I’m sorry I missed writing to all of you last week. My father-in-law has been very ill, and we’ve been focused on trying to get him the best care possible. It has been a quite a struggle, but I’m happy to say he is now in good hands and responding well to his new medication. Of course, making it to age 90 is already beating the odds, and we know we have been very blessed to have him with us for so long. His recent health problems, however, have been very severe. For a while, we weren’t sure he would…

As I’m writing this, my family and I are cheering the Pens’ Game 7 victory in the Stanley Cup playoffs. We’re so thrilled to see the Pens move on to the Finals! The timing is perfect because I’ve just completed an original painting of one of my personal heroes, Pens captain Sid Crosby. Needless to say, he’s grown up quite a bit since he was dubbed “Sid the Kid!” Coincidentally, Sid suffered a serious concussion in a game a few years ago, while at the very same time, my daughter Brittany also received the terrifying news that she had sustained…

There’s a beautiful birdhouse in the cherry tree just outside my window. It was painted by a fellow artist, and a bird family has made it their home for the last three years. As the birds come and go, chirping all day long, I think of how their lives are so busy… gathering the materials for their nest and preparing each Spring for their new little families. My own baby birds may have already flown the nest, but I can’t say I’m any less busy than I was in earlier years. In fact, I missed writing to you last week…