So my birthday was back on the 12th. My red-haired, kilt-loving girlfriend managed to arrange a belated birthday dinner for me down in Phoenix last weekend and invited a LOT of friends.

We had a blast, good friends and good fun. Was a lot of interest in my kilt (Macdonald semi-trad from USA Kilts) and I passed out some cards to strangers asking about it. I got a lot of gag gifts and a couple practical ones including the sgian dubh mentioned on another thread.

But, the highlight of the evening was when my lady presented me with a painting of kilted me she commissioned from a Hopi artist, Stacy Talahytewa, Jr.

Working from her idea and photos Stacy produced this painting, called "Road to Recovery."



What she included was how she sees me standing kilted all the time...the Ol' Coyote (my name for my God who's ALWAYS messing with my mind to deliver spiritual guidance) and the badger. I once met a badger nose to nose in Wyoming and have taken guidance from them ever since. She pointed out that the Hopi Badger Clan is for healers. All Hopi healers are members of the badger clan.

She had Stacy include my chest tattoo of the Scottish heart surrounded by Traditional Navajo spirituality and the 12 steps of recovery.

The folks in the foreground, in my shadow, are supposed to be representative of the people I help in my work....I'm having trouble accepting that...'cause I'm just another olde drunk who found the road to sobriety and got his life back. Mostly I help people by saying, "Hey, over here..."

Anyway, the concept of having a birthday party for "me." was wild enough...I hope I have that many folks at my funeral....but a painting...kilted...what joy!

Ron