It’s a Great Day!

It’s my birthday!

And it’s a perfect spring day here in Austin. It’s sunny and warm, and the trees are all leafing out in a lovely shade of fresh green. My bougainvillea, lantana, and various other flowering plants are in spectacular bloom. My garden presented me today with the 4 beautiful calla lilies you see here.

The house is clean; the laundry is done; the taxes are paid, and there’s nothing pressing on my calendar today; I’m getting close to finishing the design of another website; I’ve just gotten two new clients for web design, but at the moment, I’m not swamped with work; and my office/studio is more organized than it’s been in a long time.

Today is San Jacinto Day — the celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. It was the final battle of the Texas Revolution where Texas won its independence from Mexico. Good thing, or I don’t know where I’d be living now!

Also, on this day in 753 BC, Romulus and Remus founded Rome (traditional date).

And on this day in:
* 1944 – Women in France received the right to vote.
* 1952 – Secretary’s Day (now Administrative Professionals’ Day) was first celebrated.
* 1960 – Brasília, Brazil’s capital, was officially inaugurated.
* 1962 – The Seattle World’s Fair opened. It was the first World’s Fair in the United States since World War II.
* 1965 – The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair opened for its second and final season.
* 1966 – Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visited Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day.
* 1989 – In Beijing, around 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.

And in 1994 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets were announced by astronomer Alexander Wolszczan.

It’s also Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, Catherine the Great’s birthday, and the birthday of Charlotte Bronte, John Muir, Ludovico Carracci (Italian painter), Andie McDowell, Iggy Pop, Anthony Quinn, Charles Grodin, Robert Smith (of the Cure), Michael Timmins (of the Cowboy Junkies), Rob Riggle (of the Daily Show), the oh-so-cute James McAvoy (Scottish actor)…and me!

Just today I was invited to participate in another art exhibit coming up in May — making 4 exhibits I will be in during that month: the “Five x Seven Art Splurge and Exhibition” at the Arthouse here in Austin, the “Degrees” exhibit of Texas Wax artists at M Squared Gallery in Houston, the “Working in Wax” exhibit at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, CA, and now this one (details coming soon)!

Plus, I found out last night I will be having a solo show at the Bay6 Gallery this October. 😀 I’m very excited about showing my work in this great space!

Many of my friends (and two of my siblings) have remembered my birthday, my husband is taking me out to eat at my favorite restaurant, and I’m spending this perfect day painting. Life is good, and I am happy.