A Major Inconvenience

Last night during T's shower upstairs, we noticed water streaming onto the living room floor below. We called our friendly handyman and he made three lovely holes in our ceiling, but didn't find the source of the leak....



Nothing like a pan on the rug to catch the water....

Snack Time!

Almost every afternoon, our kids drag out the container in which we store bulk organic popcorn. They pop batches in the microwave popper and pass around bowls to everyone. I can usually sweet-talk someone to pop me a bowl as well; it's wonderful popcorn, especially when one adds sea salt and perhaps a hint of melted butter....

Black and White

I went back to the cemetery shots I took today (well, it's after midnight, so I guess I can call it yesterday) and did some of them in black and white. I think this one came out the best; the rest are on my Extras blog.

Memorial Day....

It's a day late, but the kids and I headed to the cemetery. I like to visit the family plots and tell stories on my relatives....



My maternal grandparents' grave, with E silhouetted in background. My grandfather survived Pearl Harbor on the destroyer who shot the first American shot of World War II. His birthday is around Memorial Day, so I like to visit the cemetery around this time of year. My paternal grandparents and my dad's brother are also buried in this row.



This is my great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother's grave in one of the older sections of the cemetery. I have a photo of her holding me when I was a baby; she died later in the year I was born.



Across the path from Elk's Rest where our old family plot is, we saw some very interesting statue markers in an even older section. Extra photos can be seen on my Extras page -- see sidebar.

A Sculpey Clay Day

Introducing ... Mr. Jones.

According to his creator, T, aged 12, Mr. Jones is an "uptight, mad boss." Please notice his angry expression, as if he just got done (or perhaps still is) yelling at some peon of an employee. May I also direct your attention to his dotted tie, his formidable shoulders, and his perfect collar. This is a man to be reckoned with.

I wonder how he gets along with Mrs. Jones?

Time Flies....

Time seems to be marching by: my sparse garden of three months ago is now blooming and lovely; tomatoes are developing on young plants; little boys are growing into young men; a young girl is becoming a woman. Time is a relentless blessing -- I want to capture each minute, hold onto each expression. That's what the 365 project is all about, right?

Saturday Night Haircuttin'

These need no words -- just a simple progression as B gets his hair cut on our front porch. The other two wouldn't let me post theirs. Keith saves us so much money by doing the boys' haircuts.

Winning Second Place in the Art Contest

B and T both placed second in their respective age groups in the art contest sponsored by our creative arts group, among about 35 entrants all together. The theme was "Living Healthy;" besides their ribbons, B won some Sculpey clay and T won a zippered case of clored pencils. We had seven judges, although I did not judge my own kids' work. These two were very pleased to place in the contest, and we're darn proud, too. Their works are below.



Several of the artists remarked on the texture in B's apple, painted with acrylics. He came in second to a collage of different foods, in the Kindergarten to Third Grade age group. He spent days being frustrated by this apple which he was copying from a still life collection fo fruit, so we were all relieved when he finally liked it.



T had painted several paintings, and then finished up this colored-pencil drawing of his own hand and an banana the day of the contest judging. It came in second in the 4th to 6th grade age group after a very cool painting on canvas board of a watermelon and other fruit. Everyone liked his bright colors, his likeness of the hand, and the detail of the banana.



J's piece, a combination of acrylic paint on the fruit and colored pencil for the shadow and table, tied for 4th place in the 4th-6th group. Some judges thought his apricot was either a pumpkin or a peach. At first, he was sad not to have placed but that has been replaced by great happiness in winning that bicycle yesterday in the raffle drawing. (See yesterday's photos.)

Arts Contest and Wellness Fair

Our backcountry creative arts council sponsored an art contest at today's Wellness Fair which was held at the local jr./sr. high school. B won second place for the Kindergarten-Third Grade category, and T won second place in the Fourth-Sixth Grade category. (And no, I didn't judge my own kids' work.) I'll post photos of them with their prizes, ribbons, and artwork tomorrow; the photos I took today all include their first and last names which I'm reluctant to post online with their pictures.

But J, whose artwork didn't place tonight, came home with one of the BIG prizes. The Wellness Council raffled off a bunch of very nice items. B came home with a Transformers toy, and T won a Razor scooter and a baseball mitt. But J is pleased as punch with his prize....



Our director and associate director of the creative arts council, in animated conversation. Here Denise talks with Judith, who is a gifted poet and photographer and artist and musician and....

Another Reason I Love Him....

Carol and others have been blogging about reasons they love their husbands. So here is a reason I love mine -- he is a superb cook! Anything from killer cheesecake to spicy enchiladas to great soups, to the pollo asada burritos he's assembling here -- it's all more than delectable. He's spoiled us because what he makes is always better than what we can get in restaurants. He totally eclipses me in the kitchen.

And he comes home after a long day at work and still makes us great dinners, no matter how tired he is. It's one way he shows his love for us, and it's one reason (among many) that we all love him.

When you read this, sweetie: XXOOXXOO!

May Gray

In San Diego, spring usually means "May Gray," i.e., low clouds and fog that doesn't burn off all day. Normally, the clouds stay along the coast and don't venture inland too awfully far. But today, the May Gray extended 50 miles inland into our town: a rarity. We could barely see the summits of the mountains that surround our little valley -- a real gray May day, even up here at nearly 4000 feet above sea level.

And just wait -- "June Gloom" is still to come....

School Daze....

I caught the boys doing school today; usually they don't like me to take photos of them. So they rebelled....



T made the sign and talked the other boys into making angry expressions, although he himself couldn't hold his mad face. But then someone got his feelings hurt....



It's hard being the youngest! Those are real tears splattering his shirt, along with a crumpled sign (and face). He gave me permission to post his; in fact, he laughed at his tearful photo tonight. Peace restored. And I'll ask permission before snapping their photo again, I guess... NOT!

A Work of Art...

My dear and extremely talented husband created this stained glass window and gave it to me when we had known each other for barely three weeks. Our first "big" date (besides our first "blind" date and a couple of looooong talks over pizza) was to attnd The Nutcracker ballet near Christmastime. And he gave me this amazing window for Christmas a week after.

He and his brother had a small stained glass design and repair business when he and I first met, and he's made approximately 50 windows, but none for the last 15 years (since the kids came along). When he builds his shop (which we'll work on as we can), he'll have an area dedicated to stained glass work. Having a well-lit and safe place to work is imperative. And he'd like to teach the kids now that they're older.

His mother, a noted artist (I'll post photos of some of her work later on), helped him with designing the dancer. In creating this window, he used both the lead caming technique along the outside oval and, on the ballerina herself, the copper foil method. The window, 28" tall by 20" wide, now hangs near my desk in our kitchen where the southern exposure lights it very well. This ballerina, a one-of-a-kind, is one of the loveliest stained glass windows I've ever seen, and I love owning it.

It's That Time of Year....

Yep, it was time to shelve the warm red flannel sheets and the even cosier flowered-flannel-covered down comforter in favor of our summer bedding. Now white sheets and a Land's End quilt (yes, it's a queen-sized and a bit small), along with the blue afghan crocheted by Keith's late mother, grace our bed.

Keith built this bed especially for our attic bedroom; I asked him not to put a headboard on it so our view out the window of the trees and mountains would not be obstructed. He also built the three bookcases that line my side of the room, all of which are stuffed full of books that are now overflowing onto the floor and onto the top of the cases. The teddy bear is named Chaucer, a gift from my dear friend Diana during the time that I spent most of the summer in bed a few years ago.

I love our bedroom: my books and icons are nearby; the sun shines in and makes the room cheerful and light; the kids' artwork hangs on the walls; my favorite photos and beloved knickknacks are within sight; and best of all, the kids aren't allowed upstairs without special permission. So we actually have a little privacy, a room to escape from the war zone -- I mean, our dear, dear children.....

A Driving Day

It was one of those days when I spent more time in my car than anywhere else. I drove "down the hill" as we mountain dwellers say, twice today; once for church and doctor visits in the morning and again in the late afternoon to drop E off at a church-sponsored sleepover.



On the way home from dropping E off at the house of some of our 20-something young women from church, I drove past my old high school. It was built in the mid-1960s (in case you can't tell) with open hallways and no air conditioning; I lived just up the street for 16 years. I learned how to ride my bike in these hallways as a young child, walked past here during elementary and middle school, and attended all four years of high school here. There was a school shooting here later in the same year as the Santana shooting; I remember my shock at seeing my beloved school being filmed from the vantage of helicopters and police everywhere.

Cruisin' Down the Main Street....

B and I made a late-afternoon run over to the library in our town. As we drove back up the main "drag" of our town, I saw that B had put his head out the window (he's been pretending to be a dog lately) and I snapped toward the rear-view mirror without taking my eyes off the road. One shot. And this is what I got.

See how busy our "business district" is? I just wish I had cleaned that mirror beforehand....

We also had lunch today at the 1950's-style diner, one of only three places to eat in our small town. Photos of the diner and a very cute shot of Dash fetching a soccer ball can be seen on my Extras at the sidebar.

A Creative Homeschooling Day....

J and B started some acrylic paintings today of fruit for the "Living Well and Healthily" art contest. We'll have to work on the background, which Keith informs me should have been painting first. Oh well....



I managed a little gardening today while the boys worked on their writing assignments. I pulled weeds around this little Spanish lavender plant this afternoon, and was glad to see such lovely blooms.

A Favorite Doctor....

I stopped by Dr. Adema's office today for a quick interview and photo as he's agreed to be our Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council Featured Artist for this September. We're gathering biographical sketches of out artists and photos so we can advertise effectively in the backcountry newspapers as well as with posters around town, etc.

He gave me permission to post this photo on my blog as well, and since I took only four photos today and three of them were of Dr. Adema, I sincerely hoped that one of the photos of him turned out well.

In addition to being an incredible osteopathic doctor, he's a good friend. He studied English before switching over to the medical arts, so we always have a lot to discuss regarding writing, art, poetry, music, etc. We're lucky to get around to medical issues at all during my appointments, but I've realized that he's wisely gauging my strength and emotional health by my enthusiasm for the arts. He's also a great advocate for homeschooling as he and his wife homeschooled both of their now-grown kids at some point in their academic careers. And Dr. Adema is just plain fun to talk to; he's one of the most accomplished conversationalists I've ever met. And the way he tells stories! I never dread an appointment with this doctor, who has done as much for my emotional and spiritual well-being as he has for my physical health.

Beautiful Things

On Lamp Post we were discussing the use of beautiful, quality things in our homes vs. just "settling" for what is practical and economical. Well, this is one of our "splurges"; Keith and I bought it in Cambridge in 1988 on our only overseas trip. It sits on my mantel with all of my "favorite things." I love the fine detail; just looking at it takes me back to England. And a mini-vacation-of-the-mind is an awfully nice break in the middle of homeschooling four children all day....



Dash was trying to nap while I gave J his spelling words; I sneaked over and got this photo while he was still drowsy....

I also have a couple of extra "beautiful things" on my Extras. Check it out!

Mother's Day

After church today, we stopped by Summers Past Farms on the way home, as my Mother's Day request. We saw some friends from church there, and we chatted with Jan, Cathie, Mark, and Veneta in the beautiful gardens with the seven Parks kids running about with our four, playing catch on the lawns and jumping from one hay bale to another. Keith wants to come back with his camera when it's less crowded, and I want him to help me make a garden like the ones here.

Above is the entrance to the gift shop, and to the extreme right, the arch of honeysuckles marks the entrance to the sweet pea/sunflower/morning glory maze.



Here is the shaded Wisteria Walk, past bloom obviously but still lovely and cool and refreshing. Summers Past Farms, as our friend Jan said, is "San Diego's best-kept secret." And although it was at full capacity today, Summers Past is definitely one of my favorite places in our county, and one of the most beautiful.

A San Diego Landmark

If you've ever been to San Diego, this landmark is extremely familiar to you. The Museum of Man in Balboa Park was constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exhibition. The California Tower can be seen from most west-bound airplanes just before landing at Lindbergh Field. My great-great grandfather, Edward Quayle, reportedly aided in the design of this Tower, although I have not yet confirmed that fact in my genealogical research. I have discovered that his firm (Quayle Brothers) did design another building for the Exposition, among many other architectural landmarks in San Diego since they arrived in this area in 1906. San Diego natives are few and far between in this city.

For two other San Diego landmarks of personal interest to me and Vera, please see the my 365 Extras Blog at the top of the sidebar.

Summers Past Farms

At the entrance to Summers Past Farms, a maze entices children to run among the flowers and enjoy games of hide-and-seek. Right now six feet of sweet peas and sunflowers line the maze in all their abundance. I brought Carol and Nikki here two years ago; we enjoyed the gardens and listened to a guitar concert. There's something for everyone here: gardens to roam, a nursery from which to purchase flowers, a gift shop, a soap shop, craft classes, a coffee bar with a shaded seating area, a petting zoo, a children's garden, a shade garden with a fountain and a stream running through it, plus multiple garden areas in all sorts of themes.



This is one of the garden areas, complete with a fairy. The deep blues of the foxgloves is so breathtaking; this photo barely captures it.



And they even have a garden cat named "Autumn" in the gift shop; here she drapes herself over the sales counter in the gift shop.

I will post more photos on my 365 Extras. I took over 100 photos today while E browsed the gift shops and the boys ran about....

A Dose of Spring Cheer

My pansies are in bloom again. The adorable vermin who nibbled them down to nothingness when I first planted the flowers haven't spotted them in all their glory (thus far, anyway). Pansies are among my very favorite flowers; their innate friendliness always cheers me.



I played with some of the "artistic" options in PhotoShop, and this image was created from an okay-but-not-oustanding photo using "poster." I like the outlines and the way the colors worked.

(And apologies to Carrie for posting flowers....)

Church along the Way....

None of my photos turned out today ... well, one kinda turned out, but it just wasn't anything at all remarkable.

So I'm posting a photo from yesterday when I was in the city. I drive past this beautiful Methodist church as I drive to my chiropractor (on the same street as the crayon-fence I posted yesterday). Reportedly this church also has a prayer labyrinth, but I haven't been able to locate it.

As I took this photo, I noticed that the chapel doors were open a smidge, and I could see blue stained glass through the crack. I wish I had the gumption to go in there and take photos on the INSIDE.

Colors....

I drive past this picket fence in front of a preschool every time I see my chiropractor. I've always thought it could make an interesting photo, so I left for my appointment a bit early today to capture the colors.

At the Park

Today at the park the boys went round and round together -- how they all fit I have no idea! I was playing with the "sport" setting on my camera and was pleased with the focus on this stop-action shot.



B conquers! T and J found themselves biting the sawdust while the littlest brother triumphs!

I'll have additional park shots over on my 365 Extras blog.

Our Talking Heads....

Keith created these fun dudes out of sculpey clay and they sit on top of his TV by his desk in our kitchen. The Frenchy guy on the left is his newest creation, sculpted while I was in NC; the others date back a month or two.

I love their faces -- so much personality and quirkiness; I almost expect to see them walking around the house late at night.

Sorry they're not the greatest photos; the lighting works well, but my camera wouldn't focus on all three. But I wanted to post them before Keith crushes them to mold something else....