About 2 years ago, Alberta was giving Pamela and me a guided tour through her art studio.  She showed us over 50 paintings, and it was as if she were seeing things she had never seen before in each one.  As we asked her what various objects, people and poses were, her first response was, "What do you think it is?" We began to play with our projections, and Alberta started asking herself questions and exploring new meanings in her wildly creative works.  She often painted her dreams, and we were gently swept into that dream world.  Alberta was currently working on a pencil drawing, which was evolving as we spoke.  She pointed at the top of a bed she had drawn, and then pointed to a banana, which had been a pillow the day before.  When we asked what inspired the change to a banana, Alberta matter-of-factly replied, "It wanted to be a banana."  Perfect.

Posted for Lee Showalter:

"Here is a bit of history of Steamboat Alice, and a picture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_steamboats_on_the_Yukon_River

This is "Alice", the one your mother worked on for one cruise from Nenana, AK to Fort Yukon, AK.
Follow the map from Nenana to Tanana (on the Tanana River) then onto the Yukon River
The Alice pushed loaded barges with supplies for the Inuits in their many villages along the Yukon River.

Somewhere in all the photos, there should be a picture of a totem pole at Fort Yukon taken by your mother."

Love to all,  Dad

Alberta's brother, our beloved uncle Jordon, was a constant in her life.  You can't miss the affection between them in any of their photos.  

I know in recent years, they would speak on the phone almost daily.  Both artists, and passionate about their art, politics, human and animal rights.  

Jordon's art took a different road than Alberta's.  I can only imagine the many conversations they must have had about their art.  

Jordon passed away only months before Alberta, on June 20th, 2013.
We have set up a memorial to Jordon on this site as well.  Please go to:

http://www.forevermissed.com/jordon-meinster/#about

He, too, leaves behind a vast collection of paintings.  Please see this link if you'd like to see Jordon's art:

http://jordonmeinsterart.com/index.html 

I was 9 years old, watching a beautiful violinist on television.  She had short hair, which was a new fashion for women in the mid 1960's.  I looked up at my mother and said, "Mom, could you cut my hair to look like that?"  Mom was only too happy to pull out the scissors.  This was the unfortunate result.  Our school pictures were taken the next day, so the moment was captured -- I still remember how mortified I was when I looked in the mirror!

But, many lovely haircuts followed.

: )

Pamela 

We had a running joke in the family about mom's ability to always eat dessert, no matter how big our meal was.  Especially if it was chocolate.  As we groaned and declined anything else to eat, mom would always say, "I always have room for dessert -- I have a second stomach just for that!"


: ) 

"Yellowstone Park mid 60's - In our Vokswagen bus. Grizzley bear wandering across the road in front of us.  I stopped, and the inquisitive grizzly came over and reared up on the VW windshield.  Alberta did a Houdini and disappeared under the glove compartment cowling in the blink of an eye. Joanne, Pamela and Stephen squealed with laughter at the sight of her hiding."

Lee Showalter

(reposted for Lee Showalter in this "stories" section)

I loved her hands as they were full of creativity and love..