Happy Red-White-Blue Day

Happy Fourth of July, friends!  Eat hot dogs. Watch baseball. Enjoy your friends and family. Thank our lucky 50 stars, even - nay, especially! - in this crazy time for our country.

Happy Birthday to Mom

Posts have been few and far between this month. I'm working diligently on a redesign of the web site and on some art for the shop. Given no unforeseen glitches, I aim to be ready by the end of June.

But I didn't want this Memorial Day to get by without remembering our Mom, whose birthday was today.  Gosh, she was a pretty woman. I very much see her smiling dimpled face in the faces of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mom in kindergarten. I love this photo so much i had a stencil made of it. 

I think this was a graduation picture. 

Mom at 24. 

Mom and me on Valentines Day going to Grandma's. 

Mr. Valentine has come to the Moline house

Another Christmas Day

...is unbelievably almost over. All day I have meant to mosey on over to this keyboard to wish all who enter in a joyous and memorable day. Pesky things kept me from completing this adventurous goal; you know, opening up lovely presents from husband, family, and friends. And having a fine and traditional breakfast including bacon crisped up to its perfect spot, AND walking the neighborhood (we have the best street in Tehaleh and a view of the mountain, so there), AND getting into some new books, AND having another fine and festive dinner meal so, you know, things like that.

Mt. Rainer looms over the neighborhood

..our street twinkles,  yes it does. 

That's one red chair in there!

But here in the perfectly wintry but not icy cold Puget Sound, it has not yet reached midnight, so I can still qualify this as a holiday wish, for whatever holiday you celebrate. I hope this finds you well and content and filled with joy on this day that comes around so fast and goes away faster still.

Bob and I are blessed and we are so thankful to have health, family, and friends, 

and a country we love, despite its potholes, pranks, and pitfalls. 

More than ever we all will need to work extra hard in the year ahead to

speak in friendly tones, practice our values, be an informed reader and listener

of events and news from trusted sources, 

and hold on tight to optimism and hope but

stay ever aware and thoughtful and assertive. Let us not take
anything for granted and let the past serve up wisdom 

for a challenging future and

a test of our strength for a country we all hold dear. 

Ever since I was five...

It's been five years since my last Last Day of School, but, ever the teacher, I think of those special days in this way:

Ever since I was five
(a long time already to be alive),
the happiest importantest day of all
was not the colorful first day of fall
as awesome and glorious as that can be.
Nor was the day of gifts under the tree,
though certainly pleasant...
the red green mood, the brightly wrapped present...
And Fourth of July would line up for sure
in a list of favorite events to occur,
one would think, its redbluewhitelong
warm firecracker day, a contender strong.
Not birthday day with birthday balloon.
No, the winner was always day in June:
But the Junemoonswoon means nothing to me.
and I never intended a June bride to be.
June, instead, whether grown-up or five
has the very best day to be alive.
Because, whether the day be warm or cool,
It's the playful day AFTER the last day of school!

To all my teacher friends, far and near,
May upcoming summer days be your best of the year!

Merry Christmas from our house...

to yours.  And now that the work is done, I plan to sit by the fireplace every day and take it all in. Also, there's a new (Not-so) Daily Amazing on the web site.

Painting inspired by the work of Jill Mayberry.

Deck the hall

Finally....5 days before Christmas Day...we have a finished tree.   A couple of years ago I cleaned out the ornament bin of ornaments I didn't like anymore. (Bob has no opinion on the ornaments and leaves me to my executive decisions regarding Christmas decor. Good and bad. But I digress.)  What is left are all my favorites. Last year we took a break from having a tree, opting for decorating the house.  I need the break because it comes around so dang fast; really, it seems I put it all away (hours of work on both ends, isn't it?) and it's time to take it out and start over again. And find a place for the autumn things, which replaced the spring things. And the wheels go round and round.

This is one of my favorites. Looks like carved wood, love the jester he's holding. Probably one of the only more traditional ones on the tree.  I'm instead into shoes and spheres and whites. More than you needed to know.

AND over at the web site home page, the Daily Amazing highlights a 3 meter long children's book that struck my fancy. Where's Waldo on steroids.

Orphan candles ....

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