Tree House

I never had a tree house growing up in Central Texas.  I made forts out of rocks, bricks, bed covers and anything else I could find, but I missed out on having a tree house.  Recently, we stayed with our dear friends Paul and Kathie Boitmann in Southlake.  The house is beautiful and the decor is Texas-themed. My favorite thing about his 5-acre place is an old tree house that he built for his kids years ago.  Today, it's still standing in the trees on the back of his property.  There's something about gazing at it that brings me peace and joy.  My prayer is that as you look at this painting, it will bring peace to your heart.

Hello Win Column

One of my favorite things to do is listen to @TexasRangers baseball games on AM radio.  My Dad and I listened to +St. Louis Cardinals games on the radio when I was a kid.  Dad grew up in West Virginia and the only game broadcast nationwide in those days was Jack Buck doing play-by-play for the Cardinals.  When I got older, we listened to +Houston Astros baseball on the AM dial.  It has to be AM radio for me because baseball sounds real. Games on FM are like listening to a pre-recorded baseball game.  It doesn't sound real to me.  Baseball games should always be listened to on AM radio.   


When the Rangers moved to Arlington in 1972, I began to listen to the games on radio WBAP.  In the early 80's, I loved to listen to the play-by-play call of Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel.  When the Ranger's won,  Holtz's final words of the broadcast were always "hello win column."  When Mark Holtz passed away from cancer in 1997, the phrase became a part of team lore.  If you follow me on Twitter at @pmitchell, you will see that phrase when the Rangers.  It's just a habit. Last night, I drew an illustration to liven up the tweets. 

Unfortunately, the local Rangers broadcast changed to an FM station in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So I switched to MLB.com to listen to the broadcast.  It's the closest to what a game should sound like.

One day, AM may disappear off our radio dial.  It will be a sad day.  But that's progress?  Maybe.

Cryin' A River

We had just stepped into the theater lobby after watching "Superman." Our phones had beeped during the movie.  When we checked them, we noticed that our daughter Mallory had texted to let us know that she was pregnant.  She sent a picture of the baby's sonogram.  I broke down. Sobbed.  In front of everyone. Not Dedo. Me. She's worried about me.

I cry all the time now. The older I get, the more I cry at movies, watching television, praying, hearing sounds, etc. I have become the biggest wimp in the history of mankind.  I only cried once in the first 35 years of my adult life (excluding funerals).  At the end of the classic baseball movie "Field of Dreams" when the son plays catch with his father, I cry every time I see it.  Still do. It brings back so many good memories of my Dad.

Dedo used to cry all the time.  The older she gets, the less she cries.  We are going in opposite emotional directions.  Why? I have no idea.

Caring For the Elderly

I knew it was coming.  Anyone with elderly parents knows that there will come a day when we will have to provide some sort of care to our parents.  My 84 year old Mom recently fell a couple of times in her home.  When she got to the hospital, the doctors decided to admit her.  They ran a bunch of tests and she was fine, but she was feeble and having a hard time walking.  They decided to put her in rehabilitation for about a week.  Dedo and I decided to make the drive to Fort Smith, Ark. to spend time with her and make sure everything was going well.

I thank God for doctor's and nurses that are trained to care for the sick. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the hospital and the sickest get the attention.  My Mom is not sick, so she is not a top priority in their daily activities.  It takes family members to make sure our family members are kept a top priority.  The hospital in Fort Smith (Sparks Regional Hospital) is doing a great job, but we have to ask questions, attend meetings, call doctors, etc.  My Mom is doing great and should be out of rehabilitation on Wednesday.

God's timing is perfect.  I've lived by that promise all my adult life.  Even when I don't understand the present day circumstances, I've always looked back in the past to see evidence that God has always been perfect in His plan for my life.  Because I am in transition between jobs, I have the time to care for my Mom.  I am so thankful for that opportunity. I've enjoyed being with her. I've learned more about her than I knew.  I've witnessed her kindness to others and I'm encouraged by her love for people. Ive also enjoyed spending more time with my wife as we've traveled back and forth from Ft. Worth to Ft. Smith.  She treats my Mom like her Mom and for that I am grateful.

I know the future will hold more of these incidents.  I pray that God will protect my Mom and I am ready to do whatever needs to be done to protect and care for her.

Happy Anniversary #33

Today marks my 33rd wedding anniversary. To the same wife!  June 21, 1980 was the second most important day of my life.  Next to becoming a follower of Jesus when I was 7, marrying Dedo was the most important decision of my life.  It set the trajectory for a majestic life, career, children and grandchildren.  If I knew how huge a decision it really was, I would have totally freaked out.  But we were young and naive and in love.  We had no clue what was about to happen.

I met Dedo primarily because of her name.  During my freshman year at Tech, we had a math class together.  The first day of class, the prof called out our names to check us in.  When he called out the name

"Dedo Wray," I perked up.  First of all, who is named Dedo? I looked around to see who would answer and I heard this twangy West Texas girl yell out "here." There she was sitting on the back row of the class next to the star quarterback Rodney Allison.  She was beautiful.  It was also the last time I saw her in class.  She somehow managed to pass the class without ever attending.  No worries.  I also saw her in the dorm cafeteria with all her friends from the 9th floor of Chitwood.  As a Coleman resident, we shared the same cafeteria.  I loved watching her because she was also having fun. As the semester grew longer, I got to know her a little through other friends.  We ran in the same large circle of people, but never really clicked until the end of our sophomore year.  During finals, I asked her to go out to eat during a study break.  We went across University Dr. to a hot dog place where you could get 10 hot doges for a dollar. We had so much fun that I walked out without paying.  She made me go back.

She made me a better person.  She's the one who got me back into church after rebelling against Christianity for a couple of years.  We fell madly in love during our junior year.  Our first date was to a movie called "Duchess And The Dirt Water Fox" with Goldie Hawn.  We went to every Tech home football and basketball game although she wasn't interested in sports.  By our senior year we had started talking about marriage.  We graduated in 1978 but because of my job, we decided to wait to marry. We were engaged in the Fall of '79 the weekend that Tech played USC.  We married in June of 1980 and the rest is history.  I don't know if there was any connection, but that summer was the hottest on record with 60+ days of 100 degrees or higher.  And we had no air conditioning in our first house in Waco.

We've lived through lean years, healthy years, sick years, prosperous years, children years and today we are still living.  I love her more than ever and would not change a thing about her over the past 33 years.  She still makes me a better person and that's what I love most about her. Without her, there is no telling what I would have become.

Honey, I love you and can't wait for the next 33 years.

Wednesday Weddings

Last Wednesday, Dedo and I drove to Young County, TX to attend a wedding.  One of Dedo's life long friend's son was getting married. Wednesday weddings are a little out of the ordinary, but the bride had prayed and fasted until God gave her the date and time of June 12, 2013 at 6 PM.  The wedding didn't start until 6:30, but God was okay with that. It was a beautiful wedding on a hot, windy Texas summer day.

The couple was married under the limbs of an oak tree that is estimated to be about 400 years old.  Everyone in their family  had been married under its branches.  I am going to paint the tree as soon as I have some time.  The house was built in 1875 on land that was settled in 1855 by a Texas Ranger and cattleman named A.B. Medlan. All the structures on the property are over 100 years old.  Texas history was oozing out of every nook and cranny of the old ranch house.  That's what made the trip great.  And my introduction to almond tea was a spiritual awakening.


There aren't many people that get to live in a house that has a Texas Historical Marker on the front door.  I love Texas history.  That's why I love to paint Texas landscapes (www.etsy.com/PaintingsByRPM).

There is not a more beautiful countryside than the rolling hills of Young
County. I love the dust in the air, the cattle
in the fields, the mesquites blowing in the wind and the heat.  I am a Texas guy and I would rather be hot than cold.  Out here, it's always hot.  The drought is still a serious threat to the farmers and ranchers and you have to be one tough hombre to live out here.

The Byerly family has lived on the land a long time. What a legacy they have as a Texas family.  I attended my first wedding under that tree in 1981.  As far as I know, future Byerly's will continue to be married under the old tree that stands in front of the old house that's surrounded by the old rock wall. And if they invite me, I'll keep coming back.


 

Happy 5th Anniversary Mallory and David

Today is another special day (see June 4th blog) in the Mitchell family.  Mallory and David celebrate  their 5th anniversary. Wow.  That's all I can say.

As a noted (at least by me) parenting expert, I predicted the day I met David this relationship would never work.  David was the starting high school QB, Mallory couldn't spell the word football.  David went to West Point to QB.  Mallory went to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech.  "A long distance relationship will never work" I muttered to my wife.  David graduated from West Point and Mallory graduated from North Texas.  They were talking about getting married. "No way" I said to myself because my wife stopped listening to me. I grew up in the Army and I knew Mallory could never survive the times of loneliness, war, terror, worry, politics, military red tape and moving from one command post to another. 

They still got married.  

After the honeymoon, he left for 9 months of Ranger school.  Shortly after that, He left for a fun-filled year in Iraq. They missed virtually every holiday, birthday and anniversary because of two years of separation.  Skype was their friend. They've moved from New Jersey to Colorado Springs (not bad) to Lawton, OK (bad as it gets).  But Mallory survived,  growing stronger in the process.  She stayed on base by herself instead of moving home.  She was determined to make the military her ministry, attend grad school to get her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and wait  for her husband to come home. 

She and David have the strongest military marriage possible, which is light years stronger than a civilian marriage.  Mallory loves God, her country and the men and women (especially) who sacrifice their marriages for you and I.  I've learned so much about marriage just by watching them from a distance.  I am so thankful they are physically closer (I know it's Lawton, Ok.) and we can see them more.  David is going to Captains school (even though he has been a Captain for two years), they have one more year of military commitment and who knows what's down the road for them.  Mallory is busy counseling families.  She reminds me of my parenting issues from time to time.  They chase around a crazy dog named Nala. They are committed to the local church and God's call on their lives. One day, they will be great parents.  

I am so thankful that Mallory and David continue to prove me wrong every day.  We love David and thank God for him.  What doesn't seem probable is when God does His best work.   

Happy Anniversary guys! 

Happy Birthday Whitney!

Today is a special day at our house (actually her house).  Our daughter Whitney turns 29 today and she is now the same age as her Mother!  Whitney has been such a blessing to our lives.  To have a 29 year old daughter is hard to fathom.  She was born a couple of days after Dedo and I went to see "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom" in 1984.  Labor started during the scene when Indiana Jones slices the cooked dinner snake's belly and hundreds of snakes pour out on the table.  One look at Dedo and I could tell she was toast.  We waited a couple of days to go to the hospital because it was still 2 weeks until her due date.  Sure enough, she had Whitney early.

Today, Whitney is a testimony to God's love.  Anyone who knows her sees that God has gifted her to work with children.  Her students, parents, school administrators, friends and family watch her skill and caring with every child she has come into contact with.  When she graduated from high school, she headed out to Texas Tech where she met some baseball player who grew up down the street, even though we didn't know it.  She married Brian in 2008 and it is amazing to think about the influence they both have on children.  Three months ago, Whitney gave birth to our first grandchild.  Weston is the luckiest kid in the world.

I can't wait to see what God has planned for Whitney in the future.  I know she is following after God and He has great things for her.

Happy Birthday Whit!

Unemployment Has It's Advantages

My last couple of days of employment with Vanderbloemen Search Group is drawing to a close. I am so appreciative of their generosity over the past couple of months.  But, I am entering new territory. Something that has never happened to me.  Unemployment.  There was a time in my life when I never imagined myself in this situation. But don't feel sorry for me.  I'm where I am today because I believe God called us to move back to the DFW area.  Without a job.  Without answers to questions.  Without much of anything but a burning desire to follow Him.  God's in control and He has a plan.  It's really fascinating to live life each day not knowing the future.  It's the greatest faith journey I've ever embarked upon. Please pray for Dedo and I during this time of transition.

In the meantime, I'm still painting.  It seems harder to get inspired to paint in my crazy temporary world. I made myself get out to the studio (garage) yesterday and paint.  What a blessing.  I felt so much better.  I started a portrait of my son Cameron (@camronmitchell). I've never done a portrait so this is a huge challenge to me.  While painting him, I couldn't help but think about how much I miss him.  Since he left home to go to LA, he has became a grown man.  I'm amazed at what he has done the past three years.  I'm reminded that parents parent.  Forever.  







Recently, Cameron asked for this painting.  First time ever he has even noticed my paintings. let alone comment on them.  Greatest day in my life.  I don't care what you think, he loved it and that's all that matters to me.  Have a great day!

Memorial Day 2013

For those of you who know me well, you have heard me talk about my Uncle Walt.  Our family called him Bill Jack.  I was only around him a short time when I was four years old, but I remember him well.   He was in the Army, like my Dad, and had served in WW2. Before he left for Southeast Asia in 1961, he and his wife, Maxine (my Mom's sister), my two cousins (Gary and Karen) and my grandmother came to Central Texas to visit.  We spent a great weekend on the lake.  My uncle was a lot of fun to be around.

I wonder what he was thinking that weekend.  He knew he was leaving soon to report for an assignment to a foreign place that know one had heard about.  I didn't know he was an Army Green Beret (Special Forces) working as a secretive military liaison supporting the Laotian Army to help train them against the invasion of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).  In the pre-Vietnam era, no one really knew what was happening in Southeast Asia.

In March 1961, my uncle was captured by the NVA, beaten, starved, tortured, shot repeatedly, kept in a hole in the ground and a bamboo cage and eventually executed in July 1961 (http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/m/m162.htm). In 1963, President John F. Kennedy awarded him a Silver Star for his heroic service to the country and promoted to Major.  If you visit The Wall in Washington DC, his name is on the first panel. He may have been the first casualty of the Vietnam War depending on who and how was counting.

The older I get, the more I think about him.  Especially on days like today.  I also think about my Dad who was a WW2 veteran who made it home.  I think about my son-in-law who is a Captain and Army Ranger and served a year in Iraq. I also remember all the guys just a year or two older than me who were killed in Vietnam in the early 70's while I was having the time of my life in high school.

We can never forget the men and women who have died for our country.  As parents and grandparents, we have to teach our children and grandchildren about their true bravery.  Happy Memorial Day to all of you.

What A Weekend

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I'm sitting in Southlake next to a beautiful pool enjoying the cool temps.  It's been raining and cloudy which is not a typical Memorial Day weekend in Texas.

I started off the day officiating a wedding. It's been a long time since I've stood before a crowd and spoke.  I managed to get through before the wheels shot off.  It was a great ceremony because of the kids involved.  The bride and her family have been active at Fellowship for years. I worked with her Mom on staff.  Lauren spent several summers working at Alasso Ranch, FC's camp in East Texas.  Chris Key, one of the band guys during that era of camp was shooting the wedding and Analise Bush sang with her band Aprilemade.  Analise was one of the singers at camp for several years.  Rachel Jessup was in the wedding, newly married to a guy she met at Allaso.  She's also pregnant with her first child.

I felt like a Dad to all these kids and I am so proud of the men and women they've become.  They have first and foremost chosen to follow Jesus since they were young kids.  And it's paid off for them.  God has blessed them greatly.

I've been goofing around with art websites like Paper 53 for IPad.  It's a lot of fun, it's free and you don't need anything but a finger.  I've posted some stuff on Twitter @pmitchell.  I'm not smart enough to get it on my blog.

Because it's Memorial Day Weekend, I also celebrate the GREAT GAME of BASEBALL.  Go Rangers! I did this painting for my Grandson's room.  It's baseball themed so I tried to get the old antique baseball look.

To all my friends and family in the military and to all of you who serve our country every day, thank you for your sacrifice and your service. I can't help but think of my uncle who was captured, imprisoned and killed in a North Vietnamese POW camp in Laos in 1962.  Memorial Day is all about remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice!

Happy Memorial Day!

Coffee Break

One of my favorite hangouts is Buon Giorno Coffee in Colleyville.  This painting (www.etsy.com/PaintingsByRPM) is from a photo of one of their famous cafe lattes I love so much.  Today, I'm at BG while waiting for a doctor's appointment.  It's one of the great pleasures of moving back to this area.

I don't know what it is about the place.  Cool music, homey environment, books, the European feel and great coffee are some of the reasons I like it.  Mostly, it's the relaxed and comfortable feel of the place that draws me here.  It's hospitable.

Hospitality is a word we don't often use today. One of the trademarks of NewTestament Christianity was the hospitality of the people. They would meet in people's houses, eat together and share in each other's burdens. Hospitality is what makes people feel the vibe of Christ's love. Its the fuel that powers the engine of life-change.

Peace

Like most Americans, I am shocked and saddened by the destruction of the Oklahoma City area.  My prayers are with the thousands of people who find themselves in the midst of a tragedy that changed their lives in a matter of minutes.

God never promises that we will always live a happy life.  Because we live in a sin-stained world, evil is prevalent all around. We can lean on our Creator God for comfort, encouragement, wisdom miracles and a path to follow.  Just when we think we have problems, we realize that there are many people who are struggling more than we ever thought possible.  As I continue to adjust to our move back to DFW and look for work, I can throw a great pity party.  But then I also realize that God is control of my situation as well and He has taken care of us thus far.  

My prayers go out to the churches in Oklahoma as they become the hands and feet of Jesus.  What a great responsibility and privilege to represent the heart and soul and Jesus to people who are looking for answers. 

As I was thinking about all this, I ran across a painting I did a few years ago.  It really gives me peace and comfort and I hope it does the same for you.  If you are having a difficult time, take heart. Jesus knows and He will not forsake you.  

"Texas Neighborhood"

www.etsy.com/PaintingsByRPM

There is A God!

There is a God!  I know because He put a Starbucks in Jacksboro, TX. with wifi.  Jacksboro is the county seat of Jack County and it is in the middle of nowhere West Texas.  But I love these kinds of places.  My wife grew up in Graham (yes I drove 30 miles for coffee this morning) and we love coming out to the ranch.

On the way over, Jason Aldean's song "Fly Over States" was on the radio (AM).  How fitting.  This isn't the place most people want to live.  You have to be tough and gritty to eek out a living in this part of Texas. Oil and gas are still big, but the money is not.  The drought has dried up most stock tanks and there is constant dust in the air that reminds me of the famous documentary "Dust Bowl."

But it's beautiful and wide open.  This painting (www.etsy.com at my shop PaintingsByRPM) reminds me of ranches and farms struggling to make it every day.  I call it Gateway Ranch since it sits at the gateway to West Texas. It's not real.  I made it up using images of hundreds of ranches in Graham, Jacksboro, Bryson, Onley Newcastle and Breckenridge.

I hope you enjoy the feelings of freedom in the open country. And I pray that you remember that the backbone of our nation resides in these off the highway places.

Z Bar Ranch

Z Bar Ranch

This is one of my favorite paintings I've done in my short career as an artist. It's named after Dedo's parents cattle brand. One of the coolest things about the painting is the old cattle guard.  Since I was a kid, cattle guards have fascinated me. They are fixtures on the Texas landscape and I'm amazed that cattle never try to cross them. The metal pipes keep cows and cars safe from meeting each other in the middle of a farm-to-market road.  As a believer, I need more cattle guards in my life. I need to surround my marriage, parenting, work and relationships with more cattle guards.

23Guard your heart above all else,for it determines the course of your life.

24Avoid all perverse talk;stay away from corrupt speech.

25Look straight ahead,and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26Mark out a straight path for your feet;stay on the safe path.

27Don’t get sidetracked;keep your feet from following evil.

The Beginning

Hello friends and welcome to Preston Mitchell Art.  My new blog is primarily about art, but I will also share other thoughts that I find interesting. I am a person of strong faith in Jesus and the local church.  But I love hanging with all kinds of people.  I hope I make you think a little and make you laugh as well.  

As a former corporate executive and pastor, I've seen and done a lot.  About five years ago, I started taking painting lessons from Ruth Francis (www.ruthfrancis.com) because I wanted to do something different in life.  I've spent most of my life living in black and white.  Now I realize there is more color than most of us can see and experience.  After taking lessons from Jim Humphrey  (www.jamesahumphrey.com), he encouraged me to start selling some of my work.  I'm excited about selling some of my art work. So, here we are!

Trying to start a website for a non-computer guy like me is a killer.  While I'm striving to create a work of website art, you can find my work on www.etsy.com. My store name is PaintingsByRPM.  I really enjoy doing Texas landscapes.  I'm also trying to do more contemporary and modern work inspired by my son (@camronmitchell on Twitter) who is a great singer/songwriter in Nashville.  If he likes something I've done, I consider it a huge compliment.

Keep in touch!