In 2021, a year after my husband’s open-heart surgery and at time when I was afraid for his health, I suggested a cross-country road trip to visit all the people he loves. The trip took us from Bainbridge Island to NJ and back with stops in Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Colorado. The Louisiana visit was to see his brother, Wayne, who had Alzheimer’s. We had a wonderful visit and took long slow walks around the LSU Lakes neighborhood. The magnolia trees were in full bloom and I snapped a close up of a bloom. I painted it while there and gifted the painting to my sister-in-law in Wisconsin. The Louisiana visits was such a beautiful visit and Wayne was incredibly happy to be with his brother. I don’t remember him ever being that happy. Little did we know it would be the last time these brothers would be together. Wayne died in August 2022 from a fall in the middle of the night. Magnolias are my way of remembering him. This is the second painting in my Magnolia series.