Questions and answers

 Today, the last day of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge, I am answering questions! So, without further ado, here are the questions:

Martha asked: How did you get into painting? You are so good at it and your paintings are beautiful.

Thank you so much, Martha!!! It was my mother who pushed me to do art. When I was fifteen years old, I suddenly came to the conclusion that I had no artistic talent, so I gave up art entirely. Well, maybe not entirely. I used to draw cartoons and I doodled. For years, my mother told me that I should take art lessons. And, for a long time, I said no, I had no talent. At one point, I had gone back to college and I saw that I had to take some sort of arts class. So I took an art class for nonmajors. I said to myself, "Self, you have no talent. Your paintings are going to be bad. Don't worry about that. Just have fun and enjoy the process." Inadvertently, I took away all stress from the process and had turned it into a fun time. And, as a bonus, I even liked the paintings that I made. After that, I took more art classes, in a variety of places. 

I am thankful to my mother who set me on my art journey. Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons. I learned that I don't have to compare myself to others. I am on my own art journey. It's not a contest. It's about growth, not winning. Another thing that I was told that really helped was that talent is overrated. It's the effort and practice at creating art that matter more. It is the desire to grow as an artist that makes a difference. And, most of all, it's about happiness. I have found that creating art makes me happy. I get to interpret the world with shapes and with color. That's really as good as it gets.

keithaw2k asked: How do you rate your blogs? Do you go back and update them? 

I don't really know that much about rating my own blog. I am sure that there is a technique to that, but I've never done that. Also, I don't go back to the original blog to update it. Sometimes, I will post followups to the original blog post. That is as close to updating as I get.

PhxAzLaura asked: Agree with you about Cherry Garcia, but I've never liked Cookie Dough ice cream. Yippee for you for trying something new, though. I love this post. My question: what adventure would you like to go on next?

I do have a few adventures planned, which include kayaking in the Niagara River and a tour of Seneca Falls, New York, which is the site of the first women's rights convention, in 1848. The town of Seneca Falls is also believed to be the inspiration for the setting of the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," a movie that I've seen... repeatedly! The town is on the shores of Cayuga Lake, which is the longest of Central New York's Finger Lakes. There's a lot to see in Seneca Falls, including the Women's Rights National Historical Park, the National Women's Hall of Fame, Cayuga Lake State Park, Seneca Meadows Wetland Preserve, and so much more. The tour that I am taking is just a day trip, so I am sure that I will leave, ready for another adventure!

Vivian asked: Why do cats chase spiders and then are afraid to eat them? 

Oh, the complicated webs we weave. I mean, oh, the complicated webs spiders weave. I don't know that cats won't eat spiders. Some spiders, such as brown recluse and black widow spiders, are venomous and don't make a good meal for the cat. I have, however, never seen a cat turn a spider, venomous or not, into a meal.

Diane asked: How do I overcome my fear of the oven? Any suggestions on how I figure out how I cook in it?

Did you know that fear of the oven is a real condition? It is called fournophobia, which literally means a fear of ovens. I don't know how you overcome the fear. If you are really terrified of using ovens, you do have the option of not using an oven. It is actually possible to do all of your cooking on top of the stove. It's even possible to make a cake in a frying pan or a skillet!

If you would like to try to cook in the oven, I would suggest that you use simple recipes. Talk to people you know who like cooking and ask them to recommend a recipe for a beginner cook, preferably a recipe with easy to follow step by step directions. The whole idea is that you make something easy so that you can experience success. Good luck with your cooking journey.