A couple of firsts

I'm so happy to be able to have new experiences all the time, two of them in the past week, actually!

First #1: Whale Sharks at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
The day after Thanksgiving with my family in Chattanooga, Noah and I escaped to the Georgia Aquarium. It's been open for years now, but every time I go back to the Atlanta area I'm so bombarded with familial responsibilities that I haven't had the chance to visit. So this year, I planned to meet my awesome friend Beth, the coolest woman in the world, and go visit the fishes! The main reason I wanted to go to the aquarium was to see the Whale Shark exhibit. It did NOT disappoint. Here are some photos from that day:

First #2: My first art show!
At the encouragement of Renee (an artist here in Redding with whom I walk my dog), Noah, and Lori, I entered a couple of paintings in the Mark Twain Library Art Show. I was a little reluctant at first. I mean, I don't really think of my art as Art... I just sort of paint or draw what I see and it never turns out quite like I'd hoped... This is a juried show, and when I brought my paintings to be judged, I felt like an ant standing in the presence of giants. There are some amazing artists in this show, and some amazing art did NOT get in. Which is why I'm doubly blessed that one of my paintings did get into the show. It's encouraging... I am a little closer to being able to call myself an artist :) not just one who dabbles in paint... So we get to get dressed up on Friday and go to the gala, and I get to stand by my painting, or hide behind Noah, depending on how confident I feel... and hopefully I'll meet some more kindred spirits in the process.

I painted this after seeing Invisible Children's Night Commuter documentary. If it sells, I'll donate the money to Invisible Children to use for advocacy for the rescue of and prevention of child soldiers.