Happy 4th of July from Galveston Island! Obviously I had to do a watercolor painting of Lana Del Rey because she fits the aesthetic of this holiday so well.
Also, I put a red white and blue bow around my hundred-year-old tree. That tree is such a survivor! Yesterday, a big truck full of frozen food hit it and broke off a huge branch. Obviously, this was quite upsetting, but nobody was hurt, no vehicles were hurt either, and there’s still so much tree for me and the birds and squirrels to enjoy.
It occurs to me that my tree has witnessed nearly half of the history of this country. It’s a tree from 1911, after all. It’s seen a lot of things and remained through it all, rather zen. Even yesterday’s violent amputation will probably leave it unfazed. It somehow held on to its wits and its branches when most other Island trees were decimated during Hurricane Ike. It’s seen the consequences of a world war, the Spanish flu, Prohibition, the Great Depression, the social and political turmoil of the 60s, and so much more. Tonight it provided quiet company as I watched the fireworks from my front porch. I’m not sure that trees and the creatures that dwell in them like fireworks, but they can tolerate them, from a safe distance. I suppose if I were a real Lana Del Rey girlie I’d be wearing a red dress and it would swell in the evening breeze. But as I stand here in my pajamas, my tree is more festively dressed than I am.
As to the birthday girl turning 250, let’s take a moment and wish her some good things. After all, we are not defined by our past, not even by our present, but rather by how big our dreams for the future are. Despite the fireworks, which are nice in their own flashy way, (I don’t mean to be a total fireworks hater, after all I am not a chihuahua, though I’m sure there must be some cowering under beds nearby), if I look up, through the branches of my old tree, I can see the stars. I hope we all collectively and individually never forget they are there. That we never stop reaching for them. Also, I promise to stand on my porch in a red dress someday. Maybe tomorrow. After all, we can celebrate the 4th and embrace a full Lana Del Rey aesthetic all month long, can’t we?
