We all have the chance to live our dream. It means making a lot of right decisions, focused on the right path of attainable goals.
One of Frank’s patrons returned from a South Pacific sailing vacation and commissioned Frank to paint a new work. She wanted a composite scene from her memorable time with a friend. Frank painted the “Dream” in acrylic on a 30” x 15” stretched canvas.
Dream
Live your dream. Be inspired by it.
Just make sure it is realistic, and down the right path…and you know what is right.
Capt. William H. Wincapaw, known as an adventurous and skilled Airman, unknowingly began a tradition in 1929. He was just a guy that wanted to bring holiday cheer to the lighthouse keepers along the East Coast by dropping packages of toys, coffee, shaving supplies, and snacks around Christmas time. He soon became known by the light keepers as the Flying Santa. Over the decades the planes and pilots changed, but except for a break during World War II, the practice continues today, now by helicopter.
This Christmas, Frank wanted to pay special tribute to the new Airman in the family, his grandson Griffyn. So, a new 30” x 24” acrylic on wood panel painting shown below is added today to Frank’s lighthouse series. The lighthouse seen in this painting is the Boston Light.
Flying Santa
This painting honors those who take special care of the all-important light keepers, as well as the remote Coast Guard outposts.
Now as Griffyn has his first Christmas away from home in the Air Force, we wish him and his group a safe and enjoyable Christmas, as we thank all those who bless and protect us from above.
Frank’s lighthouse series brought a commission for a public wall mural. The mural below, painted in the reception area of a Silicon Valley business, is a takeoff on Frank’s Pigeon Point set. The scene is a rare sunny day setting for Frank, but more typical of what the pubic likes to view.Several organizations use a lighthouse theme, portraying themselves as a guiding light. Frank is more interested in the diligent work of the keeper, who in a Zen monk-like way, maintained the life-saving beacon through the night, keeping the oil or kerosene topped-off and all systems running.Inspiration from the discipline of the light keepers played a key role in the completion of the mural project.
—————— Backstory:
Frank was commissioned to paint the mural over a weekend to reduce impact on the business. Frank agreed, as long as the wall was prepared with an undercoat on Friday evening after hours, by a pro, according to Frank’s specifications and color. That way it would be dry and ready for the art on Saturday morning, which Frank estimated would take the entire weekend, if all went well. The wrinkle is that when Frank showed up Saturday morning to begin, the wall had not been painted. The “pro” didn’t show.
Frank set about immediately to shop for and find the paint to do the necessary undercoat. The primer coats were done, but the wall was not dry enough to begin the painting until Saturday night. Thinking of how the keeper of the light would work through the night, Frank could not shrink from his duty and painted all night, collapsing to nap occasionally on the seats in the picture. By late Sunday afternoon, Frank thought the picture done, and invited his wife Mary and others to come view the production, and take him home.
Everyone raved when they walked in the door, while Mary showed Frank a quizzical look, after studying the mural. Frank knew that look and placed high value as always on Mary’s artistic eye. Taking her aside, she offered her view toward perfection, suggesting to Frank that the perspective on the two windows on the side of the keeper’s house was a bit askew. Frank stood back, a little bleary eyed, refocused, and saw exactly what she had pointed out while others still went on about how cool the painting had turned out. After thanking Mary for her valuable assistance, it took about 15 minutes to paint the correction. Then a smiling Frank, with Mary’s concurrence, declared the lighthouse mural done. The business owners were very pleased Monday morning when they showed up for work.
In Frank’s painting below, “Moving On” (48” x 24” acrylic on wood panel) he depicts our urge to explore the far reaches of space and colonize other star systems before our sun expires, or some other calamity befalls earth. To do so, we put a lot of emphasis on technology. But tech does fail, and we would be wise to do a better job of caring for what we have.
Hopefully, when we do make this voyage, we will be spreading our positive nature, and not only seeking conquest, where we might meet our better.
Former Mariner’s charity helps families coping with disabilities
by ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 News
KING5.com
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:07 PM
In many of our Making a Difference stories, we tell you about little-known heroes in the community. But this story in about someone you probably already know, former Seattle Mariner John Olerud.
He was an All-Star at the top of his game in 2000. Money, fame, and adored by his hometown fans. Olerud had it all, but that same summer he and his family were hit with a devastating disorder.
John’s daughter Jordan was born with an incredibly rare chromosome disorder leaving her unable to walk on her own, or even speak.
“It was definitely an eye opener that things don’t always go the way you’ve planned,” he said.
The Lundquist family knows that same heartache of broken plans. Their son Koby suffered a severe asthma attack in 2010, and a lack of oxygen left him permanently brain damaged.
Woodinville's Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Ranch
While their struggles are similar, there is one glaring difference — the Oleruds have the means to put their daughter through special therapies, like those offered at Woodinville’s Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Ranch, helping Jordan make great advances.
The Lundquists couldn’t even properly bathe their boy because he was too big to lift in and out of the tub, and they couldn’t afford the $2,500 for a special shower. Even worse, both parents lost their jobs within 6 months of the asthma accident.
“There are some days it just bowls me over,” said Saroeun Lundquist, Koby’s mother. “If I dwell on it, it just chews me up.”
It’s that sort of inequality that inspired the Oleruds to do what they figured their daughter would want them to. They established The Jordan Fund, to help families with special needs children meet those needs.
“The help that we need just caring for her, feeding her, all the therapies — it’s just the realization that, wow, this is really tough,” said Olerud.
So, with the help of the Jordan Fund, the Lundquists got their new shower. Olerud says this isn’t about him as much as it is kids like Koby and Jordan who inspire others to make a difference through their quiet daily courage.
The Jordan Fund has donated more than $1 million to 130 special needs families and organizations.
Update: Dan Lundquist found a new job since Koby’s brain injury and the family’s financial situation has stabilized.
Do you know someone who’s making a difference in your community? We’d like to hear your stories about people going above and beyond to help others.
As we think about how we are going to improve our life experience this year, simple, yet strong wisdom has the best chance of sticking and making the needed impact.
So, I worked up a poster for above my computer that combined a simple quote with a public domain photo of the person being quoted, Albert Einstein. He is noted for many memorable bits of wisdom, but this one seems to have particular value now, as we all grapple with the mess around us, and try figure out how to do better in the future. Here is my new poster and the quote:
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
These few words offer the notion that a radical change is needed if we are indeed going to truly move past our current problems. This is not to say we won’t find other problems to replace them, but sometimes a change of scenery does us a world of good.
Here’s wishing you the courage and strength to think differently,
Frank Kliewer
The official authorized Internet site for Franklin D. Kliewer. Frank is a consultant, Internet innovator, developer, manager, and teacher.
