Ginny and the Butterfly

Virginia Urani, an artist who paints and teaches, is a frequent guest at Wildacres, a fantastic retreat in the northern part of western North Carolina. I hold the place sacred because that was where I went to figure out my life after my husband died in 2009. There I met Virginia and many others who paint, write, make pottery or quilts.

Recently Virginia was there and had the most unusual experience. This is what she wrote:

 A couple of weeks ago when I was at Wildacres a butterfly landed on my hand, delicately walked up my arm and shoulder, up my neck and across my face ... finally resting in my hair. After about 15 minutes, I stood up and carefully walked down the steps into the painting studio. and I gently placed him on a bouquet of tulips and wildflowers which had served as my models.  He stayed on the bouquet of flowers the entire time I was at Wildacres.  

He fluttered about a little but returned to my flowers.  One day I took him outside … it was sunny and warm.  He flew to the side of the painting studio and stayed there for an hour or so.  The sun turned to clouds. I found him on the ground, so I took him back inside and placed him on the flowers.  The days were cool and nights cold and there were storms so I didn’t put him outside.

When I went to the Painting Studio on Sunday morning and packed to go home, it was raining and cold. I couldn't bring myself to put the butterfly outside, so I carefully placed him on his bouquet of flowers in a big basket which I put inside a plastic bag and put him in the car next to me. Once home I put him in my studio and brought in fresh flowers. He seems to be doing well. I did some research and I know lantana flowers and petunias are favorites, and I had already discovered he LOVES wild mustard flowers. He has been with me over a week and they only live  2 weeks. He flutters about my studio a little and sleeps a lot. 

Last night I couldn't find him nor this morning. I spent about an hour in my studio organizing and throwing away stuff thinking that he could be ANYWHERE or maybe he died or sneaked outside. Then, there was a little flutter at my feet and there he was. He climbed on my finger then on the front of my T-shirt. I took him to the pot of lantana and he became one busy little butterfly. I have thought of taking him outside  but John reminds me that he won't live very long and it is once again cold, rainy with thunderstorms. 

So, for right now he will stay in my studio with flowers and plants and room to flutter about. I don't think he was ever very strong ... no healthy butterfly would ever have crawled up my arm, across my face and nestled in my hair. 

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/hP2GT6iG      This is a link to pictures of Virginia and her butterfly.


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