today...

i am wearing a grey and black striped sweater. big fat stripes. 6 grey and 7 black. charcoal grey to be exact. they almost disappear. it is almost a black sweater. that's why it is my favorite. the elusive grey delineations. and i am drinking hot chocolate, reading a gorgeous bit of writing a friend of mine emailed me. gorgeous. but that cat has to stay in its bag a bit longer. poor kitten. and i am working with elsie again today. she asked for a red cape this time but, as i work, she says 'no. darker. no! darker!" and i have to remind myself she's just a little girl and doesn't have the same vocabulary i do. i practice patience when i practice drawing her. all this work and crazy listening in preparation for a single oil painting... and no clue of when it'll finally be time for it either. this is what it is to love something.