first sleepover
at peaches’ cottage
for
babies b and j
and
we are
making
shadow puppets
on the wall
and
there is
a
feeling
of
magical electricity
in the air
—
deep meaning lies often in childish play. ~johann friedrich von schiller
Oct12
Tag Archives: love
Aug15
when you love someone all your saved up wishes start coming out. elizabeth bowen
babies v, b, j and r
toss their coins
in the fountain
at the zoo
and the
giant
stone bears
standby
ever
at the watch
and keep
their secrets
as
they
send
their
wishes
whispered
from
tiny lips
out
into the
great big
universe
—
where there is great love, there are always wishes.
willa cather
Aug11
kindness, like a boomerang, always returns. ~author unknown
this summer
i’ve so enjoyed
spending time
at home
in my cozy little cottage
with
family and friends and animals
and
thinking back
to
last summer
when
i set off
on
a long journey
to see my family
in their home
so far away
and when
i returned
and walked in
i was
left
speechless
when i found
what was waiting for me
on my table
was a basket
of fresh peaches
and muffins
and notes
welcoming me home
and
they were
filled with
so much
love and caring
a surprise gift
had been
given to me
by my dear friends
who
in my absence
had
completed many projects
i had been talking about
for a very long time
they had planned it all
and worked together
for weeks
husbands, wives, children
to make
my cottage
even more of
a home for me
they had
clipboards
and shifts
and materials
and money
and sweat
and tools
and time
and hard labor
and they
asked
my daughters
for my
colors
and ideas
and wishes
and dreams
and most of all
what i saw
when i walked in
was
an incredible act
of
human kindness
and
i
couldn’t believe
what they had done for me
and
i cried
and
my daughter
said
‘mom, all of your stories end with you laughing or crying or sometimes both’
and
isn’t that the way
all things should end?
you can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
~john wooden
—
image credits: leslielane.com, mainzercats
Aug1
in search of my mother’s garden, i found my own. – alice walker
she called it
her butterfly dress
my mother
a young girl
in italy
twirling
carefree
spreading her wings
all the world before her
and
at her
happiest
before life
got challenging
and things
were
never the same
for her
and she
lost her wish to fly
and this is how
i want
to remember her
on this date
that was
both
the day
she was born
and
the day
that she died
and
i still want
to think of her
twirling
and
carefree
at her happiest
in her
butterfly dress
—
the thing that interests me most about family history is the gap
between the things we think we know about our families and the realities.
– jeremy hardy
Jul27
in summer, the song sings itself. ~ william carlos williams
climbing the apple trees
flying kites
chasing fireflies
sending messages in a bottle
wandering through the library
playing big games
losing shoes
baking cupcakes
reading books
so many surprises
walking everywhere
finding clues
making costumes
singing made-up songs
talking into the sewer to invite the ninja turtles to a party
meeting the people all around
making up and telling stories
robots and legos
dancing like centipedes
playing in and out and around the water
sand in your pants
tunnels and giant ants
making a palace for the fairies to move into
big, big messes
cardboard forts
cousins, cats, dogs, goats, bunnies, lobsters, frogs, fish
and more family of all kinds
and becoming part of the art
you are six shooting stars on a shining summer’s day.
—
yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun. –
john lennon
—
dedicated with love to all of the little stars who make my life so big
and all of my seasons so bright –
peaches
Jul25
24.
and today is the last day
for a while
that we all will be together
and we will share every minute of it
before heading on down the road
each in our own direction
and we know
we’ll find our way back together again
before too long
and i wish that this day could go on forever.
—
maximize every opportunity today. there is a lot of living and loving that can be done in 24 hours.
– author unknown
Jul24
nobody’s free until everybody’s free. – fannie lou hammer
found these two down the street
guess the price was too high
even with
that stripy, ratty love seat
thrown in as a bonus.
—
he who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back.
– henri matisse
Jul21
little boys should never be sent to bed. they always wake up a day older. – peter pan
spending the weekend with grand baby joeys, f and m,
(who have a look of mischief in their eyes like the vintage lads above)
while their mom is away with friends
and it’s so very different
from time spent with our girl babies
yet every moment is equally exciting
in its very own way
where going swimming in a pool
counts as a bath
and waking up in bathing suits
makes us ready
for another day’s adventure
and it’s all about
perpetual motion
and peeing
and rocks
and bugs
and ghost tales
and staying up late
and everything is sticky
and wet
and dirty
and it is a delight.
boys are found everywhere – on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on,
swinging from, running around, or jumping to.
– alan marshall beck
—
image credits: everything vintagesteff.com, pinterest.com
Jul16
the smallest feline is a masterpiece. – leonardo da vinci
and we have added to our family once again.
this handsome fellow,
a flyweight
weighing in at just 8 pounds
and 8 years old
has lived a hard life
first on his own
surviving
on the mean streets
with scars, and cuts, and ruffled fur
then with a family
who may not have fully appreciated his charms
and he was sent away
to spend his days in a small cage
with nothing but an uncertain future
and a short timeline ahead
but he has persevered
against all odds.
–
and when we walked into the shelter
and he reached
with
a tiny ginger paw
out of his cell
to wave to us
and called out
with a little voice
we knew
he had been waiting a long time
to meet us
just as
we had been waiting a long time
to meet him.
and when
we carried him into the cottage
he
was instantly transformed
into
the most affectionate and gentle cat
we have ever met
and knew that he was home at last.
(he has been lovingly named nacho, and he is the furry one with the orange hair.)
Jul13
“and at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling.” — shanti
a windy day
at empire beach
on lake michigan
by sleeping bear dunes
I didn't have my glasses on.... 