Have you ever noticed...

Have you ever noticed that the same things that freak you out during the holidays, just two weeks later are no big deal? I dunno, that one hit me as a shocker last night. I wish that I could be this calm and collected all the time, but alas, I'm doomed to be an emotional wreck at the holidays for the rest of my life. Oh well, what's a girl to do?

Well, I've started painting again. It's been quite a while, but for me (luckily) it's kind of like riding a bike. I decided to change it up though, and I'm using oils, whereas I've predominately used acrylics. It's my first oil painting, and my oh my, it's a big one (24 x 30... my largest ever). I like it though, and I really like my subject matter: Bran Castle in Romania. It's said to be Dracula's castle, however, Vlad the Impaler never actually lived there, as it was inhabited by the queen at the time. His actual castle, Poenari Castle, is now in ruins, and was definitely more a fortress than a palace. Cool, huh? Well, cool in the non-violent, down-with-totalitarianism, impaling-people-is-a-really-bad-thing kind of way. Maybe I'll paint the fortress next, but for now, I'm very happy with how Bran Castle is turning out.

Interesting tidbits about Poenari: it was in fact the ultimate fortress. It was built atop a cliff with a 300 foot drop on 3 of its 4 sides. It overlooked a valley which was the only way enemies could aproach the fortress. As you can see, there are steps that lead up to the cliff. 1,850 of them to be exact. Most of the steps are quite tall and wide, forcing aproaching armies to face exhaustion. Also, the climb is so steep, that it is near to impossible to fire arrows in a battle. No wonder ol' Vlad never lost a war! Okay, I'm done with the history lesson... for now. I really like this kind of thing, could you tell?

Well, I hope you have a wonderful day, and until my next post, may you not be ruled by someone who belongs in an asylum! -Jeri