Therapy Fluffy Pals

Hard to see Mer in this photo, but Destress Therapy Fluffy Day at UCSD during finals is one of her favorite visits!

What a treasure of a book! Will Schalbe and his mother Mary Anne start their private book club, revisiting old friends and sharing new ones, during her two year journey suffering from pancreatic cancer. She would not have called it suffering as she was an extraordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary tasks and continued to bring joy to all she met during those two years. Many of the books highlighted were ones I had many, some are now or order at the library. I felt an immediate kinship when they both counted A Prayer for Owen Meany as one of both their favorites, as it is mine. Here's a powerful paragraph from the end of the book: "...Mom taught me not to look away from the worst but to believe that we can all do better. She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tool in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books, in whatever format you choose...is the grandest entertainment, and also is how you take part in the human conversation. Mom taught me that you can make a difference in the world and that books really do matter: they're how we know what we need to do in life, and how we tell others. Mom also showed me, over the course of two years and dozens of books and hundreds of hours in hospitals, that books can be how we get closer to each other, and stay close, even in the case of a mother and son who were very close to each other to begin with, and even after one of them has died."

and here's our precious, Lucy Annabelle! Praise God!

Indy in his new home in New Caanan, CT Name change: Quinn!

How did it get to be March 14th??? Seems like last September was a lifetime ago. Minus one dog, plus one baby. Still blessed, a little wiser, a lot more prayerful.

Five months and 9 days later...where does one start to pick up the pieces. My life seems to change as quickly as technology these days. I was reminded this morning of one year ago,greeting old friends at Parents in Prayer, and introducing Lila and Larkin, transplanted grands! It was a happy morning, despite the fact that we left hurriedly when not sharing resulted in two screamers. Another happy morning today, introducing yet another change in my life, Indy, a pup in training for tenderlovingcanines. In between I've continued to celebrate my endless summer. April was filled with the joys of LindseyOstrom's National Letter Writing Month swap. I have an altered book filled with wonderful art and letters. Another highlight has been taking JoanneSharpe's Letter Love and Color Love classes. Then there's been many hours of grand time. How blessed we are that they're so close. We had fun showing Flat Fanny the wonders of Yosemite, on a trip to Diane and Neil's fabulous house on Pine Mountain Lake. I thank all of you who faithfully check in and perhaps I can get back to blogging. It was such a big think in my life for a while. I guess now I'm just too busy living it to write about it. Time will tell.

what a fun day!

What a fabulous program at UCSD. During finals Andra Lew and her volunteers set up several stations for multiple dogs to offer their support to stressed students. America was at her best and, was especially happy that she could spend time with Caleb and Archie.
One girl sat with us for an hour, just loving on all three dogs, and said how much better she felt.

Altered Christmas Card book

This altered book, a gift from the Churchyards many years ago, now contains Christmas cards, more or less in chronological order, saved in a tattered box, as samples of the ones we've sent for the past 40+ years.

Picking just the right Christmas card was always a big deal to me. It had to be religious and have just the right sentiment.

This first one is signed as Ann Dietz

Then Ann and Rod

Sadly I can't get these in chronological order, but you get the idea.

All three kids, then back to The Deakers Family as some leave.

This was a no kids, puppy year.

bring on the grands.

These are two signed, Ann Rod and Katie

Now Laurie's joined the fun.

Joanne Sharpe

Even though I haven't come even close to watching all the videos in Joanne Sharpe's Letter Love class, the quality of the class compelled me to sign up for her next one.
alphabets

It's been a heady and hearty experience to see the creativity of fellow letter (and quote) lovers!
Joanne's made the class so easy, and so fun and there are three different groups, yahoo, facebook and flickr, to ogle over everyone's work and read their comments.

I can't say enough good things about Letter Love, For $35 we got 29 different videos, sheets of quotes, tips about the best use of products. It's the best art deal around! Not only that, it's available FOREVER!

Caution though, hard to hold on to your pocketbook when you see all the fun pens, paints, sprays everyone is using, BUT, everyone's great about sharing where to get the best deal.

joannesharpe

Bless you, Ted!

Source: mamiverse.com via Christine on Pinterest

They're off!

Hearty thanks to all!

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hope monument

Congratulations to Marilyn Ambrose, Sandy Murphy and all those who worked so hard to have this beautiful monument grace the patio at St. James.

Special Love for Special People

It was on a CCI group that I first got the idea to knit scarves for Special Olympics.
The project began a few years ago, specialolympicscarves, and people have donated thousands of scarves to Special Olympics participants, their coaches and their families. I do love to knit and I love to teach knitting. Knowing how receptive the fabulous 5th and 6th grade teachers at St. James Academy are to outreach projects, I approached them with the idea of teaching their students to knit or crochet. They graciously provided me time to spend with their students and here are some finished products!
I owe a debt of gratitude to Samira Salameh, Hannah's grandmother, for giving of her time and talents to help teach the children. She and her sister and daughter-in-law also contributed scarves. Hannah actually taught her mom to knit!
Others, like Andi Medley and Rose Garner, contributed yarn and scarves.
Last of all, great friends stepped up with numerous scarves. Patty Fuqua, Chris Harrell, Pam Scott and Pattie Urie, bless you for your gorgeous creations.
Part of the fun was being able to design your own pattern and design they did.
The kids were great sports and fabulous about helping each other. I actually think some will continue to refine their skills in the future. Knitting has been a life saver to my mental state many times and my hope was to give that gift to students I love.
I'll pack all the scarves up after they're blessed at mass on Ash Wednesday. They'll be off to grace the shoulders of recipients in Louisiana.
Here is their motto: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt"
Hear hear!

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a word

so many of my friends, many of them artists, embrace a word for the year. that's never been something i could buy into. however i had a clear revelation at church tonight, celebrating the new year, the solemnity of mary.

it just popped right into my head:

POSITIVE

i want to think positive, speak positive, act positive

Moving on

Nov. 13th, Dec. 19th

lots of space between...

Those of you who know me know my life has taken yet another twist since retirement

Taking care of my precious grands has cut my blogging time to almost nil.

However, opening my Christmas cards tonight has compelled me to post this year in retrospect:

Three beloved friends have joined the heavenly angels - make that four

Beloved friends and relatives have joined their hands in marriage

Beloved dogs have crossed the rainbow bridge

Beloved babies have been born

Beloved children have moved closer to our heart and our house

Beloved children have had great successes

Beloved friends have spent time with us

One beloved spouse has recovered from back surgery

His goodness reigns supreme!

Gooseberry Patch rocks

sweet peas with the sweet peas

i'm about as far from being a gardener as i am from the antarctic, but the one thing i can do is sweet peas! oh how i love my sweet peas.

last year i didn't get them planted till well into december, but this year, i've got great help!

our sweet pea seeds, saved from last year's crop, which initially came from Davi, so you know they're good

my talented helpers

our invited guests

lila giving hector a special send-off.

she's our naturalist!

GROW sweet peas, GROW!

A powerful video

nearly 10 minutes long, but a very moving tribute.
End the R word!

Thanks, Nat!

Welcome Back

So glad for America and I to be back in Room 32, full of inspiring children and one very extraordinary teacher.
Goals galore. They made me want to set a few of my own.