Swiss Cheese

On Providence

I came across this quotation by W.H Murray, and really found it empowering. It’s all about commitment. Commitment has brought me to many amazing places. Like painting in switzerland for example:

painting switzerland in plein air

One of the many places that painting has brought me...

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
― W.H. Murray

The way I see it. If I never made the bold move to go back to Europe outside of the Florence Academy, I would never have made this painting. I regret not going to more places to paint. We will just have to see what the future holds.

Rolling hills in switzerland

Switzerland en Plein Air 20x30 CM - By Nigel Robertson

Traditional Swiss Dinner

-Traditional Swiss Dinner-

After the short walk to Chantelle’s house, I set my things down in the basement, and begin the tour of the house. There are paintings everywhere. Its a relief to see. Most poeople I know have bare walls with no art anywhere. This is not the case here. Almost every wall has a painting on it, and they are all pretty awesome. Chantelle spent four years at the Florence Academy of Art, and we have plenty of fun things to talk about. Its nice to meet someone who I can relate to, and talk to about so many things. Bekkah and I don’t relate at all any more. The more time passes the more we grow apart, and the more short her replies to me get. Unless its on skype or facebook chat. Somehow she can only communicate through a computer screen. I think that many people have this problem. Allora.
So its dinner time at Chantelle’s with Tina and I. They both speak Swiss German, and its very entertaining to listen to them converse with each other. We are having a Traditional Swiss Dinner for my welcoming to switzerland. There is lots of swiss cheese involved in this, but more specifically a plug in electric stove that has a flat grill on top for grilling bacon (yes bacon) and underneath the grill there are electric stove type deal. What you do is a slice of quality swiss cheese is placed into a small 4×4 inch tray, and you can doll up your piece of swiss cheese with vatious things like salk, pepper, paprika, onions, bacon which is cooked on the top level first. After getting the cheese all hooked up the tray is placed in the oven to melt. You can slightly melt it, or you can brown it, or blacken your cheese. It was lots of fun to try different cheeses, and different combinations of ingredients. Served with dinner was also mini potatoes, miniature pickles and mini onions. Quite tasty stuff! I came up with the combination of a layer of potatoes with bacon, onions, pepper, swiss over the top, pepper and paprika over the swiss. Super tasty. And very healthy. It was a blast to say the least. After dinner we talked about Art, and the Florence Academy, and people from school, rumours, gossip, and all that fun entertaining stuff that FAA students constantly talk about to eachother. Things in related to FAA spread like wildfire extremely quickly for this reason. Its a very tight knit school, and everyone knows everything about everything. That was fun. We talked till about two in the morning, and then hit the hay. Chantelle gave me my own room downstairs. No sleeping bag necessary, for the next ten days.