A painting of me (Kiki) by Owen. This watercolor painting has an interesting story. Read on:
So, I'm going home after dropping off Owen to his mum. My lovely painting is sitting on my dashboard, along with other papers and mail and such. I'm dinking around with the windows and open the passenger side and WHOOOOOSH!!! The paper with my portrait flies out the window on to I-5 in the oncoming rush of 5:30 pm. I see it flying at cars and then ... gone. Of all the papers on my dash, this is one to leave. I'm weeping and trying to drive and think of what to do. I have only one choice: I must go back and try to find my precious paper.
It flew out between the 88th and 116th exits (those of you familiar with North I-5 will understand) so I make a full circle back around, taking back roads to get back on to the freeway and my quest begins. I drive to the halfway point of where I remember it flying out the window. I figure with the traffic and how light the paper is, it probably flew around a few cars then landed in the grass to the right and might also be carried by drafts north. I park my car way off the shoulder, lock it and start walking ... praying the whole time.
I know it sounds silly; it's a child's water color painting. But he was so proud of it and I was so happy to "sit" for it that I just had to try at least to find it. I had the foresight to take a pic of it earlier but I still wanted to attempt the search.
So with traffic clicking by me at breakneck speeds, I search the ground, looking for a piece of notebook paper with blue eyes and black hair painted on one side. I'm walking for perhaps 30 mins and I'm getting closer to the 116th exit, not seeing anything. I'm ready to turn around.
A voice says, "go all the way to the exit." I say, "yeah but I lost it clear back there." Voice, "go all the way to the exit." Me: "okay, okay. Might as well. I'm this far now." Surprisingly, I was not arrested for talking to myself while walking on I-5; it's fairly common.
I'm to the exit ramp, just where the transportation crew puts in guardrails due to the curve. I look up and over into the high grass and what do I see waving at me?? A piece of notebook paper with blue eyes and black hair painted on one side.
I scream and run and clutch it to me, thanking God for helping me out with this seemingly impossible search. It has small holes where tires ran over it and a couple of tears but all in all, for the journey it took, it looks great to me.
I haul back to my car, not realizing an hour has passed.
This lovely pic will now have it's own frame and find it's own place on my wall.
This was a good Monday indeed.
It flew out between the 88th and 116th exits (those of you familiar with North I-5 will understand) so I make a full circle back around, taking back roads to get back on to the freeway and my quest begins. I drive to the halfway point of where I remember it flying out the window. I figure with the traffic and how light the paper is, it probably flew around a few cars then landed in the grass to the right and might also be carried by drafts north. I park my car way off the shoulder, lock it and start walking ... praying the whole time.
I know it sounds silly; it's a child's water color painting. But he was so proud of it and I was so happy to "sit" for it that I just had to try at least to find it. I had the foresight to take a pic of it earlier but I still wanted to attempt the search.
So with traffic clicking by me at breakneck speeds, I search the ground, looking for a piece of notebook paper with blue eyes and black hair painted on one side. I'm walking for perhaps 30 mins and I'm getting closer to the 116th exit, not seeing anything. I'm ready to turn around.
A voice says, "go all the way to the exit." I say, "yeah but I lost it clear back there." Voice, "go all the way to the exit." Me: "okay, okay. Might as well. I'm this far now." Surprisingly, I was not arrested for talking to myself while walking on I-5; it's fairly common.
I'm to the exit ramp, just where the transportation crew puts in guardrails due to the curve. I look up and over into the high grass and what do I see waving at me?? A piece of notebook paper with blue eyes and black hair painted on one side.
I scream and run and clutch it to me, thanking God for helping me out with this seemingly impossible search. It has small holes where tires ran over it and a couple of tears but all in all, for the journey it took, it looks great to me.
I haul back to my car, not realizing an hour has passed.
This lovely pic will now have it's own frame and find it's own place on my wall.
This was a good Monday indeed.
2 comments:
I am weeping!! He loves you so much and I love that you love his picture so much. Thanks for loving them. I couldn't ask for anything for more.
I am weeping too!! I love the thought of you on the side of the freeway searching for this lovely picture.
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