This makes me smile.....actually laugh!

This is me and my sister Katie at the National Zoo. Katie is in the blue coat with the amazing smile. She turned 40 last year and she still has the same infectious smile! I am actually sitting here laughing.......what was our mother thinking??? Could our dresses be any shorter? Mom??

The answer to a stressful day!

I had a rather stressful day at work. The day started out wonderfully. One of my dearest platelet donors was asked to come in to the center today and be interviewed by the local CBS station because they consider her a hero (and she is!). She has donated 171 units of blood over the past 8 years and they wanted to ask what motivates her, how often she donates, how she got started donating. She was very nervous about being on camera....you see....because she is shy. Her shyness quickly faded away when she began answering the reporter's questions. She is passionate about sharing the gift of life. She is a cancer survivor. Her husband received 7 pints of blood last year due to a bleeding ulcer. She donates every 2 weeks and each time she prays for the unknown people she is helping....that her precious gift will make them feel better, feel stronger, live longer and she prays for their families as well. I stood there today smilingly looking at and admiring this amazing woman. As she spoke I got chills. She lost her husband of 52 years a little over a month ago. It is difficult for me to write this without tears spilling down my cheeks. I knew her husband too. He would drop her off at the center, find out how long she would be on the machine, say goodbye, kiss her and be back to pick her up before she was finished......always with a big hug for me and often times delivering delicious baked goods (they owned a bakery in NY and on the island of St. Thomas). They are Frank and Marleen and I love them. They had a marriage that was truly special. Not long after he passed, Marleen and I were talking and I asked her what their secret was. She said that they were married in Holland and several days later immigrated to NYC. They had no money and did not know anyone and so they relied on each other for everything. I consider myself a recipient of Marleen's generosity. Although I have not received her blood.....I have been the recipient of her goodness and her friendship....her smiles and laughter....her memories of Frank, and the last of the almond cookies that Frank baked! She knows how much I love his almond cookies! She IS my hero too and thinking about the goodness she shares with the world is my answer to a stressful day!

I'm in! But on the outside!

So....today I received a reply about access to the DeJarnette Sanatorium. I have been granted permission to photograph the exterior of the building only. I just have to get written permission the day I visit and carry it with me onto the property. The interior is off limits due to the asbestos. While that was happy news worthy of a smile......I just had to take the risk and push my luck a little further. I sent a thank you email and asked if I could photograph the interior if I signed a waiver and wore a mask. I will patiently wait for an answer and hope that I have not pushed my luck too far. I've been studying the photos I took to see if it is possible to get a good look inside through the doors and windows. Actually, it may be ok if I cannot enter. Although I do not believe in ghosts or haunted houses or sanatoriums......some of the things I have read have made me a little scared. I'm definitely not going without Rex!

Green Eggs and Ham!

Aren't these beautiful eggs? I love the light green one. I had been looking for a local source for free range eggs for the past 6 months. I checked out our local green living expert's site: Terri Kent (aka Better World Betty) to see if she listed a source. I sort of forgot about it for awhile and then.....I love it when things happen by accident...I was at my doctor's office picking up a prescription when I ran in to a patient....he was dropping off fresh free range eggs for the staff. I quickly placed my order for 2 dozen.....they were delivered yesterday at my office.....the pumpkin muffins I made tonight were better than ever.....I contribute this to the eggs.....the wonderful man who raises these hens (he has an infectious smile) and of course to Rowan.....who LOVES to help make them (probably because he gets to eat chocolate chips)!

Birds

As I've said before.....I LOVE birds! I suppose I really didn't realize just how much it affects my artwork until I started taking Jena's expressive arts therapy class. Everything I have created in her class so far has either a bird, a nest, eggs.....something connected to birds! The week before we created our masks we were talking about the process. I mentioned that I had created a belly cast when I was pregnant with Rowan. I was gently nudged to bring it to class the following week. It was sitting upstairs in what will become Rowan's room. I asked Rex if he could fetch it for me.....I smiled and laughed so hard because he walked into our bedroom with it hung over his neck. But.....it gave me the idea and I put the cast on me and I was taken back in time.....over three years ago when I was pregnant with Rowan. I rested my hands on top of my belly cast....looking down......smilingly remembering.

I painted the cabinet behind my belly in 1993. I was inspired by a coat rack I bought in Germany when Forrest was 6 months old. As I sit here and look around my house I am surrounded by beautiful birds. Check out these birds by Rudi Hurzlmeier! I have these framed and hung over the mantle!

Got into trouble at Barnes & Noble

I have been looking for a book of bird illustrations for quite some time. I enlisted the help of a much admired artist who uses a lot of birds in her artwork. She suggested an inexpensive field guide for birds.....I found one and the price was right.....$5.95! I was almost ready to take my little book up to the counter and then this book! ("In this stunning assemblage of words and images, novelist and avid birdwatcher Graeme Gibson has crafted and extraordinary tribute to the venerable relationship between humans and birds") caught my eye. The illustrations are fabulous! I should get some sleep but Graeme Gibson's "avian miscellany" is calling.....................

I must extend a very heart felt thank you for all the support and comments from everyone. I really look forward to this time of sharing my photos and writing. And just so you know......I am still happy and still smiling.....I hope you are too!

A Little Teaser

So......after I got off work and before I picked up Rowan from daycare......I found this amazing cemetery! I Love this angel......the way it has aged. I'm off to put my very rambunctious 3 year old to bed and.........if I don't fall asleep I plan to post some more photos.

Maple doughnuts-30 dozen behind!

We went to the Maple Sugar Festival in Monterey, Virginia yesterday. I was more excited about the amazing architecture and walking the streets off the beaten path than I was the sugary maple confections! The one purchase of the day......a handmade wooden firetruck for Rowan. I would say that if you are going for the festival the two hour drive plus the hour we spent on the mountain in bumper to bumper traffic......it is not worth it. However......it is worth a trip just to walk around this quaint little town.

My post title does not make sense.....I forgot to explain. As I said, we spent most of the day looking at the stunning architecture and not so much worrying about tasting anything maple.....that is until we stopped at the little general store.....this was 6pm and they were back-ordered 30 dozen doughnuts! Great for them.....not so great for us!

Some Pics From the Maple Festival

Off to Explore!

Today I am headed out to hopefully explore a few of Charlottesville's historic cemeteries. Finding the building last night prompted me to search for abandoned buildings I can find locally. I found the Blue Ridge Sanatorium......oh, and it looks so cool.....a chapel, house and other buildings. From the reading I've done today this complex is owned by UVA and is also off limits! It could become a full-time job finding these places and then begging for someone to let me in. I think I will check on the "Secret Garden" as well.....hopefully I will find more treasures.....crocus, daffodils......