set foot inside an art school?

I think I'm getting another nice dinner out of this.