magic moments

'this world, after all our science and sciences,

is still a miracle;

wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more,

to whosoever will think of it.'

~ thomas dekker

the little one asked me to come for a walk with him late this afternoon... as only my children do, he sensed the weight that was holding me down, he remembered it was my favorite kind of light and he shared with me his thoughts, his joy, his love... how lucky am i? 

everything dances

'everything has rhythm.

everything dances.'

~ maya angelou

metal 

wind, water, clouds

two hearts

the dryer is ready -

i know that for so many of you, it has been storming, snowing and other kinds of winter-y things... but when you live on the eastern seaboard, threats promises of snow often fall flat... the warmer ocean water keeps the storms from really producing... we get nor'easters - powerful wind and rain storms, but less frequently are snow storms... not this time it seems - we are in for a blizzard... we may be getting gusts of up to 60mph... and i am so glad that em got her treatment in philly last thursday, because who knows what the weather will bring... 


naturally i had little food in the house... so, the day after xmas at 8am emily and i headed to wegmans - barely anyone else on the roads... within a half hour, it was packed... and the poor store was terribly understaffed; i mean, on a normal day, i doubt there is a big rush for the grocery store on the 26th... so we have the makings for chicken parm (regular and vegetarian), hot chocolate and i don't know what else... i love to see the beach with snow on it - but they are calling for white-out conditions and my 4wd suburban was sliding in my driveway, so we may not be venturing out... i know this sounds so wimpy to those of you who live in conditions like this all winter - and truthfully, i am curious how often businesses shut down if you have a blizzard... is it such a big deal? it is, right? as going somewhere at this point is optional and not required, i think we are staying put... 

** i need to clarify - this tiny dusting is my before pic -

in 3 hours we are at over 6" and it is still snowing hard... i realize how silly this post seems if you are thinking that i am talking about this much snow... i am projecting into the amounts they are calling for *** 

it begins... phone calls are starting and kids are coming to my house to hang out - good thing i went to the store... there will be huge nerf gun battles... 

santa brought hats... thank goodness...

and this is my new 'favorite' - a paper mache bust from maureen thomas... it really makes photographing necklaces a pleasure and i love how you can choose the texture and details regarding the neck and shoulders... 

i feel so badly for all of those holiday travelers whose plans have been affected by weather -who have had flights cancelled in the us and europe this year... hoping your holiday weekend has been filled with all of the things that make you happy... and that in addition to love, you have warmth and food in your belly... 

tree hunting

'to many people holidays are not voyages of discovery, 

but a ritual of reassurance.'

~ philip andrew adams

today was very much that for me... setting the kids loose looking for the 'perfect' tree... 

14 yr. old photo face - he is really the biggest goofball...

the first 3 pics were taken by em on her itouch with the hipstamatic app... 

hope you enjoyed your weekend... 

poof

because quite frankly that is what it feels like - 


poof... 


yesterday we met with the doctors who said my aunt needed to be placed on hospice in the hospital... they gave her days to weeks... 


stopped by the hospital after dropping the kids off at school this morning, held the phone to her ear so my brother could say what he needed to say... i thanked her for all she had done and let her know i was going to be okay... 


my mom and i left - i headed off to philly with em...


and when i got home, my mom let me know that she left that disease-riddled, pain-filled body of hers at 9am...  


the aggressiveness of her disease and the rapidity of her decline have left me reeling... a mother and her daughter both died this year - my grandmother and my aunt... 

i finished these for my friend to wear to the kaleidoscope of hope walk tomorrow - she lost her sister to cancer 2 years ago... i added sapphires for september - to represent the month of my friend's birth and her sister's passing - bitter sweet... 


who knew those words would apply to my aunt this month - the month of her birth and her passing?


thank you for letting me share this - it all just seemed so surreal... and thank you for all of your support... i am here for you as well -


tomorrow is another day -

friday gratitude

grateful for:


friends who take the time to express their thoughts and feelings, extending warmth and providing support... 


my aunt getting through her repeat pet scan - the first one should couldn't tolerate for more than 3 minutes because of the pain in her back... this time she finished the full time - what a relief... they even allowed family in the room with her so we could give her progress reports and let her know how much time she had left... whatever information the report brings, at least it is a starting point for a plan... repeat biopsy on monday... 


kids getting through (and for the most part enjoying) their first week of school... 


our neighborhood kids who ride in the suburban with us in the morning and for some reason are comfortable enough in the car to yammer in front of me and even include me at times!


my wonderful family who has proven yet again that in times of trouble, the herd pulls in tight around the weakest member... 


65* mornings & open windows... 

(poor picture) these faces that greet me when i pull up - and then disappear because they are running downstairs... unless there is something really interesting going on in the nearby trees...


the realization that for the show i have tomorrow (and have not worked on at ALL) - no one knows that i make different things from last year... and that i sold pieces last year... and that i can privately view it as a moving out the old inventory sale... 

the good, the bad and the ugly

'bad' more like in hanging over your head, cannot seem to move forward because you cannot think of anything else... like that!


our weeks have been filled with a nasty stomach virus (the ugly)... took care of kids for a week and then got it myself - yuck... with the inability (but having the desire) to do a whole lot of anything else... i am just putting it out to the universe that given the severity of it, i am requesting a pass of about a decade - 'nuf said...

'kites rise highest against the wind.'

~ winston churchill

'the bad' - you know how people are anxiously awaiting the arrival of end of school? and for some of you this has already happened... our last day of school is june 23rd... late... but in order to get to this place, my 8th grader had 2 research papers due at the same time... i applaud alex for choosing interesting people - winston churchill and galileo... churchill is probably one of my favorite historical figures... in fact, my youngest cat is named for him as he was found in the street, near death... and sir winston was one to say:

 'the only way to get through hell is to keep going.' 

however, he found the amount of available information to be daunting... and, truthfully, at first i did too... so he and i worked our way through books, reputable websites and such to get to the elongated kernels of info needed for these papers... then of course there is an expectation of more formal formatting and all of that at this age... but hey, he's not hacking it out on a typewriter! they hate when i remind them of that... 


i am happy to announce that they are done! seriously, i feel like i can exhale now... 


then there has been 'the good and busy' - end of school year 'stuff'... especially in the elementary school... 

field day

a green belt (yes, they are best friends, it's adorable)

and an author's tea

chuck with his favorite food -

spaghetti

'a bear however hard he tries grows tubby without exercise.'

~ winnie the pooh

so do some cats! but they just don't know it... poor winston may be half draco's weight, but he's a very good friend!

'i've loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.'

~ galileo

we're back -

just got in from viewing 'where the wild things are' ... for me, this was - in regard to both cinematography and storytelling - quite simply one of the most raw and beautiful movies ever ... and, yes, i am a very sensitive person, but still... 

awaiting the wild things -

i am sure that like me, many of you are awaiting the release of 'where the wild things are'- filled with curiosity and a child-like desire to go back in time for just a little while... in some theaters, it opens at midnight tonight... sendak's book was published in 1963... his wild things were inspired by family visits to relatives living in brooklyn... giving pinches on his cheeks, stating things like, 'i'll eat you up'... 

the 'really rosie' movie came out when i was around ten and was one of my favorites; it was  right up there with 'it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown'...  this is my book that i got thru the scholastic weekly reader program way back when... the kids got a kick out of seeing that i really had been small once, as evidenced by the writing... and that i am old, because there is no room #18 in the school anymore - they go/have gone there too... we actually have the soundtrack in my car - listening to carol king sing 'one was johnny' is great for the early school run...  

years ago, when i got the book, i found this quote and taped it inside... i had forgotten it & was glad that i found it... 

this is an exhibit going on in nyc... i was kind of sad when i looked up the please touch museum in philly this morning... when emily was little, sendak had collaborated with them and created an area that was dedicated to his books - 'in the night kitchen', 'where the wild things are', etc... there were max costumes that the kids could put on and a slide of pouring milk that went into a large bowl... i was going to include that here but i don't see any evidence of that being there anymore...

and last, but never least, is one of my wild things - who is happily back to color after a short blonde hiatus... 

this time we did a fade from very light pink to cherry bomb... 

the movie is described as  a comedy... but i am bringing tissues... i always cry at the movies! 

new blogger & zombie walk update -

'there are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.

one is roots; the other, wings.'

-hodding carter

my daughter emily has started her own blog - she is a free spirited creative writer with an inherited tendency toward the sarcastic... and, as tamekah once commented on a post here, kids see the world through a fresh lens... it's thought provoking, refreshing, sweet and challenging... everything they are supposed to be! she is also a cinema & literary fiend... a child i am very proud to be able to call my own... 

also, nj zombie walk is estimating at upwards of 1500 participants in the lurch through asbury... we are already psyched for next year! oh, & i thought you would probably appreciate this, while watching 'zombieland' i was figuring out how to make woody harrelson's turquoise necklace - geek!!