and what falls out

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Just Me

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A small Coastal town called Saint Marys, Georgia, United States
Hi, my name is Ronnie. I am an American Contemporary Folk Artist. I conjure up images, then paint them on canvas. This makes me happy. Nice to meet you.

Inspiration from Brilliant Minds

Inspiration from Brilliant Minds
Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings. - George Tooker

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

TIME

I can't believe it's the 19th of January already. Time seems to be evaporating. The older I get, time picks up speed.

The Gunns around 1960 Augsburg, Germany
me, mom, turtle, dad, andi

This is a picture of us taken 50 years ago. 50 YEARS!!!! That's Mom and Dad, me and my two sisters, me on the left. Check out that big hair. I would walk with my girlfriends every Friday to a nearby village to get my hair done for one German mark, which translated to 25 cents a pop! Those were the days. Where did all that time go?


A clock I have in my living room
made by the great artist, Sandy Mastroni

This month, much of our time has been spent caring for our mothers. Watching them age and needing more of our care has me a bit melancholy and reflective. I spent last week, along with my sisters, in a hospital, watching over our 82 year old mom who has pneumonia. She came home on Saturday accompanied by an oxygen machine. She is in good spirits and slowly recovering.

Our moms (mine on the right, Joe's on the left) at our house on Thanksgiving.
No, not that goofy guy on the left.

Joe and I gave this (see below) to each other for Christmas. We found it in an antique shop in St. Marys on Christmas Eve. We hung it on a nail in the back of a closet to give it a test, excited to see if it worked and to wait for the cuckoo to pop out.
It became a ritual by Christmas Day. As the top of the hour approached, Joe would yell through the house, "It's CUCKOO TIME!" Then we'd run to the closet to watch with great ceremony and delight as the cuckoo popped out to announce the new hour. A celebration.
I need to properly hang that clock today. Perhaps in the living room near the other two clocks. It's time to celebrate again.

CUCKOO!!!!!
Love and all good things,
Ronnie
the cuckoo time keeper

14 comments:

PJ Hornberger said...

Love the photo of your Mom's. Pretty ladies. The cuckoo clock brought back memories and so did that BIG HAIR. They're still wearing that in Dallas. :)

Sandy Mastroni said...

It's Cuckoo time [ I love the clock }
In our house we say " Time to eat the doughnuts"

Thanks Ronnie .... You're the best
Happy New Year

Susan said...

Love your pictures. Time...Time does fly. Imagine 25 cents to get your hair set. You can barely get it done for 100 times that now. I also love big hair, and have no qualms about adding a pouf, some backcombing, and a big old shot of Aquanet to get there. Take care. Susan

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Ronnie, you are the coolest. I love your clock and love even more the thought of Joe running around saying, "It's Cuckoo time!"
Hugs to you!

Tracy Nuskey Dodson said...

I love the cuckoo clock. My grandparents had one in their house and we all loved for grandpop to move the hands around to make the bird peek out.
The family photo is amazing. I wish my family photos were in black and white! Everyone looks so glamorous:)

Buskitten said...

Hi Dearest Ronaldo!
I agree with you about the mum thing - yes, it makes one a bit melancholy, doesn't it - but great she is home and in good spirits. We lived in Germany, West Berlin, as it was then when I was a kid!
I love your two clocks, the artist clock is amazing - and cuckoo clocks rock! I have a broken one in our kitchen which I found in a skip!
Lots of Love
xxx

Lisa Crone said...

Hi there! I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your blog and looking through all your art pics. Do you sell prints of your "I have the power" pic by chance, I really love that and was just telling someone today at work that I have to remind myself every day that "i have the power". Irony... :)

Ronnie said...

So good to be blogging again. I've missed you all!

Turtle Gunn Toms said...

I love that picture- Mom must've made your outfit, but somehow Andi and I are in store-bought clothes! I can still remember how itchy that gray sweater was. The furniture in the photo is, amazingly, still around, with the exception of that horrendous lamp, that weird round brass thing on the wall, and the little chair I'm standing on. I think this was taken a bit later than '60, because Andi looks older than 14, and you look older than 11. I'm thinking '63, maybe? Thanks, Ron, for giving me a trip in the wayback machine.

annechovie said...

Hey Ronnie,thanks so much for your visit and nice comment. Have a great week!

David Ebright said...

Hope your mom is doing better. Tough seeing parents age - least that's what my boys tell me. Hah!

Anonymous said...

Ronnie, it is so great to hear from you, thank you!
Hope your mom gets better quickly, she sounds a trouper, must of been real hard for her and you also.
The clock is awesome!

BiG HUG!

Julie

Together We Save said...

I love this picture of your family... hope your mom is better soon.

Ronnie said...

Turtue, Glad to see you here, sistah! This was taken when we lived in the third floor apartment. We just look older. How old do you think you are here? I'd say four. We were back in the states by 63.
The wool suit I had on was a hand me down from Marty.