It is the middle of Winter, with snowy ground, barren trees, a chilly sky, and I’m housebound with a broken ankle…my husband has carried my crucial art-making supplies up from the basement to the sunny south-facing dining room. I paint…I work on a long a narrow canvas. Amidst the dark and death-filled daily news, my brush flows with lively, dancing colors. I paint life, singing and touching the canvas. This painting can only be named Banner of Life, an affirmation of the gift of breathing, and a heart that beats. Today I am glad to simply be.