isla

happy mother's day!

for the most beautiful momma in the world! inside and out...what a treasure my sisters and i (3) share with her as our mother...and all of our children (12...the 'dirty dozen') with her as the best 'nanny' in the world! and now (10) little great-grandchildren to  soak in her love and kindness. she is the most caring and loving person that i know! she has this innate ability to give so freely of her time, of her heart and soul to her family. she tells loving stories of her youth...her loving mother...my dearest grandma...whom she was so close to...and misses everyday...of the handmade clothes that she wore so proudly that her momma sewed for her...she describes every detail of her favorite dresses. she speaks alot of her two favorite aunts...aunt myrtle, and aunt ada...her time as a twirler in high school...and many, many more sweet memories that she remembers as if they happened just yesterday.

hope you are having a wonderful mother's day...if you're one...or if you have the 'best' momma in the world too...enjoy your day today!

here's to you, momma!

treasured symbols...

i have been drawn to spirals for as long as i can remember. they signify a spiritual journey...a quest. i think (no, i know!) it all started many, many years ago with a seashell. it's funny how they (spirals...not shells!) appear in my life when i'm least expecting it...(kind of like my multiple 4's that are at every turn...yelling at me to get grounded!) always pulling at me as a reminder to get back in the circle...encouraging me to not spiral downwards...or go backwards...but, to move up and outward...ushering in growth and awakening, peace and love into this big picture. always a gentle whispering that there is so much more here than what meets the eye...something that speaks directly to the heart. there are angel people that magically appear at the exact moment that i'm needing a little nudge. sometimes i'm moving way too fast to recognize them as such...but, then when i sit with what the day has gifted me, late in the evening usually...i get it...hopefully...giving thanks for those who have crossed this remote path of mine...this little journey i'm living. this mother of pearl shell spiral 'daily reminder' sits atop an aging floor lamp in my bedroom...with the window to the world as her backdrop...all with a happy little bird perched right along top of a tiny treasured branch that traveled home with me from artfest.

kolton...

meet my only grandson, kolton! my lil' texas guy! it's been a while since i've posted a photo of him...he's grown so much. on one of these past texas trips i snapped this one of him showing not only that he was walking...but almost running!

here's a couple of priceless photos that i will forever cherish this memory with he and my mom...nanny ) (great gma! to the kolton boy and 10 others!) i think i counted that right!! she was feeding him some 'big' bites of pancakes...he was in sugar heaven! and nanny was in 'nanny' heaven...her life revolves totally around us girls...and our families. she's the best! more about her on mother's day! we have laynee today and she's calling! later! have a great week-end!

happy may day!!!

tiny little violets...and woodland flowering 'weeds'...mmmm sweetness!

popping up everywhere in our yard...

spreading her springtime blanket for me to fall

into. wonderful spring...new beginnings every

where!

home alone...

hey...well, it's quiet here at my home this late sunday afternoon. laynee just left...i've been keeping her on sun/mon/tues for kelcee while she works...and what a pure pleasure she is...time really does stand still when she is here with us. dan just went kyaking with his youngest son, jared...and i'm here absorbing the sweet stillness that surrounds me. yesterday we made way for an impulse buy that i had...a wonderful creamy leather sofa...but, we have too many sofas as it is, dan reminds me...where will we put this one? the dining room is now no longer amongst us...rearranging everything yesterday to accomodate this new little luxe was no small feat... the painting was the first of dozens of paintings that dan painted for me...i love it. since we live in a home that was built in the 1890's there are tons of doors...all leading to somewhere...and very few large walls to house his bigger than life paintings...so, when this opportunity arose i jumped at it. it has been stored upstairs for a couple of years. it's nice to have it back front and center.  foreground...a baby swing! priorities!   i wish you could see the color of these antique canning jars...they're the beautiful aqua like we've all seen but, i've never seen any quite like these. i purchased these years ago from some nuns that had a booth at our local flea market...they said they found them in the basement of their convent...which was built in the late 1800's! i bought all that were left. they just came down from my hutch in the kitchen to catch the light from my new 'den'...southern windows. here's a close up...i love the wavy glass...filtered through the old sand cast glass windows of this old place. here's a close up of the painting...the water reflection is dreamlike...especially in person...you know how when we were kids we'd 'see' bunnies or cars in the clouds...same thing here...i'm always seeing something else magically appear in these clouds. and here...a broken limb off of my pink dogwood tree...as you can see, she has just begun her show. a little forcing in a vase of warm water coaxed some early blooms. i'll photograph the tree when in full bloom...she's a beauty. so, here you have it...seeing what i see at this moment, in my quiet little world...for the time being. a happy sunday, indeed. now, i'm off to play catch up with so many of you and what's happening in your world...hopefully a happy sunday as well!

sweet memories made...

it feels so good to back home...i look around at the 'stuff' that was neglected before i left for port townsend...and could care less at this particular moment! i have some memories to share. memories with my darling and dearest kayla...my oldest granddaughter. i always have her on my mind...but, somewhere around valentine's day...her sweetness lingered 'round about me like a silent whisper. i knew that once i made my return from a.f. that i would swoop down to texas and spend some one-on-one time with her. we quickly did a texas two-step from houston to austin and back in one too short weekend...but, that we did and it has completely left me without words to describe this time. so, here are a few photos of our little jaunt across tejas...my home sweet home. we headed up hwy 290 making it to our first stop...the magical rolling hills of blue...that is our texas state flower, the bluebonnets...with a spattering of indian paintbrushes and buttercups. i get weepy even as i look at this photo of her...not believing my eyes that she is growing up so dang fast. we stopped in at our favorite mexican food joint for some lunch...and kept heading to austin, where we were meeting up with some of my old high school friends for a birthday celebration for one of my oldest and dearest friends...barb. she's been right by my side since 9th grade. love her so! darla, who has a daughter, maddie the same age as little kayla, hosted the celebration...with such love for us all. her home is so welcoming...as is she. we go way back too...way back to disco days at uncle sam's and high school times as well...another priceless friend that i love so much...but, how can i say this...i'm glad to have kayla as a granddaughter and not a daughter...cannot imagine having one this age at home right now...i got mine all here before my 30th! it's keeping darla hoppin' and young! here's the group that made it...love them all...and grateful for the times and memories shared.  

the girlies were immediate friends...tho, this was the first meeting. quite fun. from here we met up with my oldest sister and her wonderful family for her birthday celebration...where kayla was able to be with her second cousins for the first time. there are so many more i'd like to share...but, for now i'm signing off. i can only hold y'alls attention for so long when it comes to talking about grandchildren! but, if you have them...you totally understand!

i'm back from texas!

what a fun trip! great wedding...lots of family time...but, i am so glad to be home! i ended up staying on a couple of extra days to enjoy the beach. it was so calming...as the ocean always is for me. i got a new laptop...will get it up and running here tonight...so, for now...i'm signing off of my dh's computer! finally! i'll post some more in a little bit. spring is here in the midwest! but, to be perfectly honest...this was taken outside my classroom window at artfest! 

no computer...

hey...just thought i'd let y'all know i'm without my computer...not even the laptop right now...so here i sit at the public library quickly running through my online life. :(  l'll catch up with y'all later. have a good weekend. i'll be back in texas for a family wedding in galveston. back on sun/20th. today i'm off to buy a mac...i'm having huge withdrawals!

afafafafafafafa...more memories

i still haven't come close to sharing the amazing time at artfest that i experienced. i have so many photos that i think i'll put together an a.f. album on the sidebar. but for now...i still want to show some of my students...their precious faces and some more of their work...y'all are the best! not the best photo...but it is the best photo! a photo i'll treasure...along with my little blue book with y'alls sweet messages and info. let's keep in touch! i don't have many photos of my 'daily times' class...if y'all have any that you'd like to share...i'd love to see them! i have wonderful shots of 'hands creating...which i adore...and shots of y'all helping one another...sharing...and i love those too. when i return from texas i will post more. i'm so enjoying seeing the photos of other classes that are all over the place right now...hearing of treasured times...and complete wild creative abandonment. love it all!

more a.f.!!! etsy stuff up 'n running...

i want my computer back!!!! and my photoshop! can't seem to get my photos going on this laptop of dan's. so, the stuff in previous post isn't properly sized for etsy...no worries...not meant to be right now. updated...finally got photos on etsy! see sweet nina with her little 'mabel apron'...just darlin'....will list more of these this evening along with some other goodies from a.f.....here's more photos of a.f....enjoy these works in progress...finished pieces...&

creative hands...did i mention i had the best students! love them all to pieces! more to follow...have to get to moving this morning...heading to texas tomorrow...needing to unpack, so i can re-pack!