Life Perspective: Reviews & More

  Hooray for the red, white and blue! In honor of  America’s 247th birthday, here are some articles, poems and patriotic trivia to help you celebrate the 4th of July, 2023, in style. Patriotic Trivia ~A fun lesson in history through patriotic trivia~ ~ Patriotic holidays like Flag Day and the 4th of July are a good time to enjoy a little patriotic trivia! Here are a few fun patriotic facts about American history. ~ 52 of the 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence were deeply-committed Christians. The other three all believed in the Bible… Read more Remembering The Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Read more Faith of Our Fathers: Quotes from America’s Founding Fathers ~Historical information about the deep faith of America’s Founding Fathers including Patrick Henry,...

 I recently had a very bad experience with a clothing manufacturer whose ads all said the company was based in the United States. The promo posts told the story of a mom and pop operation who made all their unique clothes by hand but were closing their doors to spend time with their grandkids. I liked the pictures of the clothes, prefer dealing with US-based companies and was touched by their story, so I ordered a garment--a Van Gogh top. For the next several weeks I was strung along with "tracking reports" that indicated my purchase was slowly making its way across IRELAND. But wait! There's more!  Wait a minute. If this was a mom and pop operation where they made all the clothes by hand in the U.S., why was my package crawling across Ireland? I wrote the company--Continuety-- and asked. A representative replied that they had wawrehouses around the world. Huh? Mom and pop based in the US who make all the clothes by hand produce enough to have distribution centers around ...

Today we honor the 79th anniversary of D-Day, when American and Allied troops stormed the beach at Normandy,  and Flag Day 2023 is right around the corner, falling on June 14 every year. To help celebrate both occasions, here are a few articles about Flag Day. What Is Flag Day? ~ What is the history of Flag Day in the U.S.? ~ What Is Flag Day? Let’s hear it for the red, white and blue! Flag Day is celebrated every year in the U.S. on June 14. Although it isn’t a national holiday, this is the day that commemorates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777 by a resolution of… Top Ten  Flag Day Facts On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted by resolution the official Flag of the United States with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from Great Britain and became the first states in the Union. Read more fun  Flag Day Facts at Christian Activities Faith of Our Fathers: ...

  May Flowers Why Take Up Art Later in Life? People have asked me why I took up art later in life. What made me think that after a lifetime of not being able to draw simple shapes, that I could take up painting now? The answer is both simple and complex. The simple answer is: I desperately needed something positive and joyful in my life. But the story is a bit more complicated. I have always been an avid hiker and photographer. I love to travel, love to take off hiking wherever I go and love to photograph what I see, However, I had back surgery a few years ago and am now looking at hip surgery in the near future, so I am no longer able to hike. This has removed an important avenue for joy and communing with God and nature as well as capturing the beauty I see. In addition, having recently suffered a great personal loss, as well as the loss of much of my mobility, I was facing depression and grief without my best outlet for recovering joy since long hikes are now out of the question...

I have continued with the painting, learning my new craft and enjoying capturing images that are meaningful to me on convas. This one is titled "Mountains May Be Moved Into the Sea" and is inspired by similar Bible verses.  This one is "Sun Through Trees," a study of how the light of the setting sun effects colors and the appearance of objects around it.  Both were challenges to get me out of my comfort zone of mostlay painting flowers.  See my earliest paintings at  Kathryn Darden Artist